How I lost 84 Pounds: Find A Why That Makes You Cry

If you have ever stared at a goal you fully understand and still felt unable to move, you are not lazy, you are missing the real driver. I’m Jorge Medina, and I’m starting Power of Your Why by telling the most honest version of my story: decades over 300 pounds, ten restarts, and a fear I did not even know was running my choices.

My mindset changed the day I connected the dots back to a moment that shaped me. After my dad worked hard, lost 55 pounds, and looked full of life, he sat me down with tears in his eyes and said, “I have cancer.” My brain quietly built a terrifying rule: losing weight leads to getting sick. That hidden belief fueled a cycle of panic and self-sabotage for years, even after a widowmaker heart attack and a dangerous A1C. The truth is hard to admit, but it can also set you free: even near-death moments do not always create lasting behavior change.

Everything shifted when I found a why that was not about looks or numbers. I wanted to run full court and play basketball with my son, and that purpose pulled me forward one mailbox at a time. I also walk you through the seven whys method to help you peel past “I want to lose weight” and reach the core reason that anchors your soul. We talk non-scale victories, self-compassion, and why willpower runs out while a real why generates its own power. If this hit home, subscribe, share the show with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find their why.

Transcript

When Knowing Still Is Not Enough

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If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. We've all heard quotes like that. But what happens when you know exactly where you need to go, but you just can't bring yourself to move? Welcome to the very first episode of the Power of Your Why podcast. I'm your host, George Medina. And today we are diving straight into the deep end. We're talking about the missing link between knowing what you need to do and actually doing it. We're talking about finding a why that makes you cry. Let's start with a quote that completely changed how I view human resilience. He who has a why to live or can bear almost anyhow. HP. For most of my life, I thought I had plenty of lies. I thought wanting to be healthy was a why. I thought wanting to live better was a why. But the truth, those weren't lies. Those were just wishes. Today, I'm going to share the raw, unfiltered story of how I spent decades trapped in fear, self-hatred, and low self-worth. Living at over 300 pounds. And the exact moment everything changed.

A Father’s Example And A Shock

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To understand how I got here, we have to go back over 20 years. I was carrying a lot of weight. And like any loving parent, my dad was worried. He was consistently pushing me to lose weight, trying to get through me. But I wasn't listening. I had built up a wall of resistance. So my dad did something incredible. He decided that if he couldn't convince me with words, he would lead my example. He wanted to show me that it was possible. If you just put hard work into it. He started with his own journey. For six months, he gave it everything. He lost 55 pounds. He was happy. He was vibrant. And he proved his point. Hard work pays off. But life can be incredibly cruel. One afternoon, shortly after his big milestone, I walked into the house. I saw him sitting there, and he had tears in his eyes.

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He looked at me and said the words that shook my world to its core. He

The Fear That Triggered Self Sabotage

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said, I have cancer.

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In that exact moment, trauma did a number on my brain. A subconscious choice was wired into my psychology. I associated this massive weight loss with getting sick. My brain created a terrifying, irrational equation. If I lose weight, I will get cancer too. For the next two decades, that hidden fear had dictated my life. It fed into a brutal cycle of self-hatred and low self-worth. I tried to change. In fact, I went on ten different Weight Watcher journeys. Ten. And every single time, without fail, the moment I lost between 25 and 50 pounds, a panic switch would flip in my mind. I would self-sabotage. I would start eating again, putting the weight back on, entirely driven by the subconscious fear that I was protecting myself. Making sure I stayed healthy by staying heavy. Because of that fear, I spent the majority of my adult life living over 300 pounds. We often think that facing death will change us. We think a medical scare is the ultimate wake-up call. Let me tell you firsthand, it isn't always enough.

