My journey started some time in late January of 2017. I had been obese since I was a teenager, and it severely impacted my self esteem and mental health. The time for change was now.
2017: Obese beginnings.
I focused on losing weight. I started doing cardio, going on regular walks and ate an incredibly strict diet. Around May, I started going to the gym regularly. At the time I was afraid of barbells, really did not have much direction and just fiddled around with machines. I didn’t have much of a system this time. I just attempted to increase my physical activity. Throughout this year I had lost over 100 lbs.
2018: Overcoming gym fear.
I cut my weight low, 200 lbs at 6’5”. I started reading and researching more, I ate a bit more and started lifting weights. I started following some upper / lower splits and started making progress. At this point, going to the gym was part of my routine; just as I wouldn’t leave the house without brushing my teeth, I wouldn’t skip a training day. At this time, the gym was still a chore for me, and I always tried to get out of there as fast as I could. This is the same year I picked up mountain biking as another hobby that helped me keep my cardio in check.
2019: Falling in love with the process.
The first 6 months continued the same, but something clicked. Instead of only loving the result, I fell in love with the process. I enjoyed pushing myself and seeing what my mind and body are capable of. In the summer of 2019, I discovered powerlifting and never turned back. Having fallen in love with the process I decided to devote my entire life to helping other achieve this high. At the age of 28, I returned to college to pursuit a degree in Health Promotion and Wellness at Farmingdale State College. While pursuing this degree, I also became a NASM certified personal trainer. I dedicated a great deal of my time outside of my degree and CPT exam to educating myself on as much fitness, nutrition, and wellness information as I could. During this time I turned to an entirely plant based diet due to environmental and ethical reasons, and am vegan to this day. There should be no surprise here that this is when I realized how many mistakes I made along the way of my journey.
2020: Continuing to grow my muscles and brain.
2020 was a tough year for many people, for a plethora of reasons. I was fortunate enough to spend this time focusing on furthering my education, working on myself and starting my own business. I stuck with my education, and even took summer classes to ensure my future success. During this time I simultaneously earned my Precision Nutrition PN1 certification. With gyms being shut down, I began building my own while establishing FitRamblings as my LLC. This year, for myself I continued powerlifting, and settled into a higher weight class with getting stronger as my priority. My last meet and next meet (4/21) will both be in the 110kg, drug tested weight class in the USPA (United States Powerlifting Association). I began training more clients, with different goals, mindsets and motivations that helped me understand how to be a better coach myself. During this year I also interned at a location specializing in environmental health and am currently interning with a clinical nutritionist. With 2021 around the corner, I am incredibly proud and fortunate for what I was able to accomplish this year.