P90X Testimonials – Men continued

Here are more stories from men that have completed the P90X and turned their lives around.

Jeremy Yost, Male, Age 33

At only age 33, Jeremy Yost already felt like he was knocking at death’s door – tipping the scales at 370 pounds, on medication for his dangerously high blood pressure, and walking with a limp due to severe arthritis.

“I had no energy for my family, especially for my two young active sons. I basically avoided anything other than being inside the house on the couch.”

He was complacent about his weight and didn’t realize the dangerous lifestyle he was living. A friend confronted Jeremy about his weight.

“He asked me how I would feel if another man had to replace me and raise my sons, um, I was speechless… It made the situation really real for me. It forced me to think of the real events that would occur if I didn’t change my ways.”

A high school athlete, Jeremy started asking buddies what they were doing to get in shape and found that many were doing P90X. When he saw the way their eyes lit up when describing P90X, Jeremy knew the program was for him.

“The most appealing characteristic that they described was the variety. There was days when they did strength training, days where they did cardio, days when they did stretching, and that really interested me.”
He loved the workouts, but there were major obstacles in his quest to get fit. He continually faced the temptation to eat poorly, and the arthritis in his ankle caused him intense pain.

“When I first started P90X, I swear I used every modification that Tony could throw at me. Whether it was from being so out of shape or physically being too big or my ankle, I had to modify everything. I really struggled. But around every corner Tony saying, ‘Do your best, and forget the rest.’ So many times I felt like he was personally talking to me.”

Bret Kalista, Male, Age 26

Bret Kalista lived an extremely sedentary life, consisting of sitting behind a desk at work for twelve hours, then coming home and sitting some more.

Bret didn’t have any energy to play with his children at all. He got to the point where instead of encouraging his sons to be active, he would encourage them to pop a DVD in and watch a movie.

Bret would rationalize his poor physical condition by telling himself that weight gain was just the result of aging or that the weight gain resulted from recent knee surgery that prohibited him from doing anything strenuous.

Ashamed to take off his shirt, and weighing two hundred pounds, Bret was shocked at how unhealthy and overweight he had become. He needed to change.

Bret decided to commit to P90X. He was intrigued by the infomercial’s use of “real people” with “real” results. Plus, P90X was a complete program – complete with a whole-body workout and diet plan.

Brett initially struggled with the nutrition plan because his body had grown so accustomed to eating junk food, but he stuck with the plan and eventually the junk-food cravings ceased.

Today, Bret has completed one round of P90X and is gearing up for his second. Without the constant support and encouragement from his coach, Tommy Mygrant, Bret would not have been able to get through the first round. Bret now has the energy to play with his kids, not just watch movies with them.

He has lost thirty-one pounds and nineteen percent of his body fat. According to Brett, before P90X he only saw things that he “couldn’t” do. Now he sees things that he “hasn’t” done yet.

Josh Spencer, Male, Age 23

Growing up, Josh lived by his parents’ principle, “If you want to succeed in life, you have to work harder than everybody else.” At age 5, he developed a passion for the game of baseball. Josh spent countless hours practicing, dedicated to improving his game both physically and mentally. Thanks to constant hard work, Josh emerged as a full-fledged college star, earning numerous honors. After graduating, Josh took a job as a financial representative, trading in his glove for a calculator. In spite of the pledge he made to stay in shape, Josh quickly let himself go.

Josh never thought about what he ate. He got away with eating pizza, white bread, cookies, and ice cream when he was hitting the weight room 6 days a week between practices and games. After college, Josh continued eating junk food, and he stopped working out. His gut grew larger, and his pants felt tighter.
Josh was unhappy, to say the least. He was 20 pounds overweight, and it affected every facet of his life. Relationships with friends and family suffered, as did his career. A financial representative constantly interacts with others, and to be successful, one requires self-confidence. Josh didn’t have very much self-confidence. He was disappointed with himself.

One day, Josh decided he’d had enough. He looked in the mirror, disgusted with himself, and proclaimed, “You are going to change your life.”

One night, while flipping channels, Josh saw an infomercial for P90X. He never watched infomercials, but P90X caught his attention. Josh saw the sweat dripping down Tony’s face and chest. The program looked like it was the real deal. It demanded some hard work. Josh ordered the DVDs and the P90X Chin-Up Bar. He vowed to follow P90X, no matter how difficult it would be.

When the program arrived, Josh was surprised to find the P90X 3-Phase Nutrition Guide inside. He read the guide. It was clear that Josh needed to completely change his diet if he was going to get the results he wanted. After a trip to the grocery store, Josh started to “Bring It.”

