Melt stubborn fat? Really? (Short answer: nope)

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When scrolling through Facebook, it’s hard to avoid ads that are targeted to your interests. Since I write and post a lot about health and fitness, I find many of the ads targeted to me are fitness related. One that made me chuckle was an ad for a video that allegedly helps “Melt stubborn fat.” So much wrong with that sentence.

First, it’s marketing BS. They want you to believe that through exercises they show you how to do in this video you pay money for, you will finally be able to get rid of fat that you’ve been unable to get rid of through any other means. They’re promising a quick and easy fix through exercise.

Second, they are perpetuating the myth that fat melts off the body. No, it doesn’t. That’s not how weight loss works.

Third, you can’t target fat areas of the body. You can’t do sit ups until the fat goes away on your stomach while it remains everywhere else. That’s not how losing fat works. Fat goes away at an even rate spread across your body. Period.

Fourth, and this is the most important fallacy, is that there is no mention of diet. Diet is what makes you lose weight, or in their parlance, fat. Exercise will make you stronger, but diet makes you lose weight. Watch what you put into your body and your weight will respond accordingly. Feed it pizza, burgers, and beer and your weight will hold steady or continue to increase. Feed it a reasonable amount of meat, veggies, and fruits and you will lose weight or get to a point at which your body will equalize to the input of calories.

Don’t fall for the hype. There’s only one way to lose weight: eat good food in the right amounts. Exercise helps your heart and muscles get stronger, but it’s the quality and amount of food you eat that regulates your weight. I don’t care if you don’t do a Whole30 or go Paleo like I did. If you take away only one thing from me and my blog, it should be this (and I’m repeating it here because it’s so important):

Exercise helps your heart and muscles get stronger, but it’s the quality and amount of food you eat that regulates your weight.

Progress Pictures Catch Attention and Motivate

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2014 vs 2017. Same spot, same chair, same me (minus 138 lbs).

My credentials don’t matter to anyone who wants to lose weight and get healthy if I can’t walk the walk. That’s why it’s so important for me to post progress pictures. If I weighed 300 lbs yet I was telling people how to get healthy and lose weight, why would they trust me if I couldn’t follow the advice myself? The same is true had I never been over 200 lbs: I wouldn’t be able to understand the difficulties in not only the physical aspect of losing weight, but also the psychological and mental hardships related to weight loss. By showing my fat picture next to a current picture, people immediately can see that I’m not talking from outside the circle of knowledge as it pertains to being a big person who wants to lose weight. I’m not just talking the talk; I’ve walked the walk.

The other reason I post progress pictures is for motivation. Partly to motivate others, and partly to motivate myself. Even 17 months later, I still need to see the old pictures to remind me of not only how far I’ve come, but what happens when I allow myself to live without restraint or limits. It’s a place I never want to return to. I never want to feel the way I felt back then. Being tired, feeling embarrassed, being unable to buy clothing off the rack, being unable to go up a flight of stairs without getting winded, having tingling pain in my extremities due to poor circulation, etc. These are all things I work to avoid, and seeing my fat self is a stark reminder of how easy it is to slip into obesity.

There are a few people who feel that my progress pictures are gloating. They feel like I’m “Shoving my weight loss in their faces” and that I’m too proud of myself. First, I’m not shoving anything in anyone’s faces. If you see the pictures, it’s because you actively searched for them or are a subscriber to this blog. Second, I am proud of myself. I did something I set out to do. It was something difficult, and I overcame. It’s something many people (including myself) struggle with, and yet, I did it. I’m not bragging, and I’m not being excessively prideful. It’s a healthy sense of accomplishment. I believe that I’ve earned it.

So there you have it: why I post progress pictures as often as I do. I know I’m not the most handsome guy in the world, but I think I’m at least not some hideous CHUD. I hope.

Repetition in themes: why do I revisit topics and how do I come up with things to post?

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There are times when I start blogging and I don’t know what I’m going to talk about. I’ve covered so many topics not just once but two or three times that I’m afraid of boring those who have been following my blog for a while. But then I realize that even though I may write about the same topic time and time again, I typically have a new angle or fresh perspective I share. Then, there’s also the fact that a lot of these topics bear repeating because they are important, and my revisiting them is not just for you, the reader, but for me as well.

There are times I want to revisit a topic or a theme because I need to reevaluate my own progress on this journey. I need to actively think about a certain aspect of Paleo or fitness to re-motivate myself or to remind myself of the reasons behind doing certain things. I figure that if I need these reminders, then certainly others do as well.

Eating healthy is a journey. While the rules are simple, the execution is not. Eating healthy isn’t always easy. For most of us, it’s constant work. Practicing restraint, preparation, and discipline. Lots of planning. Expense.

