So excited for my 2nd feature! I plan to regularly interview people who have amazed me from a health perspective in an effort to share best practices and learn from one another. If you, or someone you know has an amazing health journey, please contact me for a potential feature!

This month, I am so glad to feature Kenara (Kenny) Woods who lost a total of 155lbs over the course of 2 years. Kenny lost the weight naturally - no pills, no surgery, no supplements; just hard work and dedication.

I really enjoyed doing this interview - getting a male’s perspective and learning Kenny's approach was really enlightening. Enjoy, and be sure to comment your thoughts below!

*In case you missed the last one where I featured one of the most amazing and healthy pregnancies I've ever witnessed - click here to view.

Kenny's Quick Facts

Full Name: Kenara "Kenny" Woods

Instagram Handle: @3hreediamondsfitness

Age: 30

Home Town: St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Weight before: 370lbs

Weight now: 215lbs

Total Weight Loss: 155

How long did it take you to lose weight: Just over 2 years

Typical diet and exercise regime before weight loss: Diet then consisted mostly of junk, fried and processed foods. I also never exercised back then.

Diet and exercise now: I exercise at least 4-5 times a week. I do mostly strength training and mix it up with cardio. I eat six times a day.

Clothing size then and now: Before I was a XXL or XXXL shirt and Waist was 44-46 (for trousers). Now, my shirt size is Medium and waist is down to 34

The Interview

Q: First, can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and your background?

A: Well, I'm the first of two children. I come from a hard working family that provided us with the necessary tools to equip us for life. I spent 10 years in the media and I'm an avid sports fan! Favourite team: FC BARCELONA

Q: What factors do you think lead to you being overweight?

A: I was always chubby growing up and food was my comfort. I just never felt (at the time) that I needed to do something about my weight so I ate recklessly.

Q: How did you feel about yourself before you decided to lose weight?

A: Well I was never depressed or anything. However, I was self-conscious about it and it played on my mind from time to time.

Q: What made you decide to lose weight?

A: All I knew was that I was getting older and bigger, which couldn't be any good for my health. Shopping for clothes became difficult, my breathing started to get really heavy, and basically, I just had enough. I decided it was time to finally do something about it.

Q: Generally speaking, how did you lose the weight?

A: I started with cutting back gradually. Eventually I removed all of the junk, soda and other unhealthy foods from my diet. All of my old habits began to die slowly and after a while, I noticed I didn't miss or needed them. I started eating more veggies and wholesome meals that provided all the necessary nutrients I needed. Research was also a big help throughout my journey.

Q: Has losing weight changed your life and how?

A: YES! I don't even know where to begin with how much my life has changed. Losing weight has added life to my years and years to my life. I have increased energy, I feel and look younger, my confidence has boosted, and picking out clothes is now is a breeze. I'm feeling the best I have felt in years.

“I was fearful of exercising at first because of what I thought others might say. Fearful of the laughter, but through God’s grace I overcame that.”

Q: What was your diet routine during/post weight lost?

A: At the beginning of my weight loss journey, I wasn't well informed on what I should eat so my diet looked something like this:

Meal 1: Breakfast - scrambled or boiled eggs with some leafy veggies
Snack 1: Infused water (lemon, ginger and mint) and a bag of nuts
Meal 2: Lunch - baked fish with veggies only
Snack 2: A fruit - an apple or pear
Meal 3: Dinner - canned tuna and crackers
Snack 3: An apple, just before bed, to help curb my cravings

As the pounds started to shred, I thought that I struck a plateau at one point, but that was just my mind playing tricks on me. I knew I needed to up the ante and switch up my workouts and diet. I began calorie tracking and browsing the internet for a ton of recipes to make my health even better. My diet now consists of high protein and I switch up my fat and carb intake. As I became more knowledgable, my diet evolved to something like this:

Meal 1: Breakfast - two or three hard boiled eggs, steel cut oats and half avocado and a fruit
Snack 1: Protein bar or 1oz of nuts/almonds
Meal 2: Lunch - skinless chicken breast, or lean ground turkey/beef, with quinoa/brown rice or sweet potato, paired with veggies
Snack 2: A cup of greek yogurt or rice cakes
Meal 3: Dinner - canned tuna or grilled fish with veggies
Snack 3: An apple (dessert)

Q: And how has your exercise routine evolved?

A: I used to exercise 3 times a week in the comfort of my own living room, all because I was too nervous to do so outside. Just before heading to work, I'd do various workout videos on YouTube and I would execute for 15 minutes. I would mainly focus on full-body workouts which consisted of lunges, planks, jumping jacks, jump rope, squats and burpees.

Now, I try to work out at least 5 days a week. I use two days for leg training and the other three for upper body strength training mixed with HIIT.

“Shopping for clothes became difficult, my breathing started to get really heavy, and basically, I just had enough.”

Q: What was the hardest thing about losing weight – did you have any problems?

A: Yes! I did. I was fearful of exercising at first because of what I thought others might say. Fearful of the laughter, but through God's grace I overcame that. I also experienced tremendous pain during exercises because of my sciatica, but after physical therapy and changing up my exercises, I conquered it.

Q: What do people say when they see how much weight you have lost?

A: They are still in total awe of my journey. The one question that I still have to get used to answering is: "How did you do it?"

Q: What advice would you give someone who wants to lose weight but doesn’t know where to start?

A: My advice would be to do some real assessment of your life. Start slow and be realistic. Before you know it, you'll get to your goals. Leading a healthy lifestyle shouldn't have to be a choice; it should be mandatory. Make the smart choice now before it's too late. I beseech you!

"I want to thank family, friends and IG followers for their constant encouragement. Most importantly, a special thank you to my wife for her constant support and encouragement. She’s been my biggest cheerleader, support mechanism and helped to make my journey much smoother."