When Near Death Still Does Not Change

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Years later, I suffered a widowmaker heart attack. My artery was 99% clogged. I survived a condition where most people die. Not long after, my A1C diabetic level hit 12.1. If you know medical numbers, that is near dying level. My body was failing. The universe was screaming at me. But even near death wasn't a big enough why to push me to lose the weight. Fear of the unknown was still more powerful than the reality of my fading health.

The Why Found On A Court

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Until last January, January 26th of 2025. That was the day the illusion shattered. That was the day I found my true why. You see, for years my why has been really surface level. It had either been to look good, to look thinner, to look to be better looking, to not die, to be healthier, or I never truly dug deep to find a why. Because those surface level whys, they were good motivators until things got tough. But even after near death, or even after ten weight loss journeys, I needed to find a why that made me cry. Something that would touch me even a year after I have that why. Or maybe for years after. Something that anchors me. And for me, it was playing basketball with my son. You see, I was very jealous the year before. Because my son was playing all these sports, basketball, everything, with my brother-in-law. And he's a great man and a great uncle. But I wanted to be a part of my son's life. And the only way I thought I could be more of a part of his life, because I was already there, but it was just I wanted to be more than just the dad that was just at home and talking to him. I wanted to be on the court with him, I wanted to enjoy life with him. So I created a why of playing basketball with him, running full court. And I knew at 300 pounds that would be impossible. And I wasn't really active before last January when I created this why. I mean, I played softball, but then I always would get a runner to take my place if I got a hit. But I never really challenged myself to be more active. But

From One Mailbox To Miles

SPEAKER_01 7:34

that day that I created my why, I asked myself, how am I going to achieve this? I need to start walking. And believe me, I hate, I hated walking. So I started with one mailbox. An author, Zig Zagler, talked about walking from one mailbox one day to the next, the next day, and building up a routine. So that's what I did. My why was born from a walk to the mailbox, then to the next one, then to the next one. Months later it turned into blocks, miles, 10,000 steps, 12,000 steps. It just kept growing and growing. And my community at Weight Watchers, that was big. I kept sharing my why. And I saw all these faces light up. Then, six months into my journey, I still remember it. It still chokes me up. I got on the basketball court with him. I woke up at 4 a.m. rushed to the basketball court with excitement, ready to play, not knowing how I would play, running full court games. But that first game we got picked on the same team. And you know, it was just amazing running the court, playing basketball with him. I remember passing the ball and he hit the game-winning shot. And maybe most people thought I was crying because we won, but I was really crying because I finally accomplished something I set out to do. That why. I was on the court with him. I gave him the pass. We played together, we enjoyed time together, and it still chokes me up to this day. That why has carried me for the last year and a half on this journey. It's carried me through those days where I just didn't want to get up and at six in the morning and walk or do any exercise because I just enjoyed a vacation and I came back and I wasn't ready to get back. It really helped me pick those meals that maybe I didn't want in the past, but now I enjoy. You see, finding a why that makes you cry makes you accountable. It makes you aware. And that awareness and that accountability lives inside me every day. Because 84 pounds down now, I can play basketball with him. And I know that if I get back up to 300 or I balloon again, I know I won't be able to play basketball with him. And that is why that why is so powerful. Because it lives inside me every day. When I see him walk out to work, when I come home and he's there, that why is alive in my brain. And for that reason, I challenge you to find a why that makes you cry and moves the needle for you, like it did me. When you find that reason, the one tied to your deepest loves, your deepest purpose, or your legacy, it doesn't just motivate you, it breaks you open. It's a why that makes you cry. And when your why makes you cry, fear loses all its power over you. Now, you might be listening to this and thinking to yourself, okay, I hear you. I want to change too. My why is that I just want to lose weight to feel better.

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Let me tell you something.

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I hate to break it to you, but that is a surface level why. A surface level why will fail you the moment you have a bad week or a bad day at work, the moment someone leaves a mean comment on your social media, or the moment you feel a surge of low self-worth. To get to the core, you have to peel back those layers.

