Texas Assistant County and District Attorney for Ellis County Vance Hinds wasn’t always a fitness role model. In fact, he once tipped the scales at 475 pounds.

It was, as it almost always is, the result of an extremely unhealthy lifestyle.

And as you might imagine, Hinds was tired of being unfit and unhealthy. He decided to embark on a weight loss journey in November of 2017. But his weight loss wasn’t due to some miracle – it was hard work. More specifically, he changed his entires lifestyle to start eating healthy.

“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.”

In an interview with the Waxahachie Daily Light, Hinds told reporters that he found inspiration while listening to an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast featuring a comedian named Bert Kreischer.

Kreischer described his experience running a half marathon with almost no preparation (which, to be clear, is not a smart move for most people, especially if they have health issues). But 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.”

But Hinds didn’t go in with no preparation. He started walking.

But this was not Hinds’ first fitness journey.

“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.”

We’ve all been there, if as dramatically.

And anyone who has optimistically started dieting and exercising knows what happens at first – the dreaded depressing weigh-in where you realize the number on the scale has gone up. In week two, Hinds’ weight went up to 478.

It’s not a failure or a bad sign, but it frustrates many people back into their bad habits.

But not Hinds. He stuck with it this time, and a month after beginning in earnest, he had lost 17 pounds. (Now, it is uncommon to lose this much weight unless you’re starting off with a lot to lose.)

Hinds also took up one more habit that tends to help people with their journeys – he used social media to keep himself accountable. The reactions and supportive messages he received from friends – and even strangers – helped him stick with his new routine.

His decision to purchase pre-prepped meals also helped him adhere to his new, strict diet.

Now Hinds eats better, takes yoga (and you can watch some of his routines on his Facebook page) and does water aerobics. He also weight trains twice a week.

And his 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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Source: Bored Panda, Waxahachie Daily Light, DDP Yoga via YouTube