Man shows insane transformation after losing nine stone in eight months on 1700 calories a day
A dad who has struggled with weight his entire life has revealed a dramatic body transformation after losing 133lbs – more than nine stone – and burning an estimated 500,000 calories in eight months.
Josh, from Baltimore, Maryland, is now 178lbs (12.7 stone) at 5ft 9in after overhauling his relationship with food and exercise.
The 38-year-old, who shares his journey online as content creator Mr. Joshua, said the death of his dad from stage-four cancer in July 2025 was a devastating ‘wake-up call’.
“Watching him fade so fast was a massive wake-up call regarding my own health, longevity and how precious life is,” Josh tells LADbible.
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“Having lost both of my brothers when I was a teenager, I knew my pattern was to cope with grief through alcohol and food and judging by the state I was in, I knew that path would lead to an early grave.
“I decided to take all of that grief and channel it into completely transforming myself, inside and out.”
The transformation begins
After spending August researching nutrition and exercise, Josh’s transformation started on 6 September 2025.
He adopted a high-protein whole-food diet, intermittent fasting and macro tracking while dramatically increasing his daily activity.
“I keep it simple, 90 percent of what I eat either swims, walks, or grows in the ground. I cut out all processed junk food and focused on eating a high protein, whole food diet,” he said.
But his journey included mistakes.
Josh’s calorie intake
By consuming just 1,200–1,300 calories per day, Josh lost weight quickly but realised the extreme deficit was also costing him strength and muscle.
And so he increased his intake to 1,600–1,700 calories before eventually taking a three-month maintenance break, during which he consumed around 2,400–2,500 calories daily.
Now eating between 1,700–1,800 calories, Josh is focused on losing his remaining abdominal fat and improving his athletic performance.
20,000 steps a day
Josh’s exercise routine started off with three full-body gym sessions per week, focusing on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench presses.
More recently, Josh has changed his training schedule to exercise with his uncle, who is also embarking on a weight-loss journey.
The pair now train upper body together on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while Josh completes legs and core sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
He does relatively little dedicated cardio yet relies heavily on his high daily step count of around 20,000 steps per day.
‘Imposter syndrome and doubt still creep in’
Josh said: “I haven't had this much energy since I was a teenager. I've gone from being winded walking up a few stairs to doing pullups and jogging for miles without stopping. Both things seemed impossible just a year ago.”
Despite his extraordinary progress, Josh admits adapting mentally to his new body remains an ongoing process.
“Most days, I feel extremely proud. My dad was always proud of me whenever I tried to get healthier in the past, and even when I failed, he never stopped supporting me. Knowing how proud he would be right now brings me immense peace,” he said.
“With that said, it’s still a process. Imposter syndrome and doubt still creep in.”
‘Don’t be afraid to fail’
Josh now wants his story to encourage others who have tried and failed to transform their health.
“Never let the fear of failure stop you from trying. I’ve failed at losing weight more times than most people have even attempted it until it finally stuck,” he said.
“Believe in yourself, and truly believe that you can actually do it this time, because you can.”
His ultimate goal is longevity – and being fit enough to continue exercising decades from now.
“A total transformation isn't an overnight fix, it's a daily choice,” he added.
“You have to give yourself grace on the bad days, but if you keep showing up, one day you’ll look back and realize you can’t even relate to the person you used to be.”
Josh’s ultimate goal is longevity - he wants to remain fit and active enough to still be doing pull-ups in his 80s.
Topics: Lifestyle, Health, Food And Drink
Anish Vij