The unpublished interview
Tamás Balogh on life, the female psyche, and LifeTILT.
Confident, outspoken, ambitious, creative, masculine, and sexy. Tamás Balogh isn't afraid to tell anyone off, doesn't compromise his opinions, and can convince women to do almost anything.
At his request, even the shyest girl will strip down to her underwear to show off her body, so that with his help - sometimes sweating blood - she can transform both inside and out.
People generally don't like to be confronted with their weaknesses. For women, this is especially true regarding their weight, even more so when they are responsible for their own obesity. Let's be frank, in certain stages of life, it's much more comfortable to gorge on greasy or chocolate-covered foods and feel sorry for ourselves – now also because of our fat rolls – rather than to get up and embark on a new path. Although they say women want to look better for other women, it still takes a real man to start them on the path of change. Tamás Balogh, the founder of LifeTILT, has been working for years to strengthen the self-awareness of the women who turn to him and make them more beautiful. (Plus, it's a pleasure to talk to him! - ed.)
However, to be able to help, Tamás had to go through the same journey as those who now turn to him. Due to his personality and talent, he found it harder than average to tolerate a life that stifled creativity, and this also left its mark on his former life.
– I used to hate my life. I experienced my daily life as a never-ending, constantly repeating grind, and meanwhile, it terribly annoyed me that I knew exactly who and what processes were hindering my development. The corporate structure and organizational setup that still exist in multinationals today were an unlivable system for me. In these corporate structures, there are positions, and every position is finite, it has a ceiling, and above every ceiling there's such a terrible jerk who – if you're too good – won't let you advance. This means that no matter what's inside you, how talented you are, what you'd be capable of, you simply won't be able to exploit your potential, because the one above you will never allow it. But why would they? If you're better than them, sooner or later you'll take their place, and everyone will guard their territory. This fact alone is terrible, but if we add that these leaders are at least bigger assholes than you, and God knows how they got there, then that's more than enough reason to break out of this environment at all costs and show the world what you're capable of. Of course, everyone thinks they're so much better than others, that the boss is an impotent monkey, and that they could do so much better.
But most people only get this far and don't dare to take action. The familiar crap is better than an uncertain, more promising life, though I'm convinced people don't act mainly because they're afraid of the truth. They're afraid of the truth that life would confront them with if they truly started to walk their own path. When you're out on your own and there's no safety net under you, there are no bluffs or a beautifully sugar-coated dream world about your abilities and what a great and talented person you are. Many think this about themselves, and among those who even dared to take a step on the path of independent self-realization, many have fallen flat on their faces, but that's still more commendable than those who don't even try. To test your abilities and be strong enough to face the confrontation if you fail is a slap that most people can't really take, and precisely for this reason, the majority don't even try.
In short, I had to leave. But not only because of the corporate structure, but also because of the types of people at work, whom I refused to tolerate after a while. What tears people's souls apart most at a workplace is having to spend most of their lives with types of people they would never want to interact with, and would prefer to keep at a 50-meter distance. These personality types can be found in every workplace. I threw up at the ass-kissers who were knee-deep in the boss's rear, the informers, or the spineless jerks. I simply didn't want to spend 5 days a week in a petty atmosphere, dealing with problems, fighting battles that I saw no point in, because they didn't move my life forward. And that's where I worked, and I completely lost it.
– What was the hardest thing during this period?
– I knew I couldn't stand it for long, but I didn't know what I would do instead. It's like a messed-up relationship from long ago. You already know that this relationship gives you nothing, in fact, it only takes from you, but you don't leave it. Of course, everyone knows the reasons. It's very difficult to sever emotional ties that once existed, and even harder to admit to yourself that it was a bad decision, wasting years on a relationship that no longer works at all. A workplace is also such a relationship, only here the financial dependence makes things harder, because you have to pay the bills, you have to eat, you have to drink, you have to live. Most people in Hungary don't have enough savings to follow their dreams and endure long months without predictable income. We call this dependence, and I wanted to eliminate this dependence from my life. Becoming independent is a long and very painful process. It took me a long time too, and I can assure everyone that it hurt a lot. However, you have to be able to bear this pain, and we haven't even really talked about the building processes yet, when you build something. You understand. To leave, to destroy, to tell the system to go to hell is the easiest, everyone can do that. But then comes a tomorrow, new weeks and months come, and then what do you do, and where do you take your life. That's when you find out what you're made of.
