“I Have Abs for the First Time in My life!”
†Results vary depending on starting point and effort. Vincent is an independent Beachbody Coach.
Meet Vincent, age 29, from Chatham, NJ. He entered The Beachbody Challenge in December, 2014, and won $1,000!
Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?
Before I started Beachbody programs, I was in an awful place mentally. At my worst, I got up to a very soft 221 lbs. After this, I did some things to take some of the weight off, but I never stuck to anything, so changes were made but I would always slip back to gaining weight again and losing more and more muscle. When things truly changed for the worst though was a few years back. I had two near death experiences due to exposure to peanuts and all of a sudden I developed severe anxiety. At the time, I didn’t know that it was anxiety. I felt like I was dying every single day. I worried all the time for my health – checking my pulse throughout the day. I went to the ER on multiple occasions thinking I was having a stroke and/or a heart attack. I once convinced myself that I had MS due to a constant tingling in the back of my head. It got to the point where it felt unbearable. I knew something had to change.
What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?
I realized that I had developed an anxiety disorder. I researched ways to reduce anxiety without going on medication but kept coming back to the same two things: changing your diet and exercise. As a result, I decided to go back to P90x. It had worked in the past for me, so why not try it again? At first it was tough, I was worried about my heart rate and got anxiety from doing the workouts. But I pushed through. I started to get better physically each day. As my physical health improved, I noticed my mental health changing, too. Fast forward – I completed P90x twice, then INSANITY, then P90x2. As of this past June, I decided to go full tilt on this. My anxiety had gone down, but maybe if I went 100% into the diet, it would nearly disappear? So I moved onto p90x3, got AWESOME results – so awesome that I actually became a Beachbody Coach! Now, after Body Beast, I am in the best shape of my life! I have abs for the first time in my life! I have never felt better physically OR mentally!2
What is the greatest challenge you faced before beginning the program? How did the program and Beachbody® help you overcome that challenge?
My greatest challenge was always myself. I had developed such bad anxiety that I was afraid of starting something too demanding. When I did start working out, I would sabotage myself by not eating right. Mentally, I was holding myself back due to fear and angst. Finally, the light went off after seeing a Beachbody infomercial for P90x. I dusted off my DVDs and pushed play. I had to mentally change who I was and what I believed, in order to complete these programs. It was not easy, but once I made these changes and committed, EVERYTHING in my life began to change for the better. I am an all around better person mind, body, and soul from these programs. I owe my life to them!
What in particular did you like about the program you chose?
Body Beast was absolutely incredible. It was a challenge every single day, and I loved it. Sagi is a phenomenal trainer. He keeps you motivated and keeps pushing you to go further. I never thought I would love a program more than p90x, but then I found p90x3. Then I never thought I would love a program more than that, until I began Body Beast. The eating plan was HUGE in my success. Although a lot of prep was involved, it was so easy to follow. It changed everything I thought I knew about diet, weight training, and supplementation. The results speak for themselves. This is my SOULMATE program!
Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody program. Which achievements are you proud of?
Throughout the course of this journey, I have gone from 221 pounds to a rock solid 180 pounds! I have added inches of muscle to my arms, shoulders, legs and chest, while dropping from a 38 waist size to a 32! Finally, I dropped from 25% body fat to a mere 11.6%! Physically, I am most proud of my abs, the compliments from others have been incredible. I cannot wait to walk around the beach this summer with this newfound confidence in my body! Even more than the physical changes, I am most proud of the changes these programs have caused for me mentally. This newfound confidence is something I never thought I would have. I never thought I could have a body like this. I am the strongest mentally that I have ever been in my entire life. My entire outlook on myself has transformed, to go along with my physical transformation. Most importantly, being able to make these changes has shown me that ntohing is impossible. If I can make these changes, ANYONE can!
How did participating in a Challenge Group help you reach your goals? How did your group support you and keep you accountable?
Participating in Challenge Groups have been HUGE in my success. My first Challenge Group experience was with p90x3. It really gave me the support system and structure to ensure that I finished the program in 90 days and to make sure I pushed play every single day (even when I maybe was not feeling up to it!). They were huge for accountability and general success tips. The Challenge Group for Body Beast, specifically the Swoll Squad Man Cave was even more helpful. I was surrounded by over 50 guys, all looking to achieve the same goals, all using the same program to do this. We shared tips and tricks. We discussed supplementation. We discussed added workout ideas. It was absolutely instrumental in helping me to achieve these results.
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.
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 shirt and a chance to win cash & prizes.