At 350 pounds, Luis Trigo gave up his job to focus on his health, after he could no longer work.
“I couldn’t even stand at work. My job was in warehousing and I could barely handle it within a couple of hours. I was constantly sluggish and tired,” he told the Steel Shredded Podcast.
Around the same time, his long-term relationship ended, sending him spiralling downward into depression and led him to gain an extra 50 pounds, in just two months.
Worrying symptoms were a wake-up call
It wasn’t until he began experiencing heart palpitations and was rushed to the hospital, that he got the ultimate wakeup call.
Before then, his diet consisted of whatever was cheap and convenient - mainly sugary drinks, fast food and alcohol. In hindsight, he recognizes his bad habits at the time were his way of coping with negative emotions.
Obese since high school, Luis said his weight got out of control once he started college, and later entered the workforce.
I didn’t pay attention to my nutrition because I was paying attention to my grades. I didn’t pay attention to my health, before I knew it, I was in the 300s.
But that all changed when he was wheeled into the ER
Luis was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and after ordering an EKG and ultrasounds, the doctor told him:
If you don't change now, you're gonna die. You're 24 years old and you're 400 pounds.
It was April 2011, and he decided to start his weight loss journey right then and there.
“I gave up all fast food, and then I cut out processed carbs such as bread, pasta, and rice. I also quit sugar from non fruit sources like soda and fruit juices,” Luis said.
Exercising was challenging at first because he was so out of shape, but he was determined not to give up, so he started slow.
"My exercise at first was very humbling. Basically I walked up and down the hill by my house because that's all I could really handle,” he said.
I barely could even get to a mile of exercise. At first it was just a very slow, steady journey.
Patience was the hardest part
Once walking around his neighborhood became easy, Luis got a gym membership and eventually fell in love with endurance workouts.
His transformation journey came with setbacks, including some weight loss plateaus, which he taught himself to overcome.
It was just learning to accept that I needed to be patient. That was the biggest hurdle.
Luis Trigo
Now that he was focused on reaching his full potential, Luis practiced being more patient and continued to show up for himself.
After losing his first 100 pounds though, he realized he still had a long way to go, and it was difficult to accept at first.
"I was so happy but then I looked in the mirror and I got really sad. I was really upset because it was like, 'man, I can't believe I gained so much weight to the point that losing 100 pounds didn't do anything,”” said Luis.
It took 3 and a half years, but he persevered until he was down to 180 pounds, and today he is a personal trainer.
Watch this Goalcast video for an instant boost of epic motivation:
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Mindset is everything
Luis’ transformation journey has taught him that mindset is key when it comes to successful weight loss, and it’s a lesson he shares with his clients.
The game is 90 percent mental. If you can get your mind in the right focus, you can accomplish anything you want.
Luis Trigo
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