Episode 177 of the Fit Father Project Podcast is about finding your purpose, motivation, and true ‘why’ in your life.

In this episode, you’ll meet Christopher, a busy husband and father who used the Fit Father Project to lose over 45 pounds and overcome serious injuries and challenges. 

Not only did he lose weight and regain energy and confidence, but he also picked up some new hobbies that are helping him show up more for his kids and enjoy his life.

This is a powerful conversation with a lot of good wisdom, especially if you’ve gone through difficulties and setbacks of your own.

But even if you’ve succeeded in your health and fitness journey, there’s much to learn from this episode. 

Christopher has truly found meaning in his journey, and if you’re looking for ways to keep the fire going and continue to connect with your mission, he shares some beautiful stuff!

In this episode, you’ll learn about: 

• The difficulties Christopher had during the COVID pandemic.
•  The brutal motor vehicle accident he was able to walk away from and how it opened his eyes to so many things.
• Honing your nutrition without punishing yourself.
• Dealing with pain and injuries.
• Being true and honest to yourself and finding ways to challenge yourself.
• And so much more!

So, to get the most from your health and fitness efforts, listen to this episode on how to find your purpose, take some notes, and check out FF30X! 

What is FF30X?

FF30X is a simple, sustainable, and specific weight loss program designed especially for busy men over 40. With short metabolic training workouts, an easy-to-follow meal plan, and an accountability team there for you at every step, FF30X can help you lose 30, 40, or even 50+ lbs — even if you’ve never picked up a weight in your life. 

Click here to see what you get when you join the FF30X program today!

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Hey there, my friend. It's doctor Anthony Balduzzi, and I wanna welcome you back to another episode Here on the Fit Father Project podcast. Today, we're joined by one of our very own Fit Fathers, Chris Torres, who's an amazing guy, and we just had a Phenomenal conversation that I'm so excited for you to listen to. And, Chris, like many of our Fit fathers, is a family man. He's got a busy job as a physical therapist. He's got a couple kids, and he used his Fit father program to release over £45 And overcome some serious challenges that many of you may have experienced like back pain, even some back surgery, getting his nutrition on point, Going through the changes that happened during COVID pandemic, being away from work, and digital virtual stuff. So, like, This is a man who's overcome a lot of adversity. And as you're gonna see, and I'm not gonna spoil all the fun, not only does he lose the weight and regain all this new energy and Confidence and do this in the context of his beautiful family, but he picks up some new hobbies that are really powerful in terms of how he's showing up as a dad for his son and just enjoying his life.

So there's a lot of good wisdom in here, and there's a particular couple lines I want you to keep your eye out for. And I try to highlight those in the conversation where Chris drops a couple nuggets of information that I think are just so pivotal in helping guys, 1, who have setbacks, like how to overcome those, And then 2, how to really find meaning in your journey, especially when you're further down the road. Like, Chris has gone through all the phases of f f 30 x. So, like, if you're a veteran And you're now in the in the mix of, like, having more confidence in this journey. How do you keep the fire going? How do you continue to really connect with your mission? He shares some beautiful stuff on So without further ado, let's get in today's conversation with Fit Father Chris Torres. Alright, Chris. Welcome officially to the Fit Father Project podcast, my friend. I'm pumped that you're here.

Thank you for inviting me. So to kick things off, I'd love for you to introduce yourself to all the guys and ladies that are listening. Your name, your age, where you're from, and anything you like to share about work and your family.

My name is Christopher Torres. I'm 46. I'm from Tigecay, South Carolina. I know that's a mouthful. Just south of Charlotte, North Carolina for some of you. I'm married. My wife's name is Alicia, and I have 2 beautiful children, son Tyler, who is 12, soon to be 13, so that'll be our 1st teenager, And then my daughter, who's 10, gonna be 11 in August. So

Nice. I mean, busy time. Kids are getting involved in More sports, I imagine, and stuff like that. And, kinda nice to be out of the pandemic too, because I know you mentioned you had a pandemic you got a puppy in the pandemic thing. Right? So

We did. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely, life is full of adventures, and as they're getting older you know, now 2 kids in middle school. I also forgot

to mention that I'm a physical therapist, by background. That's what I do for work, so busy with that as well. Cool. Well, I'm excited to talk about this, especially in light of your background. I mean, you're helping people, like, feel better and do some of these movement therapies to recover from injuries and improve their function. And in many ways, I think that's kind of like a metaphor for what you did with this program. Although Fit was probably like tuning up your nutrition alongside with your body and your overall habits. So Kinda take us back to, like, how you found the Fit Father project.

