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Where to begin?? Let's see... I'm a middle child. Nuf said, right?!?

I wish I was able to come on here and tell you I lost a ton of weight, but unfortunately (or fortunately for me), I can't. You see, I've been about the same weight for the past 15-20 years... somewhere between 150 in my early 20's, to 165 now (at age 41)... it's a family metabolism thing. But just because I wasn't 'overweight' doesn't mean I didn't struggle growing up.

For as long as I can remember, I was a skinny kid... not just skinny... BEANPOLE. I grew up with all kinds of nicknames, and was teased pretty regularly for being thin. I was never really good at sports, and even tho I tried really hard, I usually found myself at the end of the bench, not gifted enough athletically to really fit in. Moments like that tend to stick with a person throughout life, and I was no different. More on that in a bit...

As an adult, I would work out sporadically, playing tennis and golf with my wife and friends, and doing push-ups and sit-ups 5 times a week. While that doesn't sound like much of a transformation, let me tell you how Beachbody HAS changed me in amazing ways in just 3 years...

When I started the program in September 2008, I wasn't feeling very good about myself, both physically OR mentally. I had been a Stay-at-home dad for 8 years, and I came to the realization in September 2008 that I would be heading back into the workforce when my youngest went into school in September 2009. I felt VERY low, as I haven't held down what you'd call a 'real' job since 1994... I either did seasonal work, or relied on my piano teaching as my job. I went to college for about 3 years in the late 80s-early 90s, but never finished... I never found a subject that interested me and held my attention long enough to keep me in school.

With the prospects of getting back into the workforce in this terrible economy weighing heavily on me, I sunk into a depression that was hard to get out of. I've always been a very negative person - my glass wasn't 'half-full or half-empty... it was BROKEN. Even the littlest things (news, tv, family, friends) would set me off, and I wasn't a very fun person to be around. And all those child-related issues about being a skinny nobody that I talked about before? Well, it all eventually started boiling to the surface once again. To add to my problems, I was diagnosed with High Cholesterol in 2007, and had been taking medication to control my levels. I started to drink a little more (I love a good beer), and I ate horribly to cope with my struggles. Everything was slowly caving in around me, and I felt hopeless and lost.

That's when my younger brother (and Beachbody Coach) told me to give P90X a try, saying it might relieve some of the stress of job-hunting and worrying. He had been trying to get me into it for about a year, but I always resisted, saying I didn't want to 'drink the kool-aid'. But at that point in my life, I had nothing to lose, so I gave it a shot.

I started begrudgingly at first, trying very hard to resist (I'm a VERY stubborn person by nature - remember - middle child)). But once I was about 6 weeks into it, I was hooked. And what happened from that point on was AMAZING. My body and mind were completely transformed. I started getting up in the morning with HOPE and excitement, always ready to "push play" with Tony Horton and P90X. When I looked in the mirror I saw a different person too... muscles were popping out from places I didn't know even existed. I'm proud to say I'm now a 2 time graduate of P90X, and I'm in the process of doing a special P90X/INSANITY workout that REALLY kicks my butt.

And in 2009 I decided (with the help of my doctor) to stop using my cholesterol meds to see if I could control my levels with exercise and a healthier diet. As of 2010, I am now med-FREE, with my levels being at a healthy level, all by exercising and eating better. While my stubbornness and negativity are still around (sometimes), I feel BETTER about myself, and take most bad days in stride. Don't get me wrong... I am a 'work in progress'. But I know my limits, and I know what sets me off, something I never quite understood before I started this fitness journey.

One downfall I've had to deal with? In Fall of 2010 I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis, which affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S, and is VERY painful. I woke up one morning and literally felt like a 90 year-old man. After seeing a specialist, I now take meds to control it, but the thing that helps control it the MOST?? WORKING OUT on a regular basis. I can feel the pain when I take a few days off, so my life is now built around controlling my pain and discomfort with daily P90X or INSANITY workouts.

Now that I'm a Beachbdoy Coach, the sky is the limit. I'm in better shape now than I've ever been in my life, and I'm a MUCH better athlete. I've started DAT's World of FIT, a Facebook group that gives fit-minded people a place to go for news, information, and support. I also have DAT's Thought of the Day on Facebook, which is a positive quote page that gives the reader a daily dose of positive vibes anytime they need a boost. And to top it all off, I have a group called The 30 Day Challenge, which encourages people to take 30 days to completely transform their life and get fit, all with the help and support of the entire group. I absolutely love to inspire people with quotes, thoughts, and videos, both with humor and emotion.

Where do I go from here...? It's all up to ME, but with Team Beachbody behind me, I know that I can succeed, and I WILL succeed!