How I Helped This Entrepreneur Fix IBS, Psoriasis & Thyroid Issues in 90 Days
In this YouTube interview, Charles recounts his turbulent life—from a drug‑filled adolescence, early fatherhood, multiple incarcerations, and chronic health problems (IBS, bloating, frequent urination, hypothyroidism, mold exposure, brain fog, psoriasis, fatigue)—to his discovery of Lucas Wilhelm Hedenbäck’s 90‑day health program. After years of ineffective medical and functional‑medicine treatments that relied on pills and expensive supplements, Charles joined Lucas’s community, which emphasizes simple whole‑food nutrition, regular sunlight and grounding, stress reduction, mindset work, gratitude practices, and a supportive brotherhood. Within roughly three months, Charles reports the disappearance of his gut symptoms, skin rash, and brain fog; a dramatic rise in energy, confidence, and physical strength; improved sleep; and a renewed ability to manage setbacks independently. He also highlights the program’s cost‑effectiveness compared to $20‑30k spent on doctors, vitamins, and equipment, and stresses the importance of viewing health as an investment of time and well‑being over money. The conversation also touches on the program’s community dynamics, the psychological shift from “marriage‑like” commitment to the coach, and the broader philosophy of trusting the body’s innate healing capacity.
Chapters
Like everything I ate, I was getting bloated. I had no energy. I was getting like crazy brain fog. Like my wife would like come talk to me and I would just be like, I just, I can't. Like I can't even focus right now. Just please stop. I would eat a meal and I would get like lethargic. Like, and it would make you like angry, bro. I would be like depressed, bloated, no energy. They said that I had hypothyroid. Like dude, I would pee like 20 times a day. And at that time, I had faith in the medical industry, right? For the stomach stuff, you go see a GI doctor, right? And their answer for everything is, here, just take this pill for the rest of your life. I remember with my stomach stuff, the bloating, they're like, no, you have IBS. They didn't even look at that. Their answer was just always a pill. The psoriasis on my leg, here, take this ointment. And none of it ever worked, right? Did probably like every diet under the sun, bro. Like Vegan, carnivore, trying to repair my stomach acid, no oxalates, this, that, just trying all these diets, all this stuff, and never like getting an answer. Finally reached out and, uh, got in the program, bro. And like, the, the everything is gone, man. Like, I have no health problems anymore. My energy, bro, like, I would have to come home after work and take a nap every single day. Like, my energy is through the roof. The bloating is gone. No brain fog. You're almost getting like a functional doctor and a trainer all in one. You can do the research and get the information. I had all the right information. I just did not know. It was like a shotgun blast, like, of information. Like, you took it and just kind of dialed it in like a sniper, and you're like looking through the scope at the target and like, no, like, this is the end goal right here. And we're not trying to sell nothing here. I know what the YouTube comments are gonna do. Like, this is not— like, nobody has to join this program. It's a free country, bro. But dude, for me, it was like the best investment of my lifetime. And I've spent at least $20,000 to $30,000 on doctors, vitamins, fitness equipment, cleanses. You name it. Like, and I've done all this stuff in the past. I've worked out in the past, right? Religiously. Never got any results. And I would be the guy like, yeah, it's got to be genetics.
He's eating better than you, eh?
Dude, I'm saying. That's why I gotta work so much.
Yeah, okay. It's good. Let's do this then, Charles. I'll just punch through a few questions once again. I didn't want to prepare you because I want this to be As authentic, yeah, and raw as possible. Nothing, uh, nothing pre-planned or pre-made. So, uh, yeah, let's, uh, let's do it. Uh, I'll start with— you'll just have— yeah, I think you looked at the Blake, the Blake one, similar structure.
