Spotlight: Eric B
It is almost 3 years to the day that my life was flipped upside-down. Right before that day, I had lost my job that I loved, which caused me to fall into a deep depression; I had also gone to the doctor for the first time in 10 years and they told me that if I didn't improve my health I should prepare myself for a very different type of life. At that point, I was so unhealthy. I weighed 420lbs, loved drinking beer and barbecuing for my family. I ate anything and everything but I also did recognize that I was in constant physical pain. Funny thing though, I didn't even see myself as that bad off.
Things also were looking like they were turning around; I was going to start a new job, I was eating healthier and my 5 kids and wife were giving me tons of love and support to get me out of my depression. Then on July 18, 2018, I found out my wife was having an affair. To say this tore my life apart is an understatement. Even now, those first few months were a blur. The trauma I experienced drove me to drink and smoke weed. I was consumed with the failure of my almost 20 year marriage, so any progress I had made was completely gone.
I was in such a dark place, I couldn't see a way out. However, I recognized I needed to get myself out for my kids. So I started to workout and it helped me mentally and physically. However, my life was truly only teetering between stagnation and chaos. In my mind, I was always going to go back to my wife and my previous life at some point.
Then COVID hit and I was forced to slow down and truly think about my life. I took my newfound freetime to research YouTube videos on diet/exercise and also inspirational stories of people who transformed their health. That's when I saw your transformation. My kids and I were huge fans of "My Name is Earl". In fact, I remember sending them a screenshot of you and saying "Check out Randy! He's my new role model!" I started listening to the podcast, which gave me additional knowledge about diet and working out. However, the thing that it helped most with was changing my mindset. I was able to clean up my diet and began a consistent workout routine. I started to change my entire lifestyle and mindset! I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today without this podcast.
I am a 41 year old father and I have lost 155 lbs, but more than that I have completely transformed my body and mind. My kids and physical/mental health are my priorities. This change has improved my confidence in myself, which has begun to improve my career and personal relationships. I also recognize that I am a work in progress and still have a long way to go, but that's okay. I am a different man now having used this chaos in my life as a ladder to climb to a new vantage point to see a better future for myself.
