Finding Real Health: My Journey to Strength, Fitness, and Sustainable Nutrition

For most of my life, my relationship with health and fitness wasn’t great. Growing up, I didn’t have a solid foundation in nutrition or exercise. I vividly remember my dad handing me a big gulp of soda every evening after work. At the time, I had no clue how much sugar was in it or that it could contribute to weight gain. That soda? Around 80 grams of sugar and 312 calories—every day.

Even as a teenager, when I started working out, I still struggled with being a bit overweight. The issue wasn’t my effort, but the lack of proper nutrition to fuel my workouts. That cycle of trying but not getting results lasted longer than it should have—until two defining moments changed everything.

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The Turning Point

The first major shift happened during a trip to Dallas. My pastor at the time introduced a three-week fasting challenge—not to starve ourselves, but to learn about food’s impact on our bodies. The first week, we cut out sweets, sugar, and junk food. The next week, we removed fast food and bread. It was an eye-opener, showing us how certain foods contribute to illness and inflammation.

By the end of the three weeks, I dropped from 200 pounds to 180, and I felt better—physically and mentally. But something still felt off.

The second turning point came during a trip with my older brothers. Looking at the photos, it was obvious: I was the “little brother.” They were both muscular and fit, and I felt small next to them. That’s when it hit me—I was “skinny fat.” At that moment, I promised myself, “Never again.”

Simple Nutrition

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t out-train a poor diet. I’ve simplified my approach to food into three categories, which I now teach my kids:

  1. Muscle Food: Lean proteins like beef, chicken, and fish. These are for building muscle.

  2. Energy Food: Grains and vegetables. You need these to fuel your daily activities. If you eat too much, they get stored as fat; if you don’t eat enough, you’ll feel sluggish.

  3. Junk Food: Fast food and anything with ingredients you can’t pronounce. The less, the better.

This simple framework covers about 80% of what you need to know. But here’s the kicker: calories matter. No matter how “clean” your diet is, if you consistently eat more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. If your goal is to lose fat, you need to maintain a caloric deficit—consuming fewer calories than your body needs. Tracking calories, even for just a little while, can be a game-changer. It helps you see where you’re overshooting, and small adjustments can lead to big results.

Understanding nutrition as fuel for my body—and muscle as a safeguard for my future—was a breakthrough that completely changed my health.

Why I Lift

I’ve tried a lot of exercises, and while walking and running are great for heart health and mental clarity, lifting weights became my true turning point. Growing up around a retirement community, I witnessed firsthand how quickly health can decline when muscle mass disappears. A simple fall could lead to broken bones and long recovery periods. This made me realize: muscle isn’t just for looks—it’s about resilience.

When I committed to strength training, I gained nearly 30 pounds, mostly muscle. More importantly, my life changed. I no longer felt pain in my back and knees from simple tasks like carrying my kids upstairs. Thanks to consistent squats and strength training, I’m able to move freely without constant discomfort. Strength training didn’t just reshape my body—it gave me back my physical freedom.

My Workout Tool

One of the worst feelings is showing up at the gym and not knowing what to do. That’s why I use Fitbod—an app that takes the guesswork out of the equation. It creates personalized workouts based on your goals, available equipment, and the time you have.

What I love about it is how it helps track progress. For example, if I do dumbbell curls with 10 pounds today, Fitbod remembers it and will suggest 12.5 or 15 pounds next time. It even adjusts based on feedback about the weight, ensuring I’m always challenged. Plus, it has instructional videos to ensure my form is on point, so I never worry about doing exercises wrong.

My Advice

If you’re feeling intimidated about starting, I get it. Here’s my simple advice:

  1. Get a workout buddy. Working out with someone—especially a partner—makes a huge difference. My wife, Charrisse, and I work out together, and it’s become quality time. The encouragement from each other keeps us going.

  2. Have a plan. Showing up at the gym without a plan is the worst. Fitbod is great for this because it provides a structured workout. No more wasted time figuring out what to do.

  3. Don’t compare yourself to others. When you see someone lifting heavy weights or looking amazing, remember—they didn’t get there overnight. Everyone starts somewhere, so use others’ progress as motivation, not a reason to feel discouraged.

Conclusion

My fitness journey was about shifting my mindset from just losing weight to building real, functional strength. It started with understanding basic nutrition and was fueled by my desire to live an active, resilient life for myself and my family. The goal isn’t just to be fit, but strong enough to handle whatever life throws at you.

Key takeaways:

  • You can’t out-train a bad diet; good nutrition is the foundation.

  • Think of food in three categories: muscle food, energy food, and junk food.

  • Lifting builds strength and resilience—not just for looks.

  • Consistency and a clear plan are key to sticking with fitness.

  • Everyone starts somewhere—don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s years of progress.

  • Building a healthy lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on sustainable nutrition, a solid workout plan, and the consistency to keep going.

At the end of the day, it’s about making the decision to do the hard things, day after day, to build a better life.

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