Fat Loss Stories of Inspiration: Mike Boyd (440lbs - 187lbs)

I've decided to change the name of not only this series, but to my blog's tag-line too. I think there has been too much of an emphasis on weight loss fellas and it really needs to stop. When you say that you need to lose weight, what you are really wanting to lose is not simply weight but stored body fat! I know that this may sound like I'm splitting hairs, but I'm not.

Focusing primarily on the weight loss on a scale opens you up for a host of problems. First, you can be easily suckered into programs or weight loss aids that promise fast weight loss, but they never tell you whether you will be losing more fat than lean tissue. Second, when you focus on losing weight, instead of fat, you're more than likely going to look saggy and soft as you slim down, which is something that I'm sure you and your significant other don't want!

So, from here on out, this series will no longer be "Weight"Loss Stories of Inspiration, but will be now known as Fat Loss Stories of Inspiration because losing fat is the real goal. Also, I am now encouraging you guys to "Feed your brain to lose the fat!" OK, now let's move on to our next story. Oh, before I forget, I'm going to highlight at least one inspirational story a month; however, some months, like this one, I may spotlight more.

* * *

It had to be around 2006 when I first came across Mike Boyd's website. I was absolutely blown away by his transformation. Mike started his journey at a staggering 440lbs in 2005, and by 7/2007 he was weighing in at @187lbs!! Oh, and he did this through changing his eating habit and weight training only!

On his website, Mike explains that one of the main reasons he started his journey was because his doctor told him that either he lost the weight, or they would have to amputate his leg, which had horrible water retention problem that would have him visiting the hospital every 2-3 weeks. Mike remembers exactly what his doctor told him on one of his visits to the hospital to have, yet another, infection in his leg treated:

My doctor was blunt and to the point. He said "Your [sic] going to lose your leg"... and in the next breath he said "IF you don't do something NOW and I mean right NOW to change your life". Knock knock... reality check...

Well, this was more than enough to cause Mike to re-think his current situation and to, eventually, plan out how he was going to tackle his weight problem. However, the very first steps were the most difficult for him because of his size. He jokes on his site that he was only able to do 1 minute of cardio his first day. Hey, this clearly shows us that we all have to start somewhere, right?

Below, Mike explains the ordeal he went through just to get the mail at his job:

I could not walk to the mailbox and when it came time to clock out at work every night I would go through this unreal routine, which was extremely stressful, and challenging to me both mentally and physically. I would leave my desk and walk 27 paces to the waiting room then sit down, because I was extremely out of breath and scared that I was going to pass out. I had extreme anxiety over the fact that I could not breath or catch my breath so I had to make sure that I did not do anything over the absolute minimum to stress myself. Next after a few minutes rest I made my way to my vehicle and started it up then drove around the back of the building. I rested another few minutes in the car then I walked 20 steps into the waiting room where the Time clock was and parked my butt on a chair for 3-4 mins until I felt I was rested up enough for the journey back out to my vehicle.

Shortness of breath, pain in the legs, fear of passing out, all did not deter Mike from his goal of finally losing the weight and being the father he always wanted to be to his family. So he endured, and with the help of Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program, Mike added weight resistance to his cardio routine and started to clean up his diet.

Well, as they say, a picture (or two) is worth a thousand words, so I'll let you guys see how Mike transformed his body from this guy:

To this guy:

OK, you can close your mouth and pick your jaw up off the floor now .... LOL!

Mike and I traded a couple of emails back in 2007, but I haven't heard from him this year. So, I'm not sure how he is doing in his new body. But, the determination and desire that he has shown in losing so much fat (over 200lbs to be exact!) leads me to believe that Mike is doing just fine. Also, he has a note at the top of his website to his visitors:

Mike has waged a personal WAR against Body fat and reclaimed his Life! Its all about Burning the Fat and feeding the Muscle as Tom Venuto can attest to! Over 200 Lbs of Fat put to rest. New goals continue to re-kindle my spirit as 2008 moves on. Stay tuned, my story is still unfolding!

I think it's safe to say that Mike is still on point with his fat loss and overall transformation. Guys, feel free to go to his website to see more pictures and to read more about his story.

Hands down, Mike's transformation inspired me more than any other one I've come across on the internet!

My Weight Gains & Losses By the Year - Part II

Well, it looks like in addition to the other new features I already have planned for my new and improved blog, an integrated Discussion Forum will also be added. I really appreciate you guys taking time out to let me know how my blog can better serve you. I've posted another poll that I'd like for you to answer; as always, thanks in advance for helping me out.

OK, before continuing with Part II of this series, I wanted to share some exciting news. I've been in contact with Lyle McDonald, the author of The Rapid Fatloss Handbook, and he has agreed to let yours truly interview him! I'm pretty stoked about this interview because I've read just about all of Lyle's books, and the guy knows his stuff. If you're not familiar with him, all you have to do is Google his name, and you'll come across countless articles that he has written about topics ranging from ketogenic diets to how to get rid of stubborn fat, which you guys know that I'm still battling with.

Speaking of which, stubborn fat that is, starting next Monday (7/7/08) I will begin following the dietary protocol detailed in Lyle's Rapid Fatloss Handbook for 12 days. I'll explain the ins and outs of everything Monday of next week. As a matter of fact, I'm going to blog daily about my latest experience in attempting to further reduce my body fat percentage. However, I'm going to blog about it at my new Training Blog. I will continue to update it this week, so expect a mess if you decide to check it out before next week.

Alright, let's continue with my slow walk to weighing over 300lbs and what it took for me to lose, and most importantly, keep the weight off:

1998 - 2000: I like to think of these years as my discovering all the fascinating things about Southern California. Now, I'll be the first to admit that you either love it or hate it out here. I've had many of my friends come to visit from other parts of the country, and they were either ready to move in with me or were calling to arrange an earlier flight. So, I guess I just fell in love with all the different cultures and, of course, the cuisines that came along with them. I started dating a woman who was an OK cook, by her own admission, but man did she know where all the great restaurants were.

I'd never had Thai or Japanese food before, and when I found out that Taco Bell wasn't authentic Mexican food, I was floored! But, I think what took the cake was this Greasy Chinese joint in downtown LA that's actually a city landmark. Man, all these new dishes and let's not mention the desserts, tickled my taste buds. For some reason, I just didn't remember tasting such light and fluffy icing on cakes that actually had fresh fruit in the middle. And how could life be complete without eating pan dulce or, my favorite Mexican ginger bread, cochinitos?

As you can imagine, eating all these new foods only added to my already obese frame. As I celebrated bringing in the new millennium in Kingston, Jamaica, I had gained close to 20lbs in the two years I had lived in California. Oh, and I gained this weight while following a predominantly vegetarian diet. And for the record, it sucks being fat, but it really sucks being a fat vegetarian!

2000 - 2002: I started off 2000 weighing in at my highest weight, at that time, of 288lbs. In the back of my mind, I knew that I was quickly approaching the BIG 300, but I knew that I wouldn't let myself get that fat. So, I became desperate and consumed with trying to lose weight. You know the feeling guys, and our usual response: balls to the walls workouts! Yeah, I hit the gym and played tennis, only to hurt myself time and time again. I remember hurting my knees so badly that I actually went to the Emergency Room. I waited more than 2 hours just to have a doctor, who was around the same size as me, tell me that I needed to lose weight. Talking about the pot calling the kettle black!