As I talk about this, I think back to the journey I've travelled, and if we add that I had to build something from scratch, besides the aforementioned difficulties, having to cope with an enormous headwind, then shouldn't I say I'm a damn big king now? I was aware of this before, and this kind of attitude was felt on me everywhere I worked, and needless to say, I made sure they felt it.
I cannot live without provoking and breaking rules I dislike. If I can show another male that I am dominant, I will show him, and I don't care about the consequences. However, this behavior is incompatible with any societal rule system, and most importantly, not with corporate arrangements. And if I don't find my place in society, then I had no choice but to create my own community, my own life, my own rules, where I am the only boss. I knew that either I would build myself up and create my own environment, or a very ugly and sad future awaited me.
– And then one morning you woke up and decided to dive in?
– It was a very long process, with a cathartic outcome. These thoughts constantly piled up, and tension built within me. On a particularly dismal evening, that classic sense of hopelessness washed over me, the kind where you wonder, is this really all there is to life? You wake up in the morning, shower, work, have a drink with friends in the evening, and wait for that big break, that something will happen that will make everything different? I found it so sad that I'd gladly get drunk right here and now, just to not feel this hopeless pain. Of course, a girl also played a big part in my desire for change. We had broken up more than a year before, but even after a year, I still went to bed with her memories and woke up with them. The relationship was destroyed by my dark thoughts; the feeling of hopelessness settled over my daily life. I wasn't happy with my life, and no woman likes to see that, especially when the man is aware of it all. I wanted to show her, "Look, I can do it, I'm going to try to exploit the potential within me!" – Tamás recalled the beginnings of rebuilding himself. Now, five years later, he is utilizing those experiences for the benefit of others.
– Why did you feel that sports was the right path for you to fully express yourself?
– When a person experiences a major setback in life, they simply have to do something with themselves. You don't know where to start, but if you begin transforming your body, it only takes a few months for a visible change to begin. You want a new life, okay. You work at it, you build it, and if you're lucky – because that's also needed – then perhaps years later you'll see the change. But your body is different. You diet, you go to workouts, and your body will change even within weeks. The change is tangible and, more importantly, perceptible to your eyes. You see that your work is bearing fruit, and if you do something for yourself, your body will develop. This must give you strength. You must see that if you do something for yourself, it has some effect. The girls who sign up with me want some kind of change in their lives. I help them achieve this change. Training and diet result in an improvement in quality of life, and I can even show them the way.
I started this way in 2011 too. They need to do it exactly as I did, as I started this whole LifeTILT thing. The point is what I constantly say: start thinking systematically, training systematically, dieting systematically. This is partly why 15-day diets and quick-fix, no-effort rubbish that promises rapid change are meaningless. If your life is shitty and you want change, then you need a system, you need strictness, you need sacrifice, you need a SHIFT. Nothing will change if you keep doing everything the same way you always have. What you've done so far has led you to feel you need to change because it can't go on like this, you're not happy. How do you expect change if you don't do anything to actually make things better? Comfort, especially without performance behind it, is the privilege of the biggest nobodies.
Strictness and self-restraint are human qualities that build people up – even in a few weeks – so that they become much stronger, they believe much more in what they are capable of. I also believed in myself that I could achieve great things, and I succeeded in reaching my goal – explained Tamás.
– Many people think of you – and I'll add, even in our editorial office – as irritatingly arrogant and self-important.
– The arrogance emanating from me is not conceit or ego; it's simply that I've done more than 95% of society. Much more! I didn't have any tailwind, I did everything myself! Now why should I be humble and modest? Should I say, oh, you can do it too, and it's not such a big deal? Yes, it is. It's a damn big deal, and I've put in a lot of effort and work to get where I am now. People don't see the work, the tremendous torment and burnout, the thousands of obstacles I've overcome or wrestled with over the past years. Do you think it's so easy to build a business the size of LifeTILT? Come on, do it after me if it's so easy, and once you've built it, then we'll sit down for coffee and discuss how easy it was. I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me. My results speak for themselves. The doorman and the stocker at Tesco label me and think I'm a huge asshole? Believe me, that won't keep me awake at night.
