My Story:

beforeafterAs I sat there, head in hands, tears running between my fingers, a single question repeated in my mind, like the light atop a lighthouse, it spun around and around in my mind.

How did I let myself get here?

At 27 years old, I should be enjoying the best years of my life. And yet there I sat, head in hands crying in the bathroom, embarrassed by the reflection I saw.

That was just one of the many days that led me to where I am now. I told myself I didn’t have the time to work out. I told myself that I was too busy taking care of a one year old, then a two year old, then a three year old. I let myself slip further and further into someone I was no longer proud to look at in a mirror.

I was working full-time, recently divorced, raising a daughter, going to school full-time, I had every reason (read: excuse) not to work out, but the time for excuses had passed.

March 14th, 2011 would be the day that I made no more excuses. I started (not finished) P90X once before. I did it for a month, felt good, and quit. This time, there would be no quitting. I had the DVDs; I had the new yoga mat. I had a pull up bar, I had a plan and I was going to stick with it.

My fiancé told me to take day one pictures as I would want something to compare with when I was done. I did not take the pictures because I didn’t want to be faced with the realities of how I looked. Of course, she was right and I wish I had those pictures.

I have never been a morning person, so getting up an hour and a half earlier every morning to work out was something I was not sure I would be able to do. I began on Monday, March 14th. I weighed 228.5 (not even my high point). The first week I missed two workouts. I was tired and sore from starting the program. I made up the two workouts over that first weekend. I have not missed a day since (aside from a day off a week as scheduled).

In the first month I lost 10 pounds. I got bigger, faster and stronger. I could run further, faster. I could play with my daughter for hours and not need to sit down and catch my breath. In the second month, the weight loss slowed down a bit. I was down another 6 pounds to 212 on May 14th. I kept up with all of my workouts, doing mostly two per day. I did a spinning class Mondays and Fridays for 45 minutes. I worked my butt off (literally). By the end of month 3 last week I was past my goal weight of 205 (where I played football in college).  I had lost a full 25 pounds down to 203.5. Today I sit at 185.

I am now in year three and continue to bring it every day. In my original P90X Results video, I spoke about how I was making a lifestyle change, not a fad diet. That has proven to be completely true. By changing the way I approached nutrition and working out, I have completely changed my life.

In this column, I will be discussing exercise programs, nutrition tips and general fitness information that I have accumulated as I have progressed through my fitness journey.  For more information on any of these topics, you can check out my website at www.coachterryg.com. 

I am not a fitness expert, a dietitian or a certified trainer. I am just a regular guy who has had outstanding results following a simple plan.

Add comment
  • No comments found
IMAGE A Poltergeist in the Office?
Oct 06, 2014
        Title: A Poltergeist in the Office? Subtitle: How negative energy can destroy an office environment and threaten a company’s culture. Written by Matthew J. Herman (Published Oct. 5, 2014) In spirit of the Halloween... Read More...

IMAGE How do you define success?
Sep 24, 2013
Success is often defined by the eyes of the beholder; however, how an individual defines success is a telling indicator of a person’s inner motivation, character, maturity or lack thereof.  As a teenager and even into my early twenties, I... Read More...

IMAGE The John Elway Sweepstakes: Having the right C-Level relationship puts you ahead of the competition
Sep 16, 2013
        The John Elway Sweepstakes Having the right C-Level relationship puts you ahead of the competition By Matthew Herman You may be asking yourself, what does John Elway have to do with sales, entrepreneurship or business?... Read More...

