Cassidy Pfaff and Zach H. have struggled with weight their entire lives.
They’ve tried losing weight over the years, both separately and together, but their routines never stuck. But when Zach had an accident in July 2020, their lives changed dramatically.
It started when the two of them went to an elderly couple’s house to pick up an air conditioner they purchased through Facebook Marketplace. Everything was going smoothly at first, but as Zach carried the appliance to their car, he fell down their staircase.
He was immediately admitted into a hospital, but the care he needed was unavailable.
“They were trying to get x-rays and MRIs and stuff but their equipment wouldn’t work on me because of my weight and size and the thickness of the fat on my body,” Zach said. “So they were calling different zoos in the area to try and see if they could get me in and there was still nothing available.”
It was in that moment that Zach and Cassidy became determined to change their lifestyle in a way that was both healthy and sustainable.
“Being overweight basically ran in my family,” Cassidy said. “All sorts of metabolically related disorders run in my family like diabetes and, so, I had always been overweight as a child.”
They started their journey by meal prepping, something that took time to adjust to, especially for Zach who thought he could rely on his athleticism more so than the nutritional side of things.
“I thought that it would be like a 60% exercise thing, 40% diet,” he said, “I think it’s probably more like 80% what you eat and how you eat it and 20% exercise.”
Once they were able to find a way to eat healthier in addition to exercising regularly, Zach and Cassidy finally began to see long-lasting results!
“The biggest thing for us was the sustainability piece,” she said. “We’ve done everything in a way where we chose to change our lifestyle and … to heal our broken relationships from food when we were kids and adults.”
At the start of their journey, Cassidy weighed 317.3 lbs. and Zach weighed 682.6 lbs. for a combined weight of 999.99 lbs. But in just over a year and a half, this couple has managed to lose over 500 lbs. together!
Much of their journey was documented on social media where they received an overwhelming amount of support from friends, family, and complete strangers alike. But for this adorable couple, their most vital support came from each other.
“I’m so proud of you,” Cassidy said to Zach. “I just hope you understand how much you’ve changed, how much work you’ve done for yourself and for our family, and for our future, and for what we’re going to have. None of it would have been possible if you hadn’t put this effort in.”
“Everybody can celebrate the highs,” Zach added. “Everybody can get excited about the viral TikTok video that Zach posted, but having Cassidy along for the lows was what was so vital to me. I can confidently say that I would not be where I am if it wasn’t for her.”
Don’t forget to share Cassidy and Zach’s story with a friend.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.