Like clockwork, when those New Year’s fireworks light up the skies across the world, many of us make promises to ourselves. Most of the time, it’s to lose weight, promising that we will do what it takes to drop the pounds and get healthier. True to our word, a majority of us will take up gym memberships but give it up after just a few weeks or a couple of months. However, a few are able to stick it out and attain their weight goal. The Ellis County ADA, Vance Hinds, is one of them and the story of how he's managed to drop the pounds in just a year is simply incredible.
Tipping The Scales At Morbidly Obese
In November 2017, Vince Hinds, the Ellis County Assistant District Attorney, stood on his bathroom scale to weigh himself. He knew full well that he hadn’t been taking good care of his health, but he wasn’t quite ready to equate his weight to a set of digits. It read “475 lbs!" and Vince was greatly surprised, to say the least. According to 2015 to 2016 statistics collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 93.3 million American adults are obese. That accounted for about 40% of the population! When you include the number of obese children, it comes to an astonishing 60%!
How would Hinds process his weight verdict?
Yo-Yo Weight Loss
Like most of us, Hinds had previously shed off and added back weight a countless number of times over the years. He explained that he would start up exercise routines that would help him lose weight on his own but soon enough, he would fall back to old habits and gain the weight back. A University of Exeter and Bristol study has revealed that repeated dieting ultimately leads to increased weight gain. The study explains that the brain registers the extreme swings as the body going through periods of short famines and therefore, stores up fat when it can as a survival response.
What damage had Hinds done to his body with the yo-yo dieting?
The Reality Check
Seeing that he was almost pushing 500 lbs hit Hinds with the reality check that he needed to change his lifestyle. He knew he had come to that conclusion several times in the past, but this time around, he was determined to make it that final time that he accepted the fact that he must lose weight. Hinds knew that the odds were stacked up against him, but that if he didn't take action now, he would never get anything done. An American Journal of Public Health study has revealed there is only a 1 in 210 chances for an obese man to reach a normal weight without a surgical weight loss intervention.
Would Hinds stick to the plan this time around?
#InstaWeightLoss
November 19, 2017, was when Hinds made the commitment to work on his weight. Anyone would have thought that he had lost his marbles, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, plus the festive season. But Hinds was a man on a mission and he decided to start sharing his progress on Social Media for accountability. According to a study done by American University professor Sonya Grier and her colleagues, Social Media can help you lose weight. The findings - published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing in November 2017 - have revealed that sharing fitness setbacks and successes on Social Media helps you set and stay committed to your weight loss goal.
Nothing could stop Hinds from his weight loss goals at this point, right?
Motivated To Change For His Family
Hinds had also decided to take care of his weight for the sake of his wife and three children. He explained that he wanted to show his family that if they set their minds to it, they could achieve anything. University of Connecticut Professor Amy Gorin published a study in 2008 about the ripple effect for partners trying to lose weight. She concluded that persons changing their habits had the effect of inspiring a change in the people around them. At home, it was just Vince and his wife, and he explained that it sometimes became easy to talk himself out of sticking with the plan to slim down.
Could Hinds march on despite the setbacks?
Age Ain't Got Nothing On Your Fitness
Caroline Apovian, M.D., explains that people begin adding weight as they grow older because of decreased activity and the loss of muscle mass. Apovian, a Boston University Medical Center weight-loss specialist, has added that people generally lose 5 to 10% of their muscle mass for every decade after they hit 50. At 52, some would resign to living out their days into retirement without fussing too much about their weight. But that wasn’t Hinds who asserted that he knew more than ever that that was the time to shed off the pounds.
Hinds had to break through the age barrier, but was there more to overcome?
Putting In The Work
As part of his weight loss plan, Hinds knew that he had to work on his diet and also start exercising. He started with swimming and walking, and then two of his school buddies soon joined him. Before he started documenting everything on Instagram, his buddies Charline Simmons and David Snell had already started joining him on walks. Walking helps you burn an average of about 100 calories per mile. Research also shows that walking is a mood and energy booster; it helps maintain mobility and function, and it can actually lower blood pressure.