Like most of you, I was desperate and tried pretty much anything that guaranteed that I would lose the weight. Whether it was Xenadrine, Ripped Fuel, Metabolite, the Lemon-Molasses Fast, Cabbage Soup Diet, taking hundreds of dollars worth of supplements I picked up from a Naturopathic Doctor, which included drinking de-ionized water with activated charcoal, I tried it. That's right, I was actually taking a scoop-full of charcoal to help cleanse the walls of my intestines, "Where all the fat is attached", he assured me. Besides making my crap look like peppered steak, I'm pretty sure it didn't work for the fat since I was still 288lbs.

Then, before I knew it, I got wind that my lady's niece had a friend who had lost a ton of weight taking prescription weight loss pills she got from a doctor in Tijuana, Mexico. She had lost more than 60lbs without doing a lot of exercise, so I was more than anxious to make a trip across the border. The Doctor's office was nice, clean, and very modern, so I felt comfortable with the information and diet suggestions he gave me. I was given a three month supply of diet pills, and made an appointment to return in 3 month's time to pick up another prescription and for him to monitor my weight loss progress.

Well, I probably went to see the good doctor a total of two times, and when 2001 rolled around I was down to 240 lbs.! I had dropped more than 40lbs following this routine. I would drink a meal replacement twice a day and eat one solid meal, which was usually lunch. After taking my second set of pills after lunch, the thought of eating literally made me nauseous. I had never experienced such a powerful appetite suppressant in my life. And, my energy levels were through the roof. I would go to the gym and stay on the elliptical machine for more than an hour at a time!

This was a great period of my life because I was smaller than I'd been since finishing graduate school. I had to go out and buy new clothes because all of my old clothes were falling off me, and I was starting to get more attention from the ladies too! I felt like a new man, but there were a couple of things that stayed with me like the proverbial albatross around my neck.

First, I knew that I could not continue to take pills for the rest of my life, no matter how easy they made it for me not to eat and, therefore, lose weight. Second, I hated the fact that I was soft and had hardly any muscle definition. This sucked because I really wanted to walk around shirtless, but there was no way I would do that with the man boobs I was sporting. Well, everything eventually came to a head when I found out that the pills I had been taking were basically speed! It was no wonder I was like the energizer bunny in the gym . . . I guess I was in my own Requiem for a Dream.

I stopped taking the weight loss pills towards the end of 2001, and the weight gain that ensued even surprised me. No, I wasn't surprised that I was regaining my weight since I went from eating one meal a day back to my usual three a day, with plenty of snacking in between. What surprised me was the rate in which I regained the weight, and the extra weight that also tagged along.

When it was all said and done, I ended 2002 weighing in at 310 lbs.! Honestly fellas, I'm sure that I weighed more than this, but I got off the scale once it hit 310. I could not believe that I had re-gained all of my lost weight plus 20lbs more.

2002 was a good year for me professionally and personally, since I was in a new relationship; however, these things could not overshadow the fact that I had allowed myself to reach a weight I swore I'd never get to. Well, not only did I get to the forbidden weight, I kicked down its door!

* * *

Guys, I'm going to blog about my five year weight loss journey, one year at a time in upcoming posts. So, stay tuned for the rest of this series over the next couple of weeks ...

"Why Everyone is an Athlete" by John Wood

OK fellas, I just got back from my mother's 70th birthday party my siblings and I had for her this past weekend in Charlotte, NC. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hook up with my buddy Ray, from www.pushupboard.com, whose company is based in North Carolina, but I was able to see a familiar face in Atlanta.

While staying with my brother in Atlanta, I was able to catch up with my buddy Matt Sloane, the CNN producer who actually conducted my interview. He gave my wife and I a great tour of the CNN's main headquarters in Atlanta. It was great seeing the set for many of my favorite news shows and to see some of anchors and news reporters I see everyday.

In a post later on this week, I'm going to post pictures and give you guys a full account of my weekend, but for today, I wanted to re-post an email that John Wood sent out to all those who subscribe to his Old Time Strongman blog. John has many other websites that I frequently visit, and I highly recommend that you check them out too, especially the first one below:

http://www.bodyweightbasics.com
http://www.FunctionalHandStrength.com
http://www.trapbartraining.com
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com

In the following post, John discusses a quote from old time strongman Al Treloar from 1904!! That's right, over 100 years ago, guys knew the importance of training and exercising for not only athletic competition, but for overall wellness and good health! When I write that I want to have the body of an athlete, that's exactly what I mean--I'm striving for the body of an athlete in the sport of life, as John notes below. Enjoy:

* * *

"Why Everyone is an Athlete" by John Wood

There are many good reasons to train - some obvious and
some not quite so obvious.

I recently ran across something written by Al Treloar
(the subject of a recent blog post) way back in 1904, which makes
a lot of sense to me.

Check it out:

"Next to a clear conscience, a strong body is the most
desirable thing in life and the latter assures the former.
Physical exercise brings bodily improvement and
therefore better health with all that that implies.

Pain is the greatest affliction of human life and good health
which nearly all can get but exercise means freedom from
pain.

The study and habit of exercise calls attention also to the
general laws of health, and create an ambition and desire
for bodily perfection, thus hastening the desired result.

Another aspect of the results of exercise that will appeal
to busy people is the greatly increases capacity for work
produced.

The business man or mental worker who gains a strong
and healthy physical make-up will not only endure more
hours of work but will be able to accomplish vastly more
and better work in the same time than before.

Not only are one's chances of high success increased by
fine bodily vigor, but from the examples one is
almost led to believe that a well-trained and vigorous
body is necessary to the best success."

You'll see a lot of training info written for athletes of one
sort or another, (football, baseball, wrestling etc) but the
fact of the matter is that everyone is an athlete in
the "sport" of life.

The lesson here should be clear:

Whether catching touchdown passes, or doing yardwork,
physical training will help you do it better...

Train hard,
John Wood

Men and Eating Disorders: It's Time to "Man Up!"

I'm sure that most guys would want to believe that women are the only ones with eating disorders (ED); however, those of you who have struggled with your weight over the years know, whether you publicly acknowledge it or not, that's not the case. And, hey, I'm no different.

Growing up in a household with a mother who was constantly going from one diet to the next really made an impression on my eating habits. I can remember that along with milk and OJ in the fridge, there would be cans of Tab and Diet Rite (which was the 1st diet soda in the states). Melba toast, cottage cheese, whey powder (from Amway), and tons of grapefruit were always on hand. Oh, and when the low-fat craze hit in the 80s, you better believe that my mom followed suit. I can remember all of the tasty soul food of my youth was ruined by this damn mania! How on earth can you eat fried cabbage seasoned with vegetable oil!

