He Lost 150 Lbs. After Transitioning, Then Became a Personal Trainer to Help Other Trans People (Exclusive)

For trans people who are working on getting fit, the deelovesdeadlifts Instagram page has likely popped up in their feed already. Massachusetts native Dee, 35, showcases the peaks and valleys of his fitness journey in hopes that people, particularly fellow members of the LGBTQ community, are inspired to do the same and take charge of their health.

The journey for Dee began back in 2017, a year after he medically transitioned. According to him, that period was a time when he felt then most empowered.

“At my heaviest that is recorded — it could have been more than that — I was 360 pounds,” Dee tells PEOPLE.

“Before I transitioned, I was kind of just existing. I wasn’t really living my life, I was just going through the motions,” he recalls. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life. And then when I started medically transitioning, when I started testosterone, I started to realize, ‘Oh, my life can be what I want.’ I can do anything I want. So I started my weight loss journey in June of 2017. And since then it’s just been pretty much a go.”

The journey was slow and steady — beginning in his backyard and gradually progressing, little by little.

“I started with just getting steps in. I would walk in a circle around my yard until [I was tired],” he says. “At first, I couldn’t get more than 4,000 steps a day, then did more and more. When that got boring, I was like, okay, let me start working out at home. And then I started working out at home, and then that got kind of boring. And then I decided, okay, let me try the gym.”

Though it can be intimidating for someone new to fitness to walk into a gym, for Dee, it was mind-opening in the best way.

“I fell in love with the gym and I haven’t stopped going since,” he says. “I didn’t know anything about fitness. I didn’t know how the equipment worked. I didn’t know what a rep was. I’m going in there for the first time and it was just like, okay, tunnel vision. I made my plan. I was going to stick to it.”

Dee also quickly realized no one was concerned with what he was doing — a contrast to the stereotypical “gym bro” whose judgment some workout novices might fear

“After a few months, you realize that ‘bros’ are not paying attention to you. No one is really paying attention to you,” he says. “I mean, of course, you have those few rude people who are going to pay attention to you, but the majority, they’re paying attention to what they’re doing and they don’t care what you are doing.”

He adds, joking, “There have been many times in the gym where I’ve injured myself — dropped something on my toe or cut my finger — and no one was paying attention to me at all!”

Not only did Dee drop 150 pounds throughout his fitness journey, but he also competed in a Summer Shredding body transformation class in 2020 and 2023 — both of which helped keep him on his fitness journey.

“I don’t know what really made me want to do it, but Christian Guzman, he owns Alphalete, was the only one who was putting on ‘transformation class’ shows in 2020,” he explains. “Normal bodybuilding shows have classic physique wellness, but transformation is where you can show how much weight you’ve lost on stage. It doesn’t really matter the aesthetics of bodybuilding. So seeing that transformation class and seeing people step on stage with loose skin and everything, I was like, Wow, I really, really want to do that.”

And as he documented his own progress on his deelovesdeadlifts page, he made it a point to not just show the highs, but to also be candid and share the not-so-great moments. Since his last show, Dee reveals he’s gained some of his weight back. However, he maintains his glass-half-full approach and gives himself grace and props for the fact that he’s been able to stay 100 pounds under his starting weight over the past seven years.

With his personal experience, Dee has also been able to turn his journey into a personal training business that aids other trans people wanting to chart a similar path.

“I got my personal training certification in 2020 during the lockdown, and that was when I was also preparing for my first bodybuilding show,” he says. “I do in-person training here and there, but the majority is done online. And it’s just people finding me through Instagram, TikTok, sometimes YouTube, etc.” he explains.

Each client gets a personalized program that Dee crafts from the information provided on their intake form. And while he’s always willing to work with them for as long as they need, Dee says the greatest accomplishment for his business is when his clients begin to motivate themselves.

“[It’s great] when clients leave me and then they come back a few months later and they’re like, ‘Dee, I’m still making progress even though we’re not working together anymore. What you taught me, I’m taking with me and I don’t need you anymore.’ That’s the best part,” Dee tells PEOPLE.

He continues, “I want to give you the tools that you need to succeed and hopefully you don’t need me one day. I still have a few clients that come back to me and they’re like, ‘Dee, I just hit a [personal record] on bench press and you taught me so much.’ … Those are the best messages.”

After all, he’s been where his clients have been, and knows it’s not easy to show up for yourself every day. However, as he’s shown by example, Dee believes the real failure happens when you quit. So, for any clients or even followers on Instagram, he encourages everyone to just keep going.

“You’re going to have peaks and valleys. You’re going to go through days where you don’t want to do what you need to do, but you just do it and then don’t beat yourself up over it,” he advises. “If you are going through a low time, go through that low time. You can always get back at it. As long as you don’t give up, then you’re not failing.”