
Transformation: Michael Wilkes Crushes a 120 Pound Weight Loss
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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.
Related: Submit Your Transformation Story to Tiger Fitness
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
- NOT BUILDING MUSCLE while I was losing weight.
- Spending $200 to 300 dollars on supplements every two weeks.
- 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?
- Anything is possible through hard work. My favorite quote is hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard.
- Lifting weights is just as much a mental game as it is physical.
- 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.
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