Yeah, so I'll start with like just my, um, like a short testimony of just my journey and health stuff in general and how I kind of got to you, but So grew up in a family that did drugs. Um, by the time I was 14, you know, started using heavy drugs— crack, meth, all that stuff— and just kind of got into the lifestyle that goes with it— fighting, stealing, drinking, just all, all the knucklehead stuff. Obviously didn't care anything about my health, but was like putting poison into my body and just didn't really know it at the time. I mean, you don't think about that stuff when you're young. You think you're invincible, but... Uh, had my first kid when I was 14 years old. Didn't have a pot to pee in, just couldn't take care of anything. I was like a tornado, man. I would come in, destroy everything, and kind of just take off and just leave the mess to be cleaned up by someone else. And I just didn't kind of— I didn't know what I was doing. I was just kind of a product of my environment. But, uh, you know, started with— started getting into some of the heavier, heavier drugs like shooting up meth. Smoking crack and just in and out of jail. And whenever I'd get into jail, I always had a good heart. Like, I knew this wasn't the lifestyle that I wanted to live. I'm wrecking my family, wrecking my body, just destroying everything. But I just couldn't get out of the cycle and couldn't get out of my head and couldn't just— I just had a lot stacked against me. So by the time I was like 25, like I said, putting poison in my body, eating the Actually not even really eating. When you're on those type of drugs, you're staying up for months at a time and just not eating, starving your body. Just— I call it fasting, but you're fasting for the devil, you know, all the wrong reasons. But, uh, by the time I was 25, had 5 kids, couldn't take care of any of them, in and out of jail, and I was facing 2 years in prison, and I was Went into jail and kind of just examining my life. When you're in a cell by yourself, you just start really examining stuff. And, uh, was just kind of taking inventory and realized how I destroyed my family, destroying myself, and I lost my life. Like, I was facing 2 years in prison and kind of just, you know, God's the guy you go to when you get in a jam, right? Especially when you're in jail. They call it jailhouse religion. But I just kind of— that night I just kind of surrendered to God. I'm like, man, I'm done doing this stuff my way. I'm sick of my life. This is what I got. I just— I surrender it all to you. And, uh, just started getting in the Bible and just following Jesus Christ and his word and just really surrendering to it and just digging in it and trying my best to apply it. And, uh, I know like he changed my life, right? For me, that's what changed my life. That was my source. That was everything. And I knew from there like If I just stuck with him, everything was going to be all right. Now, after that, I still had to do the 2 years, right, in prison. So did that 2 years, um, and in there just kind of learned how to, you know, get control of my mind because you can't be in your head there when you're doing 2 years. You're away from your family and all that stuff. Just trying to, you know, get control of my mind, stay out of my head, working out in there. And I told you, man, I worked out 2 2 years in prison, got like no results, bro. I mean, I got little results, but not what I've got with you for the last, you know, 3 months. It's crazy. But so God blessed me, got out of prison, got my family back, started working at, uh, the body shop that I own today. I was making like $8 an hour and just kind of just absorbing everything, learning how to do the job and just scaling. Like, I always had consistency and like a drive. Like, I was a go-getter no matter what I did, and that's one of my problems. Like anything I do, I'm all in. So even like with the drugs and stuff like that, it was like no, I'm all in. And then when it was with God, it was like no, I'm all in. Like I'm going all in no matter what I'm doing. So I've never not had a problem like being consistent or putting in the inputs or doing all that stuff. I just didn't know what the right stuff to do was. But so I get out of prison, get all my kids back working. And I started to notice like health stuff and it was like stomach issues, just bloating. I had psoriasis on my leg, just little ailments like that. And they weren't really a big deal. I was peeing a lot. Like, dude, I would pee like 20 times a day. I think when I joined your program, one of the biggest struggles I had was just pissing constantly.
Yeah.
