He's Down 40 Pounds With Found Weight Loss

When you grow up getting teased about being the skinniest kid in the neighborhood, it’s tough to see yourself any other way—no matter how many years have passed or how many pounds you’ve piled on.

It’s one of the reasons Malcolm Smith was surprised when, about 10 years ago, he looked in the mirror and realized he was no longer that skinny kid. Instead, he was a 26-year-old man who, at 310 pounds, weighed too much. No wonder he had been feeling lethargic and unmotivated: Extra weight was weighing him down.

And in that moment, Malcolm knew it was time to make some changes.

10 years of trial and error

Deciding to lose weight was the easy part. Figuring out just how to do it was more challenging.

Parents often pass their food habits down to their children, and Malcolm’s family was no exception. “I grew up in a traditional Southern family,” he says, “where mealtimes were a major event—a way of connecting and communing.” And while fried chicken, mac and cheese, and biscuits with gravy were often on the menu, it wasn’t the food that led to his weight gain as much as the overeating.  

Malcolm knew he had to exercise more. He knew he had to eat better.

However, poor eating habits followed him when he left home for college. And to make things worse, Malcolm was a self-described “picky eater,” making his options for healthier food choices even more limited. While living on his own for the first time, reaching for the familiar foods of his childhood was easier for Malcolm—automatic, almost. Carbohydrate-packed choices like pizza and nachos were easy, convenient, and satisfying. As the years progressed, Malcolm’s fast food diet and oversized portions caught up with the once-skinny kid. 

Desperate to lose weight, Malcolm waded through an endless array of diets, trying anything he could find: eating keto or low-carb, counting calories, counting macros, and more.

While diets can help some people lose weight, Malcolm said they didn’t work for him because he found it tough to stay with any one food plan. He found himself weighing more–not less—after each journey. Additionally, Malcolm struggled with uncontrolled cravings and portion control. Losing weight was not as simple as choosing the best foods. It required sticking to a diet long enough to see sustained results. 

Indeed, research suggests the diet that works best is the one you stick to. A review of almost 50 studies published in JAMA—the journal of the American Medical Association—examined the effectiveness of various diets and found little weight-loss differences between low-carb and low-fat diets. The key? Whether and how long people could follow the diet they chose. The same study found that people who incorporated behavioral support and exercise into their diets set themselves up for greater success. 

Perhaps, in the back of his mind, Malcolm knew this when he discovered Found. 

How Malcolm got on the right track

Malcolm realized he needed to find a different approach. The mirror didn’t lie, nor did photos from his 35th birthday celebration in 2023. Seeing those photos really made him realize how much weight he had gained over the years. 

Then, a discovery at his annual checkup that year provided an even greater impetus to get the help he needed: He was now prediabetic and had high cholesterol. It was a wake-up call. 

“I’d always known about medically-assisted programs but never wanted to try them,” Malcolm admits. He equated using medication with “cheating”—taking the easy way out of doing something that should be possible to achieve on your own.

Despite his reservations, Malcolm decided to join Found in August 2023. Once he made the commitment, he felt confident in his decision. He’s realized that sometimes health issues go beyond nutrition, and people need support, ideas, and communication to assist in their weight loss journeys. 

Each day, Malcolm says, two medications his Found providers prescribed as part of his weight care plan work together to help relieve “impulsive cravings to eat when I’m bored and not really hungry.” While FDA-approved for other uses, both medications have been shown to help people lose weight, and clinicians prescribe them off-label to help control food cravings and compulsive eating.

Malcolm especially enjoys the accessible support he gets with Found. “It’s so easy to get in touch with their clinicians, and the coaches are always available to help,” he says.

The coaches, advice, guidance, and community Malcolm discovered with Found have replaced the dinners at his childhood table. He’s again able to connect, commune, and enjoy mealtimes—this time, in a healthy, nutritious way.

To date, Malcolm has lost 40 pounds*. He’s now 36 and 270 pounds. He is aiming for a weight of around 240, which he says he hasn’t seen on a scale since 2015.

In addition to the weight loss he’s seeing, Malcolm says, the encouragement of others keeps him going. His friends and family are among the first to praise his efforts, give him compliments, and offer words of support. 

Malcolm is not the only one benefiting from his weight loss: His 7-year-old dog, Sora, relishes her daily long walks with him. “I am so much more active now that I’ve lost the weight,” Malcolm says. “I want to get out more, move more, and do more!”

*Malcolm is a real user, paid for this appearance. Individual results vary. One year after starting Found, users have lost an avg. of 12% of their body weight. Results are based on data from 1,773 users who were active for > 1 year and reported their weight weekly on average. Found clinicians work with patients to determine the best option for each subscriber, but the ultimate decision as to whether a patient is qualified for a medication rests with the provider. 

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About Found

Found is among the largest medically-supported telehealth weight care clinics in the country, having served more than 250,000 members to date. To discover your MetabolicPrint™ and start your journey with Found, take our quiz.

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