Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your daily life.

I am a busy parent of a 15-month-old daughter and I am a teacher.  My daily routine is fairly simple and repetitive. I go to work, workout, and then spend the evenings with my family and friends.

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Before you entered the Coaching, what was your experience regarding physical activity?

Before I entered coaching my health and life style was definitely not the first thing I thought about daily.  I grew up very involved in sports and weight lifting but after a major back surgery I seriously let myself go.  It started as a fear of reinjuring my back, but in reality, it was laziness. I gained over 150 pounds and was drinking and living a very unhealthy lifestyle.  I spent about 7 years with little to no real exercise and no real desire to do so. My diet was a nightmare - way to much sugar and late night snacks.

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Why did you seek out a Personal Trainer?

The birth of my daughter was a huge wake up call.  My biggest fear is being too fat and to out of shape to go outside and play with her as she grows.  This was all the motivation that I needed - I really wanted to be better to myself and try and become the best man and father for my family.

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After entering the Coaching, what was the biggest changeover for you?

The biggest change so far for me is how much better I feel.  At this point I have lost 91 pounds and don’t plan to slow down.  Over the last year I went from feeling like a dumpster fire most days, to being much happier and much more excited about my life.

 

How did your energy levels and sleep change since the Coaching?

Since I have altered my diet to a much healthier one and have added a workout regimen my energy levels are much higher. This has helped me in multiple ways. I have become a more active father and husband, but I also have more energy to teach and work with kids all day.  My sleep is another story; I do have a small child at home so most nights I consider myself lucky if I get 6-7 hours of sleep.

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What is your favorite breakfast now?

I am not a big morning eater.  In fact before I started the working with Marcus I would often not eat breakfast or lunch.  I would have an unhealthy snack after work and then eat a very unhealthy dinner, pizza, burgers, etc.  I would end every night with a large glass of chocolate milk and cereal or something sweet. I have completely changed my habits.  Every morning I have a protein shake and fruit to start my day off on a positive note.

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How often (per week) and how long (per workout) do you train?

I go to the gym 5-6 days a week religiously, if something comes up and I have to miss a day I will make it up on Sunday.  My normal workouts range anywhere from 1 ½ hours to 3 hours a day. Depending on what muscle group I’m focusing on.

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Did you train with your Coach exclusively or also alone? If both, what was the difference?

I train on my own but I use Marcus as a life line for advice on diet or new workouts when I need to change things up.

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What is your favourite exercise?

I don’t really have a favorite exercise I just enjoy the time in the gym.  I use it as therapy if I’ve had a hard day or have any problems, I work them out in the gym.  The quiet time is my favorite part.

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Did you do cardio for weight-loss?

I don’t really do “cardio” - I focus on reps and sets and use a lot of super sets to elevate my heart.

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How did your social environment react to your changes in the recent weeks and months?

I do find it very rewarding to get praise or comments from people regarding my weight loss.  When you see yourself everyday sometimes you fail to notice the changes happening, but over the past year I’ve lost half a person and it does feel good when people notice.

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How about the future? Any new goals and/or plans?

I am focused on hitting my goal of dropping 100 pounds, I am very close and it is a great motivation.  I set one goal and work until I hit it and then I reevaluate and set a new goal. My first goal was to drop 15 pounds and I felt happy when it happened, sometimes I can’t believe that I’m almost to 100 but I find that setting smaller realistic achievable goals helps me a lot.  I have had some struggles and obvious so slip ups on diet but I know that if I keep myself on track that I will reach all of my goals.