Like, how'd you even get started? What was prompting you at the time? And and where did you even find us? Sure.

So I really it goes back to the pandemic. You know, a lot of us, unfortunately, experienced the pandemic nineteen. Right? So we gained some weight, Pressure, stress, all kinds of stuff, our changes in lifestyle. We, you know, we sat at home, and tendency is when you're sitting at home a lot, you're gonna eat a lot, And, you know, lots of changes. During that time, I, was unfortunate to be in a pretty bad Motor vehicle accident where I was in a a really bad head on collision. Wow. I I was lucky though, because I I walked away from that accident and not many people would have walked away from such an accident. But it really opened my eyes To a lot of things, from stress and just not being mindful of what's going on in the world, and I was distracted at the time.

So, Over that 2020, I gained so much weight. There I was at Christmas time in 2020 and just said, you know, this has gotta end. Like, I was looking at myself in the mirror and I I didn't like who I was seeing, and thought, you know, I need to I need to make a change not only for myself and, you know, my image or whatever, but I had, like I said, 2 kids and my loving wife and I wanted To be 1, I was thankful that I was still with them. I could've easily been taken away from them in that car accident. So I I saw it as a second chance on life And felt like I needed to really make some changes. So I had done a bunch of stuff in the past. I had done Beachbody, Body For Life, whatever. You name Fit.

I've gone through all the different gimmicks and and and tried Fit, and, Sure, I'd make some great changes, but it was short lived. And so, you know, I said, I I need to figure something out, and I I don't know how it led me to you, but you came across I think it was Facebook at the time I think you came across on my Facebook stream, And I said, you know what? Let me listen to this video. And, you know, it was one of your intro videos. I said, you know, I'm gonna look into this a little bit more. It took me about a month Of looking at it, reviewing, and then I finally made that decision in early 2021 that, you know what? I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna try it. And and if you ask my wife, normally when I put my mind to something, I I do it and I make it work. But I'll tell you what, it was a stress.

It was such a struggle and challenge right off the bat. I started and within the 1st 2 weeks, I had, aggravated my back. I've had back problems for a long time and and I thought, well, maybe this is not for me. Can't do I can't do this and, I'm I persisted, stayed through it, kept up with the program Anthony and made some modifications, thanks to your team, on certain activities to kinda decrease the stress to my low back, especially with the Apex Stan Right. And doing some of those activities and and, you know, a lot of people say, well, you're a physical therapist. You got a lot of knowledge Like, yeah. You're right. You do have a lot of knowledge, but sometimes it's beneficial to have, external opinion, someone else looking at you I'm providing you feedback.

As doctors, we make the sometimes the worst patients because, we think we could fix ourselves, and we really need someone else to set ourselves straight. So, you you definitely your program got me started and got me going, so I I really was doing excellent with the program. Unfortunately, I had a hiccup. About 4 months into the program, I ended up, really aggravating my back to the point where I I I herniated a couple discs. Wow. And that really just sidetracked the whole program. So I stayed, Thanks to your advice and your videos. I tried this and your team's advice.

I couldn't do a lot of the exercises, but I kept up with as much as I could with the nutrition side and that really helped. Tried to rehab, tried to get my back straight Straight so I can get back, but I just couldn't get there and finally end up in having surgery, to have to get it fixed.

And what was what was originally wrong with your back, out of curiosity, like, For even the program, it sounded like you have a preexisting low back issue. Do you know how how would you have described it? Was there official diagnosis?

Yeah. I I I had a bulging disc. I I in one of those early times when I was 26 years old, indestructible, and felt like I could do whatever I want, I I was doing some crazy, dead lips, probably way above my, abilities with some friends and And that's what started all. I was 27 years old doing a probably 400 pound dead lift on a that I shouldn't been doing and, and and that did it. That tweaked it. And but being a PT, I got luck, you know, having the knowledge, I was able to manage the symptoms and Right. And and did so for almost 17 years, but then finally my it caught up to me, and my body said it just you just can't do this anymore. You got you gotta get Yeah.

So you got surgery. I'm curious. How is your back today? I just like, what what's it like? How does it feel today? How's it fell for the last week, month?

Oh, it feels great. I mean, I I think, I I I wanna say that surgery was the 1st step. That definitely helped, But really a lot of the strengthening and your core the core aspect of Yeah. The Fit Father project and all the core activities, the things that I I could do now compared to what, even 5 months ago when it had been 1 year post surgery, I still was able Not able to do as much as I am now. And so it makes a huge difference being able to tolerate so many things. My flexibility, the the core is So vital to everything we do

Yeah.

