Introducing Bruce Pritcher: a 32-year-old man who, up until just a few years ago, once used to weigh more than 18kg – something that he puts down to eating food “to comfort” himself as a teenager.
Pritcher was sexually abused by his father from the ages of 8 through to 14, but never opened up about what had happened to him until he was 19.
During that time, he developed a relationship with food that was less about enjoying it or refuelling his body and more about covering up his feelings that he tried to bury deep inside.
It was this revelation in 2014 that prompted Pritcher to sign up as a contestant on US reality show Extreme Weight Loss, according to People.
“Growing up, I thought I had the greatest dad in the world but come to find out that was not the case,” he says.
“By keeping my promises to myself, I was able to love myself and lose over 90kg,” he continues. “By maintaining this mindset, I have been able to keep the weight off, and find the love of my life, my wife Alexa. I love her so much and I cannot wait to begin the next chapter of our lives.”
Now, Pritcher, who has managed to keep off 90kg since embarking on his weightloss journey in 2014, works out six times a week for an hour-and-a-half to 2 hours, and does cardio and weight-lifting.
“I do not believe in coincidences,” he says of being selected for the reality TV show after applying countless times for others, including The Biggest Loser.
“I believe I was selected the season that I was because that was the year of my dad’s parole hearing. He had been in prison for 15 years at that point and the parole hearing would determine whether he would be released or if he would remain in prison for life.”
“I was able to finally confront my dad and an incredible weight was lifted off my chest. The verdict was that he would in fact remain in prison for life.”
What an incredible achievement!
