I love running

So today was a pretty a pretty awesome day for me in the gym. I told myself that I was going to do three miles in 30 minutes or less.  Some of you may think that is not very fast but, for me it would be a huge accomplishment. You have to know my story to understand that almost two years ago walking half a mile was a struggle. I was morbidly obese and depressed. I felt like a complete failure and was not liking myself at all. I have a beautiful wife and two beautiful children but still there was a void. I had  always put up a front of not caring what others thought but always longed to feel accepted. I used my sense of humor to hide the fact that I was hurting inside. I would drown my sorrows in food drugs & alcohol. I had thoughts of suicide before I got married. I curbed my drug abuse with drinking and my drinking with over eating. Before I knew it I was 386 lbs with one foot in the grave. I had sleep apnea high cholesterol high blood pressures and a slew of other medical problems I was dealing with. It all changed by attending the San Jose fit expo.  This one event changed my life forever.

    So that's a little background of why today was so awesome for me. I got up and decided I was going to run 3 miles in 30 minutes or less.  I stretched a little probably not enough lol. I set my google play to Hatebred and was off.  I felt good the first mile and new I had to pick up the pace in the second mile.  I was cruising along at a steady pace feeling good. I hit my second mile and picked the pace up to 6 mph.  Now mind you it's might not seem fast but for me this was a mental barrier that I have had for such a long time. I had never truly let go and actually believed that I can run at 6 mph. I knew in my mind that I would have to kick the speed up a little more to meet my goal.  I hit it up to 6.5 mph and was starting to labor a little more or at least that's what my mind was telling me. I hit the last minute and a half at 7 mph and ended my 3miles at 30:45 seconds. The feeling of accomplishment was a little overwhelming for me. I have to admit I actually became a little emotional. I thought back to that day in march of 2012 when I had to call nancy to come pick me up cause I couldn't make it back from my mile walk.  I thought back to not being able to bend over and tie my own shoes. I thought back to having to go to the big and tall section to buy my clothes. It finally clicked I am not who I use to be. I am better today than I was yesterday and tomorrow I will be better than I was today.  Even though I missed my mark by 45 seconds I knew that I could do it.   It was that split second that I started to listen to sliver of doubt that cost me my 30 min or less.  Even though it might seem like a defeat it's a victory cause I can recognize where my need for improvement is.

 I sat on the row machine and had all these emotions going through my mind. As the typical male I was just happy that I was soaked with sweat and no one could see my misty eyes lol. I finished my workout with a light 15 minutes on the row machine. As I was a walking down stairs from the cardio area another gym member introduced himself to me and told me that he was impressed with my effort. He aid he remembers seeing me before and can tell how far I've come. It made my morning even that much better. I have never been a runner. Even in high school when I wrestled I would never go out and run. This week I hit two pb one in distance 5.75 miles on 65 minutes and today's 3 miles in 30:45. I will continue to build on these milestones. Next stop for distance is my 10 k and for what I call speed is 30 minutes or less for my 5k. I will not be denied. I am through living in self doubt. I will set a mark and I will achieve it. It may not be the first time but I will keep going until I get it. I love this quote below from Arnold.  I've been asked by many people of I regret not starting sooner. I have few regrets in my life. I don't regret not starting sooner. My struggles have helped make me who I am today. I will learn from my past and apply what I've learned to make myself better each day. I will run my first timed 5k in march.  If your in the Modesto California area come on out and givea cheer lol. I won't be the fastest but on race day I will own my race.

     

Inspiration

In July 2012 I was a at cross roads in the journey I had started. I was still worried about what other thought and how they saw me. I attended the San Jose fit expo and felt completely out of place. I felt like everyone was starting at the fat guy walking around. I was ready to leave when I saw the Gnc booth. I went over to see what kind of samples I could get. I never knew that making the decision to swing by this one last booth would make my whole journey make a 180 degree turn. This is where I meet Bill Sienerth. I remember our conversation and unlike many of the others I had met that day Bill seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying.  He offered tons of encouragement and said he was personal trainer.  I think the thing that stuck with me the most was when he told me that he would change my life. We kept in touch over Facebook and Twitter and he kept asking me when I was going too let him change my life. His charisma and desire to help others better  themselves is infectious. I started his healthy life program in nov 2012 and was he right lol he changed life as I knew it. He has helped me not only go from 386 lbs to 230 lbs but to also believe that I can do what ever I choose to do. He continues to inspire me to be the greatest version of myself that I can be. I have wanted to quit. I have told him I was quitting and he told me no your not. He continues to believe in me even when I don't believe in myself. I want to continue to not only be inspired by Bill but to return the favor and inspire others around me. He is an article he was featured in last summer.

