My Beginning-Diet

It Started With A Thought

My decision to kickstart my health and fitness journey was not a spontaneous one. It was a culmination of not feeling like myself, low energy, a bad relationship with food (think eat whatever I want, however much I want, and whenever I want), and a desire to change the way I look. Often, I would think about starting to eat “right”, join the gym and get healthier, but I never did.

The Turning Point

One day, as I struggled to climb a flight of stairs, I had a moment of clarity. I realized that my body was capable of so much more than I was giving it credit for. It was a wake-up call that prompted me to take ownership of my health and fitness, starting from that very moment.

Getting Started

I knew that the key to success in any journey is to set clear and achievable goals, but when it came to health and fitness, I had no idea where to start. I scheduled a tour of a local gym and met with a “personal trainer” to go over my goals. I had no idea what to tell him other than to build muscle and feel better (that is what I thought I needed at the time). He told me to build muscle, I needed to eat, eat, and eat,,,you know “eat big, get big”. And to my ears at that moment of my journey, it was magical. What I was hearing was keep eating everything you want and lift weights and you will start feeling better. So that is what I did…

Embracing The Advice

Trying to implement this advice was challenging, because I was already eating so much food, and now I had to eat more to start feeling and looking better. I added some protein shakes, more candy, and more sweets for about a week, and by the end of that week, I was miserable. I was 5-10lbs heavier. I was not full of energy. And so I did the next best thing for me…went to google.

Finding Help On Google

One of the most crucial aspects of my journey was navigating through ALL of the health and fitness jargon online. After spending a few hours researching, I was more confused and hopeless. I decided to schedule another meeting with the personal trainer and share with him my new found “google” knowledge. Because I didn’t know what my goals were, he gave me advice just on the things that I wanted…which was to build muscle…instead of giving me advice on what I NEEDED to do, which was to lose weight. So I made another change, put all of my energy on losing weight.

Celebrating Small Wins

I was at 195lbs, the heaviest I had ever been. I have always been a naturally skinny guy. So I made a goal to lose 10lbs and see what happened. For the first 3-4 weeks, I was losing between 1-2lbs a week! As I progressed on my journey, I realized the importance of celebrating even the smallest victories. Whenever I lost 5lbs, I would reward myself with a normal soda (I switched all of my normal soda for diet soda) or a candy bar (I switched all of my candy bars to protein bars…definitely didn’t taste the same, but I got use to it quickly). Fruits and vegetables became a part of my diet. I was focusing on eating at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. I wasn’t eliminating my favorite foods, I just exchanged ingredients in my favorite foods that were lower in calories and higher in protein.

The Transformative Power

10lbs turned into 15lbs, which turned into 20, 25, 35, 40lbs. I was down to 155lbs. I was blown away. Looking back on where I started and where I am now, I am in awe of the transformative power of committing to my health and fitness. Not only have I seen physical changes in my body, but I have also experienced a newfound sense of confidence, resilience, and energy in all areas of my life.

Conclusion

Embarking on my health and fitness journey has been a transformative experience, one that has taught me the importance of perseverance, discipline, and pushing beyond my limits. It is a journey that I continue to embrace with open arms, knowing that the rewards far outweigh the challenges.

How About You?

Where are you in your health and fitness journey? Maybe you are exactly where you want to be and happy with how things are going. That is great news, keep going. Maybe you are currently at a point in your life where I was not so long ago. Maybe you have no idea how to start or what to even do. I would love to share with you more and be your coach as you look to make and reach your health and fitness goals. If that is you, please feel free to reach out to me and I would love to share with you more.

-Tim