Jose Burgos

From 295 pounds down to 149 – the amazing journey of a devoted family man who saved himself by adopting the right lifestyle.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated September 28, 2023

Written by Jose Burgos

“I can sit around and wait for someone else to save me, or I can wake up and save myself. “

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been the “fat kid.” When I was growing up, it would be bullying and insecurities that I had to deal with; as I got older, it was the health and the threat(s) associated with my weight that were a problem. Borderline diabetic, high blood pressure medication, zero energy, and one doctor's visit away from being placed on cholesterol medication.

I was dying slowly. I could feel it and I was scared. How would I be able to give my wife and kids what they deserve? How would I be around to chase and achieve my dreams or watch my four kids achieve their dreams? To this day, I ask myself those questions before a gym session and that's the fuel that lights my fire: my family. There was only one way to be there for them and that was to save myself — from myself.

My peak weight was 295 pounds when I finally decided to get started. That was in January of 2015. Only in the movies does a person get started and sail smoothly to their goals. Not this guy.

I had to change from eating Chinese takeout three to five times a week to eating salads and veggies three to five times a week. I had to go from playing video games and smoking six to seven hours a day to working out and being active.

I had to completely retrain my mind to replace my many, many bad habits with good and productive ones. The mental part, in my opinion, is the toughest part, but the most vital in order to be, and stay, consistent. That's my biggest tip to anyone attempting this journey — get your mind on the right track.

It’s now 2017 and I'm 30 years old, weighing in at 149 pounds. I am mentally and physically in the best shape of my life. I constantly get compliments everywhere I go about my amazing transformation and dedication. If I had a dollar for every person who asks me for the "shortcut" I took (there isn't one) or if I have had surgery, I would be a millionaire!

I found Jim Stoppani and JYM Supplement Science about a year into my journey (late 2015) while shopping for some protein on bodybuilding.com. Jim found a way to make it ALL make sense to me. I was completely floored that the owner of a company would answer any and every question I have had for him.

The rest was like a snowball effect from there. My trust in the product and the brand grew. I started with just Pro JYM, but now I use the the whole JYM line. I take Pre JYM, Pro JYM, Post JYM, Vita JYM, Shred JYM, ZMA JYM, Omega JYM and Alpha JYM daily and have been for about a year now. I feel good about the education Jim is providing me and I constantly educate my peers and family members alike.

Although I’ve been taking the JYM stack for some time now, I have only been in the JYM Army since November of 2016. I started Jim's workouts on jimstoppani.com in December of 2016. I will say that the BEST and most IMPACTFUL changes in my journey have come since I decided to incorporate the knowledge and the workouts provided on Jim's website.

I started with reading and figuring out my macros with Dieting 101 (the only diet I will ever use), and later on, I included Carb Cycling into it. For workouts, I started with Daily Grind (twice) after I did Down and Up Mass. From there, I jumped into and am currently rocking Super Shredded 8 for the Summer Shred Challenge.

My physique and results have really taken off since combining the JYM stack with the knowledge and workouts, and I’m sure my wife — my biggest supporter — would agree.

Jimstoppani.com is an amazing tool and absolutely worth the monthly fee, but the JYM Army and Facebook page are the greatest tool of them all. Motivation, inspiration, knowledge, references, form checks — I mean, you name it, and it can be found on the JYM Army page.

The greatest group of people I have never met are on there. Thanks to Justin Kamb (who I refer to as a "brother," although I have never met him in person) for telling me about, and accepting me into, such a great community of people that share my hunger, from all ages and all walks of life. I can write a whole page just thanking the many people that push me every day.

I was so humbled when asked to do this JYM Army profile because the JYM Army means so much to me. My advice to anybody who wants it is to change the mindset that obviously did nothing for you and replace it with a brand-new one; a second opportunity, so to speak.

This journey is not for the weak-minded. Trust me, if your mind is not in it on those bad days, you will fall apart for sure. My second tip is to find what works for you and run with it. For me, it was finding Jim Stoppani. His knowledge, JYM Supplement Science, its transparency, and the motto, “Do the Right Thing.” I feel that with this profile and how I conduct myself every day, I am living up to that motto.

Third and final tip: support. Whether from your family (which I get incredible support from), your peers or the JYM Army, make sure you are overloaded with support for what you're doing and where you're heading, not just in fitness, but with anything in life.

With these three tips, I know for sure I will never go back to 295 pounds. I will continue to chase my dreams, watch my family grow, and keep crushing every challenge that gets in my way, just like I will keep crushing these hundreds of Jim Stoppani programs one by one.

Stay JYM Army strong and remember: I, and so many others here, will ALWAYS be there for you. I know this because they are ALWAYS there for me.

Related Articles

Foundations