Throughout my childhood, all the way up to age 27-28, I was overweight. I tried to lose weight several times only to fall right back into my old habits, which consisted of plenty of alcohol, crap diet, little physical activity and a negative outlook towards the world and life being generally depressed. Not to mention the excess weight added back onto my frame and then some.

Around the age of 28 I had a real awakening after a few panic attacks and visits to doctors. I had a new drive, an awakening, a vision, or maybe even an obsession with getting fit. I felt an inner athlete screaming at me from within. Later, I called this the Iron Will. On a side note, I was also balding and dreaded being fat and bald. I could only change one of the two. That decision became the healthiest decision I’ve ever made.

I had dabbled with Muay Thai kickboxing on and off since the age of 22, and ignorantly decided that I needed to go beast mode with fight training, high intensity workouts and what I’d now call fad dieting. Paleo, Keto, Carb back loading, Carb cycling, butter in my coffee etc., were all methods I stuck to religiously. I lost over 100lbs, which was an amazing feat. I was happy with losing the weight, but that feeling was short lived. I burned the candle from both ends with the high intensity exercise and extreme dieting approach, leaving me over time far too thin, skinny fat, weak, frequently injured, often sick, I had a fear of certain foods or other training methods, little confidence, and most of all I was confused.

I later found that this is a classic trap that most people get into at some point in their weight loss journey. I found this out the hard way and can teach from my mistakes and experience.

Fast forward 10 years of working with trainers and coaches, studying and working as a trainer myself with several thousands of hours of sessions with clients, I have found the methods that work best for myself, and then others. I am much leaner, stronger, confident, rarely sick or injured, and have a much better, if not precise, understanding towards food and exercise that I can teach. Most importantly, I am happy.

This did not happen over-night. It was a process of trial and error. I thought I had seen the light and knew what I was doing until it led me into a deep hole that was hard to get out of. I see people going this same direction often in the confusing world of fitness, and I enjoy the challenge of coaching them out of that mindset, and guiding them through the steps towards a better version of themselves.