Couldn't sleep, all that. So, and this was like 10 years ago, and at that time I had faith in the medical industry, right? So for the stomach stuff, you go see a GI doctor, right? For the, the, the bladder stuff, you go see a urologist. For, um, the skin stuff, you see a dermatologist. It's just like they don't look at the body as a whole, they just kind of separate everything. And their answer for everything is, here, just take this pill for the rest of your life. I remember with my stomach stuff, the bloating there, and I was eating junk at that time. McDonald's, QuikTrip. They didn't even tell me to change my diet. They're like, no, you have IBS, and you know, just take this pill. And bro, I'm doing all these procedures that 60-year-old men should do. Colonoscopy, whatever, all this stuff, like, as a 27-year-old. But these dudes wouldn't even just say, all right, just change your diet or whatever, whatever. They didn't even look at that. Their answer was just always a pill. Even with the urologist, okay, you're peeing so much, um, you've got a, you know, something with your bladder. Here, take this pill. The psoriasis on my leg, here, take this ointment. And none of it ever worked, right? So that's when I kind of just lost faith in the medical industry and just kind of doing my own research and realizing that they're kind of just There to make money. Like, if I have a broken leg, you know, I'll go to the doctor. If I need some stitches or something, I'll go to the doctor. But it's my responsibility to do my own research and kind of do the upkeep on my body. I can't depend on somebody else to do it for me because I'll get misled. So I kind of just put that stuff on the back burner, did some diet changes and, you know, working out and just trying to be healthy and Did probably like every diet under the sun, bro. Like vegan, carnivore, no oxalates, this, that, just trying all these diets, all this stuff, and never like getting an answer. Maybe getting like a little temporary placebo or maybe a little help just from removing some foods, but never got the full answer. But it was when— so 3, 4 years ago I took over the business, right? And at this time, so my stress budget is high, my chemical overload is high because I work in a body shop around chemicals, not to mention all the other stuff I'm putting in my body from the food, and not to mention all the drugs I did in the past. I'm just like overloaded, right? But I didn't know it at the time. But I really started to notice like the ailments, like the bloat, like everything I ate, I was getting bloated. I had no energy. I was getting like crazy brain fog. Like my wife would like come talk to me and I would just be like, I just, I can't, like I can't even focus right now, just please stop. I would eat a meal and I would get like lethargic, like, and it would make you like angry, bro. I would be like depressed, bloated, no energy. And I'm like, man, something is wrong. So I started going the functional route, right? The holistic doctors and all that stuff. And so they actually started running blood tests on me, which they said I had mold exposure. I was really high in Aspergillus mold. Um, they said that I had hypothyroid, and they were actually showing me numbers with the blood work. So I'm like, yes, this is it, finally I got an answer. Well, then their answer for everything is, here, take this vitamin. So I literally— and I told you I'm all in— so I'm spending probably like tens of thousands of dollars on freaking vitamins thinking like, oh, this is the right one. Oh, this is the one. And none of them like were ever like, oh man, this vitamin just saved— I've never found one where I'm like, this is the end-all be-all. So then I'm like, I come to the conclusion, I'm like, okay, these holistic functional doctors, now they're doing the same thing as the medical doctors. They're prescribing me a pill instead of looking at my body as a whole. So I'm like, I shut that route down. No faith in that. So then I start going down the old YouTube rabbit holes, right? I start, and I know that I have messed up thyroid. I know that I have mold exposure. So I'm going down all these rabbit holes, right? I'm doing the mold detox, the Candida detox, the parasite cleanses, and all that stuff. And I found like temporary help from that stuff and started moving in the right direction. I think it was just because I was like detoxing.
Yep.
But at the same time, I am like destroying my gut, my body. Like, dude, I remember doing some parasite cleanses and I was like— it felt like I was tripping acid, bro. Like, I was so jacked up because I think I was just pushing so much stuff out of me at the same time that it was like just going in all different places of my body and just like destroying me. So then from there I started noticing, okay, all this research that I'm doing is destroying me because now I'm in my head trying to find— I'm researching my problems, trying to find an answer, jumping from this and that. And really, like, I lost faith in my body's ability to heal itself. And your mind is your own worst enemy, bro. Like, when you start thinking that you have these issues and these problems and you're never gonna find help, like, it defeats you.
Yeah.
You're defeated in the mind already. So I started, and like I said, everything I was doing, trying to repair my stomach acid, trying to do gallbladder flushes, trying to do all these diets. And I think when I joined your program, bro, I was doing like a pretty much like animal-based— I just got off a carnivore thing. I was scared of oxalates, wouldn't eat any vegetables. Was scared to death of sugar and carbs and all this stuff. And I was like, just, I just didn't know what to do when I came to your program. That was like, and I remember I was going through YouTube, stumbled on your stuff, and like you were talking about some of the like simplest stuff, like, okay, bro, you need to get back out in the sun, get out in the ground. Contact with nature, get your stress level down, um, clean up toxins as good as you can because you're never going to be 100% clean from them. And like, God gave me this revelation. He's like, yeah, that's the exact stuff I've been trying to tell you to do in the Bible, but you've been going all these other rabbit holes and you've lost faith in your body's ability to heal itself. And I'm like, I remember I was like binge-watching you for a minute And, uh, like in my head I'm like, okay, I need to like reach out to this dude. I need like, I need to reach out to him. And, uh, finally reached out and, uh, got in the program, bro. And like the, the everything is gone, man. Like I have no health problems anymore. It was like, so the, the cool thing about your program was you're almost getting like a functional doctor and a trainer all in one.
