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Former star's dramatic body transformation lights up internet

Yahoo Sport Australia

A former NFL star whose playing weight was in excess of 136kg (300 pounds) has sent social media into a frenzy after images emerged of his dramatic body transformation.

Joe Thomas has always been a big man but the ex-Cleveland Browns’ left tackle has shared the incredible secret behind his drastic weight loss.

It’s probably safe to say Thomas was carrying a little more weight than he needed during his NFL career.

Three days removed from the first anniversary of his retirement, Thomas’ podcast co-host Andrew Hawkins shared a photo showing that the 34-year-old now looks skinnier than the average tight end.

Losing that amount of weight was apparently something that Thomas had looked forward to for a long time.

Back in July, when Thomas had already cut 22-kilograms from his playing weight, he told NFL Network he was “more eager to lose weight than almost anything in retirement.”

That makes sense. You need to be more than 130kg to survive as an NFL offensive lineman, but maintaining that weight while still staying in shape has to be exhausting and probably harmful to your health in the long run.

However, cutting such a large amount of weight in such a short timespan must also be exhausting, even if it’s a more healthy way to live.

Thomas revealed on Twitter that an embrace of swimming, yoga and a ketogenic diet, as well as a decision to ditch breakfast, were the keys to his weight loss.

Thomas’ stunning transformation has seen fans praise the former NFL star on social media.

Many other social media users have also shared stories of their own inspirational weight loss journeys.