Instead of a regular show, we spotlight members of the group.  There are some amazing stories that you have to hear.  They share their weight loss goals, their health problems and more importantly some share some inspirational weight loss success stories.  To give you a taste of what this episode is about, here’s the forum entry for Paula Russell:

Hi there,
I’m Paula and live in Brisbane on the east coast of Oz. This is my first post and this is my journey so far…

About 2 years ago, 270lbs, extremely depressed and getting pretty sick I was pushed by a friend to sort myself out. I took the brave decision to get a personal trainer and I have never looked back…well, occasionally!
Ive now lost nearly 70lbs but I’ve been stuck here on an extended plateau for quite a while now, hence I reaching out here for a bit of moral support.
Food is a constant battle for me.
I am an absolute gym junkie. Currently I go to boot camp 3 mornings a week, have PT twice, go to yoga and love to road run (I know it sounds extreme but I love it and it has completely changed my life). Once I am down to my goal health (I don’t say goal weight as I am more concerned with fitness and size).

I just don’t understand why, when I work so hard with exercise I just cant get a grip on my eating?! I know what to eat and how often etc. but its almost like I go off into a different world sometimes. I want to do this so badly…this is why I am here.

On a happier note, I absolutely love F2F radio and it is a true inspiration to me…thanks guys, never stop as the amount you are helping to change peoples lives is immeasurable. I’ve just bought myself a Garmin forerunner watch after hearing it mentioned on the podcast and am really excited about that.

Looking forward to being part of this community.

Paula xxx

Isn’t that amazing?   My favorite part of Paula’s post is the part about “goal health”.  Everyone on the forums is in a similar place in their weight loss as you.  Some are starting, some have reached their goal, but it’s a safe place to share and ask questions no matter where your are on your weight loss journey.  Head on over to Fat2Fit Support.com and join today.  There are almost 300 members and the number of members and great information each member contributes keeps growing every day.

As this is the Season Finale, we’re going to be taking a couple weeks off to do some retooling of the show.  Look for some subtle changes in the next show and here on the website.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to the show for free by e-mail or by RSS.  Check out the Subscribe page for more information or just check out the upper right-hand side of the web site.

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Fat 2 Fit Show #48 - Season 2 Finale: Listener Profiles

In the e-mail section this week, we field a question from John Sanderson about calories.  We also discuss clothing to wear during running and walking in response to Trevor’s question on the Fat 2 Fit Support forum. Finally we give Jim Borman some advice on delicious snack foods that aren’t popcorn or celery sticks.

The Web Report consists of an inspirational article that Jeff found about a guy that lost 265 lbs. over 2 years and is keeping it off.  Russ finds a list of the 11 worst foods that you should avoid.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to the show for free by e-mail or by RSS.  Check out the Subscribe page for more information or just check out the upper right-hand side of the web site.

Links Mentioned in the Show:
11 Worst foods to avoid
Man sheds 265 pounds
Heart Attack Grill

Homework:
Halloween has just passed.  Everybody probably had a few extra treats, so it is now time to hide them out of sight so that they won’t tempt you or actually throw them out so that you don’t end up eating them all.  Once you have done that, this weeks homework is to replace those temptations with healthy ones. The goal here is to have 2 or 3 healthy alternatives for those emergencies when you are hungry or even for time like when you are watching a movie and just looking for something to snack on.  Having a snack once and while doesn’t have to destroy your calorie goals for the day if you plan a bit ahead.

Recipe of the Week
Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s

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Fat 2 Fit Show #47 - Heart Attack Grill

As promised in the latest episode, here is our review of Weightbot by Tapbots.  I have been planning to purchase an iPhone for the last 3 or 4 months.  My current contract was up on 10/18 and so I bought one and the first application that I purchased was Weightbot.  Imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail from Jeff telling me he bought an iPod Touch.  He informs me that he purchased the Weightbot application also.  So here’s my review of Weightbot.  Perhaps Jeff will chime in with his thoughts.

There’s not much to dislike about Weightbot.  It’s main feature would have to be it’s simplicity.  It does one thing, provide a platform to record your weight.  Weightbot uses the features of the iPhone interface to it’s fullest.  You start out by inputing your goal weight, your height, and an optional passcode to keep unwanted eyes out of your business.  After that, you are presented with the main interface of Weightbot.  By clicking on the large numbers on the screen a sideways scale will appear along the bottom of the screen.  By flicking your finger across the scale you can input your weight down to the tenth of a pound.  Simply click the large numbers that now has your weight and it will be recorded for the day.  Also included on the display is your current BMI.

