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Joe Marlo, 38, knew in 2017 that he had to make a change. At that time, he was told by his doctor that he was prone to diabetes. “It wasn’t a good feeling to think that my life could be cut short. I was too young. I have a lot of goals, passions and dreams,” he says.
“The scale hit almost 300 pounds, so I had to do something. I didn’t want to die. It felt like I was given an ultimatum.”
In addition to being at risk for diabetes, Malo also had thyroid issues, low energy levels and breathing problems. “I was his music teacher for 14 years, and my students would see me coughing and not breathing properly,” he says. “I love my career. I have the ability to influence the future of children. But without my health, I couldn’t give 100%.”
Marlo, who lives in Deer Park, New York, has struggled with her weight all her life. “I always had a vision of being healthy. I worked hard. I used to participate in sports when I was younger, but I was always overweight. My weight always bothered me. “I felt like that held me back and changed the way people saw me,” he says.
Marlo has tried various diets, but has always lost some weight and regained it. But in reality, I didn’t understand how to eat properly or develop a training routine. ”
After learning how to eat and exercise in a way that supported his health, he lost 130 pounds. Here’s how he did it.
He initially made the fitness and dietary changes on his own.
Marlo attended a group exercise class that focused on high-intensity interval training (HIIT), kickboxing, and weightlifting workouts.
Those classes helped him enjoy exercise and feel part of a community. “Before that, I was going to the gym, but I didn’t know what I was doing and was lost,” he says. “His group class has expanded my knowledge of exercise and made me look forward to it.”
He also ate less and counted his calories. These changes allowed him to lose 55 pounds before the weight loss stopped. “Despite the plateau that year, I developed a consistent exercise habit,” he says.
Still, it was necessary to overcome the plateau. To see if it helped, he tried more intense training, but didn’t get the results he expected.
he sought advice from experts
Marlo hired a trainer to help her create a meal plan that focused on counting macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates).
“I started losing weight little by little, but I wasn’t completely following the eating plan,” he says. “I was chasing it probably four or five days a week. I was always eating on the go, and I think that was a big problem. When you eat out, you don’t know how much extra you have on that food. We don’t really know what calories it has or how it’s prepared.”
Finally, he decided to try his trainer’s advice and follow the plan “all the way to the tee.” He aimed for 100 to 150 grams of protein, 125 grams of carbohydrates, and 50 grams of fat per day. He found healthier foods that he liked and created meals around those foods. “I started making my own food and measuring everything. I fell in love with the process,” he says.
And then he saw the results again. He began consistently losing his 1-2 pounds per week and lost an additional 75 pounds by 2020.
Marlo’s trainer also worked one-on-one with him, and he discovered that he enjoyed developing exercise routines and challenging himself.
My current plan is to aim for 9,000 to 10,000 steps a day between running, treadmill, and Stairmaster. Malo currently works as a school administrator and walks during lunch breaks and when talking on the phone.
He also lifts weights five days a week: two days for upper body, two days for lower body, and one day for full body. If I hadn’t gone through a journey like this, I don’t think I would have. It’s now a part of my daily routine that I enjoy. ”
After losing so much weight, his skin has loosened up a bit, but he feels like weight training has minimized that. “It still weighs heavily on me mentally,” he says.
He has seen major victories in health and life.
Marlo’s weight loss lowered his risk of diabetes, so he was afraid to make the change. “I recently had a blood test and it’s clean. The doctor said there was nothing to improve.”
He is willing to do what he can to increase his chances of longevity. I know that I could fall ill at any time. But I’m increasing my chances. ”
He has also noticed changes such as:
- He can run a 5K.
- He has more energy.
- He doesn’t need as much sleep as he used to.
- You don’t have to worry about needing extra space on the plane.
- You will be able to buy branded clothes that you were not able to wear before.
As a music teacher, I always tell my students: “If you want to get better at your instrument, you have to practice consistently.” And if you want to lose weight, you need to consistently follow a healthy diet.
He applied his training as a teacher to his own life.
“I learned that part of fitness is knowing how your body responds to exercise and what role food plays. ,” he says.
“As a music teacher, I always tell my students, ‘If you want to get better at playing an instrument, you have to practice consistently.’ And if you want to lose weight, practice consistently. You need to continue eating healthy. They are interrelated.”
Marlo has maintained her weight in the 170s since 2020, managing fluctuations by weighing herself once a week, scanning her body fat, and paying attention to her mood. “I pay close attention to how I’m feeling, because I think that’s important too. If I feel like I’m starting to feel a little sluggish, that’s a warning,” he says.
He still follows a macronutrient eating plan. Meals for the day will be as follows:
- breakfast: Smoothies, oatmeal, eggs and vegetables, or yogurt with walnuts and berries.
- lunch: Chipotle-style bowls of chicken or ground beef. Rice, black beans or sweet potatoes. and 2-3 cups of vegetables.
- dinner: Fish and other proteins and vegetables.
He connects with people for support
Marlo has joined Start a Facebook Group Today And I appreciate how people support each other. “Having a support system is so important when you’ve experienced significant weight loss; it makes it easier to get back to what you were doing before,” he says.
“I love the fact that people inspire each other. You can provide support to people, and people provide support to you, because everyone has different goals and different health conditions. Everyone supports each other’s goals, whatever they are.”
