Today we’d like to introduce you to Marc Berger.
Hi Marc, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Both of my parents passed away from cancer when they were young. My mom was 48 and had lung cancer. My dad was 52 and had malignant melanoma. I was only 12 and 14 years old respectively. I have one brother, who is six years older than me, who became my guardian.
Somehow, I made it through high school and college and did not become addicted to drugs or alcohol. In fact, I have never even tried any kind of drug. Those tragedies shaped my life in many ways, a lot for the better, by providing a level of perspective and gratitude that has not only helped me and continues to help me live a happy life but has given me that to pass on to my kids. But, one thing I never felt good about or in control of was my weight. I have been obese or morbidly obese the majority of my life. In fact, I don’t think I have been “thin” or in shape.
Last year, at the age of 51, I was getting my annual physical and I asked my doctor about my cancer risk level since I had outlived my Mom and I was coming up on the age of my dad’s passing. He told me that it wasn’t cancer he was worried about, he said “you’re a ticking time bomb! If you don’t lose weight, you’ll go to have a massive heart attack!”
I was 290 lbs. (I’m only 5’5” tall… or short), I was on blood pressure and cholesterol medications and I was just diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. I was in physical pain and out of breath all the time, slept with a CPAP machine, had ZERO energy, and spent all day in a mental fog.
I was finally sick and tired of being sick and tired.
During the height of the pandemic and lockdown, I made a decision. I decided to stop making excuses. I decided that I could NOT do it alone. I found a coach, who herself had massive success losing weight, and she guided me through a structured plan, provided support, and got me connected with a like-minded community. I invested in myself and immersed myself in what it would take to become a healthy person. I needed to redefine who I was.
I lost 111 lbs. in about 10 months. It’s been over a year now and I am keeping it off. But better than that, I changed my habits for life. I gained massive amounts of energy and mental clarity! I am pain-free, have so much self-esteem, confidence, NORMAL sized clothing, I never get winded, and I sleep SO well… to name a FEW things!
All of this inspired me to help others the way my coach helped me. It would be a crime not to share what worked so well for me with people that are looking for a path; that is looking for a solution. Whether it’s 20 lbs. or 200 lbs., I get to work with people that want to improve their overall health and wellness and there is so much fulfillment in that. I am very grateful.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Everything is hard. Or, everything worth doing is hard. From a health perspective, it’s hard to feel horrible, take a bunch of medicine, have the doctor preach to you, have no energy, and just be unhappy.
It’s also hard to have some grit and do some self-reflection and get real about our health, our mindset, and our emotions. It’s hard to push through the things you usually do for instant gratification to get to your bigger, more important goal.
So, was it a smooth road?? NO! But you have to choose your hard.
I like the quote “99% is a b*tch, 100% is a breeze”. When you commit all the way and are all-in, it may still be hard, but there is a lot more belief in yourself! I also believe in living with a growth mindset. If I am open and curious to possibilities of getting better, being better in any area of my life, then that means the possibilities are limitless.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I help middle-aged men and women lose weight and form new habits for long-term health and wellness.
I do this by incorporating a structured nutrition plan, a focus on education and mindset as well as introducing my clients to a community of people who are on the same path and people who have already had massive success. As a health and wellness coach, my job is to support, cheer, guide, ask the tough questions that others may not ask, and show up for my clients every time.
How am I different? I just want to authentically connect with people who are ready to get better in their life and I have three core beliefs: I believe everyone can live a longer, healthier, and happier life by thriving in their health & wellness with the support of a coach and structure of a plan. I believe when you genuinely connect with matters most to you, you can achieve all your goals!
I believe in partnering with people who have the heart to help others and want to coach and work for their own dreams, not someone else’s.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Social media is a great way to connect with people and I use it a lot to connect authentically with people. I believe you should not be afraid to ask people to connect with you that you want to network with or have as a mentor. I continually encourage my 17-year-old to meet and talk to people, especially in his field of interest (which is sports media by the way!). The more people you know, the better!
The most important thing to remember is that most people view networking as “what can I get from this person?” and I would propose to everyone to think about what you can give. Not sell. But what value can you give to this other human being? Even if you are not the mentor. We all have value and we can all add value to other people.
I use the term “Make Your Marc” because, well, it’s clever, AND, I like to ask how can you make your Marc in your own life and the life of others? If we view abundance as how much we can give instead of how much we can get, we might just be surprised at how fulfilled we become.
Contact Info:
- Email: coachmarc@makeyourmarc.net
- Website: www.makeyourmarc.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachmarcberger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marc.berger.714
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HealthyMarc
