“I never ate breakfast unless it was prepared for me,” Glenn remembers. “I enjoyed my sleep too much. I didn’t eat much during the day, but at night I would eat anything and everything in sight.”

This self-described Homer Simpson clone never gave a second thought to why he had high blood pressure or high cholesterol at the young age of 29. No problem: He’d just pop a pill to control that and continue with the very habits that were causing his health problems.

It took the tragic event of losing his sister to cancer, at only 42 years of age, to jolt him into action. Glenn realized he needed to be living life, not just existing. The Mildura, Australia, resident started to explore options as to how he could improve his quality of life. The first place to start was to regain control of his health issues and improving his lifestyle.

Glenn spent time looking through his wife’s fitness magazines, which proved to be a huge reality check for him. It wasn’t until then he realized how unhealthy and destructive his laziness and poor eating habits were. While reading the magazines he discovered a 12-week body transformation challenge and decided this was the perfect motivation he needed.

To ensure he was headed on the right path, he contacted Sue Heintze from Ideal Bodies Online. After seeing the amazing results her clients had received in the same timeframe, Glenn knew he was putting himself in good hands. With his personalized training program and nutrition plan in place, the journey began. “I really enjoyed the workouts,” Glenn recalls, “and after the first couple of weeks, I could feel myself being able to run a little easier than I had for a long time. It was amazing to realize just how unfit I was.”

Glenn not only transformed his lifestyle, but also made an amazing physical and mental transformation.

This former sloth became a motivated man who bounded out of bed early to fit in his cardio before work. He made time to prepare his meals in advance, ensuring he had healthy, quick meal options available during his busy workday. Instead of drinking beer in front of the TV after work, he headed to the garage to work out. (Glenn did all his training at home.) Midway through the challenge, he had stopped taking his medications and was firing on all cylinders. He couldn’t believe how great he felt, and cringed at the lifestyle and habits he’d left behind.

Glenn’s final physical results were amazing. He lost 34 lbs. and halved his body fat percentage in just 12 short weeks. At the completion of his challenge, he went for a check-up with his doctor. He was astounded to hear that his blood pressure was perfectly normal, he no longer had high cholesterol and had a resting heart rate of 54 beats per minute.

“The program that Sue Heintze at Ideal Bodies Online put together for me made getting in great shape so much easier,” Glenn attests. “It told me what and when to eat, and what exercises to do to get the best results. All I needed to do was prioritize my time and do it. I was very motivated to finish the challenge because I knew if I did, I could achieve anything I put my mind to.”

Story by Robert Mills (Exercise for Men, 2007)