Mike, a Cranberry Twp police officer, started using PI products to help achieve his goals.
My name is Mike. I’m a Cranberry Township police officer, and I recently spoke to Tom Dowd about my weight loss while using Performance Inspired products exclusively. I want to thank PI for your support, not just for the police department in general, but for me personally. Performance Inspired has completely changed my life. I just had to be ready and willing to put in the work.
The end of 2018 was a tough time in my life. Health concerns and some family and friends convinced me that I didn’t want to continue down the road I was on. I was 40 years old, and I had allowed myself to get out of shape and hit an embarrassing 300 lbs on the scale—again. This wasn’t the first time it had happened. I had been down this road before. After gaining back weight I had lost previously, I would again begin a crash diet and exercise, losing 20 or 30 lbs. Then I would slowly allow myself to miss workouts or have large meals whenever I wanted. I had earned it, right? Wrong! Looking back on this pattern was very revealing. It showed that I had an unhealthy relationship with food. I knew I had to change. I needed to be healthy for myself, my family, and my job. Being out of shape and morbidly overweight wasn’t serving anyone well. I had to find a better way of living and eating that would become a lifestyle.
While I had always been a relatively strong and athletic individual, I needed to make some huge changes if I wanted to be truly healthy. Those changes meant that I needed to take a completely different approach to food, fitness, and life in general. My problem in the past was that I didn’t make the much-needed long-term changes to my habits and lifestyle. Crash diets had been my method of choice to reach my short-term goals. Once I reached those goals, I would celebrate by over-indulging and taking a break from physical activity. I failed to set new goals and keep at it.
So, after much self-evaluation and a good deal of research, I developed a plan. I set the lofty goal of losing 70 lbs by August 2019. I knew that consistently losing ten pounds a month for seven months was an astronomical goal, but that’s where I wanted to be. Why not shoot for the stars, right? Mind you, I wasn’t making a New Year’s Resolution. I had decided to make a lifestyle change.
From the very start, I knew I had to fundamentally change how I thought about and approached food. I needed to eat to live, not live to eat. I decided to steer clear of fad diets and over-restrictive methods that required me to exclude certain food groups. Instead, I made being in a constant calorie deficit and being more active my top priorities. My history as an athlete and my general fitness knowledge helped, but nutrition had always been my downfall. I understood what carbs, fats, and proteins were, but I never dedicated myself to paying attention to my macro nutrient and calorie intake. To do that, I started using calorie and workout trackers on my smartphone.
Let me tell you, tracking my nutrition was mind-blowing. It definitely changed how I looked at food. No longer did I see foods as good or bad, but just that some were less nutritious than others. Some of the foods I loved most and used to eat regularly were extremely high in calories and provided little nutritional benefit. However, I didn’t want to completely restrict myself from the foods I loved. I knew in my heart that it would break my determination if I tried not to eat some foods at all. So, my favorites were no longer the staple of my diet. They became treats or a well-deserved “cheat meal” along the way. Keeping in mind that these were occasionally allowed prevented me from throwing in the towel when I did partake in them. I just picked back up and ate better foods at the next meal, while keeping the same consistency in the gym.
After several months, going to the gym to lift and doing cardio before every shift at work had become habit. I was blessed to have access to a top-notch gym provided by my employer. I had used it in the past, but not with the determination and consistency it would take to reach my goal. Working out consistently was very challenging at the beginning. However, it was attainable and sustainable.
I was also blessed that my police department had partnered with Performance Inspired when they created our voluntary Police FIT Program several years before. So, from the beginning, I used top-grade products from PI that supported my fitness goals. PI Pre-Workout gave me an extra boost of energy going into my workouts. PI protein shakes and protein bars helped bolster my protein intake while allowing me to maintain a calorie deficit. PI Micronized Creatine promoted muscle strength and growth. PI Multi-Vitamins ensured that I was getting enough nutrients on my lower-calorie diet. PI Turmeric Curcumin and Apple Cider Vinegar supplements helped with soreness and recovery. And PI Protein Cookies were a great treat that had the added benefit of providing an additional source of protein. By using PI products as a part of my nutrition plan, I had the perfect recipe for a healthier me, and it worked better than I had ever imagined.
The workouts are long, but the time has flown by. Keeping on top of my nutrition is a challenge, but I am willing to make changes, and that has made the difference. Month after month I continued to lose weight. The more I lose, the more I want to lose. I remember when I dropped 25 pounds. It felt great. Shedding 50 pounds felt even more amazing. However, my mind was blown when I lost 75 pounds and was able to do it in under six months. I have crushed my goal of losing 70 lbs in seven months, and I’m not stopping there. I’m still going, and I’m getting in better shape every week.
How was all my weight loss possible while maintaining my strength and muscle? Honestly, hard work, consistency, and determination were at the core of it all. I was lifting weights and using cardio as a tool. I was keeping a close eye on my nutrition. I was paying attention to my body and not just cruising through life. Pairing those concepts with a variety of incredible nutritional products from PI was a winning combination that couldn’t lose. I’m excited to see where I can go from here. With PI in my corner, I know I can achieve great things!
Thank you, Performance Inspired!
– Mike Weleski
