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

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less