Someone who I have meet along my journey is Kelly Olexa.  She is the founder and CEO of Fitfluential. Fitfluential is a community of fitness enthusiasts sharing our journey via social media Facebook Twitter Instagram and any other way possible lol. I've learned a lot from beings  member of fitfluential. The community itself Is an amazing resource. Whether your into crossfit, running, bodybuilding triathletes they cover it all. Fitfluential is for anyone interested in fitness no matter what level you are on. The community is as positive as founder Kelly Olexa her self. Her positive attitude is just as contagious as Bill Sienerth's. She posts,interacts and encourages all her followers on a daily basis. I have never meet her personally but she is a huge inspiration for me and for many others that she inspires on a daily basis. Her positive can do attitude and genuine concern for others is amazing.  She always seems to have line on what's what in fitness whether it's new shoes or new fitness gadgets. I encourage you all to follow an join fitfluential and to follow Kelly Olexa on twitter and Instagram.

One of the greatest compliments I have gotten are when people have told me that I have Inspired them.  I want to live my life to not only inspire my children but to have them inspire others as well along the way. When we leave this world we don't take anything with us. How will we be remembered. I don't want to be on my death bed regretting things I wished I had done. I would rather fail at something and know that I tried to do it. I want my children to learn from me and live there lives to the fullest.  We need to encourage and inspire others on a daily basis. You never know how you will effect someone when you meet them.  Don't be the reason that they decide to quit rather encourage each other and be the reason that they didn't quit. One of the things I have learned and try to remember from Bill is " We are who we choose to be" this couldn't be more true. In the end we have no one to blame but ourselves for our own happiness or sadness.  We make the choice to be happy or sad. We choose how we react to what life throws at us. One thing I have learned is life goes on no matter what so why not make the decision to try and be as positive as possible no matter what. Surround yourself with like minded people that have the same goals or ideals as we do. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and want the best for you. I encourage you to follow My trainer Bill Sienerth on Facebook Twitter & Instagram as well as Kelly Olexa and Fitfluential.

If your looking to start your fitness journey or take it to the next level I encourage you to contact Bill about a healthy living program. He can personalize your plan no matter if it's for weight loss or for getting prepped for taking the stage fora competion. His link is here on my blog as well as the link to Fitfluential.

We all started somewhere

The new year is upon us and we have all made resolutions goals or promises to ourselves. Whether it's a start to a new journey or just an extension of it, we have to remember that we all started somewhere.

I hear a lot of people saying they hope to do this or hope to accomplish that. I feel that saying "I wish" or "I hope" is like leaving yourself a way out.  I know this first hand. I had always said in the past that i wish I could do this or hope to do that and nine out of ten times I never did it. The first step for me was realizing that there was a need for change. I was 35 years old and morbidly obese (386lbs). I had no idea what to do or how to do it. I just knew that I had to do something before I killed myself. I started walking. I couldn't walk very far at first but everyday I would walk a step further than I did the day before. Each time I went for a walk I would try and beat my distance and time from the day before. I changed the way I ate. I started logging my food into my fitness pal app on my phone. This made me more aware of what I was putting in my body. Each day it would get easier and easier to go further and further. I turned into a contest.  I was only competing against myself.

     In the beginning I told myself I was going to lose 100 lbs in a year.  This was my major goal. I would give myself smaller goals to attain along the way. I had daily weekly and monthly goals that would lead up to quarterly goals.  I had little rewards along the way that I would for.  It's important to keep yourself motivated.  It can be as  small as a cheat meal a pair of shoes a tattoo anything that will motivate you to keep going.  For me I found motivation in my children. I wanted to come home from work and have the energy to play with them with out getting winded. The thought of of dying at a young age and leaving my children with out a father. 

   On March 10,2013 I had my final weigh in for my year goal.  Not only did I lose the 100 lbs but I exceeded it by 25lbs.  I wasn't the strongest or the fastest in the gym.  I didn't have six pack abs or 20 inch biceps but what I did have was a sense of self accomplishment. I made a promise to myself and stuck to it.  The path was not smooth by any means. It was not just a physical journey I was on but a mental one as well. I had to deal with old demons I had thought I had gotten rid of long ago. There where times I wanted to quit.  There where times where I didn't stick to my meal plans. There were times I hit the snooze button and went back to bed.  There were plenty of times where my mind would say what the hell are you doing to yourself.  But each day is a new beginning.  Each day is a new day to make ourselves better if we choose to do so. You need to make sure that you surround yourself with positive thinking people.  People that want nothing but the best for you.  People that are negative or that try to make you waiver on what you want are not people you want to have on your team.  