I never really thought that my mom's obsession with losing weight would eventually rear its ugly head in my life once I started to pack on the pounds; unfortunately, that's what happened. Sure, I remember my mom having a copy of the TWA Flight Attendants Diet on the refrigerator door for many years, but I would simply shake my head when I saw it because I thought, and still do, that cottage cheese wasn't meant for human consumption. :)

Nevertheless, I soon realized I didn't have a positive relationship with food when I was faced with losing the freshman 25 that I put on my first year of college. Losing weight, no matter how much you need to lose, is a daunting task at first because you realize that you are going to have to put in an effort that you're obviously not doing or you wouldn't be overweight, right?

So, when I was faced with having to lose weight for the first time in my life, what did I do? I tried to starve myself of course! I made up my mind that I would eat once a day and drink plenty of water. Oh, and I would start lifting weights with my roommates and playing tennis for cardio. As you can imagine, I lost the weight and more people started to notice me on campus, but this victory over the bulge was short lived. Sure, eating once a day was easy during the summer because I was a poor college student working on campus, and I wasn't on the meal plan. So, my "diet" was really easy to follow. As soon as the regular semester started, and my meal plan was reinstated, I regained all the lost weight.

After going up and down with my weight throughout my college years, I started to notice that I had developed a habit of dieting until I couldn't take it, and then I would binge. I have never purged, but my binges grew more severe as the years and pounds came on. One thing I always found interesting about my binges, especially as I got older, is that a pattern had developed.

First, I would be stressed about something going on in my life that I believed I had no control over. Then, I'd usually order delivery with enough food for 2-3 people. Almost immediately after paying the driver and closing the door, I would get this intense feeling of shame and disgust with myself. The more I saw all the food I had ordered, the more I hated myself. Finally, I would think to myself that the best way to rid myself of all these negative feelings is to eat it as quickly as I could. And, that's what I did until I could no longer shovel any more food in my mouth, or I was staring at an empty container. What's crazy about my pattern is that once I finished all, or the majority, of the food, I would feel a sense of relief?!? I would feel this way because I could now throw out the evidence of my binge and act as if it never happened ....

As a result of my night-time binging, all of my weight loss efforts were futile. It was a vicious cycle that I was in, and it was one that I had to break! And, fortunately, that's exactly what I did in 2002, which was the last year that I went on a binge. Now, does this mean that I simply walked away from it with no lasting side effects? Of course not! Just because I didn't actually binge, does not account for the numerous times I "mentally" binged when I was stressed. OK, some guys may think that this type of binging isn't that dangerous because you're not actually going through with the physical act, but I disagree.

When I would give into my midnight gorging sessions, I was obviously acting on urges and not allowing myself to think them through before acting on them. Similar to a child going with a stranger who has a pretty balloon or piece of candy, I binged with no more thought than "I'm stressed and I'm hungry .... no, I'm really hungry". All of the regret and shame came after the food actually arrived and soon went away once I hid the evidence. So, stopping this behavior was more about me becoming more conscious about my destructive behavior and changing it. It really is that simple, but that's why I say that the "mental binges" are worse.

They are worse because they mean that you have not quieted that voice of doubt in the back of your head. Fellas, you know the voice I'm talking about. No? Sure you do. It's that little voice that tells you that "You'll never lose weight!"; it's the voice that says "I don't care how hard you try that program won't work for you FAT BOY!" or "Everyone in your family is fat, so what makes you special?". Depending on how much weight you need to lose or how long you've been overweight, this voice can be as quiet as an occasional whisper (which I still hear) to a patronizing proclamation of your weight loss failure!

Having "mental binges" means that you are not fully confident that you can really lose weight and keep it off this time. In addition to nutrition and physical training, you must address this voice guys; don't ignore it or act as if it's not there. Oh, it's there and it's not going anywhere as long as you ignore or try to run away from it. One thing I can honestly say is that you have to face the voice! Today, may not be the day, but there will come a day that you are going to have to simply "Man Up!" and face that voice and listen to all the negative, sarcastic, and patronizing things it has to say. Soak it ALL up and don't turn away when it gets a bit more than you think you can handle. Stay there, don't shy away because you've done that before.

After taking all that abuse, don't make excuses or even feel remorse for what was said. Remember it and USE IT for motivation because I have a little secret for you guys. The more goals you set and achieve, the less you can hear that voice in the back of your head. Listen, if you need to lose 100 lbs., I can guarantee that the voice you hear now, won't be as noticeable when you lose 75 of that 100 lbs.

Unlike boxing and MMA where they tell you to kill the body and the head will die, in weight loss and management you must control the head (your brain that is) and the body will follow. Mentally come to grip with your ED and start mapping out strategies to deal with it, and ultimately "Man Up"!

* * *
Update: Please take a few seconds to answer the poll I've posted about this entry--thanks!

Why I Listen to S&C Coaches For Weight Loss

When I started my weight loss journey over 5 years ago, I had no idea all the different twists and turns I was in store for. Hey, I was just some fat English professor who was tired of not seeing his . . . uhhh . . . feet when he looked down. Well, after going through various stages along my journey, I think that I'm now in a position to make some observations about weight loss and management based on my own experimentations and results.

One such observation is that out of all the folks you find on the internet talking about weight loss (e.g., diet authors, fitness experts, weight loss gurus, etc.), I put my money on programs that are developed by certified (and experienced) strength and conditioning coaches. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not endorsing anyone who has CSCS behind their name. I have a few that I personally recommend, but I'll get to them later.

Guys, if you really think about it, when we lose weight, we don't simply want to be skinny. Yes, fitting into smaller size clothing is cool, but as we get older, we definitely don't want to be feeble and weak. So, we not only want to lose weight, but we want to be stronger too. Enter strength and conditioning coaches. Why? Well, it's actually simple. These coaches have the job of getting collegiate, professional, and Olympic level athletes in tip-top shape. I know you're probably thinking, "But what does this have to do with me when I just want to lose weight and not be an athlete?", which is a fair enough question.

Let's take a real life example. Those of us who follow boxing have seen a boxer a couple of months before going to training camp looking a bit on the "plump" side. I don't know, but Fernando Vargas come to mind. Anyway, after three months of camp, not only do they walk in the ring with sub-10% body fat, but they are also primed to operate at their peak level, depending on their training camp of course. Who do you think got this guy in that kind of shape in only three months?

Usually S&C coaches, who are familiar with not only exercises but also exercise nutrition. You simply can't have one without the other, and most guys looking to lose weight usually go the route of the diet authors and their annually changing titles. Or, the bi-weekly changing bodybuilder routines in the fitness magazines at the market. It's not enough to simply diet and exercise. You must have a goal, and, honestly, that goal should be to become as strong as your Joe Average genes will allow, which is way stronger than you think!

When you think about it, a S&C coach's bread and butter is mainly determined by the results s/he gets with his client. After spending the last couple of months reading e-books, websites, and forums of different S&C coaches on the net, here's a list of coaches that I personally recommend. I've been in contact with some, and others don't know me from a can of paint. Nevertheless, their writing has influenced how I approach being conditioned and, more importantly, healthy.

