How hard is it to lose 40 pounds? Pretty tough but if I can do it, you can too.

When I started this contest challenge in late Oct, I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into. But the results have been pretty amazing. I never thought I would be down to 182 and I laughed when my wife said I would be under 185. I didn’t think it was possible.

What did I do to lose the weight?

I track everything I eat. Now I know that just seems awful to do but I use MyFitnessPal (paid version) to make it as easy as possible. I know how many grams of protein, carbs and fat I need with every meal and I budget accordingly.

Am I hungry? Yes, but not much more than I was before.

I consider myself more like my car getting the right fuel vs. stopping at every gas station I came across. That was how I used to eat because I snacked all day long. You just don’t know what you are putting into your body if you aren’t tracking it. And now I’m used it, it’s not that big of a deal. Or at least, I tell myself that.

I drink a lot of water – and I hate water. So I add a lot of packets of BCAA. My favorite right now is the Xtend Glacial Grape. It helps curb my appetite and keeps me from going crazy with just plain water.

Of course, I still hit the gym about five days a week. Legs, Chest & Triceps, Back & Biceps, Shoulders, Light Legs, Arms. I’m always mixing that up and doing more reps than I’m used to (hovering in the 10-15 range with five major muscle moves per group).

The contest is in May so I’m less than 100 days out. Who knows where it is going to take me but I can’t see myself going back to the weight. I’ll definitely indulge when this is over. Here’s the main thing. I never thought I would make it this far and I have. That tells me that you can, too. It’s never too late to start making changes to yourself.