These Small Changes Helped This Guy Lost 50 Pounds and Get Ripped

• CrossFit and intermittent fasting helped Ben Sweeney lose more than 50 pounds.
• At his peak, he blamed a combination of diet and low-intensity workouts for his weight gain.
• Sweeney now works as a personal trainer in Manhattan, helping his clients achieve similar results.

Looking at Ben Sweeney today, it’s hard to imagine the 32-year-old being out of shape. As a CrossFit coach, Sweeney now makes a living helping people get as fit as he is now, using his own transformation story as an example to his clients. While he now makes a habit of eating healthy and participating in high-intensity workouts, that wasn’t always the case: Years ago, due to a combination of being undisciplined with his diet and not pushing himself hard enough in the gym, Sweeney says, he found himself well over 200 pounds, dealing with a fatigue and an upset stomach. He knew he needed to make a change, but the results didn’t arrive overnight, Sweeney stresses. It’s been a process close to a decade in the making. Here’s how he got started.

Was there a specific turning point when you suddenly felt motivated to get back in shape?
At my heaviest, I weighed more than 200 pounds—I’m not sure what the actual weight was because I was only weighed myself when I was very sick. My stomach was constantly upset and I was always tired. I was 22 and couldn’t run a 7 minute mile anymore. I’d tell myself, It’s okay, though, I’m bulking.

After college, my girlfriend told me I looked nothing like I used to, and my best friend said I’d let myself go. So I got myself back into the gym and started doing Mixed Martial Arts, which led me to CrossFit—recently, I got my L3 certification. I made a lot of changes to my diet, I applied everything I learned, and I got the results I’ve always been looking for. It’s been a process 9 years in the making, but it’s been worth it.

Talk us through some of the most significant dietary changes you made.
I’m counting my macros, and while I did the keto diet as an experiment, I eventually went back just doing intermittent fasting because it has similar health benefits without heavy restrictions. Generally, I make sure that I eat basic things: meats, vegetables, nuts, and fruits. I limit the amount of added sugar I take in and make sure it’s from a natural source (agave, maple syrup, honey), but even then I limit it since I can be a sugar fiend.

How did your workout routine evolve? What proved to be the most effective exercises for weight loss?
Lately I’ve been focusing more on mastering my mechanics, which allows me to be more efficient in my workouts. With the right fuel in the tank I’ve been able to work out harder. To mix things up, I also kept adding in more and more variety—from mixed martial arts to CrossFit workouts to more traditional weightlifting and cardio routines. Once I fully drank the Kool-Aid with CrossFit and started doing more “competitive” programming, I saw better results.

I’m currently at 180 pounds. At my lowest, I was around 170, and my highest “healthy” weight was 190. Now I know my body can stay between 175 and 180 while staying lean, maintaining strength, and performing the way I want it to.

Ben Sweeney

When did you first notice the difference?
My wife noticed when I was getting lean and was happy to see me getting the results I wanted from changing my diet. I was the last person to notice—I saw myself in a picture during the CrossFit Open and thought, “Wait, that’s my back!?” At 32, I now truly feel comfortable in my body. Before, I always felt a little “pudgy,” but I’ve gained more confidence. It’s been a great experience and I can’t imagine ever going back to where I was.

How do you stay motivated? What’s the next goal you have in mind?
My next goal is simple: Be the healthiest version of myself I can be. Every year when the CrossFit Open comes around, I want to keep moving up the worldwide leaderboard. I’m not a Games athlete, and that’s not my goal, but if I can continue to make progress, then it shows me that I am in fact getting healthier.

What kind of advice do you have for people who are just getting started?
Anyone getting started just needs to remember you are going to have good days and bad days. Don’t let the bad days defeat you. You have to pick yourself back up and get right back to improving yourself, one day at a time. The whole process is making small changes—one after another—and then all those small changes become a big change, and then the magic happens.

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