NJ man uses weight loss journey to inspire thousands

ABSECON, N.J. (WPVI) -- If you're trying to lose weight or get healthy and think it's just not possible, well one local man says if he can do it, anyone can.

Lionel Dixon has turned his life around. He's lost 150 pounds through diet, exercise and pure determination.

Now he's helping others do the same.

Climbing a mechanical ladder at Island Gym in Absecon, New Jersey, 31-year-old Lionel Dixon appears fit, strong, and healthy. But he wasn't always this way.

He admits he used to eat a lot of unhealthy, fattening, and sugary foods.

About 10 years ago he weighed 275 pounds. At one point he also tipped the scales at 315.

During a trip to Miami, he had a wake up call.

He explains, "I said enough is enough. I was like, 'You know something? This is the last time. I am doing something, I'm going to make a change."

He started by cutting out junk food and eating a low-carb, high-protein diet. He also got moving, but says in the beginning it wasn't easy.

"I was tired, I was grumpy, I kind of felt like giving up and going back. But I knew psychologically I couldn't do that," Dixon said.

He stayed focused, and over time people started noticing results.

Now he's become somewhat of a social media star. He goes by the name "Lonnie Fresh." After losing 150 pounds, he started posting pictures and videos of his journey on Instagram.

Thousands now follow him for motivation, to see what he's eating, and how he got healthy.

He even competed in a body building competition, and has a deal to tell his story in a book titled "Out of the Shadows".

The goal now is to inspire others.

He explained his goals, telling us, "Because at this point in my life now, it's not about me, it's about others. It's about others that's going through the same struggle that I went through."

Lionell also tweaked his diet along the way. He now eats healthy carbs like vegetables, brown rice and quinoa, and also lean meats.

And he has this advice: If you're an emotional eater, or are eating out of depression, he urges you to get help either through a friend, the church or a professional.

Follow Lonnie on Instagram at @LonnieFresh84 or on Facebook. And to learn more about his book, visit www.hollismedia.net. Preorders get a 15 percent discount when using code LON15 at check out.