I have pretty much always been an athletic type of guy, but I never could be considered a fitness enthusiast. I played sports growing up and faired pretty well, but I didn't quite hit my full potential because I didn't take the whole fitness lifestyle seriously. I joined the army and stayed in decent shape because I had to, but that was the bulk of my working out-pushups, sit-ups, 2 mile runs. That's it.
Once I got out of the military, I guess I let myself go. I had ballooned up to 285lbs. I would sit home and eat and eat and eat. I was that guy who said, "I hate how I look." But I continued to eat the fried chicken and cheeseburgers. I bought the fitness magazines, the programs on TV, the supplements and I wondered why nothing worked. Looking back, now I realize that all of that could have worked if I had just changed my mind set.
You can say you want to get in shape and actually start to move in that direction, but until your mindset changes it's all for nothing. It wasn't till I changed my way of thinking and honestly got tired of the way I looked with my shirt off that I started to make the proper changes.
I lost 100 pounds in 1 year and 2 months, and I am in the best shape of my life. I thank Bobybuilding.com, BodySpace, Steve Poynter (Stevep78) and last but not least, my wife Nikia Dyson (NDyce).
I finally realized that if there is something about myself that I don't like, I'm going to change it. I have continued to do so, and here I am.
I lost 100 pounds in 1 year and 2 months, and I am in the best shape of my life.
What inspired you to make a change in your physique and your mind?
I would have to say that family is the reasoning for me wanting to make a change. I wanted to first and foremost set a good example for my children, to let them know that you can enjoy life and all the things it has to offer while still being healthy.
I feel as though I am married to the greatest wife and mother in the world, so I wanted to make sure that she felt the same way about me. I do what I do to look good for her. I want her to look at me and be totally blown away by what she sees.
Also, looking at my family (Mom, Dad, Grandparents, etc.) who all have some type of medical issue associated with weight, I wanted to break that cycle.
What was the tipping point and pivotal moment where you knew it was time to make a change?
For me, there were two things that caused me to really evaluate my life and the route I was going, which were my grandfather's passing and a picture of me.
My grandfathers passing really lit a fire in me to do something about my health. He was overweight, and I believe that a lot of the medical issues he developed over the last few months of his life were brought on due to his issues with weight.
I remember the other moment clear as day. I was at home going through pictures and came across one of me walking through the park. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had ballooned up to 280 plus pounds from 200 pounds. After staring at the picture for a good 5 minutes or so I decided that it was time for a change, and so I made a New Year's resolution to do something about it.
Trelas's top 5 Motivation Tips
- JOIN BODYSPACE! Teaming up with fellow fitness enthusiasts lets you know that you aren't going on this fitness journey alone. Surround yourself with people that share the same goals and want the same types of things for not only themselves but for you as well.
- Always give 110% in everything that you do. Whether it is weight training, dieting, cardio, or family, it doesn't matter because you should strive to be your best self.
- The key to success is consistency.
- Remember that this thing called fitness is a marathon and not a sprint.
- Find a quality workout and meal plan that specifically meets your goal. Find something you enjoy and look forward to doing; you should never dread training or what you're eating. If you want, you can find a trainer that can help design a program to help you reach the goals you desire. For me, it was my online trainer Steve Poynter (www.fitnesspoynters.com or Stevep78 on BodySpace.)