Here’s Exactly How I Lost 80 Pounds And How It Transformed My Entire Life In The Process

Growing up I never really considered my weight an issue.

Sure, I knew I was overweight. From my first day of school I was bigger than most of my other classmates. I would get teased occasionally, like any fat kid. But it never really bothered me; at least it didn’t bother me enough to really do much about it.

I wanted to be leaner. I tried diets. I tried exercising. But nothing worked. Or at least, I couldn’t stick with it long enough for it to work.

Instead of trying to find a method that worked for me, that I could enjoy and stick with, I simply accepted who I was. I wanted to lose weight but I figured I was just one of those people who couldn’t.

I went years without stepping on the scale. Maybe subconsciously I was scared of what I would see. It wasn’t until sometime after college that I got the courage to finally weigh myself.

280 pounds.

Now, I’d like to say that seeing this number motivated me to get in shape, but it didn’t. No, the reason I started working out was the same reason bros do anything…for a woman.

There was this woman I was interested in at the time. But looking at myself in the mirror I thought that there was no way she could be interested in me. So what did I think I had to do to get her attention? Work out, lose weight, and get sexy, obviously.

I hit the gym almost every day for a few hours and worked my ass off. But since I had no background in fitness, I was just doing what everyone else was doing: cardio for an hour, and some rudimentary resistance training exercises.

Despite my cluelessness, after a month or so, I stepped on the scale again, and I found myself down to 265 pounds.

This got me excited!

Fast-forward a few years. After experimenting with different programs and using all the knowledge I had accrued, I was down another 65 pounds.

But more importantly, I’d developed a passion for fitness.

So maybe you’re wondering how I did it; how was I able to lose 80 pounds. Well it wasn’t exactly complicated, but it did take a lot of hard work and consistency.

My Training

Early on I developed a love for strength training, and I attribute a lot of my success to that. I would never say that one method of training is “the best” for fat loss, but strength training is about as close as it comes.

During the course of my fat loss, my training program consisted mainly of squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows, and pull-ups. That’s it.

Sure, I did some accessory stuff or cardio occasionally, but the bulk of my workouts revolved around those six movements.

People think that your training program needs to be constantly changing to make progress. The truth is however, is constantly changing your program is the fastest way to not make progress.

Every 3-4 months I would switch to a different protocol, like Reverse Pyramid Training, but my core exercises stayed the same. Not only did I lose fat, but by utilizing a minimalistic style of training, I was able to see incredible strength gains as well. I went from never deadlifting a day in my life, starting with just 95 pounds on the bar, to pulling over 450 pounds.

When it comes to your training program, start with the basics. As I’ve illustrated, they can take you a long way.

 

My Diet

What really got me interested in losing weight was intermittent fasting. And while my philosophies on IF and fat loss have evolved as the years have gone on, I still credit it with a lot of my success.

The real backbone of my fat loss diet however, was and still is, macro counting. I’ve written about it countless times on BroBible (here, here, here, here, and here) so I wont rehash it too much.

All I’ll say is that it works.

People’s biggest complaint about counting macros is that it’s “too hard” or “too much work”. My response is that if losing weight is truly something you want to do, the small time investment it takes to learn how to count is well worth it.

Like any habit, it does take a practice. I remember when I started I would carry a notebook around, writing everything down and adding all my macros by hand. Thankfully I found an app like MyFitnessPal, which takes care of everything for me. Now I take five minutes in the morning to plan my meals for the day and I’m done.

Take the time, figure out how many calories you need to lose fat, and then set your macros accordingly. You’ll be glad you did.

Most people view fitness as a way to get in shape; to live healthier lives. And this is true, but it’s much more than that. Every client I’ve helped has commented on how fitness has not only changed how they look, but how they feel about themselves, and their lives.
Maybe some of you can relate to my story. Maybe where I started is where some of you are right now. Or perhaps you’ve already started your journey. Wherever you are on your path, I’ve either been there or worked with clients who have.

The important thing to remember is while you may be doing this by yourself, you’re never truly alone. There are tons of free resources people put out, and coaches willing to help, that you don’t need to try and figure it out on your own.

If you want help or advice about how to reach your goals, my inbox is always open. Shoot me an email and let me know what you’re struggling with.