Each day record your weight this way and soon you’ll have a nice looking graph of your weight loss.  If you rotate the iPhone 90 degrees, Weightbot will display the graph.  Cool beans.  If you’d like to delete one of the weigh-ins, simply scroll to that date on the bottom of the screen and shake the iPhone.

What’s missing from Weightbot?  The only thing that I can imagine to make Weightbot better would be a Bluetooth scale that Weightbot could communicate with and automatically enter your weight.

Tapbots has a few features that are listed as Coming Soon on the web site.  They include:

• Ability to backup/restore your data
• Moving average line in the graph view
• Multiple graph views (Month/Year)
• Removal of the 90 day limitation to modify data
• Gestures to jump faster through dates/weight measurements in the scroller.
• Alternate data view with information like lbs lost to date, lbs lost per week/month, lbs. left to reach goal, etc.
• Localization
• Option to attach other details to each weight entry (notes for example)

Weightbot is $1.99 and is available from the iTunes App Store.

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App Review: Weightbot

When you cook a meal at home, what do you do to ensure that it’s a healthy meal?

How do you make sure that it’s low calorie?

On this episode, we discuss cooking with weight loss in mind. The topics include what types of foods to choose, how to cook your food, what kitchen equipment to cook with and portion sizes.  These are all things to think about when cooking for weight loss.

Teresa calls in to the voice mail line issuing us a food challenge.  She is looking for a lunch that she can take along on business trips instead of eating the usual lunch fare of salads, wraps and sandwiches.    I don’t know if we rose to the challenge, but maybe you can give your opinion in the comments.  John wrote in asking about trimming just 200 calories off his daily intake.  By doing this he’s looking to lose 25 lbs.

In the Web Report this week, Jeff has an article on what it takes to be “effortlessly thin”.  Russ is getting an iPhone and finds a small write up on an application called Weightbot that records your weight.  Look for a review of this application soon.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to the show for free by e-mail or by RSS.  Check out the Subscribe page for more information or just check out the upper right-hand side of the web site.

Links Mentioned in the Show:
Burn the Fat Oatmeal Pancakes
Video of Oatmeal Pancakes
Another version of Oatmeal Pancakes
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
10 Secrets of the Effortlessly Thin
Weightbot Iphone App
Michi’s Ladder

Recipe of the Week
Black Forest Ham Sandwich from Subway

Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

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Fat 2 Fit Show #46 - Cooking for Weight Loss

“Short term thinking is the social disease of our time”
- Norman Lear

“So what do we do? Anything - something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.”
- Lee Iacocca

“There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something you accept no excuses, only results.”
- Ken Blanchard

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
Ernest Hemingway

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
- Winston Churchill

“There is something more important than winning. Dignity must come before everything, including victory in a race as important as the Tour. You can’t treat people without respect.”
- Miguel Indurain

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.”
- Ghandi

“If you spend too much time learning the ‘tricks’ of the trade, you may not learn the trade. There are no shortcuts. If you’re working on finding a short cut, the easy way, you’re not working hard enough on the fundamentals. You may get a way with it for a spell, but there is no substitute for the basics. And the first basic is good, old fashioned hard work.”
-John Wooden

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Weight Loss Motivation Part 4

In the e-mail and comment section of the show we answer two questions about calories and high fructose corn syrup.  Rick writes in and asks about doubling the number of calories he eats at breakfast.  Colorful Kimbo has heard differing opinions on whether high fructose corn syrup is good for you.  What do you think?

In the Web Report, Jeff walks us through an article explaining what the most popular male cover model on Men’s Health Magazine eats on a daily basis.  It’s one of those perfect diets that everyone should strive to eat.  One of the recipes will probably make it as a Recipe of the Week.  Russ talk about the Trikke.  It’s a vehicle that will get you from point A to point B while burning some serious calories at the same time.  A neighbor of Russ’ rides a Trikke around the local school doing laps and he has lost 20 lbs.

If you aren’t subscribed to the show via RSS, there is a new way to subscribe…by e-mail.  Enter your e-mail address in the box at the top of the page at Fat 2 Fit Radio and you’ll get an e-mail notification that a new show is available and ready to be downloaded.  You’ll also get the content of the show notes in the e-mail.

Links Mentioned in the Show:
Eat like a male cover model
Workout on a Trikke
Movie: King Corn

Recipe of the Week:
Slow Cooker Fajitas

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Fat 2 Fit Show #45 - Breaking Weight Loss Plateaus

After the calorie review, we tackle 3 e-mail questions that ask about fine tuning those calorie calculations.  Megan asks about whether your body can adapt to eating a few hundred calories more per day, Eleanora asks a technical question about Gross Calories vs Net Calories, and Jessica asks about whether you really burn the same number of calories if you run or walk the same distance.