That I you really don't realize how Deficient your core is until you start challenging yourself

Like a renegade rope.

And you realize, wow. And and you notice these quick Changes really fast through the program. What I loved about the Fit Father project, and I know it's been mentioned a lot on other on some of these podcasts, is the variation. I love the changes, but how quickly you see your your progress. You know, if you're sticking with it and you're actually true and honest with yourself and Making those minor changes each week or each time you do one of the sessions, it's amazing to go back and look and say, that's where I Started, and this is where I am now. Yeah. Amazing.

Yeah. It is. Especially because you can do this in your mid forties. Right? You see guys do this in their fifties, in their sixties. So it's Fit it's so inspiring how amazing these bodies are with the right inputs and the mindset to to follow through that. Like, you can really transform. Now I need to ask you about motivation because as I'm listening to your story, particularly these early times, you have this low moment around Christmas. You know you need to make a change, but then you hit, like you said, these 1 or 2 big hiccups early on.

So, like, where did you go in your mind? Like, How did you refocus? Part of it was contacting our team and maybe leaning on some support. But, like, what got you out of those ruts? And I'm asking not just for me and my curiosity, but all the guys, especially in those early days where you're a little more fragile in your your momentum. Like, how did you Stay and ignite your fire and and keep going. Like, what pushed you and what continues to push you? Let's talk about motivation.

So I'm I like to Think I've improved over the process with self reflection. You know, prior to starting, I probably didn't do a lot of self reflecting, and that's what resulted where I was Before I started the program. And so anytime I felt down or I felt like I was hitting a barrier or something, I would go back to pictures Of me before I started, at the point I started, looking at different, progressions on how I changed and and realize that, You know, I am not back to square 1, so don't don't throw everything away. Right? You know, and realize that, yes, this is a hiccup, it needs to happen. Now, I'll I'll also say this is something I advise my my clients and patients all the time, because one of my Go to analogies I say when I'm treating someone is, you know, when we manage an injury or something, this is not just 1 straight, activity, it's kinda like a boxing match. You're gonna win around. You're gonna lose around. But in the end, the goal is to win the fight.

Yeah. And so I I took a lot of that to heart that, you know, hey, I was down for the count on a couple of the rounds, but I got back up and realized I I could do it. Now Modifications was the other thing that

Yeah.

Really just you know, because there are sometimes a lot of these other programs that I've tried, This they had the set workout. This is it. This is what you're gonna do and these are the the the machines and the equipment, but your program and your advice, like, hey, you know, if you have this, this is what we can do to modify it. This you know, let's let's don't do the kettlebell swing. Let's do a do do a sumo squat. That was my go to. That was my Yep. That was my go to for the longest time was and now I can do a kettlebell swing.

Nice. Fine. With, you know, 30, £45, easy. But Boy, I remember being very fearful at 10, 15 pounds that it was gonna blow my back. Yeah. So Yeah.

I mean, that that is great advice about The modification aspect too. Now we're talking about, like, exercise. Right? We can transform a limitation, which is, like, and I can't or this is off limits. We could recognize that there's truth in that, but For at least for now, but then get into something we can still pour into. So I love that you use those modification workouts and, like, so cool. Like, that's fantastic. And also amazing that you can now do your swings too, because you never know how good you could feel in the future with the twists and turns. Like, You're in round 3.

You don't know what round 7, 8, 9 is gonna be, so that's really awesome. I wanna talk about nutrition, though, because I imagine that was an area where you had to break a lot of bad habits, a lot of ingrained patterns, and it was probably a big driver of your weight loss. So, like, how much weight have you lost? Generally, let's just give a benchmark, and then Let's talk about the nutrition aspect of that and how that's been so pivotal for you.

Yeah. So I started at my my initial around 220 Pounds, I'm down to about 181 now. So Nice. About 245 pounds in total weight loss. And nutrition played a huge part. I you know, prior to the program, I used to justify my eating habits because I was working out and doing all that. Oh, I could eat more. Right? And really what changed me was this the standardization of my breakfast.

The my breakfast, like, starting the day With 3 cups of water or 32 ounces of water, which is what I normally drink, That was a game changer. I would never drink any water with whatsoever. It'd be a cup of coffee and it would be, you know, doctor coffee. Put in the milk, put in whatever, Sugar, you name it. It wasn't healthy. And then carbs, I would I'm a I'm a 1st generation American from some immigrants and bread is huge in our family. So, like, breakfast staples were heavy carbs, Pancakes, French toast, breads, cereals, you name Fit. It it wasn't healthy and then going to a higher protein, the shake.