Hinds was all set up to lose the weight, what more did he need?
The "Vance Hinds Experience"
Hinds actually drew the inspiration to go on a weight loss journey by following comedian Bert Kreischer’s progress podcasts. Keeping a virtual diary about his progress soon started the “Vince Hinds experience.” Family and friends joined him on his walks, and strangers from the world over were in on it too through his Social Media. A University of California research published in 2017 on Science Daily also supports that publicly declaring a commitment to personal fitness goals through Social Media platforms keeps individuals accountable and increases their likelihood to realize success.
What would come with his newly acquired celebrity status?
#TeamVance
Aside from keeping walking and swimming as a good workout schedule, Vance signed up for aerobics sessions as well. It started with former Waxahachie High classmates meeting up every Wednesday to walk, but soon the group grew with more people joining #TeamVance. Hinds even started welcoming his local community to join his walking group by sharing details about upcoming meetup venues on his Instagram account. His best friend David Snell has explained that they all have a weight problem and Vance motivates them to work on themselves just like he is working on himself. By the 4th week, his walking group boasted 12 dedicated members!
Nothing could stop Vance at that point...
A Huge Pat On The Back
People started noticing his efforts, and he explained that one day when leaving the gym, a muscular guy approached him. He told Hinds that he had been following his journey on Instagram and he encouraged Vance, telling him to keep going. Hinds explained that the words of encouragement stayed with him and he swam harder that night. He was also receiving shoutouts from a countless number of people, including semi-retired wrestler Dallas Page. Page recommended that Vance should try out DDP yoga and he would help him out with guidance.
Did Vance have the right recipe for success?
Mixing It Up
Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD., explains that the standard amount of cardio required to maintain optimal health is 5-7 hours weekly. Hatfield, President, and co-founder of the International Sports Sciences Association, also adds that how anyone chooses to spend those hours affects their quality of fitness. Like most of us, Vance prefers to mix it up when it comes to his routine so that he gets the most out of his sessions. He walks, swims, and does DDP yoga as well. Soon enough, he added water aerobics as well as body pumps as a new workout program.
You can’t out-exercise a bad diet...
Balancing It Out
Half of the battle with weight loss is starting to move more and Vance had that in the bag. But then, the biggest challenge that most people who want to lose weight struggle with is adopting a healthy diet. Vance started choosing healthier food over fast food and it became a habit. The Harvard School of Public Health came up with “The Healthy Eating Plate” as a guideline for making better food choices. It proposes the consumption of high-quality, minimally processed food including whole grains, healthy protein sources, and healthy fats.
A helping hand goes a long way...
Building Strong Support Systems
Along with a solid diet program, Vance already had a number of people cheering him on, but as he continued on his journey, he built more support systems. When he joined the aerobics team, they soon became an important part of his journey. He also still had the overwhelming support from the online community. Vance also explained that support from the DDP community also kept him accountable which he attributed to his success. He also goes on adventures with his wife Mary, something that also keeps him moving and adds up towards his goals.
How much weight was Vance losing each week?
Initial Scale Victories
The safe zone when it comes to weight loss is losing 1% of your body weight each week with a 500 daily calorie deficit. When Vince was starting out, he had an initial goal to get under 400 pounds. That wasn’t too much of a tall order with his starting weight and the fact that he was losing an average of eight pounds each week. However, he soon hit a weight loss plateau and he had to re-evaluate his regimen and nutrition. He terribly wanted to get to the 300-lb mark, and after tweaking his plan, it took him only four weeks to finally get to 300.6 pounds.
How did Vance keep the scale moving down?
Staying Motivated
Vance had visual aids through the photos he took for his Social Media accounts, and it also definitely helped to watch the scale go down. However, as he had explained, there were days when you just didn’t feel up to it and ended up slacking off. Luckily, he had his wife Mary with him every step of the way, which also helped to keep him motivated. The outpour of encouragement as he kept sharing on Social Media also gave him the boost he needed along the way. If it has been months and you haven't been making much progress, then it won't hurt to consider working with a fitness trainer.
