Thanks to CNN, I have gotten deluged with e-mails and Facebook messages. I appreciate all of them and up to this point, I have answered every one. So for the benefit of everyone, here are some answers to your frequently asked questions:
1.) Why does the caption under your picture on CNN.com say "He says he's lost 370 pounds," which makes it sound like you aren't telling the truth about your weight loss?
This is unintentional. I know the people at CNN that wrote the piece and they meant nothing by it. The writer likely was looking for a way to link to this blog and that is how they chose to do it.
2.) You must have had weight loss surgery. What you are claiming to have done is impossible. I don't believe you.
You can either choose to believe me or not. However, there is not one single shred of evidence in existence on this planet that I have ever had any form of weight loss surgery.
3.) I had weight loss surgery, I must be a bad person for doing it. I cheated.
Even though it wasn't the route I took, I do not judge anyone. You have as much right to have that surgery as I did not to have it. That decision should be made between you and your doctor. Still, in the end, we both have to do the same thing to keep the weight off. That's all that matters.
4.) What do you eat? Send me a meal plan. Tell me what to do. I want your success.
I used to ask the same thing of people who lost a lot of weight. I can't do it for you, no one can. The journey is too long and the work is too hard. That said, I eat 6 times a day. 3 large, healthy meals and 3 snacks. Lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, rice, lowfat dairy, lean meats and a lot of water. I have said goodbye to fast food, restaurants, pizza delivery, vending machines, diet soda....forever. There is a price to be paid and a sacrifice to be made, but it is worth it.
5.) Have you had/will you have skin removal surgery?
Not at all. Because I have taken 3 years to lose this weight and because of the exercise I do, the loose skin is there, but it's not that bad. Besides, I want that skin to hang there, every minute of every day, to remind me of where I came from. I am also not going to undertake life-threatening surgery for cosmetic reasons, when it is just not that bad.
6.) Have you read the reader comments at the bottom of the page?
No, and I never will. People who comment on news stories on the Internet are mostly good, well-meaning people. However, there are a number of people like this who are the lowest form of life on Earth. I don't have time to bother with reading that nonsense.
There were more questions and keep them coming, but that hits the most frequently asked ones. Thanks!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Welcome CNN readers and viewers!
CNN ran an update on my weight loss journey today. I really appreciate it, even if they did use a 7-month-old "after" picture. Here's what I actually look like now.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
New YouTube Video: Everything In Moderation
Check out my new YouTube video I just made and posted. Enjoy!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Impossible? I don't think so.
Weight loss surgery is back in the headlines lately. The governor of New Jersey Chris Christie has had the lap band procedure. Before we get started, I want it to be very clear where I stand on two issues:
1.) While it is not something I would ever do, I make no judgment on anyone who has or has had lap band weight loss surgery. I wish everyone the best in their weight struggle. Please, no hate mail. I know you'll send it anyway, though.
2.) Chris Christie can do what he wants, it is his body. He has as much right to have weight loss surgery as I have not to have it. To each their own.
Now on to what I want to say.
The Today Show online ran a story about Christie's procedure. It's typical run-of-the-mill stuff. The weight loss surgeons throw in their two cents. But then I came across this quote from Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of bariatric and metabolic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York:
“When people get to the size of people like Gov. Christie, it’s absolutely impossible for them to maintain weight loss that’s significant without surgery,” Roslin said.
Oh really? Impossible? Incorrect.
Not only is it possible, but I am living proof. I am not sure how much Christie weighed before his surgery, but I would say he probably didn't weigh the 577 pounds I did when I started.
You can tell me it is extremely difficult.
You can tell me I will probably fail.
But don't you dare tell me it is "absolutely impossible," because you are wrong, Dr. Roslin. This is the mindset of the weight loss industry, of which he is a part. The message is simple: the heavy person is doomed and surgery is the only way out.
But doing it the hard way is always an option, if you choose to do it. And it's not impossible. What is somebody who weighs 500 or 600 pounds and doesn't have health insurance, or can't pay the money to have weight loss surgery to do? Are they just supposed to give up because some doctor says it's impossible? Are they not supposed to try anything?
Are they supposed to just eat themselves to death, because some idiot somewhere says it's impossible? How about eating better food? How about walking 5 minutes a day? Is that impossible? That's how I started. These doctors promote the idea that it's all hopeless, that the only way out is to file nutritional bankruptcy and go under the knife. We shouldn't even give people the information to try for themselves. We shouldn't help them. We shouldn't encourage them.
