Five years ago, I was injured and had to have reconstructive knee surgery. After a year of recovery, I tried to be active again and tore cartilage in my other knee, also requiring surgery. Two knee surgeries in 18 months. The second knee surgery was demoralizing and frustrating. I felt I had lost all athletic ability. In turn, I lost motivation in all aspects of life. It actually made me feel mentally unstable and I was constantly pessimistic about nearly everything. My inactivity negatively impacted all facets of my life. My body fat percentage increased to 20% and my waist exploded to 38 inches. I remember the exact moment I realized I had to make a change. I ran into some friends from high school and they didn’t recognize me! One of them asked me, “Ransom, what happened to you?” I didn’t have an acceptable answer. It was the slap in the face I needed. I’d heard of the Challenge and checked out the website. The past champions had a look of pride and accomplishment on their faces that I wanted. The decision had been made and I would not be stopped. Win or lose, I was going to take my life back! The first thing I did was print off pictures of past champions and post them around my apartment for motivation. Then I set goals for diet, cardio, and weight training. I recorded all workouts and caloric intake in a daily planner, which proved to be crucial in the end. It helped me realize errors and make improvements. I carried this planner everywhere as a constant reminder to stay disciplined and meet goals. However, the first weeks were very slow and painful. My knees were sore and I thought about quitting on a daily basis. Then I decided to measure my waist at the end of the third week. I had lost an inch and a half from my waist! I was astounded. From that point, I kept weekly body measurements in my planner to track progress. My workouts grew extremely intense. I stopped craving junk food and inactivity and desired only to get back to the gym to do that next sprint or that next squat. I eliminated every unhealthy food and ate only lean proteins, whole grains, and fresh vegetables. When at work I took advantage of the convenience of EAS Myoplex®, CLA, and AdvantEDGE® bars. Fat dropped off and muscle climbed onboard at a shocking rate. My initial goals were to lose three inches from my waist and to drop my body fat percentage to 10%. By the end of the Challenge, my waist was 31 inches – a total loss of SEVEN INCHES! My body fat percentage is now 7% and my weight has dropped from 207 lbs. to 181 lbs! Using Body-for-LIFE principles I was able to do all of this with no muscle loss. I gained strength and built muscle while fat dropped off. My progress was supported the entire way by friends and family. Random people in the gym and even on the street now ask me for workout advice. It’s a fantastic feeling to be able to help these people and point them in the right direction. Now, when I see old friends, they want to know what pill I took or what exercise program I’m doing. I tell them to tackle the Challenge head on. It isn’t a temporary fix or simply a way to fit into that bathing suit – it’s a better way of living life. I stand by that 100%. I’m extremely happy with my results and new habits. My 12 week Challenge is finished but the real challenge to live life to the fullest is just beginning. If you’re thinking about trying the Challenge, just dive in – you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!

Results: Lost 26 lbs. of scale weight while decreasing body fat by 13% in 12-weeks*

Products Used: Myoplex® Original, Myoplex® Lite