Beachbody Results: Allan Lost 64 Pounds

Meet independent Beachbody Coach Allan T, age 28 from Lansing, MI.
He entered The Beachbody Challenge in January 2015 and won $1,500!

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?
Like so many people, I was in decent shape coming out of high school. As I progressed through college, I gained some weight. After I graduated and got married, I slowly gained some weight. 4 years later and I found myself at 230 lbs and 30% body fat. I had no energy and little drive. I would come home from work and just sit in front of the TV to pass the days away. I had pre-hypertension and was on medication for high cholesterol. I was ashamed and embarrassed of my body and would constantly make an effort to suck in my gut because I didn’t want people to know how big I actually was. I felt like I didn’t have any drive or energy to spend on people, even my own family.

What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?
One day I was sitting at my desk and had the feeling as though I was sitting over a pillow. This was, of course, my stomach. I thought at that moment that there is no reason that, at 26 years old, I should be 230 lbs, and if something didn’t change soon, I was going to end up much more obese and develop serious health problems. Really, the biggest thing that pushed me to make the change was the birth of my son. I knew that I needed to change, so that I can set the right example of him, and so that he would never experience the health issues and embarrassment that I was going through.

What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?
My greatest problem was I didn’t know what to do nor how to eat properly. I’ve never had to figure out my own exercise routine, so I was worried about how to exercise, when to do it, and how long to push. The structure of P90X3 really made this not a problem. You don’t need to know what to do, just follow the schedule, pop in the DVD, and follow along as intense as you can push for the day.

What in particular did you like about the program you chose?
I really like the variety of P90X3. Constantly doing something different every day was quite helpful in keeping me pushing play and avoiding boredom. I also like the pace of the workouts. Even though they are only 30 minutes long, the fast pace ensures that I get a thorough workout.

Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?
I have now completed INSANITY, P90X, P90X3, Body Beast, and am working my way through P90X2. During this time, I’ve lost a total of 64 lbs, gained a good deal of muscle, and reduced my body fat % from 30% to 8.1%. I’ve dropped 45.7” from my body (14” off of my waist alone). One of the greatest results, though, is the boost to my self-confidence. I no longer feel ashamed of myself when I go to the pool or even just feeling the need to suck in my gut throughout the day. It is such a relief. All of those results are great, but the most important results are the health benefits. My blood pressure is now 115/55 and my cholesterol has come down (with the good cholesterol going up in the process).

How has your life changed since completing your Beachbody program?
I am able to do so much more now. I decided to go for a run a couple of weeks ago (with no prep) and ran 6 miles in 51 minutes. The fitness I have achieved is almost unreal. I’ve done multiple 5K races (normal and mud-runs) and have recently completed a Tough Mudder. I never would have imagined that I would be able to not only do these events but fly through them. I no longer feel the need to escape from the day and drain my evenings away watching mindless TV. Instead, I now have the passion and drive to spend my time with my wife and son being the man I am meant to be for them.

How did participating in a Challenge Group help you reach your goals? How did your group support you and keep you accountable?
Participating in Challenge Groups really helped me stay on track. We all have those days where we just don’t feel like working out, but I would go on the Group page and see so many other people pushing play. This kicked my butt into gear, and I’d go hit the workout hard. I not only benefited from the exercise accountability, but I learned how to eat right as well. We post what we eat, so that helped me stay on track and be accountable for my nutritional choices. If I did have an off day or two, there was always someone there to contact me to help me get back on track.

How did your Team Beachbody® Coach support you on your journey?
The biggest thing that my Coach helped me with was my nutrition. Before I joined up with my Coach, I was working out and eating what I thought to be a good diet. I was losing weight, but slowly. It was starting to become quite frustrating since I had been working out for 4 months and had only lost 17 lbs. When I joined up with my coach, I received great advice on how to find my ideal calorie level, what macro ratio I should use, and how to eat at the correct proportions throughout the day. With this advice, I lost 13 lbs in the next 5 weeks and 40 lbs in the next 4 months! Proper nutrition and the right assistance really does make all the difference.

†Results vary based on starting point and effort.

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.