That's me in the photo at the top of this post. Shirt off, no filter, no flexing.
Here's what I look like while I eat out two or three times a week, have a drink with friends, and snack if I feel like it. It isn't the most shredded physique I could have. But it's good enough that taking my shirt off doesn't make me want to put it right back on, which is more than I could say for most of my twenties.
I'm writing this today because I'm giving something away, and I want the right person to see it.
I'm offering a free coaching scholarship through Diamond Coaching. One full scholarship covering the entire cost of coaching, plus two partial scholarships where I cover about half. Entering takes about three minutes, and I'll personally pick the winner after entries close on November 7.
If you've been stuck in the cycle of strict plans, slip-ups, guilt, and starting over, keep reading. This one is for you.
You're Probably the Right Person for This
You don't need to be perfect to apply. You probably aren't even close to perfect right now, and that's the point.
This scholarship is for you if:
You've tried a plan that worked for a few weeks, then fell apart when life got busy.
You feel guilty about the drink, the takeout, or the snack, even when you're not eating much otherwise.
You want to get stronger, feel better in your body, and stop starting over every Monday.
You're tired of thinking you need to lose "just a little bit" and then never quite getting there.
If that sounds like you, you're exactly who I want to hear from.
Before You Blame Your Metabolism
Let's clear something up, because I hear it all the time.
It's probably not your metabolism.
My body is very good at storing fat. If I spend three weeks totally off track, it shows. Fast. I'm not blaming my genes too hard, though. Let's just say the Latino genes are doing a lot of the talking hahaha. But the point stands: when I stop paying attention, my body reminds me, and it's not a mystery.
So if you're blaming a slow metabolism for why nothing sticks, ask a different question first. Is the approach you're using actually matched to your life? Or is it a plan that only works when everything goes perfectly?
The Mistake I Made
For a long time, my goal was simple in my head: I just need to lose this little bit of fat.
That's it. A little bit. Something small and reasonable.
But that "little bit" turned into a rule. Then the rule turned into another rule. No sugar. No carbs. Cleanses. Fasting. I tried every extreme approach I could find, and every one of them was really a slower version of starving myself. I didn't have the willpower to actually become anorexic, but I tried as hard as I could to get there anyway, one "clean" day at a time.
The goal was always the number on the scale. I'd hit it, and I still didn't like how I looked. So I'd find a new number, a new rule, and a new extreme. I wanted to be a strong, muscular guy, but my obsession with not gaining a single pound of body fat left me at a weak 150 lbs. I was tired, I was irritable, and I was further from my goal than when I started.
Here's what I didn't understand back then: the "little bit of fat" framing was what made everything harder. When you think you need to be perfect to get results, every slip feels like failure. Every slip becomes a reason to quit, or a reason to go harder, and then you swing back the other way.
I made my own mess with food, and I'm not proud of all of it. But I know the way out, and it's not what the internet tells you.
Extreme Is Everywhere (And It Keeps You Stuck)
Keto. Paleo. Juice cleanses. Intermittent fasting pushed to the limit. Ozempic and the peptides everyone's talking about. And yes, 75 Hard.
Some of these can be useful tools in the right hands, for the right reasons, over the right time. But when any of them becomes the only way you know how to operate, it turns into the same cycle: strict rules, a slip, guilt, and then starting over.
75 Hard is a good example. It's a challenge with daily workouts, a strict diet, no alcohol, and no missed days. If you choose it on purpose, as a personal test with a clear end date, that's one thing. But if you can't miss a single day without feeling like you've failed completely, that's not discipline. It's the same all-or-nothing trap, just wearing a different outfit.
A quick test: are methods like any of those the “only” way that you feel like you can actually make progress? If so, then keep reading.
You don't need a perfect plan. You need one that still works on the imperfect days, because those days are going to happen.
What Actually Changed
Today, I'm sitting at about 185 lbs. I have muscle. I'm toned. I'm strong. I'm not getting injured or sick all the time. I'm well-nourished.
Do I weigh exactly the same every day? No. Sometimes things get out of hand, and I drift up to around 190-195 for a couple of weeks. That happens about twice a year, usually when life gets busy or stressful. But I don't panic, and I don't go to extremes. I know it's a moment, and I know how to come back from it without tearing my whole life apart… I go back to my standards.
That's what changed. Not my willpower or intensity.
The change my body needed was much smaller than I thought. Less cutting. More structure. Real food, enough protein, consistent training, and a relationship with food that didn't depend on being perfect.
Why I Created the Diamond Scholarship
I've coached many clients through this exact cycle, and I've seen what happens when someone finally breaks free. Their whole relationship with food changes. Not just their body, but how they think about themselves and what they believe is possible.
I want that for someone else. I want to give a real chance at that change to someone who needs it, without money being the thing that keeps them stuck.
That's why I created the Diamond Scholarship. It's my way of giving back to the people who are where I was: frustrated, stuck in the cycle, and ready for something that actually works.
Ready to Enter?
Here's what the scholarship includes:
One full scholarship covering the entire cost of coaching.
Two partial scholarships where I cover about half the cost.
Entering takes about three minutes. Fill out a short application and tell me where you are and what you're hoping to change.
Entries close November 7. I'll personally review every submission, pick the winner after entries close, and announce it then.
Enter here: https://www.diamondcoaching.ca/diamond-scholarship-2026
Know Someone Who Needs This?
You probably know someone who's been stuck in this cycle. The friend who's always starting a new plan on Monday. The coworker who swears they're "being good" and then talks about the cookies all week. The family member who thinks they just need to lose a little bit.
Send them this post. Tell them the scholarship is open. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do for someone is point them toward the door.
One Last Thing
If you've been stuck in the cycle of strict plans, slip-ups, guilt, and starting over, it doesn't have to be this complicated. You can still eat out. You can still enjoy a drink. You can still have a snack. The change isn't about giving up your life. It's about building a relationship with food that works inside it.
I hope this scholarship changes someone's life the way coaching changed mine. And I hope it helps you see that the way out is simpler than you think.
Enter the scholarship: https://www.diamondcoaching.ca/diamond-scholarship-2026
Your coach,
