He transformed his life 180 degrees — by losing 360 pounds.
When Cole Prochaska hit his scale’s maximum weight of 585 pounds in 2021, he was sure he weighed more.
The 39-year-old South Carolina store manager, who once suffered from overeating, was able to shed the weight the natural way — but says he’s now “trapped” in a body covered in excess skin.
“I’ve lost all this weight, and I have muscles, but if I take my shirt off, I’m still self-conscious about all the loose skin,” Prochaska told “TODAY” this week.
“I’ve got loose skin on my legs, so if I try to go running, it’s hard to run,” he continued, explaining that he tucks the loose skin on his abdomen into his pants.
Prochaska revealed he previously devoured approximately 5,000 calories a day from chips, cheeseburgers, whole pizzas and soft drink 12-packs.
Exercise left him out of breath. He bristled at the thought of beach days or water parks and blamed his lack of motivation for the end of his seven-year relationship — despite efforts to save it.
“I would always put on a happy exterior because that’s what a lot of big people do. But I was a pretty lonely person,” he explained. “You don’t want to go to anything because you don’t want to have to worry about fitting in the chairs and worry about having to walk very far, what you’re going to wear.”
Prochaska started his health journey by walking just a few blocks, eventually traveling farther and farther each day while limiting his intake of sweet treats and savory indulgences.
The former chip addict drank more water, ate more protein and now treks 10,000 steps every day “no matter what” along with frequenting the gym to lift weights.
“It was just me making up my mind that this is it, it’s going to be a life change,” he said. “I feel so great.”
Now, he’s trying to tackle the next obstacle: Excess skin.
After meeting with a California plastic surgeon, he’s targeting the skin on his upper body, anticipating up to five surgeries in the next few years.
While he can’t estimate the final price tag, he created a GoFundMe to raise money for the procedures. His post features a shirtless photo of himself that he says was “of the most difficult things” he’s done.
“I didn’t want to do it,” he said. “But I was like, you know what? I need to show everybody all the skin I have and how far I’ve come and just embrace it. And that’s what I did.”
As of Friday, he’s raised just over $38,000 of his $60,000 goal.
“I just want to keep helping inspire as many people as possible to overcome whatever it is that they’re battling, but definitely people who are trying to lose weight,” said Prochaska, who weighs around 226 pounds.
He often posts inspirational messages on Twitter, where he touts his dramatic weight loss, telling others in the same boat to “believe in yourself.”
“You’re never too far gone. It’s never too late,” he advises. “You can always come back.”
