I came to the U.S in April 2002, my weight was 140 pounds, the first year I gained 20 pounds, I'm just 5'5" and any gain of weight is really notorious. Then I started working in a pizza restaurant and I gained like 5 more pounds, I was already 165, I began going to the college to learn English, Music, and suddenly thanks to the burritos, tacos, quesadillas, I gained 20 more pounds. I had never been that fat in all my life. I was like 183 pounds. I remember that once when I was at the college I look to myself at the window while I was walking, and I just saw a big fat belly and I was, that should have been just an illusion. My cousin used to tell me, Alvaro, you're fat, you're getting so fat, and I didn't pay attention at all. I kept my horrible eating habits. I remember that I bought 4 t-shirts at Banana Republic, and I tried to wear them, but they were too tight and that was the day when I realized that I was so fat that I couldn't wear those t-shirts. It was too embarrassing. I decided to move out of the house and stay away from the roommates who were a really bad influence. I began going to the gym and dieting, the most important thing, I think it was august 2006, and I just cut quesadillas, burritos, tacos, white bread, rice, potato, I completely cut junk food for 3 months, and I lost 20 pounds. I was like 164-162, and I just started everything again but I never quit working out. I didn't lose any weight for like 6 months, I was happy with my weight and with what I had accomplished. But I was still 20 or 18 pounds overweight. I bought hydroxy cut hardcore, and it helped me but I didn't do the right diet, and I just kept eating a lot of carbs and ice cream, cheez it, those crackers were killing me. One year passed, and now I'm writing this, living by myself for the last 2 months, and I've decided to make the last effort and lose the 18 pounds that I need to reach my goal, and then I want to stay lean but I want to have good definition in my body.

I love working out because it just relaxes me, I like to go to the gym and steal exercises from the instructors and from the guys who are already built, I always ask questions, but definitely I think I need a good routine because I've gone for one year and the changes have been minimal, but thanks God that I've lost weight in this first year.