Like, I would try to do the shakes if I knew I didn't have time, but most of my time was

Yeah.

Egg bakes. Like I would have Your omelettes and the that was my how's my go that is still my go to breakfast. I haven't changed. It's the Standard breakfast for almost 2 years now, and people say, don't you get bored of it? I'm like, no. You can add seasonings, you can add all kinds of things to make it different From day in to day out, but really the energy and the that I would get from it and, you know, I never I don't have the cravings anymore of any of that carb heavy breakfasts and Right. I don't feel the sluggishness that Check. I didn't I didn't even realize I was experiencing until you stop experiencing Fit, then you're, like, wow, what a change in your life. So That's amazing.

Yeah.

And I mean, like, I guess, like, on the on the standardization of breakfast, it's just so important as as you know because, like, one, it gives you the energy. 2, it sets you up for positive momentum for the day, and you can still get variety for, like, dinners and stuff. Like, it's not like in your the whole aspect of your nutrition is Menonist. It's just Fit makes a lot of sense to dial in meal 1. So what were, like, some typical things you'd eat later in the day? Some go to snacks. What were some of your lunches? How does your family manage dinner? I mean, you got a couple of young kids that are eating. Do you guys do family dinners? Like, Lead us through kind of the rest of your overview of your nutrition plan. What works for you and your family? Sure.

So for lunch, typically, the I would do the manwich. Typically, that was my sandwich. Now a lot of times, if I had to eat out or, travel between facilities, which Some of my jobs are that I I do quite a bit of traveling. I would just try to get something pretty close to, like, a salad. Yep. Whether it be, You know, a chicken salad, chicken with salad or something that I I didn't pack. That's normally my lunch. And then snacks.

I always had cashews and beef and jerky or apples always at hand and so and and made the little bag baggy type things or, If I could figure out just how to, divide it up so that I could always just reach into my bag. I think prior to this, I would never plan, right, Or any of that and when I didn't plan, that's when I was reaching for those poor snack choices or, oh, I'm gonna Stop by Starbucks and, oh, in addition to a coffee, I wanna have one of those lemon loaf cakes that's Yep. 500 calories or whatever it was. And so but having that standard cashews, apples, or other almond, nuts was always my standard, and jerky was my my big thing. And then Nice. For dinner, my wife and I, we usually try to plan. She's pretty health conscious and helps me along with that, so We you know, we do a lot of, chicken and dishes, so forth. We try to change that flavor, but you know what? With kids, There were times where, you know, like, hey, pizza is the that's the choice, and so I would have pizza.

I think I didn't really limit myself, And I still don't to a point where I'm I'm restraining. And that's what I love about it about the program was that I I wasn't put under these restraints that like, really strict because I can never keep up with it.

Right.

And Allowing myself or giving myself permission, like, okay, I'll have pizza. You know, what do I I normally eat a cheese pizza and try not to eat too much of, like, a A heavy meat intensive pizza, but and have 1 or 2 slices and try to avoid eating half a pie. There you go. And I think that's the the key is just modifying the learning that it's okay to do that.

Yeah.

And then, but you know if you plan, I found Fit planning the day if I could try to plan my day, and I stuck to close to 85, 90% of it, I was gonna be Successful than not planning at all and totally falling off the tracks.

Yeah. Beautifully said. Beautifully said. You know, when I I was I was listening to you, Actually, a quote came to my mind, and I'm not sure if you're familiar with this guy, Jocko Willink, like, former Navy SEAL guy, motivational speaker, but he has a very Famous quote that says discipline equals freedom. And I think when you hear that, Fit kinda seems like it's an oxymoron of sorts. Like, what discipline means, like, A set of small things, how could that possibly equal freedom? Well, I guess there's many ways that you can experience the word freedom. And for you, it's like the discipline of planning has given you freedom from the randomness of the chocolate or the Starbucks loaf cake, the ups and downs of energy swings. You're just making a couple decisions that Fit gives you, like, a different kind of freedom, which is, like, you don't have to think about it anymore.

You're on plan so much more consistency. So it's cool. I I think I've really took to heart the planning as well as the fact that, like, what's sustainable for you is the fact that you can enjoy the pizza With some slight modifications. Right? Two slices of cheese pizza. Like, that's gonna you're still probably under 500 calories. You know? Like, you're still in fine shape, you know, overall. And, you know, it's a big difference between having, like, a half a pie as you said, plus a beer, plus dessert afterwards. Like, that's leads different As you know.

