About Dr. Torres

THE STORY OF MY TRANSFORMATION

When I turned forty, I decided to transform my body and achieve fitness and health excellence. This was a decision that has defined the future course of my life. Three months later, what seemed so distant became a tangible reality. I can, in all honesty, say that I have taken control of my life and have come to realize that the possibilities are endless. The physical and emotional transformation that has occurred in the last twenty years is truly amazing.

I remember the feeling of frustration and inadequacy very vividly while growing up. My overweight problem affected my relationship with others and kept me from participating in my favorite sports. During my adolescence, I struggled with low self-esteem and lack of confidence that directly resulted from my physical appearance. I still remember the pain of not taking my shirt off in public without embarrassment. Later on, as an adult and despite my low self-image, I overcame some of my fears and achieved significant milestones in my professional and personal life. However, none of these accomplishments gave me the satisfaction I gained after successfully completing my transformation. I have developed a passion for fitness and nutritional excellence. People have noticed my physical and emotional transformation, and I have become a role model to many.

I can communicate effectively to others that what I have overcome and accomplished is available to anyone else.

I remember the feeling of frustration and inadequacy very vividly while growing up. My overweight problem affected my relationship with others and kept me from participating in my favorite sports. During my adolescence, I struggled with low self-esteem and lack of confidence that directly resulted from my physical appearance. I still remember the pain of not taking my shirt off in public without embarrassment. Later on, as an adult and despite my low self-image, I overcame some of my fears and achieved significant milestones in my professional and personal life. However, none of these accomplishments gave me the satisfaction I gained after successfully completing my transformation. I have developed a passion for fitness and nutritional excellence. People have noticed my physical and emotional transformation, and I have become a role model to many.

Anthony Robbins once said:

“For any change to be of true value, it has to be lasting and consistent .”

The key to ensuring this is to set goals, develop a practical plan, and then uncompromisingly use all resources available to work on this plan.

Setting goals, which are measurable and attainable, is the foundation for all success in life.

I realized that I needed to change when I saw that life was passing me by and that the quality of my life was much less than what I expected it to be. The desire to change was greatly fueled and made tangible after seeing myself in an emergency room facing a cardiac catheterization. I also noticed the tragedy and devastation in my patients’ lives because of their lack of physical fitness and poor nutrition. Their lives became constant reminders of what the future would hold for me if nothing changed.

I also believe that all personal breakthroughs occur when we clearly know why we want to accomplish a specific goal. I remember when one of my four sons approached me and asked an interesting question. He asked:

Dad, why do you want to become stronger?

I had to think for a moment before answering because despite the innocence of the question, defining the motivating forces that kept me focused to dramatically transform the status of my physical condition was a critical question. I concluded that I had plenty of good reasons for accepting the challenge of transforming my physique and seeing this goal to its completion. I wanted to take back control of the direction of my life, my physical well-being and find out where I could go when I pushed beyond my limits. This goal presented the singular possibility of turning my body into inspiration and creating a compelling motivational success story for others.

Today I have a better relationship with my wife and children, thanks to the support they have shown me during this period of time. Once again, we have worked together as a family, and we all have found a common cause to keep us closer together. I have also found a way to help make this world better by sharing this information with my patients and friends.

In addition, I have learned that is not only accomplishing a goal that matters but also the gratification and excitement that you experience along the way is a significant part of what counts. This transformation has sculpted both my physical body and my character. Persistence, commitment, and desire are the key elements in achieving excellence and success.

Finding ways to help others has always been my inspiration in life and why I became a physician. Nothing can compare to the exhilarating feeling of having made a significant contribution and having accomplished a significant objective in life. Without a focused source of positive change, life quickly loses its flavor.

However, when you test the limits of your endurance, the solidness of your convictions, and the strength of your character as you pursuit a worthwhile objective that can benefit you, your family, and your circle of influence, then life becomes an exciting adventure.

Every life properly lived is a beacon that others can follow.

I am convinced that I became a winner in life when I wholeheartedly embraced the belief that any goal in life is attainable when you believe it is yours.

I am blessed with four sons that fill my life. If my legacy was only a passion for a healthy life that allows them to reach their inborn potential, I consider my efforts worthwhile. I would like to look back at them and see a better world because I lived a life full of passion, energy, fitness, and enthusiasm. What was once a simple dream has become a tangible reality.

Francisco M. Torres M.D.

Florida Spine Institute and Wellness