I have been somewhat of an extreme person as far as my diet and exercise routine is concerned. There was a time in my life where I worked at a pizza joint at 16 years-old and would gorge on junk at work and home as much as possible. If I could even possibly stuff something in my stomach and enjoy the taste, I would do so. I remember stepping on a scale at 16 years-old and seeing it read 306 lbs. I always was a pretty confident guy, but I still hated how I looked without a shirt on and hated knowing that I was causing myself to live an unhealthy lifestyle. It took ever bit of energy I had just to get through the school day as it was. Working on top of it for a few hours several days a week left me feeling like a zombie. I literally almost felt like I was half stupid after I got to a certain point of fatigue. I was pretty much just in a daze half of the time. One day, I ate a bunch of pizza at a restaurant with my dad. I started sweating and not feeling good after. I suddenly lost my appetite and this lasted for months. I figured hey, if I'm not hungry then I might as well eat healthy. I was young and didn't know how to lose weight the right way. I ate 2 Lean Cuisine meals a day and that was it. I got down to around 210 lbs and was a rail at 6'4". I felt so much more energetic and people around me told me that my whole personality changed. They said I seemed so much happier, confident, and more outgoing. I soon dropped to 195 lbs. I remember several times I would get dizzy from standing and pass out and wake up upon hitting the floor. My mom and dad would make comments about how "skinny" my little wrists were or how sunken in my chest looked. This infuriated my because I felt like I busted my butt to lose weight and instead of being proud, they were criticizing me. I felt hopeless. In hindsight, I understand that they were concerned because they saw that I was becoming unhealthy. Anyways, I guess seeing how much of an effect a change in weight made to my happiness made me start becoming interested in working out. Soon after the stage that I just mentioned, I just ran and played a lot of basketball. My best friend would lift weights sometimes as would a lot of guys in my college gym. I had always wanted to be muscular. I got my first weight set when I was about 12 years-old. I remember watching the videos that came with it and being glued to the tv in amazement at the physique of the guys lifting weights. I paid attention to every word that they said. I guess one day in college I decided to give it a whirl. I asked my best friend and roommate if he wanted to do it with me. We started lifting and the rest was history. Although I started out struggling to get 8 reps with 95 lbs on flat barbell bench press, I loved feeling my muscles swell up and noticing the changes in my physique and seeing the weights become easier and easier. I have consistently lifted weights several days a week ever since. My diet has continued to fluctuate. Sometimes I go through phases where I resort back to being gluttonous and eat enormous amounts of all of the wrong things. Other times, I watch the clock waiting for my 3 hour time duration to pass so that I can take my next protein shake or else eat my next healthy meal. I refrain from all alcohol and get so obsessed that I hate leaving the house and going out with people to do anything in fear that my routine and gains will be hindered because of it. I know how much of a positive impact being healthy and in shape has on me and I want to get as much of that feeing as possible. I am doing all of the right things and can't wait to see the results months down the road.

It literally effects everything in my life. It gives me a sense of achievement, excitement, energy, health, happiness, and confidence to name a few. I love being excited about my life and feeling as if I'm doing the right things and not being complacent and letting my life pass by. Life is short and I don't want to have any "what-ifs" when I'm older. I want to give it all that I have while I'm here.