Member Spotlight: Josh Gracey

Josh’s journey started back in 2019 where he lost a lot of weight through changing his diet. Then in 2020 gained it all back during the COVID lockdowns.

After that, Josh then took on the responsibility of taking care of his mom. It was a tough and stressful stretch of time.

Josh was dealing with some anxiety and started with anxiety therapy.

“My anxiety was the reason I couldn’t join a gym at first.”

He talked through it in his sessions and eventually built up the confidence to go to the gym for a consultation.

“I wasn’t getting the results I wanted, as quickly as I wanted on my own and I had a trip coming up and wanted to ramp up my results.”

With that Josh signed up to start personal training in March of this year.

“I wasn’t sure what to do and didn’t want to get hurt. I looked at training as an investment into myself.”

Josh started at 332lbs and his original goal was to get down to 250lbs before his trip.

“When you are that weight you can get self conscious about your size.”

This time around Josh would use a combination of diet and strength training to accomplish his goal.

When he left for his trip about 5 months later, he was down to 272lbs, a 60lb weight loss, which although was not quite at his goal, was still a significant weight loss that he was extremely proud of.

Josh left and had a great time on his trip then returned and got right back at it. To date Josh’s total weight loss is now at 70lbs. Not only has he lost a significant amount of weight, he has also increased his strength significantly, has more energy and more confidence, making it easier to get out of bed and tackle the day.

“I feel great right now and I’m more motivated than ever.”

The time he spent taking care of his mom was also a factor in wanting to better himself, both physically and mentally.

“I’m most proud of my commitment to this process, myself and how my mindset has changed.”

Josh has a trip to Netherlands for next year and can’t wait to reach his new goal and show off to his friends when he gets there.

“Had I not started this I wouldn’t have gained the confidence or strength that I have now and would still be trying to figure out how to lose the weight on my own. I’m not sure I would have accomplished it.”

Josh hopes that his story will help motivate others to get started, make changes and improve their life.

“Don’t overthink it. I learned that from anxiety therapy. Overthinking is the #1 killer of progress.”

Josh would also like to thank Aaron, his trainer, and Dave at the front desk.

“Aaron is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He makes it more enjoyable and I wouldn’t have accomplished what I have without him.”

“Dave helped me with motivation and getting back on track with my diet.”

Congratulations Josh! It’s been inspiring watching your commitment, hard work and all of your success! Great job!