“I Feel So Full Of Life. It’s Just Incredible.”

^†Results vary depending on starting point and effort. Shay is an independent Beachbody Coach.

Meet Shay S. He participated in The Beachbody Challenge and won the $500 Daily Prize for February 17th!

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?
I’ve never been someone who was in good physical condition. There was a brief time in my life where I was in marginally decent cardio condition and fairly thin. But I’ve been mostly overweight and out of shape my entire life. Leading up to right before I started my Beachbody Challenge, I was certainly at my worst. I had gained almost 90 pounds over 4 years of college. My knees hurt all the time, I wasn’t sleeping well, my energy level was down. Even just walking up a simple flight of stairs would leave me winded. I wasn’t happy with myself or the way I looked, and I felt pretty awful most of the time. I just wasn’t happy with what I had become.

What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?
I had something of a wakeup call one day. My doctor had warned me I was on a path to a lot of long-term problems. A few of my older family members were facing these problems and hating every minute of it. I finally took off my blinders and realized the person I saw in the mirror had really let himself go. I decided I was better than that, and I had the power to change it.

What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?
I never really liked trying to get to the gym, and I hate working out in front of others, especially when I’m dying. In the beginning I definitely lacked that drive to really push myself. Beachbody, Shaun T, and Tony Horton solved all of these problems almost instantly. Being able to workout at home solved the entire gym dilemma. You can’t help but push yourself with their energy and motivation, it was exactly what I needed. Later, when I would get Body Beast, to add on some mass, Sagi was an awesome trainer. I love the Body Beast program and I learned a lot about lifting, which I’ve been able to carry over into other workouts. One of the best things is all the knowledge I’ve gained through the programs to really take things to the next level.

What in particular did you like about the program you chose?
I started with INSANITY, the most appealing thing to me was not needing any equipment to get started. As I would move into P90X, P90X2, INSANITY: The Asylum Volumes 1 & 2, and then Body Beast, I would of course start to put my home gym together. I loved each program I did. I was able to build on the program before, take things I learned and apply them to the other programs and then build on that to learn and apply as I advanced through the various workout programs. My favorite workout is still probably P90X2, all of that balance/stability stuff just rocks. And occasionally, when I go to the gym, I love to knock out a few impossibles or 4 ball pushups and see everyone just kind of be like “How in the world?!” So that’s become fun, too! Now, I love being able to throw the workouts together from various programs I’ve had over the years to create my own hybrids and mix things up. They are such great workouts.

Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?
Over about 2 years I lost 100 pounds with INSANITY, then P90X, then Asylum 1, then P90X2, then Asylum 2. And mixing and matching some of those along the way in hybrids. This took me from around 285 (I never actually weighed myself when I first started, I just knew it was bad) to 185. After that, I decided I wanted more muscle. I wanted to look more defined. So through P90X2, Asylum 2, and Body Beast over the next year and a half would take me to where I am today. Which is right at 210 pounds. I would say the thing I’m most proud of would be losing the weight to begin with, even if building muscle was way harder. That was the gateway. Losing the weight, seeing that I could change, and getting a hold of this fitness thing. . . that’s what created the monster.

How has your life changed since completing your Beachbody program?
There’s really no accurate way to compare my life to now and then. It’s just totally different. I’m happy, I’m full of energy, my confidence is back, I wake up with energy, I feel so full of life. It’s just incredible. Additionally nothing motivates me more to keep going than the people around me that I inspire. Sometimes it’s people I know, sometimes it’s complete strangers. I might not be the best Beachbody salesperson, but I’ve changed quite a few lives, and I love being that inspiration for people. It makes me want to keep being the absolute best I can be.

How did a Beachbody Supplement or Nutritional Product or Program (such as Shakeology® or Beachbody Ultimate Reset®) support your transformation? What are the greatest benefits you gained? Did you see benefits to your energy, sleep, mood/mental clarity, digestion/regularity?
Shakeology is amazing. I’ve been using it for years now and never see myself not taking it. I’ve never been healthier on the inside. I have no doubt Shakeology plays a big role in that. Plus, it’s delicious!

You can change your life, too. Take the Beachbody Challenge for the tools you need to Decide, Commit, and Succeed! Complete any Beachbody program, and enter your results for a free gift and a chance to win cash and prizes.