Body Transformation: Adam Capps Sent 170 Pounds Packing!

Adam's life changed when he discovered a forum thread mocking his fat body walking out of McDonald's. See how that moment drove him to lose 170 pounds!

Why I decided to transform

From the day I was born, I was a foodie. I loved eating anything and everything. My appetite was ridiculous and I never felt full. I was ridiculed and made fun of at least once per day because of my weight. Riding the public school bus was torture.

I loved sports and recreational activities but my weight held me back. I'm a competitor and it killed me to lose at anything. From an early age, I saw athletes with powerful and shredded physiques and told myself that I would look like that one day.

I idolized Arnold Schwarzenegger from an early age and wished for a physique like his. However, my eating habits and environment didn't help me lose weight or develop a physique like Arnold. I was smart and excelled at everything outside of physical activity.

When I got to high school, I made friends and thought my success in academics would protect me from ridicule, but it only made it worse. As a 300-pound high school senior, I knew I needed to change but never knew where to start.

Before /// 364 lbs
After /// 194 lbs
AGE 20 / HEIGHT 6'0" / BODY FAT 40%
AGE 23 / HEIGHT 6'0" / BODY FAT 14%

I went to college on a scholarship with the intent to get an education and start working out, but I found our gym to be very small and uncomfortable. Only the athletes at the college worked out there, so I felt unwelcome. Two years went by and I gained 64 more pounds. In October 2010, I weighed 364 pounds and my doctor said I would be diabetic by 2011 if I didn't make drastic changes in my life.

The doctor's warning wasn't my only motivation to lose weight. I also saw a web forum where someone posted about seeing me leaving McDonald's and said I should "Lay off the double cheese before my ass got fatter." The doctor's prediction and the online post woke me up and convinced me to make a change.

Luckily, my college updated its gym and it's now one of the best facilities in Kentucky. I hadn't exercised at that point because I was ashamed to go to the gym, so I quit drinking soda and lost 30 pounds in a month. After my weight-loss progress, I was motivated to exercise for the first time in my life.

I hit the gym hard in December 2010 with my friend Kyle Roy. He showed me how to eat right and work out. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today. With Kyle's guidance, I took over my workout regimen. I read articles from Bodybuilding.com to develop my own workout style and learn more about nutrition. After two months of diet and exercise, I lost nearly 50 pounds. The results became addictive.

My confidence boost gained during that time brought me to today. I graduated with honors and now work at my college as assistant director of student activities. I'm also pursuing a master's degree. The iron changed every aspect of my life for the better. I affected friends and family and had multiple people say that my story inspired them to lose weight and change their unhealthy habits. I've given speeches and had features on local news stations about my story.

I received nothing but positive feedback from everyone I encountered during that last three years and have to give a big shout out to anyone who gave me words of encouragement.

How I accomplished my goals

The changes I made to lose weight were significant. It started with a diet. Soda used to be my version of water. I started eating and drinking healthy options and learned to control my portions. My life was no longer a buffet. It was hard at first, but I grew accustomed to eating 5-6 small meals per day.

There were times I wanted to quit and thought about going back to the doctor and telling him I needed help. If it hadn't been for Kyle Roy, my trainer and mentor, I wouldn't have made it through. Having a workout partner is key but having a friend be honest with me was even better. Kyle didn't let me cheat and made me feel like crap for even thinking about it. He made me feel ashamed for thinking I couldn't do it naturally.

For extra inspiration, I reflected on my childhood when I couldn't make it across the monkey bars. I'd see the faces of my kindergarten classmates as they mocked me. I used that negativity and fused it with the positive influence I got from Bodybuilding.com. The combination of positive and negative reinforcement still guides me today.

What aspect challenged me the most

I was challenged by the scale more than anything. After I lost lots of fat, I started gaining weight, but it was good weight. It was really frustrating at the time because I wanted to see the scale go down. I used progress photos to keep thriving. Seeing my body change was great motivation.

My future fitness plans

My next fitness goal is to drop 15 pounds of fat and add 10 pounds of lean muscle. I want my body fat to be below 5 percent. I want to compete in a natural bodybuilding competition in the next two years. My big dream is to write a book about my experience with weight loss, motivation, education, nutrition, and bodybuilding.

"Believing is seeing. You must believe before you can see dramatic changes."

Suggestions for aspiring transformers

  • Everyone has the capability to transform.
  • Don't doubt yourself.
  • You're not alone.
  • Develop unshakable willpower.
  • Results can come fast, but it won't be easy.
  • Believing is seeing. You must believe before you can see dramatic changes.

How Bodybuilding.com helped me reach my goals

Bodybuilding.com helped me transform in a big way. I used supplements from the site during my entire journey and will continue to buy from Bodybuilding.com because its customer service is second to none. I recommend Bodybuilding.com to anyone who has a fitness goal.

Adam's Top 5 Gym Tracks

  1. "2nd Sucks" by A Day To Remember
  2. "25 To Life" by Eminem
  3. "Boneyards" by Parkway Drive
  4. "Everyone Looks So Good From Here" by Underoath
  5. "The Walking Dead" by Woe Is Me