I weighed 265 lbs and was extremely fat my senior year of high school but was in denial. As most people in the lower socioeconomic standards of the U.S., my diet was very poor, mostly fast food and cheap, unhealthy foods. When I moved away for college, I lived with my brother, a former marine corps wrestler and certified personal trainer and he helped me make healthy decisions and guided me in working out. After a year of training I was able to get from 265 to 180, the lowest weight of my adult life. After picking up an interest in bodybuilding and power lifting, I began another journey - to build muscle and "bulk". When college was over, and all of the free time vanished upon finding a job in the world, my "bulking" eating habits persisted while my motivation and frequency of gym visits drastically declined. After almost two years of working, I can see myself approaching the point I was in high school. Although I still go to the gym regularly 2-3 times per week, my workouts are a fraction of what they used to be. I am here to make the change once again, and adapt as my life becomes increasingly more busy and I have to make sacrifices in personal luxuries for my fitness goals.

At one point, before I started putting on muscle, I lost 85 lbs. I have probably added 15 years to my life expectancy and I feel and look a whole bunch better. The gym has always been a great place for me to relax mentally, as I can just concentrate on form and be in the moment without my mind racing and thinking of everything else that I have to do.