Every once in a while, I need to remind myself how fat I was and how far I’ve come.

 

This is me at well over 300 lbs. I wore XXL shirts and size 44 pants. I felt uncomfortable, tired, and slow. Trust me, it sucked.

 

On the right is me at 200 lbs, wearing an L or XL shirt (depending on the brand) and size 32 pants. I feel healthier, stronger, and more confident.

 

 

The best advice I can give is this: ignore the voices in your head that tell you that you can't do it!

 

Sure, it takes some discipline. Sure, it means eating better and working out. But trust me, you'll feel 100 times better!

 

One quote that really helped me was: "You can have results or excuses. You can't have both."

 

I always wanted to work out, eat less, and be healthy, but I didn't know where to start and I lacked confidence. Every time I tried, I would quit.

 

I would watch The Biggest Loser and feel happy for the contestants, thinking maybe one day that could be me.

 

 

 

But deep down, I knew it was a matter of time.

 

Friends would joke and laugh at me, which hurt but also motivated me.

 

Then, I saw a friend of mine lose some weight. He was stubborn and set in his ways, and I thought, 'If he can do it, what can I do?'

 

I wanted to do it for my kids. I had three young boys at the time, and I was always tired.

 

I also had a friend who didn’t give up on getting me to work out and box with him.

 

I’d been a bigger guy since high school, so I was used to it. It took a mix of different things to really get started, but those are the ones I remember the most.

 

 

 

I started the journey in September 2017.

 

I knew that if any of this was going to work, I had to eat right and workout every day.

 

At first, I ate a good breakfast every morning, but over time, I switched to a protein shake in the mornings.

 

I took a gym class every morning, thanks to working from home. I usually used cannabis before class, which helped me focus on the exercises and stay motivated.

 

My best friend, who owned a gym, was also a personal trainer, so I either trained with him or took his classes—or sometimes both on the same day.

 

When I felt hungry, I sometimes used cannabis to distract myself and get back to work, following the same routine.

 

Food-wise, I focused mainly on protein and avoided fats, sugars, and carbs. This was a big change for someone who used to eat whatever, whenever.

 

What I learned is that yes, it’s about what you eat, but it’s also about how many calories you burn daily. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume.

 

You can’t just eat seven Big Macs and expect to burn them all off, so I made better food choices.

 

I weaned myself off habits like eating chips while watching TV or having a nightly ice cream bowl. I found alternatives or used cannabis to avoid snacking at night.

 

I really fell in love with working out because I enjoyed the classes, the people, the trainers, and the music.

 

I started riding a bicycle when I was out in California and it was a beach cruiser type, so when I came back, I thought I would want to get one of those bikes; it’s called the townie.

 

So essentially, I would get a bike ride in for about an hour a day, that really brought me peace because I would use my headphones be in the sun feel the breeze on my bike and I was working out at the same time.

 

That still to this day is my biggest habit.

 

 

 

The weight started coming off quickly, and I was motivated because everyone noticed and complimented me.

 

 

 

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That motivated me to keep pushing toward my goal. I also avoided alcohol for a period because I figured I couldn’t afford to waste calories on it.

 

Eventually, on weekends, I would drink something, but I chose drinks with fewer calories.

 

I would have people tell me they started getting bicycles because they saw me riding mine so often and felt motivated. I always thought it was funny, but honestly, many people said the same thing.

 

I posted a lot on social media, which was encouraging for me and motivating for others. I figured I could use it as a way to inspire positivity.

 

I was able to do more with my kids and move around more easily.

 

More people started joining me for workouts, and that has become my greatest achievement over the years.

 

I began motivating others, and this is my proudest non-scale victory.