After Dropping Half his Body Weight, Model Kevin Creekman Found Confidence through Covering Self in Ink

When model and social media personality Kevin Creekman turned 18, he weighed 330 pounds. As a teenager, the 32-year old recalls loved high-caloric food and feels that was a contributing factor to his being overweight throughout his teenage years. But at 18, he decided to lose the weight. "He cut out carbs and sweet treats and focused on consuming only 1,500 calories per day for one year. He also started attending the gym," wrote the Daily Mail.

Some 16 years later, Creekman weighs a healthy 152 pounds and is every inch a hunk. He recently explained to the DM how he got there.

"I actually have a degree in social work, but I still think it's difficult to pinpoint one reason on why I gained weight in my youth,' Kevin said. "I was overweight from a young age and I think there's several contributing factors. I loved food with a high-calorie content and was fairly isolated socially. I also think there's a genetic component that makes it easier for me to gain weight."

He decided to radically change his eating habits – "no carbs or any sweets," he said. "I also kept the portions very small for a whole year. I started doing sports too."

He dropped 178 pounds, then had skin removal surgery in 2014 to remove the loose skin on his stomach. "While he was thrilled with his new svelte look, the prominent scars left on his torso from the surgery drew unwanted attention and questions," he told the DM.

"After my skin removal surgery, I was left with scars and I was tired of explaining to people what happened because I couldn't hide them," Creekman said.

He turned to tattoos to hide the scars, which created an inverted cross of stitching on his chest and stomach. Now Creekman is so inked he can't tell where some tattoos began and others end. And even with discounts from friendly tattoo artists, he estimates having spent roughly $30,000 and 250 hours [under] the needle.

His enhanced look has also given him new confidence. "I've definitely had a better dating experience with more tattoos and more life experience. For people who don't like tattoos, I might be way too edgy, but I'd say most women find heavily tattooed men definitely more attractive."

And while he admits he occasionally gets a "nasty comment," he has discovered "a lovely and respectful community of people supporting me online. They appreciate my tattoos even if they're not a fan of tattoos in general." He currently has more than 1.1 million followers on Instagram.

And with his tattoo project largely completed, Creekman is looking to expand his horizons to being a musician, model and actor. "I'm soon going to play my first tour as a musician and I have my first acting gig in a feature film this year. I think the most important thing is just do whatever makes you happy."

For more about Kevin Creekman, visit his website. And check out these pics from his Instagram: