A father from Maine who was mortified at the thought of having his picture taken at his son’s graduation has lost 180 pounds — and he says his new diet saves him $2,000 a month on groceries, as SWNS reported.
Justin Dudley, 48, tipped the scales at 343 pounds and a size XXXXL at his heaviest after years of carb-loading took a toll.
The self-confessed “fast-food addict” says he followed every meal with dessert — and that he spent anywhere from $1,600 to $2,400 per month on ice cream, chips and candy.
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In April 2024, Dudley decided enough was enough. The single dad’s only son, Ethan, was set to graduate high school that spring, according to the SWNS report.
Justin Dudley is pictured at his son Ethan’s graduation in June 2024. (Justin Dudley / SWNS)
“I always hated having my photo taken, and if I had to be in a group picture, I always tended to hang in the background,” said the father, who works in information technology. “But I wanted to make my son proud for his special day.”
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Dudley created a strict meal plan that included extreme calorie counting and intermittent fasting, which is a timed eating plan that alternates between fasting and eating on a regular schedule, according to Johns Hopkins.
Since his son’s graduation, Dudley has lost 180 pounds.
Dudley’s diet included drinking only tea and coffee throughout the day, then having one large meal for dinner. The dinner itself was a strict 1,200 calories — the total amount he planned to eat each day.
The recommended daily intake for an adult male is between 2,000 and 3,000 calories, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Dudley also incorporated home workouts into his routine.
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Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist, is known to be an expert in intermittent fasting. When asked about this method of losing weight, he agreed that it has many benefits.
“The advantage of this schedule is that by eating the same thing at the same time, he is building his routine into a habit that makes it easier to stick to, since his body knows exactly what to expect and when,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I still felt embarrassed when having my photo taken … I knew I still had a lot of work to do,” said Dudley, pictured in April 2024. (Justin Dudley / SWNS)
Fung also noted that intermittent fasting can help to curb food addictions.
“Following a set eating plan makes it easier to stay off fast food, [Dudley’s] addiction,” the doctor said. “Addictions must be treated with abstinence, not moderation.”
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In the first month of the diet, Dudley lost 22 pounds. By June 2024, he had lost an additional 20 pounds.
That June, on graduation day, Dudley “still cringed” at having photos taken, per SWNS.
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“Ethan told me how proud he was of me, but I still felt conscious of my weight,” he said. “I still felt embarrassed when having my photo taken … I knew I still had a lot of work to do.”
Since his son’s graduation, Dudley has lost even more weight, shedding a total of 180 pounds.
“I look back at old pictures and can’t believe how far I’ve come,” he said.
Since his son’s graduation, Dudley has lost even more weight, shedding a total of 180 pounds. (Justin Dudley / SWNS)
Dudley’s new eating plan has saved him money, too. He spends approximately $300 monthly on food, compared to more than triple that amount previously, according to SWNS.
“I save thousands a month that would’ve been spent on junk that was putting me into an early grave,” he said.
“I save thousands a month that would’ve been spent on junk that was putting me into an early grave.”
Now, the father looks forward to traveling — something he says he couldn’t do before — and living a life he’s proud of.
Dudley’s own father passed away not long before his own weight-loss journey, which is part of what inspired him to begin.
Intermittent fasting is a timed eating plan that alternates between fasting and eating on a regular schedule, according to Johns Hopkins. (iStock)
“Losing my dad hit me hard, and I didn’t want Ethan to lose me prematurely,” he said, according to SWNS.
“Before my dad passed, he told me not to live with regrets or to postpone anything for tomorrow.”
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For others looking to implement this sort of change, Fung offered some simple advice.
“My tip for intermittent fasting is that it’s never easy or particularly fun, so making it into a habit that you can follow is a huge step toward maintaining the benefits,” he said.
