Sharing the good, the bad and all the facts, the New Brunswick man gives a behind-the-scenes and completely transparent look at his fitness journey.
“I’ve been a little chubby since I was a kid, so it’s been a goal of mine for a long time, basically my whole life, to lose weight, to get fit,” said Brent Gaughan of Salisbury, N.B.
“I’ve pretty much gotten thinner and fatter over time, a lot of yo-yo dieting in my life, and it’s ended up being a journey that has its ups and downs, but this is one of the bigger downs, which I have had for a long time.’
The 25-year-old documents his healthy progress, telling the world an important message: fitness is for everyone.
“Showing people someone more average, more relatable, like me, is really helpful to show that fitness is something that anyone can do. You don’t have to be that small, muscular guy who’s been working out all his life. You can start fitness at 20, you can start fitness at 30, 40, 50,” he said.
Finding motivation can be difficult, but Gaughan found a community to support him. His TikTok has grown by at least 200,000 people and his Instagram has gone from just 8,000 to 156,000 in the past year.
“I wake up every morning and I read all my comments and they’re all just wonderful people who are incredibly nice to me and you know, the internet can be hard for some people, but they’re incredibly nice to me,” he said.
It’s a two-way relationship. He says he finds support through his followers’ comments and in return provides them with truth and positivity.
“I’m not a person who has a lot of shame, so if I can just come on here and say something that’s completely honest and I’m telling the absolute truth, I find that it helps people live like me and, you know, to be more honest and live their truth and live in a healthier way,” Gaughan said.
He’s also very honest with his followers, showing obstacles you don’t always see from fitness influencers, like hanging from a pull-up bar or standing up from the ground without using your arms.
“At my fattest, I was 570 pounds and it was very limiting. I could barely get out and do anything, so it came from wanting to get back out there,” he said. “Start kayaking again, go hiking, spend time with friends, you know, live life, you know, I feel like I deserve to live.”
His goal is to get to around 250 pounds, and right now he only takes a day off when his body tells him to.
Although it’s something he’s always struggled with, he’s had nothing but support.
“I’m very proud of him, I’ve always been proud of him,” said Brent’s aunt, Lana Wheaton, who has seen his transformation firsthand.
Wheaton says she was initially impressed with him because she wanted to get fitter, adding that he quickly found his niche and was much more helpful than she originally thought he would be.
“Because he sees himself in better shape, even at his weight and size, you know, he sees improvement and he shares that with people and it just makes him feel good that he’s doing that not just for himself but we hope it encourages others,” she said.
Even with his positive attitude and realistic videos inspiring both those closest to him and complete strangers, Gaughan says there are still days when he feels down or discouraged.
However, he has a little statement to help him get through these days.
“It’s always going to get better and the next day is going to be an opportunity to do better and you just have to keep that in mind. You have to remember that it always gets better. There are ups and downs,” he said.