Weight Loss Transformation: Ronnie Brower
I started my weight loss journey at an astounding 675 lbs. It was June 2013 and I was in a desperate place. My walking was limited to about 15-30 seconds, I was completely dependent on my family for everything… putting my shoes on, doing my laundry, cooking my food… just to name a few.
I was unable to walk through the doorway without having to turn to the side. I wore a size 9XL shirt. I masked my pain of desperation and depression with food, alcohol, and drugs… excessive amounts of them. It reached a point that I was limited to the four walls of my room and a doctor’s report that said I would die by age of 30 if I didn’t make a change (which brought my mother to tears)! That was my “rock bottom,” as people tend to call it.
I really had no clue where to start, so I reached out for help by making a Facebook post stating, quite simply, that I hated my life and I wanted to change. A dear friend, Gina D’Adarrio, saw this an immediately contacted her cousin Nick Murphy, personal trainer and life coach at Mission Fitness, as she knew Nick could be the guy who could not only direct and guide me on this journey, but one who would truly and genuinely care about me and my success as a person. Nick told Gina he would love to help me, but he required me to take the first step and contact him.
After wavering back and forth, feeling a little nervous and scared (once again sitting in-between the all too familiar four walls of my room), I finally messaged him. “Can you help me lose weight?” was followed by a quick reply, Nick telling me that he’d love to, and that he and partner Jill would be over the following day to meet my family and I.
I eagerly anticipated the arrival of (what I was hoping) would be the key to getting my life back! I knew I needed help. We met, we talked, and I could immediately tell that these two meant business. Seeing as how I didn’t have the finances to pay for such extensive help, they offered their services freely, if it meant saving my life. From that day on, both Nick and Jill have spent countless hours, day after day, week after week, training me and holding me accountable for my actions. They taught me the way to live healthy and have touched upon every aspect of my being: spirit, soul, and body.
I’ve hit so many incredible goals along the way, all through diet and exercise. They have me on what’s called a ‘ketogenic diet,’ which consists of heart healthy fats, animal-source proteins, and green leafy vegetables. The diet is 80% of my results and really assists in the exercise I’m doing to lose all this weight. Because my diet has no direct sources of complex or sugary carbs, Quest Bars have been one of my staples! Not only do they taste amazing, but they’ve also got excellent ingredients! The highest quality protein, heart-healthy fats coming from nuts, and lots of fiber: perfect for the diet that I’m on. Quest has been a tremendous support to me during these past 20 months, (even sponsoring me and sending me boxes of Quest Bars free of charge every month) and I could not have done it without their help as well! My favorite Quest Bar flavor is Cookies & Cream…. delicious!
Goals Accomplished:
– My first 100 days I lost 100lbs! During the first year I lost 251lbs, and in a few weeks I’ll have lost 400lbs in 21 months!
– I’m now able to use the decline bench and do sits up for the first time in my life.
– I can fit into the machines at the gym with no problem!
– I started exercising at home because I could barley walk, so walking into the gym after a few months into my training was HUGE.
– I can drive my own car! Before I couldn’t fit behind the steering wheel.
– I’m involved with of a local Christian church, have been baptized, and realize that my entire transformation is by the grace of God!
– I have a whole new group of friends who support everything I’m doing and most of them live the same lifestyle as me when it comes to diet and exercise.
– I can walk around the mall, go to the movies, and attend the yearly local fair (which I hadn’t been to in 6+ years).
– I’m no longer too nervous to go out and do things by myself.
– I go to the grocery store, buy, and cook my own food!
– I can tie my own shoes and do my own laundry.
– My confidence has increased significantly and I’m no longer embarrassed of who I am. I’m very proud of the progress I’ve made and the person I have become!
– And lastly, I now have a vision for my life. Sitting in my house barley being able to walk, I was left feeling hopeless, with no dreams or aspirations. Now that I have a life that I enjoy living, I have a vision to help others achieve their weight loss goals, to become a personal trainer, and to work with people who’ve been in a situation similar to mine. I want to help them get their life back and show them a purpose!
Many people ask me what my workout regime has been. My very first day I started off with 20min of lifting my arms up and down for 30 seconds intervals, which brought me to complete exhaustion due to my lack of conditioning. That quickly progressed to an hour a day on the arm bike. Three months of that brought me to the initial 100lbs weight loss. After that, I was finally able to make it into the gym.
I started off doing two hours a day on the seated elliptical. A few months after that, I added in a total-body daily bootcamp with my trainers, along with TWO hours on the seated elliptical. Next I added in speed walking the stairs for 30 minutes, two hours on the seated elliptical, ALONG WITH weight training for my upper body! Lastly, I progressed up to doing the regular elliptical, starting out at 30-second bursts at first, with minute-long breaks in between. Now I’m doing 3 hours a day! I do an hour on, an hour rest, plus once weekly full-body weight training. Yes, that’s a lot of time spent in the gym, but it’s also what’s required for this season of my life.
One of the biggest support systems I have is my Facebook page: 600lbs to Success. My trainers advised me to the page and use it to help me stay accountable by staying focused on my goal. I make posts on it daily, including pictures, videos, and motivational quotes. People see that if Ronnie Brower weighing 675lbs can drop that down to 250lbs in just 23 months, then so can they.
Tips and Pointers:
Be patient – Weight loss is not going to happen over night. It’s going to take a lot of time and determination.
Learned to have a healthy relationship with food – Plan meals and learn to eat to live, not live to eat. Food is no longer my source of entertainment or comfort.
Mind over matter. Exercising is also a major component to weight loss, and I learned that it is. At times I didn’t want to exercise, weather it be due to lack of sleep, my legs being exhausted, zero below outside or wanting to hang out with some friends, but once I did I felt so much better when it was over.
Trust the Process – If at first you look in the mirror and see your body hasn’t changed right away don’t give up, you need to keep pushing forward towards your goals.
Whenever you feel like giving up, just remember why started in the first place!
I started off doing two hours a day on the seated elliptical. A few months after that, I added in a total-body daily bootcamp with my trainers, along with TWO hours on the seated elliptical. Next I added in speed walking the stairs for 30 minutes, two hours on the seated elliptical, ALONG WITH weight training for my upper body! Lastly, I progressed up to doing the regular elliptical, starting out at 30-second bursts at first, with minute-long breaks in between. Now I’m doing 3 hours a day! I do an hour on, an hour rest, plus once weekly full-body weight training. Yes, that’s a lot of time spent in the gym, but it’s also what’s required for this season of my life.
One of the biggest support systems I have is my Facebook page: 600lbs to Success. My trainers advised me to the page and use it to help me stay accountable by staying focused on my goal. I make posts on it daily, including pictures, videos, and motivational quotes. People see that if Ronnie Brower weighing 675lbs can lose weight, so can they.
Team Quest – We are here for you! Share your transformations and triumphs with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or email them to us at [email protected]. Remember that these transformations took hard work, discipline and a plan. Quest products are a delicious component of, and not a substitute for, an exercise regimen and effective diet. The Quest Community is always there for you if you need help, inspiration or motivation!