Do they all agree on all points related to fitness or weight loss? Of course they don't! They're all different individuals who have their own take based on their own research and experience working with clients. However, they agree much more than they disagree, which is good to know in this day and age of confusion and misinformation. I've listed these coaches in no particular order, and please note that some of them may not consider themselves to be coaches; oh well, I consider them one and, in the near future, I plan on re-posting information and posts from their blogs on a weekly basis.

Each person on the following list has much information on their blog/website related to topics from gaining strength, building muscle, to losing fat in a no BS fashion! Don't believe me? Click on their respective names and see for yourself:

• Steve Maxwell
• Mike Mahler
• Steve Cotter
• Josh Henkin
• John Alvino
  
• Alwyn Cosgrove
• Jesse Ferrugia
• Craig Ballantyne
• Dan John
• John Wood
• Ross Enamit
• Paul Zaichik
• Jamie Hale
• Alan Aragon
• Got Built? - (Did you really think I'd have all guys?)
  

Look forward to an article from Josh Henkin (www.sandbagexercises.com) that I plan on posting later this week.

Happy Belated B-day to Mr. Sandow

I really wanted to post this on April 2nd, which was Eugene Sandow's 141st birthday, but that obviously didn't happen. So, it's better late than never. I also thought this would be a good time for me to report on what I learned during my In Search of Sandow Body Transformation, which extended a little longer than anticipated. Nevertheless, here's a list of things that I learned on trying to reduce my body fat % and my continued search for a six pack:

• Life happens - Even the best intentioned plans don't always come off exactly as planned. Getting married, moving, and trying to keep with my planned diet and workout routine didn't always work well together. So, I feel as though I did not keep sufficient records for this cycle as far as my nutrition is concerned; however, I kept a pretty good log of my workouts. Even so, my next 6-8 week cycle, which I'll start in two weeks, I plan on being a bit more disciplined with keeping a written account of my intake.
  
  
• Calories must be counted - It is really unfortunate that we are in 2008 and folks are still debating this issue. I'm sorry to keep beating a dead horse here, but I achieved my lowest level of body fat on this journey (7% as my electronic calipers indicate), and there is no way in hell I could have achieved this loss in body fat without counting my calories and eating below what my body needed to maintain my current bodyweight. I still don't understand why people are still so resistant to this idea, and it's not like you'll be doing it for the rest of your life.
  
  
• Insulin is not an evil hormone - I'll be the first to admit that I am a re-covering Carb-phobe. You see, my body responds extremely well to a low-carb, paleolithic style diet since I suspect that I'm an endomorph that is insulin sensitive, which is a recipe for a fat ass; however, I played around with cycling my carbs or carbing up which allowed me to actually eat a large number of carbs which went to replenishing my depeleted muscle glycogen and not fat storage. I'm going to play around more with this and blog about it in the future. But, I will say that from reading Jim Hale's new book and a couple of Lyle McDonald's that there are many more hormones involved in the fat loss and fat storage process that are seldom discussed. I'll be the first to admit that I'm still trying to digest what they are saying because I don't think most guys really understand how complex our body really is, or at least I didn't. So, I'm getting a crash course education now.
  
  
• Zero or very low carbs is not necessary - Unless you know that you are very sensitive to insulin, I really don't see the need for most fellas to go so low with their carbs. Honestly, I've done very low carbs for more than a year and worked out like a mad man with kettlebells only to get a very unimpressive (in my opinion) and emaciated looking physique. I had no idea how a muscle that's been depleted of its glycogen looked versus one that isn't. So, I could not figure out why I could not build muscle while I was going really low carb. Well, I wasn't eating enough carbs to keep my muscles' glycogen replenished, which gives the muscle a full look that most guys want. I suggest as Anthony Colpo does in his Fat Loss Bible that you eat between 60-100 grams of carbs a day and to take in post-workout carbs with the amount depending on how hard you worked out and for how long. Again, manipulating your macronutrients is not as simple as reduce your carbs to near zero and you'll have the body of Adonis before the summer.
  
  
• One can gain strength and definition using bodyweight exercises solely - You know I really can't believe that people are still saying this is not true, and they really should be ashamed of themselves. Yes, I understand that folks want to sell fitness equipment, but when they make outlandish claims like this, it's really criminal. As I've noted before on my blog, some of the strongest athletes are gymnasts who use virtually no weight training yet are able to do muscle-ups, iron crosses, and push ups on rings. Hey, I'm not anti-weights or anything like that because I'm going to go back to my kettlebells in a couple of weeks; however, I still strongly believe that one should master his/her own bodyweight first before thinking about picking up a weight. Also, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than buying some type of Bowflex contraption.
  
  
• Doing endless crunches is not necessary to get rock hard abs - Did I finally get my six-pack? Well, not quite, but I've reduced my sag in my belly enough to know that it is definitely within sight. Oh, and I did nothing special either to develop my abs. I hate doing crunches and preferred to do mainly isometric style holds such as ab vacuums, side bridges, oh and this one that my buddy Steve told me about which has you staying in the half-crunch position while raising your hands above your head. I called this one stick 'em up. LOL! The main thing about getting abs is removing that layer of body fat that's covering them up because WE ALL have them! They may not all look the same, as all of our muscles' shapes and sizes differ, but we all have a six-pack, and I don't care how fat you are right now.
  

• Fat is not bad for you but shouldn't be eaten ad lib either - I think what happens when someone goes low-carb is that it is unbelievable that they can eat what seems like an unlimited amount of dietary fat and still lose weight. I know because I was one that couldn't believe that I could eat three double-cheeseburgers, without the buns of course, and still drop weight. Not only did I not count calories, but I embraced fat like a long lost friend whom I had shunned during my years of low-fat dieting. Well, it was too much of a good thing because of the calories per gram of fat. I know that there are a lot of guys out there low-carbing, eating damn near zero carbs and can't figure out why they are still experiencing a plateau. Well, if you stop eating so much fat, you would automatically lower your daily caloric intake. If you're going very low-carb, you could also increase your carb intake to no more than 100 grams a day, and as long as you are in an energy deficit, you will lose weight. Also, I've switched to using 2% shredded cheese as I did with full-fat shredded cheese and mixing real eggs with a little bit of egg beaters. Also, I'm taking more fish oil pills that have also replaced some of the dietary fat I use to eat. No, fat isn't bad, but when you are trying to get your body to use the stored fat it has, you need to chill on eating so much dietary fat.
  
  
• Be flexible in your beliefs and open minded to challenge your previous views - When I reached my first goal of losing 100 lbs, I did so buy basically reading one book, Dr. Ellis's Ultimate Diet Secrets. I've blogged enough about this book, but I had to come to realize that there is no such thing as a guru or someone who has all the answers. If someone claims to, then they are just full of themselves because not one person can be an expert on every aspect of weight loss because the process is just too complex. Now I realize that much of the debating that goes on in the dieting community as a whole is really counterproductive in many ways because it keeps people from reading and trying to understand the complex processes involved in weight loss, especially if you are trying to achieve low levels of body fat. While I think that I'm getting a better grasp of the things I read, the more I read the more I realize how much I have to learn.
  