In the web report, Russ found an article on a new alternative procedure to gastric bypass.  A device is inserted down the esophagus and into the stomach where a smaller stomach pouch is created.   No incision.  Jeff talks about the Mediterranean diet.  Residents of this part of the world, usually thought of as being thin, are getting on the fat bandwagon.  Is it the proliferation of cheap calorie dense foods wrapped in plastic?  Give us your opinion in the comment section below.

Links Mentioned in the Show:
How Many Calories do you actually burn each day?
Gross Calories Vs Net Calories
Running or Walking - Which burns more calories?
The 100 Calorie Food Quiz
5 Gym mistakes that keep you from losing weight
Another less invasive surgical weight loss procedure

Recipe of the Week:
Low Fat Asian Crockpot Chicken

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Fat 2 Fit Show #44 - Calories In/Calories Out

In our web report section, Russ talks about a new term known as “Yo-Yo Exercising”. There were some surprising findings in a recent study that just might keep you motivated to keep going with your exercise regime. Jeff talked about an interesting article that dealt with the typical Mediterranean diet. It had become quite famous in the past few decades and inspired a popular diet book because Mediterraneans seemed to be living much healthier and longer lives. In reality though, globalization and fast-food have made the typical Mediterranean diet a thing of the past.

In our email section, we hear from a new listener who is just starting his weight loss journey. He tells us about his training program and his goal of literally being half the man that he is now. He is currently 467 lbs and we look forward to hearing about his progress in the coming months. We also answer a question about how homeopathic weight loss remedies are actually diluted and produced for the public.

Links Mentioned in the Show:
Who is Hal Holbrook?
Get Russ’ wife a hug from Hal Holbrook
Walking Programs courtesy of Russ (www.walk2fit.com)
Fat2Fit Radio’s Support Group
The Death of the Mediterranean Diet
Yo-Yo Exercising
How many calories do your burn walking?

Recipe of the Week:
Barbeque Pulled Chicken

Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

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Fat 2 Fit Show #43 - Walk to Weight Loss Success

It is true that you will burn calories at a faster rate if you run, but whether you cover a 3 mile distance in an hour or a half hour, when you get to the finish line your body did the same amount of work energy-wise.

The scientific way to look at Work is the formula: Work = Force X Distance.  It takes energy to move your body over distance.  If your body burns 10 calories to move a certain distance, going 5 times farther will burn 5 times the calories regardless of your speed.

The biggest factor in how many calories you burn is your weight.  The heavier you are, the more energy it takes to move your body.

The Technical formula to figure this out is: Kilograms X Kilometers X 1.036

Here is the Imperial version:  0.76 Calories X Lbs X Miles

Here is the Combination version:  0.47 Calories X Lbs X Kilometers

For example, here is the Imperial formula for a 150 lb person who walks/runs 3.1 miles:
Total Calories = 0.76 X 150 X 3 = 353 calories burned

Here is the combination formula for a 150 lb person who walks/runs 5 kilometers:
Total Calories = 0.47 X 150 X 5 = 353 calories burned

Don’t get me wrong, there are benefits of moving your body at a faster rate. You won’t get a cardiovascular workout by moving slowly, and you won’t get any “after-burn” effect from a casual stroll, but if your concern is getting in some activity that will burn extra calories, walking works!

So if you are watching tv at home and using a treadmill, you can easily walk 5 K or 3 Miles in an hour without dripping in sweat and burn the same calories as a run.

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Running or Walking - Which Burns More Calories

In the e-mail and feedback portion of the show, Matt calls in with a voicemail asking how to motivate loved ones to lose weight.  He wants to get his parents to lose weight and they’re resisting.  Also, Brenda sent in an e-mail with her review of the Wii Fit.  She likes it and agrees with Russ that the Wii Fit is a “gateway drug” for other types of exercise.

In this week’s Web Report, Jeff has an article about men and dieting.  Apparently more men than ever are looking to lose some weight.  Among those men is an NBA player from Southern California.  Apparently just because you’re a professional athlete, that doesn’t make you an expert on staying in shape or losing weight.  Russ has an article that says fewer people than ever, men and women, are dieting.  They are choosing to “eat healthy”.  Which article is right?  Sound off in the comments.

Links Mentioned in the Show:
NBA Star on Jenny Craig
How Men Caught the Weight Watching Bug
Interest in Dieting Slims Down
Dollars for Dieting
YouTube Meme: Watch Me Shrink
What was your trigger?

