Transformation Tuesday | The Rebirth Of A Man
I remember when I was younger – I used to cry to my parents about how unfair life was. Why was I overweight? Why me? Why was I cursed? I also remember once telling her that I would give ANY sum of money to be “normal”… I would do anything to be muscular and healthy.
It haunted me, but l what i failed to realize is that its not money that would change my life – it is being determined and driven. I realized that if I only had one chance to do this, I should take it. And now I look back and realize that this is why God chose me to be overweight. He chose this journey for me because he hid the fortitude to overcome all of the negativity and to forge forward. And for that, I am thankful.
Everyday, I wake up and look in the mirror and see the changes that I’ve made; and I’ve realized I am actually living my dream. And now that I know what kind of dedication it takes, I will NEVER go back – I will never succumb to peer pressure, negative vibes, doubters and naysayers. They help me more than they hurt me.
At the un-healthiest part of my life, i was 378lbs. As any overweight dieter knows, that number would fluctuate monthly, depending on how unhappy I was. I remember seeing a video of myself at work one day, and I thought to myself – “Is that really me? What have I become?”
I had a sleepless night – between that and my doctor telling me that my weight was starting to me a serious problem, I decided that it was time to act. The first day I visited my nutritionist, i weighed 365lbs with a 50% body fat. I was started on a metabolism blast, which consisted of meal replacement bars at first, particularly Quest Bars.
Within the first 10 weeks, i had shed 40lbs. I have always been a goal oriented person. Something resonated within my body, and I felt like this was the right time. Quitting was no longer an option. I started doing exercises at home – pushups and situps. Then I started going to the gym and exploring the limits of my physical and mental strength. I was witnessing the rebirth of my mind, body and soul.
This is the hard part – understanding how this all ties together is not easy to preach about, as only those who have lived it can truly understand. Seeing the world with new eyes; living life on the other “side of the coin”. It is very surreal, yet also very scary. After 23 months, I found myself down over 200lbs. I was doing 100+ miles of cycling per week; I was eating clean with a protein based diet & minimal carb intake with no processed foods during my main meals. Never would I have thought that I would make it to 165lbs and 7.9% body fat.
I then realized that I had much success in losing weight, even better success with eating clean and understanding the physiological standpoint of my new healthy lifestyle. But yet I wanted more – I still want more. I had taken an impromptu trip to the gym with my friend and future personal trainer, Chris Smith – and I realized just how weak I was. Living a lifestyle based around eating and cardio was great, but as a blue collar male, I decided that I wanted to become more well rounded. I had always seen muscular people and thinking to myself “Man, I wish i could be like that” – and just like that, my new goal was set. I noticed that I had championed a lot of great habits in my journey, so why not give it a shot? I have never been one to back down from a challenge, so this would be my new goal.
I am still amidst my bulking and strengthening stage, and I have gained about 25lbs of muscle so far, and I am currently 190lbs and 9% body fat. My caloric intake has picked up from roughly 1800 calories to 3200 calories a day – this has been a challenge in itself, because or two years, I documented every morsel that came near me. And now, I had to find the time to eat more (all while eating clean). But challenges aren’t supposed to be easy, and I believe that if I trust the process – I will be rewarded in the end!
You can live your dream as well. See it. Feel it. Capture it. Then live it!
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