Spotlight: Randy S.

My parents weren't exactly good role models for good eating habits and my mom was obese. My dad died my first semester in college making me aware that I had to start taking ownership of my own physical health being about an unhealthy 300 pounds at the time. On December 15, 2013, I woke up deciding enough was enough and that I was not going to be fat anymore. I started exercising regularly and starving myself for months. At the end of the following April, I was down about 100 pounds and had a wrecked metabolism. By then, I started studying up on nutrition more and learned I was at serious risk for a rebound if I couldn't create a sustainable lifestyle out of my eating and exercise habits. On April 30, 2014, my mom died partially due to her obesity and I vowed that day to make sure I would never allow myself to get fat again and risk dying early and leave my kids behind.

I found out about tracking macros and reverse dieting from Layne Norton shortly after and started tracking macros religiously. I’m proud to say I’ve stuck with tracking macros to this day with occasional breaks and as a result, I've never rebounded and I’m also more muscular and leaner from heavy resistance training. Now, I eat around 3,500 calories a day to maintain my weight at around 215 lbs. For me, learning the science of nutrition was obviously important but it was that in combination with my new undertaking of personal responsibility for my physical and mental health and that I have an obligation to be a good role model for my friends, family, peers, and future kids.