Breakthrough Spotlight – Devon Meade
Our Spotlight Member for August is Devon! She’s lost 20 pounds in the past year, and gained so much more… strength, confidence, energy… We are so happy to have Devon in our Breakthrough Family and so excited to share part of her journey!
BREAKTHROUGH: Devon, thank you for chatting with me today! Tell me a bit about what you were up to before you joined us at Breakthrough about a year ago… Were you doing any type of working out at all?
DEVON: Nothing! Ha, ha! No. I got a divorce and didn’t work out for five years.
BREAKTHROUGH: Oh my gosh!
DEVON: It’s true. I was complaining about being out of shape, and I saw my friend Donna in here and she was improving so much. She convinced me to come with a VIP Pass, and begrudgingly I came, kicking and screaming. But then after one week, I noticed a little difference, and after two weeks I knew I was joining!
BREAKTHROUGH: So, it was seeing Donna doing so well that made you check us out?
DEVON: Yes! To see the change in her was amazing! And I had wanted to do something for a long time but I just couldn’t … I had tried a few things, but nothing stuck. So, then I started doing this and noticed such a difference so fast.
BREAKTHROUGH: What kind of differences were you noticing?
DEVON: A couple of things… Physically, I noticed a change. It wasn’t dramatic at first but I noticed that it was working. I’d go to so many gyms and do aerobics and crazy stuff and nothing changed. But here my body started transforming, like almost in the first month. So that got me to keep coming back and to join!
BREAKTHROUGH: We are so happy you did!
DEVON: And I didn’t get super sore. You know, that “I want to die. I want to never come back feeling.” Seriously! So that was great too.
BREAKTHROUGH: And was this the first time you’d ever done any training with weights?
DEVON: Never used weights before. Small “baby weights”, but nothing like this.
BREAKTHROUGH: Oh my gosh! You were born for it! And now you’ve even done the Tactical Strength Challenge twice…
DEVON: Twice! I know, right!
BREAKTHROUGH: Is that something you ever saw yourself doing?
DEVON: Never! I have never seen myself doing any of this. Then you guys all gave me such a hard time, and I am like – Okay!
BREAKTHROUGH: Peer pressure!
DEVON: It was peer pressure that made me do the first one… Then I was shocked that I could do it. You know what I mean?
BREAKTHROUGH: So, you surprised yourself?
DEVON: I completely surprised myself. Yeah and everyone else I know! Ha, ha! They were like you are doing what?
BREAKTHROUGH: It’s pretty impressive!
DEVON: I don’t need to be the strongest person. But to know that I can stick with it, and show up on the day of the challenge even if I’m nervous…
BREAKTHROUGH: Yes! It takes something very special to be able to do that, and you did a great job! Any other changes that you have noticed besides just physical changes?
DEVON: Okay, maybe I shouldn’t say this, but you remember my first “why” was that I wanted to look good naked…
BREAKTHROUGH: Hey, that is a good why!
DEVON: It is? Okay, maybe I can say that… But now I realize I want to be strong. I want to feel good. Everything is changed. Physically I just feel a thousand times better. My confidence is better, my eating is better, my moods are better. I am happier! Being physically fit makes a huge difference. And I wasn’t feeling that way for five years and I was miserable.
BREAKTHROUGH: You don’t deserve to be miserable. We can’t have that!
DEVON: No. But I didn’t know this would have such an all-encompassing effect. For real! Everything is affected. Better attitude and better energy…
BREAKTHROUGH: Good! That is exactly how it should be. You should be able to live your life and do everything you need to do. And feel awesome! Anything else you want to share?
DEVON: All my years on the planet, I have never had anything that works as well. And I was a dancer my whole life and a performer. I worked out dancing and I have been to gyms. I have tried just about everything and I have never had anything be so transformative. And at first I thought “this isn’t going to work” because it wasn’t hard. You know what I mean?
BREAKTHROUGH: Like you weren’t feeling destroyed after your workouts?
DEVON: Right. I mean, I work hard when I am here, but it’s not like I am going to die when I leave. I feel better when I leave actually, 9/10 of the time. I had no idea that my body would transform like it has. Like 20 pounds or so that I have lost in a year. And I was at the point that I really didn’t believe that my body would be able to change. We were all younger, right? I had a dancer’s body and then after three kids… I’m definitely not perfect but I had no idea I could come this far! I have never had muscles in this way. Baby muscles, but they are muscles!
BREAKTHROUGH: They are muscles that can do stuff. Cool stuff like chin-ups.
DEVON: Well, I am working on it. And I love it. Another thing is that as people get older, they start to worry about doing things like lifting weights. They might hurt something. I haven’t gotten hurt, and it’s possible to do things in a safe and gradual way. I don’t think people know that. I didn’t!
BREAKTHROUGH: Well, I am glad that you have had that experience. And that you can share that. And I am glad that a year later, you have made such impressive things happen.
DEVON: Well, I can’t do it by myself. That’s for sure. I don’t do it by myself! I am very grateful for the gym and for you guys, for sure. A big thing for me at Breakthrough is the family vibe, everyone is so supportive and kind! It makes a huge difference when you love not only working out, but the environment as well!
BREAKTHROUGH: Well, we are grateful for you and we appreciate having you here. And we appreciate you sharing all this with everyone. I hope your story inspires someone else!
DEVON: I hope so!