Hey. It's doctor Ray. I wanna quickly pause this episode to thank you for listening to this Fit Father podcast. I am just blown away at how amazing this podcast has become. I had no idea when I started FFP around 10 years ago that it would grow into such an impactful mission. And I wanna let you know that I am so grateful to be connected to you in this lifetime. And on behalf of me and my entire team, we are so grateful to In your life, helping you get and stay healthier for your family. That's what I wanna share.

Just some gratitude from my heart to yours. Let's get back to today's episode. Awesome. I wanna ask you about some non scale victories. Like, Fit really moments in your journey that, like, really stood out to you. Things that were, like, conquer moments, like, oh my gosh. I can't believe, like, that just happened or, you know, milestones of any sort, stuff your family said, PT. I mean, people in your clinic being like, dang, Chris.

Like, what's going on right now? Please fill in on some of those.

No. I I I continue to have those. You know, it's Fit those are great feelings. I'll tell you. When you walk into, an area group or environment that people haven't seen you in a while and then they see you and, like, woah. What happened? And and that happens quite regularly, Still with work, you know, especially during the pandemic, when we all got separated and we get to see each Father. I remember, Even after having my 1st back flare up and I had finished already 5 months worth of the first go at the the Fit Father, I had lost some weight, and they they were making comments at that point. But now, you know, they they're they're just So happy that I'm still there.

I'm still there and and improving. I guess some of the other things that, personally, for me, is, mountain biking. So one of the things that I I had not done mountain biking since, oh, gosh, Way before my kids were born, I think was the last time I'd done it, and I never even thought about doing it, you know, just from a cardiovascular and To like, there's no way I could do it. I was too too fearful that I was gonna hurt myself. And in the fall last year, 2022, my son got interested in it, and his local school has a tea, Which is cool that we we didn't have that when we when I was a kid, but his middle school has a team and he he tried it and loved it, and so I started going with him and As part of it, I was like, I'm gonna try this, and now I'm racing. Like, because of the Fit bottom, like, I there's no way I coulda had the cardiovascular sense Or the the Yeah. The strength to be able to to do mountain biking and and do sprint races. And I was I I finished my 1st series of races, this past January, and from the start to the finish, I, you know, I I had improved by 10 minutes on my time.

Oh, wow.

Which is over 5 races. And so It was a it that was a huge accomplishment in being able to do that. And I'm happy to say that, you know, I'm now a A little bit of a a race junkie. I would never have put myself in that category as a marathon runner or a 5 even a 5 k runner, Someone or Anthony that participated in any of these types of events, and now I look forward to my next one.

Well, I mean, I just like, honestly, I got, like, a feeling of Chills as you're saying that because it's just such a representation of, 1, you're gonna astonish yourself with what is possible for you. You don't even know when you're starting. Like like you said, you couldn't have predicted this as possible. But 2, what health gives you at the middle of your life is you you can reconnect to your inner child, to your joy, To the fun that we once had. And, like, is that not, like, new life energy? It's like a feeling of new and freshness. It's not dull and more slowly dying and becoming, like, weaker and Slower. It's like you just have new possibilities, and you're enjoying your body. And you're ripping on your mountain bike now.

Like, that's so awesome, man. I mean, I'm I'm really happy for you that you get to, like, Play and enjoy because, like, that's the benefit of having these healthy bodies. We get to do more stuff, let alone with your family. So that's cool. What is your what is your son think that your dad that his dad's racing? I mean, is that is he like, this is why like, I don't know. I wanna ask you about your family and, like, what particularly your kids' response has been to your transformation. And, again, if if Your son racing is relevant in that. Please share that.

Well, I mean so to that point, I am now one of the coaches. I've now gotten myself certified to be a mountain bike coach, And, and now I'm spending more time with my son in in that. So that's a a huge Deal for me is to be an example for my son, and to be there and not only to be involved with his, his likes. So he thinks it's cool that I'm able to ride with him and and and keep up. That's the key thing is keep up with these kids. I mean, They fly. They amaze me every day. You know, it's the no fear when you're 12 and 13, you have no fear about trees and so forth.

So, but now that I'm able to go to practices and and our practice is typically Fifteen miles, 2 hours. We did it this Wednesday. It was 90 degrees. Fit hot. You know, and and be able to keep up And finish and still be able to just enjoy time. That makes a huge difference. So I know that my son appreciates me being able to To be with him you know, it Fit is part of being a dad, and and I just love just being such an now an active participant and not, yeah, Confined to the sideline of just sitting and watching and not being able to really participate in that. We can go on camp trips now, and we can go Ride and enjoy a camp trip where before that would not even cross my mind.