The Chest & Back workout was day one. How, Josh wondered, could he do another push-up? By the end of the second set, his arms felt like gelatin. Ab Ripper X was next. The next morning, Josh was so sore – more than he had ever been in his life. That was hard; this is going to work!

After 250 days of P90X, Josh is ripped. He’s in better shape than he was when he played college baseball. At the request of his Beachbody Coach, Josh posts regular photos updating his progress in a thread on the Message Boards. He can’t believe how much he inspires other members with his results. Now there’s a lot of accountability. Every time Josh decides to Push Play, he knows that he won’t let them down, and he will never let himself down.

David Keenan, Male, Age 23

Growing up overweight wasn’t easy for David. He grew self-conscious about eating and began eating in secret by himself. At 19 he tipped the scales at 360 pounds.

His doctor told him that, in order to save his own life, it was vital he get healthy. But he didn’t know where to start. David was skeptical when his older sister told him about a program that had worked for her and an aunt. Having tried a variety of fad diets and “springy fitness toys” with little success, David found it hard to buy into anything new. But he saw with his own eyes the difference it made for his aunt and sister. Their results and enthusiasm convinced David to give Power 90 a shot. The next thing he knew, his sister wanted to take “before” pictures and measurements. He was so nervous that he wouldn’t even take off his shirt for the camera. A few days later he Pushed Play for the very first time.

Right off the bat, Tony was moving and David was struggling to catch up – but his determination kept him going and, at the end of the first 35 minutes, he says that he “looked like [he] stepped out of a pool and panted like a woman giving birth.”

This was the start for David and before he knew it, he was halfway through the program and 40 pounds lighter. Every time David ran into people he hadn’t seen in a while, they were blown away by the weight he’d lost. Recognition like this really helped keep him going.

In a year he was down to 250 pounds but had hit a plateau. He decided to add Slim in 6 in the mornings and keep with his Power 90 at night. This combination, coupled with his now almost impeccable diet, led to great results.

He was hooked on the programs and decided to move up to P90X. David says that P90X was the most challenging physical activity he’d ever attempted. But when he saw the results he knew it was worth it. Having lost an astounding 160 pounds, he had lost half of his body weight! Coming up on year five, David has managed to lose a total of 160 pounds and 27 percent body fat.

But more importantly, he says, is that he’s kept it off and changed his lifestyle. His eating habits and exercise routine are all designed to help him lead a better and healthier life. He’s gained an abundance of knowledge and finds it funny that he, a former 360-pounder, now gives diet and exercise advice. David says that to struggle with a battle your whole life and come out victorious is the greatest feeling anyone could ever experience.

Scott Shoup, Male, Age 28

I’m Scott Shoup from Columbus, Ohio, and I lost 71 pounds, 22% body fat, and 10.5″ from my waist with Turbo Jam and P90X, forever changing my life and giving me the ripped Beachbody I always wanted.

Prior to beginning my transformation, I wasn’t in a very good place physically or psychologically. After developing bad eating habits as a wrestler in high school and then facing high levels of stress and a lack of physical activity throughout college, I had put on more than 70 pounds of fat, and I felt and looked miserable. This led to low self-esteem, suffering relationships with friends and family members, and I lost the passion and energy to live life to the fullest.

My health had become very poor from being so obese, and I began to experience several health related issues. One in particular that served as a major wake up call was when my wife told me that I would stop breathing periodically in my sleep, and it terrified her. Combining that reality check with our fast approaching wedding date was the spark I needed to realize it was definitely time for a change. It was then that I saw an infomercial for Turbo Jam that forever changed my life.

At first, even the introductory workouts had me out of breath since I was so badly out of shape, but within 3 weeks, I was keeping pace with even my favorite workouts. After 90 days, I lost nearly 50 pounds, 6 inches off my waist, and 15% body fat. The reward was a beautiful beach wedding and honeymoon in Jamaica. Our wedding was a dream come true, and the self-confidence and passion for life that came from my transformation made the experience so much better.

I told my wife that I was ready for a bigger challenge, and I wanted to continue my success by getting ripped, so she bought me P90X for my birthday… what would turn out to be the best present ever!! The first few weeks of P90X were extremely tough, requiring me to dig really deep just to finish the workouts. One of the most important aspects of the success I achieved with P90X was following the nutrition plan with no exceptions, and the supplements really helped me to keep Bringing It to maximize my results.

After just 3 months of P90X, I lost an additional 20 pounds, another 4.5″ from my waist, and 7% more body fat. The snoring, sleep apnea, acid reflux, digestive issues, and pessimistic attitude are now a thing of the past.

One of the sources of inspiration that helped me achieve my results was my coach, Robert Hudgens. Being a monthly contest winner himself, he helped me see what was achievable with strong determination and focus. But more importantly, he taught me how to be a great coach for others who were seeking their own transformation. His guidance as a coach served as a foundation for me to inspire others and help them reach for their dreams.

