By Emily Beers

He was tired of feeling frustrated that he couldnt keep up with 4-year-olds when he coached his sons soccer team. And he was tired of wondering whether hed be able to stand back up if he climbed onto the floor to play with his two kids.

At 6-foot-1 and 377 lbs. at his heaviestand on medication for high blood pressureHeadley had tried diets before, and he had tried the gym thing too many times, he explained. Usually Id last maybe six weeks, but never saw results, so then Id quit, he said.

Last spring, it occurred to him the problem might be that he needed to stop trying to do it alone. I knew I needed help and it was one of those moments where I felt like, This could be it, if I can find <a href="https://barbend.com/is-remote-coaching-for-you/" id="cdbf2d27-40eb-3aaf-a276-4d1d5748e75c"> someone to provide accountability </a> . I knew I couldnt do it on my own anymore, he said.

Then a friend told Headley about coach Philip Tabor at CrossFit Coordinate in Cary, North Carolina. Headley met with Tabor in June 2019, and something clicked for him right away.

There was something about (my meeting with Tabor) that gave me hope and a feeling of possibility, Headley said. Something Philip said was I needed to find a <a href="https://barbend.com/reassessing-your-training-crossfit/" id="361a2353-c97f-3aa0-ae49-88eccb9aa73d"> selfish reason </a> to do this. I had been hearing for years, Do it for your kids. Do it for your wife, but it needed to hit a place where I mattered enough that I was worth doing this for me.

And that was that: Headley committed himself to working out five days a week and completely changing his diet. The next day, he stopped going to McDonalds or Wendys once or twice a day and started cooking meals at home. He eliminated bread and pasta and sugar and began eating mostly vegetables, fruits and lean protein. Most of the time, he <a href="https://barbend.com/intermittent-fasting/" id="e9697150-bf67-31f0-a4a4-eab90d3780a8"> intermittent fasts </a> .

A CrossFit Coach Helped This Guy Lose 100 Pounds

Within one month, he was down 22 lbs., which gave him the motivation he needed to stick with it. Twenty two pounds soon became 30, and 30 became 40. Fast forward to January 2020, and Headley is down 95 lb. since the day he started with Tabor and weighed in at 367 lbs., and 105 lbs. since his all-time heaviest of 377 lbs.

I got rid of 80 percent of my closet. Everything was a 3XL, and I just put on a size large peacoat the other day, which is crazy, he said. Further, his doctor took him off his blood pressure medication in October 2019, as his blood pressure has completely normalized.

Though Headley is stoked about the weight loss, and amazed he can do things he never thought hed be able to, such as deadlift 440 lbs., the best part is how his renewed health has trickled into all the other important aspects of his life, he explained.

I didnt just change by working out and eating better. I changed everything. I go to bed at 10:15 (p.m.) now and get up at 6 a.m., so I find myself more rested. And I no longer experience the energy low in the afternoon, said Headley, who used to go to bed at 2:30 a.m.

Also, I can pay so much more attention to things, and am so much more present and more productive, he said. Meanwhile, his recovery has improved, and his joints no longer pop all the time. Most important, though, is how his entire family has been affected.

It drove my wife nuts how much I ate out, and how much Id take my son to eat out, but now we cook pretty much everything at home, he said. Were all locked in together now, eating healthy together. Were all more active and feel better, and I can get down on the floor and play with my kids now, he said. All of this makes for a happier person, a better husband and a better dad, Headley explained.

Im taking better care of myself, so it means I treat my kids better, and am better at my job. It really has trickled into all areas of my life. Even things like, I just bought a waterpik. I didnt floss enough so I invested in a waterpik and its helping. So just little things like that, which I wouldnt have done before, are helping me be my best self, and it means everything around me is better too, he said.

And I dont know that Ill ever eat at McDonalds again, he added. Though Headley deserves the credit for putting in the work and making the hard changes in these recent months, he is adamant he would never have done it without Tabors help.

Having someone in my corner helping me, a coach guiding me, has been immensely important. I tried doing it for 15 years on my own and couldnt, he said. Thus, Headley urges others who find themselves in a similar situation to do the same.

Get help and invest in yourself, he said. Youre worth the effort and the trying. And on the other side of it, its worth being stringent. Its worth doing it even though its hard, to feel better about yourself. So be worth the time, and be worth investing in yourself.

