6 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.

COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

The year 2010 was a signicant turning point in Joseph
Villegas life. At 28, he was obese and unhappy. He was not
comfortable with the way he looked on the outside and it
affected the way he felt about himself on the inside. Josephs
physical size added to his insecurities, causing him to avoid
certain social settings, people, and public places. But, enough
was enough. One day, he made a courageous decision to
face a longtime fear stepping onto a scale. It was a
difcult reality to face, but I had to be honest with myself.
It was both a shock and not a shock to weigh in at 323
pounds. I was at my heaviest and most unhealthy, he says.
I was tired of living my life feeling ashamed of myself. This
wasnt how my life was supposed to be. Stepping on that
scale was the start of a new beginning for me. I decided that
every day after that, I would put my best foot forward, get
healthy, change my lifestyle and attitude for the better.
With a positive frame of mind, Joseph took small steps
in the right direction. He became a little more active and
mindful of what he ate. But in 2011, the positivity was
short lived and another setback had occurred. Joseph had
a heart attack, which terried him, but motivated him to
December 21, 2012 was the scariest night of Heidi Cases life it was the night she had a stroke. While getting ready for bed
that evening, she didnt feel right. I remember thinking my legs felt very wobbly, and I wasnt sure I would be able to pick them
up to slip on my pajama bottoms, she recalls. Then something strange happened. As she lifted her leg, Heidi lost her balance and
fell into her bathroom door. Thankfully the slamming of the door alerted Chad (my husband) that something was wrong. By the
time he opened the door, I fell into his arms, and he noticed that my face was drooping, and I had no use of the left side of my
body. Chad realized that his wife was having a stroke and immediately called 911.
By the time Heidi arrived at the hospital, her speech was slurred and she still had no movement on her left side. She was
administered TPA, a clot buster drug, and within thirty seconds, she had all mobility back to her left side, her face started
to recover and she was able to speak. Heidi spent the next two days in ICU without permission to leave her bed as she was
considered a fall risk. This was hard for me to comprehend. How could a healthy 35 year old have a stroke? she asked.
I was scared, sad, embarrassed and confused. My body had never failed me. I teach tness classes and am a former college
basketball player.
Extensive testing and MRIs revealed that Heidis brain was good, but a PFO (patent formation ovale) was found in her heart.
Every person is born with a hole in their heart, she explains. And for 75 percent of the population, the hole closes, but for 25
percent, it doesnt. Meanwhile, the after effects of the stroke left Heidi exhausted. Her left side was weak and she wasnt able to
go to the gym or teach her classes for months. She also suffered from panic attacks, something that she never experienced before
and which she describes as, Almost as scary, if not scarier than the actual stroke.
Her doctor scheduled PFO closure surgery three weeks after her stroke on January 10, 2013. The procedure included going up
through her femoral artery and implanting a mesh device that would close the hole while still allowing blood ow to pass through
her heart. The surgery was a success, and to Heidi, it was the rst step in diminishing the severity of the panic attacks.
When asked about her life today, post-stroke and heart surgery, Heidi looks back with gratitude. She has continued her active
lifestyle and her role as wife and mother to a beautiful family. I am thankful for the stroke, she says, because it happened
at a time when Chad was home and able to help me. Post-stroke, I learned a lot about myself and learned to listen to my body,
something Ive never been good about. God had some lessons for me, and he needed to slam me into the bathroom door to get
me to pay attention - I thank God every single day Im alive. MS&F
Joseph Lambert de Luna Villegas, 32
Residence: Pacica, California
Occupation: Dispatcher
Max Muscle Home Base: San Mateo, California
Favorite MM Products: Max Liquicarn, MaxPro Protein, MaxPro BCAAs
Goal in 5 years? To be better than I am today!
Favorite cheat meal? Bravo Pizza in San Francisco
Favorite healthy meal? Adobo marinated steak
continue to become healthy. I was only 29
years old and too young to have a heart attack,
he recalls. I knew I had to keep going and not
let anything stop me. I was determined to stay
alive. Although his activities were limited for
a while due to his condition, Joseph focused on
remaining positive and looked forward to getting
back into the gym.
When his doctor gave him the green light to
resume physical activity, Joseph started training
again celebrating each milestone along the way.
With the help of Jason Mayol of Max Muscle
San Mateo, he continued to train consistently
and eat healthy foods. Josephs commitment
to a tter lifestyle has paid off as hes lost an
amazing 126 pounds! Focusing on not just
losing the weight, but becoming a better, more
self-condent person feels good, he says. I
could not have accomplished my goals without
the love and support of my family, friends and
Max Muscle.
Heidi Case, 35
Residence: Lincoln, Nebraska
Occupation: Fitness Instructor (kickboxing
and bootcamps), Co-Franchisee of Max
Muscle Lincoln, Domestic Engineer
Max Muscle Home Base: Lincoln, Nebraska
MM Go-To Person: Chad Case
Favorite MM Products: FBX, Cleanse &
Lean, Orange MaxPro
3 words to describe you:
Compassionate, Driven/Athletic, Humorous
Goal in 5 years? Motivational speaker
Favorite workout song on your iPod:
Need You Now by Plumb
Quote: That which does not kill us, only
makes us stronger.