If you get anything out of these blog posts of mine, I hope it’s that you realize that this isn’t easy, but you can do it. Life doesn’t allow us to follow plans perfectly, and there are times when things get in the way and we face some temporary setbacks, but they are just that: temporary. My weight is finally in the range I am happy with (within 7-8 lbs of my final goal) and I am able to control my weight loss successfully through my strict adherence to the Paleo rules and portion control. I am active, and I exercise regularly. It’s not easy, but the formula is simple. Eat well + exercise = be healthy and fit. The hard part is making it happen, but you can do this. Just keep doing the best you can. That’s all we can hope for.

Restraint in all things is necessary for success: why not in eating?

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I was thinking today about how I used to enjoy eating until I couldn’t eat anymore. It was nice to have this ability: to do something without limits or restraint, and just gorging myself until I was physically unable to do so further. This realization made me think deeper about all facets of life, and how we have to use restraint in everything else; why do we think it’s okay to eat without limits?

I’m no psychologist or any kind of “-ist” for that matter, but in my limited experience, I think it has to do with the fact that we have to practice restraint in every other part of our lives. Being able to eat without restraint is like a release valve, of sorts. Maybe. That’s the best I could come up with because nothing else can explain it (that I’m aware of; please feel free to correct me!).

Take your finances. If you live paycheck to paycheck, living without restraint would quickly run you into trouble with some of the basic necessities like paying your rent, electricity, buying food, or (heaven forbid) paying for your Internet service or cell phone service! For these reasons (and I’m sure countless more), most people know that if they receive $1000, they can’t just go and spend it all on stupid stuff without repercussions. Sure, they may have a shiny new laptop, but it won’t help to have that laptop if you’re without a place to live, electricity to power it, or Internet to use it with. Restraint.

Farmers and gardeners know you can’t over-water, over-fertilize, or over-plant ground. Pilots know you can’t over stress the air frame with too many G’s or the wings will literally rip off the fuselage. Students know  you can only cram so much before a major exam. Restraint.

Think about how you eat, why you eat, and how much you eat. Eating until we are comfortably full is what we’re wired for. Unfortunately, that wiring also makes us feel great when we go a little past comfortable. It’s a left-over survival mechanism from our pre-agricultural days. We have to learn to live with those feelings of gratification and learn to reset the volumes at which those feelings are triggered. Portion control is one very important part of eating that I don’t see mentioned enough. I’m not talking about eating all things in moderation. That is demonstrably false. What I’m talking about is eating the right foods (meat, veggies, fruits) in the right amounts for you. Find that amount and stick with it.

There are times when I eat something ridiculously delicious and I want more. I stop and think about why I want more food. Am I not satisfied with the amount of food I ate? Or do I just want more because it’s delicious? More often than not, it’s the latter, and I force myself to stop. I wrote an earlier blog post about how this is hard for me to do with sweet potatoes. I’m getting better at it, and I’m always reevaluating my eating habits and the volume of food I eat. Eating healthy is a journey and not a destination. I’m on this trip for life.

Leaving for a Vacation to Spain!

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Today, my wife and I embark on a journey to Spain! We will be there for almost two weeks, and we are looking forward to the sights, the sounds, the people, the food, and the experiences that one can only have in Spain. We’ve never been there, so it’s going to be a new experience for us. We are going with another couple, dear friends who are also Paleo. That will make meal choices a little easier, although I will admit that I am going into this vacation knowing full well that it will be near impossible to eat only Paleo-friendly foods. For this reason, I will not beat myself up over eating non-Paleo food.

I do plan on running every other day while I’m there, and I’m taking some running gear with me. I will also do my push ups and sit ups to keep my conditioning I’ve been working so hard for.

I hope to post some articles and pictures over the coming weeks of the things we discover.

The honest truth: warts and all

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Life isn’t all ponies and rainbows. It’s full of difficulty, challenge, and warts. That’s why I don’t post only my successes here, but also my challenges. There are days I eat too much, eat something I’m not supposed to, or just feel down. I try to minimize those days, but they do happen because I am human.

I know some sites always present a positive, cheery, and a “Success is easy to attain” face. That’s well and good for other sites, but I just can’t do that. I have to present the truth.

I used to be the fat guy reading websites trying to figure out how to lose weight safely and without a lot of exercise. I would find websites that had all the answers. There was never any failure, no setbacks, and it was easy! Only after reading some more did I find out that those sites were being disingenuous and misleading. Then I read about Whole30. What made me really think it was possible was that they were up-front about how difficult the first week or two can be. That was a wake-up call for me: it wouldn’t be easy, and here they are telling me so. Why would they do that? Honesty goes a long way with me, and if they were presenting the bad along with the good right up front, maybe there was some veracity to their claims.

