Transformations Series: Quentin Henderson

Everyone has their own story. Quentin Henderson's story was almost cut short back in 2014. Dealing with a host of personal setbacks, Quentin suffered an attack that left him unable to eat, drink, or sleep for almost 3 days straight. Something had to change immediately; that was when Quentin's fitness transformation truly began. Quentin had been wanting to make a lifestyle change for some time, but various setbacks – everything from losing two jobs to a recurrence of his mother's breast cancer to the unexpected end of a 7-year relationship – kept him from being able to truly commit to himself. In September of 2014, with everything looming over him, he suffered the attack that was to set in motion the transformation that ultimately saved his life.

"I was broken, plain and simple, and it took a terrible toll on my health."

A little over 9 months after he began his fitness transformation, Quentin managed to lose 150 pounds. To put it in even more stark terms, he went from 355 pounds, a 54/56 waist, and almost 30% body fat to 205 pounds, 33/34 waist, and 9-10% body fat. Better still, he's been able to keep the weight off for over a year now! He now feels sharper and more focused in his life than ever before. Losing so much weight in a relatively short amount of time required some massive dedication on Quentin's part, but he knew what he had to do – so he just did it. "It's crazy because no one really saw me until I was almost done," Quentin said. "People I'd known for years had no idea who I was!" With a varied training regimen and an extremely clean diet, Quentin's life is healthier than ever before – and he shows no signs of stopping. He does everything from boxing and basketball to weight lifting and distance running – even yoga twice a week! He also eats 6 times a day, with plenty of lean meats, greens, and complex carbs. Another rule of thumb for Quentin is not to eat past 8 pm – unless it's a casein shake before bed, of course. It can be difficult to manage eating 6 times a day – and that's where 6 Pack Bags came in. Quentin discovered them at his local GNC one day; now he can't see himself without one – or three, as the case may be!

"The bags made it amazingly easy to carry everything my lifestyle change needed in order to be effective. Between work and working out, I'm usually gone for at least 12 hours daily. Having what I need to fuel my endeavors is priceless and helps me resist temptation."

Fitness transformations typically begin at the lowest point in one's life. But even after overcoming that initial hurdle, roadblocks can still pop up. For Quentin, his past injuries presented the biggest barricade. Herniated discs in his back, as well as bulging discs and narrowing of nerve channels in his spine, left him with excruciating pain – often just from doing normal, everyday activities. But he didn't let the fear of pain stop him. Now, he points to life itself as his biggest inspiration. "When you come so close to death, it's amazing how much the little things in life mean," Quentin said. But if he had to choose one particular source, he easily points to his parents: his mother overcame two bouts of breast cancer, while his father (a boxer in the Marine Corps) survived three open heart surgeries in his lifetime. Quentin strongly believes that you shouldn't wait or hesitate if you want to start your own fitness transformation. He stated, "You only live once, so live your life how you want now because tomorrow is never promised to us." In other words, there's no room for excuses in Quentin's playbook! Quentin is excited for what the future will bring. His current goal is to maintain 7-8% body fat; he also hopes to complete the Tough Mudder obstacle race, as well as the Men's Health Urbanathlon – and maybe even appear on the cover of a health magazine someday! But most importantly, he wants to be able to help others achieve their goals through his nursing expertise, once he becomes a registered nurse practitioner in the near future. Change your diet and everything else starts to fall into place. Inspired to begin your own fitness transformation? Get even more motivation from the many amazing people featured in our Transformation Series! With just the right meal management bag for your lifestyle – from totes and backpacks to duffle bags and briefcases – and dedication to the training of your choice, a new and improved life can be yours.