600-pound man determined to shed half his body weight

Ramon Mitchell, 25, gained nearly 400 pounds after turning to emotional eating to cope with the back-to-back loss of three family members, but now the once-almost-700-pound man is determined to get his health on track again.

Doctors diagnosed Mitchell with anxiety, and congestive heart and kidney failure when he was at his heaviest, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. In August, he was diagnosed with a severe respiratory infection at Piedmont Fayette Hospital.

But when it was time for him to go home, he couldn’t stand up. That’s when he knew he needed to make a change.

“I didn't want to die,” Mitchell told the news station, “so I felt like it was up to me to do what I need to do."

Medics transferred Mitchell to HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Newnan, where he has re-learned how to walk by doing cardiovascular, strength, endurance and balance training, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. The regimen has not only helped Mitchell regain his mobility but also his pride. So far, he has lost 63 pounds.

Over the next two years, he’s aiming to shed at least 300 pounds.

"I think it's highly possible if that's what he really wants and that's what he’s striving for,” HealthSouth physical therapist’s assistant Kelly Adkins told the news station. “There is no limitations on him, besides what he chooses to put on himself. He's highly motivated, so I have the best of hopes for him in the future."