Heath Makes A Comeback!

I could not ask for a more enthusiastic team member than Heath. This dude loves life and loves people. After developing a passion for these workouts, Heath decided to become a member of my coaching team (Elevation Coaches), and pay it forward by helping others get results as well. If you want more info on coaching, email me at coachtodd@rippedclub.net and we can chat.

So lets get into Heath’s story! I will let him tell it in his own words.

my journey is not unlike many of yours, a man that had become disgusted by what I had become.

All my life I have dealt with weight issues, the largest in my class all through elementary school until my soon to become best friend came to town, but he had an excuse, he was Tongan and naturally much larger then most, and solid, I on the other hand was soft n cuddly.

I stayed “husky” until High school when athletics and natural growth slimmed me down and I strived to become the athlete that I had dreamt of being.

With weight training at school and at Bally’s total fitness (it was Pac West back then and they totally tricked me into a long term, rip off contract) I started to develop my favorite muscle groups, (arms, shoulders and chest) favorite because I was vain and didnt know any better.

With my eyes on division 1 football, I thought i had it all athletically, not to mention a very gifted vocal performer and song writer.

Summer of 1992 I was involved in a near fatal car accident outside of Salt Lake City, UT while driving from Long Beach, CA. I broke my pelvis in 7 places when my friend fell asleep at the wheel, spent my senior year in the hospital and in rehab (my dreams of playing football fading away).

My doctor assured me that with time and rehab that I would walk again, but never run, especially in a competitive nature.

Well I did walk again, and after missing an entire year of school, I went back in the fall of ’94 after all my friends had already graduated.

I was determined to play ball again so I worked and worked (if only there was a P90X back then, this tale may have gone a different direction) and found my way back on to that field but I had lost a step and my heart was never fully back into it for fear of injury.

Feeling out of place and alone, i dropped out of school and received my GED, shortly after, was married and started having children, the athletic days really starting to fade at this point.

Music was going well and I was having what some would call success but my weight kept climbing and climbing.. what they didnt tell us was that all those “muscles” I was so busy trying to build?? well they turn to goo if you ignore them long enough. Well in the music biz, fat is not curte nor acceptable and those dreams started to wain. That is when the depression kicked in, dead end jobs, an unstable marriage and broken dreams…

Always in the back of my mind i wanted to get fit and in 2003 i tried an experimental new rage in weight loss called Ephedrine, in my case Xenadrine. It was a miracle cure, i had energy, never hungry and the weight started flying off, i went from just over 280 to 225 in a matter of a couple months (keep in mind, I ate whatever I wanted when I was hungry but I had no idea what I was supposed to be eating etc.) I played alotta basketball in the warehouse at work to help the weight come off but I wasnt going to the gym or doing any type of regimen.)

The music picked back up and things seemed to be going in the right direction.

About a year or so later, I find out that my manager left me for an already famous artist of the same vain, Robin Thicke (i have disdain for this dude to this day) and the depression came back.

I ballooned up over 300 lbs over the next couple years and all I did was watch movies at home, stayed hidden and ate garbage, doritos, mtn dew, pizza, burgers, ice cream, candy…you name it, if it was horrible for me?? i ate it.

I got to a point where I was around 270 and maintained that weight for a long time. my music had moved to local stages and venues in casinos and such around Washington state and I was not happy, but i was content wit music but never with myself and the way i looked and felt.

Around that time I had lost my day job and depression was rearing its ugly head again…

ENTER P90X, TONY HORTON AND TEAM BEACH BODY…

it was 2008 at about 3am when I first saw the infomercial… i was literally sitting in my room, crying with a tub of ice cream. I know, that sounds like something that a female would have gone through, not a big ol burly football player.. well, I have always been ultra sensitive and in tune to my emotions so that just is what it is… i digress.

I ordered the program IMMEDIATELY and with free 2 day shipping, i was working the program before I knew it.

THIS WAS AMAZING, FANTASTIC AND AWESOME!! I didnt take all my measurements, I didnt pay attention to the nutrition guide, i just pushed play every day for 60 days and went from my largest weight to date 308 to 230. yes i said 60 days.. well isnt P”90″X a 90 day program?? of course it is but my results were so amazing that I just stopped working out, i was happy with me and really full of myself, i never did the yoga and by about week 5 i was just doing the Cardio X, Kenpo X and Plyometrics programs. I TOTALLY FELL OFF THE PROGRAM AS IT WAS INTENDED.

Well the weight stayed off for a cpl years and then life happened again, another marriage on the brink of failure, 2 more children to bring the total to 5 and after leaving my band for artistic differences the depression set back in while my P90X box set collected dust on my shelf.

Fast forward to April 2015, i had decided that enough was enough and I was tired of being tired, fed up with being the fat dad and sick of looking into the mirror. at 40 yrs of age, i made a committment to myself, to live. I want to be active, i want to see all my kids grow up and have their own kids, i want to LIVE!!

I started to prepare myself to start the program over, ordered the bands, a heart rate monitor and any other equipment that was necessary, read the nutrition guide and started getting rid of the fatty foods at home and in my life.

For the first week, I just did Cardio X and Kenpo X 5 days to make sure my heart could take it and once that happened, i was off to the races.

I am currently on day 11 (Yoga X) and I am down 8 lbs since faithfully starting the program. I am eating CLEAN, I mean I FINALLY GET IT!! this is a complete lifestyle change, not a fad workout or diet, i am so inspired to live the rest of my life fit and aware.

I only eat lean proteins, fruits and veggies every day, i drink a protein shake sometimes for breakfast and i take supplements for my pre workout but I am changing my life and changing other lives at the same time.

in 80 days or so, i will officially become a team beach body coach and I already have my first client. my brother has had a similar fitness path as myself but now, because of the weight, he has suffered new ailments such as gout and arthritis.

I want to inspire others, i want to fight the obeisity epidemic that has plagued our country and everyday i have an opportunity to be an example for my 2 young children that live with me and an example to others through social media, music and life.

If you are struggling with your weight, and want to make a REAL change, trust me that you have found the right program and the right support community.

Utilize this site, utilize your coach and push play every single day and you will be the you that you were meant to be… so will I.

Find peace in your journey and continue to BRING IT!!