The Metamorphosis of Dustin Turner

From 300-Pound Lost Soul To Fitness, Health, and Bodybuilding Fanatic

Rollercoasters are one of the world’s ultimate thrill rides. People wait in lines, for hours at a time, just to experience the sudden drops, winding curves, and speeds that peel your face back. After the ride, you’re thankful to put your feet on solid ground. Fifteen minutes later, you jump in line for the next ride.

In many ways, life is like a rollercoaster. Life has its ups and down. From a physics standpoint, rollercoasters work based off the law of conservation of energy. The coaster only goes as fast as the potential (stored) energy grants. Life goes in the direction our feelings and surroundings take us. The law states energy cannot be created or destroyed. It transforms from one form to another. It’s easy to stay on a life path even if it’s not the direction you want to take. Sometimes you have to you have to find your stored energy and transform yourself into the person you know you are destined to be.

In the Beginning

Throughout his life, Dustin Turner has been on his share of rides. “As a youth, I was very lost and always turned to food when hard times hit,” Turner says. When boredom or loneliness struck, food was Turner’s crutch. “Home life wasn’t always good. My parents were on drugs when I was younger. Depression was bad. I fell behind in school. Anxiety ate me alive,” Turner adds. One constant positive in his life was the respect Turner had for his heroes on television and the big screen. “I loved wrestling, and I loved Arnold Schwarzenegger. The physiques those guys had were amazing. Watching Arnold as the Terminator, the Commando, and Dutch from Predator made me dream of having a body like that.”

Poor food choices and insufficient knowledge of a healthy diet held Turner back. He clung to the hope that once life stabilized, he would be able to get more active, lose weight, and gain muscle. By the age of 18, Turner lived with his father, who was a few years drug free. “My father worked hard. He started dieting and losing some weight. One day it clicked for me. I was sick of being overweight,” Turner says.

Time For A Change

At his heaviest, Turner tipped the scales at 310 pounds. “I couldn’t fit into my car,” he adds. One evening, his father asked him if he wanted to make a trip to the store. Turner continues, “I said,’No.’ I broke down in tears. I was ashamed of the way I looked.” He reflected on his size 4X sweatshirt and size 46 pants. It was a defining moment for Turner. He forced himself to go to the store.

“I didn’t know much about dieting, but I knew what not to eat. I stayed away from chips, candy, frozen and processed foods.” Trips to the grocery store consisted of fresh chicken, lean turkey, and plenty of greens. “Before I knew it, my shorts were falling off. I lost 17 pounds from eating healthy and walking up and down hills.” The excitement from losing weight fueled Turner. He ramped up his diet and exercise and the weight continued to drop—145 pounds in nine months.

The Gift That Changed His Life

“For my birthday, I got a Weider Pro 290 weight bench,” Turner says. He turned to social media for knowledge and inspiration. “I looked up workout videos, started following fitness gurus, bodybuilders, basically anyone on YouTube who could add anything to my routine.” Turner moved on to researching muscle bulking diets and clean bulk diets. “The best advice I found was to keep it simple and figure out what I could take in and out to help me reach my goals. Fad diets, trick diets, commercial stuff weren’t for me. I wanted something that was going to stick.”

This Ride Is Just Beginning

Turner journals his story to continue to help himself as well as others. “I eat nutrient dense foods and take nutritious supplements. What I eat feeds my muscle building goals. My proteins, carbs, and fats come from good places.” During this transformation, Turner has learned not to fear food like in the past. “I refuse to eat something and regret it.” He documents his food intake to ensure he stays on track.

Earlier this year, Turner competed in his first physique bodybuilding competition. “It was absolutely amazing. I loved every minute of it,” Turner says. Hard work and a controlled diet paid off for Turner. He won his class and finished second in the overalls. Turner is in an offseason bulk. “I eat roughly 3,500 calories a day consisting of 300 grams of protein and 300 grams of carbs with low fats all coming from omega3 supplements, avocados, natural peanut butter, and what little I get from meat.” The important thing for Turner is that it’s all clean, healthy food.

The temptation of bad food is something that is not going away, but Turner’s drive to compete is stronger. “It happensnow and then, but if I feel like cheating, I’ll check the food out and ask myself how it’s going to benefit me in a workout or cardio. If there is no benefit, I will try to come up with a healthier substitute to satisfy the craving.”
For those inspired by Turner’s story he advises, “If you’re looking to drop a lot of weight and change your lifestyle, consistency is key. Patience is necessary. It’s not going to happen overnight. Put in the work, do your own research, study nutrition, and stay as active as possible.”

Turner is looking forward to putting on “good size” during the offseason. “I plan on crushing a year of training and competing in classic physique bodybuilding and possibly open bodybuilding. We’ll see. My journey is never over. I’m always on my game and always moving on to what’s best for me.”