Today I was browsing what to watch on Netflix when I stumbled upon Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, a documentary following the journey of a man to lose weight through a juicing detox.
Now, I don’t want to talk about the juicing detox, as I don’t know enough about it to have a proper opinion, but what really moved me was how his determination and his excitement changed not only his life, but the lives of others around him, random people he met while travelling around the USA.
The most incredible story was that of Phil, a lorry driver who was severely overweight and suffered from urticarial vasculitis, an autoimmune condition in which (from what I understood) your body reacts to seemingly normal situations by causing inflammation and a skin reaction, among other symptoms (I might have it wrong…).
Phil tried one of the juices and admitted it didn’t taste bad and Joe, the main character we were following ended up giving him his number to contact him if he ever wanted his help.
Time passed and Joe was healthier than ever, back in Australia. I think it was a few months after their encounter when Phil left a voicemail on Joe’s phone, telling him he would gladly accept Joe’s help if he was still up for it. He sounded like he had reached rock bottom (cue the tears).
This lorry driver had had a random conversation with a stranger one day and that conversation helped him make the decision to change when he realised he had to get healthier.
Before I started studying to become a PT, I used to talk to my friends and family about nutrition and fitness. The fact that I was excited about my healthy lifestyle and was able to show results to those around me, the enthusiasm with which I would talk to others, actually all contributed to people around me deciding to make a change in their lives. This wasn’t me, being a personal trainer and being hired for my services. This was me, sharing my experiences with others and motivating them to improve their health, their diet and their fitness.
My goal now is to be able to keep improving my skills and expanding my knowledge, so I can excite more people around me to make the changes they need to live long, happy and healthy lives; to show them everyone can make improvements, as long as we want to improve; and to help them go over the obstacles they might find along the way.
I’m not going to spoil the documentary for you, but enthusiasm, hard work and a positive attitude can create a wave of change around you, and inspire others, who might in turn inspire others themselves…
What about you, do you have a similar story? Who got you excited about fitness, or a healthy diet? Is there someone who inspires you to better yourself everyday? I’d love to read your stories!
The Fitness Weirdo 