I remember one doctor 3 years ago told me that it was impossible to do it on my own because "losing 300 pounds would take 3 years."
He was wrong.
It only took 2 1/2 years to lose the first 300 pounds.
Here is a video I made over a year ago, after I had lost the first 280 pounds. Enjoy the impossible.
1.) While it is not something I would ever do, I make no judgment on anyone who has or has had lap band weight loss surgery. I wish everyone the best in their weight struggle. Please, no hate mail. I know you'll send it anyway, though.
2.) Chris Christie can do what he wants, it is his body. He has as much right to have weight loss surgery as I have not to have it. To each their own.
Now on to what I want to say.
The Today Show online ran a story about Christie's procedure. It's typical run-of-the-mill stuff. The weight loss surgeons throw in their two cents. But then I came across this quote from Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of bariatric and metabolic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York:
“When people get to the size of people like Gov. Christie, it’s absolutely impossible for them to maintain weight loss that’s significant without surgery,” Roslin said.
Oh really? Impossible? Incorrect.
Not only is it possible, but I am living proof. I am not sure how much Christie weighed before his surgery, but I would say he probably didn't weigh the 577 pounds I did when I started.
You can tell me it is extremely difficult.
You can tell me I will probably fail.
But don't you dare tell me it is "absolutely impossible," because you are wrong, Dr. Roslin. This is the mindset of the weight loss industry, of which he is a part. The message is simple: the heavy person is doomed and surgery is the only way out.
But doing it the hard way is always an option, if you choose to do it. And it's not impossible. What is somebody who weighs 500 or 600 pounds and doesn't have health insurance, or can't pay the money to have weight loss surgery to do? Are they just supposed to give up because some doctor says it's impossible? Are they not supposed to try anything?
Are they supposed to just eat themselves to death, because some idiot somewhere says it's impossible? How about eating better food? How about walking 5 minutes a day? Is that impossible? That's how I started. These doctors promote the idea that it's all hopeless, that the only way out is to file nutritional bankruptcy and go under the knife. We shouldn't even give people the information to try for themselves. We shouldn't help them. We shouldn't encourage them.
I remember one doctor 3 years ago told me that it was impossible to do it on my own because "losing 300 pounds would take 3 years."
He was wrong.
It only took 2 1/2 years to lose the first 300 pounds.
Here is a video I made over a year ago, after I had lost the first 280 pounds. Enjoy the impossible.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Product Review: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 Running Shoes
Being overweight for the first 37 years of my life, I was always very hard on shoes. Most shoes would last me 6 months...tops. And trying to find anything wide enough for my feet was nearly impossible. Eventually, I settled on 4E wide New Balance shoes and I wore those for probably 20 years.
But, now that I have lost 370 pounds, I can wear whatever shoes I want. Or can I?
The Feet Transformation
With all that weight being lost, I have discovered my feet have changed dramatically. It's hard to describe, but they are very sensitive. A shoe that rubs my toes or doesn't have a wide enough toe box might be a minor inconvenience for some, but it means excruciating pain for me. I have tried on at least 100 pairs of shoes in the last year or so and have finally settled on one pair.
My quest led me to my local running store to try out proper running shoes. I had heard these were the best of the best. I also was warned I would pay a lot for a good pair...over $100. But I was prepared to shell out the bucks. You get what you pay for, right?
The salesman at the store had me run on a treadmill and made a video of the way I ran. It was discovered that I overpronated when I ran, meaning my foot rolls inward. This is also because I am knock-kneed, meaning my legs bend outwards from the knee. It was decided I needed a stability shoe.
Enter the Brooks.
All I can say about these shoes is this: where have you been all my life? From the moment I put them on, I felt a level of comfort and support I have not felt in a shoe in years. Comfort is important because I walk 10-15 miles per week and bike about 15 miles on the weekends.
I could go on and on about what I like about these shoes, but I will hit the high points.
Pros:
The support has a lot of cushion, but is a little firm in its support. I love this. The shoe doesn't feel too "mushy," like a lot of the gel or air type shoes. It's just right.
The toe box on the Brooks is really superior to any others I have tried on. It is a wide toe box, so a 12 D fit me perfectly. In some other more narrow brands, I would need a 12 EE.
