Team Beachbody Guest

I have battled with my weight for much of my life. Although I take full
responsibility for my decisions, I also see that there were contributing
factors. Part of that was due to my self-esteem issues. Like many people, my
parents divorced when I was 7-years old, and my mom soon remarried. At
the age of 15, my step-dad, who was a police officer, was killed in the line of
duty. Six months later my grandfather died, followed a few months later by
my grandmother. These events birthed in me a lack of confidence and a
sense of abandonment. I turned to food for comfort and spent too many
hours in front of the TV. I finally lost a lot of weight at 17 after spending my
junior year of high school at a military academy. For the next 12 years my
weight yo-yoed up and down, but I managed to keep my weight within a
reasonable range.

When my wife and I met eight years ago, I was in decent physical condition. I
was working out 6 days a week doing a combination of weight training,
cardio, and martial arts. Even though I was physically active, my eating habits
still left a lot to be desired. After 7 years of marriage, going back to school to
continue my education, and the birth of our two boys, I had put on about 60
lbs. of fat. I had adapted a sedentary lifestyle, and had horrible eating habits.
I had tried various diet pills and other programs, but the diet pills had
adverse side effects, and I didn’t stick with any of the programs. At over 260
lbs. I was the fattest I had ever been. Shortly after the birth of our second son
in July 2006, we were visiting my father in Nashville, when he commented on
my size and expressed concern about my health. The next week, I went to my
doctor for a physical, and the results were not good. I had high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, and was borderline diabetic. I could no longer
afford to be apathetic when it came to my health! That was just the kick in
the pants I needed to get motivated to get back in shape. I started out by
changing my eating habits. I eliminated all of the junk food, the bad carbs
and bad fats, and replaced them with lean meats, good carbs, and good fats.
Within two months of eating healthy, I noticed that I felt better and was
already starting to drop weight, but knew that I needed to start working out
again. My wife had ordered the Slim-in-6 program a couple of years ago, and
I started alternating work outs with Debbie Siebers with weight training. I
remember feeling a little silly and self-conscious the first time I put one of
those videos in, thinking that those videos weren’t “masculine” enough. That
soon changed to embarrassment when Debbie was kicking my butt. But I was
determined, so I kept pushing play. I also noticed that my new eating habits
fell right in line with Michi’s ladder. The pounds continued to fall off, and by
Thanksgiving I had lost nearly 40 lbs. My family and friends were all amazed
at the results I was getting. I had been a reserve deputy for a couple of years
and had recently applied for a full-time position as a deputy sheriff. I knew
from my previous experience in the academy that I would need to be in the
best shape of my life in order to excel in the academy. I’ve always struggled
with pull-ups and I needed to be able to do 10 for my final PT test. That’s
when I started looking for ways to take it to the next level—I needed extreme
fitness! I was impressed by what I saw in the P90X program and decided that
I would continue what I was doing until the end of the year and then begin
P90X on January 1. The first few days of P90X, I wasn’t sure I was going to
make it, but I kept pushing play and doing my best. One of the things that
stuck in my mind was Tony saying, “Don’t say ‘I can’t,’ say ‘I presently
struggle with.’” When I started, I could only manage 1 half-way decent pull-
up. By the end of phase 3, I was doing 10, just in time for the academy.
Thanks Tony! In addition to P90X, I have also been using the supplements
and finding support in the community groups! The transformation I have
gone through in the past year is nothing short of amazing! When I first
started this journey last September, I could not even conceive that I would
ever be in this kind of shape, much less this quickly! I am leaner and stronger
than I have ever been. I have increased muscle strength, size, control,
endurance, and flexibility. I finished at the top of my class at the sheriff’s
academy. My blood-pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol are all in healthy
ranges, and I when I went in for my annual physical, my doctor couldn’t
believe how much I had changed.

My friends and family tell me that I am an inspiration to them, and I know
that I am passing on healthy habits to my children. My 3-year-old son loves
to workout with daddy and does his best to mimic what I am doing. Thanks to
my healthier lifestyle, I also know that I have a lot better chance of being
around for my kids for a long time. When people ask me how I’ve achieved
my results, I tell them my story and send them to my Coach’s page to find the
program that fits their needs. I want to thank Beachbody for making such
incredible products and for giving me a new lease on life.