Mm-hmm.
But it's like I remember I was trying to come to you like and tell you like, okay, I'm bloating, I have psoriasis, like you need to look into these things type thing. But you never looked at my individual problems. You started like dialing the body, dialing it in as a whole, like looking at the whole aspect of it. And it was literally just like, no, we— you got to get your body under the right circumstances, under the right conditions, and your body is going to heal itself.
That's where most people— exactly, Charles, because I think I told you this sometime as well, but like all these problems that you're facing, it's the same root, root that is causing it, and then it's manifesting in different ways in most people. This is my, like, this is my belief to, to the core, you know. Everyone has all these problems, but at the end of the day, it's in almost all cases, it's like the same, it's the same things that are causing it, and it's just complete misalignment from a biology perspective and just like Yeah, and I, I think you're a perfect example of this because you've been focusing so much— I want to say on like the surface level solutions, which is probably like all these other things, right? You could call it the surface level solutions, which, as you said it there yourself as well, it can work short term, but it only works until it doesn't, right?
Yes.
And yeah, no, I think it's, uh, It's very inspiring to see as well, because I think you were— you said that to me sometime as well. You have 2 messages that you've sent me that are my favorite ones. The first one is the one where you sent, like, this is— no, I have 3 ones. When you called our partnership, this is similar to a marriage. That was the first.
Yeah.
That one is one of my favorites. Then the second one is Like, you're literally simplifying everything, and this is exactly what kind of aligned with— it was something that you read in your Bible, I think.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
When I said it, uh, one, I was telling—
so I'm sitting here reading the Bible, God's talking about, okay, sourdough bread, meat, fish. And even when Jesus fed the multitude, he's like, hey, sit down in the grass, be in the sun, and he starts handing out food. cheese, eggs. Like, one of the, like, major things that was destroying me, because I thought I was eating healthy, but I would eat these— I don't know, maybe a bar or some kind of healthy food, but it's loaded with like 20 ingredients that you can't even read. And it was marketed as healthy. But like— And like, one of the philosophies that you gave me that I live by, like, if it has more than 3 ingredients in it or a board of people standing behind it Like, I'm not gonna eat it because if there's a board of people standing behind it, now you've got money involved, and now you're marketing to me, and now you're trying to push a product that's not for my benefit. Like a farmer with a cow and some apples and some pears or whatever, like, this guy's just trying to, to make a buck, right? He's— he's— you're doing a trade-off. I'm gonna give you food, you pay me for the food. I'm gonna do the work to process it, and that's like legit. But if I have to have a store or a group of people trying to market and send me commercials on something, like, I'm not gonna do that. I'm not gonna eat your protein bar. I'm not gonna eat your, your bean noodles or protein bean noodles or whatever it is. Like, I'm not doing it.
Yeah, no, it's, uh, at the end of the day, it's so Like, it's— it actually, it actually is so simple on paper, right? It's as you said it yourself. I think, yeah, this was the last one that I was getting to from what you've sent. I think you said, uh, I used to spend all the money on every single thing. Yeah, it turned out I just needed some smarter—
My ornament on the wall, bro, I spent like 4 grand on that. And when I came to you, I wasn't even using it. It was like collecting dust, but it was like But dude, I was the guy, like, I was all— I would watch the video. Okay, I'm getting a cold plunge. Okay, I'm building it. I'm doing a sauna. Okay, I'm doing this. Like, doing all these things, like, wasting my money. And here's the thing too, like, you can do the research and get the information. I had all the right information. I just did not know. It was like a shotgun blast, like, of information. Like, you took it and just kind of— Dialed it in like a sniper, and you're like looking through the scope at the target and like, no, like this is the end goal right here. And you just kind of honed everything in because it's like all the stuff that I had, it wasn't bad stuff, like the sauna, the cold plunge, the workout machine. But if the body is not where it needs to be and you're— this is why like biohacking is on a rise, bro, because people are trying to find Oh, it's this one input that I got to do, this one machine that I got to buy, and it's going to change my life forever. It's not. It's getting your body back under the right conditions and putting faith in your body's ability to heal itself.