This story was originally published <a href="http://barbend.com" id="750659c2-13f9-3ab1-afb1-c324bece5275"> on BarBend </a> . Read the <a href="https://barbend.com/john-headley-crossfit-weight-loss/" id="53527cb6-922b-339e-afb1-5981ca91fbdc"> original post </a> here.

Johnathan Headley was tired. Tired of feeling out of breath as he walked off the stage after leading a service as a worship pastor.

Hiring a CrossFit Coach Helped This Guy Lose 100 Pounds and Build Serious Strength

The 29-year-old weighed 348 lbs. at the time. Today, hes down to 250 lbs. The first thing Tabor got Grover to do was to come up a <a href="https://barbend.com/reassessing-your-training-crossfit/" id="361a2353-c97f-3aa0-ae49-88eccb9aa73d"> selfish reason </a> he wanted to lose weight. After some soul searching, Grover had a breakthrough.

I never had a dad I could throw a ball with, or just go outside and play and be active with. And I realized that when its my turn to have kids, I dont want to be this way. Through conversation with (Tabor), we talked about what my dad was like, and it helped me realize what I wanted, Grover said.

Thus, what he really wantedhis real reason whywas to lose weight and become healthier and fitter so he could be a more capable father than his father was to him. Identifying this purpose is a big part of what helped him stick to his commitment to exercise and clean eating in the months that followed, he explained.

The reason Tabor asks his clients to find their selfish reason is simple: Nobody loses weight for others. They might say it, but at the core we only make changes when they are selfish in nature, Tabor said.

Some people say (they want to be able to have) better sex. Others say (to live a) long life. One client did it because his dad just died and he was headed there next. But whatever the reason, its their reason and I keep that in front of them. It drives them, he added.

CrossFit Helped This Guy Lose 98 Pounds in 1 Year

When people are able to find their deeper reason for wanting to lose weight and get healthy, theyre then able to change their identity and their perception of themselves, Tabor explained. In Grovers case, it allowed him to shed the idea that he was an obese man, and start doing the things healthy, strong, fit people do, Tabor said.

Thats why the weight came off so fast, he added. Clearly the approach works, as Grover is one of four clients at CrossFit Coordinate who have lost 100 lbs. in the last year, while five others lost at least 60 lbs.

A second key to Grovers success is having a coach to keep him on track, Grover explained. The accountability part was the big piece for me, so I could do simple things like send (Tabor) pictures of my food. He would give me advice like, Next time shrink the portion of potatoes. Having that constant nudge from someone has been really helpful to keep me on track, Grover said, adding that the nutrition coaching he received from Tabors wife Holly Tabor, also played an integral role.

Today, Grover no longer eats at fast food joints, and he doesnt overeat regularly like he used to. Instead, he mostly eats <a href="https://barbend.com/counting-macros-easier/" id="5aea1ea2-3324-3efc-abad-52b83800df28"> lean protein </a> , a lot of vegetables and some starch.

And because Grover feels like he has made habit changesas opposed to embarking on a strict, short-term diethe said he knows these changes are here to stay.

It took a while to get used to the new routine, but now I dont have a lot of cravings. I do want a pizza every now and again, but I dont miss fast food. It actually hurts when I eat it because my body is working on a much cleaner diet, he said.

He added: Its definitely a lifestyle change. I dont want to go back.

This post originally appeared on <a href="http://barbend.com" id="cfba0f3b-69f6-333b-a723-78d545fcc5cc"> BarBend </a> . <a href="https://barbend.com/ryan-grover-crossfit-weight-loss/" id="5f5a1b51-b5b8-3586-a86c-a876a05bd5db"> Read the original story here. </a>

When Ryan Grover sat down with Coach Philip Tabor at CrossFit Coordinate in Cary, North Carolina in April 2019, he had no idea he was about to embark on a journey that would help him lose nearly 100 lb. in just nine months.

This Guy Took Up CrossFit and Lost 98 Pounds in One Year

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By Emily Beers

Articles written by the author

Hiring a CrossFit Coach Helped This Guy Lose 100 Pounds and Build Serious Strength

This Guy Took Up CrossFit and Lost 98 Pounds in One Year