Body Transformation: Extreme Measurements!

AGE 44 HEIGHT 5'8" WEIGHT 240 lbs BODY FAT 28%	AGE 44 HEIGHT 5'8" WEIGHT 169 lbs BODY FAT 9%

In years past, I was a competitive runner, bodybuilder, and beach volleyball player. I was in good shape through my mid to late 30s, but by age 44 I was very overweight at 240 pounds with 28-30 percent body fat. I constantly felt the ill effects when I tried to perform simple athletic tasks. I was out of breath tying my shoes in the morning.

I was on two high blood pressure medications and suffered from sleep apnea. At that point, I wanted to be who I once was for my family's sake as much as for my own health and peace of mind.

My 16-year-old son Zack follows in my footsteps and runs varsity cross country and indoor/outdoor track for his high school. I suffered through difficulty and pain jogging between vantage points to watch him compete. I realized that I had to do something.

I started with basic cardio on the treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike, but quickly grew tired of it and turned to Bodybuilding.com for guidance. I followed suggestions from HD Abs: The Ab-Etching Diet—4 Weeks Of Fat Burning by Mike Roussell, Ph.D, Ask The Ripped Dude: What Are Your Top Fat-Burning Foods? by Obi Obadike, and the nutrition overview in Greg Plitt's MFT28, the program I started with.

I wanted the benefits of lean bulking in Greg's program, but didn't want to slow down or lose focus of my aerobic training, so I modified his program. Prior to work, I followed his morning program exactly, but replaced the evening workouts with HIIT or steady state cardio.

I finished MFT28 and couldn't be happier with the results. I was down to 185 pounds and 10 percent body fat. I made consistent strength and endurance gains in the 28 days and lost 55 pounds and 20 percent body fat in four months.

Instead of watching my son compete from the sidelines, I began running 5ks with him and was hired as the assistant coach for the spring track and field team at his high school. I hope to continue coaching in the fall when cross country starts.

When I started this journey, I had no idea what was on the horizon. After learning to set and hit mini goals, I can say that change is within anyone's grasp if you're willing to follow simple rules. Get up and start something. Set attainable goals and don't stop until you reach them. Repeat the cycle and start enjoying life again.

As with any change, it didn't come without several challenges. The hardest part is to take the first step, but that hurdle only needs to be cleared once (your first successful goal). It will never happen if you don't get out of your comfy chair, throw on workout clothes, and take the plunge.

Take the first step with confidence that you will follow through with conviction and everything will fall into place from there.

The only prediction I can make for my long-term fitness future is I plan to keep it as a mainstay in my life with a continued emphasis on weightlifting and cardio. I intend to coach my son throughout his last two years of high school and would like to compete in a master's bodybuilding competition.

I'm also looking to attain my certified personal training certification to help others achieve their fitness goals.

Bodybuilding.com was designed with your success in mind. I found BodySpace to be an invaluable tool. It starts with your current goal and progress to give you quick access to make updates to your body weight, body fat percentage, measurements, motivation level, friends, activities, and much more. Add a workout or create you own to track and manage your progress from BodySpace.