  
• Saggy skin is mainly stubborn body fat - As my picture shows, my hanging belly has gone down a bit, but I know that I still have fat in my lower abdomen and lower back because I can feel it. I'm not kidding myself by thinking that my skin is going to come back and be smooth as it was when I was a teenager; however, I do believe that it will tighten up and come back much more than I initially thought. Also, I've noticed that my stretch marks become less noticeable the smaller my belly gets, which is really encouraging and motivating because I really want to see how far I can take this. Oh, and talking about the complexity of the problem of what I'm trying to do is that I'm actually fighting against my own body's defense system of stoping the body fat levels from getting too low. And, to add to this, different types of body fat respond to different stimulii from the body. Listen, if you are dieting down to try and get a six pack, and you've never done it before like me, then let me be the first to tell you that it is DAMN HARD, and anyone who tells you it's not is full of shit or trying to sell you something!
  
  
• Bodybuilders have weight loss down to a science - I don't know if it's the image of over muscled guys or women with pecs harder than most men, but the average person becomes really intimidated when it comes to the bodybuilding community. This is really unfortunate because they have this weight loss thing literally down to a science, but let me be clear about which aspect of the bodybuilding community I'm talking about. Now, 99% of the BB magazines you see on the market are garbage that are basically full of ads of companies that want to promise you the world and basically hustle you. So, you can cancel your subscription to Muscle and Fitness. You want information on how to really lose weight? Well, go on bodybuilding forums and read, read, and read some more. Not only will you find some extremely smart individuals on there, but they are not the 'roid rage, WWF-type personalities they are stereotyped to be. BB is a competitive sport, so you don't have to do everything they do, but when you have a group of individuals who's chance of winning is how little amount of body fat they have is someone that I will definitely want to hear what they have to say. I've found that bodybuilding.com and t-nation.com are two of the best forums around. However, I will warn you. If you are lazy and looking for an "easy" way to lose weight or get ripped, these forums aren't for you. Although they have it down to a science, they don't have a patent on a magic potion to make you shredded overnight. I'm sorry but it's going to take a major effort on your part.
  

OK guys, there you have it. My report from this roller-coaster ride that I've been on over the past three months. While I did not get my six-pack as I had hoped, I more convinced now that it's in my cross-hairs!

The Skill of Losing Weight - Series Introduction

Five years ago, I decided to take control of my life once and for all, just like the countless number of guys will do this year. So, what makes the start of their journey different from mine? Did I know more than they did before I started? Well unless having back issues of Men's Health made me some sort of weight loss stud, then I guess I did. But, we know that wasn't the case.

Now that I've lost my extra chub, I get "So, what's the secret Muata?" or "How can I lose weight like you?". Well fellas, one of my New Year's gift to you is that I'm going to answer that question for you; however, I'm going to take a different approach . . . a really different approach.

This year, I strongly encourage you to approach losing weight as you would learning a new skill or hobby. That's right, I want you to view weight loss as you would learning how to play an instrument or a new dance. OK, let me back up and explain why I think this is an approach that you should adopt for this year.

Believe it or not, when I'm not obsessing about getting my six-pack, I actually have many hobbies and skills I've picked up over the years. For instance, I'm a musician, writer/poet, hydroponics/traditional gardener, part-time Linux addict (go open source!), salsero, and kettlebell enthusiast, to name a few. And you probably thought I was just some guy who likes to post semi-nude pics of himself on the net, eh? Well, my skill level in these hobbies range from a step above a beginner to intermediate; although I've not mastered any of them, it's OK because I have the basics down and, therefore, a solid foundation to build on.

Guys, you can view weight loss as no different than any of the hobbies you currently have. For example, I don't care if you've had dreams of being the next Victor Wooten (where are my bass players?), you had to start with learning the basic bass chords and keys first, right? Of course you did, and I believe that you had to practice too, didn't you? OK, I know these may seem obvious for anyone wanting to learn to play an instrument, but I believe that these, and a couple more, apply to weight loss also.

On my five year plus weight loss journey, I've come to recognize that there are five common characteristics of learning a hobby or new skill that can be applied to losing weight too:

1. Take the time to learn the basics FIRST!
   
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
3. Be patient with your progress
   
4. Look for other like minded hobbyists
5. Don't worry about making mistakes

In my upcoming series of posts, which will span the next couple of weeks, I'm going to elaborate on each characteristic separately. So, stay tuned and get ready to pick up, and dust off, an old hobby you may have abandoned back in the day because, whether you realize it or not, it's going to help you lose weight!

Please Stop Either/Or Holiday Eating

I seriously considered posting this on Thanksgiving, but I figured the last thing you guys were going to do is read my blog. Hell, I know I wouldn't! OK, that being said, let me address an important weight loss issue that comes up around this time of the year; however, it serves as a great opportunity for you to start practicing portion control.

Yes, it's that time of the year when you probably attend more parties and dinners than you do for any other time of the year. This is also the time when many guys usually react by either just shrugging off the thought of losing weight and pig out until the next New Year's resolution which is right around the corner or they are in sheer terror of the thought of so many opportunities when the fat guy is given a free pass, and even encouraged in many cases, to eat till his gut's capacity has been reached. I'm very familiar with both because I've been each guy and will give you the pros and cons of each one.


President of the Al Bundy for President Club

What guy (uh, fat guy) in his right mind doesn't like being stretched out on the couch scratching his belly with one hand and a remote in the other? Oh, and there is the mandatory drink, usually a beer or something sweet, at our feet and snack food at arm's length. Flashes of my couch potato hero, Al Bundy, come to mind and that's probably why I silently declared myself the president of his upcoming, yet undisclosed, run for the White House. Well, during this time of the year, especially in 2002, this is what I did because I had made up my mind that 2003 was going to be the year that I stopped being part of the 300lb, my boobs are larger than my wife's club anymore. So, I basically did an Al Roker for the last two months of the year and here's the pros and cons of doing this fellas:

Pros:
You are in absolute gluttony heaven because you are eating the best prepared and made food you'll get all year long. Hey, two days ago you got a nice taste of exactly what I'm talking about. As you went house hopping, especially for dessert, everyone's specialty dish tasted just that much better, right? Of course it did because these cooks knew that their house wasn't the only house you were going to. So, they put that extra special touch or, as my mom would say, put their foot all up in the dish. And I'm sure that you, as the fat guy, was expected to eat a nice size plate no matter whose house you went to or how much you politely tried to refuse. Well, taking this approach is great because you don't have to feel guilty about eating more than you know you should eat! As a result, you make a lot of cooks out there very happy and your wife loves you too because you will be eating leftovers for a couple of weeks. If you decide to go this route, have a clear conscious, regret nothing, and tell them to pass the sweet potatoes.