It would be, Okay, well, you can go with the team, I'll just stay home type situation. You know, and I think for my daughter and, you know, she's 10, gonna be 11, and I don't know if she sees me any different yet at that age. You know, she's she still sees daddy type thing and, but I will say She knows that I I I'll do whatever and we we participate. And I think things in that might be a little different Fit, like, going to the pool or going to the water Parks and stuff, and I know that maybe it's just more of my own personal hang ups. I don't feel uncomfortable anymore, like, walking around Swimsuits and stuff. I Father very confident in Yeah. Being able to be there for her and so forth. And, you know, Girls are are different.

Yeah. So I know, you know, I I know I can't remember if you had a a son or daughter or not.

I have a daughter. Yeah. So I I know. Yes.

You get it. So I still am cool in her eyes. I got a lot of you know, there she is right there. She still looks like That, to me I don't know if you could see that back there. Yeah. But I have lots of stuff still. She still paints me pictures and Sends me I love you, cards and stuff like that all the time. So, you know, that's that's the best part of it.

Right?

So I love it. I wanna ask you something that you mentioned at least in relation to that moment, like walking around the pool, you feel more comfortable in your own skin. I think that's an example of, like, A shift in your inner world as much as your outer world, a shift in your confidence, maybe even you say self love or self confidence. So How has your inner relationship with yourself changed? How has your mindset changed? How has your self talk changed? How has yeah. Just like your overall mental, emotional, spiritual well-being changed through this process?

Yeah. That's a that's a good question, deep question. I'd love to be able to give you a clear and concise answer, but I'm still learning about a lot of this. I mean, I'm 46 years old, and 44 of those 46 years, I've never had the the mental thought that I was in great shape and healthy and so forth. Right? And it has made a huge difference. I I mean, I know from just how I walk and I'm more upright. I, you know, I have I'm not kinda frumpy or slouchy or anything when I'm walking. I I feel like I'm 3, 4 inches taller when I'm walking around, to be honest.

So that that has played a lot of Change in my mindset, but also just I'm taking more time to work on myself, and I don't know if it's that time of My life and so forth, where you're you're you're reflecting, you know, your midlife, I don't think it's a crisis as much as a, A shift. Right? It's it's a realization that, you know, you're not 18, 20 years old, but you're not 95 plus, that you're You still have lots of life, and I I look at things and and Anthony, I'm always thankful for my health now and and And I appreciate what I've accomplished, and I I really like sharing, my I love being on here because If it just inspires 1 person to to to continue with the program, then for me, that's mission accomplished. And I know you probably feel the same way, but 100%. A lot of that I think is speaks to my core and my change Fit just fitness and Health and well-being just say well-being has become an important part of just my day in day out Life. Yeah. Really, if I get an opportunity to share a well a thought about, fitness or well-being Outside of even my work habits, because I I I have I have that opportunity now to to convey a lot of what Has affected me and changed me through the Fit Father to my clients and patients that I know that Yeah. You know, when we're talking, Those are barriers to their treatment, their weight, their their lack of fitness, you know, their blood pressure, diabetes, all that stuff and and giving individuals some ideas and different thoughts. You know, I try to stay within that clinical aspect, but there is influence From this program Anthony influence from my success, I can't, you know, divorce that from myself when we're when I'm having conversations with my clients.

So Fit It has an impact on all my lives.

What an answer. I mean, again, you gave me chills, and it actually I was gonna ask you this next question about, like, How your health is, like, impacted your workplace and your leadership, but I think you basically answered it. It's like to summarize Fit, I mean, you now experience well-being. It is just like who you are and how you roll, and part of your life flow is now taking care of the things that help with that. And naturally, when you feel so good, You wanna teach, and I think it's very powerful the position that you're particularly in. You know, the doctor, the word of that comes from the Latin docere, which means to teach and instruct. And there's many ways you can do that, and 1 is just, like, how you live. And, 2, you're, like, you're embodying this now.

You're not, like, an in pain Physical therapist with a belly. Like, you're someone who's walked through a hero's journey that is, like, clearly bubbling with Life, energy, confidence, and that has a healing therapeutic effect on people. I mean, it it massively, in my opinion, impacts your credibility, your leadership, and I'm just, like, grateful for your patience now to get to interact with you in this level that's, like, beyond just what you say. It's just like They can feel it, you know? And I I can feel it in you. I'll tell you that much. So I don't know if you have anything to comment on that for him.

