CINCINNATI — When it comes to a healthy lifestyle and losing a few pounds, you may want to ask Kevin Jones. He’s lost more than 400 pounds in the past six years, and he said it’s all thanks to changing his lifestyle.
What You Need To Know
- Kevin Jones weighed almost 700 pounds six years ago
- After many health struggles, including losing his eyesight, Jones finally decided to try losing the weight one last time
- Thanks to the UC Health Weight Loss Center, Jones learned about healthy habits and eventually had surgery to shrink his stomach
- Now, Jones goes to the gym at least five days a week and continues to eat a healthy diet, which he said makes all the difference
Every day, Jones gets ready to hit the gym.
“I bring my own sanitizing stuff for the equipment, I got my workout gloves and I actually got a jacket because I know it’s going to rain on me on the way back,” Jones said.
Before leaving, he always taking his pre-workout. Then he walks the one-and-a-half miles each way to get to the gym.
“It’s easy to start daydreaming and kind of not walk at a good enough pace,” he said.
If you would have told Jones this was his life six years ago, he may not have believed you.
“When I first started, I was walking three days a week and I would walk a half mile,” Jones said. “It would take me 45 minutes to an hour because I would have to stop and catch my breath so many times.”
Jones was obese, weighing 673 pounds at his heaviest.
It was at that point he lost his eyesight because of health struggles when he finally decided to take the plunge.
“I didn’t want to die alone, and I knew that at almost 700 pounds, not able to leave my house. I wasn’t going to find anybody,” he said.
And thanks to the help of the UC Health Weight Loss Center, he was able to see pretty quick results.
“They set me up on the six-month program to see if I could have the surgery, and I just started instantly losing weight listening to their advice,” Jones said.
Jones had laparoscopic surgery, shrinking his stomach. But he said that’s not the reason he lost so much weight.
“The surgery is not why I’m successful,” he said. “It was that six-month educational process where I learned how to make better eating habits and better lifestyle choices. That’s why I succeed.”
Jones now impresses himself with the weight he can lift, even though he doesn’t always love it.
“They’re like, I don’t like working out and I’m like neither do I dude,” Jones said. “But, I love the way that I feel when I’m done. Like, I feel accomplished.”
Jones’ blindness makes it more difficult to get around the space.
“If you get in your car in the winter time and the windows are all fogged up and you try to clear off a little spot, that’s what my vision is like,” he said.
But he doesn’t let that stop him from continuing to improve. And now, as he reflects on his journey, Jones said he sometimes can’t believe his progress, but hopes it inspires others to make healthy changes.
“I see a lonely dude. I see a tired dude,” Jones said. “And then I see a guy. I don’t believe that’s me sometimes.”
