My high school football coaches told me I needed to bulk up—they just didn't tell me how. So I hit every fast-food joint in town, and it worked. I gained 70 pounds before my sophomore year and kept piling them on through high school. Then Concordia University recruited me to play football, and I knew I would have to be even bigger. But the larger I grew, the less endurance I had. As I pushed my body toward 300 pounds, my energy level plummeted and I feared for my health.

After a fast-food binge at five different restaurants, my belt literally snapped off my body. Even that embarrassment wasn't enough. During one game I took a nasty tackle that ripped up my knee so badly I couldn't play. Now my weight wasn't even useful anymore.