On June 21st 2016 my daughter Liz convinced me to go to “the gym” with her. At the time, I was pushing 308 pounds and had associated health issues. Being an athlete all my life and in this condition was really depressing. To be honest, I was a little nervous when I walked into the gym. I felt like the new kid entering the classroom mid- way through the school year. That feeling quickly disappeared as soon as I met Jesse and Lauren Foster. They made me feel comfortable and welcome. I signed a few wavier forms, let them know that I could come three days a week then started stretching. I noticed some in the gym were lifting bar bells and other heavy weights but Jesse let me know very quickly that I would not be touching any weights for some time. On June 21st, 2016, Jesse started me on what I call “a path to recovery”. For the first two months, the coaches monitored my performance and modified my workouts. My workouts consisted of pushups, air squats, sit ups, alternating toe touches, kettle bell swings, running, rowing, and pull up rings. The workouts are timed and the goal is to do as many reps as possible. I never felt awkward even though I am older than most, out of shape, weak at most exercises and outperformed by most, including pregnant women. The owners and trainers at NFTF really care about each member and their personal growth. In addition to working out, Lauren taught me key aspects of eating healthy. Basically, she said I could eat anything I wanted except things that came in a box, bag, bread, white rice, white noodles, and to cut out sweets for now. I am proud to say that I haven’t missed a single workout and along with my new eating habits I have lost 48 pounds. My road to recovery has not been easy mainly because my mind says I can but my body says not so fast. Jesse says it best, as long as you are moving you are making progress. I want to thank NFTF for getting me back on track and encourage others to join and start their own road to recovery.

I started 2019 in a sad place in my life. I have a beautiful wife, awesome kids, wonderful family and friends, and a great job. Despite this, I was depressed and unhappy with myself. I was at an all-time high with my weight at 323lbs. I had just been given an epidural to deal with nagging back pain. I got out of breath and my knees hurt just from walking up a single flight of stairs. My blood pressure was averaging about 140/90. I was prediabetic with insulin at 97. My LDL cholesterol was 100, which is the recommended high and my liver functions were elevated due to years of obesity. At 41 years old, it was not what I wanted for myself, and I knew I had to make a change. I have done diets enough to know they work until you stop. Your eating habits have to change for life to keep the weight off. I've had a lot of experience with strength training in the past and liked lifting weights. There just never seemed to be enough time, and in my mind, I could always justify something else being more important. I have a friend, Greg Tidwell, who is in phenomenal shape. He was a skinny guy when we met 9 years ago, but was obviously an athlete. He previously raced road bikes professionally, played semi-pro hockey, and played college sports. I have watched him transform over the years into a person with a great balance of muscle mass and lean conditioning after HITT became his go-to exercise routine about 6 years ago. In the fall of 2018, he told me, “Harley, I am in the best shape of my life. I have been more muscular. I have been in better cardiovascular shape, but I have never had such a balance of both.” That statement really made me respect high intensity training as a fitness regiment. It obviously wasn’t an option for me though, was it? I wasn’t in good enough shape to even start training. Besides, those people are like a cult and do some crazy stuff as a part of their workout. Through the fall and over the 2018 holiday season I continued to eat, drink, and stay, not merry, but miserable. Finally on January 2, 2019, I had enough. I decide I was going to start a new lifestyle that day and change my eating habits and start working out. I knew how to eat well, so that part was just a matter of making the change. I have a great gym in my basement, but I knew I wouldn’t stick to a weightlifting routine alone. I also knew I needed to do some cardio, and I freaking HATED cardio. If you saw me running, you had better run too, because it meant something was chasing me! What would work and meet my needs? High intensity training sounded like a good balance of some things I loved and some things I needed, but hated. I researched 'starting HITT when you were in terrible shape'. I found success stories online and saw that it could be done. Greg recommended North Forsyth Training and Fitness. He said they paid a lot of attention to proper form and fundamentals which would help reduce risk of injury. I reached out to NFTF that same day and made an appointment to meet with Jesse Foster on Friday, 01/04/19. Jesse assured me I could start, and he could help me transition into the classes safely. I joked about it being a cult and he said, “When something has a huge impact on your life in a positive way, you want to tell people about it. That is why it has the stigma.” I asked Jesse if we could start Monday. 01/07/19 began my journey. One year later, I am happy to say this is the fittest I've been in over 20 years. My annual physical was in December of 2019. My resting heart rate has dropped from 84 to 64. Blood pressure is averaging about 120/75. Insulin level is 6, and LDL is 75. Liver functions are normal again. I have no back issues and my knees feel much better. Today, I am 248lbs, and my waist has dropped from a size 46 to a size 38. The 75 pounds I've lost and the muscle I've gained is an amazing start, but I know the real payoff comes from staying the course long-term. I plan to continue to work to achieve my fitness goals. Jesse Foster and NFTF have helped me change my life in an amazing way. Jesse is an amazing coach and now someone I consider a friend. The people at NFTF are truly my gym family as they have cheered, encouraged, and inspired me along the way. Thank you all. I am very blessed to go through this journey with such amazing people.