Personal trainer, nutrition savvy help Freeport man drop 37 lbs.

When Joe Ferriolo’s doctor told him he was prediabetic, had high cholesterol and needed medication, Ferriolo said he was having none of it.

“I didn’t like the way I felt or looked, anyway, and now I’m on cholesterol medication? That was the last straw.”

He joined a gym and hired a personal trainer who ended up not only teaching him how to exercise but also how to eat in a healthy way.

“He made me understand caloric intake and the macronutrient breakdown — how much protein, fat and carbs I should eat, and what’s a good fat, a bad fat, a good carb and a bad carb,” says Ferriolo.

The weight started coming off, Ferriolo says, and muscle mass started to come on. “I felt great as soon as I started, mainly because when I used to look at myself in the mirror, I was out of control and angry. Once I took control I felt, ‘Even if I don’t drop a pound, I own this.’ It was empowering; it felt great.”

When asked about maintaining this fitness level, Ferriolo says, “I try not to think about that. I don’t put pressure on myself. When I decided I wanted to change who I was, I never looked long term. I say, think today and not tomorrow.”

Ferriolo has three hard-boiled eggs for breakfast followed by a protein shake midmorning. Lunch is 12 ounces of canned white chicken and an avocado. His midafternoon snack is either another protein shake or a protein bar. “Dinner is usually beef, chicken or pork, and sometimes fish, and always a vegetable. The portions vary depending on the macro nutrition goal, but it’s usually 10 ounces of meat and 1 to 1½ cups of vegetables, usually steamed,” he says. Between 8 and 9 p.m. Ferriolo has protein-infused pudding or a small amount of ice cream.

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Ferriolo exercises Monday through Friday. Over the five-day span, he does boxing, strength training with weights targeting specific body areas and takes a spin or treadmill class.

“Commit to yourself and do it. I live by a motto in the gym: I believe failure equals success. If you push yourself to your maximum capability, at some point you can’t do any more. You won’t know how much you can do unless you push yourself past your comfort zone. . . . And people who say they don’t have the time or money for a gym — there’s always a way. Many gyms are open 24/7. It comes down to you making yourself the most important person in your life.”