Guy Smarts: This guy lost 70 pounds in 6 months thanks to a $1 million bet

Walter Fisher found himself facing either colossal debt or a new life.

There are countless stories of guys getting into the best shape of their life for a countless number of reasons.

For Walter Fisher, his transformation meant the difference between colossal debt and a fresh start on life, courtesy of a million dollar bet. How much more of a reason would you need to hit the gym?

As reported by the New York Post, it all started back in early 2016, when Walter Fisher, a 36-year-old professional poker player, couldn’t lose. But when his luck began to fade, he couldn't stop losing. In less than a month, his debt grew to over $100,000. And the number on the scale grew just as quickly.

“I’d lose a bundle at blackjack and eat three or four superrich single-serving chocolate cakes,” Fisher told the Post, “They had more than 1,000 calories each. It was disastrous.”

That was when Fisher was approached by a gambling acquaintance with a bet that had the potential to turn his life around. The acquaintance wanted to bet Fisher $100,000 that he couldn’t reduce his body fat percentage to 10 percent in six months. Fisher eagerly accepted. News of the bet spread, and soon wagers grew up to $1 million.

Fisher enlisted the help of personal trainer Chris DiVecchio. DiVecchio put Fisher on a program of high-intensity interval training, cardio and weightlifting combined with a diet of just 1,100 calories a day. “I ate oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast. I soon put in 10 hours a day, with five hours of cardio,” he told the Post.

After four months, DiVecchio turned to his mentor, sports medicine nutritionist Phil Goglia, for help. Goglia saw Fisher's low calorie intake as a huge problem.

“He was burning muscle when he should have been burning fat,” he told the Post. Goglia bumped Fisher's caloric intake to a minimum of 3,200 calories a day, sometimes getting up to 6,000.

When the moment of truth came, Fisher weighed in at 8.8 percent body fat. He had lost over 70 pounds, and was going to walk away with over $7,000 for every pound lost.

While Fisher’s story is seriously impressive, Goglia said that it’s important to note that unless you’re a professional endurance athlete, this fitness regimen is beyond extreme. But high-intensity interval training has been shown to be great for fat loss— and no, you don't have to do it for 5 hours straight for results.

Walter Fisher found himself facing either colossal debt or a new life. Read Full Story