The Seven Whys Homework

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I want to give you an assignment right now. This is a method I live by. When you start out, you create a why in the moment. It's a spark. But to find the perfect why, the one that anchors your soul, you have to apply the seven whys method. Think of your initial reason like the outer skin of an onion. We need to peel it back to get to its core. Here is your homework. Write down your initial surface level why. Then look at it and ask yourself why that matters to you. Take that answer and ask why again. You are going to do this exactly seven times. Let me show you how this sounds in practice.

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Why number one? I want to lose weight. Why number two? Because I want more energy. Why number three? Because I'm tired of feeling exhausted around my family. Why number four? Because I feel like I'm letting them down by pulling away. Why number five?

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Because I'm terrified I'm going to die early and leave them alone. Why number six? Because my biggest fear is my kids growing up without a parent. Because I chose comfort over my health. Why number seven? Because my family deserves a version of me that fights to stay alive for them, and I refuse to let fear rob them of their future. Do you feel the shift? We went from boring, clinical goal like I want to lose weight, to a devastatingly powerful, beautiful truth that hits you right in the chest. That is how you peel the onion. That is how you dig past the surface to find your core. If your Y doesn't make your chest tighten up, if it doesn't give you the goosebumps, if it doesn't make you cry, keep digging. You haven't hit the seventh Y yet. Since that day in January, the journey has been completely different.

Non Scale Wins And A Strong Foundation

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I stopped focusing just on the gravity of the scale. I started celebrating the non-scale victory. The NSVs. Climbing a flight of stairs without gasping for air, fitting into a comfortable seat at Dodger Stadium, realizing that the mental chatter of self-hatred has been replaced by self-compassion and confidence. Looking in the mirror and respecting the person looking back at me. Those victories are incredibly important. They are the fuel that keeps me moving day to day. But hear me loud and clear. Non-scale victories are the bricks. But your why that is your foundation. If you don't have the foundation, the first time someone drops a bad comment on your social media, or the first time your self-worth takes a hit, the whole house will crumble. You cannot rely on willpower. Willpower is a battery that runs out. Your why is a generator that creates its own power. If you are listening to this right now and you are trapped in a body or a life that feels like a prison, if you are letting fear, old traumas, or low self-worth keep you over 300 pounds or stuck in a cycle of toxic habits, I want you to stop looking for a diet. I want you to stop looking for that quick fix. Take out that piece of paper today. Do the homework I shared with you. Ask the seven whys. Sit in a quiet room, look into your own soul, and find the reason that shakes you to your core. Before we sign off today, I want you to close your eyes for just a second. If you're driving, please don't. But mentally, just step away from the numbers on the scale. Step away from the calories, the macros, and even the mirrors. I want you to think about the real reason you are here. Because a sustainable life-altering transformation doesn't start with wanting to fit in a smaller pair of jeans. It starts when you get completely authentic and honest about the struggle that has cost you. Maybe your why is the heartbreaking realization that you've been hiding from your own life. Maybe it's the quiet ache of looking at your kids and wondering if you'll be healthy enough to see them grow up. Or maybe it's the moment you look in the mirror, see the pain in your own eyes, and realize you deserve so much better than the way you've been treating yourself. Those tears, that isn't shame. That is your spirit awakening. It's waking up. That is you finally deciding that you are worth fighting for. Find the health. Why that makes you cry? Because when the workouts get grueling and the old habit starts screaming your name, a number on the scale won't keep you going. But the promise you made to your own soul will. Thank you for trusting me with your journey today. Be kind yourself. Remember your worth. And we'll talk again soon.

Final Challenge And How To Support

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And if you do me the honor of sticking with my podcast, please like my podcast, share it, share it with anyone who you feel needs it. Add me. Do everything. If this podcast made a difference to you, please support me. I truly want to make a difference in people's lives by sharing my journey. And I want all of you to come home on this journey. And I appreciate my community and everyone in my life for always supporting my dream. And my podcast. And we'll talk soon.