Recipe of the Week:
Slow Cook Pork Tenderloin
Pork Tenderloin Information

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Fat 2 Fit Show #42 - Unusual Ways to Motivate Dieters

Check it out.

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No Weight Workout from Fitness Chick

The big question about these products is “Do they actually work?” Are they better than the diet supplements, or for that matter, prescription diet drugs? We go into the theory behind them, history and current science of these products so that you can make an informed decision about purchasing any of them.

In our e-mail section, we discuss a listener who had health difficulties after going on one of those diets where you are given all of your food as pre-packaged meals. There are some benefits of eating a lot of processed foods while dieting such as not worrying about portion sizes, but processed foods are never a good choice.

In the Web Report section, Jeff catches everyone up on the latest diet studies to come out of “Pub Med”. The studies themselves seem fairly obvious, but they are necessary to replicate and validate other similar studies. It sometimes takes hundreds of studies to thoroughly prove a concept in science and studies that deal with dieting issues are no different. The most interesting thing is that some of these studies are starting to back up what Russ and Jeff have always been preaching!

Russ talks about a study funded by the American Egg Council that showed that people can lose more weight by adding more eggs into their diets. Perhaps there is a little bit of an agenda here…

Links Mentioned in the Show:
Adding eggs to breakfast could hasten weight-loss
Obesity and Sick Leave Study
Study about drinking water and losing weight
Benefits of adding protein in a weight loss diet
Study about the best treatments for obesity
Homeopathy Theory from Wikipedia
ABC News: John Stossel - Homeopathic Remedies
US FDA - Homeopathy - Real Medicine or Empty Promises?
Homeopathy, The Ultimate Fake - Quackwatch.org

Recipe of the Week:
Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

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Fat 2 Fit Show #41 - The Best Homeopathic Weight Loss Options

“Hello! Do you know me? If you don’t, you should. I am ONE POUND OF FAT, and I am the happiest pound of FAT that you would ever want to meet! Want to know why? It’s because no one ever wants to lose me! After all, I am only ONE POUND OF FAT. Just ONE POUND. Everyone wants to lose 3 or 5 or 15 pounds, but never ONLY one. So, I just stick around and happily keep you. Then I am free to add to myself, ever so slyly, so that you never seem to notice… That is, until I have grown to 10, 20 or even 30 pounds in weight… YES… it is fun being ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT… left to do just as I please.
So, when you weigh in, go ahead… just keep on saying, “Oh I only lost one pound.” (As if that is so terrible.) For you see, if you do this, you will encourage others to hang around me because they will think that I am not worth losing. And I LOVE being around you… your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips, and every other part of you. HAPPY DAYS! After all, I am ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT!!!”
- One Pound of Fat

“Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals.”
- Zig Ziglar

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
- Bill Cosby

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
- Sir Winston Churchill

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”
- Napoleon Hill

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
- Leonardi da vinci

“The Secret to staying young it to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age”
- Luceile Ball

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Weight Loss Motivation Part 3

In two and a half years, he went from an out-of shape 300 lb guy watching life pass him by, to a successful half-marathoner. He relates his struggles and successes along the way, and provides a some very good insights into the challenges of going through a major physical transformation. His journey was not a quick-fix solution, but was a true lifestyle change. His story is truly inspirational.

On the lighter side, Fat2Fit Radio received a positive review in Britain’s “The Guardian” Newspaper. It was a short review and had a few factual errors, but it is great to see that we are starting to show up on the international radar. The review was written by Elizabeth Mahoney and she said that “you can rest easy that our hosts know what they’re talking about”, and that our “intense gaze at the world through weight-tinted specs goes down well with listeners.”

However, the absolute best line in the entire piece was “Co-host Russ Turley… sounds endearingly like one of The Muppets”!!!! Which Muppet she was referring to is not exactly clear…

Links mentioned in the show:
Britain’s Guardian newspaper review of Fat2Fit Radio
Who does Russ sound like?
The John Sanderson Story
Recipe of the week:
List of sandwiches with nutritional content

Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

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Fat 2 Fit Show #40 - Let’s lose 100 lbs and go running!

In our email section we dealt with getting the best bathroom scale. If you haven’t bought a bathroom scale in a few years, you will very surprised at what they can now do. Many electric scales not only tell you your weight within 0.2 lbs, but they will also tell you your body fat percentage, water percentage, average weight etc. They are now like mini computers!

In the Web Report, Jeff discusses 2 new studies that show that people actually eat more junk food when they are eating out of those small “100 calorie” bags. Russ talks about some new research that shows that key appetite control cells in the human brain degenerate over time, causing increased hunger and potentially weight-gain as we grow older. He also challenges people to try the “100 push-up challenge” with him.