Yeah. I think, you know, you you you mentioned energy, and It's just the the amount of energy I have is so great that it it bubbles over. Right? It does. I can Where before I would probably be just exhausted, tired, just waiting for the day to end so that I can go veg on my couch and eat and do all that. And now my my thoughts are shifted to, oh, I can't wait till after work. I'm gonna go mountain bike and maybe I'll go, you You know, I'm gonna go hit the pool or I'm gonna go do this. You know, like, it's a totally different world. Yeah.

And then yeah. That that energy level At 8 AM and still at 4 o'clock in the afternoon is the same, makes a huge difference, especially for my afternoon clientele. In afternoon, like Yeah. You know, before I would Ken kinda makes me sad to think about how maybe I was, right, underperforming For those individuals, just because of my lack of energy and my lack of stamina throughout the day, in being required. So, Yeah. It's a huge difference.

That's awesome. Now where do you see yourself in, like, let's just say, like, 2020 some odd years? You're you're, like, You're coming up on, like, seventies and all this stuff. So, like, do you have a vision for your future now that's, like, different? Do you do do you look out? Like, what do you wanna experience when Your kids are having kids. You know? Yeah. What do you see in the future?

I I can't say that I've I've thought about that far out in advance, so this is a a first thought For me, but I would say that if I had to to to give you an answer, it would be I wanna be that active grandpa. I don't wanna be the old in the nursing home, grandpa. Even I mean, 70 is not old though. I mean, I I work with so many people that are Much older and physically, like it's just amazing what people can do nowadays, but For sure. I definitely, you know, with my back and everything, I just wanna be healthy in regards to that, and I think the changes that I've made and I've learned are something that I don't think it's gonna be work for me to sustain. No. Yeah. I I think I've learned new habits or I've created habits that Are gonna be lifelong and they're gonna continue and and I I'm you know, we don't know what we're what will happen in the future.

We're always faced with different Challenges, but I I do know that I was faced with several challenges through this program and I overcame. And even with the darkest moment, there was a light still, and so I I don't think that that would change. I would I'm a very optimistic person, my wife would say. And so I I would say that at 70, I hope to be that active grandpa taking the grandkids on trips, Doing the camping, I don't know if I'm gonna be mountain shredding shredding any mountain bike trails. Who knows? We I tell you what. I did that race the racing, and there were 70 year olds in racing and they were passing me. And I'm, like, okay. Yeah.

These guys are really good. Of course, they were, I found out later they were former professionals, so that that's not fair. They never lost their abilities. But yeah. So I think I wanna be that active person, Really, as long as I can. Not I mean, not only for my grandkids, but my wife and I. We have plans. You know, we talk now about, You know, trips and stuff.

We we wanna travel. My wife loves to hike. That wasn't something I ever would even think about. Like, there's no way I were to go hike 15 miles. She does that type stuff. And now I feel like, oh, we can do that together.

Beautiful. And I

can feel pretty comfortable about doing it. And so we talk about different trips and ideas. Hopefully, we don't have to wait till we're 70 to do that. But Right. You know, that's what

we wanna work towards. That's beautiful. Beautiful vision for the future, and I it's very apparent to me that you're on track, and also I wanna recognize too. I'm certain it's gonna continue to Just add more beautiful stuff to your marriage when you can share activities like that, especially lean into some of your wife's interest now. Like, that's awesome. So I wanna ask you as someone who's gone through all the phases of f f 30 x. Like, what advice do you have for guys who are starting out And then maybe guys who have progressed towards, like, the end. So, like, for newbies, some advice.

I know you've shared a lot, and there's something people can extract. If it's a reemphasis of something you share, that's totally fine. And then maybe for the new new the veterans who've been around the block a little Fit. They know FFP. They've been through many phases. What do you think is important to share in both of those locations in the journey?

Yeah. So for the new guys, I would say trust in the program. And, really, once you start, give it at least 2 weeks. Give it at least 2 weeks. And if you plan to complete the 2 weeks and you you try your best to stay with that, even if you can't do it a 100% every day and And you face challenges, every day that you keep focus and you try, you're gonna get over that initial hump. Because there is that initial hump with Anything new, I I I don't know where this research comes, I've read it many times, it takes about 10 days to 30 days completely, and that's where your Fit Father 30 day probably came from was, it takes that much before a change is noticed, and and you really start experiencing that motivation. Now, Lots of people have changed differently in those 1st 2 weeks. Like, weight can I mean, guys, we're blessed? Right? We can drop weight really quick.

