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“Sometimes I Wonder How I Survived”

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When the toll of active duty service sent him spiraling out of control, Steve Ngo followed Jim Stoppani to get back on track.

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I Discovered Early On That Shortcuts Are A Mistake

As a child, I was very active. Growing up in a small town in Vietnam where food was limited, I was considered small for my age. At around 16 years old, my family moved to California. After high school, I tried college but it wasn’t for me, so I joined the Marine Corps in 1997 when I was 19 years old. As a 5'6" and 98-pounds mortarman, I wasn't able to keep up with my peers during physical activities like hiking and running. I started lifting weights and eating as much as I possibly could, but still wasn't able to keep up. I decided to take a shortcut to improve my performance and use an illegal testosterone booster. My strength and size improved significantly, but I also suffered multiple injuries from bad form and weak joints.

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I Struggled To Cope With The Toll Of Active Duty Service

In 2003, after return from the war, I was depressed, lost, and emotionally messed up. I became a heavy drinker. Before long, I came to accept that I had become an alcoholic. Sometimes I wonder how I survived all of it. My average was a case of beer a day. I experienced multiple blackouts. My life was a mess. By the time I hit the age of 35, I developed all kinds of health problems, like gout, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. I wasn't able to walk without pain. My physical fitness tests suffered, and I tried to avoid them at all cost. Then reality sank in: I was 35 years old and my destructive lifestyle could possibly end my military career. More importantly, I wouldn't be able to do any outdoor activities with my kids. I decided right then and there that I wanted to make a lifestyle change.

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The Decision To Get Healthy Was Just The Beginning

My first step was to stop my alcohol consumption and change my eating habits. I also started to do cardio daily. It was extremely hard to even walk at first due to the pain I had from gout, but I went to the gym daily and spent 30 minutes to an hour walking on the treadmill before jogging at low speed. After three months of daily cardio and better nutrition, I was able to run faster. Gout no longer bothered me, and my cholesterol also dropped lower. With this taste of success, I finally regained my motivation and decided that I wanted more.

I went online to search for a program to follow. I’d done a few programs before but I didn’t get the result that I expected. At the time, I was 188 pounds—18 pounds over the maximum allowed per the Marine Corps height and weight regulation. I continued to search and found Shortcut to Shred by Dr. Jim Stoppani. I was shocked because this was actually the first program I found that came with a nutrition plan that is written in Marine's proof—it was simple, easy to understand. I religiously followed the program and the example meal plans, and by the end of it I was down to 165 pounds. It was the first time in over 10 years that I could step on the scale without worrying.



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Fitness Helped Me Endure The Uncertainty Of Transition To Civilian Life

I went through a significant amount of stress while transitioning out of service and into the real world. I’ve been scared and excited at the same time. The transition from military to civilian life isn’t easy. There have been many sleepless nights worrying about getting another job, even though many of my qualifications can be used in the civilian sector. I have to learn a totally new vocabulary to be able to get a job. One of the biggest challenges we face is how to convert our military skills into civilian terms, how to put it on a resume and make it sound exciting. I wrote my first resume three months ago and it was the first resume in my entire life.

If it weren’t for fitness and how it helps keep my mind sharp and focused, I may have snapped by now. I find myself going to the gym seven days per week. People ask if I have a life outside of the gym, and I tell them I go so often so I can stay alive. I have lost so many friends to stress. I am grateful to have a great mentor like Dr. Stoppani and the JYM Army community supporting me.

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Thanks To My New Healthy Lifestyle I Feel More Capable Than Ever

My view on fitness has totally changed. Things that have contributed to my success like consistency and determination wouldn’t have been possible without the education I’ve gotten. I have learned so many lessons along my journey. Some mistakes can be corrected quickly, while others may take a bit longer. My goal is to be able to help others to avoid making the same mistakes I did, so I’m going back to college to get my degree in nutrition. I want to become a nutritionist because I know how important that is to our health, especially in fitness. I find it interesting and I enjoy helping people with their nutrition. I have been practicing writing meal plans for many JYM Army members who’ve used them to get great results.

I would like people to understand that life itself is stressful. It’s just a part of being an adult. We need to learn to separate work and lifestyle. Always put your best foot forward and stay positive. No matter how tough of a situation you get yourself into it will always work out in the end, as long as you stay focus and don’t get discouraged. My way to fight stress and depression is to stay healthy, and fitness is the tool to get you there. Always look forward to better yourself and stay humble. Fitness helped me get my life back. It can help you, too.

Start Your Pathway Follow Steve’s pathway to discover the path to your own transformation. Click below and select one of the programs Steve used to get his results. Follow the steps provided and start getting results for yourself.