100%. I guess, Charles, what do you think? I'm curious to hear. I don't think you've told me this, but what was the main reason you decided to go with, like, go with me? Because obviously you'd been trying so much, you've been seeing all these people, like, what, what What was it with me, you think?
Yeah, so, and I had tried like YouTube trainers before, and nothing against them, bro. Like, you know, they gave me the workout programs and kind of dialed in some stuff with diet. But like, dude, I remember like one of your videos, bro. You're like sitting outside in the grass doing like a dip or something like that, like holding yourself up, like muscles popping. Sun shining on you. You're out there just just in nature, and I'm like it just clicked. I'm like this is it right here. And then like some of the mind stuffs mindset stuff that you were talking about, like just kind of being a master of your own mind and not letting your mind control you. That was really big for me because it's like the Bible talks about that stuff. Like You know, believing that you're gonna receive it and, uh, like having impossible faith and believing in yourself. But like, when you start getting into the Christian circles, which I cannot stand, they're like, no, that's demonic, or that's manifesting, or, or that's that. It's like, bro, like, you're, you're stuck in your religion, you're stuck in your ways, and you need to tune out of it and like kind of get in tune with your body a little more. So I love the mindset stuff. And like, I think too, one of the things that really brought me to you was like learning how to control your stress because my health problems like peaked when I took over the business.
Yeah.
They literally peaked. But I had my mind 24/7 is like, because I'm all in, right? So I'm trying to just keep all this stuff going on in my brain, keep the business running. And it never turned off, ever. So with the program, I've learned how to like maintain my stress. Like, I go to work and it kind of gets hectic, but I can step back into my body. I can take a couple deep breaths and I can remember, all right, you need to get control of this. Stop letting this stuff control you. Or I know when I come home, okay, like, let's just go sit on the porch, take your shirt off, sit in the sun, put your feet in the dirt, and just relax. Work's back there, you're home, it's fine. So learning to control— and bro, one of the crazy things that I was thinking about when I joined your program, I cannot remember the last time I put my feet in the dirt. It might have been like accident, me walking out to take the trash out, but I was like, oh my God, like, that is so mind-blowing to me that I just did not go outside and just sit there in the sun, put my feet in the dirt, and just connect back to God. Like, yeah, it's so crazy.
Yeah, that is a— that's a bit funny. Uh, what do you think, or Charles, also like in your own words, fixing all these underlying, or fixing the root which has led to fixing, you know, the gut, fixing your bladder, fixing all these other things? Like, how has that affected you in your everyday life outside of just like health? Or yeah, just tell me, talk me through it.
So for one, bro, like, this was a big game changer for me. Like, the psoriasis on my leg, like, I wouldn't wear shorts. Like, I was really like kind of, uh, Ashamed of it. I would wear jeans. It's like 100 degrees outside and I'm like the only guy wearing jeans because I've got this freaking rash on my leg that nobody in the world can get rid of. And I remember telling myself, I'm like, when this rash goes away, like, I know that I'm healed. And bro, this summer, dude, I'm freaking wearing shorts. I'm jacked. Like, dude, that is like There's so much confidence in that, bro. Like, I can go outside, walk down the street, be comfortable, have a pair of shorts on, not be ashamed of, of my body. Um, my energy, bro. Like, I would have to come home after work and take a nap every single day. Like, my energy is through the roof. Uh, we've dialed— and they're like, there's still things we're working on. We know that, like, sleep quality is one thing that I'm kind of trying to dial in constantly. Um, so it is a, it is a journey, right? But the crazy— I am enjoying the journey of it. I'm not, I'm not so focused on the destination, like, I gotta get here. And I've been there, like, I've reached out to you like, bro, what's going on? Why, why isn't this coming? And then I just go back and look at my weekly photos. I'm like, okay, here's a progress. We're tracking all the progress. It's working. So for one, okay, no more bloating, right? So let me take that back. If I do get bloated, I know how to go back and fix it. It's either because I'm stressed out when I'm eating.
Yeah.
