120 Pounds Down
-“If I can do it, so can you!”
I was the annoyingly skinny kid in school. Eat anything and never gain a pound type. I played sports, ran every day and graduated from the Fire Academy after high school in great shape. Over time, I got married, took a job that allowed me to be more relaxed with my schedule, and ate anything and everything whenever I wanted. Through stress eating, lackadaisical attitude, and growing content with mediocre, I went from 140 lbs. all the way to 320 lbs.
I was miserable. Buying clothes with 3 or 4 X’s in front, always being tired, losing respect from my peers, being out of breath so easily, making fat jokes at my expense, hiding from mirrors, getting sympathy from my family, I wanted to turn back time so bad. Every month was going to be, “THE month,” I got back on track, but I always had an excuse not to. I would read other success stories or see other transformations, and think that was impossible. This was my new reality.
Until one day I decided enough was enough. Until one day where I was done with excuses, done with feeling that way, and just done with all of it. I started small, a walk here, skipped midnight snack there, and slowly I was ready to kick it up.
I hate treadmills, all that effort but staying in the same place. A simple gym wasn’t going to cut it. Gyms are easy to get overwhelmed by, get intimidated by, and most importantly, easy to quit. I had driven by TITLE Boxing Club hundreds of times, but never knew what it was, until I stopped by. They offered me a free workout. I gave it a try and thought I had died, but loved it. I was drenched, out of breath, and sore, but I made it through and was hooked. The stress relief of punching a bag, the fun of getting a workout you can move and feel, and the group atmosphere and attention from a trainer, nothing beat it. The classes were hard, but fun, energetic, positive, and every punch had a purpose and a goal.
I took it day by day. One class a week, then 2, then 3, and before you know it 5 days a week. The pounds were flying off. Shirts sizes started to shrink, I was pushing myself harder through workouts, people were noticing the difference, not just in appearance, but in attitude and energy. Before I knew it, I was down 120 lbs. I was so hooked, I pushed myself harder and harder until I felt ready to become a trainer myself, and now I get the satisfaction and pleasure of helping others break through their own fitness goals.
It’s not easy, it will never be easy, and I still work hard every day. I remember seeing signs around the club when I was working saying, “You didn’t put all the weight on in one day, it will take more than one day to lose it.” It’s true, it takes work, it takes effort, it takes sweat, it takes setbacks, and it takes celebrating the smallest differences but never stopping. Pushing through and fighting to achieve whatever goal you set.
TITLE Boxing Club was a great place for me to really see what I was made of. I knew how to make excuses, I knew how to quit, but TBC taught me how to push, how to challenge myself, and how to get back to a place where I am happy, healthy, and always looking for the next challenge.
Jeff Kincaid