Words from Brad:
These are excerpts from Stacey’s journal entries about his life which motivated him to complete his first 3-month transformation.

Words from Stacey:
I am not sure when, but it may have been late 2005 after the death of my Uncle Brinos in a car accident, I decided to start a regular exercise program. My weight had got up to around 119 kgs ( 262 lbs). I had only ever gone over 120 kgs once in my life (went up to 130 kgs) and I did not want to go there again. I had been going to many funerals of Uncles / Aunties and friends parents etc over the last year or two and it was starting to worry me. My father had died at 64 from cancer and my mother has also history of that terrible disease. I was thinking if I kept on living the poor lifestyle I was caught up in then it would not be long before my family and friends would be coming to my funeral.

The Start of My Transformation

I went out and bought some new training shoes and started my normal diet that I would use to lose weight. I joined the gym and went for a handful of times and kept on making excuses on why I could not go. The main one being a self employed Commercial Agent / Private Inquiry Agent. I was working long hours and it became an obsession of mine for the business to grow. I would sometimes get up at Midnight and do paperwork on the computer all night and then go out on the road during the day till 9.00 to 10.00pm. This to do field calls, serve documents, find people and also repossess their cars. (ed. a very stressful job!)

I would lose a few kilos but then would put them back on. I would eat a healthy meal and then go straight out and buy junk food such as chocolates, lollies, chips, fatty foods from take away shops and fast food outlets. I would eat battered savs, seafood sticks, scallops, plain sausages, chicken & chips, pies, sausage rolls, cakes, pizza, KFC etc. I would eat it regular and eat it fast. I would drink 4 to 6 litres of Diet Coke a day. I was not sleeping well and would go to bed around 11.00pm and start waking from 1.00am most nights. I would worry about many things which included work, money and relationship issues. I was going out on week ends and would drink 15 to 30 Jim Beam Bourbons and Diet Cokes a night and eat all the fatty foods that go with getting “pissed”. I would also gamble heavily sometimes while out drinking. It was a type of an escape for me, out alone, trying not to worry about my problems. I would then waste my whole daytime on week ends being hung over. My golf I enjoy playing on Saturdays was getting worse.

I have constantly suffered from “Gout” since my early 20’s and it has only ever been good when I went on a diet, did regular exercise and stopped drinking heavily.

Since I was in my early 20’s, I have gone on may health kicks / transformation diets, trying to lose weight. I had lost over 20 kgs on a number of occasions but put it straight back on (sometimes quickly or sometimes over a number of years). I tried Herbal Life on one occasion, running every day with a diet on a number of occasions and I even had my jaw badly broken playing football in 1980 which made me lose plenty of weight. On all these occasions, I put the weight back on.

It got to November 2007 and I just came back from a great 4 days away with my old school mates from Macquarie Boys High. I looked at the photos from that trip and noticed how fat I really was. My weight was again up to 119 kgs and the dreaded 120 kgs was the next digit on the scales.

The training shoes I bought in late 2005 are now very worn. I may have used them 5 to 6 times down the gym in 2 years. I used these shoes as my work shoes and did no sport / fitness in them.

Over the last 2 years, I have been writing cheques every month for my gym membership. I would see this $79.90 going to waste every month but I would not cancel the membership. I thought if I did cancel then I would then completely give up, never trying to get fit and healthy ever again. I would get over 120 kgs and never return.

The gym membership has cost me around $2,000.00 over the last 2 years and this equates to around $400.00 each visit to the gym.

I went out and spent $250.00 on a very good pair of training shoes and also some training t-shirts.

Whilst at Fitness First Gym in Dee Why one day, I inquired there about getting a Personal Trainer to help me reach my goals and complete the “Body for Life” transformation challenge. I read the board in the gym with all the names of the personal trainers and a brief summary of their qualifications and experience. I noticed the Personal Trainer “Brad Rasmus” had many things listed that I was looking for. He had experience in taking 3 people to the “Top 10” in Body for Life and many other things on his summary impressed me. I asked a few people working at the gym about “Brad” and they highly recommended him. I took his card and rang him straight away, leaving a message on his voicemail. He rang me back later that night and we had a bit of a chat. Brad sent me some emails with information to read and fill out and I made several appointments to see him.

