About Me

Hello!

LaRosa Johnson

Thanks for checking me out! Here’s some background on who I am and what this site is all about. I’m just a normal guy like you. I’m a husband, father, and man with a million different interests. Well, a million might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I like a lot of random things.

I grew up in North Carolina and Virginia as the product of a military family. Growing up, I was a huge basketball fan and played throughout the majority of my childhood. I participated in recreational leagues every year and even did some AAU in middle & high school. Although, strangely enough, I never played for any school teams. I was good enough; but, you know, life happens & I cared more about academics anyway.

Basketball was my primary means of fitness and I didn’t workout otherwise, because I played year round. So, when my playing days were over after a church rec league or two in my early twenties, life and monotony took over. I went from a very slim 185 in 2004 to topping the scales at 270+ in 2014. What a difference ten years makes!

The First Try

It wasn’t until a father-daughter dance that I realized how big I’d gotten. I squeezed into my pants and my face was plump. Three months later I dedicated myself to change. I invested in a cheap stationary bike, my first fitness wearables, and worked my butt off for seven months. In that time I lost over 40 pounds and regained my fitness.

I was near my goal weight (about 10 pounds away), and then I stopped after hitting a hard plateau. Sure, I’d gotten fit and starting cycling, even investing in a real bike (and trainer for the winter months), but the change didn’t stick.

I slowly creeped back up to the 240’s where I got comfortable. Then life happened again, and I ballooned to where I was at the beginning of 2019: over 285 pounds!

Creating a New Me

It was at this point that a change needed to happen, permanently. I could no longer live with the guy staring at me in the mirror. That’s where this website comes into play.

After watching the Netflix documentary What the Health in January 2019, my wife and I abruptly made the decision to switch to a plant-based diet. Which I would never recommend anyone doing the way I did. But, within the first month or so I shed 15 pounds without any exercise.

With things kickstarted, I am now serious about my health and achieving my fitness goals. This site is my chronicling of that journey. Look for me to share everything about this new fitness journey.

But, health and fitness is not just physical; it’s almost mental and spiritual. So, I will also write about those areas as well, whether that be sharing thoughts about my Christian faith or things I’m reading to challenge my thinking.

My Family

The Johnson Family

My life isn’t just about me. As I said, I’m also a husband and father and both play a huge role in my life. My wife, Jaimie, and I met shortly after my ex-wife decided she no longer wanted to be married to me. For her part, she’d recently been ditched by her boyfriend after finding out she was pregnant. Our relationship quickly progressed and we haven’t looked back.

We became friends. She gave birth. We dated. Broke up for a brief period. Got back together a few months later. Then married months later. We’ve experience a lot in our short time together, but we wouldn’t trade it for the world.

We currently reside in Spokane, Washington, where we get to experience all four seasons. Our family is full with two children from my previous marriage, our high energy toddler, and another due in late 2019.

Thanks for reading, and welcome!

~ LaRosa

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