How to Lose 100 Pounds in Months, According to a Man Who Did It

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. However, learning about other people's success stories can motivate and inspire anyone trying to become a healthier version of themselves. Jamie Wooldridge, 57, a Southlake, Texas man, is the latest weight loss success story going viral for a good reason: He lost almost two hundred pounds in just a few months by making a few crucial lifestyle changes. 

Wooldridge, who recently won the Fit City Challenge, a 45-day fitness event, revealed his secrets to Star-Telegram, maintaining he didn't have to go on a diet to get into the best shape of his life.

"I'm competitive by nature," he said, going on to describe the fitness challenge. "In a nutshell, if it is an activity, it counts. Anything that gets you moving. There were several highly active people in the competition, including some triathletes, long-distance bikers, swimmers, runners, kick boxers, yoga instructors, pickleball players, etc."

The competition, which was six weeks, involved each competitor receiving a designated number of points for each specific activity based on the activity and duration. "I would check on my nearest competitors daily, and if someone passed me, it would push me to work that much harder," Wooldridge said. "I probably increased my activity by about 20 to 25% per day to attain the top position."

He continued explaining that before the challenge, he lost around 100 pounds in a matter of a few months in 2021. "A series of events in a short time frame triggered my action. First, we were in the middle of the pandemic, and all the reports showed that people who were obese, diabetic, had high blood pressure, and other comorbidities were more likely to have difficulty with COVID," he said.

"After a doctor's visit for my annual physical on March 12, 2021, I decided enough was enough. I had gained about 15 pounds during the lockdown, and my blood work indicated high cholesterol and pre-diabetes," he continued. "I was clinically obese, had high blood pressure — on meds, under control — took a proton pump inhibitor for gastric reflux, a candidate for statin medication, and knocking on the door of diabetes." 

An unflattering photo inspired him to get in shape for his son's upcoming wedding that October. He was already walking three to four miles daily with his dog, but his diet was the real problem. "My real issue was on the consumption side. I had no idea how many calories I was taking in every day," he said. "In the past, I had experienced rapid, short-term success with fad diets, but they were not sustainable for me, and ultimately, I would end up gaining back the lost weight, and typically, add a few extra pounds, too."

He asked his wife, Sally, for help, and she suggested he count calories. They set up an Excel spreadsheet and started using an app called LoseIt!. "The plan, built from my input into the app, was to lose 1.5 pounds per week. We bought a food scale, an air fryer for healthier cooking options and started making substitutions for high-calorie food. I was amazed at how many calories I was likely taking in per day, prior to tracking — probably between 4,000 to 5,000 on average," he said. 

He reduced his calorie intake to 2,200 per day and also increased his walking, first to five miles a day and then up to seven or eight. "The weight started to drop quickly. My goal was to get to 215 pounds before my son's wedding, which would be 70 pounds lost. I actually hit this milestone by early August and set a new goal of 195 pounds," Wooldridge said. "As the weight came off, the activity increased, and I remain extremely active today."

Wooldridge dropped to 195 pounds by early October. Later that month, he started running. Now he does 30-35 minutes of strength training (weights/bands), 30-35 minutes of core training/stretching, walks at least eight miles four days per week, and runs 20-25 miles per week. He also uses an elliptical machine.

He never takes a day off. "A rest day for me is still active, just lower impact activities like walking/elliptical," he said. As for diet, he consumes around 3,200 per day, limiting processed sugar and liquid calories.

He also runs marathons. "Since then, I have run many more races, including another marathon that I ran the whole way, several half marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks, and I have been in the top three in my age group in several of these races," he said. "I am training now for my third marathon this December and am hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon in the next two years."

His family is very proud of him. "They still all comment how good I look and how happy they are that I am healthier," he said. "His common-sense, no excuses approach to nutrition, paired with measured exercise is a plan everyone can implement," Sally said. "I am amazed by his consistency, which is the key to sustainable success. I am proud of him, and so happy that he is a healthier version of himself." 

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Wooldridge wants to help other people become the healthiest version of themselves so he started a company to do so – free of charge – called ReFormed Health & Fitness. "For those who are struggling and hopeless, I share my story, offer my service — and I started this at 56, it is never too late," he said. "That resonates with many people. They seem to listen to someone who has been there." He concluded:  "This, to me, is the most important part of the journey, consistency in understanding caloric intake, and consistency in activity. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet."