What Motivated Me To Lose Over 100 Pounds Of Fat?

My Story

I understand how hard it is to lose weight. I decided to become a personal trainer as a result of a life transforming experience.

I had been morbidly obese all of my life and like many, my college years were a period of transformation. When I enrolled in college I weighed 308 pounds. I tried all the gimmicks to lose weight. Nothing worked! I felt hopelessly trapped. Finally, I found something that worked.

I went from weighing 308 pounds to weighing 190 pounds from summer of 2001 to spring 2002. During my final semester at Pasadena City College (PCC), I lost one hundred and twenty pounds working with a personal trainer, exercising, and dieting.

When I first started trying to lose weight, I had no idea where to begin.  I looked to friends, magazines, books, and gym trainers, which were of little help to me. I had questions that seemed like everyone had conflicting views on. Some told me to eat a low carbohydrate-high fat diet. Others said to eat a high carbohydrate- low fat diet. Some said to do low weight and high reps to tone. Others said to do heavy weight and high sets to tone. It seemed that no one really knew what they were talking about! I needed help. Who could I ask?

My Trainer

Finally, all my questions were answered when I met Rudy Aguilar, a certified strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer, and certified athletic trainer.

I had seen him around the gym for quite some time but he didn’t seem very approachable. I didn’t want to bother him, so I just came in and worked out on my own with the little information I could gather from reading bodybuilding books. After seeing him design programs for others and watching their bodies transform, I couldn’t contain myself.

One day after mustering up the courage to talk to him, I went over and asked him for help. To my surprise, he was very excited that I had come to him and told me that he had noticed my hard work and had been waiting for me to ask for help. He told me that he had noticed that I was making a lot of mistakes but he did not want to correct me until I asked for his help. I thought that was odd because most of the other gym trainers I met before were more than willing to give me their unsolicited criticism!

As we began to work together, Rudy was very matter-of-fact with me. He had high expectations for me and I think that he was a little skeptical as to whether I was going to follow through on my commitment. I trusted him to help me and did whatever he said.

He told me what exercises to perform, how to perform them properly, what cardio equipment to use, and how long to use it.

Rudy explained the science behind everything he taught me and designed a workout program just for me and continually monitored my progress and updated my program as needed so I would continue to see results. I became stronger and leaner very fast!

My Results

I was shocked when girls started taking an interest in me! Strangers began to treat me better! I had more energy! I loved it!

When I started with him I weighed 308 pounds and my body fat was at 52%.  After working with him for a year, I weighed 190 pounds and my body fat was down to 12%. Looking back, I feel so lucky to have met him. He really changed my life! I don’t know if I would have succeeded without him.

Immediately I set out to find my own personal cure for obesity because I never wanted to end up that way again! I wanted to have something I could use for the rest of my life to keep the weight off.

While applying to transfer to a four year university during my final semester at PCC, I enrolled in a class Rudy taught on strength and conditioning, just for the fun of it. This class changed the trajectory of my life. After taking that class I knew that I wanted to be a personal trainer.

Before taking that class, my chosen major was philosophy.  I had wanted to be a college professor. As the acceptance letters began to arrive I began making plans to transfer. I realized that I did not want to pursue philosophy professionally, but I knew that I had to transfer.   I didn’t want to let my teachers and family down. Panic set in.  I wanted to wait a year to transfer until I was sure what I wanted to do. Upon the urging of my mother, I transferred to a four year institution.

What I Learned

I moved to La Mirada in August of 2004 to attend BIOLA University. The first semester at my four year university was very exciting. I moved away from home and into a dorm on campus. I quickly made new friends, and I was proud that I had made it to the next level. I was on course with everything except the curriculum because my passion for philosophy had faded.

In order to feed my newly acquired passion for fitness and avoid disrupting the course of my academic studies, I changed my major to Kinesiology and enrolled in a personal training certification during my first semester. This proved to intensify my passion to become a trainer and push me to my breaking point.

Early in my second semester I was informed that the financial assistance I needed to continue my education would not be available. I was out of money and, therefore, out of school. Furthermore, I was unable to move home because of an unexpected family financial hardship.

I was promoted to the corporate office of In-N-Out Burger shortly after receiving this news. To supplement my income, I put my newly acquired certification to use. I was hired on as a personal trainer at my local 24 Hour Fitness.  I worked both jobs for a year.  The schedule was grueling; I worked seven days a week, logging a total of 74 hours per week. It was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life to that point.

Because of my personal success story, my personal training career had taken off. I became one of the busiest trainers in the district. So busy in fact, I was forced to quit In-N-Out and peruse personal training full time. Within two years, I was promoted to assistant fitness manager and within two more years I was promoted to fitness manager. I received numerous awards in my industry, acquired several specialized certifications, and helped dozens of people reach their fitness goals.

After five years at 24 Hour Fitness, I decided that it was time to start my own personal training business.

I have been forced to expand my knowledge at an almost break neck pace. The responsibilities and personal sacrifices I have made as a small business owner have been numerous. I have always known that to become great, one must be dedicated to life-long learning. Since my untimely departure from school, I have diligently dedicated myself to increasing my knowledge base through personal study.

My Secret Transformation Solution

Today, more than ten years after losing 120 pounds, I am a personal trainer helping others struggling with their weight like I once did. My goal for each one of my clients is to help them overcome their battle once and for all and begin to experience all that life has to offer them. I want them to experience all the good stuff that they have been missing out on!

What was once my weakness has now become my strength!  I once had no idea how to change my body but with all the hard work and knowledge I acquired, I decided to follow in Rudy’s footsteps and that choice was a good one! I work with clients who are just like I was.  Some are hurting and desperate to change their lives. I do for others what Rudy did for me.

As a trainer, there is no better feeling than to witness a client’s transformation. The pride I get from turning an overweight, unfit, and unhealthy person into a strong, fit, and healthy person is indescribable.  I have a wall full of before and after photos and testimonials you can see when you first walk into my facility!

Training thousands of sessions and hundreds of clients, I have been able to refine my own skills and build new ones.

Finally, I discovered the perfect weight-loss solution nearly anyone can use to lose weight in less time and keep it off for good!

This is the system I use today.

Brandon studied kinesiology at BIOLA University and is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He holds advanced certifications in Corrective Exercise, (CES) and Performance Enhancement (PES) also through NASM. Brandon has worked as a personal trainer since 2004, working in health clubs such as: LA Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, and now the co-owner of Live Fit Wellness Center and La Habra CrossFit in La Habra, CA.