Virginia man lost 120lb in 9 months by 'habit stacking'

A former college football star transformed himself by using one lifestyle shift after losing an incredible amount of weight, and it doesn’t include fad dieting.

Tre Hubbard from Virginia, was just 18 when he won a football scholarship in 2016 and began his college journey.

However, his experiences within the two years led him to suffer with his mental health, and he soon gained 65lbs in just eight months.

But after taking on a new mindset and trying a popular ‘habit stacking’ routine, he was able lose that weight and even more, totaling 120lbs lost in nine months.

Now, you’re probably wondering what habit stacking is, but it’s fairly simple.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, habit stacking is ‘a technique where you attach a new habit to one you already engage in consistently’.

Tre Hubbard weighed 265lb at his heaviest (SWNS)

Psychologist Lauren Alexander, PhD, told the outlet: “The thinking is that engaging in the already-existing habit will cue you to do your new one.”

For Tre, this became the turning point for his health journey.

Tre’s close friend passed away in 2019, and the Covid pandemic cancelled his fifth year of college, and to cope, Tre began to eat.

“I sat at an all you can eat sushi place from the time it opened to the time it closed" he said. "I ate 90 pieces of sushi.”

“I weighed 265lbs," he added. "For the very first time in my life, I felt defeated. I dug this hole myself and I was afraid to step on the scale.”

But that would all change when he picked up the new mindset.

In the beginning, he started simple and began prepping his meals for the next day before bed.

To make sure everything was set in place for him to get up and be active, he’d put his alarm on the other side of the room and pack his gym bag every night, ready for the morning.

"I think habit stacking works because it removes decision fatigue," he said. "You stop negotiating with yourself all day and healthy actions start becoming automatic instead of emotional."

Then he started habit stacking (SWNS)

The Virginia Beach native, who is now 28, said: “I keep a physical alarm clock across the room, once it goes off, I allow myself five seconds. Then I jump out of bed, no matter what. My bed is always made.”

Revealing he now walks ‘12,000 to 15,000 steps a day’ and sticks to this, even when his routine changes, Tre said he’s become a huge prepper.

“After work, I immediately change into gym clothes before sitting down. After meals, I go walk. Before bed, I prep my water, meals, and gym bag for the next day,” he said.

It’s these little habits that began his transformation, and when he joined a gym that led to him starting to box – he struck gold.

“I had no option but to get ready for the fight. I ended up losing 120lbs in 9 months,” he said, adding: “In my first fight, I knocked him out, boom, in the first round.”

“I can honestly say habit stacking was one of the biggest reasons I stayed consistent long enough for my life to completely change," he said.