Or I'm scarfing down food too fast and I'm not having any gratitude towards my food. I'm just like shoveling this stuff in my mouth. So then it's all hitting at one time. And I'm bloated. So like, I don't— I'm not gonna need a coach the rest of my life, right? I know how to fix this stuff. I'm getting tools that are gonna stick with me forever. So the bloating is gone. If it comes back, I know how to fix it. And that stuff, like, I hated that, bro. Like, I cannot stand being bloated. It made me angry. I didn't want to be around anybody. I just wanted to go Sit in a corner and go to sleep and take a nap until I woke up and the bloating went away. I can wear shorts. That is like a big game changer. I'm so happy with that. And then no brain fog. Like, I was getting brain fog like so bad that like, dude, I— you can't explain it unless you've had it before, but like, I could not think, dude. I remember like just like inside wanting to like flip out and explode because like I just could not process. I'm like, it just felt like I was wearing a helmet and none of my thoughts would go out of it. Like I was just all like, just couldn't think. I don't know, it's hard to explain, but—
Damn.
It's just, for one, it's helped me with family, right? I remember telling you I'd sent this to the group, but like, dude, one of the like Greatest things of the journey was— so my, my 23, 24-year-old son moved in, moved back in with me for a little bit, um, to get prepared for a baby that he's about to have. He was saving up some money, and he's watching me work out, being consistent every morning, you know, praying, meditating, working out, doing all these inputs, um, eating the right food. And he's watching, he's like, Dad, you're getting jacked. You're getting jacked. That's good. And he came to me and he's like, Dad, like, I want to start working out with you. And so we're in here working out and I'm getting to train him how to work out. Like, that was one of the most special moments to me. Like, because— and I had the knowledge to do it, and all I was doing is just taking what you gave me, all your years of research, taking it over 3 months, and now I'm able to like give it back to my son. And for— it's just giving me like— and we're not trying to sell nothing here. I know what the YouTube comments gonna do. Like, this is not like— nobody has to join this program. It's a free country, bro. But dude, for me, it was like the best investment of my lifetime. And I've spent, dude, I would say probably in the last Let's just say 4 years, at least $20,000 to $30,000 on doctors, vitamins, fitness equipment, um, cleanses, you name it. Like, and I've done all this stuff in the past. I've, I've worked out in the past, right?
Religiously.
Never got any results. And I would be the guy like, yeah, it's got to be genetic. I remember when I was younger, my dad told me, he's like, yeah, I used to work out and never got any muscles. And you know, us Stevensons, we just can't gain any muscles. That stuff stuck in my head, bro.
I think you said that sometime to me as well. And I think I was like, yeah, bro, you have a solid foundation.
Like, you— So it was— but it was like, that stuff did make an impact on me. So it was like I would never see results, and I would just chalk it off as, you know, genetics. You know, we can't— I can't do that. But I'm telling you, bro, and I've worked out way harder, way longer, to only get injured lifting super heavy. Jacked my shoulder up, right? I had to get surgery on my shoulder. They had to shave my collarbone down. Jacking up my wrist, like just trying to do all— move all these massive weights. And literally, I sent you a picture of when I was working out. I look like a little chubby soy boy. And now it's like, bro, it's like, um, my— I'm starting to get like— I look like a man, bro. Like, I am confident when I look in the mirror. And I look back at that, I'm like, what the heck was that? Like, how did my wife even marry me? Like, you look like— but dude, that is like a thing. You look at 25-year-old boy, and even the picture you show on some of your vids, you look like a little soy boy, right?
Yeah.
It's the food, it's something they're doing, but it's like when you dial back in, like, you turn back into a man.
100%. That's exactly— I think that's the best way to describe it. And then there's going to be someone that's like, oh, that's just because you're you're aging too fast or some bullshit like this. But like, no, clearly you see like this is testosterone, this is health. Like, this is, this is, you know, this is, this is good.
Uh, I remember telling you every time you do a video with someone, even with Blake, they're like, yeah, he's on— in the comments are like, I love steroids, he's on steroids. I told you, I'm like, bro, I hope somebody tells me I'm on steroids. I want to, I want to be that guy. Like, I don't care because I know what I'm doing, I know the work I put in. But I think it's just It's funny, all the haters. And even Blake is a monster, we all know that. Blake, but on steroids? Like, come on, bro. Like, that's petty.
Yeah, but it's kind of— we've kind of made it a bit of a joke now with like, there's a lot of— it's like, there's a bunch of clients that starts to get steroid accusations and things like this, which is like, yeah, bro, welcome, welcome to reality. This is what happens when you do things right. You know?
Yep, exactly. But I'll tell you some of the things, the best things that I've loved about the program is doing less and getting more.
