Wilmington, NC, man loses 300 kilos, transforms his life

• A Wilmington man misplaced practically 300 kilos after combating every day actions at his peak weight of 481 kilos.
• Jimi Sanchez credit a complete weight administration program and bariatric surgical procedure for his success.
• Before his surgical procedure, Sanchez misplaced an atypical quantity of practically 100 kilos by way of eating regimen and life-style adjustments.
• Since his weight reduction, Sanchez has loved skydiving, working a 5K, and enjoying basketball together with his youngsters.

Jimi Sanchez was sitting on the sidelines of life.

The Wilmington resident had gained weight over time, and at 481 kilos, he was not capable of do the issues he needed to do. Daily actions, similar to tying his sneakers and clipping his toenails, had develop into a problem.

“Even strolling brief distances to examine the mail or strolling from the truck to the grocery retailer simply put me out of breath,” he mentioned. “I was alive, I was surviving, but I wasn’t living. I was just existing.”

Sanchez realized that he was lacking out on occasions together with his youngsters and household and determined to make a change. Over the years, he tried a number of diets, train applications, drugs and weight reduction applications with out lasting success.

But this time, he was decided to succeed. He started researching diet and eating regimen, which led him to Novant Health Weight Management and Wellness.

Sanchez said there he found a care team that provided him with the tools he needed to be successful. His treatment plan included meeting with a licensed clinical social worker who helped him understand and change his attitudes about food, and a physician to help him make lifestyle changes. He also met with Dr. Jayme Stokes, one of the clinic’s bariatric surgeons, and Hillary Kidd, a registered dietitian.

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With the support, Sanchez was able to achieve substantial weight loss – nearly 100 pounds – before he underwent bariatric surgery.

Stokes said while many patients lose a substantial amount of weight during their treatment, the pre-surgery weight loss Sanchez experienced is not typical.

“Jimi, by far in terms of magnitude, crushed the pre-operative process,” Stokes said. “We do a little bit of nudging, a little bit of coaching, a little bit of guidance, and Jimi took that and just owned it. He took the little bit we were giving and just expedited it and grew it.”

Sanchez had bariatric surgery in October 2024, and by the end of January 2026, he had lost an additional 200 pounds, bringing his total weight loss to nearly 300 pounds. He adds the results have been life-changing.

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Since losing the weight, Sanchez has enjoyed many “non-scale victories” — life changes that have nothing to do with the numbers on the scale. Some of those include not having to use a seatbelt extender on an airplane and buying clothes off the rack in a store.

Now that he’s lost the weight, Sanchez can do things he couldn’t do when he was heavier and he’s checking things off his bucket list. Some of the highlights included going skydiving and running a 5K. But most of all, he said he’s glad to be able to do things like play basketball with his kids.

“I’m 18 years old again — well, kind of,” he said with a chuckle.

Sanchez said he’s determined to enjoy every moment.

“I’m making up for years of just not living,” he said.  

Renee Spencer is the community engagement editor at the StarNews. Reach her at rspencer@usatodayco.com.