Links mentioned in the show:
Tanita Innerscan Scales
Tanita IronMan Scales
100 Calorie snacks encourage people to eat more
Killer Carbs Kill your appetite control cells
The 100 push-up challenge

Recipe of the Week:
Homemade Low-Fat Ice Cream
Make ice cream without an ice cream machine

Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

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Fat 2 Fit Show #39 - Death and Diseases Caused by Obesity

“The exercise is the spark and the food is the fuel, without both you’ll see no flames - no results.”
- Bill Phillips

“The fat person with all the knowledge, education and resources… and a crap attitude.. will stay fat. The fat person with limited knowledge, resources and genetic potential.. and a great attitude… will produce much better results every time.”
- Buzzle.com

“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.”
- Unknown

“The strangest secret in the world is that you become what you think about.”
- Earl Nightingale.

“We are engineered as goal-seeking mechanisms. We are built that way. When we have no personal goal which we are interested in and which ‘means something’ to us, we are apt to go around in circles, feel lost and find life itself aimless and purposeless. We are built to conquer environment, solve problems, achieve goals and we find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.”
- Maxwell Maltz

“See, now’s the time of the meal when you start getting the McStomach ache. You start getting the McTummy. You get the McGurgles in there. You get the McBrick, then you get the McStomach ache. Right now I’ve got some McGas that’s rockin’. My arms… I feel like I’ve got some McSweats goin’. My arms got the McTwitches going in here from all the sugar that’s going in my body right now. I’m feeling a little McCrazy.”
- Morgan Spurlock (while consuming a double quarter-pounder supersize meal)

“For me, it might sound cliche, but beauty for me really does start on the inside. It’s like a state of mind, a state of love if you will. Then, whatever you can do on the outside is all like a bonus.”
- Queen Latifah

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Weight Loss Motivation Part 2

People tend to destroy their diets when they go on vacation. Not only do they not lose or maintain their current weight, but most actually gain weight! Russ and Jeff historically have always gained a few pounds while on vacation, but in the last few years they have managed to limit the damage. From our own experiences, we talk about all of our best strategies to survive a vacation, and yet still enjoy the food that is available.

Our first email question dealt with the aftermath of liposuction. We answer questions such as: What does your body do with fewer fat cells after liposuction? Does your body recreate the predetermined number it needs? Does liposuction put your body in an cellular unbalanced state? Does your body shift fat cell from other places to balance or can it re-grow liposuctioned fat cells? Our second listener feedback pointed us towards some free PBS videos that you can watch online for free. The two interesting ones are “FAT: What no one is telling you” and “Heart Disease: The Hidden Epidemic.”

In our Web Report section, Jeff takes on the marketing claims of Frosted Mini Wheats. It seems that a sponsored study by Kellogs doesn’t offer anything new or even remotely impressive, but that doesn’t stop them from spinning it into something that it really isn’t. Russ talks about Dara Torres, a 42 year old Olympian who is outperforming people half her age. You may not want to be an Olympian, but eating right and working out can keep you in you prime decades longer.

Links Mentioned in the Show:
Realistic Expectations from Liposuction
PBS show: Fat: What No One is Telling You
Mini Wheats Claims
More Mini Wheats Reactions
Dara Torres going strong at 42
The Dara Torres Workout

Recipe of the Week:
Mango Salsa -  An Original Fat2Fit Recipe

Listen here, or subscribe to automatically receive future shows.

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Fat 2 Fit Show #38 - Surviving a Cruise or All-Inclusive Resort

To start off the Listener Profile posts, we asked John Sanderson, a many time contributor to the show and a regular on the Fat 2 Fit Support Forums on Traineo. We asked John to create a post about his weight loss journey and his training to run a 1/2 marathon. While we were expecting a few paragraphs from John, he had other ideas. What we received was a solid 5 pages of John’s experiences in transforming his life.

Here ’s a quote from the e-mail that John sent when he submitted his story.

I want to say thank you for asking me to write this. It has helped me to see myself in a brighter light than I ever have before. The fire inside is burning even brighter now!

Read John’s story and think about submitting your own. Send it to podcast@fat2fitradio.com.

I’m John and this is a description of a change that took place in my life.

Where I was:

I was fat. I was about an M&M shy of 300 pounds. I had no control over my diet and was doing no exercise whatsoever. I was eating anything I wanted and lots of it. It was all bad. I ate nothing but pizzas, burgers, burritos, etc. I drank lots of beer and soda as well. I played lots of video games, worked on computers, and basically did nothing, but sit on my butt. Because of this life style, I developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, the beginnings of Diabetes, a fatty liver, heart palpitations,and many other things associated with obesity. I believe that my weight also contributed to me suffering from depressive symptoms, anxiety, lack of any self-esteem/respect, poor self-image, and no self-confidence. I was an unhappy person and I felt like I wasn’t useful for anything or to anyone.