Yeah.
I say that all the time and it's like, I enjoy working out. I get in there 45 minutes.
You do your shit.
2 sets. Like my, it's not a whole lot, but the results that I'm getting They're like, they're wild after 90 days, dude. Like, and I still got work to go. Like, I still got goals set, but it's like I worked out for years at a time with like no results. It's so wild. And I remember even when I was in the pro, like at one— because you're watching all this fitness stuff while you're doing the programs, and like you're not making me count calories or Like I told you, I don't even know what a calorie or a macro is still to this day. Like, I cannot— if you put a gun to my head, I could not tell. I would say it's energy your body burns or something like that. Like, and I remember I came to you, I'm like, Lucas, like, why aren't we counting calories? Why aren't we— why aren't we getting 10K? Like, how many macros? How much protein? You're like, bro, there is no magic number. Like, just put quality stuff into your body and you'll be fine.
Like Yeah, I know.
So no, some of the stuff I love— doing less, getting more, the mindset stuff. I really love like being able to be a master of my own mind. And then the gratitude stuff. And this is like such a shame to me as like a child of a— of God. Like one of the main things you say is like to be grateful. Like dude, I already know the, the Bible says to give thanks in everything, even the hard things, because like you're still here, you got another shot, you're still in existence, it's not over yet. But like, I kind of just forgot about that stuff. And you have like this simple thing, like write down first thing in the morning 3 things you're grateful for. Like, so every morning I write down the 3 things I'm grateful for: God, my family, and the provision that he's gave me. Like, I'm so blessed to even have that, to be a part of this family, to be able to be in this community. Like, But there was a time in my life I forgot to be grateful, bro, for the little things. And so grateful to have my health back. Like, bro, you don't know until you lose it.
100%. It's a classic— it's a classic statement, uh, Charles. You only have— you have a thousand problems until, uh, until you're unhealthy or whatever the statement says. And, and then the only problem is, is that, right? Then the only problem is your health.
Yes, bro. And then one of the things, like, okay, move Lucas to the side, get rid of him, all that. So like, if I just had the group that we have, I would be fine without Lucas. Like, these guys would get me through. Like, shout out to Frank, Blake, Arthur, Norbert, Seb, all these guys. Like, and it's crazy because like it's a workout fitness group, but None of these guys are prideful, arrogant, nasty. Like—
It's just helping each other. It's just love. Brotherhood.
Yes, even Frank. Now, Uncle Frank, uh, he's my boy. But dude, there's been times when I'm like about to throw in the towel, about to give up, like what's the point? And then Frank texts me outside of the group. Hey bro, just checking in on you. Want to make sure everything's all right. Like, I don't know this dude. He's in Colombia, I'm in Kansas City, and this guy is taking the time out of his day to reach out to me. Bro, that's better than some Christians that I know in my life. That— and that dude— but like, that group, like, going through there, seeing all these guys putting in the work every day And when I do fall off or maybe I eat something bad, I just tap into that group and it reenergizes me.
Yeah.
Those have been some of the greatest things that I love about the program.
100%. It's such a nice— I'm actually very proud of the little family brotherhood that we've been able to put together. But it's actually, as you said, there's a competition but in a healthy way. Everyone pushes each other to become better, but there's just no, I'm better than you type thing. Yes, nowhere to be seen.
Yeah, bro, you could have a, a guy that weighs 2,000 pounds in there, and then the next week he loses 2 pounds and he sends a picture. They're gonna be like, heck yeah, bro, that's good stuff, keep up the work.
It's, uh, yeah, it's, it's actually fantastic. Um, Charles, I guess my, my last— we kind of touched about it, but like, what do you find the most valuable? I think you probably summarized it pretty good there, uh, with Do yeah, I mean you summarized that pretty good. If someone then I guess if someone is, I I doubt there will be a lot of people that have been through exactly your footsteps of like prison, drug addict, and like all these things. But but let's let's compress that a bit. Let's say someone is is here, Charles. They're they're having a bit of gut problems. They've been diagnosed with I don't know what IBS some bullshit like this. They've tried everything and they're on the fence about joining. They're probably sitting here thinking like I've tried. everything clearly, you know, what else is there to try? And they've kind of given up the hope, kind of as, as you, you were. What would you say to, to that person on the fence? Should I do this with Lucas? Should I join you guys?