    I have surrounded myself with a great support system.  From my wife to my trainer Bill Sienerth to people I consider on my team I have never meet before like Kelly Olexa (fitfluential) I know that they care and want the best for me.  My trainer Bill Sienerth has not only helped me change my physical appreance but also my mental outlook on life.  I believe that this journey is more mental than it is physical.  All we have to do is believe that we can be great.  And being great doesn't necessarily mean that you are the greatest at what we do but just a greater version of who we can be. Allow yourself to dream big and take that first step faith to accomplish the goals you set for 2014. One of my goals is to get my 5k under 38 minutes.  I just recently got my best time to 40:42. I also want to be able bench my body weight by summer time. Considering I'm still losing weight this will be a little easier as time goes on. Set small goals to achieve your big goals and you will eventually hit them. Never give up always remember you are worth the effort.  It not going to happen over night and it will take time and hard work.  The end reward is so worth it and this is just the beginning for me. The picture below was march 10,2012 to dec 30,2013

A new year is coming

A new year is coming and we all have made some sort of resolution for the new year.  I have made a few and one of them is to blog more.  It's going to be more of a personal journal and a way to vent or express my ideas and thoughts. The one thing I have been hearing around our gym is here come the newbies. A guy I talk to said give it a month and they will all fall off.  I started thinking to myself how selfish does it sound to hope someone fails.  Instead of hoping they fail how about saying hello or offering an encouraging word.  We all started somewhere and I know how uncomfortable I felt about going to the gym when I started. I felt embarrassed and out of place.  We should be happy that these people have chosen to better themselves by tying to improve themselves.

   I was at a crossroads when I attended the San Jose fit expo in 2012.  There were some people who would actually hand stuff to people around me instead of handing things to me. One hand shake and some encouraging words from Bill Sienerth went a long way.  I was at a crossroads in my journey where I was about to be happy with how far I had come.  (345 lbs then). His encouraging words lead me to signing up to be trained by Bill.  That handshake and encouragement changed my life. I am now down to 230 and loving my new life. Don't be scared to be kind to someone now you never know how it will effect your life or there's.

 

Here are some item on my to do list 2014

Complete a 5 k run.

Complete a spartan run

Complete a sprint triathlon 

Run a 10 minute mile or less

Set your goals high and dream big.  The only one stopping you is you!!!!!

Journey to save my life

My name is Jesus Segura.  I am 36 yrs old husband and father of two children.  In the past 18 months i have been on this amazing journey full of twists and turns.   I have meet tons of influential people in my life and had to learn to let go of some people that where not so great.  Its been a journey of finding myself as a person.  This journey has not only made me better person but a better father & husband.

