My health scare and how I lost 125 pounds over 3 years

I’m a 35-year-old entrepreneur living in Lipa City. Family and friends call my Jay, which is short for my real name which is Jayzar. Speaking of family, I have a family of my own. I’m married to the most beautiful woman that I’ve ever met – Aisha. We’re blessed with a charming and beautiful 5 year old daughter – Miakka.

If you personally know me, you’ll know that I used to be fat. At 5’9 inches, I tipped the scales at 310 pounds. The last time I weighed like this was back in August of 2013. 

I was okay with who I was. I embraced being obese. I didn’t mind the comments of other people. I knew that I would definitely die younger because of the declining health that my weight issues brought about. What I didn’t know was that it could have happened on that fateful night in August of 2013.

A wakeup call

I remember waking up at around 2 am with intense pain in my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack! Fortunately, it was just an extreme case of heartburn. However, the relief was short-lived. I took one look at my beautiful wife and daughter and realized that it could have easily been a heart attack. They could have woken up to the sound of a loud thud on the floor to find me fighting for my life.

I sat on our sofa – the same one that had a permanent imprint of my butt because I was too heavy – for a good hour. I thought I needed to change. I made a pact with myself that I’d grow old enough to see my daughter have her own family. I made a pact with myself that I’d grow old healthy. 

I started the following day.

One year after

One year after that fateful night, I tipped the scales at 170 pounds. Yes, I lost a whopping 140 pounds. I lost an entire person that used to be inside me.

How did I do it? Diet and exercise. It was nothing too drastic. I counted calories, making sure that I was eating less than what my body was burning.

For exercise, I started by just walking, mainly because I couldn’t do anything less. I walked a mile a day. Eventually, I was walking 10 miles on some days.

Then, I fell in love with running. This was around the same time I fell in love with boxing. I was working out at least 5 days a week.

Weighing myself first thing in the morning became a habit. I was hell-bent on losing as many pounds as I could, and I did. Then one day, looking at myself in the mirror, I realized that I didn’t like myself. I was thin. I looked sickly. No wonder people would asked me if I had gotten sick.

Falling in love with weights

That’s when I decided to lift weights at the gym. I figured that I’d look healthier if I packed on some muscles. I stopped paying attention to what the weighing scale told me. I focused on how my clothes fit and how I felt instead.

Today, I lift weights at least 5 days a week. I can’t imagine skipping a workout, and it’s because of the pact that I made with myself.

I don’t really diet. I eat right. I make healthy options when I eat. I limit my carb intake, focusing instead on high-quality protein. I still count calories, but only to make sure that I eat enough to preserve my muscle gain, but not so much that I’ll gain weight.

I’m now at around 185 pounds. There were no shortcuts. I achieved it through hard work, willpower, and dedication. That’s all there is to it. Of course, you need to find your inspiration – your reason for wanting to live healthy. In my case, it’s my family. – Rappler.com

Jay Recinto is a 35 year old husband and father and is the co-founder and head blogger of the Lipa City lifestyle blog, Hello Lipa. With his blog, Jay is proof that you can enjoy great food even if you choose to live the healthy lifestyle. You can also follow him on Instagram for inspirational messages, workouts, and healthy meals.