{"id":428443,"date":"2026-01-23T17:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T17:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/428443\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T17:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T17:18:13","slug":"how-tre-hubbard-lost-over-100-pounds-and-became-a-boxing-champ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/428443\/","title":{"rendered":"How Tre Hubbard Lost Over 100 Pounds and Became a Boxing Champ"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tre Hubbard, 27, from San Diego, CA, faced a crisis of confidence after he stopped playing college football. Not only did he lose his athletic identity, but he faced two tragic events that led him to overeat. At his heaviest, he hit 300 pounds. Hubbard had an epiphany the day his clothes stopped fitting, and made a phone call that changed his life forever. Here, Hubbard shares how he rose from a personal rock bottom, building a brand-new body and life.<\/p>\n

I WAS A Division I linebacker at Virginia Tech and Wagner College. I always struggled with overeating, but because I constantly trained, I always got away with not gaining weight. That is, until two things changed my life.<\/p>\n

In December 2019, I lost one of my closest friends and teammates, Clay Beathard. His death broke me. Then, COVID happened and the world shut down. My athletic activity stopped. Football had been my identity, and suddenly I had lost both the game and a brother.<\/p>\n

My weight slowly crept up from 235 pounds throughout 2020. I was sitting at home with no structure, no workouts, and no real direction. I started binge eating, but I didn\u2019t care. I let myself go. Made myself invisible. Besides a few close friends, nobody checked in on me. I felt alone in a world full of people. Those were the darkest days of my life. I did not recognize myself mentally, spiritually, or physically. <\/p>\n

Then came my turning point. I went to an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. Walking out after the meal, I realized that my clothes no longer fit. On the way home, I had to stop at a store to buy my first ever 2XL jacket. When I put it on, everything hit me at once. I was ashamed. I was afraid to look at myself in the mirror. Later, I stepped on a scale and saw the number: 300 pounds. In six months, I\u2019d gained 65 pounds. <\/p>\n

That very day I called my high school trainer, Tony Thompson. He owns the Train Hard gym<\/a> in Virginia Beach where I lived at the time. When I told him what I was going through, he said, “Tre, I got your back.” He told me to come in to see him, and I went.<\/p>\n

Walking into the gym changed the direction of my life. It\u2019s where I met one of my closest friends, Sczar Charles. He was an amateur fighter at the time, and kept telling me to give MMA a try. I didn\u2019t think I had the ability to be violent or successful in a ring. <\/p>\n

But Sczar and the people around me kept pushing to step outside that belief. Eventually, I took the leap and trusted God. I didn\u2019t wait until I felt fearless or ready. I did it scared. That decision to move forward despite the fear ended up changing everything. <\/p>\n

The New Routine That Transformed His Mind and Body<\/p>\n

I started a new routine that was simple, but intense. I ran two miles every morning at 11 a.m. Then I went to Train Hard from 2:30 to 5 p.m every day to work with Tony and Sczar. Right after that, I went straight to MMA training from 5 to 9 p.m, Monday through Friday. I was able to dedicate time to train because I was taking online classes for my senior year at school. The schedule varied day to day, but usually took place between 6 a.m and 10 a.m. and sometimes from 12 to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tony and Sczar never let me quit. On days when it snowed or rained, I would text asking if training was canceled, and they would always respond, \u201cWe do not make excuses\u2014we just work.\u201d Eventually, that became my mindset. Your body doesn\u2019t care about the weather. You show up anyway. <\/p>\n

My diet became strict and repetitive. I started eating eight ounces of lean ground turkey or chicken, 150 grams of white rice, and 100 grams of peas mixed with hot sauce\u2014and thankfully, my mom cooked. That became my favorite thing, since nobody makes food like her. I started weighing everything I ate, too. Nothing went into my body unless it touched the scale. That discipline changed everything for me.<\/p>\n

My faith also grounded me. Jesus Christ gives me strength each day. I learned that everything comes down to your mindset. If you win the war between your ears, your body will follow.<\/p>\n

Weight Loss and Boxing Wins<\/p>\n

I lost 100 pounds in eight months. I\u2019ve lost about 125 pounds in total. I feel better now at 27 than I ever did as a college athlete, because I finally understand how to take care of my body. After I lost that 100 pounds, I no longer cared about anyone else\u2019s opinion. I realized I was exactly who I always thought I could be. <\/p>\n

Boxing gave me that mental clarity. It forced me to confront who I was and helped me rebuild my identity on my own terms. It also led me to some impressive wins. <\/p>\n

I am now 3-0 with two first round knockouts\u2014one within the first six seconds of the fight. That moment in the ring wasn\u2019t just about boxing for me: It was the result of a complete transformation that started long before I ever put the gloves on. None of that could have happened without the people around me. The coaches at Round4Round Boxing Gym in Houston Texas, where I also train, believed in me. <\/p>\n

I am nowhere near finished. A few of my goals are to run a marathon<\/a>, complete an Ironman, and join Toastmasters, a professional development and speech group, so I can grow more confident and comfortable with public speaking. I want to keep pushing myself into places that once made me uncomfortable, because that is where I grow the most. It’s why I started sharing my story on TikTok<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> to inspire others who may be unsatisfied with their current position in life. Losing weight taught me that if you can conquer yourself, you can conquer anything in this world. <\/p>\n

Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Lisa is an internationally established health writer whose credits include Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Men\u2019s Health, Oprah Daily, Woman\u2019s Day, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper\u2019s Bazaar, Esquire, Glamour, The Washington Post, WebMD, Medscape, The Los Angeles Times, Parade, Health, Self, Family Circle and Seventeen. She is the author of eight best-selling books, including The Essentials of Theater.<\/p>\n