We're just making some Quick changes. I know my wife was always upset at times, like, how could you lose it so fast? And mostly because it's just water weight or whatever, but Just staying with it. And I know that the that Apex 10, that's a beast when you've not done anything like that before and you try you It's easy for you to just throw in the towel, but don't throw in the towel. Trust in Fit. Even if you can only make it up to 6 or 7 and then have to work your way back down, You doing that is still a huge accomplishment compared to doing nothing. Heck, yeah. And then as far as For other guys like where I am, which is towards the end of the program and, you know, and and now in maintenance and continuing, it's just that Take the time to reflect on what you've accomplished. Take the time to just really even even if it's a moment Where you go back and you may look at your 1st site on your Facebook page where you you you did your little accountability statement and Your mission statement and and and you go back, it's so amazing to to see what maybe your mindset was at the time and And how different it is compared to now, like, you you're the thoughts are completely changed.

The thoughts, like, at the time, you're you're hoping That something improves and then you look back and you're like, wow, I did that. And that in itself will keep the fuel going. Yeah. I will say I love the variety. I I, you know, I I don't know if I'm ready for the old school yet. Those are some things that I, you know, I started reading now, the I'm in that phase four, that maintenance four, where you have a lot of that flexibility and, You know, you can either push or not push Yeah. During the week, and and I I will say sometimes I miss The structure of the, the free. Like, now it's there's not a lot of structure.

Now it's more of you have to drive Fit. You, Lifelong and and Yeah. And putting it on your on us to to do a lot more. You give us still the tools, but, you know, there are times where I I mean, like, And then I'll go back to phase 2, phase 3, and and and do it again just because I I wanna see if I can improve upon it. Like, I still track. I I'm a big you know, you can ask anyone. I'm a big data junkie, and I love tracking things, and I use apps, and And I can go back and look at things and how much I've improved in strength and so forth and and just fine tuning some things. So Nice.

That's how I Say more, baby.

Yeah. That's fantastic. You know? And I think you you highlighted, like, a lot of aspects of the journey, especially for the veterans that stood out to me. And one is, like, There's a part of it that you have to at certain point, like, when you get through the structured programs. Like, take that next leap out of the nest and be able to direct your own. But in that flow, there's absolutely times where you get on structured program and then just get back and hit it, and that's, like, gives you the focus and reinvigorates things. So it's a mix. It's not like either or.

It's Like, it's this is how it is. There's a flow, and you're always gonna choose. So I love that you shared that. And, honestly, Chris, This was a very inspiring conversation. Like, you really touched my heart a lot going through this, and I know that a lot of guys will feel similarly because of what you shared and how you shared it and everything you get to experience. So I wanna just thank you on behalf of our team for being a prime example of what a fit father is. And I also wanna give you the floor to share anything else you'd like to share. Shout out to anyone on our team, our brotherhood.

You know? Any closing thoughts? I mean, this was a wonderful conversation. We could end it here, like, mic drop period over. But if there's anything else you like to share in closing, now is the time, my friend.

Well, I I wanna thank you for for creating this. And, really, I wanna thank all your team members for their quick response, their They're just continuing motivation and so forth. You know, even when I was faced with those challenges, really, their quickness to respond and and have their But to understand that I I was getting feedback, like, I had sent an email and stuff, so that was huge. Yeah. Where other programs, you, Yeah. There was not you had to pay extra huge premiums in order to get any of that feedback, and so it was it was amazing. So I wanna thank you and your team. Everyone does such a fabulous job.

I think such a great program. You know, if I had to do one shout out, I wanna thank my loving wife for her support And her rooting me on and and just making those those comments here and there on throughout the whole, Process of, you know, keep it up. You know, you're doing great or you look great. You know? For us guys, that that means a whole lot sometimes and it does to Me? So, it it makes a huge difference, and I know that, without her, I probably wouldn't be able to accomplish a lot of the things that I did. So I I mean, huge thing. Goes to her. So Powerful. Just throw away.

I mean, I get I guess that's the perfect way to end it. Right? I mean, Although this is a solo hero's journey in a certain sense, like, we need to pick up the sword and the shield and, like, go to battle. Like, it's it's the people around us closest. Could be the wife. Could be our support team. Whatever that, like, add richness and, like, give us that extra motivation and energy. So you are a blessed man, my friend, through your efforts as well as All those around you, and it's a privilege to be able to speak to you today. Thanks for coming on the podcast.

Thank you so much.