The Journey of My Weight Loss of 236 lbs.

I do not remember being a 'normal-sized' kid. I have been overweight as long as I can remember. So weighing in at around 420 lbs. wasn't a shocker. But I soon realized that I could no longer live at that weight. Below is a brief summary of my weight loss journey, written by my wife Jennifer.

"David has taken persistence and self-discipline to a whole new level. David decided in March 2008 to finally lose weight. He weighed in at around 423 lbs. He started with a 'portion-control eating plan' and by September '08, he had lost 60 lbs. Then hitting a plateau of weight loss, he was introduced to Trainer Tom in that same month, and since then has totally transformed his body. After 17 months w/ Trainer Tom Strongin, David lost a total of 160 lbs.

The following is a photo journey of Dave's transformation w/ his words of encouragement, emotions, and mindset to reach this goal!

Dave, before making the decision to change his life and lose weight. Yet, we still were a happy couple! Dave thanks me for believing in him, but most of all, for not giving up in prayer. I prayed daily starting in April '06 when he began to pack on weight after our wedding. I did not believe it was God's will that my husband stay obese and die young from heart disease or diabetes. I prayed and prayed & knew God would do a work in Dave's heart for the sake of him and our family. The more Dave refused to go to the gym, the more I prayed. And then one day, Dave came home to tell me he would be starting personal training. Let's just say there were tears and a super grateful heart towards what God did in my husband's heart. "With God all things are possible"...Matthew 19:26

Dave w/ Daniel - July '07 - 420+ lbs. Daniel 5 mos. old. Our first family vacation. (Just got to mention....our son is such a cutie!!!)

Dave - October 13, 2007 - 420ish lbs. Making the decision to lose the weight was the hardest thing he had ever done, but the pain had become greater than the pleasure! He had a disorder in his feet (plantar fascitis) where it was agonizing to just stand or walk. He was always complaining of lower back pain, fatigue, and he didn't get very good sleep at night. Thank God he made the decision to lose the weight before he was prescribed high blood pressure medicine, or any other medication for obese-related illnesses.

Here's Dave, Christmas morning 2007, still around 420+ lbs. This was our son's first Christmas. David's desire for his son to NEVER know him huge helped Dave decide to make the commitment!

Dave - Christmas morning 2008 - 304 lbs. (Weight loss of 119 lbs. here.) At this point he had been working out with his trainer, Tom Strongin, for 3 mos. and had lost a total of 63 lbs. with Tom. (What David lost on his own in 6 mos., he accomplished with Trainer Tom in 1/2 the time.) Go Dave!

Dave - Jan. 3, 2009 - 297 lbs. Dave says that he has experienced the pain of being heavy & extremely obese in the physical, mental, and spiritual sense. This experience is so fresh to him and he wants people to know that they CAN overcome their battle with their weight! You can reach your goals!


The NEW & IMPROVED DAVID!!!! Pic taken Wed. Aug. 26, 2009 - weighing in at 214 lbs. w/ a total of 209 lbs. lost in 1 year & 5 months. Beginning waist size: 48 shrunk down to a waist size of 34. He's shrunk from a 4X t-shirt (that was starting to get snug) to an XL. And some XL shirts are starting to get baggy on him! THANK YOU TOM STRONGIN FOR THE YEARS OF LIFE YOU ADDED TO DAVE'S LIFE!!


Here's Dave flexing his long lean muscles! Aug. 2009 - 214 lbs. Dave told me that his trainer told him in the beginning (9/08), "I can see the skeletal structure under all that weight. If you could only see what I can see, you would see an athletic stud".....and that's just what Dave is becoming! (Thank you Tom for my super hot husband!!!)


Dave - 214 lbs. No, he's not sucking it in. He's standing up straight. He works out 1 hr./day, Mon. - Fri. and does extra cardio most of the time. Wow Dave! Dave lost the 209 lbs. the "ALL NATURAL, NON-SURGICAL, LIFESTYLE CHANGED" way! (The Tom (Team) Strongin way.)


How much hotter can he get! That smile, those eyes, the dimple, the spiky hair, and the goatee. He still wants to lose about 15-25 lbs.


And here is the final pic of Dave I wanted to add. He went deer hunting in September and this was his getup. This hunting trip took him for a hike around the mountains for 6-8+ hours. Lord knows he was in shape to do that hunting trip. I think this gun weighs 7 lbs. unloaded, or something. He's in such great shape!

He has continued to lose another 10 lbs. in the last month & 1/2 as he continues to use the tools and knowledge that he learned from Tom. Today (3-6-10) David weighs in at 187 lbs. with a total weight loss of 236 lbs. You can definitely see the transformation of his body. This picture above is the most recent of him at 187 lbs. He now wears medium to large shirts and just bought a pair of jeans with a waist of 31. This is absolutely unheard of these days! David has accomplished this by mere diet and exercise! No surgery or procedures - just the super-natural way!

Because of Team Strongin/Trainer Tom Strongin, David now understands the importance of nutrition and the power of personal training. David remembers thanking Tom for all that he has done for Dave, and Tom replied, "It's you that has done the work". In John Maxwell's words: TO BE MORE YOU HAVE TO BECOME MORE; IN THE MIRROR YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM & THE SOLUTION."

"Thank you Tom for believing in me and pushing me. And thank you God for the strength to conquer my old lifestyle of food addiction." -- David Morin

Dave trains at a local Body Xchange w/ Tom Strongin, Mon. - Fri., 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and follows a strict diet plan w/ a food log. Dave is dedicated to expanding his lifespan and being strong and available to his family. I am Dave's BIGGEST FAN! - Jen

Tom Strongin is a personal trainer. He can be reached at (661) 477-5004.