Lastly, the construction of the shoe. One problem I really have since I walk so many miles in my shoes is seams on the inside of the shoe rubbing my toes raw. This has happened in so many other shoes, including other $100 running shoes. It's a problem...the shoes rub your feet, so you get wider shoes, right? But then...they're too wide, and your foot slides around inside. Not so with the Brooks. The fabric of the webbing is very soft and comfortable.
Any impartial review would also show the cons. There aren't many.
It would be nice if there were more color choices. The Andrenaline GTS 13 in a 12D comes in either blue or red. Also, the style is typical running shoe style...really bright and eye-catching. It would be nice if there were some additional styles.
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 Running Shoes
Cost: $110
www.BrooksRunning.com
Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5
But, now that I have lost 370 pounds, I can wear whatever shoes I want. Or can I?
The Feet Transformation
With all that weight being lost, I have discovered my feet have changed dramatically. It's hard to describe, but they are very sensitive. A shoe that rubs my toes or doesn't have a wide enough toe box might be a minor inconvenience for some, but it means excruciating pain for me. I have tried on at least 100 pairs of shoes in the last year or so and have finally settled on one pair.
My quest led me to my local running store to try out proper running shoes. I had heard these were the best of the best. I also was warned I would pay a lot for a good pair...over $100. But I was prepared to shell out the bucks. You get what you pay for, right?
The salesman at the store had me run on a treadmill and made a video of the way I ran. It was discovered that I overpronated when I ran, meaning my foot rolls inward. This is also because I am knock-kneed, meaning my legs bend outwards from the knee. It was decided I needed a stability shoe.
Enter the Brooks.
All I can say about these shoes is this: where have you been all my life? From the moment I put them on, I felt a level of comfort and support I have not felt in a shoe in years. Comfort is important because I walk 10-15 miles per week and bike about 15 miles on the weekends.
I could go on and on about what I like about these shoes, but I will hit the high points.
Pros:
The support has a lot of cushion, but is a little firm in its support. I love this. The shoe doesn't feel too "mushy," like a lot of the gel or air type shoes. It's just right.
The toe box on the Brooks is really superior to any others I have tried on. It is a wide toe box, so a 12 D fit me perfectly. In some other more narrow brands, I would need a 12 EE.
Lastly, the construction of the shoe. One problem I really have since I walk so many miles in my shoes is seams on the inside of the shoe rubbing my toes raw. This has happened in so many other shoes, including other $100 running shoes. It's a problem...the shoes rub your feet, so you get wider shoes, right? But then...they're too wide, and your foot slides around inside. Not so with the Brooks. The fabric of the webbing is very soft and comfortable.
Any impartial review would also show the cons. There aren't many.
It would be nice if there were more color choices. The Andrenaline GTS 13 in a 12D comes in either blue or red. Also, the style is typical running shoe style...really bright and eye-catching. It would be nice if there were some additional styles.
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13 Running Shoes
Cost: $110
www.BrooksRunning.com
Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5
Friday, April 26, 2013
7 Habits of Healthy People
As I approach the third anniversary of my lifestyle change, it's become obvious to me that there are certain behaviors and certain things that healthy people do that we could all stand to follow. Some of these I do, some of them I should do more of.
So with apologies to the late, great Stephen Covey, I present to you the 7 habits of healthy people:
1.) Healthy people eat all the time. It's true, I've seen it in action...and now I do it. Healthy people realize that the body is a machine and the machine needs fuel. You can't treat your body like a car, driving around on E all the time and only filling up at the last possible minute. If you don't eat often, then you become very hungry and desperate, which leads to poor decision-making and binge eating on unhealthy foods.
2.) Healthy people are prepared. You have to eat every day, several times a day...day in and day out, week in and week out. Healthy people stock up and have food on hand. My health and wellness coach at the gym I go to sits at his desk eating peanut butter out of the jar with a banana. He wouldn't dream of not packing his lunch and neither would I. The food has to come from somewhere and healthy people don't get it from vending machines, the drive-thru or the pizza delivery guy.
3.) Healthy people don't kill themselves in the gym. The people I know who stay in shape do not work out 4 hours a day in the gym 10 times a week. They have a regular schedule where they go 3 or 4 times a week, about an hour a day. Nothing crazy. This allows the healthy person to maintain a healthy weight, stay in shape and not burn out.
4.) Healthy people work exercise into their daily routine. Whether it's taking the stairs, parking far away from the store entrance, going for a walk or something else, healthy people integrate physical activity into their daily lives somehow. That way, "working out" is not the only source of physical activity. The healthy person does not drive around the Walmart parking lot for 20 minutes waiting for the magic parking spot by the front door to open (which I used to do.)
