If you’re looking for fitness inspiration, look no further than Texas Assistant County and District Attorney for Ellis County Vance Hinds.
Hinds wasn’t always a fitness role model. After decades of unhealthy living, he found himself tipping the scale at 475 pounds.
Tired of being overweight, he embarked on a weight loss and fitness journey in November of 2017. With hard work and a strict diet, he managed to achieve amazing results.
In an interview with the Waxahachie Daily Light, Hinds told reporters that he found inspiration after listening to an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast featuring comedian Bert Kreischer. Kreischer described running a half marathon with almost no preparation and Hinds figured he could do the same.
“I woke up and started drinking my coffee, and I was looking at Instagram, and there’s a video of Bert finished the St. Pete half marathon in California. I was sitting in the chair thinking, ‘you know, if that silly son of a b**** can run a half marathon on two and half weeks then I can get off this couch and walk.’ And so that was my inspiration.”
Of course, this was not Hinds’ first fitness journey. Despite being inspired in the past, the good habits didn’t stick.
“Over my life, I’ve lost and gained hundreds, if not thousands of pounds. Normally, periodically, I start these paths, and I lose weight for a while, exercising on my own. But with my wife, it’s just us two, and it’s easy to talk yourself out of it. You do pretty good for a few weeks and a month, and then you start slacking off, and then you quit. I’ve done that over and over and over again.”
Can you relate? Anyone who has been on a diet or started exercising can also likely sympathize with Hinds first weigh-in. By week two, Hinds gained three pounds, weighing 478. It’s common but incredibly frustrating to gain weight when you’re working so hard to drop the pounds.
But he stuck with it, and a month after his commitment he had lost 17 pounds. (Note: it’s uncommon to lose this much weight unless you’re starting off with a lot to lose and some very unhealthy habits.)
In order to make the weight loss journey work this time around, Hinds committed to posting everything on social media to keep himself accountable. Seeing reactions and inspirational messages from people all over the world convinced him to stick to his routine.
And Hinds knew that he couldn’t get away with weighing so much any longer. He said:
“I don’t know if I have a choice anymore at the age of 52. I have to get this weight off of me. I just think if I have some extended sickness or injury that I’m going to get to the point that I’m not strong enough to move 462 pounds to be mobile. I don’t think I have a choice. When I started this, I was damn near 500 pounds, close to a quarter ton, so I gotta get it off.”
Hinds is lucky – not only did his wife and children support him, but friends from every point in his life saw his posts and got in touch to not only encourage him but join him in walks and workouts. In a short time, he was able to build a comprehensive support system.
But the secret to Hinds’ success is more than just walking a few veggies. He purchases pre-designed meals to help him adhere to a strict, healthy diet.
He also received help from Diamond Dallas Page, a retired wrestler who now runs a yoga studio where Hinds takes intense yoga classes.
These are in addition to water aerobics classes and weight training twice a week.
All of Hinds’ work paid off. After a year, he managed to lose 198 pounds! And the journey isn’t over yet. Check out the video below to see his progress and check out what he looks like now.
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