Kevin Curry’s depression almost killed him. Food, fitness and fortitude brought him back

“Everything feels good, however I do not really feel good,” Curry stated. “Why is that? Why is it sunny outdoors and all people needs to go and play? The solely factor that I need to do is run again inside and go up underneath my mattress and simply be there.”

His despair — paired with shedding his job and girlfriend — felt so inescapable in his late 20s, he determined to finish his life.

“I keep in mind mapping out the whole lot completely,” stated Curry, pausing as he began to choke up. “I used to be placing collectively all my funds. I used to be writing my notes, writing my letters.”

“It was so calculated that I researched learn how to lower my wrist, and I had drawn Sharpie marks on my arms for learn how to really do it.”

When certainly one of his oldest pals reached out to get collectively that night time, Curry accepted.

“It was the right ending to what I used to be getting ready.”

A telephone name saved his life

While hanging out along with his good friend, Curry’s telephone rang.

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It was a counselor he had solely seen a number of occasions. He hadn’t spoken to her in weeks.

“And she says, ‘Hey, I’m breaking every kind of protocol right here. But for some cause you could have been on my thoughts very, very closely. Will you are available in and see me tomorrow?'” Curry recalled. “It was simply such a random name.”

He put his suicide plan on maintain and went to the appointment. In the previous, the therapist solely requested superficial questions. This time she went deep, questioning Curry about his consuming, desires and psychological well being.

“And as I used to be speaking to her, she says, ‘What are these marks in your arm?’ She noticed the Sharpie marks,” Curry stated.

His eyes welled up earlier than he might proceed.

“I began to inform her what I used to be feeling. And I’ve by no means unpacked that earlier than with anyone. And all this time, I’ve been raised in church, and for some cause I had satisfied myself that God did not actually care about me. That he simply type of (had) forgotten (me). That my religion wasn’t robust sufficient to actually overcome these emotions about ending my life.”

Shedding gentle on his sickness

The counselor’s response was the turning level for Curry.

“She says, ‘Well, in case you had the widespread chilly, would not you’re taking some chilly drugs? If you had the flu would not you go all the way down to CVS and take one thing?’ And I used to be like, ‘Of course.’ And then she stated, ‘Sometimes folks simply want a little bit bit extra assist. And there’s nothing unsuitable with you and there is nothing unsuitable along with your religion both.'”

Kevin Curry has battled depression and anxiety for most of his life, but he has learned how to fight back by nourishing his mind and body with healthy food and exercise.

Curry felt like a weight had lifted off his shoulders. He was recognized in 2010 with despair and nervousness. Therapy and drugs helped him really feel higher, however he wished to look higher, too.

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The Dallas resident began understanding three hours a day, 5 days per week. But it wasn’t working. After a number of months, his physique remained unchanged.

“It’s a realization that everyone will come to know and that’s this, that you may by no means outtrain a poor weight loss plan,” he defined. “That’s what sort of began my true journey into remodeling my whole life.”

Change begins within the kitchen

A private coach put Curry on a strict weight loss plan and he misplaced some weight. But he gained the kilos again as quickly as he veered off plan.

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“I dwell within the South,” he stated. “We love soul meals each Sunday after church and Mexican meals a minimum of 3 times per week right here in Texas.”

Curry, who graduated from the University of Texas and has a Master of Public Policy from Harvard, figured he had the smarts to discover ways to eat wholesome with out giving up the meals he cherished.

“I went over to a half worth bookstore and purchased each single guide that they had about diet,” he stated with amusing. “And I simply started to devour the content material. And then I began to cook dinner.”

In the summer time of 2012, he started posting his dishes on social media, hoping to get free recommendation on his weight loss plan.

Curry prepares salmon with spinach, cauliflower rice and mango salsa in his Dallas test kitchen.

“And hastily, seemingly like in a single day, folks simply started to ship me all of those questions and reward for the stuff that I used to be doing,” Curry smiled. “And I noticed there are extra folks on the market like me who’re attempting to eat wholesome and need scrumptious meals however do not desire a boring, bland weight loss plan.”

“And that is what created Fit Men Cook … a worldwide group of individuals devoted to residing more healthy and happier lives.”

Beyond the enterprise

Today, Curry continues to unfold his affect on social media with greater than 2 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube mixed. He additionally printed a cookbook, has two meal prep apps (FitMenCook and MealPrepPro) and not too long ago added a line of spices to his repertoire.
In his book "Fit Men Cook," Curry shares 100 easy, quick, healthy, and budget-friendly recipes.

Despite his success, Curry admitted he nonetheless has low moments.

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“One factor I’ve realized is to permit myself to be human and know I’m not going to really feel 100% each single day of the 12 months. And that was the toughest factor for me to get as a result of I felt that, nicely, now that I’m feeling higher, this needs to be everlasting. No. Sometimes you simply do not feel that nicely. Sometimes the circumstances of life simply type of start to compound themselves.”

For these fighting despair and nervousness, Curry recommended six strategies that work for him:
  1. Self-identify the signs of depression (a change in temper or habits) and search assist.
  2. Make meals easy. Stock up on meals that do not take a lot effort to organize like eggs, yogurt and canned tuna.
  3. Find one nutritious recipe to cook dinner every week. “The power you are placing into the meals and creating is definitely doing one thing a lot extra than simply feeding your stomach. It’s nourishing you. It’s nursing your physique,” Curry defined. It’s additionally good to your mind.”
  4. Do a social media check. Unfollow feeds that make you are feeling destructive.
  5. Set a health purpose that works along with your weight loss plan.
  6. Be variety to your self.

And it is vital to do the whole lot sparsely.

“Try to seek out one factor that you are able to do otherwise. Just for one week,” he stated. “We’re so fast to attempt to change the whole lot, overhaul our whole life, as a result of the whole lot goes to be good immediately. Life does not work like that. … You’ve bought to do it little by little by little.”

Advice to dwell by, in keeping with one decided survivor.

“My greatest accomplishment every year is studying how to deal with the whole lot, all the strain, society and life. And not going again to ‘2010 Kevin’ and the way in which that he dealt with it,” Curry stated. “I’m actually happy with myself. Kevin, you are alive and also you received. You beat the 12 months.”

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