5.) Healthy people keep it simple. I love technology. But in my observations, most healthy people I know don't scan bar codes into their phones at the grocery store or walk around with a tracker all day long adding up their movements. You don't need a special machine to work out and you don't need a smartphone app to track how much you eat. I use a pen and paper.
6.) Healthy people don't avoid the doctor. I did it for years. I would never go to the doctor until the last possible minute. I was always flirting with disaster and my stupidity almost cost me my life. Healthy people go to the doctor, get checked out, get treated for any problems and keep it moving.
7.) Healthy people grocery shop a lot. Every healthy person I know, whether it be a personal trainer, a running enthusiast or a body builder...they load up at the grocery store once in awhile. The healthy person realizes that there is nothing healthier than the food they prepare themselves, because they know what's in it. Since healthy people get most of their food from the grocery store, dining out becomes the exception rather than the rule.
Got some to add to the list? Send me an e-mail.
So with apologies to the late, great Stephen Covey, I present to you the 7 habits of healthy people:
1.) Healthy people eat all the time. It's true, I've seen it in action...and now I do it. Healthy people realize that the body is a machine and the machine needs fuel. You can't treat your body like a car, driving around on E all the time and only filling up at the last possible minute. If you don't eat often, then you become very hungry and desperate, which leads to poor decision-making and binge eating on unhealthy foods.
2.) Healthy people are prepared. You have to eat every day, several times a day...day in and day out, week in and week out. Healthy people stock up and have food on hand. My health and wellness coach at the gym I go to sits at his desk eating peanut butter out of the jar with a banana. He wouldn't dream of not packing his lunch and neither would I. The food has to come from somewhere and healthy people don't get it from vending machines, the drive-thru or the pizza delivery guy.
3.) Healthy people don't kill themselves in the gym. The people I know who stay in shape do not work out 4 hours a day in the gym 10 times a week. They have a regular schedule where they go 3 or 4 times a week, about an hour a day. Nothing crazy. This allows the healthy person to maintain a healthy weight, stay in shape and not burn out.
4.) Healthy people work exercise into their daily routine. Whether it's taking the stairs, parking far away from the store entrance, going for a walk or something else, healthy people integrate physical activity into their daily lives somehow. That way, "working out" is not the only source of physical activity. The healthy person does not drive around the Walmart parking lot for 20 minutes waiting for the magic parking spot by the front door to open (which I used to do.)
5.) Healthy people keep it simple. I love technology. But in my observations, most healthy people I know don't scan bar codes into their phones at the grocery store or walk around with a tracker all day long adding up their movements. You don't need a special machine to work out and you don't need a smartphone app to track how much you eat. I use a pen and paper.
6.) Healthy people don't avoid the doctor. I did it for years. I would never go to the doctor until the last possible minute. I was always flirting with disaster and my stupidity almost cost me my life. Healthy people go to the doctor, get checked out, get treated for any problems and keep it moving.
7.) Healthy people grocery shop a lot. Every healthy person I know, whether it be a personal trainer, a running enthusiast or a body builder...they load up at the grocery store once in awhile. The healthy person realizes that there is nothing healthier than the food they prepare themselves, because they know what's in it. Since healthy people get most of their food from the grocery store, dining out becomes the exception rather than the rule.
Got some to add to the list? Send me an e-mail.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
An Open Letter To The Weight Loss Industry
To the weight loss industry:
I am never sponsoring, accepting advertising from, or promoting any diet pills. Ever. There is no such thing as a "fat burning pill." Green coffee beans are not going to do anything to make you lose weight. Ever. You should all be shut down and arrested for fraud. You are deceiving the public and promoting a quick fix that is a lie. I hate you all. Every time I see or hear an advertisement for a weight loss pill, it is an insult to me and everybody else that has worked so hard to keep weight off.
To the diet food companies. You sell a product that pretends to be something like food, except it isn't. How is somebody supposed to live on frozen dinners the rest of their life? They can't. But the dirty little secret is you don't want people to keep the weight off. It's bad for business. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar cartel of companies that siphons billions out of people's wallets while promising them the world and doing nothing.
To the commercial fitness industry. Really? Pizza day at the gym? News flash: most people don't even need the gym. Maybe one day they will figure it out. You sell the lie that you can go to the gym and look like a movie star. The truth is, most people never will. And if everybody that signed up for your gym actually went to it, it would be so crowded you would be run out of business. There are legitimate gyms like the one I go to, but most of them are a scam. If you want to "work out," go for a walk. And then do it again.