Cons:
Rapid weight gain is the main bummer about this approach. Not only are you consuming way more calories than your maintenance level, but you're also not moving around that much. We have more parties and excuses not to work or move around during this time of the year, which makes sense because it is a festive time of the year. However, eating more calories + moving less = weight gain. So, you'll start noticing that simple tasks, such as walking, become a bit more difficult and you get winded a lot faster. If you have knee joint problems, then the extra weight ain't going to help them, and they're going to let you know. This may not be too much of a problem depending on what you do for a living because all those extra calories cause you to become pretty lethargic and not really want to do anything that involves moving around. My wife at the time was pretty pissed at me during this time of the year because, unfortunately, I didn't have energy or desire to do a lot of things. Also, be ready to buy larger clothes if you don't already have them handy because this was the time when I believe that I was close to wearing a size 50 pants. Lastly, it makes starting your journey that much more difficult because you've been pigging out for close to two months and then you expect yourself to stop on a dime and be ready and willing to be on a new diet (usually reduced calories) and exercise (usually tons of cardio) routine. Yeah right! Very few guys have the willpower to maintain this change, so they hold out for as long as they can and then eat, feel guilty, and resemble this guy:


Mr. Atlas Bearing the Weight of Weight Loss

I can hear Willy Nelson's voice in my head singing his version of "You're Always On My Mind" when I think about this guy because knowing that you need to lose weight is the first thought you have in the morning and the last one you have before bed, just don't tell your wife this for obvious reasons! You, like Mr. Al Bundy above, have tried and failed at different attempts to lose weight; but, unlike Al, you can't just let loose and eat as much as you want during this time of the year. You know that you need to lose this weight and stuffing yourself is not the answer, but it's so tempting because all of your favorite dishes are right there for you. This is the dilemma I was faced with in 2001 after I started to regain weight after I had stopped taking doctor prescribed weight loss pills. I felt that I couldn't stop myself from eating more, and I would feel absolutely terrible and guilty about this. I've come to learn that, for me, guilt is a useless emotion that doesn't truly help you reach your weight loss goals. I just wished I had known this back then.

Pros
I know this is going to sound like I'm contradicting myself here by mentioning guilt as a pro when I just said it was a useless emotion--just hear me out here fellas. What's useless about feeling guilty is the stress and anxiety that usually comes with it. Being aware that your behavior is working contrary to your weight loss goals is a good thing; it's just our reaction to it. So, since you are aware that you shouldn't be eating like a damn cow, is a step in the right direction, and that's what you need to focus on. Just don't beat yourself up when you eat to the point that you need to unbutton your pants like you did the other day.

Cons
The stress and anxiety from being guilty causes you to binge, especially when you are in the midst of food and feel bad about what you've eaten already. You know that feeling and voice in the back of your mind reminding you that you shouldn't be eating this or that. Also, since there is more than enough research showing a direct link between stress and heart disease, I think that the cons of this approach is actually compounded. You eat just as much or maybe a little less than Mr. Bundy above, but you still consume more than you need and all of Al's other cons apply to you too.

OK, now consider this . . .

Whether you pig out with or without guilt is really not that important when you consider that the end result--weight gain--is still the same and not the desired result. So, what should you do? Deny yourself all the treats and goodies that are calling your name? Buy one of those fat burner pills you see on TV to help you "melt" away the fat? No, I want you to try three simple techniques that I continue to find very useful:

• Stop either/or thinking when it comes to eating. I teach my Basic Composition students that even though we live in a country whose political machine falls in this category, when one is making a logical argument s/he should avoid this mistake. Once I started applying this to my eating habits, I found that I became less emotional about eating and more conscious about how much I was eating. So, there's no need to be either Mr. Al or Mr. Atlas because these are just two of many options for you to explore and imitate.
  
  
• Drink plenty of water, especially before a party or dinner. You need to be drinking as much water as you can anyway, so why not drink a couple of cups to help fill your belly a bit before you are presented with a buffet of food. Drinking more water will also help you to watch those deadly liquid calories in sodas, juices, and other sweet juices. It's not just the sugar/carbs but the calories that we seem to overlook, especially during the holidays.
  
  
• Save room for dessert. While you are fixing your plate, keep in mind that you want to save room for dessert and if you get that full beyond belief feeling before dessert, then no dessert for you! Make this promise to yourself and stick with it because you'll enjoy the dessert more because you don't feel like a stuffed pig. Also, be conscious of your portion sizes. If you plan on starting your weight loss journey in 2008, then now is a perfect time for you to be conscious about how many helpings and plates you're eating. I'm not asking you to count calories, as much as I am asking you to be an active eater and not passively shovel food in your mouth. Don't deny yourself, just limit the amount. This approach allows you to eat what you want without guilt, but you are learning to see how much food you're eating.

I hope these tips work for you as they have for me.

On another note, thanks to all those who participated in the poll. I will be posting about my daily diet next. And, I'm still waiting to hear back from the photographer. As soon as I get the pics, I'll post them. You have no idea how anxious I am to see them.

Why Calories Count

The first Law of Thermodynamics states that "energy cannot be created or destroyed; rather, the amount of energy lost in a steady state process cannot be greater than the amount of energy gained" (wikipedia.org). With regards to nutrition, this law is the foundation of the calories in vs. calories out philosophy of weight management. Before I go any further guys, let me be clear about something; we are not dealing with a theory but a foundational law of science that "[a]t present, it is unquestioned"(wikipedia.org). There are those that disagree with it, but that in no way invalidates it, and also note that there are very few nutritional scientists who don't subscribe to this law.

To take a quote from Dr. Ellis's Ultimate Diet Secrets, he states:

By the 1960’s the outcome of 100 years of research into the validity of the calorie theory had given the First Law of Thermodynamics a universal finality, much like that of the sunrise and sunset. (407, emphasis added)

Anthony Colpo in the first chapter of his Fat Loss Bible states, "Anyone who tells you cutting calories does not produce weight loss is utterly ignorant of scientific reality"(1).

OK, why am I starting the post off like a freshman college essay? Well, I don't think that the layman fully understands the importance of why calories count and how there is no serious debate among nutritional scientists about this. Part of the reason is that you are bombarded everyday with diet plans on TV that tell you that there is no need to count calories, and then they proceed to do it for you.

I laugh every time a Jenny Craig commercial comes on. They proudly proclaim that you don't need to count calories, but in the fine print they tell you that there program is a "calorie restricted" one. Another one that just flies in the face of the "calories don't count" crowd is weight loss surgery (WLS). These folks have gone to the extreme to not consume as many calories as they once did, and guess what? They lose weight! And, lots of it because of their very sparse caloric intake. If you know anyone who has had WLS, please ask them do calories count.

Now, before my brethren and sistren from the LC community start sending me emails or posting comments about the review studies done in 2003 (Feinman) and 2006 (Krieger) showing that people on LC diets lose more weight eating more calories than dieters on other plans, please understand that these were not metabolic ward studies, which is when the participants are confined to a hospital ward or research institute and are basically treated like a lab rat. In these experiments, their food is measured and their activities are monitored; there is no way that they can mis-report how many calories they've consumed. On the other hand, there are those studies, like the ones I mentioned above, that are done with "free-living" participants, who are either assigned a diet or given food to take home with them. They go about their daily lives and are expected to honestly report their food intakes. It's no wonder that with these "free-living" style studies, you see a difference with LC dieters, but under strict metabolic ward studies, you don't. And, that's because the Law of Thermodynamics is irrefutable.

