It can be an interesting and eye opening experience when you come across a picture of yourself before you made the choice to transform your body and strive for your true potential.
Some people prefer to bury away their “before photos”, while others post them on their fridge as a reminder of what happens when you don’t care about what you stuff into your mouth.
When I see pictures of myself from a few years ago I am reminded of the struggles I faced at the time. The mild depression (which is hard to believe for the people who have always known me as the ‘happy-go-lucky’ guy). The lack of ‘zest’ and vitality. The embarrassment. That empty feeling of knowing that I wasn’t able to give the best of myself to my wife and children. The frustrating feeling of ‘wanting better’… but not having what it took to stick it through to the end.
…but I also look at those pictures with an overwhelming sense of pride and achievement. They are a measuring stick of just how far I’ve come in this life-long journey. It’s a reminder that I always had what it took to achieve incredible success. I’ve always been capable of greatness, but for some reason I wasn’t quite ready to unleash it at the time. I needed to struggle a bit more… learn from those experiences… and wake up to the fact that I deserved the very BEST!
It all came down to choice. Do I keep doing what I’m doing… living the way I am… and experiencing the same results… OR do I make a change… step outside of my comfort zone… strive for my full potential… and show the world what I’m REALLY made of.
Well you know the choice that I made… and there’s been no looking back. My eyes and my world are now open WIDE.
But, enough about me!
This post was inspired by a post that fellow Physique Artist Sarah Held wrote recently in our Metabolic Masterpiece Inner Circle as she reflected on her journey this past year…
“Yesterday I reactivated my Burn the Fat Inner Circle membership to gear up for the next BIG BURN challenge. I was bummed to see my old posts were still connected to my profile and that there was no way to remove them.
My before picture back then was sooo bad. It hurt to see myself like that. It brought up a lot of emotions. I must have been in such denial because back then I didn’t even think I was that ‘bad’.
Looking at myself 35 lbs heavier than I am today made me WISH I could delete that old post and those horrible pictures. I did make progress during that 1st challenge but didn’t feel it was significant enough to enter the final essay even though I stuck it out to the end. – FAILURE – Then the Holiday challenge came and went and I only held on for 2 weeks and quit! – HUGE FAILURE – Ugh! So embarrassing…
YET today there is a new mindset. I slept on the shame, guilt, and embarrassment and this morning decided I didn’t need to feel that way.
Today I choose to see those failures and how I used to look as part of my great accomplishment. Look how far I’ve come! I honestly have amazed myself.
I used to hate working out because I was doing insane cardio that was not fun at all. Now…
So, THANK YOU! THANK YOU Scott for believing in me and cheering me on. THANK YOU me for believing in me 🙂 THANK YOU Universe for guiding me to the Metabolic Masterpiece and Burn The Fat. THANK YOU to the members of the Metabolic Masterpiece Inner Circle who like my posts and make positive comments! I hope we get to meet someday. And THANK YOU to the members who even just read and find something positive or inspirational in my journey. I like to think you are out there, working on your mindset change, finding your motivation, and seeing something helpful in what I share.
I really do feel like a Physique Artist now… losing fat, building muscle, toning, tightening, and making things pop! Woo Hoo! It’s a great feeling. I am ready to ROCK these 2013 Goals!”
Sarah took a huge step outside of her comfort zone by taking part in a professional photo shoot on her 36th Birthday, this May 2013.
Here’s what a busy full-time IT professional, wife, and mom of 3 young girls now looks like…
…and here’s a REALLY cool experience that happened to Sarah recently…
I absolutely love seeing the impact a physical transformation has on your overall life. It’s incredible. It’s hard to describe. But the feeling… the feeling is priceless!
It’s that feeling that I wish I could bottle up and give it to everyone. If there was ever a magic pill or potion that would be it. If you could just experience those feelings… even for a moment… you would do whatever it took to strive for your true potential.
It’s about being the best version of yourself… making the absolute most out of the gifts that you have… making a difference in this world and leaving a legacy… a legacy that you brought the best out of everyone around you.
This is beyond looks and vanity. You start out with a goal to sculpt a ‘photo ready’ physique… and throughout the process of striving for that goal you discover the strength within yourself. The strength to become the person who you were meant to be.
It’s time to unleash your greatness… Laugh in the face of mediocrity… Break free from the norm… and sculpt the lifestyle that you deserve.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
PS Here’s what Sarah had to say about here experience with our 33 Days To A Picture Perfect Physique ‘speed-sculpt’ system, which she used to carve out a ‘photo ready’ physique…
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK, is a Certified Fitness Consultant with a passion for transforming fitness enthusiasts into goal driven, dedicated, and voracious physique artists who take pride in their body, fitness, health, and lifestyle. Embraced by physique artists around the world, his Body Sculpting Programs will guide you through the process of sculpting your body into a work of art, by applying what Scott has coined, The A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula.
With his synergistic, boredom busting body sculpting workouts you will melt stubborn fat and gain muscle while skyrocketing your metabolism!
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with ideal proportions and spectacular symmetry is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences. It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.