My “Aha” moment came a year ago at a friend’s Christmas party. I was chatting with a guy who was equally overweight (about 80 lbs) and I mentioned that I wanted to start working out, lose weight and get in shape. He looked me in the eye and said, “John, just face it … you’re fat like me and at our age, you always will be. Just accept it and you’ll be much happier.“
I looked at him and saw myself, and I didn’t like it. Was I really ready to throw in the towel at age 56, give up and resign myself to being obese, unattractive and unhealthy for whatever years I had left? I had severe sleep apnea, high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure and chronic indigestion. I was on a dozen medications and my health expenses exceeded some countries’ national budget. And I was tired all the time.
So, HELL NO! I’m not ready to give up. But what to do about it? I had terrible eating habits, couldn’t cook, didn’t like “health foods” and hadn’t seen the inside of a gym in years. Trying to get there from here seemed hopeless. I had already done all the diets, hired personal trainers, taken w/o classes – all with only limited and temporary results.
This time, I needed more, so I turned to my good friend Tammy, a resounding success story in her own right. She had overcome her own chronic battles with weight and unhealthy eating years ago through education, hard work and attitude. She became a chef and a trainer and now sports a hard, sculpted body that makes 25 year olds envious.
In the one year since my “Aha” moment, I have lost over 80 lbs, gotten off almost all of my meds and developed a chiseled, hard body of my own. I’m healthy, strong and confident and I get compliments all the time. My doctors can’t believe it.
So… how did I do it? The old school way: hard work, dedication, change of lifestyle. And a little magic. I would have failed many times over were it not for Tammy. Through a unique combination of tough love, hard work, understanding, humor, (and even a little fear) she inspired and motivated me, kept me on track, and made it fun and interesting. Never boring. Tammy seems to have some magical way of getting you to motivate yourself.
The other half was eating. Through Tammy, who is also an accomplished chef and nutritionist, I learned how to cook, how to eat, how to be aware of what’s in the foods we eat and how to make healthier choices. I discovered that eating healthy can be delicious, and after a while, cravings for greasy junk food just went away.
That’s my story. I feel younger, stronger, better than I did 20 years ago… and I know I’ll never go back. Somewhere along the line, the workouts were no longer a necessary evil – I began to look forward to them and actually felt bad if I had to miss one. The feeling of strength and self-discipline became powerful self-fulfilling motivators. But while I put in the work, it was my friend Tammy who made it possible for me to succeed. I wish everyone could have a Tammy.
I looked at him and saw myself, and I didn’t like it. Was I really ready to throw in the towel at age 56, give up and resign myself to being obese, unattractive and unhealthy for whatever years I had left? I had severe sleep apnea, high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure and chronic indigestion. I was on a dozen medications and my health expenses exceeded some countries’ national budget. And I was tired all the time.
So, HELL NO! I’m not ready to give up. But what to do about it? I had terrible eating habits, couldn’t cook, didn’t like “health foods” and hadn’t seen the inside of a gym in years. Trying to get there from here seemed hopeless. I had already done all the diets, hired personal trainers, taken w/o classes – all with only limited and temporary results.
This time, I needed more, so I turned to my good friend Tammy, a resounding success story in her own right. She had overcome her own chronic battles with weight and unhealthy eating years ago through education, hard work and attitude. She became a chef and a trainer and now sports a hard, sculpted body that makes 25 year olds envious.
In the one year since my “Aha” moment, I have lost over 80 lbs, gotten off almost all of my meds and developed a chiseled, hard body of my own. I’m healthy, strong and confident and I get compliments all the time. My doctors can’t believe it.
So… how did I do it? The old school way: hard work, dedication, change of lifestyle. And a little magic. I would have failed many times over were it not for Tammy. Through a unique combination of tough love, hard work, understanding, humor, (and even a little fear) she inspired and motivated me, kept me on track, and made it fun and interesting. Never boring. Tammy seems to have some magical way of getting you to motivate yourself.
The other half was eating. Through Tammy, who is also an accomplished chef and nutritionist, I learned how to cook, how to eat, how to be aware of what’s in the foods we eat and how to make healthier choices. I discovered that eating healthy can be delicious, and after a while, cravings for greasy junk food just went away.
That’s my story. I feel younger, stronger, better than I did 20 years ago… and I know I’ll never go back. Somewhere along the line, the workouts were no longer a necessary evil – I began to look forward to them and actually felt bad if I had to miss one. The feeling of strength and self-discipline became powerful self-fulfilling motivators. But while I put in the work, it was my friend Tammy who made it possible for me to succeed. I wish everyone could have a Tammy.