Since winning the monthly contest in August, I have remained determined to continue reaching for new goals and dreams that I gave up on at the peak of my obesity. Now on my 4th round of P90X, I built 10 pounds of lean muscle by increasing my workout intensity, I ran my first ever half-marathon, I enjoy many new fitness hobbies that have really enriched my life, I inspired my wife to commit to her own transformation (allowing our relationship to grow even closer), I launched a weight loss challenge at work (helping more than 40 coworkers lose weight), and I also fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams of returning to the mat as an assistant coach and nutrition advisor for my former high school wrestling team.

I look forward to working out everyday and inspiring others to reach for their fitness goals. I am both humbled and amazed at the number of people who were inspired after seeing my results, both in how I look and feel, as well as in how it changed my attitude and quality of life. Being a mentor and coach to those who I have inspired has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

With my physical transformation also came a priceless change in life perspective, as I now recognize the things that are most important in my life and not to “sweat the small stuff” that really doesn’t matter in the big picture. As Tony Horton would say, I just “do my best and forget the rest”, and this simple commitment has carried over to all aspects of my life, allowing me to continue living each day to the fullest.

John Caswell, Male, Age 37

Before John’s transformation, he struggled with weight, which fluctuated up and down, over and over again, for his entire life. At his heaviest, John weighed 285 pounds. Depressed, not 10 minutes would go by without John thinking about his weight. Instead of doing something to drop the pounds, though, he would just grab a bite to eat and try not to think about it for a while.

Eventually, John turned into a homebody because he was so ashamed of the way he looked. His wife would ask him if he wanted to go and do something- anything -to get out of the house, but John turned her down so many times that finally she stopped asking. For the most part, all John ever did was go to work and come back home. It was time to take action.

John built a home gym – where he hit the treadmill and began lifting weights. In three months, John lost more than 50 pounds, but he was ready to change things up. For months, John had been watching the P90X infomercial over and over again, so he decided to go for it.

After the first 90 days, John lost another 28 pounds, and his body fat dropped from 37 percent down to 24 percent. Now, after round two, John weighs 175 pounds, and his body fat is only 12 percent. John tells his co-workers about P90X every day. Sometimes they will joke, but a couple of them have listened, and now they’re starting to “Bring It.” Ultimately, they all know what P90X can do. John’s amazing results are a daily reminder.

Mike Ryan, Male, Age 36

Growing up in an athletic family, Mike played all kinds of sports. He was able to avoid serious injuries until age 19; he blew out both of his knees and hurt his back performing stunts on in-line skates. That didn’t stop Mike. He got into different sports that didn’t irritate his injuries. Mike was eventually forced to treat those injuries in physical therapy, which didn’t stop him from working out in the gym and pushing himself hard -sometimes a little too hard. Mike ended up tearing his abdomen in 13 places, and it took three surgeries to treat.

After that ordeal, Mike slowly lost track of his health and fitness, as he turned his attention elsewhere.
Mike focused on his family and his business, but he didn’t care about what he ate or what he did for physical activity. A typical day included work, one of Mike’s favorite meals at a restaurant for lunch, a big dinner, and then surfing the Internet or watching a movie after putting the kids to bed. Mike’s snoring got so bad that he had to sleep on the couch for months. Meanwhile, there was a garage full of sports equipment that went untouched.

At his heaviest, Mike weighed 217 pounds. He was mistaken for a portly actor one night, but that didn’t even stop Mike from ordering dessert. After his shirts no longer fit around his neck, he quit wearing ties to work while his suits were literally bursting at the seams.

Then one night, an infomercial for P90X came on TV. Mike asked his wife if she was trying to make a point, but she said that it just came on. Mike couldn’t find the remote control, so he watched. “I can do anything for 90 days,” he thought to himself. Mike told her that he would order the program if she would work out with him. His wife agreed and urged him to make the call. Mike was fed up with how he felt and how his clothes fit. It was time for a change, and he knew it.

True to his word, Mike started P90X alongside his wife. Mike loved the layout of the program. It all made sense. Mike also loved the Message Boards. The real people and the pride they felt were huge inspirations. Initially, Mike found it difficult to change his diet, but he knew that he needed to eat right if he wanted to look great. Mike and his wife filled their kitchen with healthy foods. He never leaves home without a nutritious snack and water. He can hardly believe how much better eating fresh fruit and vegetables makes him feel.

