In January 2011, I hit a wall in life. I was looking in the mirror one morning and said, “I can’t stand to look at myself anymore”. Over the past 14 years somehow I had managed to go from a 220 pound gym rat to an almost 300 pound slacker. With a 6’3” frame, no one really called me “fat” but deep down I knew that I was slowly killing myself.
At the age of 31, I may really my first “adult” doctor visit. What I mean is I decided it was time I went for checkups and got a hold on my health so to speak. After my first visit my eyes were opened. At age 31, I was placed on both cholesterol and blood pressure medication. At age 31!! So at that point I started making changes, I thought.
My wife Beth and I joined a local gym and I hit it hard. I was getting my college ball playing days strength back, but there was one thing wrong. I wasn’t losing any weight? Over the next 2 years I kept hitting the gym a good bit and finally I got to the point where I was just going through the motions. My body had flat lined on progress and something had to give.
January came and I was online checking out Facebook and something caught my eye. The name Davie Ferraro jumped out at me. Now let me say, I’m by no means a popular guy by my own personal definition, but since I have 5,000 of my “friends” on Facebook that I read over daily, something catching my eye really is saying something, ha-ha! I clicked on Davie’s profile and right off I could tell he was someone that could help me. I saw his passion for the outdoors through different pictures, and of course I could tell he was in phenomenal shape as well.
Next, I went to Davie’s Hunt Strong website. The first thought that went through my mind was, “there is no way I can be in the same league of shape as him”. I knew from what I was seeing that Davie was the real deal. I decided to write Davie a message asking if he would help me change and explained to him what my life was like and had gone to over the years.
The next day Davie replied to me and we started on the right track with changing my diet. Next Davie met Beth and me at our home and we went through the analysis of where we were physically compared to our age. Beth decided to get on the program with Davie as did I and start to change our lives forever.
The first day Davie came up and visited with us, he and I hit it off really well as we had to get back on track from time to time as we were getting to busy telling hunting stories instead of talking about work outs! That was in February 2011. I’m here today to write this and share with everyone what the Hunt Strong program has to offer. I’ve lost close to 42 pounds, lost body fat, gained lean muscle mass, lost the blood pressure AND cholesterol medicine, gained self-confidence, strength, and control of my life again. I’m still working hard and have my ups and downs, but I will know that I am giving it my all and will continue this lifestyle from here forward.
I have even told some of my friends about how this has changed my life and they too have changed their lives my listening to parts of the Hunt Strong lifestyle. One of my friends has lost 40 pounds as well by just changing his diet with a few tips I shared with him that Davie shared with me.
I’m in the gym 4+ days a week and when I’m on the road I try to figure out exercises and things I can do as well to keep my workouts intact. Thank you Davie, I don’t think I can ever repay you for the help you have given me to change my life, but now we are Hunt Strong brothers for life! Thank you my friend!
Sincerely,
Michael Lee of “The Backwoods Life”