From 400-Pound P.E. Teacher to Inspiring Fitness Coach: Hunter Keith's Transformative Weight Loss Journey in the Face of Adversity
Growing up, I was the fat kid, convinced I was just “big boned.” Eventually, I embraced my body to the point of being the “kinda fit, really fat” PE teacher.
In late 2019, I got a wake-up call: I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I had eaten myself to 400 pounds and finally worn my pancreas out. It was time for some serious life changes.
My fitness journey began with small steps — literally. I started with basic diet changes and focused on meeting my step goals every day. I didn’t cut carbs out completely, but I centered all my meals around protein while managing my carb intake. Soon, I added regular gym visits, aiming to make everything sustainable. These efforts paid off, and I lost 70 pounds between December 2019 and March 2020.
Then, as we all experienced, the world suddenly shut down in 2020. Determined to keep making progress, I refused to let losing access to a gym stop me. Fortunately, my wife and I lived outside of town with enough space to stay active outdoors. Three days a week, I did 5k training, walked, and jogged laps around our house, accompanying myself with podcasts. This routine kept me active through COVID, making it easy to transition back to the gym once everything reopened.
In total, I dropped an astounding 200 pounds — an entire person! However, because I started at such a heavy weight and lost most of my weight through cardio, I didn’t maintain muscle mass during the process. I was disappointed that I didn’t look as “fit” as I had hoped. I was self conscious, “skinny-fat” with loose skin, constantly tugging at my clothes to hide my sagging belly.
That’s when I discovered “Kinda Fit, Kinda Fat” on Instagram. Their apparel resonated with how I felt, fitting me both at my heaviest and my lightest. They showcased models of all sizes and embraced true body positivity. As a former middle and high school teacher and coach, I had always worked to teach kids to love their bodies for what they could do, not for how they compared to societal standards. Finding Kinda Fit Kinda Fat felt like finding my people.
This profound discovery reminded me to practice what I preached: to love my body for what it can do. I embraced my body, saggy belly and all. I stopped focusing on the scale and started setting goals for what my body could achieve in the weight room, on a hike, and beyond.
There’s so much misinformation out there, with companies selling “quick fixes” to a society convinced something is wrong with their bodies. To combat this, I obtained multiple Pre-Script certifications to increase my knowledge and ability to help others. With proper nutrition habits in place and a healthy relationship with food and my own body, I realized I had a calling and purpose to help others on similar journeys.
After the loss of a family member and a student, I left teaching. Now, I offer coaching to help others like me — those who have tried repeatedly to lose weight and/or "get fit" but struggle and just can’t seem to figure it out. Having walked that path, my goal now is to help them learn to understand and love their bodies.
Kinda Fit Fact: I was a Physical Education teacher and strength coordinator for 5 years and am now an online and in person fitness coach!
Kinda Fat Fact: I am OBSESSED with breakfast! If I can put eggs with it, don't be shocked if it ends up as a post workout burrito.
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Want to follow Hunter’s journey or learn more about his coaching? Connect with him here! (Pictures and videos are all provided by Hunter Keith's instagram)
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Want to share your journey and be featured as a Baker's Choice Highlight? Email: monica@kindafitkindafat.com
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