Blake van Rooy said he had now lost so much weight that friends who had not seen him for a while no longer recognised him. However, he said that was not surprising since his weight had dropped from 119.7kg 18 months ago to just 80kg.
The Waitaki Boys' High School pupil said he embarked on a weight-loss programme at the Waitaki Rec Centre after a visit to the doctor revealed he had ''very high'' blood pressure.
''I was one of those people that was just interested in my PS3, so I sold it and used the money to buy a year's subscription to the Rec Centre. I was under the impression that if I had a year term I would be more likely to stick with it, and it seemed to work for me.''
He said before he embarked on the weight-loss programme, an unhealthy diet and total lack of exercise prevented him from socialising with friends or even walking around the town, but now he went running and played basketball.
His weight loss was even more remarkable because he spent four months out of action with a torn shoulder muscle.
''That was probably the hardest part, getting back into the routine.''
Although his friends and family had been supportive of his efforts, losing weight was something that had to be done ''for yourself'', Blake said.
''There is no way you can do it without looking in the mirror and knowing what you want to achieve.
''You just need to have fun doing it and find a way to exercise that suits your lifestyle.''
He said he had reached his target weight, but was now ''fine-tuning'' his overall fitness and would run the Dunedin Marathon in September.
''I was looking for a new goal, so I thought I would chuck that on a plate.''
