A Journey to Remember

Every journey always has a beginning. Whether the beginning starts off good, bad or even mediocre it’s still consists as a starting point. For myself, I decided to start a journey that will really push my body to do things I have not done before as well as provide a stepping stone to a goal I want to continually achieve.

Through the past years I always had no problems with my body. I thought to myself that if I was healthy and being active from time to time I would be fine in the future. I would eat anything and everything if I was not full, had room in my stomach or if I was just plain hungry. My family did not really say much because obviously they thought I was fine the way I was, which was true I was fine the way I was until I notice how big I was in pictures and videos. I continued to see the results and affects of eating large amounts of food from parties, restaurants, outings, and more to a point that I needed to make a change for myself. After realizing my body weight and size I started to actually workout.

Working out was not the greatest experience, especially when I was close to 200lbs. I started out doing the ‘normal’ routines (sit-ups, pushups, more sit-ups, more pushups). After a while I became lazy doing the routines or I would ‘forget’ to do them and end up not doing them at all. I was definitely a work in progress. I eventually stopped doing the ‘normal’ routines and stopped working out, until I saw a program that caught my interest - INSANITY. That program was probably one of the best programs I have ever done. I’ve completed a month and I saw a slight difference from what I was before. I would be drench in sweat at the end of each workout session even though it wasn’t a significant amount of weight lost but it was a start. I continued doing the workout sessions from the Insanity program but digressed a bit at a time to a point where I stopped doing the program falling back a step.

Even though I was falling back a step or more I was still determined to continue to working out and to slim down and get fit. In the summer of 2014 I decided to take up rollerblading. Obviously living in Winnipeg rollerblading would not be the best type of cardio throughout the year only because Winnipeg has two months of summer,  and the rest of the year would be winter (not literally but it feels like it is). However, throughout the summer I would rollerblade whenever I was able to and weather permitting. That year I decided to be ambitious and rollerblade from the University of Manitoba, which is south of the city, all the way home, which is northwest of the city. All I took with me was a small bag for my water bottle, money for a one way bus ride ($2.50), my shoes and of course my cell phone. I carried my rollerblades when I was on the bus. Once I got to the university I prepped myself then started to head home. It took me an hour and 35 minutes from the university to home travelling a total of 20km. Having accomplished rollerblading from the university to home was fulfilling. The achievement of having travelled 20km provided a desire to continue working out and to workout hard.

The following year I went to the YMCA facility to workout there. I took up swimming as part of my cardio as well as jogging/running. During my middle-school and high-school years I enjoyed running, specifically sprinting the 50m and 100m dash. However, after graduating I wasn’t able to maintain that momentum of constantly running. Nevertheless I was able to pick it up again at the gym but wanted to see if I could do long distance running instead. I started out doing 30 minute runs on the treadmill then started doing some short runs around my neighbourhood. Eventually I started running farther into other neighbourhoods that are 5-10 minutes drive away from home. The farthest I’ve gone was 8 or 9km, which was pretty far and another achievement I had accomplished. It may not be the farthest for some but it was far for me. By the end of the summer my family and friends started to noticed that I had lost a lot of weight. I didn’t feel like I did because all I saw was a “fat man” trying to lose weight. I realized that I had lost weight when I was wearing my clothes. All of my clothes were becoming loose and baggy to a point that I actually needed to buy new clothes in order to fit. I currently now wear smalls and have a 30-31inch waist coming from wearing mediums/larges and having a 33-34 inch waist.



My journey in living a healthier lifestyle was a struggle and it continues to be a struggle only because of the amount of food that are easily available for me to consume. However, I disciplined myself to making the right food choices as well as treating myself from time to time. I initially cut out all artificial sugars from my diet. Meaning I restricted myself from eating cookies, cakes, drinking sodas, candy, chocolates, etc.; this was difficult because I’m a big fan of sweets. During that time I consumed more fruits and vegetables in order to satisfy my craving for sweets as well as drinking a lot of water. Plus I had whey isolate (protein) that also satisfied my craving for sweets.


After struggling to workout, making incorrect food choices to continuing to workout and eat right I’ve made the choice of entering the Manitoba Amateur Bodybuilding Association (MABBA) Fall Classics Competition. In other words I’m entering and prepping to be in a bodybuilding competition in mens physique. I have made this decision not purely because I want to be fit and look hot but more to be an inspiration to others out there (friends, family, coworkers, etc.)  who struggle or are struggling to make a difference in their lives (although it is a plus to be fit and look hot :P). Personally it is a difficult process mentally, emotionally and of course physically. The initial start is always the most difficult, but once you continue to push through and dedicate yourself in making a change you will see results and changes that you will be able to call achievements. There is a post at the gym I workout in that says, “Slow progress is better than no progress”. I believe in this because I lived through it. The times where I started and fell back and started up again were still steps to achieving a healthier lifestyle. So I encourage you, if you are wanting to workout and live a healthier lifestyle make that first step, make some goals and achieve them. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it in the long run.

I hope that you enjoyed reading my blog. I will be sharing my journey leading up to competition day and showing my progress along the way. As well I will be blogging my food, my workouts, and overall thoughts as my body changes. Check frequently for updates and future blogs. I hope to post a blog everyday or at least every second day.

Thank you for reading my blog and joining me on my continuing journey which I will remember.

(Left: In the Philippines close to 200lbs. Right: me currently)