Can't stop, Won't stop.

Hi my name is Alfred Sanchez. I am 31 years old from Turlock Califonia, My fitness journey started 2 years ago. Here is a little about me.all started back in 1997. It was a hot day, and I had just moved from Needville Texas to Richmond Texas, which is at least 25 minutes away. My life was crazy. I mean I had a lot of fun, you know for someone who didn't drive at the time, I had a lot of fun! I did a lot of things. I was an employee at a local burger joint by day not to mention a full-time student in high school, and D.J at a local club by night. So yeah I had what I thought was a pretty good life. Well little did I know that my whole life was about to change. One day I got off school and I proceeded to do the regular routine chores of the day. Got some food, a quick shower, got dressed and then I was off to work. That night went as routine as my daily things did. Hey work is work; nothing is good about it, only on payday. Well I think it was 9:30pm or 10:00pm when I was asked to finish up my cooking and cleaning so I could log out and not go over my time. As I was doing so, the only thing on my mind was getting home and getting my homework done so I can get some rest. Out of nowhere BAM!! it happened. I slipped and fell on my hind side. "Man" I thought, "I better get up quick before someone sees me and makes fun of me”. Hey I was young, I wouldn't want anyone to see my big body on the ground, laughing. So I got up and finished doing what I was doing with a sharp-like stinging pain in my lower back. I called my ride and there I was, on my way home with this weird throbbing pain. I was scared that I was going to get fired so I didn't say anything until the next day. I would then not know how to handle myself from this point on. I was bed-ridden most of the time. Sleeping sitting up, wetting my bed from not being able to use the bathroom. A lot of crazy things were changing mentally, and physically. I was walking, driving and living my life hurting so much. My family had no idea, nor did my friends. For a moment there, everyone thought I was just plain lazy. That went on for two years. Two years on pain meds, Vicodin, ibuprofen, morphine, I mean all of it.

Well once again on a hot day on April 18, 2000 I woke up. I thought I was going to have a normal day. I took my pills and started my everyday things; cleaned my room, did my laundry, and ate some lunch until then came the time that I wanted to lay down and rest. Little did I know, that when I woke up, I wouldn't be able to get up and walk. As I woke up, all of the sudden I felt this severe pain. I’ve never, ever felt this before. It was a new pain. So I called on my mom and I told her "I think I need to go to the doctor like today not tomorrow." My doctor’s appointment was the following day, but it looked like it came a little early. My mom drove me to OakBend Professional Building to meet with my doctor. When I get there and I can't walk. Nothing, no feeling what so ever in my feet or my butt. I get out of my mom's car and hobble, literally, to the doors and then to the elevator. I pushed the buttons and the doors swing open. I get into the elevator and that was it, the last straw, I fell to my knees crying, clueless wondering what the hell is really going on. The doors open and I can remember hobbling out over to the doctors door and sitting down. Urine covering the front of my black shorts, freaking out, scared, but yet still calm. In walks my mom wondering what’s going also. I sit there for a little while and the feeling is coming and going until I felt a tightness and then NOTHING. No feeling in my feet, the backs of my legs, and in my hind area. They get me to sit in this office chair where then they rolled me into this emergency type room, and begin the tests. Nothing!! No motor skills in my nerves, my bowel or my bladder. I lost it all. I was then transferred to Memorial Herman downtown Houston for further test including, x-rays, ultrasounds, insertions of needles into my spine, and many tests. When the results came in, no one else could be around. The doctor said I damaged major nerves in my lower back that controlled my bladder, bowel, all feeling and movement in my feet and toes. There, that was it, my life was over WHEEL-CHAIR bound for life. I was done. No one is going to take care of me... lock me in an institution. I was told that I would need surgery and that there was a big chance I wouldn't make it out alive due to the extreme seriousness of the surgery. The day came, April 23rd. I really don't remember much except that I couldn't see nor talk afterwards, but I made it out. This is the only time that I ever had wanted my mom more than ever. I mean she stuck with me the whole time I was there. The doctor came in the room and spoke with my mom. I heard him say "if you would have brought him to me 6 weeks ago I could have saved his nerves". Man that ate me up and I couldn't believe it. My gosh, something as little as a slip and fall turned out to be life changing you know. I eventually learned to accept it, and was then transferred to The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research.

I got out of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research on May 28th of 2000, and began my life as a paraplegic. I gained a tremendous amount of weight. When I initially went into the hospital I weighted in around 350 pounds. I was a big guy, and life was really easy as far as mobility goes. As soon as I arrived at home I noticed a bunch of things that led me into a depression like state which none of my family knew about. I stayed indoors most of the time and ate. I ate because I was lonely, because I really truly didn’t care anymore. In 2005 my weight went from 350 pounds to staggering 565-570 pounds. Late night burger runs and many of 12 packs of sodas later I was stuck. Stuck in a body and I didn't know how to get out. I met my wife online in 2002 and we remained really good friends. She finally flew out to meet me in July of 2005 and we instantly fell in love. We then got married the following November. We got her belongs and moved her from sunny California, to hot and humid Sugarland Texas. After our first year of marriage which was the year of '06 Heather herself got really comfortable, and I was partially to blame for it. Her weight rose from 207 pounds to 235 pounds. Mexican food and my grandma were also to blame! We noticed a change and began to cut back very little, but enough to at least try to lose weight. I too became a little more mobile, but not much.

In 2007 I decided it was time for a change, so we made the decision to pack up and move to California. We began our lives on our own. We were a newlywed couple with many dreams and ambitions; with weight loss as our top priority. Heather began cooking all of our meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner. She kicked all sodas out with the exceptions of some diet sodas. Subway was our friend, McDonalds and Burger King was out of the picture. Amazingly enough, after a year and 5 months I was able to shed 70 pounds, putting my weight at 495 pounds. In 2008 we moved to central valley California and began the real "weight loss battle." We began eating a lot healthier, cutting out greasy foods completely and I was becoming a little more mobile. Heather and I joined a gym called In-Shape City. At the time we thought it was the right thing to do, but really gave little to no effort. We both didn't go much and really just gave up. In 2010 Heather sat me down. She cried as she held my hand and said "babe, I need you to do this, I need you to lose weight. I don't want you to die. I don't want to be a widow at 28! Look around, do you ever see an elderly obese person? No you don't, so please let's do this together". The next day I went to the recycling place cause that's the only place I knew that could weight someone of my size. I weighed in at 485 pounds. I didn't gain so I was happy. Heather weighted in at 211. We immediately went to In-Shape City, and this time we meant business. We also spoke to them about personal training. It all happened so fast. At the end of the day, after tears, and laughter, we did it. We had an appointment with Omar Cortez. He sat us down and I instantly knew he was an angel. At first I was skeptical. "Can he really handle someone of my size"? "What about my medical condition"? He assured us everything was going to be fine, and we will get this journey started. To make a long story short, after 9 months of intense training and cardio, lots of sweat and tears and days that I did NOT want to go, I have lost 57 pounds! My weight went from 485 pounds to 428 pounds. I have a set food menu and a steady gym schedule of 6 days a week in the gym and 10 sessions of personal training a month. Omar is only 21 years old and a beast. I really do not know how to thank him for taking on such a huge (literally) task. He turned these 2 skeptics into believers and it's only going to get better. We both are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!