He was feeling lethargic, regularly huffing and puffing from going up a flight of stairs. Kevin Haslam had earned his journalism degree, but was 45 pounds heavier than he was when he graduated high school, weighing 190 pounds and standing just over 5-foot-7.
“Finally, I was like, ‘I have to do something about this,’” said Haslam. Since then, Haslam has lost 45 pounds and four waist sizes. In April, he published a book titled “Fit Mind Fit Life: 7 Surefire Steps To Staying On Track With Your Health And Fitness Goals,” sharing his secrets of success.
“I can tell people about the mental toughness it takes to be able to do this,” said Haslam, who earned his degree from Penn State in 2010. “If people can learn from my mistakes and go out there and have success, and it takes less time than it did for me, then I’m the happiest guy in the world.”
The 177-page book features seven steps to getting your mind right to be able to accomplish your fitness goals.
Haslam uses first-hand experience to relay his success to others. The Delran, New Jersey, native graduated high school weighing 145 pounds. The newfound freedom of living on his own in college, as well as a torn ACL, led to substantial weight gain. Upon graduating from Penn State, he returned home, moved out of his parents’ house and started his first full-time job. Having more of his own money for food, he put on even more weight. By 2013, he was ready to make a change.
The quest to lose weight started off as a struggle for Haslam, who couldn’t get himself to follow through with his plan to start working out and eating right. But, then there was a turning point.
“When you say something over and over again and you’re not doing it, you can really damage your reputation with loved ones,” said Haslam. “The last thing I wanted to do was continue to be that type of guy. I got mad at myself and just put the pedal to the medal.”
Haslam devised a plan for a diet, finding the right foods that fit his goals. He also had an exercise routine, which included his first triathlon.
“It was just a combination of really getting inside of my own head and saying, ‘OK, stop lying to yourself. Stop letting distractions get in the way and just go. Figure out what’s going to make you happy and just shoot for the stars,’” said Haslam.
“That’s what I did. That was where the inspiration for the book came, because people started saying, ‘You should share your message with people about how this happened.’”
That’s when he decided to share his story. Starting in July, Haslam took two and a half weeks and compiled a rough draft. He sent the original copy out to a handful of readers, who came back to him with edits and feedback.
Haslam built his website, marketing materials and started his blog posts, all before releasing his book in mid-April. Upon release, Haslam did a promotion with his sales and raised $260 for March of Dimes, an organization that looks to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. In the future, he plans to raise money for the Four Diamonds Fund and Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
In addition to his book, Haslam also works as a contract employee with Locable, a startup company that helps publishers couple print products with their digital presence.
Moving forward, Haslam plans to stack up certifications in the health and fitness field, and has nearly completed his personal training courses. His next idea for a product is to teach people how to lose that pesky last 10 to 15 pounds, which could include training videos, written material, audio material and a recipe book.
“We’re in a time right now where we’re working 40-plus hours a week, we’ve got families to feed and life just gets in the way,” said Haslam. “Sometimes, it’s just not our fault. If we want to be able to overcome that, we have to have the mental capacity and the mental strength and to be able to hold ourselves accountable for our successes and our failures.”