Man who lost 21 stone maintains weight during lockdown with garage circuit training

A man who used to eat 7,000 calories a day and weighed 550 pounds has managed to maintain his staggering weight loss under lockdown - with garage circuit training. Francis Marcell, 38, who was about 550 pounds at his heaviest, admits to consuming a whole chicken in the car on the way to work, plus copious quantities of fast food. "I'd eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at fast food restaurants," said Marcell, a 38-year-old mental health professional from Greenville, South Carolina. "I'd eat fourth and fifth meals there too."If I ever missed a meal, I'd have a huge one later.

Sometimes I'd pick up a whole cooked chicken and eat it on the way to work." Marcell, who is 5' 11", was so morbidly obese he could barely walk. "I probably weighed close to 550 at my heaviest."I would be eating in my car.

I'd open the day with two chicken biscuits and two hash browns with a frappe from McDonald's. "Maybe three hours later I'd have a double cheeseburger. "I'd eat every three hours.

I'd go to the vending machine at work and get candy and sodas throughout the day as well."Other days, I'd go eat a whole pizza pie.

It took a lot to gain that weight." In 2016 Marcell felt too embarrassed to go to his brother's wedding, triggering hm to address the problem. "It hit me hard that I couldn't be in the wedding.

I hadn't seen some of the relatives there in ten to fifteen years, and I didn't want to go because I was embarrassed."I had family members call me up and say that they were concerned with me.

I had diabetes and knew I had to make a change."  From there, Marcell quickly lost close to 100 pounds. "I got down to 430 in 2018 and then I was stagnant for a while," he said.  About a year later, his commitment took a more concrete shape."Now I get my meals from this health food restaurant and it's all portion controlled.

I consume under 1,600 calories a day. "I eat a lot of rice and a lot of meat.

I also eat a lot of gluten free stuff, gluten free wraps and tortillas, for my digestive tract. "About a year ago, I started real hard with the portion control meals and working out. "All I drink now is water and black coffee.

I have about three black cups of coffee a day." Marcell's workout routine is similarly ascetic. "I work out twice a day, but because of coronavirus we've shut down gyms. Right now I do a lot of pushups and I do step running.

I do stomach twists.

I have a speed bag and a body bag.

I jump rope."I've lost 230 pounds since 2019.

I weigh just under 200 pounds now and I'm under a 38-inch waist. "Everyone in my family seems very happy about it.

They're all really positive about it." Though his prospects have improved, Marcell is focusing on his own goals before trying to start a love life. "I don't date yet.

I'm still trying to achieve my goals and put on more muscle and stuff like that." 

A man who used to eat 7,000 calories a day and weighed 550 pounds has managed to maintain his staggering weight loss under lockdown - with garage circuit training.

Francis Marcell, 38, who was about 550 pounds at his heaviest, admits to consuming a whole chicken in the car on the way to work, plus copious quantities of fast food.

"I'd eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at fast food restaurants," said Marcell, a 38-year-old mental health professional from Greenville, South Carolina.

"I'd eat fourth and fifth meals there too."If I ever missed a meal, I'd have a huge one later.

Sometimes I'd pick up a whole cooked chicken and eat it on the way to work." Marcell, who is 5' 11", was so morbidly obese he could barely walk.

"I probably weighed close to 550 at my heaviest."I would be eating in my car.

I'd open the day with two chicken biscuits and two hash browns with a frappe from McDonald's.

"Maybe three hours later I'd have a double cheeseburger.

"I'd eat every three hours.

I'd go to the vending machine at work and get candy and sodas throughout the day as well."Other days, I'd go eat a whole pizza pie.

It took a lot to gain that weight." In 2016 Marcell felt too embarrassed to go to his brother's wedding, triggering hm to address the problem.

"It hit me hard that I couldn't be in the wedding.

I hadn't seen some of the relatives there in ten to fifteen years, and I didn't want to go because I was embarrassed."I had family members call me up and say that they were concerned with me.

I had diabetes and knew I had to make a change."  From there, Marcell quickly lost close to 100 pounds.

"I got down to 430 in 2018 and then I was stagnant for a while," he said.

About a year later, his commitment took a more concrete shape."Now I get my meals from this health food restaurant and it's all portion controlled.

I consume under 1,600 calories a day.

"I eat a lot of rice and a lot of meat.

I also eat a lot of gluten free stuff, gluten free wraps and tortillas, for my digestive tract.

"About a year ago, I started real hard with the portion control meals and working out.

"All I drink now is water and black coffee.

I have about three black cups of coffee a day." Marcell's workout routine is similarly ascetic.

"I work out twice a day, but because of coronavirus we've shut down gyms. Right now I do a lot of pushups and I do step running.

I do stomach twists.

I have a speed bag and a body bag.

I jump rope."I've lost 230 pounds since 2019.

I weigh just under 200 pounds now and I'm under a 38-inch waist.

"Everyone in my family seems very happy about it.

They're all really positive about it." Though his prospects have improved, Marcell is focusing on his own goals before trying to start a love life.

"I don't date yet.

I'm still trying to achieve my goals and put on more muscle and stuff like that."