The Class of 1983 Woodward High School graduate tells 13ABC he needed to confront a secret in order to begin his journey.
Baker watched his episode documenting his one-year weight loss journey with his family in Toledo.
"We're all proud of him," says Demita Baker, Dana's sister. "We're all very proud of him because we were so concerned about his weight."
Dana Baker says Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition is the reason he is alive.
"This was it," says Dana Baker. "If I said no to this, I would probably be dead right now."
The show documented Baker's journey of how he lost more than 200 pounds when he lived in Tennessee.
"The first workout with [the trainer] Chris, I really thought Chris was trying to kill me," says Baker.
The greatest challenge for Baker, aside from giving up fast food and spending four hours a day-six days a week doing cardio at the gym, was confronting the secret of why he became obese.
"I was running from this problem," says Baker. "The real reason I gained the weight was over here in the closet for 30 plus years. And that was that I was gay and I didn't know how to cope with it, so the best way was to run to food."
The social worker and special education teacher decided to tell his loved ones he is gay merely days before his episode of Extreme Makeover aired.
"Just this weekend I told my closest family and friends just this weekend," says Dana Baker. "99 percent of the time they already knew. They weren't surprised."
His sister is simply happy Baker is happy. And she is delighted that for the first time she can actually put her arms all the way around her brother.
"It's just amazing that they were able to come forth and help him like that and save his life," says Demita Baker. "It saved his life."
Dana Baker lost 20 inches around his waist.
"I even lost two inches in my feet. I went from a 15 to a 13," says Dana Baker. "I'm happier now. I don't have to run to food anymore."
Baker can wear a seat belt and doesn't have to special order size 5-XL clothes anymore. He fits into an XL shirt now.
"I could actually wear the shirt that everyone else was wearing. Priceless," says Baker.
Just because the cameras are off doesn't mean Baker's journey is over. Next he needs to remove 40 pounds of skin. Plus, he continues water aerobics four times a week.
"I'm not going back to that anymore," says Baker. "I've worked to hard for this to take this weight off and it's not coming back."
