When I was approached by a co-worker last December and asked to participate in a five-month challenge to lose body fat and increase muscle mass, I was hesitant.  The grand prize of several thousand dollars was enticing but I was trapped in a vicious cycle of mediocrity.  Overweight, unmotivated, and content with being “average,” I politely declined the invitation to join the challenge.  However, after consultation with Jason at Champion Fitness and encouragement from my wife Sarah, I decided to enter the contest.  With a lack of confidence and self-esteem, I didn’t envision winning the contest.

Less than a month into my training regimen with Jason and the 5:30 crew, I began to take notice of both physical and mental changes.  More important to me than losing body fat was the self-confidence I was gaining with each week of sticking to the program.  I hadn’t felt this good about myself in years.  The physical and mental demands of staying “true” to the plan Jason had outlined for me to win the contest proved to myself that I had the discipline and drive necessary to break free of the mid-life crisis that had onset in my early thirties.

Throughout the five months of the fitness challenge at work, Jason worked diligently with me to adjust my diet and exercise routine to maximize my results.  At the conclusion of the contest, I had shed nearly 12% of my body fat and dropped twenty-five pounds.  I won the challenge at work but had gained something much more valuable than money.  I had transformed myself into a new person – a person who believes he is capable of achieving anything he puts his collective efforts behind.  With a new found sense of discipline, drive, self-confidence, physical and mental stamina, I look forward to continuing to build on what I have achieved over the first half of this year.

Tony Crowder