Transformation: Michael Wilkes Crushes a 120 Pound Weight Loss

What Was Your Life Like Before Your Transformation?

In high school I was a baseball player who had a scholarship to go to college to play in 2009. At the end of the season I sustained an injury and pretty much threw my life away. In less than a year I gained 100+ pounds and became a slob. All I did for years was sit behind a computer and play video games and eat everything I could see.

Between 2010-2012 I went to a family get together and all everybody was talking about how much weight I gained and how I threw myself away. Honestly, I gained the weight so fast I couldn't see myself changing. When I heard that I looked at old pictures and saw myself in high school and immediately saw the change.

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I immediately became more depressed and continued to eat my feelings away and everything just went down hill. Between this time my girlfriend left me after a long relationship, had several deaths of close loved ones, and almost lost my father in a 18-wheeler accident. At that point I knew it was my time to step up and do something with my life.

What Were Your Major Struggles or Challenges?

My biggest struggle was knowing I had a ton of people not believing in me, haters if you will. I told everybody I knew I was going to turn my life around for the better, get in shape, and make my family, and myself proud of me. When I told people that, they automatically laughed and started talking crap about me and didn't believe me and continued to say that I was just a joke and that I wasn't going to do anything.

The biggest challenge was actually just getting started, the first month of beating myself up in the gym and getting that soreness. After that I realized my depression and anxiety and everything I developed over the years started to go away and it became and addiction.

What Was Your Workout and Cardio Plan During Your Transformation?

My workout then consisted of mainly cardio, I did a little bit of weights but I honestly didn't know much about it. I would do an upper body day, lower body day, and then took a rest day. All I was concerned about was getting skinny and seeing a number drop.

What Was Your Eating Plan During Your Transformation?

My diet plan consisted of breakfast (usually egg whites and toast) a workout in the morning around 10 am with a protein shake immediately after, and then lunch and dinner, which usually consisted of a clean meat, and rice or sweet potatoes. I was mainly getting calories/macros from some form of protein shake,

Detail Your Supplement Plan During Your Transformation

Being a gym noob I had to have every single supplement I could think of. Protein, pre-workout, creatine, multivitamins, test boosters, fat burners, whatever I could get my hands on.

What Were Your Major Accomplishments or Milestones?

At first I couldn't run a tenth of a mile on a treadmill, I would run out of breath tying my shoes. But I got my cardio conditioning up pretty fast and was able to run 3 miles in about 18 minutes.

Also my workouts consisted of the smallest weights possible. On bench my max was 95 pounds, my workout was the bar for 3 sets of 10. My working sets on bench is 225 now. My squat max was 135, and today I'm squatting 4 plates for 4 reps no problem.

Detail Your 3 Biggest Mistakes

1. NOT BUILDING MUSCLE while I was losing weight.
2. Spending $200 to 300 dollars on supplements every two weeks.
3. Letting myself get to the point to where I was. I was unhappy for the longest time because I let myself go.

3 Biggest Things You Learned During Your Transformation?

1. Anything is possible through hard work. My favorite quote is hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard.
2. Lifting weights is just as much a mental game as it is physical.
3. The iron helps you more than you could imagine. It helps you mentally, it makes you feel better as a whole. Constantly setting new goals, making gains, and beating records is the best feeling in the world.

Final Words of Advice for Others Looking to Make a Change?

My biggest piece of advice is to not focus on a number, get off the scales and go by the mirror. I was so concerned about losing weight that I looked scrawny and like I was on the verge of death and now I'm having to build myself up.

I want to be an inspiration to people, I love helping people, and I would do anything to show people that fitness in the greatest thing on the planet.