Member of the Month

Member Highlight: Darryl Robinson

Member Highlight: Darryl Robinson

“It feels good, it feels real good” were the words used by Darryl Robinson, participant of the fall Kinetics 6-Week Fitness and Weight Loss Challenge after only five weeks of being enrolled.

At Kinetics NJ we theme our challenges. This one was themed UNSTOPPABLE CHALLENGERS because unstoppable was the energy that we wanted each participant to bring to their transformation. Darryl was chosen as our featured participant because of the unstoppable strength that he exhibited both before and during the challenge.

Darryl stands 5 feet- 11 inches tall. At his heaviest, he weighed 330 pounds. His lowest adult weight had been 240 pounds. For a man his height, both weights tip the scale to the overweight-to-obese BMI categories. BMI is a chart that outlines the relationship between a person’s height and weight. Read more about that HERE.

Darryl’s surges in weight happened in conjunction with his struggles with depression, anxiety, diabetes, and high blood pressure- ailments common to people globally. During week four of the Kinetics 6-Week Challenge, Darryl shared that at the lowest points of his life, daily activities, such as working, cooking, taking care of himself, and interacting with the world felt like pressing chores.

But Darryl had a turning point. After a  brutally honest visit with his primary care physician, she told him, if you do not make a change, you will die.” It was at that moment when Darryl heard her. He decided that he was not ready to leave his family, he still had hope, and that he wanted to live. So, he began. Darryl modified his diet, started walking and engaged in intermittent strength training. With this regimen, he dropped 70 pounds on his own but eventually plateaued.

In March 2023 Darryl became a personal training client at Kinetics NJ. He continued to make lifestyle changes that included an increase in strength training and greater awareness around foods that worked for his body. Using this approach, Darryl shed another 24 pounds.

When the opportunity arose for Darryl to join the Kinetics team challenge in October 2023 he jumped on it. His weight at the start of the challenge was 236 pounds. Inspired by healthy supportive competition, Darryl was determined to put forth the effort required to achieve a healthy weight.

With a lot of sweat effort, discipline, and focus, Darryl has managed to shed another 22 pounds after only 42 days of training using the Kinetics 6-Week Challenge. He is currently weighing in at 214 pounds. His goal is to get below 200 pounds. Darryl has shared that he is 100% certain that he can lose the weight. He says that he now has a formula that works for his body, and the Kinetics NJ community to support him.

DO WATCH Darryl’s first week’s story here (see all 6 short but telling episodes):

Darryl Robinson’s 6-week journey is both inspiring and motivating because we humans are more alike than different. We ALL experience life’s lows and it helps to see how others come out on top. Darryl lets us in. He allows us to see what can happen when we give up physically, mentally, and emotionally, and the awesomeness that can take place when we have newfound hope, self-care, and self-love.

To find out more about the Kinetics NJ, 2024 6-Week Challenge or to join in, leave us a comment below, and we will schedule you for a FREE consultation and assessment. During the consultation, we will talk through whether a 6-Week Challenge is right for you.


Member Highlight: Ebony Laprocina

Member Highlight: Ebony Laprocina

21 days is what we had to work with.  Challengers would receive small group fitness training, structure, consistency, and a healthy eating regimen. Committed participants could lose 5-15 pounds while trimming 2-4 inches from their waistline. With these kinds of results, participants would surely build the confidence needed to manifest a strong, toned, and lean body. 

With a few more clicks of the keyboard- the email broadcast was almost done. The subject line read, “Join our next 6-Week Fitness Challenge today!”. The body of the email outlined the details and in the footer was the space disclaimer: an rsvp was required and space was limited. SENT! The email went out to all of our Kinetics Community and our Facebook friends.

Within minutes, there were a ton of folks messaging saying that they were stressed out and wanted in, but it was the message from Ebony that stood out amongst the bunch. Ebony was a good friend of our previous 21-day fitness challenger Tay. Tay had recently lost a bunch of weight on that challenge and was a fitness inspiration to all her friends. Ebony shared her story. One of her biggest “whys”  in pushing for better was her daughter, Brooklyn“I am committed to being my best for her”, she’d said.

 Ebony’s story, passion, and drive were truly moving! She continued, “I used to be an athlete! I ran track and field throughout my high school and college years. I have always been in amazing shape. But I had a tough pregnancy, and once I got pregnant, I had to dial my fitness all the way back. I focused on having a healthy delivery. Today, of course, I have zero regrets and am blessed to have a healthy, happy baby girl, but now, mama needs her body back!”. She spoke again,” we are smack-dab in the middle of this 

pandemic and I am at home, I can take class virtually, so I am going for it”.

There is a popular saying, “you can take a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink.”, and in experience, we humans operate in this same manner, especially when it comes to getting into shape.  Each of us must be ready, and it could be heard in Ebony’s voice, she was ready to make her fitness and health a priority. 

Transformation is not always easy, but it is possible. Ebony worked hard, and after 21-days of sweat, effort, healthy eating, and keeping a positive mindset, she dropped twelve pounds.

We were thrilled for her! A lot of people spend years failing to lose the same 10 pounds year after year. Ebony had shed that plus some in only 21-days.

What is even more rewarding is that Ebony has been on a roll ever since. She kept with Kinetics for many more challenges; to date, she has shed more than forty pounds of excess fat and is holding steady at her goal weight. Because Ebony believes in the power of our team, she has become a Kinetics NJ Team Captain, ambassador, and friend. And as a bonus- we love that Brooklyn is inspired by the journey as well.

 

This month we cheer on our favorite student of the month, Ebony and her baby girl, Brooklyn, we love you both. Thank you for allowing us on your journey.