At my heaviest, I weighed 360 pounds, which got in the way of my job as a firefighter. I lost weight by paying attention to what I ate.

• At 360 pounds, Clark Valery felt he wasn't as efficient as he could be as a volunteer firefighter.

• The 38-year-old was motivated to lose weight after his friend died of a heart attack.

• He shed 140 pounds and feels in much better shape to tackle fires in his town.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Clark Valery, 38, an assistant manager at a pharmacy chain and a volunteer firefighter from New York. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Since I lost 140 pounds, people haven't recognized me. They're shocked because they've seen me as super heavy, and now within a year, I've become much thinner.

One person realized it was me only after I started talking because they recognized my voice.

My weight loss has changed my life. I'm healthier and happier. Best of all, I feel more energetic and effective as a volunteer firefighter.

I didn't have weight issues growing up. In high school, I was active in football, wrestling, and track. But as I got older, I became bigger and bigger.

I didn't pay much attention to it. Looking back, I had unhealthy habits like eating late at night and piling up food on my plate.

I had shortness of breath

My mom did most of the cooking — she'd make things like pasta and rice and beans — and I overate. After she died from dementia in 2019, I began to eat fast food from McDonald's and KFC.

I'd order two Big Macs, 20 chicken nuggets, two large fries, and a soda. I'd go to my favorite Mexican restaurant and eat eight tacos. The portions could've fed four people.

My excess weight caused shortness of breath and made me uncomfortable with myself. Nevertheless, I felt motivated enough to volunteer as a firefighter in my town in 2018.

There was no judgment at the firehouse. They accepted me as I was. I'd work out with the other members when we met twice a week, but my heart wasn't really in it.

I knew I was a good firefighter because of my endurance skills.

But as time went by, I began to think I wasn't contributing enough. My biggest downfall was climbing ladders. I'd get to the ladder and see the weight limit was 250 pounds. I knew I exceeded that.

I was concerned about a scenario where I got stranded in a fire and the guys couldn't pull out such a heavy person. It wasn't fair to put them at risk.

The wake-up call came in 2023 when a friend died of a heart attack. Other people who seemed like they were in good shape told me they had heart conditions. I looked at myself in the mirror. My family had suffered enough with the death of my mom. I had to change my lifestyle.

I eat healthier now

A friend introduced me to WeightWatchers. At 5-foot-8, I weighed 360 pounds. My friend motivated me by saying we could lose weight together.

We went to meetings every week. I was religious about it. I wanted to educate myself. The point system was key for me. I realized I'd been eating the equivalent of all my daily points in just one meal.

I drastically changed my diet. For breakfast, I'd have scrambled eggs on a whole-grain English muffin with a small piece of sausage.

Lunch and dinner would be something like grilled chicken with salad or vegetables. The best thing I did was substitute cauliflower rice for regular rice. I also stopped drinking alcohol.

My body adapted, and the weight came off. I recently started doing a full-body workout five times a week at the gym. I'll do at least 45 minutes of cardio, followed by weights.

I was delighted when I hit just over 220 pounds. It took 11 months to get to my current weight. My shortness of breath is gone. I feel more involved and impactful as a firefighter. I'm no longer scared by the ladder. The guys seem to respect me more because I take a bigger role.

My waist size has gone from 50 inches to 36 inches. I used to wear a size 5X, but now I fit into a large. I'm still going to WeightWatchers with my friend. It's improved my social life because I've gotten to know other people in the group.

My weight loss has opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I'm a new man.

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