Q: Describe your life before the Body-for-Life Challenge.

2007 didn’t start off very well with some very frustrating family issues.  Home and work started to become very stressful. It seemed like my life was revolving around doing things for everyone else except for myself.  I was unhappy, distracted, and felt very overwhelmed at that time in my life. The Body-for-Life Challenge couldn’t have come at a better time for me

Q: What made you finally decide to take that first step and enter the Challenge?

After finishing reading the book, Body-for-Life, and with the encouragement and commitment of my co-workers, it was clear to me that I needed  to do this.

Q: What were your very first impressions of the program?  Did you struggle or was it liberating?

When I was first approached about taking the Challenge, and I started to read the book, I began to doubt that I had it in me to do it.  It seemed easier to dwell on the negative, sit in my comfort zone, and allow things to continue to snowball.  The more I read, the more I was inspired by the success stories from people whose lives were no different than mine.  I finally told myself; why not me?

Q: Talk about the moment you first began to see changes in your body/or outlook.

It was hard to see changes at the start.  But when I started to receive comments from others, I began to take a closer look at the changes that were beginning to take place.  It was really happening, and that gave me even more incentive to push on.  But before I began to notice the changes, I did begin to realize early on is that my outlook and attitude on a lot of things was starting to change, and my energy level had increase dramatically.  I began to understand that there is only so much I do with the things that were happening around me, and achieving the goal of completing the Challenge, win or lose, became a higher priority for me.

Q: How did you feel on the very last day of your Challenge?

Unfortunately, I had picked up a flue bug prior to the end of the Challenge, but I recovered quickly to finish the last for days of the program.  The bug was short-lived, and I was pretty much back to my full strength at the end.  I felt awesome, and very proud of what I had done.  I was also very proud of my BLF teammates.  The atmosphere of the group shooting of the “after” pictures was quite a bit different than when we had the “before” pictures taken.  There was no embarrassment this time, just lots of big smiles.

Q: What was the reaction of your friends and family to the amazing changes you made?

The comments from friends and family were nice, but wasn’t my focus to continue with the Challenge.  It was the daily support, compliments, sharing, and encouragement of my teammates that gave me the incentive to push as hard as I could.  But I did enjoy sitting around my 16-19 year old baseball players in a hotel hot tub on a road trip towards the end of the challenge; and hearing the comment “NO WAY COACH”!

Q: Do you still follow the Body-for-Life program?

Absolutely!  There is no way I am going to undo what I have accomplished.  Obviously age will start to work against me at some point and time.  But the Body for Life (lifestyle) I know will definitely slow that process down.

Q: If someone were to ask you your advice about starting-and finishing-the Challenge, what would you tell them?

You have to be truly committed.  Sure, a little more exercise and eating a better diet are going to produce a healthier outcome for anyone.  But if a person really wanted to make some extreme changes in their appearance that could be accomplished in just twelve weeks, the Body for Life program is the ticket.  So I would tell anyone who is contemplating taking the challenge that it can’t, and will not happen without some very hard work, sacrifices, and most importantly, a true commitment from the start.

Q: How has your life changed since doing the Challenge?

Obviously, being a Body for Life champion and all that comes with it has been a great and rewarding experience.  It is something I can share with those closest to me, and something I will always be proud of.  But win or lose, what the Challenge itself did for me is something that you cannot put a price tag on.  My mind, body, and spirit have been directed in the right direction.

Q: Where do you think you would be if you had never done the Challenge?

Probably right where I was before I started; depressed, unmotivated, and “unchallenged”.

Q: What have you been up to since first joining BFL?

I have still been a husband, father, teacher and coach; but with a different outlook, a lot more enthusiasm, and I look and feel a whole lot better.

Q: After going through the 12 weeks, how has your mindset different than it was before?  Where you able to face challenges in your life with more confidence?

It is night and day.  I have finally accepted the fact that all any of us can do in dealing with life’s stresses, and sometimes, life’s misfortune is the best that we can.  The Challenge has given me a different perspective of who I am, and the things I want to accomplish in life.

Q: What is your favorite free day meal?

Absolutely, without a doubt it would have to be pizza, with lots of meat and cheese on it.

Q: How have you spread the word of Body-for-Life to other folks?

Phone calls and e-mails from friends and family have been overwhelming.  Not just to congratulate me, but wanting to know more information on how I did it, and what Body for Life is all about. I know most of them haven’t believed me when I’ve told them how easy it was to follow the program; and rightfully so. But seeing and believing someone you know who has taken the Challenge and succeeded and not just reading it in a book; could motivate anyone to make that commitment to change the way they look in just twelve weeks and beyond.  The results are just too obvious.

Q: Being that you won the challenge in 2007.  How have you continued to life the lifestyle?  And what has been the most difficult part?  If anything.

After completing the challenge, and a few days of just saying “I did it, and now I can do what I want”, it didn’t take more than a couple of days of little exercise and eating whatever I wanted again to realize how poorly I really began to feel.  It was not guilt for straying off the program, but my body was telling me to get back on track, and I did.  Being out of school during the summer was a little more challenging; not so much the cardio workouts or the food, but having access to weight equipment while I was away from home while coaching baseball was near impossible.  But I found ways to simulate weight training against my own body weight.  I discovered ways to improvise.  The holidays were a different story when it came to diet with all of the food available just about everywhere you go.  But with the knowledge of the food guidelines of the program, I never had a hard time finding a lot of healthy things to eat and be satisfied.  Keeping in mind, there is always that free day; and planning ahead really paid dividends!

Q: Current goals:

Maintain a Body for Life lifestyle and encourage other family members and friends who could really benefit from taking the Challenge to do the same.  Enjoy life, control the things that I can, and not to be overwhelmed by the things I can’t.

Q: Quotes that inspire:

Talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words.

Q: Define success:

Success to me is being healthy, happy, and being a good human being.   A successful person should be able to look back at not only their own accomplishments and be proud; but knowing they have worked hard and had an impact on others by sharing their knowledge and talents from all of their own experiences to make other’s lives better.