Eat to Stay Fit

KEVIN CURRY IS INSPIRING OTHERS TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR THE HEALTHIER, 1 STEP AT A TIME

For the founder of FitMenCook, it’s a journey that starts in the kitchen

By Deena C. Bouknight

Aphiladelphia Native who now lives in Dallas, Kevin Curry grew up with good food. His mother enjoyed cooking comforting family recipes, and his childhood included plenty of soul food and Mexican cuisine.

But he struggled with extra pounds in high school and college—and was truly jolted one day when he saw a photograph of himself on social media. Looking for a solution, like so many others, he turned to the gym.

“I was wrong,” he later said. “There was not enough cardio or weights in the world that could get this fat off my back.”

Gradual education and trial and error eventually led him to the kitchen.

“I realized that if I was going to accomplish my fitness goals, it would have to be through a steady, healthy diet, complemented by hard work in the gym,” Curry said.

Realizing that many men had no idea how to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle, Curry founded FitMenCook, an online community that inspires men—and women—to eat healthier and stay fit with food that he insists is “never boring.” Rather than completely cut out his favorite dishes, for example, he would “look at the ingredients and make swaps that were lower in calories and better for me nutritionally.”

Now, 10 years later, what began as a Tumblr blog has amassed a social media following of 2 million people globally on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube and also has an app and a cookbook.

Curry has

shared his own journey of fighting depression and unhealthy eating habits to help others.

For Curry,

healthy food is far from bland or boring.

Curry’s

philosophy is that a healthy body starts with diet— complemented by physical exercise. Fitness influencer

Kevin Curry, 41, started FitMenCook as a Tumblr blog in 2012.

CURRY’S TIPS FOR HEALTHY CHANGES

Pace Yourself:

“Focus on one thing that could become a habit. Get excited about that. Then add something else.”

Keep Perspective:

“Comparison robs us of the joy of progress. If you only look at the perfectly chiseled bodies, you look at yourself as less and get frustrated and impatient.”

Don’t Be Intimidated:

“Just start cooking. Start with your favorite meal.”

Curry’s journey to healthier living wasn’t without its struggles. In the years before starting the blog, he helped care for his ill father, suffered a relationship heartache, failed to launch a career in his originally chosen field of communications management, and more. He battled depression and used unhealthy food habits as a coping mechanism. But he learned to turn food and cooking into a positive catalyst in his life.

“The focus on a healthier lifestyle gradually helped me dig out of depression,” Curry said. “The more that I cooked for myself and put my wellness first, the more I felt better—empowered, energized.

“It’s an ongoing journey, and people who struggle need to realize that. We all have different challenges happening in life. Sometimes it might be harder to lose weight, or it might take too long and a person reverts back to old ways. We always have to consider age, circumstances, body type, and food access, and we need to give ourselves grace.”

Curry is encouraged by the stories of people he has helped. He recalled a mother who approached him at a book signing in Miami.

“She told me her daughter followed my site and she suffered from an eating disorder,” he said. “The mother couldn’t get her daughter to eat anything, but the daughter was inspired to begin preparing and eating the recipes I shared. She learned to see food in a healthful way. … Those are the things that motivate me.”

Deena C. Bouknight, a 30-plusyear writer-journalist, works from her Western North Carolina mountain cottage.