It all started for me January 2, 2006:

I had grown tired of being tired, feeling down, and being unhappy. I knew that my life could be better. I told myself (so did my doctor) that I needed to make a change or I was going to die a miserable death at an early age. I was in terrible shape and I felt even worse. At the end of 2005 I resolved to lose weight starting January 2, 2006. I couldn’t do it on the 1st. There was too much to drink and too much food to eat in celebration of the New Year. It was obvious, even to me, that although my resolution had good intentions, it really was only half-hearted at best.

A beginner:

I knew nothing about weight loss, but I was going to give it a try anyway. I tried all of the classic things that we all have heard over the years to drop weight. I reduced fats, reduced calories, ate salads, ate less carbs, walked miles (running was too difficult), lifted weights, etc. I managed to lose about 20 to 25 pounds in about 4 months and was actually feeling a little bit better. I still didn’t have my diet and alcohol consumption under control and I still didn’t know anything about how to lose weight, what I should really be eating, or what I should be doing in the gym.

The Catalyst - My life changed forever on a Saturday afternoon in April:

It was mid April of 2006 and Summer was approaching. The weight was slow to come off and I was starting to get lazy with my efforts. I kind of expected that I was eventually going to quit and give up at some point. I was just happy that I had lasted as long as I did. I started getting back to my old routines and I was becoming more sedentary each day. Thankfully, Something humiliating happened to me one Saturday in late April…

I went to a cookout over at a friends place. Prior to my arrival a couple of guys made a bet about what shirt I would were over. One bet I would wear a Florida State t-shirt and the other bet that I would wear a New Orleans Saints t-shirt. I arrived at the party a short time later. As I was walking around greeting some of the people that were already there, a girl walks up to me with a smile on her face and looks me dead in the eyes and says “Hey John, ha ha ha, I know who won the bet.” “Its the FSU shirt.” It was at that point that reality started to sink in. I knew what was going on. I was crushed and embarrassed. My self-esteem was already pretty low, but now it was totally in the tank. I felt like I was nothing more than the butt of Life’s joke. I was upset and in my mind I had started blaming the people at the party for my life being in shambles. After the party I went home and thought about what had happened. I thought about it very deeply. That night I looked at my pathetic self in the mirror…BAM..out of nowhere….epiphany….I somehow realized that I was the only one on the planet that could have put me where I was at. It was all me and nobody else. Although the people at the party didn’t realize they were saying it, I totally understood what they were telling me. They were telling me that I didn’t care about myself or my appearance, that I was lazy, that I had no self-respect or self-esteem. I told myself that I was better than that, that that wasn’t me, that I was going to CHANGE and become more like the authentic person on the inside.

That joke at the BBQ ignited a huge fire in me and I am still motivated by it to this day. Thankfully, because of that bet, my life was about to take a turn for the better.

A new person:

The very next day was a gift, a second chance, a new opportunity at life. Thankfully, I realized several important things that day. I knew that weight loss was going to take some time and effort. I knew that I needed to educate myself about what I was going to do. I knew I needed to set some goals and write all of them down. I knew things could be better and I understood that I was the one that had to take control and follow through. I made the decision to change my life in every way possible. First things first…I swore I would never wear a football t-shirt around the people from the cookout ever again. To this day I still don’t wear one when I am around them. I actually went and bought some new clothes (no t-shirts). Next up - goals. I started making goals for everything. I made goals for weight loss, running, weightlifting, exercises, my work, my personal life, my marriage, even video games. Anything that I had an inclination of doing I made a goal for and I wrote all those goals down. To me, this was the key to completing the tasks. After goals I knew that I needed to get smarter about what I wanted to do. I started reading and learning about nutrition and weight loss I also read anything that I thought would help inspire me to achieve my goals. I read many stories of people that lost weight and changed their lives. I read every article in the Men’s Health Belly Off Club several times over. I could relate to a lot of those guys and their stories. I also read a lot of other motivational and success books by authors such as Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Phil McGraw, etc. One common thread that most of these books had was that the authors themselves all lost weight. It was almost as if weight loss was the foundation for their life’s successes.

