Today, Adam Bird is an active, healthy 36-year-old who wakes up feeling excited about the future.
In photos from 2019, Bird is almost unrecognizable. Not only was he twice his current size, but he’s also sick and depressed. Back then, the Texas native feared he’d never walk again without assistance.
Bird had a wonderful childhood, but struggled with his weight. “Around the age of 12, I was already 200 pounds. So I was always big, and because of my habits, I remained that way,” Bird, who lives in Bridgeport, Texas, tells TODAY.com.
When Bird was 19, his father died from blood clots following a surgery for a brain tumor. Soon after, his mom started having strokes.
Barely 20, Bird became a full-time caretaker for his mother and grandparents. He’d take care of them for the next seven years.
Bird is grateful for the time he got to spend with his family, but admits he didn’t take the best care of himself.
While he cooked nutritious, diabetic-friendly meals for his ailing mother and grandparents, Bird ate breakfasts of bacon and sugary cereal, followed by big sandwiches and steak dinners.
As he watched his mother’s blood sugar fall to healthy levels, his own was spiking from refined carbohydrates.
“I knew I wasn’t eating right,” says Bird — not only because of his weight, but also because of the way food made his body feel.
Adam Bird’s health impacted his career.Courtesy Adam Bird
In 2017, Bird started working as an electrician. Although the job was physical, his eating habits didn’t change. “I’d never been to a gym before,” he adds.
By 2019, Bird weighed over 400 pounds.
Life-Threatening Blood Clots
In April 2019, Bird developed blood clots in the tibial vein of his right calf, also known as deep vein thrombosis. “It was like getting stabbed with a hot poker constantly,” says Bird. The pain and swelling limited his mobility, so he had to stop working.
Bird was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when the valves of the leg veins become damaged, causing blood to pool in the legs. Obesity is a risk factor.
Doctors suggested surgery, but said Bird may never be able to walk normally again. “I’m already scared for my life, then they tell me surgery could either make it better or worse,” he says. His doctors also recommended he get gastric bypass.
Bird had previous negative experiences with doctors as both a patient and caregiver. “I built up distrust in the medical system.”
He refused surgery, opting to remain on blood thinners to see if his health improved.
Adam Bird was hospitalized for the blood clots in his legs.Courtesy Adam Bird“Consumed by the Pain and Depression.”
In late 2019, Bird hit the lowest point of his life.
“I’d lost everything. I lost my job. I lost my apartment. I lost the independence I had gained since taking care of my family.”
At age 30, Bird had to move in with his uncle.
“I was consumed by the pain and depression and the fear that the blood clots would break loose and kill me,” he says. Bird even struggled with suicidal thoughts.
One day, his uncle, a cancer survivor, shared an analogy:
“Life is like a sailboat. You can only focus on the things you have control over, like your boat, sails and rudder. You have to let go of the things you don’t have control over, like the water, wind and current, and go with the flow,” Bird recalls.
In that moment, he had a mindset shift. “What I did have control over was the decision to fight for my life.”
Walking and Jogging
At first, all Bird could do was walk. Pushing through pain, he walked every day and eventually tried to jog.
Bird decided to join his uncle’s gym. He stuck to the treadmill until he felt capable enough to try a strength training class.
“It was so difficult. They had to teach me how to lift weights. I didn’t even know how to move my body properly,” says Bird, adding that he’d never been more sore in his life.
“I just leaned into it. I was gonna push it to the limit.”
Bird went to the gym six days a week. “I’d train for 30 minutes, then get on the treadmill for two, three hours.”
Adam Bird had never been to a gym before making this lifestyle change.Courtesy Adam Bird
He exercised in an old pair of hiking boots.
One day, the gym’s owner approached Bird and asked to give him a gift. Bird was skeptical at first, but agreed. Later that week, the owner bought him new running shoes and workout clothes.
“I was so overwhelmed … I didn’t know how to accept it.” When Bird asked to repay him, the owner simply told him to “help someone else and pay it forward.”
Bird, who struggled to trust people, says he started to recognize the goodness in others and accept help. “It motivated me to work harder.”
When Bird decided to stop driving and walk 2.5 miles to and from the gym, a fellow member gave him a reflective running vest to keep him safe from cars.
