I met Matt when he was 39. I still remember my first call with him. He was hoping to get fit by the time he turned 40, and he mentioned his love for running and how he couldn’t do it as much as he wanted to because of the weight he was carrying. I could tell from his energy that he was ready to commit, so it was no surprise that he crushed his transformation. Utilizing the power of strength-based training and a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle, he lost a total of 74 pounds in 10 months.

His story inspires me. I like to share it with anyone who thinks they can’t reclaim their health and transform their body because he had to overcome many obstacles that most of us can relate to. He had to learn a new way of eating, be patient with himself when progress wasn’t quick, and remain dedicated to the process. It took a lot of effort, but it was well worth it.

When he first came to me, he wasn’t sure how to fuel himself with plant-based foods. At the time, he was using a lot of vegan transition foods. We helped him move toward a more wholesome diet, and that worked wonders for him. With his new high-carb WFPB approach, he was able to make huge gains. I remember one day receiving a message from him saying he’d run a half-marathon for fun on a spur-of-the-moment decision. He’d just been running and felt so good that he ended up sticking it out for more than 13 miles!

After trusting the process, doing the work, and losing the weight, it was time for Matt to make sure the weight wouldn’t return. To do this, he moved through our reverse dieting phase, which helped him speed up his metabolism over the course of four months to ensure he kept the improved physique he’d worked so hard to earn. He ended up getting skin removal surgery because he had lost so much weight.

I’m honestly so proud of Matt for all his hard work. As I said before, he had his ups and downs. But that’s the way it goes for all of us. Life doesn’t care if you’re trying to be healthier and fitter; it just keeps doing its thing. There will always be emergencies or times when your priorities shift toward work or the people in your life, but that’s okay. It’s our job to deal with these changing life circumstances in a way that allows us to continue moving in our chosen direction. That’s what Matt did, and you can too.

We’re one of the world’s top WFPB coaching programs, having helped over 650 people up to this point. We’ve worked with people overcoming all sorts of health conditions, from many different stages of life. Our clients’ ages range from 20 to 80. Matt is just one of these success stories, but the lesson his transformation shows us applies across the board: by changing the way we eat and focusing on our fitness, we can transform not only our bodies but also our lives. We can achieve a lower risk of chronic disease, live longer, and improve our quality of life.

The crucial thing to remember is that the best path to a successful, healthy, and fit body is sustainable, not quick. Often the best things for you are what you don’t want to do, and success depends on going slower instead of trying to rush your transformation.