I have been big my whole life, but it never stopped me from being athletic. From little league through college I was involved in athletics in one form or another. In 2006, I started working as a delivery driver and began to lose quite a bit of weight. I started to really focus on getting in better shape and began working out daily (boxing, cycling, and lifting). I went from 275 lbs to 230 lbs over a 6 month period. All was good until I stepped out the truck the wrong way and tore my ACL and MCL in my left knee. After surgery to repair both ligaments I went through 6 weeks of physical therapy 3x a week. After my session of PT I was walking out to my car and slightly slipped in the snowy parking lot and felt instant pain. I had torn my ACL for the second time in less than 6 months. This time they did a full replacement with a cadaver replacement ligament and also scoped 85% of my meniscus. After another long 6 week road of recovery, I went back to work. I felt good and was ready to focus on getting back in shape. That got derailed less than 6 weeks after returning to work because I could barely walk due to back pain. I was sent to a spinal specialist and he diagnosed me with degenerative spinal disorder and it forced me to leave my position at work.

Over the next 7 years or so a lot happened: I met a beautiful woman, we got married and had 2 amazing children, and we purchased our first home. Even with my bad knee and back, I’ve stayed involved with athletics by coaching youth baseball. I have even tried multiple times to go back to working out and I would inevitably wake up and barely be able to sit up. I honestly thought I had no options, but just kind put my health on the back burner. Then one day I stepped on the scale. Seeing 350 lbs is scary. Very scary. I had to make a change, but I didn’t know what the change was. I started small with light cycling and changing some of my eating habits. Then I found DDP Yoga. I read reviews, watched the videos online, and even scoured fitness massage boards and reddit. I grew up a fan a DDP, knew about his work with Jake and Scott and thought to myself, if those guys can do it, then so can I.

I started DDPY at the end of April 2016 at 356 lbs and can honestly say that I never really struggled. I sweated A LOT, I breathed heavily, I swore at the TV during my first 10 second push up, but I made it my own and never looked back. DDPY has literally changed my life. I have completely changed all of my eating habits. I utilize the modified version of the second level of the meal guide and do 5 workouts weekly. DDPY has allowed me to go back to cycling daily and lifting every other day. In the last 10 months, there has not been a single day I have woke up in pain from my knee or my back. I weighed in today at 224 lbs (my first goal was 225 and now I am eyeing 195) and I have no intention of slowing down. My friends and family can’t believe the difference and nothing beats running into someone who hasn’t seen my in the last year and seeing the look on their face. The only downside I’ve experienced so far is having to purchase a new wardrobe twice in under 10 months (I wear smaller pants and shirts than I did in 2001 during my senior of high school). I feel better than I ever have and it is all thanks to Dallas and everyone at DDP Yoga.