(CNN) -- Yusuke Kirimoto was always overweight. When he visited his relatives in Japan, they would jokingly say, "the sumo wrestler is back." Their comments were meant to be funny, but Kirimoto still felt the sting. Kirimoto and his wife Megumi had their daughter Sara in 2006. Like many toddlers, Sara would run around their Westminster, Colorado, home, and Kirimoto would trail behind her, trying to catch up. But as she got older, keeping up with Sara became a struggle for him, both physically and mentally. "I would oftentimes be so out of breath that I would almost pass out," he said. At this point, his diet mainly consisted of burgers, fries and sub sandwiches, and at least six cans of soda a day.
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At 270 pounds, Yusuke Kirimoto's weight was straining him physically and emotionally
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He restricted his diet, cutting out sugars and carbohydrates
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By incorporating runs into his workouts, he was able to lose 102 pounds
Sara
Sara
Sara
But @placeholder, then 4 years old, would find her way down to the basement and beg him to play with her.
Colorado
He had lived in @placeholder for more than 25 years, and this was the first time he had run outside.
Yusuke Kirimoto
Kirimoto
Kirimoto
Kirimoto
Yusuke Kirimoto
As soon as @placeholder started running Colorado's trails, he fell in love.