It's not gear related but similar.
I had a friend who would always brag about how she had never stepped foot in a gym, and granted, she had a nice figure.
She would say if she needed to lose weight she would just 'stop eating' for a few days.
She got married, and within a year, she put on nearly 50 lbs, and mostly around her belly, she looked pregnant.
She looked like a fat pregnant girl for about two years.
She is now dieting again (Weightwatchers, no training though), and she has lost weight, but she is just a smaller fat version now.
I have taken her to the gym, tried to help her out with diet (she has done things like when we have been out, ordered fries, and then asked me as she is putting vinegar on 'Is vinegar bad for me?'), but she doesn't follow any of my advice.
My point is, what might work for him in the short term is not going to work in the long term.
Also, a few quotes from Lao Tzu
Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.