new york. We are now going to jumpstart our january, with some more incredible weight loss stories. "People" magazine has done it again with their special issue dedicated to men and women who have...
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new york. We are now going to jumpstart our january, with some more incredible weight loss stories. "People" magazine has done it again with their special issue dedicated to men and women who have lost literally half their size. It came out yesterday. We met three amazing women. And today, we have two more stories that you have to see to believe. 33-year-old missy hendricks has spent a lifetime battling food. At war with her weight. They called me battleship. And that sunk in my head. Reporter: At age 20, and nearly 300 pounds, hendricks thought she finally found love in an online relationship. She quickly married. But within a year, her new husband began cheating. I would eat a whole box of honeycombs because I was mad. I was mad at him. I felt that I wasn't good enough. It made me feel like, if I'm not good enough for him, who am good enough for? Reporter: The pain of divorce, made her binge, nearly doubling her weight. By 23, a newly-single hendricks, 528 pounds. I felt unwanted. I didn't want to be unwanted for the rest of my life. So, I had to change. Reporter: Across the state, at 426 pounds, 20-year-old richard neil was desperate to change. I would binge eat. And binge eat. Until I really wanted to throw up. And I couldn't stop, in my mind. Reporter: The kitchen was an all-too familiar battleground. I grew up overweight my whole life. When I was a kid, I would sneak in the fridge. Eventually, I was eating my worry and pain away. Reporter: Those emotions quickly changed to shock and fear. There's two things that the doctor told me. That I would not live to see 30. And that I would never be able to have kids again, if I didn't choose to change my life. I didn't want to live anymore because I was tired of being in pain. Reporter: Then, a friend loaned neil a workout dvd. It was a tool for transformation. I was eating a box of cereal. I popped in the dvd. I thought, hey, I'll try it out. I put the dvd player on. Popped the dvd in and pressed play. Unbelievable. Unbelievable stories. And what do missy and richard look like now? Here to do the honors, chris powell, author of "choose to lose," chris, please. Take it away. This is the moment we've been waiting for. We need a drumroll, please. Going from 526, all the way down here's missy hendricks. and from portland, tennessee, going from 426 pounds, all the way down to 200 pounds, please welcome richard neil. Unbelievable. Come on down. We absolutely love your stories. Congratulations. Thank you so much. Missy, I want to start by asking you, how did you do it? I fell back on a program strictly for the last 12 years. 12 years. Not always easy. What did you do in those times when it seemed unbearable? I looked at my little boys. You knew you wanted to be here for them. For you, it's really about the health? Yes. I love it. Congratulations. Congratulations. That's great. For you, meanwhile, you lost over half of yourself. More than 200 pounds. And the big moment, i understand, came, you went to a scrap yard to weigh yourself. Yes, sir. I had to go to a metal scrap yard to weigh myself. And asked the manager if I could use the scale to weigh myself, versus a scale. You're now a fitness coach. I am. I'm an independent beach buddy coach. You can find me on book at richard neal fitness. And this is what I do. I help people get their lives back because that's what matters. It's about finding that one. Quickly, for both of you, again. One tip to keep it off. Losing is one thing. Keeping it off is another. Yes. It's all about maintenance. Going down to making that lifestyle change because diets are temporary. Lifestyle changes are forever. It's understanding that. Congratulations. Congratulations. And for more on these amazing stories, people who lost half their size, do not miss "20/20" tomorrow night at 10:00, 9:00 central here on abc. And, chris, has our move of the day. You better believe it. Just like missy and richard took that very first step, now, it's your chance at home. Get up off the couch. The move of the day is a back lunge, to a knee. Reach those hands overhead. At home, if you can do one, do five, do ten. Do as many as you can during the commercial break. After ten, I'm going to have you switch it up.