The sessions went well and Brad gave me much information on what was needed for me to meet my goals. This information has helped me start getting myself ready to start the “Body for Life” challenge. Brad informed me of my problems which needed to be fixed straight away . He stressed that my posture, flexibility and core strength was not good and put a program in place to help me make them better. He also gave me Golf specific things to do in my program that will help me play better golf.

I felt our sessions were going very well and could see the weight coming off me and my posture appeared to be improving (and other things).

From the 4/12/07 to the 8/1/08;

My weight went from 115.2 kgs to 108.4 kgs (loss of 6.8 kgs).

Chest went from 122.3 cm to 118.7 cm’s (loss of 3.6 cm’s)

Waist (narrow) went from 111 cm’s to 105.2 cm’s (loss of 5.8 cm’s)

Bodyfat % from 24% to 21% (loss of 3%) (ed. using bio-impedance scales)

My Posture (refer to my right side photos taken by Brad) and Flexibility also improved.

I then decided to start the “Body for Life” challenge on Monday 14/1/08 and “WILL” complete it on 6/4/08. No “buts” or “maybes”, I will complete it and will do 2 more during the year to change my life for ever.

I have never been so committed to anything more then this in my whole life and this will make me a better person for the experience.

Brad thought it would be a good idea to share my experience with others by writing something as I go along on this “Journey” and he will put it on his website.

Stacey Gavrily

Transformation Update – Week 7

Where do I start? It has been a unbelievable last 41 days. I have gone from struggling around 26 January 2008 (when work & personal issues caused me to doubt if I could do it) to today where I am only 5 weeks away from concluding the 12 weeks (first of 3). I am seeing the results of my planning, hard work, commitment, sweat, hard work etc.

I went and saw Brad that day and the results were unbelievable. But they were believable as I had put in the hard work, commitment, planning etc to get these results. I had the power to change, the faith to do it, the dreams & goals that made me want to succeed and the drive to succeed and change my life (and not just “go along for the ride in life”).

The success was from “earning it” and not just “owning it”. I did not give up and I will succeed.

From 8/1/08 to 12/2/08 (5 weeks);

My weight went from 108.4 kgs to 100.6 kgs (loss of 7.8 kgs). A loss of 14.6 kgs since 4/12/07.

Chest went from 118.7 cm’s to 115.4 cm’s (loss of 3.3 cm’s). A loss of 6.9 cm’s since 4/12/07.

Waist (narrowest part) went from 105.2 cm’s to 98.9 cm’s (loss of 6.3 cm’s). A loss of 12.1 cm’s since 4/12/07.

Bodyfat % from 21% to 14% (loss of 7%). This using bio – impedance scales. A loss of 10% since 4/12/07.

My posture and flexibility is still improving..

How have I done this? I committed to a 3 month challenge. I asked myself, do I want to be the old me or a new me. I must stand up to me and have faith, have the goals & drive plus the power to change. But the most important thing to me was that I must continue to “Dream” and to then set “Goals”. Every transformation starts as a dream and by setting goals and achieving them , all the hard work will pay off and I will succeed in “reaching my dream”.

This challenge has helped me dream, set goals, plan, eat and work out correctly. Also plan my day better so I can get everything done and not just let time “pass me by”. It helps me “give it my best”. Life has given me a choice, either learn to overcome challenge or succumb to them. I believe I will overcome this challenge and succeed. I will win by giving it “my best” and there will be no limit to how much I can “change”. I will continue to “drive” and stop “just going along for the ride”.

I see Brad every Monday at 9.00am for a strength session and this has been a great help. By seeing him, it helps me with doing the strength sessions correctly and he pushes me that little bit more. But most importantly, what he has told me to do, I have done (No if’s or butt’s). If you pay a professional to help you, why waste your money by not doing what he has suggested. The results are there to see and they don’t lie.

Thanks to everyone who has been supportive to me over the last month or so. I have received many emails of support and words of encourage in person or by phone. Every little bit of support by you has helped me so much.

People are interested in what I am trying to do and it makes me feel good about myself and will help in reaching my “Dreams & Goals”.

Until next time.

Stacey Looked at His Family History of Disease & Chose a Better Life – October 2015