With a Bachelor of Physical Education already under his belt and his father who is a three-time Mr New Zealand bodybuilding title holder Owen understood what it would take to get to prime physical condition - yet had let himself go to a point where he was 175 kilograms at his heaviest.
He decided to take control. Owen became dedicated to making a change that would defy the five year life limit put on his life and committed to shedding the extra kilograms.
"I went through a whole series of diets and I tried them all."
Somewhat ironically it was be a high-fat low-carb diet that would see him succeed.
"It's a high fat, low carbohydrate diet and your body turns into a fat burning machine. Our bodies run on two types of fuel, either carbohydrates, which is our current western diet or we can run on fat, so I starve my body of carbohydrates and just changed fuels.
"Initially it was hard because it's a bit of a mind-twist because we've been taught for so long that we've got to have a low fat diet but I end up hungry and hangry on those diets so once you get in to it it's great because you know I'm not craving anything.
"I usually don't start eating until around about 3pm, so I intermittent fast at the moment and I usually have a fat protein shake with peanut butter in it or avocado. Then I'll have maybe some chicken on stick with some vegetables and dinner I might have mince and cauliflower mash, a bit of cottage pie with the kids, and for dessert I'll have cream and strawberries. Now I am a fat burning machine so all of that cream and the fatty mince and the bacon and eggs is just fuel to burn fat."
Today he is more motivated than ever to uphold routines and choices that directly benefit his future for the sake of his two children although there were challenges along the way.
"The main one was a belief that I could actually do it. So belief in myself was one of the main ones, because I had let myself go so far you know you just start looking at that end goal and it's pretty daunting."
After his own incredible weight-loss transformation the is now using his insight to inspire others.
He has shared his journey along the way to motivate others and helps others looking to transform their own lives.
"It's been number one to share my story with other people, it has been and it is the serious thing that I do and that I've done to put all my ugly bits out there on the Internet and to share my story because not all of it is pretty but the response has been amazing and I get to help people out, especially indigenous people, our obesity and our statistics in health are just atrocious and it's all food related."
His advice for anyone wanting to do go through a transition is to do it for the right reasons.
"I think plan it out, it's got to come from within that you want to change, it can't from your partner, it can't come from your family member that wants you to change, it's got to come from yourself, so I think probably the first thing is to find your 'why' - why do you want to do it and then get really serious about it with that because that's going to keep you going. My reason why was my kids and that I was going to die in five years."
Today Owen lives in Wellington and is enjoying being a hands on father.
"My kids are my biggest fans, it's really humbling, that they still think I am a God," he laughs "but they're not teenagers yet."
