It was a struggle all his life to lose weight, but now John Tabourn says “I’ve found the person inside.”
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It was nearing the 5’oclock hour on a Monday evening when I spoke to John Tabourn, Director of Group Sales & Experiences, Philadelphia Soul, and he hadn’t eaten a thing all day. The fasting wasn’t a result of being held up in executive meetings all day, it was a personal choice—part of what he calls: “cleanse days.”
Not long removed from the times where friends and family yelled out: “Big Johnny,” Tabourn, who at his biggest was 337 pounds and now weighs in at 261—losing 50 pounds in the first thirty days of his now 6 month journey—is still adjusting to his two new nicknames: “The melting man” and “skinny-minny.”
A grandfather at 39 years-old, Tabourn shares that it was the birth of his grandchildren that prompted the lifestyle change.
“I want to be here to run around and chase them; play hide and go seek, I couldn’t do that when I was bigger, I felt sluggish.”
With a shake for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and another shake for dinner, Tabourn, chuckling as he reveals the seemingly unexciting daily menu, touts that he has lost all the weight naturally and credits Isagenix—a 30 day cleansing and fat burning system—for getting him started.
And while he’s grateful to the multi-level marketing company that promotes dietary supplements and personal care products for giving him a chance to check off a “to-do” on his “bucket list” and earn additional income, Tabourn acknowledges his family—particularly his kids and co-workers—for being the superstars in his corner, providing much needed support.
“Every time I felt like I couldn’t do it anymore, they would tell me to keep believing, they’ve even walked the treadmills and trails with me.”
Although he recently placed in the top-ten out of 5,000 contestants in the Isa Body Challenge, Tabourn admits it’s a “day-by-day” process and he has to pray daily to continue. A deacon at his church with hopes to become a minister one day, Tabourn reveals the biggest challenge he faced was getting his body used to the new eating habit. During our almost hour-long conversation, he recalls several occasion where he was on his “cleanse days”—he does two of them back-to-back now—but cooked big meals, like seafood dinners or ribs on the grill, for his family.
“I did it to prove to myself that I had the willpower and the discipline. I’ve given up on myself so many times when attempting to shed the pounds; I just needed this time to be different.”
Now in the gym 3-4 times a week, Tabourn, an unashamed Zumba fanatic who dreams of one days instructing a specialty session for black men and boys—says he pulls on inspiration from his mentor and coach, Anthony Stefos, and his father, the original “Big Johnny,” who sadly passed away almost two years ago from colon cancer.
“My father always warned me to get myself healthy at an early age. I would have never thought that as I approach 40 years of life on Earth, that I’d be able to achieve something I’ve been reaching for my entire life: ‘the person inside me.’ I wish my dad was here to see me now.”
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
Source: TBO Inc®
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Photos: J. Tabourn Facebook
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