Bullied 16-year-old Edgar Hernandez loses 200 pounds, Completes Marathon

May 26, 2014 Posted by Staff

Everyone in 16-year-old Edgar Hernandez’s family had a weight problem. His parents also developed type 2 diabetes in their forties. But Edgar’s case was the biggest concern.

The news of he being a pre-diabetic came as a shock for the 16-year-old. Edgar lives in a suburb of St. Louis and is now 18.

Edgar was 370 pounds and couldn’t stand to look at himself. His mother was into tears at the doctor’s office when the news broke. This hit him the hardest.

It was really tough being a fat kid, but things started getting worse for him in high school. His obesity led Edgar him to depression. He was frequently bullied in gym class.

“I tried my best to ignore it. But there were times when I just gave in and started crying,” said Edgar.

His older brother Mario says, “He would eat two really big burritos or sandwiches a day, packed with cheese, sour cream, a lot of bread, butter. He would be watching TV, playing video games.”

His blood test was an eye opener for him. Then he decided to take onus of the bad things happening to him. “It was time to stop blaming others for my choices and make a choice to take responsibility,” he said.

Edgar pulled up his sleeves and started exercise regime. Now, the 5-foot-9 inch edgar has dropped nearly 200 pounds. He now weighs 185 pounds.

Now he has left his double-XL shirts and size 48 pants for medium T-shirts and 33-inch pants.

Losing the extra kilos was not an easy task for Edgar. All started very slowly…but all of us know ‘slow and steady wins the race’.

In November 2012, Edgar started with a gut-impulse jog. Then he started walking before or after school. As he could, he added distance until he was walking about two miles a day. He started to incorporate running intervals until, months later, he could run a full mile.

And soon his hard work started paying off.

Edgar has not only transformed himself but has also inspired his brother Mario to join the fitness regime.

“If you would have told me three years ago that he’d be running a half-marathon, I wouldn’t believe you. You see a completely different person that’s a lot happier, has more energy and is more active,” Mario said.

Zeek DrSuds

Good job!!
Richard Draucker

He accepted responsibility and stopped blaming others. Too bad so few Americans are willing to do the same.
- Brad
  
  He is a Mexican not an American. I would love to accept responsibility for the border however the Christians and Marxists have usurped that duty.
  - Gaudly
    
    St. Louis is in America. If needed, I could show you a map.
    - Brad
      
      I seem to remember St Louis being a stopping point for Europeans heading west not Mexicans heading east.
- Iris D. Lynch
  
  It is a major part of my book The Miracle of SELF POWER (the responsibility part)
Big Bad Rog

How about an after photo!
- anita wilkerson
  
  You people are stupid. This is an after photo. He does not weigh 370. He has not lost all the weight but he has reached reasonable. If you could do better with the addictions in your life then throw the first stone. He deserves to be happy and I think he look fine.
  - Betty Eyer
    
    That does not look like 185 lbs at 5’9″ to me. That looks like 250. And the photo itself is not labeled so it’s really hard to say.
  - Anonymous
    
    Well said for someone who wasn’t smart enough to do a google search and find that is a before picture, and the after photo is on his facebook page or here: http://americanlivewire.com/2014-05-26-16-yr-old-edgar-hernandez-loses-200-lbs-completes-marathon/
  - Nunya
    
    Anita: hate much?
  - Big Bad Rog
    
    You are an idiot!!! That is not an after photo. The after photo is on CNN. Stop fooling yourself every time you look in the mirror.
  - Nunya
    
    this is his after from another posthttp://americanlivewire.com/wp-content/uploads/weight4-191×300.jpg
    - Stephen Johnson
      
      Now that looks pretty close to a 33″ inch waist.
  - Stephen Johnson
    
    No way those shorts are 33″ inch waist.
    Name calling is rude and displays your lack of good communication skills.
  - EffortPoints
    
    Did you really think a 185lb person would look like that? I’m sorry, but the person in the photo above had not “reached reasonable.”
Anthony Caruso

The reason why he developed his diabetes earlier than his parents is because of all the processed foods in the grocery store. More than half of the shelves consist of high glycemic foods. This is killing the population slowly and a strong country needs healthy people.
This is one of the reasons why high glycemic candy, soda, and snacks should be taken off the list for food stamp purchases.
I am not saying this young mans family received food stamps since I know somebody is going to bring this up. I’m talking about the poor who have little shopping options, live in food deserts and have to buy from convenience stores.
If this was the case, small stores wpuld be forced to sell produce to provide something nutritious to eat instead of processed junk.
- LiberalGilt
  