IMAGE Unseen Power: 12 intangible sales skills that will bring your organization to the next level
Jun 2013
The world of sales can be brutally competitive. Companies simply can not survive unless they close a significant number of profitable sales – that’s a given. As a direct result, the demand for great sales professionals has grown to unprecedented... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE Twitter thoughts and Twitter thinking. Tweet and Re-Tweet.
Jun 2013
Most people reading this have never tweeted. (You included?) On the off chance that you have tweeted, my guess is you have less than 5,000 Twitter followers – maybe less than 500.Whatever your situation is there’s no denying that Twitter is a... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE A misguided post about features and benefit selling
Jun 2013
Last week I was sitting down at the kitchen table responding to several inquiries regarding my book. After roughly 45 minutes, my focus started to drift off course. I began to read random posts from professionals that comprise my LinkedIn network.... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE When you walk in empty headed, you walk out empty handed.
Jun 2013
How much of your presentation is “standard”? Whether you sell a product or service, whether it’s simple or sophisticated, how much (what percentage) of your presentation is the way you usually present it? Void of personalization? Void of... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE Developing a New Approach that worked for me.
Jun 2013
Developing a New Approach: The 12 Key Elements of Sales Success About six years ago I hit a wall in my career. I was making my sales numbers, but I thought I could improve my production. I was roughly seven years into my selling career and knew a... Sign Up to Read More ...

SJ Latest Articles

IMAGE To ensure promptness. By Jeffrey Gitomer
Oct 2014
  To ensure promptness. An old and new tradition. By Jeffrey Gitomer Ever leave a tip? Sure you have. And most of the time, the amount of the tip is based on the perceived service or quality. Sometimes it’s a combination of qualities: food... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE Tough sales issues, and not so tough (but not so easy) answers.
May 2014
                Tough sales issues, and not so tough (but not so easy) answers.   By Jeffrey Gitomer   Thee 3.5 biggest issues facing salespeople today are: 1. Price integrity. 2. Customer loyalty.... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE How to Develop a Powerful B2B Value Proposition By Ian Dainty
May 2014
    How to Develop a Powerful B2B Value Proposition By Ian Dainty   Developing a powerful B2B Value Proposition will differentiate your company from your competition. If you are having trouble differentiating your business from... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE Question and Answer By Dave Kahle
May 2014
  Question and Answer           Clearly, spreading the business around between several vendors is the customer's philosophical approach to purchasing.  He/she probably has arrived at this... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE Can Sales Management Increase Results? Bob Urichuck
Apr 2014
       Can Sales Management Increase Results? By Bob Urichuck Organizations often promote the best salespeople into management whether they desire to be there or not—it is seen as a promotion or reward for the results they... Sign Up to Read More ...

For Entrepreneurs

Starting a Business
Aug 2013
As entrepreneurs, we believe our idea or new business venture is going to work. But then we let our fears come in and rob us of our success. Here are three insights that can help you stay on track... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE Forget diversification. Create new market segments.
Jun 2013
Let’s brainstorm for a moment and consider luxury automobiles. Think about brands such as Mercedes, BMW, AUDI, Cadillac, Lexus, Jaguar and Lincoln. Then you have your super luxury brands, like... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE Attention entrepreneurs who are seeking funding!
Jun 2013
Consider the following before you meet with Angel, Venture, or Private equity investors. I often daydream about the opportunities so many start-up businesses had during the tech boom of the late 90s.... Sign Up to Read More ...

On Leadership

IMAGE Leadership actions that are not an option for leaders.
Sep 2013
Leadership actions that are not an option for leaders. “Where’s the action? Where’s the game?” is a line in the song “Oldest Established” from the immortal Broadway show (and my personal... Sign Up to Read More ...

IMAGE A Quote from John C. Maxwell
Jun 2013
"Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course."- JOHN C. MAXWELL, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Sign Up to Read More ...

Motivational Quote of the Week

IMAGE “Be all that you can be”
Jun 2013
Written Emelio Sebastian We have all heard the Army’s famous commercial slogan, “Be all that you can be…in the Army”. The implication here is that you have not yet become all that you can be,... Sign Up to Read More ...

Matthew-James-Media-Company FINALLOGO-white

 

©The Sales Journal/Matthew James Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Website Powered by VMC Art & Design, LLC