Skyler Meine

The number one reason I got involved in the weight loss industry is to make a difference in people’s lives. I want nothing more than for people to achieve their IdealShape, both physically and mentally. Watching people achieve that with my help has brought great happiness to my life.

One particular person has made a great impact on me and re-emphasized that I have truly been given an amazing opportunity to help people do amazing things. That person is Ryan Sullivan, the writer of nomorebacon.com. In July of 2009, he came to me and asked me to help in his weight loss journey.

Let me give you a little background on Ryan before I go on. Since 7th grade tackle football, Ryan and I have been friends. We were both offensive lineman for the 7th-8th grade football team. To say the least, we were big boys. This was the first and last year we would play football together due to a severe back condition Ryan had. Ryan was always a lot of fun to be around. And if you wanted to sit around there was no better person to do it with. If there was a game on, he was watching it and there was guaranteed to be some soda to guzzle down. All that sitting and guzzling was getting to my friend, but there wasn’t much a friend could do.

I started my career in the weight loss industry and loosely kept in contact with Ryan. Until one day I called him and we went to lunch. After lunch that day he called me to say that he was interested in pursuing a weight loss program with my help. Ryan had become even heavier than I remembered him, and I was excited to help him get control of his weight and health.

He showed up for our first workout together at 388 pounds and was severely out of shape, but determined. The warm-up that generally takes between 5-10 minutes took Ryan the entire session. Each movement challenged him. I wondered if he would return. He did, and he did a little more the next time he came. From that day on, each time Ryan has come to the gym he has done a little more. He is a great listener and applied everything I taught him about nutrition and exercise. And the weight started to come off.

We often talked about what he called his trigger for losing the weight.  His trigger was his young family. He wanted to be there for them. He wanted to be engaged in their lives, not just a bystander or not there at all.  His trigger was real and had depth. It wasn’t just about the way he looked, but was more about achieving the IdealShape for his entire life. I believe he realized he wasn’t fully living his life because he wasn’t taking care of himself.

Ryan had definite markers for success on his journey. The first was being able to weigh in on my scale that only went to 350 pounds. That day came quickly and Ryan kept working.

Another marker was that after just a couple of months of training, Ryan was able to join my full contact flag football team as an offensive lineman. He re-started his once lost football career.

The next marker of success was getting to 300, which was a littler further out of reach but he started busting down the numbers. One day he called and told me he couldn’t make it to the workout. The next thing I knew, Ryan was having surgery to remove several hernias from his abdomen. The first major obstacle. Would he overcome it? Six weeks without being able to lift a weight and minimal cardio. Would he use this as an excuse to go back to old habits?

Nope. Six weeks later he was back in the gym lifting weights at an even lighter body weight than when he went in for the hernia surgery.

Ryan has been very consistent and driven to lose the weight and today he is 255 pounds.  He has started his second season of flag football as a leaner, meaner, more athletic offensive lineman. I am very grateful that Ryan came to me for help in creating a better life for himself and his family, and that I have been able to be a part of his journey.

Read more about Ryan’s journey at No More Bacon.

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