Amazing Weight Loss Story-Losing Pounds In 3 Steps

“That’s the cycle you are in,” said Andy. “You get sad so you eat to feel better and then you have eaten and you feel bad again and you eat again.”

Even into college, he would try and slip in and out of classes early to avoid being seen. Andy would tell himself, “’I don’t care what people think. It doesn’t matter.’ But…I hated the way I felt and looked.”

Andy’s journey forward began in January of 2015. Andy started at the gym for one hour a day and all he would do was use the elliptical. He almost immediately started to witness the results of his choice to get healthy. In his first month getting back into the gym he lost twenty pounds and eventually lost forty more.

Mental Block -1

At about the sixty-pound mark, Andy hit a mental block that stalled his progress but he new that “[he] had to do something or [he] would gain the weight back.”

Andy knew what he wanted (i.e., to weigh two-hundred-and-twenty-five pounds) and to some degree how to get it. It was his work with personal trainer Jerry Hughes, however, that seemed to cure those workout blues. Andy stuck to Hughes’ strict workout regiment which required hard exercises three days a week and cardio every day.

The first month’s results? Twenty pounds and over twenty-four inches.

Mental Block -2

Andy’s progress continued so much so that he lost one-hundred-and-forty pounds of his one-hundred-and-seventy-pound weight loss goal. For whatever reason, again, he hit a mental block that he couldn’t seem to get over. This mental detachment came with excuses for why he wanted to stop.

But Hughes met him with encouragement. He sternly but graciously reminded Andy how far he had come. “If you were truly done you wouldn’t be looking at me with tears in your eyes.”

You can bet that if Andy was still trying to lose the weight on his own that he would have convinced himself to call it quits. This emphasizes the importance of having someone or something that keeps you motivated, holds you accountable, and reminds you of your potential.

To give you a better sense of how long Andy has come not only physically but mentally, just look at his Facebook video !

“On January 29th I took part in my first 5k [run]. There was a time in my life that I would have never thought about, much less have completed a run of any kind. This is just another step in my journey. Are you ready to start yours?”

And what a perfect question to finish on. Are you ready? Andy’s done it and you’ve seen it. He will undoubtedly hit more mental blocks along the way. But by not completely giving up the first or second time (or the times we’ll never know about), he can push on with the help of his support system knowing he can achieve his goals.

Andy’s 3 Steps for Success

What awesome about his tips is that they’re not just applicable to losing weight. They’re an all-around great approach to life:

See also: Eating Chocolate In The Morning Increases Weight Loss! Here’s Why!

1. Do the Research

When you’re going out to a restaurant on your own or with friends or family, you don’t have to opt out. Just do your best to study the menu and make the best diet choice with what you’ve got!

“I just get my phone and check the nutrition of whatever it is I am going to order,” Andy told Today.

2. Have a Buddy

So many things in life are more fun to do with someone you care about and who cares about you. His mother, Mary, changed her eating and exercising habits when Andy began his journey in order show support and hold him accountable.

Andy shared that “having that person there when you are struggling helps a lot.”

3. Give it a Shot

You never truly know how you or your opinion of something will change until you try, so do exactly that. It may just make a difference.

“Go to the gym and begin changing the way you eat,” said Andy. “Seeing the results, that will keep you motivated.”