Body Beast Results: John Lost 23.2 Pounds and Won $1,000!
†Results vary depending on starting point and effort.
John Guido, age 42 from Bartlett, IL lost 23.2 pounds with Body Beast. He entered The Beachbody Challenge in February 2015 and won $1,000!
Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?
I was exercising four or five times a week. I thought I understood good nutrition. I was following workouts I saw in Men’s Health magazine every month. I have the equipment to do just about anything in the basement of my own home. I was motivated to do the work, and thought I had all the tools I needed to be successful. I’m 42 years old, and felt like I look better than most people my age because I took care of myself. I have always been someone who was viewed as a leader, and set good examples as far as my exercise regimen and what I would eat. I assumed I was at my best based on the amount of time I had available to workout each day. In my mind…everyone that was more fit than I was must have a lot more time to work on it. Wrong! I knew there was more to my workout, but my excuse was that I worked 60 hours a week and didn’t have the time to put in the work necessary to have the body I really wanted to have.
What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?
I ran into an old friend, who is now my Beachbody Coach, Jen Thatcher. She looked fantastic, and very fit and healthy, so I asked her what she was doing. Jen told me she was a Beachbody Coach, and helps people become healthier and happier with their bodies. I asked her to help facilitate running a get healthy campaign at my business for 90 days, similar to a Biggest Loser competition. I anticipated Jen being able to give tips and motivation to others to help them achieve their goals. During the initial photo, weigh in, measurement, and picture process, I told Jen to put me in whatever she thinks will help me achieve my goals and set a good example for my employees. After explaining to her my challenges, and what my goals were as far as fitness, she recommended that I start taking Shakeology and begin the Body Beast program. I will be honest, at that point I was just going to do whatever she recommended to show my team that I was right there with them.
What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?
The greatest challenge I faced prior to beginning this program was being able to get stronger, and leaner, at the same time. I assumed I was going to gain 20 pounds of muscle because I thought I was pretty lean. Obviously not. When I started to see my weight go down and my strength increase, from week to week, it started to become an obsession. The better the results I received, the stricter I became. Jen Thatcher provided inspiration every day on our Facebook fit club page.
What in particular did you like about the program you chose?
What I liked about the program is that Sagi always knew when to give you that extra push. He made you reach deep inside to get the most out of your workout and improve from week to week instead of just trying to maintain. I also liked the different types of sets and concentration on specific muscle groups for each block. Most of all… I was able to achieve results beyond what I thought was possible in the same amount of time that I was already allocating to workout. The 35-55 minute routines fit perfectly within my schedule and made me want to add some days because I was seeing and feeling the physical changes.
Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?
The results I achieved with the Body Beast program were truly amazing. The achievements I am most proud of are my ability to increase the amount of weight I used in almost every exercise from week to week. I chart my activity on my iPhone throughout the workout, and follow the direction of my trainer Sagi. It wasn’t until week two or three that I actually started charting it, but once I did, the result improved and an amazing pace. After seeing the improvements in strength and overall health, I needed the meal plan to help me with food prep and to plan my meals for the day or even the week. I found myself hungry more often, and now know what my body needed and made sure it was on hand.
How has your life changed since completing your Beachbody program?
My life has changed since completing my Body Beast program. Not only do I view food differently, but I am even more confident in my ability to accomplish my goals by staying completely focused, and pushing through the difficult times without distraction. My body has changed in ways I never thought possible. The way I feel about how I look in my clothes has never been more confident. My relationship with my wife has improved because without her support, and helping me stay the course with the meal plan, and also changing things that she was doing to be in line with my goals were beneficial to my success. My friends and family are starting to make better choices in their lives too. I have connected others to my Coach including my own parents, sister, coworkers, vendors, and clients. My success has been a catalyst for other employees to make positive changes in their lives because they see the possibilities of someone with their same work schedule achieving success by following a plan.
How did participating in a Challenge Group help you reach your goals? How did your group support you and keep you accountable?
Our Challenge Group was done within my business and it was called the AH Ford Fit Club. It helped us be accountable for our daily activities because we were seeing each other almost every day and knew what other people were posting about their meals in their workouts. When making choices for meals people couldn’t say one thing and do another because people were watching.
How did your Team Beachbody® Coach support you on your journey?
I can’t say enough about how Jen Thatcher supported me and my journey. Again, I thought I was doing this to support others and help them achieve their goals when in fact Jen helped me see things about myself that I never thought were possible. Her inspirational messages both on and offline kept me motivated, informed, and inspired. Her ability to keep it real and let people know it was okay to fall down as long as you get back up. She recognized that although we were working a 90 day challenge during the most difficult time of the year, the holidays, as long as people felt good about what they were doing and saw small improvements and lifestyle changes then they too were successful.
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?
Using Shakeology just made me feel better. I thought I understood nutrition. I thought I knew what to put in my body to make me feel better. All that I can say is that since using Shakeology I have felt my absolute best. My energy level is better and my mental clarity is at best!2
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. 
2These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.