What does it take to lose 300 pounds? Can an ordinary person lose 300 pounds without surgery or weight-loss drugs like clenbuterol? When I think about losing 300 pounds, my head hurts. I do not know why, but if a person needs to lose 150 pounds, which is still a lot, I can visualize that – 300 pounds or more, on the other hand, is such a huge number that it is hard to imagine how one would even approach something like this.

In my opinion, it takes more than just having a good plan of action and being educated on the subject of weight loss to lose 300 pounds, which brings me to Ruby Gettinger. If anybody knows how to lose 300 pounds or more, it is her. Try to wrap your mind about this:

When she weighed 716 pounds 13 years ago, Ruby could not do normal things like sit on an airplane or buy clothes from a store. Her health was also in serious danger. “I was killing myself and I did not even know it,” she says. Having lost more than 350 pounds, Ruby now has a new lease on life. “This is the first time I weigh under 350 pounds in my adult life,” she says.

She is clearly a person who knows what it tales to lose 300 pounds, and in a recent interview Ruby has shared that knowledge with the rest of us. Sure, most people do not need to lose 300 pounds, but most of what she had to say is applicable to any amount of weight you need to lose. Here is what she had to say in that interview:

You look amazing! Thank you! It’s really unbelievable how much I am moving around now. I always knew I was limited but I never knew how much. Now, I am walking five days a week, riding a bike, boxing and even dancing!

How much more weight are you hoping to lose? I am 5 ‘9″ and they say I should be 150 pounds. I just want to get to a place where I am healthy and not limited.

How has your body changed? Since the beginning of the show – I was down to 500 pounds when it started – I have lost 150 pounds and 80 inches from my entire body. I’ve also lost 30 inches from my waist.

How did you lose the weight? I had to completely cut out junk food. I only eat Ourlife Fresh prepared meals. But like an alcoholic or drug addict, I had to go cold turkey or else I would have never changed my palate. Now, I crave healthy foods.

What you were eating before? I ate candy bars, potato chips and fast food. I was averaging 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day. Now, I’m eating about 1,700 calories a day.

Have you had any setbacks? Yes, I lost my father in January. He is my hero. It was a horrible thing for me.

That must have been hard. I was so depressed that I didn’t work out at all for two months straight. I didn’t keep a food journal and I wasn’t paying attention to calories. I gained about 15 pounds.

How did you get back on track? I realized that I really just have to keep fighting the fight, which is what my father would want. The old Ruby would’ve taken two or three years to get back on track. But now, if I do have a slipup, I’m right back on track the next day.

Has that been the biggest challenge on your journey? I believe food is an addiction, just like drugs or gambling. The difference with food addiction is that there’s no way of escaping, because we need to eat. But if we fight, we can win this battle!

When you reach your goal, will you consider plastic surgery? Yes, I would, but only because of me flab. I used to picture myself walking with all this flab dragging behind me. It’s an insecurity and a concern for a lot of obese people.

What about going on a show like The Biggest Loser? I think the show is great and inspires a lot of people. But for me, this is not a short-term contest. I want to be healthy and live this way for the rest of my life, not just lose it and then eat pizza. [via]