To the home workout equipment industry. What a sweet scam you're running. You sell people workout equipment that winds up collecting dust and being used to dry laundry. And what exactly does that shake weight thing do? Yet another big lie.
To the restaurant industry. No, I am never coming back. And no, I will never run your ads. Why? Because your "healthy options" almost never are. Sure, it's only 500 calories...but it's loaded with enough sodium to give a rhinoceros high blood pressure. All you care about is making as much money as possible. There's nothing wrong with that, but you don't care about anyone's health and never will.
To the big diets. South Beach. Atkins. Sugar busters. Whoever. Your diets are all a scam. Because the truth is the truth: you will lose weight when the total number of calories you are consuming is less than the calories you are burning. Not before. There is no secret plan that will fix it all for you. And no, carbohydrates do not make you fat, you idiots.
And finally, Dr. Oz. The greatest snake oil salesman of the century. Dr. Oz brings new meaning to the phrase "there's a sucker born every day." Dr. Oz profits from low-information TV watchers who watch his show and believe the nonsense he is pedaling. How on Earth somebody who is a medical doctor could promote so many lies day in and day out blows my mind. And yet, he knows what sells. Because people sitting at home watching TV, desperate to lose weight at all costs, will go buy whatever he is pushing.
I don't believe in conspiracies. But what I know is that all of these thieves and scoundrels have a horrible track record and I want nothing to do with it. I have not worked for 3 years...and will have to continue to work for the rest of my life....to keep off the 360 pounds I have lost just to sell my soul to these scumbags.
Go away...forever.
I am never sponsoring, accepting advertising from, or promoting any diet pills. Ever. There is no such thing as a "fat burning pill." Green coffee beans are not going to do anything to make you lose weight. Ever. You should all be shut down and arrested for fraud. You are deceiving the public and promoting a quick fix that is a lie. I hate you all. Every time I see or hear an advertisement for a weight loss pill, it is an insult to me and everybody else that has worked so hard to keep weight off.
To the diet food companies. You sell a product that pretends to be something like food, except it isn't. How is somebody supposed to live on frozen dinners the rest of their life? They can't. But the dirty little secret is you don't want people to keep the weight off. It's bad for business. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar cartel of companies that siphons billions out of people's wallets while promising them the world and doing nothing.
To the commercial fitness industry. Really? Pizza day at the gym? News flash: most people don't even need the gym. Maybe one day they will figure it out. You sell the lie that you can go to the gym and look like a movie star. The truth is, most people never will. And if everybody that signed up for your gym actually went to it, it would be so crowded you would be run out of business. There are legitimate gyms like the one I go to, but most of them are a scam. If you want to "work out," go for a walk. And then do it again.
To the home workout equipment industry. What a sweet scam you're running. You sell people workout equipment that winds up collecting dust and being used to dry laundry. And what exactly does that shake weight thing do? Yet another big lie.
To the restaurant industry. No, I am never coming back. And no, I will never run your ads. Why? Because your "healthy options" almost never are. Sure, it's only 500 calories...but it's loaded with enough sodium to give a rhinoceros high blood pressure. All you care about is making as much money as possible. There's nothing wrong with that, but you don't care about anyone's health and never will.
To the big diets. South Beach. Atkins. Sugar busters. Whoever. Your diets are all a scam. Because the truth is the truth: you will lose weight when the total number of calories you are consuming is less than the calories you are burning. Not before. There is no secret plan that will fix it all for you. And no, carbohydrates do not make you fat, you idiots.
And finally, Dr. Oz. The greatest snake oil salesman of the century. Dr. Oz brings new meaning to the phrase "there's a sucker born every day." Dr. Oz profits from low-information TV watchers who watch his show and believe the nonsense he is pedaling. How on Earth somebody who is a medical doctor could promote so many lies day in and day out blows my mind. And yet, he knows what sells. Because people sitting at home watching TV, desperate to lose weight at all costs, will go buy whatever he is pushing.
I don't believe in conspiracies. But what I know is that all of these thieves and scoundrels have a horrible track record and I want nothing to do with it. I have not worked for 3 years...and will have to continue to work for the rest of my life....to keep off the 360 pounds I have lost just to sell my soul to these scumbags.
Go away...forever.
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