Before FORME, I wasn’t in crisis—but I definitely wasn’t thriving. Years of bad habits left me feeling constantly inflamed and exhausted. I had weird flare-ups, skin rashes, heart palpitations, and was carrying an extra 30 to 40 pounds. My mind was always buzzing with ideas, but I never had the energy to follow through. I didn’t feel like myself—and I was done settling for that version of me.

There was a book on my dad’s shelf when I was younger called Fat, Forty, and Fired. I never read it, but the title stuck with me. One day it hit me—I was already two out of the three. That was my wake-up call. The one thing I could control was my health. I decided to make a change.

I chose FORME after seeing a friend’s success. What stood out immediately was the focus on full-body healing—not just quick weight loss. In Phase 1, I was shocked by how satisfying the food was. I didn’t even crave the junk I used to love because I was actually full on vegetables I enjoyed.

But detox hit me hard. Unlike others who felt great after a couple weeks, I felt worse. It was discouraging—but Joel reminded me to trust the process. And I’m glad I did. One day I laid down, put my hands on my stomach, and realized something wild: my stomach was... gone. That moment hit different.

I dropped from 183 to a steady, real-life 155—with a lowest weigh-in of 149. But FORME gave me more than weight loss. My brain works now. I have real energy. I finally feel like there’s hope—and a future I’m ready for.

This journey taught me that feeling better is worth more than any food I used to crave. And I LOVE food. But I love this version of me even more. I know now that I can do hard things. That I can be healthy. That I am healthy.

To anyone on the fence, I get it. But our food system is so broken—no one’s looking out for your health but you. If you want to live with clarity, energy, and freedom, you have to take control of what goes into your body. FORME gave me the tools to do that. It changed my life.

And to the guy in my ‘before’ photo—I’m proud of him. He didn’t hate himself. He was determined. And I’m just the lucky guy who gets to benefit from the work he put in.