All throughout my childhood I was extremely active. I was heavily involved in many sports. I continued to be active even after getting diabetes. Except having diabetes made things much more difficult. I would get so mad when people reacted negatively towards me. I would be playing in a tournament and someone would ask, "What are you eating that for"? It was very depressing seeing how they reacted when I told them why. Having to explain myself time after time got old quick. After I told them I was diabetic they never treated me the same. This type of treatment was exactly what I needed to kick my butt in gear. I was ready for a change. I didn't want to be treated differently any more. I was ready for something that I could do on my own time and feel good about. I wanted some respect!

My transformation all began with a barbell in my basement. I learned pretty quickly, that pumping iron gave me the confidence and admiration I needed. Weightlifting was something that I could do on my own time and that nobody could give me crap for. I planned my own workouts around my chaotic eating schedule. I was on a time released, (70/30) insulin and I had to eat every two hours. IT WAS EASY. If I got low or if I needed to eat something then I could stop and take care of it. NO BIG DEAL. This was a HUGE comfort to me. Instead of being ridiculed while competing at some tournament I was at home getting ripped! Exercise was something that I could do. It improved every aspect of my life. Working out gave me what I needed to clear my life's hurdles. I had a better self-esteem. I felt like I was worth something. It was my way of saying, "check it out guys!" "I'm diabetic and I can still compete with the best of them".

Today, working out is just as important as it always was. My routines and methods are constantly changing and evolving. My focus these days isn't so much on weights, although they have there place too. Today, I incorporate more practical types of activities into my life. I enjoy doing natural types of lifts like pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. For cardio, I still love playing sports and training martial arts. I plan on writing more in the upcoming days about different things that I might recommend for you to try. Thanks everybody- Andy.