User Success Story: Jeffrey- Lost 100 lbs & Gained Bike Rides with his Daughter.

We are excited to introduce you to Jeffrey, a Strongr Fastr user who lost 100 lbs using the app, but if you look at his responses (especially to question #2), you’ll notice he barely mentions the weight he lost and instead focuses on everything he gained. He kindly took the time to answer some of our questions about how he was able to accomplish all that he did and pass on his best advice for people looking to overhaul their health. His story is heartwarming and inspiring and he gives some great, practical advice, so enjoy!

Tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to make a change to your health?

I am a Navy veteran and a father of a wonderful little girl. After a bad divorce I gained around 100 pounds mostly due to depression. I had to buy all new bigger clothes as a result. I was uncomfortable and couldn’t do much with my daughter. We used to go hiking and riding bikes, but I couldn’t do that anymore. I decided to make a change after being out of breath going up the stairs from my basement. It was something so simple that it hit me like a ton of bricks. I needed to make a change!


What fitness goals did you achieve in the last year?

In the last year I have achieved a few of my fitness goals. I have been able to do unassisted pull ups again (shoulder repair prevented me from it for years). I have been able to go on extended bike rides with my daughter and also get back into trail riding. Being able to run again was a big one. It’s hard to run any distance when you are over 100 pounds overweight. I think the biggest fitness goal I was able to achieve was becoming fit. Being able to live life. Not being out of breath was HUGE for me.


What have been your biggest obstacles with fitness in the past?

I think my biggest obstacle has been getting out of my own head. Many times I would make excuses on why I couldn’t hit the gym one day or that I was too sore the next. I often would look at the workout of the day and think “that’s too hard I’m not going”. I would do the same with food, mainly sweet treats. I would have one and think the entire day was ruined and then go on a binging spree, eating whatever I wanted. I would turn 300 extra calories into 1,500+ because I told myself excuses.


What have been the key factors to your success? Any big lessons?

The biggest single key factor in my success was consistency. Getting my workout in even when I didn’t feel like it or felt I didn’t have enough time. 20 minutes on the rower or air bike is better than no time on it. It’s a 90% mental game you have to play with yourself. I would tell that little voice inside, “you don’t get a say today” and I’d get my workout in. I did the same with food. I strictly adhered to the plan and only had one cheat meal a week.


How did Strongr Fastr help you on your journey?

Strongr Fastr helped me on my journey by being an awesome app. It’s completely customizable to your needs and works flawlessly. The grocery list is a game changer when it came to meal prepping for the week. It made everything so much smoother that it was almost effortless. I swapped around plans from the paleo to the vegan then back again and every time I switched it was easier than you can imagine. I can’t say enough good things about the app. You have to try it out!

[ Editor’s note: sign up for a free-trial for Pro today: http://bit.ly/StrongrFastr_Free_Trial ]


What’s your best advice for someone just starting or someone who has been struggling to achieve their fitness goals?

You have to want it. And I mean really want it. You have to be able to tell yourself “no” when someone offers you pizza or a donut. It’s 80% in the kitchen and 20% in the gym. You can’t out train a bad diet. You need to sit back and dig deep to see if becoming a better and healthier version of you is what you really want. If it is, get out there and grind as hard as you can to make that dream a reality. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Be patient and take weekly progress pictures. Take daily progress pictures if you are having a hard time. You will see small differences that will give you motivation to keep going! Get after it!


Any advice for staying motivated?

Staying motivated is a hard thing to deal with. I struggled with it occasionally and the only way to overcome it is to figure out what results you want to see and how fast. You have to be realistic. That 20 pounds wasn’t put on in a week so it’s not going to come off in a week. I think for most people we have a skewed outlook on fitness and what it actually takes. For me staying motivated was having a picture of how I wanted to look and feel in my head and I worked towards that day after day. The first time I lost 100 pounds it took two years. This second time it took roughly a year. You can do it!


What’s your favorite recipe on the app?

My favorite recipe is one with basmati rice, coconut milk, asparagus and peas. It’s so simple and yet so filling that it’s amazing. The sweetness of the coconut milk hits my sweet tooth and helped with those cravings. I LOVE sweet treats especially cookies. The omelet in the mason jar is an amazing recipe also. It’s so simple and portable it’s hard to not stay on track with something like that in your arsenal.


If you have one, what is a fitness goal you have going forward?

My fitness goal moving forward is to continue to get stronger. I know that’s a broad goal but it’s easily attainable every week. You can measure it and show improvement which will help keep me, and hopefully you, on track. I’ve always wanted a six pack but never worked hard enough to have one.


Thanks again to Jeffrey for sharing his experience and advice!


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Are you a Strongr Fastr user who would like to share your story with us? Email mary@strongrfastr.com

Want to read more about motivation: Check out our blog post: Discipline & Willpower: 3 Scientifically Backed Steps to Form Healthy Habits

Try 7 days of Pro for Free: http://bit.ly/StrongrFastr_Free_Trial

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