Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Man Who Would Gorge Junk Food And Then Starve Himself Until He Would 'Pass Out' Opens Up About His Road To Recovery

Man Who Would Gorge Junk Food And Then Starve Himself Until He Would 'Pass Out' Opens Up About His Road To Recovery
Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

A man who used to gorge junk food or starve himself until he would "pass out" is bravely speaking about his road to recovery.


Austin Johnson, from Niagara Falls, New York, spent his teenage years either starving himself and exercising obsessively or binge eating until he felt revolted by his appearance.

Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

At age 17, Johnson, who is 5'10", rocketed from 135 pounds to 250 pounds in just six months.

Now, at age 20, he has finally beaten his eating disorder and is stable at 170 pounds.

He said:

"I was the big weird kid growing up, and I started getting bullied in middle school."
"I got depressed about my weight in 10th grade and started trying to lose weight, but I did it the wrong way. I went totally anorexic."

Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

"I lost a lot of weight. I went from 200 to 135 and I was passing out."
"I wouldn't eat. I wouldn't drink water. I'd stay at the gym open to close."
"If I went home I'd eat carrots. Sometimes I'd eat a meal, but I tried to only eat once a day. Maybe."

Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

This lifestyle proved unsustainable for Johnson, and soon the pendulum of unhealthy dieting began swinging in the opposite direction.

Johnson added:

"In 12th grade, I went from 135 pounds to 250 pounds in six months."
"I'd skip school and go eat with my friends."
"I would eat a 2 for $20 at Applebee's by myself, one appetizer and two full meals."

Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

"I'd eat fast food everyday. I'd always get the Baconator meal from Wendy's."
"I also worked at a pizzeria…I'd eat three big pieces of pizza and a foot-long sandwich throughout every work day."
"I had a girlfriend and she dumped me when I got larger. So I got really depressed again and dropped down to 170 pounds."

Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

The turning point came in 2018 when a friend told him about a family friend who had died after suffering from an eating disorder.

"Ever since then I've been doing things better and going to the gym."
"Now I make sure I eat three times a day, with healthy snacks in between."

"I go to the gym an hour or two a day. I don't do as much cardio. I built muscle to keep from gaining all the weight back," he said of his new healthy lifestyle.

"I also make sure I drink a lot of water, I was really dehydrated before."

Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

But it hasn't been all clean-eating and meticulous self-care.

"Sometimes I have cheat days. I work at a Mexican restaurant so I eat some things."

Johnson advises other men with eating disorders to seek professional help.

Austin Johnson /SWNS.COM

"Honestly, it takes such a toll on your body. Get help because it does stick with you," he advised.

"I fixed it myself, but it's so hard to get out without help. It was all in my head. People don't see that you're anorexic. People didn't think I was."

More from Trending

Ted Cruz; Kelvin Sampson
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images; Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Houston Fans Livid After Ted Cruz 'Curse' Strikes Again At NCAA Basketball Championship

In 2013, 2016 and 2021, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was labeled the most hated man in Congress—by members of his own party. In 2023, Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz replaced him as the "most hated."

In a 2016 CNN interview, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Harriet Tubman
Library of Congress/Getty Images

National Parks Website Restores Harriet Tubman Photo To 'Underground Railroad' Page After Backlash

Following significant backlash, the National Park Service restored a previously-erased photo of Harriet Tubman from a webpage dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad, in which she led 13 missions to rescue enslaved people.

A spokesperson said the changes were not authorized by the agency's leadership.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot from Fox News of Jackie DeAngelis and Tommy Tuberville
Fox News

Tuberville Now Claims 'Entire Men's Teams' Are 'Turning Trans' To Play Against Women

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy "Coach" Tuberville appeared on Fox News Sunday to again spread unhinged misinformation about transgender athletes.

Speaking with guest host Jackie DeAngelis, Tuberville stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver/YouTube

John Oliver Epically Calls Out Awkward Truth Behind Former NCAA Swimmer's Anti-Trans Tirades

On Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the outspoken host devoted the entire program to the attack on trans girls and women who play sports by the GOP.

Oliver began the program saying:

Keep ReadingShow less
man in front of computer code
Chris Yang on Unsplash

Conspiracy Theories That Seem Believable The More You Look Into Them

We tend to think of conspiracy theories as a phenomenon of the digital age. But the internet and mobile devices only allow them to be created and spread faster.

Conspiracy theories have likely been around as long as human civilization has. They are, at their root, just another form of rumors and gossip.

Keep ReadingShow less