Could Hinds stick to the bigger picture?
Saying "Yes"
Studies show that about 33% to 67% of people that have lost weight are at risk of regaining the weight they've lost. Some people find that they need an extra push a couple of weeks or even months into their journeys, and for most, they might decide to go to a weight loss retreat. Besides his firm commitment to the journey and staying accountable through his public posts, Vance had a third goal. He would say “yes” to stick with his routine and leave his sedentary life behind. If anything, an unwavering and resounding affirmation that he will stay active increases the chances for Hinds to lose the weight and keep it off.
What helped Vance ditch the excuses?
DPP Yoga
Ever since DDP himself reached out to Vance and recommended his asana-based program, Hinds stuck with it. It’s a fat burner program aimed at strengthening injured muscles and increasing flexibility. Page developed the system as a way fo rehabilitating his personal injuries following his championship wrestling career. It borrows several movements from power yoga which is a high-octane form of Ashtanga. The program also combines aspects of calisthenics, core strengthening, therapeutic stretching, and isokinetic. Even better is the fact that Vance can do the low-impact exercises right at home and his wife can join in, too.
The power of using visual aids.
A Video Diary
Hinds didn’t only share progress photos and images of what he was doing to lose weight on his Social Media account, but he also shared videos. His video diary gave a better visual representation of his physical changes throughout. A majority of people respond better to videos documenting topics of interest, and when it comes to weight-loss pages, this method is increasingly becoming the best way to share one's progress and also to better market how different weight loss products work. Hinds had a collection of progress videos that he could stitch together down the line to showcase his hard work.
How did friends and family react to his progress?
The Ripple Effect In Action
Going back to the ripple effect, Vance seemed to be creating waves as evidenced by those around him. Mark Howell, one of Vance’s friends and a part of his walking group, explained that it was impacting him a lot already. He added that being with friends and exercising together reminded them of the good friendship they had after all those years. Vance’s journey had brought several of their classmates back together rallying behind him to see him win. At that point, if they had organized a weight loss camp, the turn out would have been incredible.
That was more than enough to keep Vance going.
Cataloging Meals
A 2017 University of Washington study supports the resounding idea that sharing meal prep and food photos help keep you accountable in regard to achieving optimum nutrition. One of the other crucial aspects of sharing his journey on Social Media was to show how and what he ate. Vance understood that when you put yourself out there, you'd have to go the full mile. That meant getting a snapshot of what was on his plate to make sure that he stayed accountable. If anything, that also gave him time to think about what he was about to eat before gobbling it all down.
Could Hinds keep his eye on the finish line?
Looking Back At The Start
Vance had lost more than 100 pounds at that point on his health and fitness journey, and he still had a long way to go. One of the other things that helped him keep an eye on the goal was looking back at how far he had come. He had actually posted on Social Media the photo he had taken standing on his bathroom scale in his underwear. That exposed him to some possible ridicule if he didn’t manage to drop the weight. In fact, a week after that first weigh-in, Hinds had gained three pounds. Luckily, that didn’t dampen his spirits and that was what had gotten him so far in his journey.
How did Vance get a second wind to continue with his journey?
Meeting Comedian Bert Kreischer
The man that had started it all for Vance was comedian Bert Kreischer and his series of podcasts titled The Bertcast. Kreischer had explained how he piled on the weight, getting to 265 pounds when he started getting fat-shamed for his belly, with some throwing jabs that he possibly could use a tummy tuck. He made a bet with friend and fellow comedian Tom Segura to see who would lose the most weight in two months. Kreischer lost 40 pounds but that didn’t win him the bet. The two comics inspired others with their weight loss challenge, including Vance Hinds who eventually met Kreischer during one of his stand-up acts.
How would the final stretch go for Vance?
