Online Friendship Helps Man Lose Close to 400 Pounds

The Internet continues to transform lives. The click of a button lets us communicate with people around the world who we may never have met under normal circumstances. And that's certainly true for Brian Flemming--a man who lost nearly 400 pounds with the encouragement of an online friend.

Flemming was an alcoholic and pre-diabetic when he first met Jackie Eastham while playing the mobile game, Draw Something. Though 20 years his senior and thousands of miles away in England, Flemming had honest conversations with her regarding his weight, medical issues and less-than-optimistic outlook on life.

Eastham listened, but she wasn't just about providing comfort. She wanted to help Flemming make a change.

"She said there were people struggling for their lives and then there's you -- you have all these opportunities and you're throwing it all away," said Flemming, 32, now a business relations representative and part-time music teacher in Canton, Mich., according to CNN.

Eastham opened up about her myotonic dystrophy, a serious group of inherited multiple dystrophies. However, her refusal to let it take over her life inspired Flemming to not take his own life for granted.

In about 2 years, Flemming lost 380 pounds from his 6 foot 2 frame, going from a 60 inch waist size down to a 38.

With the help of this online friendship, Flemming first cut alcohol out of his life. Next he started picking up healthy dietary habits by knocking off many of the 7,000 calories a day he was used to consuming down to 2,500. During this time, he began tracking his exercise and calorie intake through a calorie tracking app. Meanwhile, Easthman remained supportive online, as their friendship progressed from the game, to Facebook and eventually to skype video conversations.

Following his success, Flemming even flew to England in December to meet the woman who'd help change his life.

"Jackie is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I feel that she saved my life, even though she would never take credit," Flemming wrote, via a blog post. 

"Brian is so inspiring," Eastham said, via CNN. "I hope he gets what he wants out of life."