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| AGE 40 HEIGHT 6'2" WEIGHT 213 lbs BODY FAT 43% |
AGE 40 HEIGHT 6'2" WEIGHT 194 lbs BODY FAT 16% |
I was overweight since childhood with bad eating habits and no exercise whatsoever. Some days, I went without food and only ate one huge meal at night. If I got really hungry, I bought fast food or ate pizza. My health deteriorated and I developed high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol due to poor nutrition.
I finally grew tired of being embarrassed to take my shirt off and started to worry about my health because I could feel and see myself deteriorating. My wife started training about a year ago and asked me to join her in a 12-week transformation. I had nothing to lose except fat, so I committed and off we went on our journey to a better, healthier life.
I went to a personal trainer who conducted my full-body assessment. He created a diet and a gym program for me to follow. I went in for follow-up consultations every four weeks to monitor my progress.
It was tough not to cheat. Luckily, my wife supported me 100 percent and was with me every step of the way. It was amazing to have my best friend stand with me through everything. The first few months were tough to adjust to the new diet, the frustrations, and living for cheat days. It took dedication. The food preparation is time consuming and it requires hard work and ingenuity to keep the food interesting. I keep telling my friends that my wife now has 101 recipes for chicken breast filets.
This challenge was more mental than physical because you have to keep your mind focused on your goal to achieve it. The training was easy and fun, so I had no problems there. The formula is: 60 percent diet, 30 percent training, and 10 percent rest.
Cardio and the cod—i.e., my diet—were extremely hard at times.
My future plan is to make my current "after" photo my next "before" photo.
The secret to getting ahead is getting started. Listen to other people's advice, but do your own research to learn what is best for you.
When you start this journey, there are many influences. People at the gym, friends, and family have an opinion about training, dieting, and supplements. I believe you should listen to your own body.
This is where Bodybuilding.com came into the picture for me. I did research on the site almost every day about supplements, diets, and avoiding plateaus. The forums and the advice throughout were superb.