Luis: "The DJ with the Big Belly" becomes "The Diamond Boy with the Voice"
Luis chooses his words carefully. That's what makes him an outstanding LA disc jockey with his own show. But Luis had always been tormented by the endless "Battle of the Belly". Gifted with a terrific voice, he knew he wouldn't be able to be the best singer he could with a girth out to here, obesity and a surprise — the early stage of type 2 diabetes, a disease especially rampant among young Hispanics like Luis. When Luis was challenged that day in the building, his obesity kept him from being able to climb the endless flights of stairs and save his own life. In his early thirties, Luis was shocked at what terrible shape he was in. He dreamed of getting back into his size 34" pants. He'd have to make some big changes, very much like Dennis. Luis's wife, who was already in great shape, was elated when Luis was chosen for the show. Together, they teamed throughout the challenge, encouraging one another. And as the training began, Luis was totally focused on achieving his dream — being a successful recording artist. Who needs to keep playing other people's songs when you have the velvety voice of the "Diamond Boy", a nickname given to him years ago. Luis also had some specific goals in mind. He'd always dreamed of running a mile nonstop.
Built more like a half back, Luis was no Kenyan. Yet there was no reason why he couldn't train to run a mile or more. The Fit to Live trainers, Steve and Ana, helped prepare him. And then, one day, while meeting with all of them at a beautiful park in LA, I surprised Luis and ran with him. I kept him talking all along so he wouldn't know how far he'd gone. Before you could say "Diamond Boy" he'd lived his dream. I was thrilled for his success. And I was summarily rewarded with a copy of his newest recording. And, I've been dancin' to it ever since. This is one talented young man. In only four weeks, by applying himself fully, Luis was able to normalize his blood sugar, reduce his girth and drop almost thirty pounds of body fat. Luis kept methodical records and he also demonstrated a rule I have. That is, the simpler you keep your lifestyle choices, the easier they are to follow. Luis followed a very simple template for eating a balance of what I call Fit carbs, fats and proteins every 3-4 hours. He worked out with my Fit to Live trainers, never missed a session, and also added more time at his gym. He was lucky enough to be doing all of this with a professional mentor of his. Luis was fortunate enough to have assembled a real A team to help him achieve his goal.
That last day of the shoot, Luis powered himself through the entire sequence and blew even himself away with his lighter and leaner body. This particular life and death scenario really struck home with Luis, because he'd lost friends in the burning towers of 9/11. He really understood the meaning of becoming Fit to Live — to save your life and to live your dreams. Well, you sure better check out Luis' blogs because he's not only pacing pretty closely with Dennis, but he's also just signed a contract to record a new CD of his songs. Now that's the Fit to Live attitude.
