Man loses 155 pounds without surgery, weight loss products

Drinking nothing but water for six months helped one of Purdue's research park engineers lose 155 pounds.

Chris Burton will be giving a motivational speech 9 a.m. Saturday for International Sports Clubs' Wellness Retreat in West Lafayette.

Lori Fortwendel, a promoter for the club, said they chose Burton because of his commitment to coming and exercising every day.

"His results were astounding and we were very excited because he didn't have any surgeries," Fortwendel said.

He went from 330 pounds to 230 pounds in one year. According to Burton, people ask if he had gastric bypass surgery; others wonder how he did it without taking weight loss products.

Burton removed all sugars and sweets from his diet and started visiting the gym daily.

One of Burton's motivations for weight loss was his divorce.

"I would come home to nobody and I realized that my weight was just getting out of control," Burton said.

The divorce also made dieting difficult for Burton due to the weekends he spent with his sons and the unhealthy foods kids normally eat.

"It took a lot of willpower for me not to eat that leftover bag of chips when the kids went back home," Burton said.

During his childhood, Burton was often stereotyped as a football player because of his size.

"I did play football in high school, and I lifted weights back then," Burton said. "It was a different kind of husky."

A year after the divorce, Burton's job sponsored a weight loss competition, which he entered and won.

"I kept a food journal of everything I ate, even if it was a piece of candy," said Burton. "Ten pieces of candy do eventually add up to a lot of calories people just don't think about."

Burton presently maintains a weight of around 175 pounds, which he said feels healthy.

"I got a little lower in weight, and it just didn't feel right," Burton said. "I think I'm good for now."