I have always struggled with my weight from an early age.  The first time i can remember my weight being problem was when i was 12 yrs old trying out for pop warner football.  the weight limit was 170 lbs.  I had to lose 30 lbs to play. needless  to say i didn't play football again till high school.  In wrestling i never had a problem finding bigger kids to wrestle.  they would just bump me up an age group.  Once i got into high school I played football but my passion was wrestling.  I loved the individuality of it but it still had the team atmosphere.  I remember during football they told me to bulk up.  I remember my highest weight in football was around 290 lbs as a sophomore.  then for wrestling i would cut to about 260.  I always saw myself as athletic and had many friends in high school.  i was involved in many clubs and the community.  I always felt like something was missing.  after high school i went to college and that's when things got a little crazy for me.  I started drinking and abusing drugs more & more.  I eventually dropped out of college and started working.  I would drink everyday and do drugs on the weekend.   I would drink so much that i would black out.  I remember one time waking up in my hallway and the neighbor standing over me.  I asked him what the hell are you doing in my house.  he asked me what the hell are you doing parked on my lawn.  i walked outside and sure enough i was parked smack dab in the middle of his lawn,  my continued to rise. fast forward 5 years.  My best friend & I where on our way to concert in the bay area when he asked me how much do you weigh.  I immediately got uncomfortable and said 320.  he told me no way in hell brother.  before i moved out he had me working out with him as part of my condition of living there.  the lowest i got was 315 lbs.  he told me how i needed to go to the dr and get a physical.  he is a fire fighter and told me of a call that he had gone on.  It was man in his mid thirties who had aheart attack in front of his kids.  As he was working on him all he could think of was me and my two children.  he told me to get my shit together or else i was going to die young,  He told me that when i died in a few years that he would let my kids know that i was great father.  I didn't answer because if i did i knew i was going to start crying.  We went to the concert and i couldn't fit in the seat so i had to stand the whole time.  I went in for my physical a few weeks later.  I was horrified when i stepped on the scale and i saw 386 lbs come up on the screen.  I don't remember much from the appointment.  I was already suffering from depression and this didn't help me any.  he asked my if i would consider bypass surgery.  I told him i would let him know.  I dint say much cause i knew if i did i would start crying.  once i got in my car i lost it.  i was so pissed at myself for letting myself gets this way.  i knew something had to change.  That afternoon i had my moment of enlightenment. I decided on my drive home that enough was enough,  if i didn't do it for myself i would do it for my kids.  I got home and told my wife Nancy that i was going to walk a mile.  she looked at me in amazement. So i took off determined to walk my mile.  About 1/2 mile into i called Nancy and had her come pick me up.  The next day i walked to the same spot but a few steps further.  Everyday i would walk further and further.  My sister in law worked at a gym and told me to start a food log.  So i downloaded my fitness pal on my phone.  In the first month i was down 20 lbs and feeling awesome.   I got up to 3 miles during the week an 5 miles on the weekend with in a few months time..
  
 In July i heard July i hear my favorite ufc fighter was going to be at the San Jose Fit Expo.  I decided i had to go meet Tito Ortiz.  Little did i know attending this event would change my life forever.  We had no idea what the event was about.  I felt out of place walking around all these fit people.   I was in line to meet Tito when i finally saw a booth i recognized.  It was the Gnc booth.  We meet Tito and then headed over to see what kind of free stuff we could get.  We stood there looking at the products when a man turned to us asked how it was going.   He asked if we worked out.  I told him about my weight loss and instead of being uninterested like everyone else we had meet that day he took the time to talk to us. He told me to keep it up gave me a few pointers and said i am also a personal trainer.  This was the first time i met Bill Sienerth.  We kept in touch on facebook and twitter.  He kept asking me when i was going to let him change my life.  Well finally in October i started to stop losing weight.  I became discouraged and thought of stopping and just being content with the weight i had lost.  In my mind this was like ground hogs day.  I had quit all the times before.  so i emailed bill and told him i was ready.  His response was amazing.  He told me I'm going to change your life.  I didn't know what to expect.  In the first month i lost 20 plus lbs. i was amazed at the process and how fast the weight was coming off.  he invited me to meet him up with him at the La Fit expo.  i got to see first hand his passion not only for Gnc but his passion for helping others.  He gave a seminar on Sunday that i was a part of. Other than my marriage and birth of my kids this was the best time of my life.  He has not only showed me the physical aspect of my journey but helped me with the mental aspects as well.  I have always let my past dictate my future instead of living in the now.  I had always focused on making everyone around me happy that i never truly made myself happy.  he taught me that the most important thing in my life is my life.  Until we completely surrender to the process we wont have true success.  I have went from 386 lbs to 228 lbs as of today.  I know there is never an end to the pursuit of perfection.  I continue to learn daily and know that there is no end just new beginnings. 

I hope to inspire other along the way and look forward to whats to come.  I will fall sometimes but will always come back stronger,  In the end i hope to spare my children will learn from my past mistakes and learn to live a healthy active lifestyle. i hope to be the example that they follow.  In the end i hope that my story will inspire others i come in contact with.  I will continue to write about my journey along the way.  I will be starting a weight loss group in our community and will be blogging not only about my journey but there journey  as well.

Id like to thank my wife for all her support during my journey so far. At times i know she has felt like a single parent with my two a day workout schedule.  Even though my babies cant read this id like to thank them as well.  Although i might have missed a  few thing i have made it possible for me to be in hear longer in the future for you both,  A huge thank you not only to my trainer but my friend Bill Sienerth.  I would have quit a long time ago if it wasn't for your constant belief in me and my potential to be great.  I would also like to thank my fit fam Kelly Olexa, Josh Reid & Jaiye Dania for your constant support.  Even though we have never meet i feel like your right here with me.

This is my first blog so forgive me if its a bit scattered lol.  I look forward to posting more about my journey and our groups journey in the future.