From Medical Rarity to CrossFit Superstar

Fernando Uribe, who lost more than 100 pounds, participates in CrossFit.

Fernando Uribe, a Supervising Probation Officer at the NCRC in Vista, has the secret to lasting weight loss success.

The secret is not in a pill, fad diet or trendy workout routines. The secret is to acknowledge you need to make changes, to set aside your pride, and to commit to your own health and wellness by making time for it, Uribe said.

Uribe, who weighed more than 325 pounds in 2009, realized he had to change when his scale read “error.”

“I thought it was broken, but it was me that was broken,” he said.

His sedentary lifestyle led to health problems that included abnormally high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

“My physician told me ‘no one in America has your numbers and is alive,’” Uribe said in his CrossFit testimonial. “My case was actually submitted for an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association as a rarity, since there was no medical reason why I should be alive; because essentially, I had gravy running through my veins.”

The father of two realized he had to make a dramatic transformation. With assistance from his physician and the personal mantra of “just keep moving,” he began a workout regimen.

He made small, consistent changes to his daily life. He took the stairs. He parked in the furthest parking spot in the lot. He wore a pedometer to measure his movement. And the pounds were steadily coming off.

But even as the weight melted off his 5-foot, 7-inch frame, he still had medical issues. He continued to feel numbness in his feet and fingertips as a result of developing type II diabetes.

Also read: Making the Case for Getting Fit 

His next big step was to modify his diet. He limited sugars and carbohydrates. And he lost nearly 100 pounds over two years by working out and eating right, but that was not good enough for Uribe.

He really stepped up his efforts in 2012 when he joined CrossFit AEQUITAS, a non-profit law-enforcement affiliate for the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. The affiliate was born in a San Diego Sheriff’s basement gym in 2010 when Judge Daniel Goldstein started working out during his lunch break.

CrossFit incorporates strength and endurance training exercies. Daily workouts vary with intervals and include running, Olympic lifting and jumping rope.

Since joining this gym, he’s built muscle, lost weight and improved his overall health as a result of the diverse and challenging workouts.

A smarter diet, increased physical activity and new attitude are the trifecta for his success. He’s dedicated to a healthy lifestyle and enjoys the benefits: the numbness is gone, he’s stopped taking his blood pressure and cholesterol medications, he is sleeping well, and has the energy to play with his kids.

Uribe made the commitment to change for the better four years ago. And every day has been better than the last and that’s no secret.