“At 52, I’m Healthy!”

Meet David L.! He participated in The Beachbody Challenge and won the $500 Daily Prize for September 4th!

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?
Seven years ago, I was diagnosed Type II diabetic. I’ve been struggling since then to maintain “acceptable” A1C levels and strictly adhere to my medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disorder, and high cholesterol. Three years ago, I started playing men’s senior league baseball, and I hoped that I’d get into good enough shape to play and reduce my dependence on medications. Well, this past fall I ballooned up to 225, and my lipids and sugars were out of hand! I started to feel depressed and disgusted with myself, and fell into a general malaise. I wasn’t happy at all. My poor health was starting to affect my work and my marriage. It was a very dark time, and I feared a relapse similar to seven years ago when I was rushed to the hospital with a blood sugar reading of 735!

What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?
The need to be in baseball shape was important. At 52, I need to be in great condition to play catcher. But, certainly, the fear of relapse was the prime motivator. Although I’m a member at my local 24 Hour Fitness gym, I was an infrequent visitor more than an active user. I thought that getting into the gym would help, but I knew the only way I could be competitive was if I dug around, found, and dusted off my P90X program that I’d stashed away. So, it was back in March that I began my habit of 5 am wake ups to work out with with Tony and the “kids.” It was grueling at first, but I started keeping up with them and started to see a change.

What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?
The biggest challenge was mustering the self motivation to change my eating habits. The P90X nutrition plan was as arduous as the workouts! But, as I learned how the food was affecting my body and mostly my performance, I realized that my old habits were not worth the sadness that consumed my life. I was just disgusted with myself physically, emotionally, and worst of all spiritually. The changes that started to show in my appearance and mostly in my conditioning and performance behind homeplate were huge motivators. I hit a weight loss plateau as I was increasing my muscle mass, but my body fat percentage was still decreasing! So, I shifted to the lean format for my second month of the contest, and used Shaun T’s INSANITY for my last 30 days to drop my last 10 pounds!

Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?
As you can see by the photos, I now have a catcher’s body once again! I’m quicker, faster, stronger, and more agile behind the plate. I am hitting better than ever! But, the real prize lies within. I saw my doctor for the first time in nine months! He was shocked and amazed. With tears of joy in his eyes, he hugged me! In the end, he assured me that my LAST blood draw will be this September. If, as he is predicting, my A1C is normal, he’s going to pull me off the medications altogether and label me diabetes FREE! Happy tears are great! The numbers don’t lie! At 52, I’m HEALTHY!!!

How has your life changed since completing your Beachbody program?
What a whirlwind! I decided, committed, and succeeded in studying for and passing my NESTA CPT exam! Using the P90X program and studying how it and the nutrition plan worked amazed me! I was close to writing my body off as irreversibly doomed to a future of meds/insulin dependence. But, instead, I was inspired to pursue a life course change! A new Biggest Loser contest is starting at work. As a top five finisher, I’m assigned as an Accountability Coach. It will be great to help others achieve what I did! Yes, we’ll be using P90X and INSANITY to get the job done! My next goal is to obtain my P90X certification and start a new life as a personal trainer! Many thanks to Tony, Shaun T., and the kids! You guys saved my life!

You can change your life, too. Take the Beachbody Challenge, for the ultimate motivation to get fit! Select any Beachbody program and once you complete it, share your results for your chance to win cash and prizes.