The Final Stretch
They say that when you are about to reach the finish line, that’s when you should give it your all. Vance knew this too well based on his past experience as a yo-yo dieter who could have done well with a piece of advice from a nutritionist. As he had said, he did it over and over again, and he’d lost possibly thousands of pounds over all those years. He had also shared the worry he had about getting sick or injured and that he wouldn’t be strong enough to stay mobile with his previous weight. All those thoughts helped him focus on achieving his goal.
It’s easy to let fears creep in...could Vance overcome his?
Combating Fears
One study even showed that 83% of people gain the weight back plus more after two or more years. It isn’t easy to stick it out with a weight loss eating plan, and there's that profound fear for a majority of people who get near their goal that they may pile back all the weight. For Vance, he didn’t let any stumbling blocks stop him in his tracks and he just kept on going. He still walked, swam, and did aerobics, and DDP yoga. They collectively helped him push through the barriers that had in the past prevented him from reaching as far as he had.
Was success written for Vance?
Losing 198 Pounds In One Year
Research shows that only 9% of people who make a New Year’s weight loss resolution succeed at reaching their goals. Vance was amongst that demographic when he stepped on a scale in November of 2018 and it read out “277 pounds.” That was a whopping 198-pound loss in just a year! DPP, who became a huge supporter and fan of Vance, said that he only knew of one other person who had ever achieved such a fete without the help of a weight loss surgeon. He added that the huge milestone made Hinds everyone’s inspiration.
Does losing so much weight make you a celebrity?
A Viral Sensation
Vance had already become somewhat of a celebrity as he kept on sharing his journey on Social Media. Once several celebs started following his progress and giving him shoutouts, he was soon a part of the online celebrity news. His story went viral when DPP and others shared the video he had created. The reason why his story stands out from several others you have possibly heard about can be attributed to the scores of people he inspired and helped along the way. His achievement speaks of true determination and the virtue of tirelessly working to attain one's personal goals.
Going viral means attracting attention...
Attention From The Big Dogs
Naturally, Vance took to Social Media to share the news about his non-medical weight loss. He caught the attention of the big dogs, with several celebrities sending their congratulations to him. For instance, Chris Jericho, who also uses DDP yoga, has shared the video about Hinds’ transformation. Former WWE superstar and current NWA champ Cody Rhodes sent Hinds some praise, congratulating him for his amazing weight loss. Having partnered with DDP yoga who has been an instrumental part of his weight loss, Vance has allowed himself to be one the program's success stories.
What setbacks does Vance deal with after his weight loss?
Taking Care Of Loose Skin
Losing nearly 200 pounds is an incredible achievement, more so to have done it in just a year. That also means that Vance possibly needs excess skin removal surgery to deal with the aftermath of his impressive weight loss. However, when asked about it, Vance said that he earned the wrinkles, explaining that they all represented his past life. He said that each of them accounted for the good steak or glass of wine that he had indulged in the past. Hinds finished off by saying that he would like to keep them for now but he might change his mind down the road.
What are Vance’s future fitness goals?
Future Fitness Goals
Studies show that 20% of people who have successfully lost 10% of their initial weight during their weight loss journey are likely to maintain the loss for one year. The journey isn’t nearly at its end for Vance Hinds. As he’s explained, it’s a life-long commitment and he’s already worked on new diet and weight loss plans for 2019. He hopes to participate in a sprint triathlon and complete it. Hinds missed out on participating in a similar triathlon in 2018 after falling off of his bike. However, he expressed his confidence in being able to cross the finish line on the next one.
Beyond fitness...
Life Goals
Vance Hinds definitely did a great job in improving his quality of life and inspiring others along the way. The sky isn’t the limit for this ADA and he can achieve anything else he puts his mind to. One of Vance’s aspirations is to interview people who have reinvented their lives like semi-retired wrestler DDP and former boxer George Foreman for a book he’s writing. He’s also studying the Ellis county evolution of justice over the years and its meaning in today's society. Vance has also worked on 10 podcasts since August 4, 2017, dubbed Extrausual, where he discusses various public-interest topics.