Australia’s former largest man has lost an incredible 60 kg in four months – all without resorting to fad diets or liposuction.
His goal is to now shed another 120kg, or more than half his weight. Jordan Tirekidis, 44, once weighed an incredible 300kg and could barely walk for more than five minutes at a time.
For 10 years, his daily diet consisted of three Big Mac meals, fried chips, copious amounts of family chocolate blocks, and sometimes a few pizzas on top of that. Working in the family hospitality business as a goods delivery manager did little for his health as he was confined in a truck or forklift for most of the day.
“I knew I probably wouldn’t live another year if I kept going the way I did,” he said.
The turning point in his life was at his Uncle’s funeral last year.
“His words to me before he died were, ‘you have to do something about your life and your weight,'” Tirekidis revealed. “I knew I had to stop overeating and get my life back.”
It was then that he saw weight-loss hypnotherapist and owner of Little Forest Health retreat, Mark Stephens on television. Would Stephens take him under his wing and help him to transform his life? Tirekidis decided to try his luck.
“I couldn’t get through to Mark initially so I decided I’d go away to Crete instead for a year,” he said. “But the moment I made the phone call to book the ticket was the moment that Mark called me.”
The two struck a deal which would see Tirekidis living in at Little Forest Retreat until he reached his goal weight.
Raw, organic fare was now in, junk-food out.
There would be five personal training sessions a week, and several hypnotherapy sessions to keep his mindset on track. As a result, Tirekidis dropped an amazing fifty kilograms in 12 weeks.
“Eating healthier has helped me so much,” he said. “Not only have I lost weight, but I’m much more alert and happier. All those sugars, those dead foods put me in a bad place. I was nutritionally starved and mentally I was dead. Now I’m slowly getting back to my old self.”
Formerly Tirekidis was a dedicated bodybuilder. He trained five days a week and subscribed to a high protein diet of egg whites and chicken. His exercise sessions with personal trainer Ivan have not only allowed him to move around again, but ignited his zest for life- giving him hope that he will be that man again.
“Before I could only walk 20 metres, now I can use the cross trainer, rower and box for an hour at a time,” he said.
The larger than life personality also credits his fast weight loss to regular lap-band hypnotherapy sessions.
“It’s a process where you are hypnotised into believing you are undergoing an operation at the hospital and having a lap band put in,” he explained. “I feel like I don’t need to eat as much anymore.”
The Pontian hopes to reach his goal weight by the end of the year, which means he will have to shed weight at a rate of 10kg per month. Such an achievement would be a near miracle, given that the healthy weight loss rate recommended by Dietitians is 0.5 to 1kg per week.
But Tirekidis is confident.
“When I lose 120kg I’m going to be flying mate. I’m going to be break-dancing in dance shoes and you’re going to see me everywhere.”
How he did it:
Jordan’s Sample
Diet Diary
Breakfast
• Oats with protein powder, berries and yoghurt
Lunch
• Chicken or fish with plenty of fresh salad vegetables and Jordan’s favourite olives or salmon and avocado on Vita Wheats
Dinner
• Chicken or fish with vegetables and occasionally quinoa
Snacks
• Fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Jordan loves carrot, wheat grass, celery and apple juice mixed with protein powder
* Catherine Kladakis is a freelance journalist, nutritionist and personal trainer.