Burn this into your conscious fellas and don't be suckered in to thinking that there's some sort of metabolic advantage to eating any type of food or following any particular diet. There's no free lunch my friends. What your doctor tells you at your yearly physical, "Eat less and move more", is actually true, but it's only half of the story.

What s/he forgets to tell you is that there are formulas for you to calculate approximately how many calories your body needs on a daily basis to stay at your current weight. Forget about the usual, cookie cutter recommendation that men on a diet need to consume 1500 calories to lose weight lunacy most dietitians prescribe! What if at your current weight, you need 3000 calories to feed your metabolic engine? Do you really think that you can deprive your body of 1500 calories daily and not feel the disastrous effect?

Here's what I want you to do. First, if you don't know what your body fat % is, then use this online calculator to determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This calculator uses the Mifflin formula, which has shown to be more reliable than the older Harris-Benedict formula that most online calorie calculators use. However, if you do know your body fat %, you will want to use the Katch-McArdle formula which you can find here.

Now, before you think about slashing your caloric intake, do me a favor and move your ass more first! Guys, get up off the couch and start with something as simple as walking for 20 minutes, 5-6 days a week. If you are too large to walk right now and it hurts your knees, no problem. Use an exercise bike or find a pool and walk in the pool for 20 minutes. If you keep your caloric intake at the maintenance level that you've calculated and walk 5-6 days a week, I guarantee (in my best cajun voice) that you will lose weight because you're burning more calories than you are consuming. However, don't expect great amounts of weight to pour off of you because you're not burning a lot of calories.

After you have established a walking routine and dropped a few pounds and want to increase your weight loss, then it's time to go back, reformulate your caloric needs and cut no more than 300 calories from your maintenance level and up your walking routine to 30 minutes. (Keep in mind that this is a suggestion for someone who has been sedentary for a while and is just getting started with trying to lose weight)

Finally, one thing that most guys don't know is that as you lose weight, you will need to make adjustments to your caloric intake. As you get smaller, your metabolic engine will require less energy. So, it is vitally important that you periodically go back and reformulate how many calories you need for your size/weight. This is the missing key for a lot of fellas that want to lose weight. You are your own weight loss experiment and must adjust your calories accordingly.

I've written it once and will continue to tell you that losing weight and keeping it off is not as easy as the weight loss industry makes it out to be. If it was, then why are two-thirds of the nation fat? While it's not impossible, as my weight loss story shows, it will require work on your part, and counting calories is one of the most basic and fundamental rules in losing weight.

So, if you thought that counting calories was only for women on Weight Watchers, get over it. Start a food journal, write down everything you put into your mouth, and go to this site to determine how many calories are in the food you've eaten.

The Real Goal of Weight Loss (Part II)

The real goal of any weight loss program should be to lose as much body fat as you can and not simply weight on the scale. If you are judging the success of your program by simply using how much weight you've lost on the scale, then you are missing out on the health benefits that go along with having a body fat percentage within proper ranges (21-24% for women and 14-17% for men).

There are many ways that you can determine your body fat percentage, and some are more accurate than others. This site gives you all of the different methods that are currently used with a write up on the pros and cons of each one. Personally, I use digital calipers and the free body fat calculator at www.mybodycomp.com to determine my body fat percentage. Now, before you rush to the website, let me warn you that the webmaster(s) there has not been keeping the site up to date and many people have reported errors trying to sign up for a free account. I like this calculator because it's the only one I've come across on the web that you have to input approximately 12 measurements to determine your body fat %. So, if you are able to sign up for an account, make sure to have a measuring tape handy. I plan on getting my body fat % tested using Hydrodensitometry Weighing (Underwater Weighing) and DEXA before the year is out. Of course I'll report my results here.

(*Update: mybodycomp.com is no longer available. Use shapefit.com or fitday.com)

To maximize your body fat loss and minimize losing your lean body mass (i.e., muscle), you need to focus on muscle building exercises and following a diet that causes your body to use more of its stored fat than muscle.

Guys, what I've found to be the ticket as far as muscle building exercises go is to perform compound exercises, which work more than one muscle group at time, using free weights and following a simple workout routine. Unless you are considering participating in the sport of bodybuilding, I suggest you drop all of the isolation exercises like tricep pushdowns or lat pull-downs and replace them with dips and pull-ups. Real men do dips and pull-ups as far as I'm concerned . . .

Learning how to properly bench press, squat, military press, and deadlift will take you a long way to getting the body you've always wanted. Also, I would drop the 3 sets of 10 reps that we've been taught since high school in favor or less reps, more sets (depending on your goals), and using heavier weights. A great book to understand this concept is Pavel's Power to the People.

As far as diet is concerned, there is no better one to follow than a low-carb diet, and no, I'm not talking about Atkins's version either. I follow a paleo-style, low-carb diet, and eat whole foods, not the processed low-carb junk food that many LC diet plans promote. However, I'm not a zealot about following a low-carb lifestyle, nor do I think it is the only diet that someone needs to follow to get lean. In losing and gaining weight, calories count more than the composition of the diet; but, to optimize the weight loss process and to have the majority of your lost weight be body fat, going paleo/low-carb (no more than 100g of carbs daily) is the best way to go. To those who are truly interested in why this is the case, there are three books that I suggest you read:

Ultimate Diet Secrets (Lite Version) by Dr. Gregory Ellis
Neanderthin by Ray Audette
Fat Loss Bible by Anthony Colpo

These three authors have had the greatest impact on my understanding the process of attaining a lean and sculpted body. They all clearly practice what they preach and don't make excuses for it. They are considered controversial, arrogant, and eccentric by many, and I would tend to agree. But, I could care less about that because they all focus on getting results! And that's what my blog is all about--achieving and maintaining results.

Next week, I'll address the often debated issue of what's more important in losing weight, counting calories, carbs, or fat consumed.

The Real Goal of Weight Loss (Part I)

Last week, I talked about not fearing the scale and not being emotional about the whole process; however, I have to also warn you not to become obsessed with the scale either. Remember it's just one tool amongst many that you will use. Actually, body weight is not the best way to determine if you are on your way to having that svelte physique you've always wanted.

The scale, unfortunately, becomes a trap for many guys because that's the only way they determine if their program is working. "If I'm losing weight on the scale, then it's all good, right?" Well, not necessarily.

The goal of any weight loss program should be to lose as much body fat as possible, while sparing as much lean body mass (i.e., muscle) as you can. If you just go by the scale, then you have no idea if the pounds you're losing are actually fat or muscle. Let me give you a personal example.

Back in 2000, I reached a high of 288lbs. and felt that I needed to do something about my expanding waistline. So, since I live so close to the Mexico-US border, I made a run for it to go and visit a weight loss doctor. After taking all my vitals, and even hooking me up to an EKG machine, the doctor went over my new eating plan--which was a moderate low-carb diet similar to Sugar Busters--and prescribed a three month supply of weight loss pills.

Man, did those pills work. I had energy for days, and the very thought of food made me want to puke. As expected, I lost weight and lost it rather quickly. I would eat one solid meal a day (usually lunch) and had to literally force myself to drink two meal replacement shakes. I really didn't care whether this was healthy or not because the scale was telling me that it was working, and I had the energy to do 45 minutes to an hour on the elliptical machine five days a week. I would play around with the weight machines for 20-25 minutes after my cardio, but my main focus was doing cardio and watching the scale.

