Young Man Labeled 'Disney Prince' After Shedding 70 Pounds
Weight loss. It’s a “tale as old as time” for many. The older we get, the harder it becomes to shed those stubborn pounds.
Pregnancy, depression, the stress of life. Pretty much anything and everything seems to cause weight gain for some of us.
The journey can be tough, and it’s different for everyone. But the road to better health is one that no one regrets traveling.
Just ask 26-year-old Jeffrey Kendall from Connecticut. Bullied as a child for being overweight, Kendall has dealt with self-esteem issues for years.
Sometimes it takes an extreme event to motivate us to make a change. For Kendall, it was the beginning of his mother’s health decline in July 2015.
On July 4 of that year, Kendall recalls, “She was in a coma and rehab hospitals for 7 months until they deemed she had plateaued and was to be released since insurance would no longer cover her.”
It was up to Kendall to care for her following her brain aneurysm. He explained that seeing his mother like that, unable to speak at times, altered his perspective.
“It put a world of self-pity and pain in perspective to me,” he shared in an interview. It was then that Kendall decided to push himself.
One of Kendall’s friends was able to relate to some of the emotions he was feeling. Together they decided to become accountability partners of sorts.
“He asked if I could help him work out …” Kendall said. “… Since then, it’s just been little steps.”
Little steps for a big change. 3 years and 70 pounds later, Kendall’s transformation has the internet gaping — in a good way.
Not only are Kendall’s “before and after” images attracting a lot of attention on social media, but followers are suggesting he should audition for a role at a Disney Park.
From Prince Eric to Prince Adam (that’s the Beast for those who don’t know), Kendall has received quite the confidence boost from commenters.
While the young man has admitted the comments are flattering, his reasons to lose weight have not been solely for appearance purposes.
“Working out just helped me deal with a lot of stress and emotion,” he said. Inspiring words for anyone who might be dealing with similar issues.
Though the Disney prince look-alike can’t attribute his transformation to “magic,” anyone who peeks at his photos might think otherwise.
He also gives credit to his mom. “She’s the toughest person I know and gives me a constant appreciation for life.”
Whatever Kendall’s reasons, no doubt he has a lot more cosplaying in his future. And good for him — hopefully his story will encourage others to make a change they’ve been waiting for.
Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best uplifting stories here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
