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Get To Know Joe: 217 Pounds Down And Still Transforming!

Transformation takes time—and perseverance. Joe Scarmack certainly understands this; he weighed close to 500 pounds about eight years ago. Joe lost his young brother surprisingly, who weighed about 600 pounds, and then his mother less than two years later to diabetes. While grieving both he decided he didn’t want to lose his own life to the same issues, and started making healthier choices. Joe started with weight lifting and soon added cardio; then he adjusted his diet. Pounds began to melt away, and Joe felt better and better. Now many years into his lifestyle shift, Joe worked out more than 200 times in 2015 and has set an even higher goal for this year

Joe Scarmack, 42

From Farrell, PA | Married to Amanda
Gym: Hermitage, PA
Anytime Fitness Member since 2008
Trainer: Breanna Griffin

Favorite motivational quote:
You get out what you put in.

Get to Know Joe

Primary Wellness Goal: “I don’t ever want to go back to being diabetic and want to better cope with disabilities I currently face.”

Struggling with… “The thought of going back to my old ways of eating with no way of stopping myself, or quitting on everything.”

Striving to… “Handle the cards I’ve been dealt in life and show others life doesn’t have to stop when dealing with any disability, whether physical or mental.”

Secondary Goal: “Work out 500 times this year. So far I’m ahead of schedule.”

People describe me as… “Motivational, inspiring, no quit, gym freak, go-getter”

Favorite piece of equipment: “Chest press. Personal best: 600 lbs, 3 reps.”

Least favorite exercise: “Elliptical”

Nutrition tip that’s worked for me: “Read the labels! If you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it. Single digits and ingredients you can pronounce are good things.”

I’d like to add: “I’ve been doing this for my brother and mother. Not going to die young, weighing 600 lbs like him. I won’t let diabetes slowly kill me like it did her. 217 lbs lost. Diabetes is gone but unfortunately, the damage stays. Such a mental battle every day to get up in the morning and face the world, but I know at the gym I am the world. I’m thankful I have a great wife that has supported me through all the ups and downs the past 8 years. I think she is more upset I get to buy new clothes every six months because everything keeps getting too big on me. I don’t know where the rest of the journey is going to take me, but I know I’m not looking back at where I’ve been.”