I lost more than 40lbs taking what I later found out to be phen-phen, and I was fitting clothes I hadn't been able to in years. However, there was just one problem: my body was extremely soft and pudgy; I also had saggy man boobs to boot! Yes, I was happy that I was lighter and could fit smaller sized clothes, but I hated the fact that without clothes, I felt and looked like a smaller version of Jabba the Hut.

Well, it was 60lbs and a couple of years later that I realized why my body was as soft as a baby's ass. You see, I never worried about whether I was losing muscle or body fat; all I cared about was losing weight on the scale. So, through my starvation diet and tons of cardio, I effectively burned more of my lean body mass than body fat.

Fellas, do not fall into this trap. To be healthy and to have a body that you, as well as others, will admire, you want the majority of your lost weight to be body fat and not muscle.

In part II, I'll explain techniques you can use to maximize fat loss while minimizing muscle loss. I'll also talk about the different ways to go about measuring your body fat percentage. Until then, here's a pix of me after regaining the weight I lost, and the 20+ friends they brought along with them.

Oh, just in case you were wondering, yes that's a chocolate candy bar I have in my hand. Damn, you'd think that I'd at least hide it, huh?

Mr. Low Body Fat's story featured @ shapefit.com

The good folks at shapefit.com have highlighted my transformation as one of their weight loss success stories. If you need motivation, please visit the other success stories and read just how regular men and women have lost the weight and kept it off. Also, there are many free and beneficial online weight loss tools available at the site for you to use.

Are you scale-phobic?

Gentlemen,

I want to appeal to a less emotional and more rationale side of you today, OK? So, do me a favor and check your emotions at the door--thanks.

I know that many of you can identify with the idea of being scale-phobic. Surely you've experienced the sweaty palms of anticipation smacking against your belly as you steady yourself on the scale? Society would have us to believe that women are the only ones who dread getting on the scale, but this simply ain't true. Many men, especially those with dunlap disease, deplore the thought of having to be weighed when going for a physical.

Fellas, don't worry about how you've reacted in the past about the scale because today's a new day, and you're going to approach this with a different mind set this time. Yes, the scale can help to feed that negative voice of doubt you hear inside as you start on yet another weight loss journey; however, that's just one way of looking at it. You can also view it as simply one tool you'll use on your journey to determine if you're program is giving you measurable results.

As, I've said, there's no room to be emotional about the scale anymore because you're using your fear of the scale as a crutch to not be accountable to yourself. Listen, I weigh myself everyday; yes, I really do because how else will I get to know how my bodyweight fluctuates on a daily basis? How else will I hold myself accountable for pigging out (read: eating too many calories) on nuts and the ensuing, and inevitable, water weight gain that occurs? The scale, in many respects, keeps you honest and accountable.

Guys, if you don't have one, go out and get yourself a nice digital scale. Also, pick up a simple day planner to record your daily weight as you're on this journey. OK, I know that pen and paper sounds so 80s, so for the computer addicts you may consider using fitday or fittracker, which is an online diet journal with many free tools; however, before you start weighing yourself daily, I have some practical tips for you:

• your body weight fluctuates 1-5 lbs on a daily basis because of fluid retention. So, if you weigh 285 on Monday and 289 the next day, don't freak out and think that you've gained 4 lbs of fat because you haven't. It's OK, just keep following your program and recording your weight because you'll start to see that that the gaps will start to shift downward.
  
  
• to account for these fluctuations, determine your bodyweight on a weekly basis. Basically, weigh yourself everyday, add up a week's worth, and divide it by seven to get your weekly average. I would calculate my average weight each Saturday after I weighed myself. Do this for every week of the month, and then average the weeks out to get your monthly average.
  
  
• view the scale not as an enemy but as a valuable ally, companion, and tool on your weight loss journey. Along with a tape measure, body fat calipers, your clothes, and bathroom mirror, your scale is but one tool that will help you determine if your program is giving you the results you want.
  
  
• this is a methodical process and not an emotional one. View weighing yourself as emotional as you would watching paint dry on a door. Instead of being emotional, learn from the process. You'll start to get to know how your body reacts to certain nutritional situations (bottomless bowl night at the local Italian restaurant), stressful events (wifey wasn't working late after all), exercising, etc. In addition, you'll begin to see just how much control you actually have over your bodyweight.

No more lying, no more guesstimating, and no more fear! Go, get on the scale and write down the three numbers in your planner, close the planner, and move on with your day without giving how much you weighed a second thought. If you're too large to use a regular scale, go and find a place that would have a freight scale or go to your nearest recycling center. Approach that scale no differently.

Finally, be patient; it's going to take at least two to three months before things really become interesting, as you'll have more numbers to compare and contrast. The less emotional you are, the more enjoyable recording and charting your weight loss will be.

Are you ready to ride w/ me?

Since I'm sure that many people, especially women, will wonder why am I writing a weight loss blog directed mainly towards men, I thought that I'd briefly explain my reasons in my first post. First, we live in a country that is clearly a male dominated one. Whether that's right or wrong is not my issue here; I'm dealing with the reality of our current situation. Men make more in salary than women; there are more male CEOs of companies than women, and the main movers and shakers of this country are usually male. And, as a result of this, men's likes and dislikes are what is accepted as the norm, especially when it comes to body image.

In our society, women are much more pressured to look a certain way than men are. So, it's normal to see a pretty hot lady walking down the street with a guy who could obviously stand to lose some inches off his waist. Men are usually given a free pass when it comes to being overweight or downright obese. However, women are spending billions of dollars on books, diet pills, and online diet programs to be thin. while their husbands can sit around with a beer belly making the excuse of "it's just more of me to love".

Well, ladies, I'm actually on your side and feel that it's time that guys own up to the fact that they too need to be concerned with their waist line and unhealthy eating habits. According to this NIH affiliate site, there are more men that are overweight or obese in this country than women! And to top it off, there are more healthy women in this country than men. How embarrassing?

Traditional weight loss blogs, as well as programs, are already geared towards overweight women. You name the diet and there are support forums and blogs associated with it, and you'll find that 99% of them are geared towards women. Well, this ain't one of those blogs. While I know that the information I'll share on my blog will help everyone, I'm talking to the fellas in a way that guys can understand: in your face, pull no punches, no BS, not PC, and no excuses allowed!

What I'm seeking to have with my blog is what I experienced in the local Black barbershop in my neighborhood. Those of you who have been to a Black barbershop know exactly what I'm talking about. If you've never been to one, go and rent Barbershop 1 & 2 which will give you an idea, although an Hollywood-esque one, of the straight talk among men that happens there. While women would come through every now and then to get their necklines shaped up, it was usually only men in the shop. And, man, did they shoot straight from the hip in their conversations. It wasn't a place for the easily offended or guys with thin skin, and neither is my blog.

Oh yeah, welcome to Mr. Low Body Fat's Blog . . .