  Go eat some Smarties
  You need them
- Brad
  
  How about a Nation of 200 million Europeans instead of 300+ million third worlders that need a supply of cheap GMOs?
armed bear

Simple math. Calories burned vs calories ingested. Fast food is poison. Prepackaged foods and convenient meals are also poison. Be stupid and eat that stuff, suck down gallons of diet drinks made with chemical waste products disguised as a sweetener if you want, as for me, I have gone paleo, and I am in better shape at 50 than as a paratrooper at 25.
- LiberalGilt
  
  You be crazy.
  Are you locked up?
  Hope so.
Paul Sullivan

Great job young man.
But where in the hell is the AFTER photo this story screams for?
df

good job
developer31

That photo looks like neither after or before but somewhere-in-the-middle.
- Brad
  
  Half way between the Aztecs and decadent “west”
- smithj33
  
  http://www.natesway.com/2013/12/30/interview-with-edgar-how-he-overcame-bullying-and-lost-175-pounds/
Anna Savelesky

Good job Edgar! It ain’t easy and I have been fighting it for 60 years. There is no letup; the real marathon is the rest of your life and you can do!
LiberalGilt

So in other words dear politically correct politicians — bullying works
- Betty Eyer
  
  No. The turning point in the story is the blood test, not the bullying. In fact, studies show that bullying has a tendency to make people give up and think it’s hopeless.
  - LiberalGilt
    
    I see you didn’t cite any of those crazy left wing “studies” Sparky.
    - Betty Eyer
      
      So, you concede that you just made up the part about the bullying changing his behavior. Good. Now we are making progress.
      - LiberalGilt
        
        The point you are too dumb to comprehend is, that you cite no studies.
        NONE.
        You have opinion that you try to push off to fact.
        Fact is, some bullying is good for people. It changes bad behavior.
        The only point you have is on the top of your head
      - Betty Eyer
        
        You first, bully. You are the one saying that “some” bullying is good for people. Please, produce some proof.
      - LiberalGilt
        
        You’re the idiot who quoted non existent studies Sparky.
        You are dumber than a plank of wood.
        You have been publicly humiliated.
        FAIL
      - Betty Eyer
        
        You are liking your own posts and you think I’ve been publicly humiliated? That would be funny if it were not pathetic.
      - LiberalGilt
        
        Sure.
        You are the pathetic one.
        Making up studies that don’t exist and expecting people will just accept your lies.
        You are lower than a worm.
        Good luck on the short bus.
Stephen Johnson

Inspiring, Wow 200lbs lost.
I didn’t read any thing in this article about the conflict of discussing weight problems in a fact based manner and being politically correct. In school age persons any breach in crossing the line, “You are fat” means you are bullying. Also the interference of Government trying to regulate good eating habits in our selves and our children.
No conflict here!
- Jennifer Dreyfuss
  
  Losing weight is just so hard to do. I always weighed less than a hundred pounds ALL my life until the chemotherapy caused premature menopause. Then I gained about 35 pounds that won’t come off no matter what I do. I applaud this young man for what must have been nearly an impossible task.
  - Jennifer Dreyfuss
    
    sorry posted as reply to…
disqus_M7byfgKxre

Way to go Edgar .
JSFLA

Great job at getting healthier!!!
Bill Ferguson

Congratulations young man and keep up the good work.
Note to the editors: Huge difference between running a half marathon and a marathon.
lingo009

Perfect example of why we need to stop over-reacting to hyper protecting our kids against bullies. I was a small and picked on. But guess what? I stood up to 3 bullies in my youth. Beat the crap out of all 3. It made me the strong person I am today. Thank you bullies!
Jennifer Dreyfuss

Losing weight is just so hard to do. I always weighed less than a hundred pounds ALL my life until the chemotherapy caused premature menopause. Then I gained about 35 pounds that won’t come off no matter what I do. I applaud this young man for what must have been nearly an impossible task.
- Deconus
  
  35 pounds? Oh boo hoo. Be thankful you’re alive.
  - Jennifer Dreyfuss
    
    Oh, but the havoc those 35 pounds have caused me. If I may be so bold…you should be thankful that you don’t have to deal with cancer and leave those of us that do have cancer to decide what to be thankful for ourselves. Your concern is touching, thank you.
Anonymous314159265358979323

Congratulations to Edgar for doing what was needed to get his weight under control. A sensible diet and exercise program, not some fad diet, has paid off now, and (if he sticks with it) will benefit him for the rest of his life. Keep up the good work; and again, congratulations!