“Holy Smokes! These Programs Work!”

Meet Steven, age 43 from Joliet, IL. He entered The Beachbody Challenge in November 2014 and won a Daily Prize of $500 AND a Monthly Prize of $1,000.
Total winnings: $1,500!

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?
My life before starting the Beachbody Challenge was pretty pathetic. I used to be slim my entire life (too skinny, according to the wife) then got married and quit smoking. Some how, some way, I washed my pants and they shrunk. haha. No worries, Walmart had a sale and life was good. However, something happened to THOSE pants (dang washing machine) and they started to shrink. I never really noticed how I was getting fatter as it was a slow progression. Of course, I would justify things (friends are fatter than me) so it was still ok. Well, one day I took a good look at myself and was totally disgusted. My ‘big, BIG’ pants were two inches too small (had to use a belt to cover the gap) and I couldn’t see my pee-pee when I looked down. This is when I decided that I had had enough and was going to get back into shape. I felt horrible, weak, irresponsible and very anxious. This simply wasn’t who I had always been and I wasn’t going to continue down this unhealthy lifestyle anymore.

What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?
Being lazy & watching TV I saw a guy telling me I could get into shape in only 25 min/day. Being disgusted with myself it got my attention and I would pay attention to it every time it came on TV. After several viewings I convinced myself it was time to get back into shape. My dad had a heart attack at 52 and that’s only 10 years away. It was time to order the program, T25. Honestly, I didn’t know if this was going to be a waste of $$ as I wasn’t convinced I would actually finish it and I didn’t tell ANYONE but my wife. I had just finished eating a hot dog & heard the door bell. T25 was delivered. Within 30 min I was doing Cardio. Between you and I, I puked, no kidding (don’t you just LOVE bile?). Over the next 10 weeks I followed the program perfectly. After I finished the program I didn’t HAVE to tell anyone as it was IMPOSSIBLE to hide the results. I must have been asked “Are you losing weight” about 100 times a day. I lost a whopping 32 pounds and was just getting started.

What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?
My greatest challenge was purely mental. I didn’t think that I was really that out of shape or fat. I still thought I had my good looks and body like I had in High School and the US Navy. Once I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t that same person I couldn’t wait to become him again. I have to admit that it was really hard to stay 100% motivated like I did. There were definitely times I would rather have taken a nap or been lazy. However, I didn’t want to look back and feel guilty…it’s ONLY 25 minutes, right? To keep motivated I hired an artist to totally transform my basement into my personal Shaun T/Beachbody Workout Room. With my awesome new workout room, the wife starting her Beachbody journey and the motivation of Shaun T (not to mention the excellent results I received from T25) it was no longer about the motivation but the entire journey. As of today I’ve done T25, Insanity/Asylum I and II, and doing P90X3 now. LIFE IS GOOD!

What in particular did you like about the program you chose?
So far I’ve completed Focus T25, INSANITY, both Asylums. Currently, I’m in my second week of P90x3. T25 – I LOVED this program for two reasons. First, because it’s only 25 minutes. What a brilliant genius concept. Who can’t find 25 min/day?? Secondly, I loved it because of the results. 32 pounds…wow!! I felt a personal connection with Jam, Andy, Christine, Scott, etc. They were my friends and I couldn’t wait to work out with them. Insanity – I couldn’t wait to be the first one of anyone I knew to complete Insanity. Many have tried but none succeeded. To finish the entire program was the best reward in itself. I loved the challenge and the level of shape it created. Asylum I and II – Why stop now? Not a single person I know even ATTEMPTED these programs. The different moves and exercises were fresh and exciting to conquer. I was nervous at first then completely confident. I CAN DO ANYTHING NOW. Thanks Beachbody for building my confidence in myself. You guys absolutely ROCK!!

Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?
As you can see from the pictures my results are absolutely amazing. I sent my before and after pictures to a client of mine who I’ve developed a friendship with over the years who has never seen me in person. When I asked him what he thought of my pictures he told me he thought they were Photoshop pictures and thought I used a program to change my body. BEST COMPLIMENT EVER! A great thing about my progression is that up until last week, I was mostly doing cardio stuff…not a muscle workout like the P90x3 I’m now doing. I’m proud of the achievement of what I’ve done for myself and my future. I’m even more proud of the achievement of inspiring others to get into shape. My wife has now completed Hip Hop Abs, T25 and in her second half of Insanity. As of today, I’ve inspired nearly a dozen people to get healthier. The strange thing about it is it wasn’t a goal or a quest. Simply put, my transformation is naturally affecting others to get into shape. Wow!! THESE PROGRAMS WORK!!

How has your life changed since completing your Beachbody program?
It’s completely changed. I no longer eat junk food and have no desire to eat it again. I no longer drink bad drinks (is eight Diet Cokes a day bad??). I talk to my wife about fitness every day. Last month someone told me about an obstacle course race called Battle Frog that was created by Navy Seals. It’s 15k of grueling obstacles. Well, I signed up and going to Atlanta to compete. Who would have guessed this before I started my journey? It’s CRAZY how my whole mental psyche has done a 180 degree turn around. I can’t wait to do my workouts (the truth is I do an Insanity workout in the morning and my P90x3 workout at night) and push myself farther and farther everyday. Between my wife and I, we’ve lost over 100 pounds of pure fat…FAT. Holy smokes! Do you know how HEAVY 100 pounds is? It’s super exciting (and somewhat embarrassing that we had this much to lose) to live this new lifestyle. Not a day goes by where we don’t discuss our health. Overall, huge changes!

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 shirt and a chance to win cash & prizes.