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<h2><strong>My story may sound familiar.</strong></h2>
I started off like so many others - perhaps you might now be in the shoes I was then. I had been a big guy my whole life. On the day my fitness journey started I was 23 years old and honestly couldn't remember a time where I wasn't big. Heck, the smallest pair of jeans I owned were 36" waist... which didn't fit, and hadn't since <em>8th grade</em>. But that was my reality... and I had come to accept it. Or rather... I was resigned to my fate.
<h2>Efforts to succeed... didn't.</h2>
Throughout my theretofore adult life I had tried and failed a number of times to lose weight. As you might guess, nothing really stuck. There were so many factors to which I could attribute my lack of forward progress. There was the lack of knowledge and direction, for one, which was a great foundation to build my hopes on. Then one could consider how helpful my incredible laziness and procrastination were to my endeavors. And of course there was the ever-pervasive sense of discomfort, inadequacy, and embarassment when I set foot in a gym, which led to my general lack of motivation to actually <em>do </em>the thing.
<h2>Motivation is a funny thing, though.</h2>
I learned, one day, that motivation is <strong>not </strong>the same thing as <em>needing to do a thing</em> or <em>wanting </em>to do a thing. "Motivation" is not "I want to lose weight". Motivation is different for everyone. For me... it was a deep, powerful inability to remain as I was for another moment. One day... at work... as I wore through the inner thigh of yet <em>another </em>pair of work pants due to fat thighs rubbing as I walked... Something snapped. I simply could no longer <em>be </em>like this anymore... overweight, unhappy in my own skin, uncomfortable and embarrassed with myself, and wearing baggy clothes to hide myself. I <em>had </em>to <strong>do</strong> something.
<h2><strong>And so it began.</strong></h2>
My wife and I (girlfriend at the time) began working out together. We started at home, in the basement or spare bedroom with one of those at-home workout DVD's I borrowed from a friend. At the time, I was too embarrassed, intimidated, and overwhelmed to go to an actual gym. So we did it on our own. We had each other, and we made it work. A year later I found myself 130 lbs lighter, significantly more confident and comfortable in my body... and I had even become a runner! All because we buckled down and did the work.

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<h2><strong>So what did we do? What can YOU do?</strong></h2>
We did strength training workouts, high-intensity interval training workouts, we ran and we even did yoga. A balance of ALL these things, not just sitting on an elliptical for an hour, helped build our success. We used dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands and even body weight to power our workouts.

It wasn't just workouts though - the other key component was nutrition. We completely change not just how we ate, but how we <em>thought about </em>food. Food became a fuel source, not a way to pass time or deal with emotions. We cut out things like soda, weaned ourselves off of some not-so-great choices, and focused on healthy, whole food choices. We didn't just do a 30, 60, or 90 day challenge, and we didn't do some short term or fad diet... we made <em>lifestyle changes. </em>And ultimately, that's why we succeeded and why the weight has stayed off.
<h2><strong>Life is very different today than it was Day 1.</strong></h2>
As a result of my fitness journey, I found a new passion for fitness. I became a runner, and used it as an outlet to push myself, to see just how far I could go. I've completed not just marathons, but <em>ultra</em>marathons - I've even completed a 100 mile endurance run (yes, all in one shot - 29 hours)! I also discovered a newfound passion for helping others navigate their own health &amp; fitness journey. Having been there myself, I knew how hard it could be. I remembered my own fitness journey, and wished it didn't have to be so hard. All the work, the research, the trial and error, the struggles... and I realized, it DIDN'T have to be that hard. So now, I share my story and work as a personal trainer to help others have a little bit of an easier go at it.
<h2><strong>You have to believe.</strong></h2>
There are going to be days it feels like "too much", "too hard", or altogether an insurmountable challenge. In those moments, know that you CAN do it. Having come out the other side successful... I can tell you, you CAN win. Lean on your friends, your family, and your coach to see you through to victory. You'll get there - in time, with work, and belief.

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