Former 380-pound Kaplan man loses 70 pounds by exercising

KAPLAN - The majority of Americans have struggled with their weight. Many cite the lack of motivation to exercise as their number one obstacle to weight loss.
Nunez resident, Anthony Falgout, knows the conflict all too well. Over the past few years, Anthony had watched his health deteriorate due to his weight. After his weight maxed out at 380 pounds, he began the arduous task of switching to a healthy life style and has since shed over 70 pounds and now weighs 310.
Anthony Falgout, Boy Scout Master of Kaplan Troop 81, husband of Kristy, and father of Cameron and Kelsey, spends most of his time away at work. His offshore job made it difficult to stick to a workout regime, and was conducive to unhealthy eating habits.
In late 2008, Falgout was offered a job by Chevron, but was denied the position when he failed the Fitness Capacity Exercise test.
Anthony explains, “My heart rate had gotten too high while performing the exercise, and I was referred to my personal doctor for a stress test and exam. I passed the stress test, but the truth was all the fast food and long hours of working as a project supervisor had taken a toll on my body and I had to start taking medication for hypertension.
“I had improved my health a little by getting active, started kayaking and biking, and had dropped a few pounds. It did not take long for me to fall back into the same rut of eating unhealthy. Fast forward to the year 2013 when I reached my all-time high weight of 380 pounds.”
Since that wakeup call, Falgout realized that he needed to revolutionize his eating and exercise habits. However, it wasn’t as simple as the epiphany made it seem.
“Some of my biggest obstacles were not being motivated to do exercise,” Anthony comments, “I had equipment at home. We have places to walk around our house and be active. I learned that those exercise machines at home were nothing more than expensive coat racks if you’re not motivated.”
Armed with that knowledge, Anthony decided to join a health club.
“By going to the gym, you allow yourself the time and you are more likely to get a quality work out. After going to the gym on and off and not getting serious about it, I chose to work with a trainer. We met, we made some appointments, and we did a few weeks. But then one day, I showed up and the trainer never did. I called him and he informed me he had quit. This was a turning point in my journey, making me realize that I needed to do this for myself and not rely on anyone. Around this time, a friend turned me on to a book entitled ‘Do Life.’ I must say this book has been my motivation and inspiration.”
Now that he had found motivation, Anthony’s journey became ingrained, but he still faced obstacles.
“I have hit a few other plateaus along the way where my diet was the issue. We have a great health and wellness program at work that helped me with some great pointers. I was also having problems where my body was just not keeping up. Mentally, I was ready and able to exercise, but after an hour of exercise, I would crash for the day.
I started researching supplements and consulted with our health and wellness program and started a supplement regiment to align with my goals and health.”
For the past six months, Falgout’s exercise regimen has consisted of 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of muscle targeting lifting, six days a week.
Recently, he switched up his routine during his days off to incorporate two days with a trainer targeting core and different forms of cardio, as well as three days of target strength training.
“Among other lifestyle changes, I have changed my eating habits and portion sizes. The one favorite change to my diet, here lately, has been the introduction to quinoa. I substitute it for rice and pasta and really have learned how to enjoy great southern Louisiana meals, in moderation of course.”
All the hard work has paid off. Anthony has dropped over 70 pounds. He remarks, “I am reluctant to say I lost over 70 pounds due to the fact that I know just where I left it...along the sidewalks, on the treadmill, elliptical and miles and miles of roadways.”
“In March of 2013 I chose to run my first 5K. I did it in just under 1 hour, and realized just how out of shape I really was even thought I was exercising regularly. I made up my mind I would train and try to improve my time. I dropped over 10 minutes off of my time when I ran my next one in October.
“I then tried to get my family involved by signing us all up for a color run in New Orleans. The one thing I really want to improve is the overall health of my family. I want to show my kids that being physically active is important.
“My wife’s first question after my second 5K was, ‘Did you win?’ To this my reply was, ‘Yes I won; I beat myself!’
“She did not understand this reply, but this is what I want my family and everyone to understand. As long as you beat yourself you have improved! Yes, I am highly competitive, but my physical condition limited my ability to place. With that being said, my goal is to place in a 5-K (3-mile) race.”
Although Anthony has come a long way, his ultimate goal is still a ways off. His immediate goals are to weigh less than 300 and to drop five minutes off of his current 5-K time. Long term goals include decreasing his weight to below 230 and running a 10-K.
The gym is now Falgout’s biggest hobby. In addition, he enjoys mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and running. “Some may say that fitness is addictive like a drug; well I can tell you I hated to run all my life, even at my best physical condition playing high school football. I have to admit I have now found an unknown love for running.”