Mike has dropped 42 pounds since day one. He feels like a 21-year-old now, and he’s stronger than ever. Maybe now an NFL team will let him try out. More importantly, he no longer snores, so he can sleep next to his wife again. Inspired by their parents, Mike’s kids love to exercise, too, and they cheer him on every time their dad’s “Pushing Play.”

Seth Gibree, Male, Age 33

As a dentist, Seth Gibree was fully aware of the correlations between the mouth and body: what you put in your mouth will affect your body. But that didn’t stop him from bingeing on fast food whenever he felt like it. He was completely aware of his lack of conditioning and diet, yet he was doing nothing about it. Worried about the example he was setting for his wife of 10 years and two young sons, Seth decided it was time for a change.

The first step towards a new life and body began when Seth ordered P90X. The program arrived, but he shelved the DVDs for 6 months before he finally unwrapped the package and started reading through the materials. He had finally had enough and decided then and there to Push Play.

The first 6 weeks were rough, and to make matters worse, he battled two week-long colds. He tried to push through the sickness but that only made things worse. After recovering, Seth decided to take things one day at a time and listen to his body.

Seth was working out daily, but he wasn’t measuring his progress and using the Beachbody online community. The changes that were happening to his body came in baby steps, and he didn’t have any cheerleaders to help push him through to the finish line. Taking stock of these factors, he decided to get involved in the Message Boards, and what he discovered was a whole group of people eager to encourage and provide support. Seth found Pedro and his Pain Crew, and they became his support structure. They made him realize that exercise and diet work together more intricately than he’d ever known. Soon afterwards, Seth started to see the results that he’d always dreamed about.

These days, Seth’s blood pressure is down, his energy is up, and he’s in the best shape since he was a teenager. He’s lost 43 pounds, 17 percent body fat, and 5 inches off of his waist! He can play, swim, run, or walk with his kids, and feel awesome while doing it. Seth eats clean now and feels proud that he’s passing on healthy lifestyle habits to his sons.

Douglas Lowe, Male, Age 43

Douglas Lowe used to live a fairly active lifestyle. While in high school he played several sports, and as he got older, he skied, biked, and did some wakeboarding. These activities, coupled with some moderate exercise, kept Doug at a “steady” weight, but nowhere near fit.

But those activities became nonexistent as he aged and his weight increased. Doug’s wake-up call came while on a beach vacation. He couldn’t fit into his swimsuit and was forced to buy another on site. When he became winded just walking to the edge of the water, Doug decided something had to be done.

Finding Beachbody through friends, Doug started with Power 90 and lost forty pounds. But it wasn’t easy, and Doug struggled with changing his eating habits. At every social gathering, he was tempted with unhealthy food choices. But with the support of those closest to him, he stuck with a healthy eating plan.

Forty pounds lighter and armed with a new healthy lifestyle, he was ready for the “X.” By working out to P90X, Doug dropped another thirty-five pounds and, at the age of forty-three, is in the best shape of his life.

Ronald Cole, Male, Age 44

Ronald Cole’s life was a constant cycle of diet soda, eating what he wanted, and watching endless amounts of television. Consequently, he had chronic soreness in his knees, hips, and back. And he weighed close to 300 pounds.

“I was always making excuses for why I couldn’t stick with a diet or why I couldn’t stick with an exercise program. There was always a reason why, and it was never me. It was always something else.”

At one time an avid skier, those days were way behind him, and he realized that the hard way. Attempting to ski with friends, he was unable to keep up and quit after one attempt.

“I’m supposedly the expert skier, and these guys are looking to me for tips, advice . . . I got to the bottom, and I knew I was done for the day. I had to stop, I told them. I couldn’t go on. I literally laid in the snow for an hour. I was humiliated.”

In the past, Ron had tried every fad diet and purchased many of the fad pieces of exercise equipment, but nothing worked. After the attempt at skiing, he was motivated again to lose weight but wasn’t really dedicated. After six months of healthy eating, he fell right back into his old unhealthy habits.

“After a few months of eating like that, you just get tired of the food -the same thing over and over again, and no variety.”

Then during one of his marathon TV sessions, Ron caught the P90X infomercial and was struck by how “real” it seemed. At his weight though, he thought it would be hard to begin with, but he wanted to be an “X” man and set a goal: get in fairly good shape, and then move on to P90X. He started with Power 90.

“I wanted to find something to get me to a point where I could do P90X. I ordered Power 90. It was exactly what I was looking for. It would take me from that state of being fresh off the couch to fit enough to do P90X.”

Ron’s biggest hurdle was a family that initially wasn’t ready to join him in eating more healthily. He had to cook his own meals and watch as the others ate all the things Ron gave up. It was a hard and slow process, but Ron went to the Beachbody Message Boards, and they never let him down.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 12:36 pm and is filed under P90X Reveiws and Testimonials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.