Just four years ago, Cole Prochaska weighed over 585 pounds—more than his scale could measure. The 41-year-old from Florida had been overweight since childhood, living a sedentary lifestyle and consuming about 5,000 calories a day, including entire pizzas, bags of chips, and 12-packs of soda.
“I felt pretty bad… lonely,” he recalls. Simple tasks like walking or fitting into chairs were difficult. After the end of a seven-year relationship, Cole realized it was time to change. “I didn’t save the relationship, but I saved myself.”
He began by walking a few blocks daily, eventually working up to 10,000 steps every day, no matter the weather. He overhauled his diet—cutting out junk food, sugar, and soda, and switching to a high-protein, calorie-tracked plan. He added gym workouts and lost 360 pounds by 2023.
Despite the weight loss, Cole still struggles with excess skin, which he says keeps him feeling “trapped.” He launched a GoFundMe to help fund skin removal surgery, raising over $81,000 of his $100,000 goal.
“I’ve never walked on a beach without a shirt,” he says. “My goal weight is reached, but my journey isn’t over.”
He remains committed and vocal on social media: “Keep walking. You can do it. I’m living proof.” Cole emphasizes that he lost the weight naturally, without surgery or medication. “Grind it out—you’ll be healthier and happier,” he encourages others.