I was tired of putting myself last.

As a 34-year-old self-employed husband and father of three, it was easy to make excuses. Perpetually exhausted, I wasn’t working out at all. I would go hours without eating and then eat too much, and I never got enough sleep. In November 2015, I realized that I had to create some balance in my life. I did not feel good in the body that I was living in, and I realized that my poor health habits were not only affecting me, but my children as well. At the encouragement of my wife — a marathon runner and fitness enthusiast — I joined Life Time Fitness.

Immediately impressed by the classes, services and personal trainers, I set up my first training session with Mickey Hammer. Weighing in at 190 pounds with 30% body fat was shocking for me, and I realized that I had to get moving. Mickey laid out a plan for me that included training sessions three times a week, metabolic coaching for cardio and sessions with my nutrition coach Patch.

At first it was really tough. I could barely run a mile, and the workouts seemed like torture, but when Mickey told me about the 60-Day Challenge, my competitive nature kicked in and I decided to get even more serious.
Sinead helped me to create a meal plan that allowed me to acquire lean muscle mass while optimizing fat burn. I started meal prepping for each week. My training sessions were always challenging, but I began to look more and more forward to them as I started finding my power. Using the results from my Metabolic Assessment, cardio has become easier, and I can now run a 5K in less than 30 minutes.

Mickey has been a fantastic trainer, challenging me to push myself during each workout. Sinead was patient with me, teaching me that I was not eating at the right times, and eating too much of the wrong kinds of foods. The entire staff of Life Time Flower Mound — from the front desk to the Personal Training staff — has completely supported me in this process, and I cannot thank them enough.

Arthur Ashe once said: “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” Over the course of this 60-Day Challenge, I’ve come to realize the absolute truth in this statement. My oldest son, who only wanted to sit around and play video games, now asks to go to the gym with me. He started playing sports again and runs the morning mile at school every day. It’s awesome to see my 3-year-old daughter doing planks and push-ups in the living room. My wife and I do cardio and go to yoga classes together, and we all are making healthier food choices every day. Since starting this Challenge I have lost 20 pounds and 15.7% body fat, and feel better than ever. My family means the world to me. By taking care of myself, I have so much more energy to give back to them. Not only am I a better dad and husband, but I know that I am setting a good example for everyone around me.

By no longer putting myself last, I have gained immeasurable strength and became a more positive role model for my family.