Life Before KickStart
How was your body before Trevor Kashey Nutrition?
How was your body before Trevor Kashey Nutrition?
I was 20 lbs overweight. I had gained the weight over a year or two of celebratory eating. What I call “you only live once” eating and drinking. Life is good! You only live once! But a year back I had had enough and decided it was time to get back to my previous weight. Having been around 160, and being an active runner, cyclist, triathlete, rock climber, hiker type of guy, I couldn’t believe that earlier in life I had done all of these activities at a heavier weight (185 range). I told myself I’d never go back. But then – what do you know!? There I was again. My wife and I both committed to losing what we had gained. And… it just didn’t work. We had the desire but constantly got sidetracked, and both of us felt that we were stuck. Maybe it’s just too hard to lose in our late 50’s. Maybe its the post-menopause thing (for my wife) and whatever manopause thing for me?
I didn’t fit into many of my clothes. The pants I could wear were all too tight. It did not feel good.
How did that (state of being) make you feel?
I really felt stuck. And for someone as active as I am, it really felt debilitating to be carrying around all that extra weight. And feeling like I didn’t have the agency to actually make it change was the worst feeling.
Was there anything you were unable to do that you wish you could have done?
Well, when you’re a rock climber an extra 20 pounds just make everything a whole lot harder. So I wouldn’t say I couldn’t, but I couldn’t do as well. I was doing pull ups with a 20 pound vest – fine for training but I couldn’t take the vest off when I was actually climbing!
During that time, how did your current state of being affect those around you?
My own self-sabotaging behavior contributed to others doing the same. My saying “you only live once, let’s go out and have some drinks and some good food,” would get my spouse on board with that. So contributed to her also not being in the shape she wanted.
The Moment Everything Changed
How did you hear about Trevor Kashey Nutrition?
The comfort crisis book.
What were your doubts and fears before starting the program?
Well, it is expensive. And I wasn’t sure it was going to be worth it. It’s not easy for me to spend money on myself. And I considered myself well educated on nutrition and exercise already. So what could I really learn?
What made you say YES anyway?
My health is worth a lot more than that! And the whole money back thing if you complete it – I saw that as very highly motivating. And I was so frustrated after a year of trying to lose extra fat and making exactly zero progress.
Life After KickStart
Where is your body/mind now?
I lost 20 pounds of fat. I feel like a well oiled machine. It has impacted not just my fat stores, but my whole recovery from workouts and exercise is so much shorter. It’s remarkable actually. It has improved my confidence and trust in myself. The funny thing there was nothing hard about it for me. It was easy! I wasn’t suffering in any way, but making steady, solid progress week after week. Now I’m crushing my workouts, recovering, and feeling the best I’ve felt in my adult life at age 59. It is remarkable.
And I’ve tackled other things as well. Other bad habits that I’ve had I just decided “oh hey, why am I doing that?” and I have the tools and skills and understanding to tackle those things without really thinking twice. I feel like I’ve become the person I have wanted to be but was just out of reach.
How does that make you feel?
Unstoppable. Happy. Fulfilled. Confident. Proud. Content. Satisfied.
What are you able to do now that you were not able to do before (mentally, emotionally, or physically)?
Stop bad habits. Start good habits. Tackle things in my life that I’ve put off dealing with. I’ve wanted to re-learn Spanish since I stopped taking it like 45 years ago. I’ve continued to be mediocre, but I decided I wanted to do this, and now I’m doing that too. Just things like that. What is it you want out of life and what are you doing to get there? Losing weight is just one of many things.
The Ripple Effect
What positive impact did that have on others around you that you might not have expected?
I think exactly the same. People feel the same level of agency. Like we can do hard things here people. They are inspired, and feel the power to make the change they want to make.
Kevin’s Words to You
What would you tell someone who is reading this right now and is unsure about taking the next step?
This is an investment in yourself that will pay dividends to everyone in your life. You will be better in your relationships, you’ll be a better parent, spouse, sibling. Challenges with nutrition is where you may start, but you will enable yourself to live the life you want in so many other areas.
