Who am I? Here is my story...

 

The start of my weight gain...

I worked in Retail Sales and as a Store Manager in Cellular for about a decade and slowly gained weight throughout my 20's.  I would crash diet and gain the weight back during this period of my life.  My weight was around 240 but slowly increased to about 280-300 over the next decade.  Then I moved into banking.  I worked at the cooperate office for a large midwestern bank as a Manager for about 10 years and I lived a very sedentary lifestyle. I would sit all day at work for 8-10 hours at a time and then go home and often play video games or watch tv. Health was not a priority and fitness was not a part of my life at all.  

 

My breaking point and peak weight...

I reached my peak weight when I was 39 years old.  I looked down at the scale and was 320lbs.  That is this guy above on the left.  I hated myself.  I would use food, video games, and alcohol to escape a lifestyle and career that I didn't want.  I don't have a lot of pictures of me from this period of my life because I hated seeing how I looked.  My unhealthy coping strategies effected my relationships, my career, and my health. I had to make a change.

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I made a choice to start down a new path...

I decided that I was going to lose the weight no matter what it took. I stopped drinking.  I started walking 2-3 hours a day. Restricted my calories to 1500 a day, cut out carbs to less than 50 grams a day and lost 85lbs in about 7 months.  I decided that I wanted to help other people lose weight too and I started studying to become a Certified Personal Trainer,

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Failing into success...

There was a big problem with my plan at this point!  I didn't know what I as doing yet.  The way I lost that 85lbs wasn't sustainable.  I was a keto zealot.  Using extreme calorie restriction, avoiding an entire macronutrient, and not incorporating resistance training left me in a bad place metabolically and also had me dangerously close to an eating disorder when I inevitably stopped doing keto. I had some disordered eating habits for sure.  Worse than that...I hadn't learned any new habits to control my calorie intake other than avoiding carbs.  I gained weight back at a rapid pace.  I realized that there was more to this weight loss thing than just using pain and will power.  Feeling a little defeated.... I dove back into my personal training courses and learned everything I could.  I wanted to lose this fat forever.    

 

If you are curious about some of my favorite books and podcasts that helped me during this period? I have some of my favorites listed on this page under Resources and Recommendations.

 

The realization period...

The good news is... I didn't quit!  This is where the old me would have given up.  I didn't give up and go back to my old lifestyle and career path.  Trust me when I say that I was tempted many times by my old salary and security and it was very difficult to keep going, but I was more afraid of going back to that old life style.  I kept working more active odd jobs while focusing on gaining the knowledge and skills to become the best personal trainer I could possibly become for my clients. I kept studying.  I started tracking my calories with a focus on protein and fiber, following a full body workout 2 days a week and I kept walking regularly.  I really found a great new habit in walking because I enjoyed walking and listening to books and podcasts. I want to point out here that I wasn't able to work on all these new habits all at once.  I failed a lot.  It took time and intention to make them regular habits in my life.  After gaining a lot of muscle over the next year or so I was finally ready to use my personal training certification and took for my first job as a personal trainer in a big box type gym.  I learned a lot about working with all different types of clients and found that I was able to retain clients a higher rate than my peers, get them results, and people enjoyed working with me and the approach I took to fitness.  I learned a lot as a personal trainer in the gym and I was ready to move into the next phase of helping people lose weight with my own weight loss coaching strategies and without the limitations of the gym.

 

The start of something new...

Personal training for people like me when I was 320lbs is an underserved community.  Programs in gyms aren't always designed with you in mind specifically.  It can be uncomfortable and inconvenient to work on your weight loss around other people at the start of your journey.  A lot of trainers don't modify the exercises properly or craft them in a way with your body type in mind, especially in a group setting this can be disheartening when you have to do a different exercise than the rest of the group. Not to mention the cost can be expensive with a long term 6-12 month contract.  I wanted to offer a solution that allows you to workout in your own home, at an affordable price, and with programming designed with you in mind customized to each person and their goals.  I don't believe in trapping clients within a contract.  You should stay because you see the value and results.  I have worked hard to build this coaching business and to become the person I wish I had to help me along my journey. 

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My promise...

I am taking all that I have learned on my journey and putting it out into the world over multiple social media platforms for free and anyone that wants more direct help can hire me for coaching and training.  I am dedicated to helping people reach their weight loss goals sustainably. 

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