How (And Why) I Lost 50 Pounds

This journey, which started in October 2023 with me weighing 242 pounds (110 kg) at a 6 feet (183 cm) height, not only improved my health…

But also helped me better understand myself and my personality type, leading to amazing results in all areas of my life…

Including running my course business.

So, today, I want to share this weight-loss journey with you and hopefully help you get on a path to revolution and self-improvement…

Whether it’s about losing weight, meeting obligations, improving your business, or anything else that comes to mind.

Let’s dive into it. 

The One Thing That Defines How You Should Approach Your Obligations/Goals And Boost The Chances Of Meeting Them 

It all started with one book I read back in September 2023:

The Four Tendencies

In a nutshell, it shows how all people belong to one of the four tendencies depending on how they respond to and meet expectations.

These expectations can be inner (self-imposed) and outer (imposed by others). I discovered I respond great to the latter…

But poorly to the former.

So, if somebody asks me to do something — I’ll do it for sure. This is probably why coaching course creators and helping them improve their businesses works so well.

Look, I can’t do justice to how mind-blowing understanding my tendency type was for me. It explained so much about my life and work.

But more importantly, it helped me plan my improvement. Because now I know what drives me and what was the simple solution to my type:

Accountability.  

To accomplish my inner goals, like losing weight, I had to create outer accountability. 

So, since reading the Four Tendencies book, I made sure to add a business & life coach to the mix. And, most importantly for today’s topic, I hired a personal trainer.

As you’ll see in the pics below, this worked like a charm.  

Jacques on October 1, 2023, before losing 50 pounds.

Jacques on April 2024, after losing 50 pounds.

Let me walk you through everything I did to achieve my goal and the benefits losing weight got me. 

Hopefully, it will inspire you to do the same or use the Four Tendencies book as a starting point for tackling & solving any other problem you’re facing.

The Ins & Outs Of My Weight Loss Journey And What You Can Take Away From It

There was one main driver that pushed me to start both my self-exploration journey and do my best to lose weight:

Health.

In September 2024, on top of weighing 242 pounds (110 kg)  and being considered obese — my HDL cholesterol levels were pretty elevated. 

Plus, some other markers followed suit.

This was pretty scary for me, considering the history of heart problems in my family.

So, after understanding outside accountability is crucial for solving this problem and losing weight…

And remembering that when I had personal trainers before both my weight & health were in check…

I reacted by hiring Pat Mims as my personal trainer on October 1, 2023. 

This turned out to be a life-changing decision.

First of all, he held me accountable. 

Secondly, he made a meal & exercise plan tailored to my unique circumstances (and without Ozympic, which is hugely popular these days). …

And took the time to understand how to best ensure I implement them. 

So, I followed his meal plan to the letter for 3 months.

And let me tell you, this was far from easy. Especially given my wife & kids, who also had to make sacrifices for me to succeed. 

But I must hand it to Pat, all his meals included very tasty food. Plus, he took the time to teach me what good eating looks like.

Then, after 3 months of following this strict diet, I got into the groove and built new habits. Which allowed me to loosen up a bit…

While still going in the right direction and continuously losing weight.

That’s what good coaches & programs do — they teach you the unique method and ensure you internalize it…

So you can willingly use it on your own indefinitely with little hiccups.

Now, let me walk you through the other changes I had to make to successfully lose weight and reach my goals:

The Habits That Helped Me Turn My Life Around And Lose 50 Pounds

Many people tend to claim losing weight is simple:

You eat less and move more.

But it wasn’t that simple for me. I had to approach it very strategically.

So, on top of hiring a personal trainer who kept me accountable and watched the scale with me…

I had to dig deep into my bad habits…

And learn how to change them without draining my willpower in the process.

Here are 5 things I started doing that laid the groundwork for my weight loss success:

1. Discovering what keeps me satiated

You can’t walk around hungry forever. It just isn’t sustainable. 

Instead, you have to learn how to feel good without eating the wrong things.

A high protein & fiber diet did this for me — and those mostly from 1-ingredient foods (meat, vegetables, fruit, etc).

2. Tracking my food intake and activity

As an engineer by trade, tracking everything I eat and do has been instrumental in keeping me on track. 

So, I started using an app called MacroFactor (not an affiliate link) for that, and I absolutely love it. 

But you don’t have to use a paid tracking app — a free one like MyFitnessPal does the trick for many people. 

3. Reducing alcohol intake by 95%

All this tracking and conversations with Pat made me realize I was drinking far too much.

I got into the habit of grabbing some drinks with my friends or wife after work on a daily basis.

This wasn’t a good habit.

I didn’t cut alcohol entirely because I felt that would not work long-term. Instead, I turned it into something I partake in on special occasions only…

Leading to having 1-2 drinks a month.

4. Playing tennis

Exercise is not at all fun for me, especially cardio.

So, I had to find a way to do it with gusto. And given that I love games & sports…

I tried tennis. And it more than did the trick. 

5. Lifting weights

I do this 2-3 times a week based on Pat’s plan. 

And him keeping me accountable is a crucial part of me still doing the exercise regularly.

Now, you shouldn’t just take what I did and replicate it blindly. 

Instead, take the time to get to know yourself and test what would work for you…

Then double down on that.

Do this the right way, and I’m sure benefits will follow. 

Here are some I experienced after losing 50 pounds:

The Benefits I Noticed After Losing 50 Pounds

Most importantly, my cholesterol and all other markers are under control.

On top of that, I sleep better and have more energy & drive throughout the day.

Plus, as a content creator, my appearance is out there for the world to see and judge. So, improving it did wonders for my confidence.

I also became a much better health role model for my family and kids. I mentioned their sacrifices earlier, but there was another huge benefit:

They started picking up health habits too.

Finally, our health insurance also become significantly cheaper. 

Being an entrepreneur in the United States makes having good, all-encompassing health insurance a real challenge because it’s usually tied to your employer.

That’s why I use a health sharing alternative option called Medi-Share for my family. And I actually got a 20% discount after I got my weight in order.

Imagining these benefits coming to life really kept me going. And I bet doing something similar can help you too.

So, why not envision the benefits in detail BEFORE you set out on your quest?

This can do wonders for keeping you going, regardless of your goal’s nature. 

Try it — you really have nothing to lose.

Conclusion

My road to losing 50 pounds was a life-changing one. Not just because I’m now healthier and enjoy life more…

But because I understand myself better and know exactly what to do when I face another problem. Like hiring a proven personal trainer (Pat Mims) to ensure I lose weight and stay on track.

Here’s to you using my experience and the tools I introduced above to chart a clear path to solving your problem(s)…

Thereby taking your life & business to the next level.

I’m rooting for you.

-Jacques