What Up Hustlers,

Roughly 4 years ago, I started my own brand PhatBoyFit. The message was simple:

"PhatBoyFit is a constant reminder that there is an inner you dying to be shown"

While I'm far from done and my transition wasn't overnight, seeing my PhatBoyFit apparel in my closet constantly reminded me that living healthy is a lifelong mindset and no matter how many set backs I've had, the greater goal will still be achieved!

As many of us do, I’ve had a nagging desire to implement healthy habits and keep them. Resolution after resolution, crazy work schedule after another and the hustle and bustle of life can make this seem like an impossible feat, at least I thought.

It doesn’t take a day of bad eating habits and poor exercise to become overweight, equally I had to understand that a few days of good eating as well as occasional lifting sessions in the gym wouldn’t change my physique in the same amount of time. I needed a mindset shift and quick.

In nature, for any major change to take place, there needs to be

1. Cause - why the change is needed (reaction to stimuli, evolution, survival)

2. Will - how the object makes it’s change (if it does at all)

The above is an oversimplification purposefully done to exemplify how nature and other living organisms change, humans are much different. The freedom of choice sometimes allows us to stay within our comfort zone, this was my real enemy. To address this, I had to come face to face with the fact that I wasn’t happy with myself. I told myself it’s ok to temporarily feel this way as long as there is an attached action immediately following this resolution.

My approach was simple and consisted of only a few guidelines:

1. Modify my diet based on my own preferences (time, amount and type)

2. Be active - I actively sought out activities that I found fun/interesting that helped keep my heart rate up (gym, hiking, walking, cycling, swimming etc)

3. Don’t kill yourself if you “slip”

All three guidelines are important but I think the idea behind PhatBoyFit, in general, which helped me get pass a few weight plateaus was number three. As most of us aren’t, I am also not a professional athlete, actor or celebrity diet coach… meaning my livelihood isn’t connected to what I eat or decide not to do for a day/week. The mental fortitude to ruin your diet/exercise plan and get right back to it is the single most important lesson that must be experienced in order to claim any kind of progress.

After having lost over 60+ pounds, my greatest appreciation is not in what the scale says, as I still have more work to do, but the experiences that I’ve been able to take advantage of by adopting this new mindset.

I'm happy to announce, I've reached multiple milestones and invite you to do the same. Reach out for apparel, inspiration and progress updates as I continue my journey to be the best version of me.

“No Shine, Before the Grind” — JT The Hustler