I am a sports broadcaster for a small college in Kentucky, it is my full time position and takes up just about all of my time. I was always interested in sports, in high school I played baseball, basketball and ran cross country for my school. In college, I put on the dreaded freshman 15. I was always a short, stocky kid, I also carry my weight really well. Nobody seemed to notice my medium shirts fit a little tighter and those high school. My sophomore year was no different, maybe another 5-10 pounds, junior year the same thing. After I graduated, I was probably pushing 190-200, but like I said, I carry my weight well, I was find with it, nobody really told me I was fat or gaining weight. I had a steady girlfriend so who did I need to impress?

I just let it go.

Finally when the scale reached 197, I knew I had to do something so I ordered the DDP Yoga program being both a wrestling fan and a big fan of DDP and what it had done for former wrestlers. Plus I hate going to the gym, I hate lifting weights, I hate running on a treadmill. So I gave it a try. In three weeks I started seeing results, in another six weeks I started losing weight and got back down to about 190. I would love to say this is where my weight loss journey began, but in the 12th week, I went on vacation and didn’t touch the program again until almost a year and a half later.

A year after I graduated, I nabbed my dream job which was a sports broadcaster. Before that I was at least a bit more active. I played some basketball, I ran here and there but the weight continued to climb. The sedentary lifestyle, mixed with fast food I continued to blow up. I then refused to start stepping on the scale, I bought bigger clothes and I was okay.

My fiance’ is a teacher, and she asked if I would be her date to the prom her school was having. I said okay, it was always fun for me to get dressed up. I tried on a pair of dress pants from high school that I assumed would fit, they were about six inches too small. The next day I got on the scale and it read 215, and it hovered between 210-215 until May of 2014, when I walked up my short staircase with bags of groceries and I was so winded. I told myself that night, I was 25. I was supposed to be in the best shape of my life, instead I was letting myself go. I was going to take my life back.

On May 14th, 2014, I got up and began the DDP Yoga program again. I had fallen so far from where I was. I had to take knees during poses I didn't have to the first time. I had to take more breaks, I had to go into safety zone a lot more, but I did it. Every day I marked an X off of my calender, because every day was a battle not to just give up, quit and let my health and my life go to the wayside. 

I started eating better, which led to more energy, which led to better workouts.

As I write this on 12/11/2014 I am ALMOST done with the advanced 13th week program. I am down to 160 pounds, to which I haven’t been since I was a senior in high school. I use NO other program than DDP Yoga. I run now for fun, no exercise. I play pick up basketball for fun, not exericise. It is true when people say DDP Yoga isn’t just a work out, it’s a lifestyle. I’ve bought in, and dropped 50 pounds and I’m not looking back.