A long road to weight loss recovery:

I knew changing my life was going to be a massive undertaking. Thankfully, I accepted this and was at peace with it from the start. On day number one I started working on a few of my long term goals. My first goals were losing 70 pounds by April 15, 2007 (a year away), completing an organized 5k run, and various other fitness/health related goals. Once I had the long range goals in place, I set short and mid range sub-goals for each of my larger goals. I did this so I could keep tabs on my progress and keep myself in check. I started out on my fitness quest by re-learning to run and following a basic total body workout plan. I hadn’t done any running since I was a kid. I lifted weights off and on. but never anything seriously. I was so out of shape that I couldn’t jog on the treadmill for 30 seconds or hardly bench press the bar. I was a long way from a 5k run and being 70 pounds lighter. My first day out I think I may have walked/jogged a mile. It was very disheartening at first, but I kept thinking about what I learned about myself that day at the BBQ.

I worked diligently at running/walking and eventually started increasing my exercise time and distances very slowly. My shins, feet, and joints would hurt for days. I’m not going to lie. Learning to run beat the hell out of me mentally and physically. The pain, however, was nothing compared to the suffering I incurred in my old life. Over time, however, I noticed that the pain was becoming less and less noticeable. After several months of practice, I was starting to run to the 2 to 2.5 mile mark without stopping.

I spent the rest of 2006 walk/jogging, lifting weights, and learning about health and nutrition. During this time there was a lot of trial and error in my diet and exercise plan. I was having to put together the pieces of the puzzle on my own. It was by no means easy. The human body, especially your own, is an amazing thing to study. Thankfully, I realized early on that the fad diets and exercise plans didn’t work in the long run. Following those would have made my journey much more difficult than it already was.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make my mid-range weight goal for the end of 2006, but that didn’t cause me to lose sight of my long range quest for 70 pounds. I kept working at it and managed to hit my year end goal a couple of weeks into 2007.

The 5k:

A couple of months after getting to my year end goal weight I was invited to run in my first 5k. This was an opportunity to test myself and accomplish one of my larger goals. Even though I had been running a while, I was barely beyond the ability to run the 5k mileage. The run was tough. I started out too fast and had to slow down a good bit. I stupidly let other runners set my pace. I ended up being passed by people running with baby strollers, by people with dogs, and even by a speed walker! I jogged the entire 5k in about 35 minutes and was hurting at the end. I was tired and winded. I didn’t even stay around for the party afterwards. I did, however, feel good about what I had done. It was a major accomplishment and I was inspired to keep working.

Weight loss goal achieved and then some:

I was always working on my diet and trying to correct things that I was doing wrong. I had hit a plateau during my journey that I couldn’t seem to get by and decided that I needed to look for ways to change what I was doing. I was browsing the Men’s Health site looking for tips and tricks when I clicked on a link for the “Abs Diet.” I read several of the articles on the site and decided to give the book a try. I really liked what the author said about eating several smaller meals over a day. I decided to incorporate his ideas into my diet and fitness plan. Within a couple of weeks I was starting to lose a little weight and I noticed that I was also putting on some muscle. People were really starting to take notice. Using the ideas presented in the book I was able to hit my target weight of 215 pounds a few days before April 15, 2007.

Once I hit my goal, however, I felt like there was still some work to be done. I had a little belly fat and I thought I could drop another 10 pounds by June. I worked hard exercising and tweaking my diet over the next couple of months and managed to drop down to 205 pounds. I couldn’t believe how much I had lost in a little over a year! I was down 80 pounds!

Toward the end of June, for various personal reasons, I decided to give up alcohol. Because of this, I was able to lose several more pounds in the next few months and in the August/September time frame I eclipsed the 100 pounds lost barrier. I looked like a totally different guy. People I had known for years didn’t even recognize me. My weight loss was starting to help me in all facets of my life. I was gaining more confidence, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and security. There was a reduction in my blood pressure, cholesterol, and my depressive symptoms. There was also a lowering of my A1C number. I was reversing the diabetic numbers! I was also starting to become more successful with my marriage and my job.

The Half-Marathon:

When I finally completed my first 5k run in March of ‘07 I immediately made a couple of new goals. I had chosen to train and run a 10k on Halloween of the same year. I also decided to make a half-marathon run in March of 2008. That was a year away. I knew that these targets were a good distance away and that I would need something to keep me pushing myself in the mean time. Therefore, as a sub-goal I chose to compete in all of the organized runs that were advertised for my area in our local paper and on www.active.com. I ran several 5Ks and a couple of 4+ milers over the Spring, Summer, and fall. I trained for each and every event as if it was my main goal. During this time I was able to increase my mileage and speed. By the time the 10k run came I was pushing the 7 mile barrier. I ended up running the Halloween 10k in a little under an hour. I was elated that I was able to complete the run and finish it in that time. I had come a long way from where I started.