– What about celebrities who want to look better?
– Celebrities are starting to find me too, but not just anyone can come to me. I only work with people who have truly accomplished something, like Gabi Tóth. I will never deal with nobodies without achievements, reality show or celebrity zeros, because in my eyes, they're not worth a damn.
– There are quite a few trainers in Hungary who strive to be known and recognized nationwide. Among them are several former athletes and celebrities. How did they react to you simply stepping into the stagnant waters of the domestic scene?
– Among professionals, there was, of course, a lot of spitting at the beginning, but here everyone spits at everyone else, regardless of their job. I do my thing and focus on myself. Imagine if I started dealing with what people say about me and reacting to it. Our time is finite, and so is our energy. I invest all my time and energy in developing myself and building LifeTILT. Should I start fighting with others and trying to convince them of something that's impossible anyway? If I had done that, I wouldn't have achieved a tenth of what I have now. A lot of clowns talk about me, and I have even more enemies, so where should I give a damn now? They see where I started and where I've gotten, and they're slowly realizing that they can't do anything against me. The difference between me and the others is that I always put everything on the line, and I wasn't afraid of what would happen if I failed. I launched my supplements with 10,000 likes, and I didn't think for a minute about what would happen if it didn't work out. Besides money, what could I have lost? Nothing. But if I hadn't started, the thought of not even trying would have gnawed at me. This is what I explain to everyone. Maybe you're not capable of it, or it won't work, but at least try it, for God's sake, and see what you're capable of.
They can't say that any part of LifeTILT is bad, because it's not. My supplements are of excellent quality, my meals are good, and the articles are professionally flawless. From now on, everyone can kiss my ass. All attacks concern my person, and that's a matter of subjective judgment and taste, which no one has ever been able to fully satisfy.
We have unlimited opportunities for development. Only Norbiék are ahead of me, for a while yet! I surpassed everyone else back in 2013. For this level of development, this attitude that I have is absolutely necessary. You can't win a war with humility, modesty, submission, or seeking the favor of others. Either you believe in yourself and believe that you are the president, or don't even start – Tamás revealed his professional philosophy.
Food only "from home"
LifeTILT – unlike its competitors – prepares its diet menus in its own kitchen. There's a reason for this too.
– The big difference between me and the other so-called celebrity lifestyle gurus is that I don't lend my name to a kitchen, I have my own kitchen. I don't partner with any big food company with my meals. It's out of the question that I would do that. This is my task, my community, and I will do it. I'm capable of it. Even though LifeTILT has become a multi-player company, the soul is still me, my thoughts guide it. There's no precedent for this in the industry, so I think anything could come of it. I surround myself with people who inspire each other, with whom I can think and work together. At this point, I think it's important to mention those people without whom I wouldn't be here. Without those who are not in the spotlight, but whose work is indispensable. I. G. G. K. K. A. A. C. B. Their initials. They know who I'm talking about, and thanks, guys, again.
– Many believe that healthy foods aren't tasty enough...
– Stop. Stop right there, please... We are constantly developing our foods, but everyone needs to know one thing: what tastes really good is usually unhealthy. Now you could say that desserts can be made diet-friendly, but that's as big a load of bullshit as what we use to pick you up. Just because you make a cake with oat flour and coconut oil, it will still make you gain weight.
Of course, LifeTILT menus could be cooked tastier, and as long as it's humanly possible, they are prepared that way, but I refuse to go below a certain level and compromise.
I could have many more orders, with much tastier foods, I could lie to you about fat-burning cocoa rolls and fit-monkey pizza slices, but that wouldn't be LifeTILT anymore.
You can never compromise on quality, or at least forget the fundamental concept, because then the whole thing gets screwed, and no one wants to screw with whores!
– This is an interesting interview, but I expected something like this.
– Interesting, because it's true, isn't it? People aren't used to the truth. Or rather, they want there to be truth, but they only like it up to a certain point. Up to the point where it doesn't affect them. The newspaper you come from, but this can also be said about all the other women's magazines, wraps the truth in such a cute package that the truth is no longer visible, no longer audible. Do you think this interview will pass the filter and be published? I have no illusions, but I want to state upfront that either this goes through as is, or we'd rather just drop the whole thing. I'll publish it on my blog.
