Super-svelte Darren Walker of DIY hit Louisiana Flip N Move is as well-known for his body as he and wife Lucy’s house-flipping prowess. But, as Darren recently revealed, his figure didn’t come naturally–it was the result of an eye-opening moment on the basketball court, followed by a whole lot of hard work, dieting, and persistence. Now, Darren and Lucy’s blog features an in-depth look at Darren’s weight loss from the man himself, in the hopes that the couple’s growing legion of fans will be able to learn from him.
Darren explains that his “passion for great-tasting food” got him into trouble after he and Lucy got married and found themselves with a baby on the way: “There just wasn’t any desire to eat healthy or go to the gym to work out.” And, once that happened, it wasn’t long before this happened:
So what happens when you exceed your allotted calories every day and don’t work out? You gain weight! And weight I did gain. Before I knew it I was 40lbs overweight. However because I had been thin my whole life I didn’t see myself as being bigger. It wasn’t until I was playing a pickup basketball game at the YMCA and one of the younger guys on the court said “I got big man”. He then began to walk towards me to defend me. I was shocked! The once athletic Darren Walker was now being addressed as Big Man?! Noooo!
The real revelation, however, came when Darren asked Lucy if she thought he could get back into shape–and her answer was a firm “No.” Her rationale? “Darren, we’ve had a [gym] membership for years and you’ve never went, so my answer is no, I don’t think you’ll do it!”
Determination, then, was never an issue–and shortly thereafter came what Darren calls the “Seven Important Keys” for beginning a successful weight-loss “journey.” You can read the seven in full context here; below are the abbreviated versions:
1. Be honest with yourself. Don’t wait until someone calls you big man before you begin to think in terms of eating healthy.
2. Find a fitness mentor. Become a learner. Ask them questions, find out what they would do if they were you. Try to learn as much as you can from them.
3. Renew the Mind. Instead of focusing on just how food tastes, begin to focus on its impact on your body.
4. Exercise. Make time to exercise 4-5 times a week. You can do this at home or at your local gym but you have to get moving soon and often.
5. Restrict Sugar Immediately. Cut out all sugary drinks. If the drink has sugar in it then it’s not worth it.
6. Community. Find a few friends that want to come along the journey with you. Accountability is everything.
7. Have Fun! Don’t be in a hurry. It’s taken years to put on weight. Be patient and allow yourself to reach your goals at a healthy pace.
You can read Darren’s full blog post here. If you’d like to see some before-and-after photos of the man–including several shirtless pics–you’ll want to click that link 😉 For now, here’s a worthwhile teaser: Derrick in the middle of some superbly positioned push-ups during a recent New York City photo shoot:
You can catch Darren, Lucy, and the rest of the Louisiana Flip N Move cast when new episodes air Friday nights at 9 on DIY.
(Photo credits: Louisiana Flip N Move Darren & Lucy via )