So I think of it like this. So what's the most important thing to you right now? And to me, it's time and health. And somebody might say money, and I would counter that because Think of it like this: if I lose $100, I know I can get that back. I can go out there, hustle, grind. I can make money easy, right? If I lose my health, I'm gonna spend all my money to get my health back, right? I've done it. That's why biohacking is on a rise because people want to live as long as they can. So if I lose all my health, I'm gonna spend my money to get my health back. So obviously the money's not number one, right? If I lose my time, I can never get my time back, right? So to me, the most important thing in my life is going to be my health and my time, more than money, more than anything else in the world. So for me, it was like, okay, I can invest in this now and my health and my fitness and, and all this stuff in my life, or I can put it in the back burner, chase after money, save my money, and then later on down the road I have to pay for it in the hospital bills because I'm sick with cancer or whatever because my, my toxic overload and my diet and all that stuff. So to me it's like I can invest in this now, have it the rest of my life, and/or I can invest in it later with hospital bills. It's going to be one way or the other. And I told you that like one of my biggest reasons I didn't want to get in the program— and this isn't even— this is with any program and everybody knows this— it's money. Nobody wants to put out the money. Nobody wants to invest in themselves. They're just You're trying to hoard all that stuff and think that, you know, it's going to benefit you later on down the road. But, and it wouldn't matter if Lucas said, okay, this program is $1, I'm still like, well, how can I keep my dollar? Like, I'm a business owner, I'm always running numbers and stuff like that. But it was like 2 months into the program, bro, after seeing the results and after all these, uh, ailments healing up and all that, it was like a no-brainer. It's like, no, and I told you, like, I'm sticking out the program. Not only am I sticking it out, I'm like, you're not going to be able to get rid of me afterwards. Like, I'm a part of the community forever. I'm like, put me on the payroll, put me on somewhere, let me do something, bro.
Yeah, no, I think it's good. I know this is from a commit— I think you've always had a very good mindset, Charles, but it's also like from a commitment perspective because it It's kind of what, as we, as you said, sent to me there one time with them, like with the viewing this as a marriage type thing as well. It's like you have to, it's very easy to, to like to get in into your own mind and start to question everything. It's like, yeah, but what we're doing right now, you're not seeing tomorrow, you know. It's all the work and it's everything that you implement and then the consistency, and then you'll reap the rewards after. It's like you completely have to almost detach yourself from what you're doing and like just, okay, am I doing the right inputs? If so, I will thank myself in the future.
Yeah. Yeah.
That mindset shift alone is like one of the most powerful things that you can do.
Well, and I'll say this to our group because this— and this is what I said, you know, my relationship with Lucas is like a marriage. Like the first 2 months, you're like, this is awesome. I love this guy. I love this program. It's a honeymoon stage, right? Everything's going good. Then it's like you start to move in together and you're wondering like why your wife's spending all the money and this and that, and you're wondering where's the money going. And so you start to get in your head and you're like, well, maybe I need to save my money, or maybe I, I got the knowledge now, maybe I can just take it on my own and implement it. Like, no. But then it was like the 3rd month in where I started to see the results. The health stuff started to disappear, and it's like, no, bro, like, me and this guy are committed to each other. He's got my best interests in mind. Everything he says is for my benefit, even if it's the hard stuff. Like, it's, it's only there to help me. And now I'm gonna tap out of the relationship because what, I don't want to pay someone for the work they're putting in? Like, bro, anywhere you go, you're gonna pay for someone for something they do. Right? But I will, I guarantee the number one thing that's holding anybody back is dinero, money. Like, bro, who cares?
Money comes, money goes.
That's right.
Yeah, that's good. Charles, thank you so much for jumping on and chatting on. I actually have, I gotta bounce on the next meeting. This was a very good, very good little conversation. But I guess Also, if you're if you're watching this to this point, I hope you got some some little insights from from Charles' journey so far. And Charles, we already have we've already committed to this, but we're gonna there's gonna there's gonna be an in-person second part to this when we've when we're absolutely diced to the bone bone as well at some point. So yeah, that's gonna be that's gonna be good. And once again, also Charles super excited to. for you to have put your trust in, into me. And, uh, yeah, what you're bringing to the, to the community as well. And, uh, yeah, we're just getting started.
Loving it. It's good.
