After a lifetime of battling with his weight, a Chauvin resident who lost over 400 pounds has won the Mr. Transformation title at the Ultimate Fitness Experience held in London, Ontario over the weekend of June 17-19.
Chris Waters says at one point he weighed over 600 pounds. He has struggled with his weight and also was bullied since he was a child.
“I had a pretty horrendous childhood. Back then, obesity wasn’t accepted as it is today, if that makes sense. The world has come a long way in how they treat people,” says Waters.
He adds back then, childhood obesity was seen as an anomaly. He is concerned that with greater acceptance, it is no longer seen as an anomaly, but has become “almost status quo in a sense”. He sees that development as being “sad.”
He says he got a gastric band done in 2015 in Toronto. He was “pretty ill” at the time. He says his doctor told him that if he wanted to see his son go to Kindergarten, he would have to do something about his weight. He says his doctor gave him about three years to live. At the time he was about 601 pounds.
About five years ago, he approached Rene Weinkauf, owner and trainer at World Class Training and Nutrition Gym for help. Weinkauf says when he met Waters, he was about to undergo surgery. He had already lost some weight but wanted to shape his body a little better.
“At the very beginning, we used to have to do high intensity workouts. So, weights with cardio in it. But now, five years later, we are lifting really heavy weights and doing stuff that body builders would,” says Weinkauf.
Waters who won in his division, is now being invited to compete at the UFE World championship to be held next year in Toronto.
His advice to others is that we do not become obese overnight, and don’t expect the results to be overnight. He says it’s at least a year’s journey and you have to put the work in. It’s not just about a diet.
Waters says, “I had to look at obesity as not just a physical disease, but a mental disease as well. It’s an addiction. You have a food addiction.”
He concludes if you put the work in at the gym, but you are not living the lifestyle, then you’re not going to see the results you want, and right away you are going to feel defeated.
Also, he wants to give hope to people that are struggling, that transformation is attainable.
