216 Pounds, One Hour of Sleep, and Jeans That Didn't Fit
I want to tell you how this whole thing started, because if you're a busy parent who feels like there's no version of your life that includes being in shape, I used to be you. Exactly you. This is my story, first person, no filters.
During my wife's pregnancy, cooking at home became nearly impossible. She was dealing with constant nausea and food aversions, and I was living off of every fast food restaurant you could name — McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Popeyes. None of it was healthy, and I put on a substantial amount of weight. Then our twin daughters arrived, and things didn't get better; they got busier. Most nights I was running on one hour of sleep, taking care of twins, and working full-time as an elementary school teacher. I kept making unhealthy choices, kept grabbing sugary snacks, and the scale kept climbing.
At 5 foot 5 inches, I hit 216 pounds. None of my clothes fit. I could barely bend over to tie my shoes, and walking up the stairs left me out of breath. I was the dad who couldn't keep up with his own kids. After talking with a few friends about it, I decided it was time for a change — and I want to be honest about how unglamorous the start was. I did research. Intermittent fasting, eating within a calorie deficit. That was it. I managed my nutrition and added minimal cardiovascular exercise, and I dropped 40 pounds.
Then I started lifting regularly and got down to 165. I was proud — I'd done it with no guidance, just my own willpower, for myself and my family. But I knew there was more body fat to lose, and more importantly, I'd learned the lesson that changed everything: willpower got me started, but support is what finished it. I sought professional help, and with my trainers at Wolf Fitness I shed another 40 pounds, all the way down to 135. Eighty pounds, total, gone.
Somewhere in there, fitness and nutrition stopped being a project and became the thing I loved. I started a meal prep page on Instagram and TikTok, posting nutritious, high-protein, low-calorie meal preps that keep people on track without sacrificing the food they love. With a lot of inspiration from my wife, my daughters, and my trainers, I decided to go earn my certified personal training license. Once complete, I'll be a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, strength and conditioning coach, and weight management specialist — and every one of those letters exists so I can pay forward what I was given when I was struggling.
That's why I coach the way I do. My approach is always the same: push yourself as hard as you possibly can and leave yourself no regrets when the workout is over. I teach you the machines and the free weights properly, I mix compound and isolation work, I build your cardiovascular health, and I calculate and track your nutrition so you lose body fat and keep it off while still eating your favorite meals. No generic plans, no fads, no shame. I know what it's like to be the person who can't tie his shoes, and I know it's fixable — because I fixed it.
Oh, and the two twins who started all this? They're my motivation for everything. Nothing beats coming home from a great workout to them running to the door yelling 'Daddy!' Train for whatever your version of that is. When you're ready to start, tell me your story — I'll be the support system I needed, for you.