After a couple of days rest I began training for the half-marathon slated for March of 2008. I was about 5 months away and I needed to double my longest run in order to complete the half-marathon. Over the next couple of months I ran a lot of miles, but I eased into increasing the mileage. By the end of the year I had run my first 10 miler. I was running tons of miles and the training was starting to become more and more difficult. I had never put in those kinds of miles and my body was letting me know it. I was starting to have serious thoughts of quitting my attempt. I thought that it might be too extreme for me, that is was beyond my capabilities. I ended up taking a few days off to rest and to contemplate what the half-marathon meant to me. I thought about how I had let myself down in the past. I realized that I had often given up and quit on myself. I decided that by quitting I would only let myself down again. This would do nothing but destroy my self-esteem that I was working to build. I had come a very long way and I wasn’t going to stand for quitting, giving up, or having a low self-esteem anymore. I challenged myself to finish my goal and complete the run. At this point I was focused only on running. The weights would have to wait. I spent the next few months pushing myself. I pushed myself through lots of aches and pains. In early February I ran the 13.1 miles that I would need for the 1/2 marathon on the treadmill. I was ecstatic! I just knew I had this in the bag! Funny thing though, for some reason I had difficulty getting the distance on the pavement. There was just over a week to go before the run and I should have been well into tapering my miles and doing some resting. I still hadn’t done the 13.1 miles on the street and I was getting very concerned. I finally accomplished the street mileage with exactly 1 week to go before the run. I was physically destroyed and in need of a long rest. Usually, when you do a extremely long run you need an extended rest period afterward. I was going to try again just a week later. Not to mention that I had to do a few shorter runs over the week to keep warm.

I didn’t feel all that well the day of the run. I was tired and my body was beaten up. I knew it was going to be rough, but I wasn’t about to let myself down. That morning I thought about all the things that had brought me to this point in my life. I actually wore an FSU Football t-shirt under my running shirt as a reminder of where I was at just a year and some odd months back. Those thoughts soon faded as the starting gun sounded. The run was brutal. The road was unlevel at times and there were many more hills than I had anticipated. I thought I was going to die at the 10 mile barrier. All of the training was wearing on me and my body was rebelling. I kept telling myself over and over…”There is no quitting.” I searched my mind for anything that would give me strength to finish. I thought about my Mom and her recent hip replacement surgery. I thought about my Dad and his victory over lung cancer. I thought about my wife and how she overcame her addiction to pain killers. I thought about my dreams and aspirations and where I wanted to be. All of those thoughts were screaming “perseverance.” Because of the strength that I saw in each of those things, I was able to keep pushing myself until I crossed the finish line.

I had completed the run! My body hurt all over. I was wiped out physically, mentally, and emotionally. When I was done and had collected myself I stood near the finish line for a few moments and looked around at all the people and things that were making up the event. I tried to take in as much as I could. In that instant everything seemed surreal. It was almost as if I was watching some one else’s life unfold. I never dreamed that I would ever put forth the effort to accomplish this task. I was happy.

I have done some things in my life that I am proud of and will never forget, but I feel that the half-marathon will always be one of the greatest achievements of my life. To this day I still look back on that moment and think “WOW”…”I can’t believe I did that.”

After my Half-Marathon I took nearly a month off from all training to rest, recover, and heal. I desperately needed it. I gradually returned to running and started doing more cycling to help alleviate the stresses of running.

Currently:

Currently I am not training for a specific target. I do, however, have goals for the end of the year and beyond. I do plan to run the Halloween 10k and Half-Marathon again later this year and early next year. I have aspirations of attempting my first marathon sometime in 2009/2010 and am considering my first triathlon. I am also working to keep my weight steady or no more than +/- 5 pounds by the end of the year.

I have maintained my weight for almost a year and I continue to watch what I eat and exercise regularly. I still read and listen to tons of motivational/inspirational books, tapes, and of course pod casts. I continue to learn new information and try new things. I often review my completed goals to remind myself where I was and where I want to go.

Forever Grateful:

Weight loss and fitness have completely changed my life for the better. It has helped me overcome many things that I thought were going to kill me or make me miserable forever. It has given me more self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect. It has helped me beat depression, anxiety and diabetes. It has given me the ability to do things that I never dreamed of doing. I now know that Health is the foundation to a happy and successful life. I used to dread what the next day would bring. I now look forward to the changes, challenges, and opportunities that await the days ahead.

Things I learned throughout my journey:

Find motivation wherever you can and use it any way you can.
Diet does not mean starvation
Eat several smaller meals a day
Eat Breakfast
Use the scale as a tool for weight loss, but don’t rely on it. The way your clothes fit is a better