It’s easy to look at a photo of fitness expert John Romaniello and think he’s pretty much the definition of modern masculinity. After all, he’s jacked, makes a mean protein shake, and can tell you the difference between your deltoid and trapezius muscles. He looks like the kind of guy who’s always been confident, but he shares a very different story in a recent Instagram post.

As a kid, Romaniello says he was self-conscious about the stuff that made him stand out. But he let us in on a little secret: “Every person I know who feels comfortable with themselves tends to feel the happiest about the features they hated when they were young.” Check out his full post below: