The long version? Here you go:
I've worked out off and on my whole life. I was overweight as a kid and never really understood how to manage my weight. I'd lose and gain weight and never know why or how to control it. At 5'11", I've weighed anywhere from 155 - 240 lbs. Even when my weight would drop, I was never could see my abs (although my friends called me Skeletor) and I just assumed that I had bad genetics.

That didn't stop me from trying, it was just the excuse I fell back on every time I failed. I tried everything. No carbs, low carbs, counting calories, paleo - nothing seemed to work consistently. Those diets were coupled with P90X, long distance running, crossfit, etc. Even after 3 months of crossfit and paleo eating and I looked the same.

I always knew that I let my body keep me from enjoying life. I never played sports. I never went swimming. Running was my outlet and I was never very good at that. Over the years, I accepted my fate but tried to keep exercising for health reasons (I have a heart and a liver condition). Recently, I realized that I was missing out on enjoying time with my children and I decided that I needed to change. I didn't want to keep them from the pool, but I didn't want to be the fat dad either.

July 2013 I started meeting with a personal trainer who gave me a nutritional plan. The plan was simple enough that I could do it, yet altered my eating habits enough that it made a difference. I started the plan, stopped running, started walking and lifting. It worked and I dropped fat and built muscle. I dropped from 27% to 10% bodyfat and put on 27 pounds of muscle. Now I want to maintain my muscle and drop my bodyfat down a little more - just to prove that I can.

It's the perfect outlet. We all have bodies yet most of us know so little about them and treat them poorly. Working out is physical, mental, and emotional for me. I love the way I feel after a good workout. So much that I have to force myself to take rest days.