( CNN ) -- Doctors frequently tell patients that they have to lose weight . But the majority of them do n't know how it feels to be overweight or what it really takes to lose weight . I do . Between my 17th and 19th birthday , I went from overweight teenager to lean adult by losing 99 pounds . I was a happy teenager from a loving family . Food never served as a substitute for happiness in my life , and I had no reason for comfort eating . My mother did n't like fast food and always cooked healthy meals . Knowing that , it seems absurd that I weighed 264 pounds at 16 . The reason for my weight gain was simple : I loved food ( I still do ! ) , I ate way too much , and I hated exercise . Well , that 's not totally true . My friends and I were passionate soccer players -- sometimes I would even start sweating when my Xbox game got too exciting . `` If I do n't eat greasy fast-food , stay away from sweet soft drinks and avoid candies , I wo n't get fat , '' I used to think . So while my brother was having two potatoes , I ate four . He would have enjoyed a glass of milk in the morning if I had n't already emptied the whole liter . He loved bread with some bacon ; I preferred a lot of bacon with some bread . If you eat more calories than your body needs you will gain weight . It 's as simple as that . We are constantly told to focus on what we 're eating , and yet we forget to think about how much we are eating . Of course , I got bullied for being overweight . When you 're fat , you 're a target . I struggled with the teasing in the beginning but got used to it very quickly . That was dangerous -- getting used to people picking on your size means you 're accustomed to being that size so there is no need for change . I would still be extremely obese right now if it was n't for a school trip to Paris in 2005 . I like French food and had a lot of it . But on the trip I got food poisoning and lost 7 pounds . Those 7 pounds were the spark that started the fire . I realized that sometimes you have to RSVP yes when life sends you an invitation for change . At first I thought : `` Cool , I lost 7 pounds . I will try not to regain that weight . '' Then I remembered there was something called exercise , and that experts said it could help you lose weight . So I started using my mother 's elliptical machine . I worked out for 15 to 20 minutes every single day . I also tried to eat half of what I had eaten before . Instead of four potatoes I ate two ; instead of drinking a whole bottle of milk , I would only drink half of it . My body responded well : Within two years I had lost 99 pounds . ( If I had known I would eventually be writing a weight loss story for CNN , I would have gone for 100 ) . I realized that if you and your body are hungry for change , weight loss can be fun , instead of a burden . Luckily , I 've never encountered the dreaded yo-yo effect . I have maintained my slimmer figure for seven years now . I never stopped exercising . After you 've come so far , you do n't want to take a risk and regain the weight because of laziness . I purposefully gained 22 pounds working out in the gym because I wanted to build muscle . Now my 6-foot 4-inch frame weighs 187 pounds . My body mass index is 22 . There are countless books on how to lose weight . All the authors seem to have priceless pieces of advice they 've skillfully converted into cash . But in the end , I believe losing weight is a simple trade : . You feed your body the right amount of food and exercise . In return , your body burns fat . Even your wallet gets a little lighter because you have to buy new clothes . After seven years of medical education , I have learned a lot about the health dangers of being overweight . I 'm glad I took life 's invitation to change as a teen . As a doctor who has been where they are , I hope to help others who are struggling with their weight do the same .
Felix Gussone started his weight loss journey after getting food poisoning in Paris . He worked out every day for 20 minutes and halved his calorie intake . He lost 99 pounds over the next two years and has maintained ever since .