'I found out I was 561 pounds': Canadian chef shares weight loss journey

A Nova Scotia chef says he "never wants to see" the number 500 on his scale again, after beginning his weight loss journey earlier this year.

Derrick Bona is a husband and father, a chef at a local hospital, a Blue Jays fanatic and now a local weightloss influencer.

Since he began sharing his story, going from nearly 600 pounds, Bona has received an outpour of support on social media for his progress, and even got a celebrity shoutout.

But it wasn't an easy start.

'I hit a rock bottom spot'

Bona, from Eastern Passage, N.S., said his life changed after a recent fall.

"I took a slip outside when I was with my father and my wife, and I fell in the mud and I couldn't get myself up," he said.

Though that wake-up call came recently, Bona had already been suffering from anxiety and depression, the 41-year-old said.

"I just kind of hit a rock bottom spot... I almost made a bad decision of not being here."

On Jan. 30, Bona decided to make some changes.

"I didn't know how much I currently weighed at that point, I couldn't find a scale anywhere in the city of Halifax or Dartmouth to accommodate my size," he said, adding most scales only go up to a maximum weight of 450 pounds.

About three weeks into his fitness journey, he ordered an industrial scale used for companies to handle packages, Bona added.

"I found out I was 561 pounds — so that came as a bit of a shock."

He believes he had already lost a dozens of pounds in those three weeks, and estimates he likely weighed up to 600 pounds (272 kilograms) at the start of the year.

To not overwhelm himself, Bona's strategy was "just doing one thing differently," he said.

"Eating balanced meals, high protein, lots of healthy vegetables and fruits and the good fats like avocados and nuts and whatnot."

For the first few weeks, Bona got into the "rhythm of portioning." He was also drinking nearly four litres of water a day.

On April 9, Bona realized he had lost 55 pounds and decided to share his progress.

He said he began sharing his journey on Twitter for friends he made through a Blue Jays fan community group after getting some encouragement from them.

"I wasn't posting on my Facebook page or anything like that, because I was worried about failure," Bona said.

"I was worried that if I didn't succeed, that I was letting more than just myself down."

However, the local community rallied around him to show their support. His post received over a hundred likes and he was called in for an interview with CBC's Maritime Noon radio show.

A few days later, his phone blew up with notifications. Bona said he had no idea what was going on until he saw a personal message from none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"You've got this... I'm proud of you," wrote the famed actor, politician and former bodybuilder.

"It was like, surreal," Bona said.

"To have him reach out and everyone else, like people I don't even know... tell me they're proud of me. But a few months ago, I wasn't even proud of myself," he added.

Now — for the first time in a long time — Bona is proud of himself.

Accomplishing little by little

Bona most recently weighed 517 pounds, and said there's no "goal weight."

Instead, he's focusing on getting to things he hasn't been able to do "in a long time," he said.

"Something as simple as putting on your socks, tie my own sneakers, picking myself up in a fall. Like, those are big goals for me."

But, one number he's excited to drop to is 500.

"I'm so close and I never want to see that number again," Bona said.

One of his goals is something he's been dreaming of for decades.

The father and chef is also a huge Toronto Blue Jays fan. In 2016, he finally had the chance to attend his first game, but it didn't go as planned.

"At that point was 32 years to get there — and I couldn't fit in the seats," he said.

Bona had to sit in a wheelchair-accessible section, and said he felt guilty for taking up that spot.

"I did enjoy the game, but I didn't feel like a part of the game," he added.

"My goal was to lose enough weight so that I can go there comfortably, sit in the seat and watch the Blue Jays play a game."

In the meantime, Bona wants others struggling with mental health to know: it's OK.

"It's OK to not be OK, but you need to ask for help," he said.

Believe in yourself and you're stronger than you think. I didn't give myself the credit I deserve. Now that I'm very confident in myself, and I believe that I can do it — I'm doing it."

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