“A good community can make such an incredible difference.”
After six months, Bird lost nearly 100 pounds. But exercise was only half the journey.
“I Started To Learn What Food Could Do for Me.”
Bird found a nutritionist through his gym. “I started to learn what food could do for me, besides taste good,” he says.
He began fueling his body with complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. His go-to foods included eggs, chicken, salmon, oats, and tons of fruits and vegetables — sweet potatoes are a favorite.
“I discovered a whole world of beautiful, healthy foods.”
Bird ate more frequently — five meals a day — to support his metabolism. Before, he’d go long periods between meals, triggering a cycle of hunger and overeating.
He also prioritized healthy snacks before and after workouts.
High-Protein, High-Fiber Smoothie
Every day, Bird would stop by the Smoothie King next to his gym for a nutritious treat.
When Bird realized he wanted to gain muscle while losing weight, he had to increase his protein intake. “That’s when I started customizing my smoothies.”
Bird would order a banana smoothie with extra chocolate protein, extra almond butter, dates and cinnamon. Sometimes, he’d drink the high-protein, high-fiber smoothie as a meal.
“I’d get it in the mornings or the afternoons after working really hard (at the gym), and that gave me the nutrition I needed to stay consistent,” he says.
Adam Bird customized his favorite smoothie at Smoothie King.Courtesy Adam Bird
Over time, he grew closer to the employees. “Smoothie King started to become a part of my community too,” says Bird.
200-Pound Weight Loss
Over the next two years, Bird lost 100 more pounds. He lost 200 total, half his heaviest weight.
The blood clots in his legs eventually went away with the help of blood thinners and lifestyle changes.
“The doctors told me my veins looked like a different person’s veins. I improved my odds of not having another blood clot considerably and added years to my life,” he says.
However, Bird faced a new challenge: excess skin. The loose skin would chafe, causing rashes and infections. Every time he sweat or took a shower, he’d have to lift his skin and use a hair dryer.
Skin removal surgery wasn’t covered by insurance, and Bird couldn’t afford it out-of-pocket. But the next year, his aunt and uncle offered to pay. “I am so blessed,” he says.
In 2023, Bird had two surgeries to remove nearly 15 pounds of skin from his abdomen, arms and thighs. The recovery was excruciating.
Adam Bird underwent surgery to remove 15 pounds of excess skin following major weight loss.Courtesy Adam Bird
“I was so humbled. I went from the strongest I’d ever been in my life to the weakest,” says Bird.
After a lot of rest and smoothie deliveries, Bird was back in the gym to rebuild his strength and confidence.
“I Could Finally Start To Live My Life.”
“After fighting for so long, I could finally start to live my life,” says Bird.
Bird returned to work as an electrician, doing twice the job he used to do with his new energy and mobility. Around the same time, he got into a relationship.
“I never thought I’d be able to have a girlfriend, and here I am with this beautiful woman, living life to the fullest.”
The couple got married and welcomed a baby boy this January.
“Oh man, I’m so happy,” he beams.
Adam Bird and his wife are parents to a son.Courtesy Adam Bird
Bird says the changes he fought for have become his normal lifestyle, which makes maintaining his weight loss easy.
The new dad still does cardio and lifts weights. He and his wife love to cook healthy meals. “If we go out, I customize it so I’m able to get nutritious food,” he says.
Bird did invest in a blender, but still gets the occasional smoothie.
Consistency and Community
Bird is living a life he never imagined was possible, all thanks to “many small, consistent choices that led to big results,” he says.
There were times during his journey when Bird felt exhausted and unmotivated. What kept him pushing was the mindset that he only had to make one healthy choice every day.
Sometimes, it was a smoothie. Other times, it was showing up to the gym to walk on the treadmill and watch the History Channel.
“I knew even 0.2% effort would accumulate with consistency.”
After the kind gestures he’s received from his community, Adam Bird is paying it forward. Courtesy Adam Bird
Bird says his transformation is also a testament to the support of his community — his uncle, the owner and members of his gym, the Smoothie King employees, and, of course, his wife.
“I’ve had all of these people open doors for me; all I had to do was put the effort to walk through them,” he says.
Now, Bird is sharing his story in hopes that it could help someone else. “It’s my way of paying it forward.”