Paleo is much the same way. The more I read, the more I found that it wasn’t all ponies and rainbows, but a challenge. However, if you rose to the challenge and were able to adapt to it, it would reward you with great health, weight loss (if you were overweight) and more energy than before.

So, there you have it: why do I post my challenges and difficulties. I call them my warts posts. I don’t hide ’em. I figure if you can learn from my challenges, and see that it’s not all super-easy, it’ll help you either get started or get past those difficult times that you, like I did, will face eventually. It won’t be a surprise. We all go through it, only some of us aren’t willing to disclose it. I am.

A New Chapter: National Guard

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file_000-53Today, I took an oath of service, known as swearing in, to the National Guard. I am now a Staff Sergeant (SSG) in the Texas Army National Guard. This is a big day for me, as it was a goal of mine since around this time last year. I wanted to once again be able to serve my country, and to complete my 20 years of military service. I will be a 29E which is an Electronic Warfare Specialist, and I will be assigned to a local unit that is located just 7 miles from my home: 1st Battalion, 133rd Field Artillery Regiment.

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Taking the Oath of Service, also known as swearing in.

When I realized that I had lost enough weight and was getting very close to the military standards for height/weight and fitness, I hoped that I would one day be physically fit enough to join the Guard, but I didn’t hold out much hope for it. I was optimistic, but since I’d tried so many times in the past to lose weight and get fit and failed, I didn’t hold out much hope. Yet here I am.

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Signing my enlistment papers.

Today, met the  Army’s height and weight standards, my body fat percentage was far below the standard, and I can pass the Army’s physical fitness test with a 1st class. I was a SSgt in the Marines, and they have allowed me to keep my rank/grade. I have passed every extra test and jumped through every hoop presented to me. I am looking forward to serving my community, my state, and my country again. It’s a great feeling to be giving back to a country that has given me so much.

I’m especially proud to be in a position to do this. As a 49 year-old man, it’s not common for someone my age to go back in. It’s almost unheard of, from what the people in the recruiting office told me. I will be able to complete my 20 years of service and receive my retirement at age 60.

So, there  you go. Nothing is beyond your grasp if you want it bad enough. You just have to do the work.

Yes, it’s kind of embarrassing. I was a failure.

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2014vs2016edgefacePeople say I’m brave, bold, or have no modesty because I share photos that show me at my fattest or without much clothing on. While it may be true that I’m not very modest (never was, probably will be even less so as I get older), I am not necessarily brave or bold. I just want people to see with their own eyes the transformation I was able to make in my life from being very fat to being a more healthy size (and yes, I said healthy and not thin because thin isn’t necessarily healthy and I don’t think I’m thin). However, it’s also embarrassing, but I try to not think of that.

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One year of difference: 2015 vs 2016

You see, as a Marine, we are taught from Day 1 to take responsibility for our actions, to stay in shape, to be always ready for action. We are taught that we are the example for the rest of America for what a prepared and strong American should be. I know, it sounds kind of corny, but we Marines take that kind of stuff seriously. So, when I look back and see myself so grossly out of shape, overweight, and weak, it means I failed on some basic levels. I let myself go. I didn’t care enough about myself to keep the weight down and to at least engage in some physical activity.

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2014 vs 2016

Now, when I see pictures of myself at my largest, I cringe a little. Not because I was fat, but because I was deluding myself into thinking everything was okay, ignoring all the signs of my obvious poor health, and all the discomfort I was experiencing. I was a failure at keeping myself healthy and physically able to do even the most basic things like put up shelves or help paint a wall.

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Now, as I struggle to lose the last 7-10 lbs, I look back and see a man who was lying to himself, to everyone who knew him, and who failed at being ready for life. I see a man who gave up on ever being fit again, and was resigned to poor health and an early death. That is no longer the man I am, and I hope that by showing the pictures of myself before and after I made the leap into the Paleo lifestyle, I’m able to motivate others to do something. Anything. Just get healthy.

I had great muscles hiding under all that fat (And why I didn’t need to exercise to keep muscle mass)

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After I’d lost 100 lbs, something amazing happened: muscles started to appear. Most notably, in my legs, but also in other places like my abs. No, I don’t have a washboard yet because of loose skin that has yet to shrink enough, but it’s getting there. I can see my ab muscles already. My arms are another place where my muscles are very visible. This is because when I was fat, my body had to carry all this weight all the time. It’s why it was so hard to move and do simple things like crouch or climb stairs.

The result is now that I’ve lost a significant amount of weight, these muscles are still there. My leg muscles are the envy of every runner I meet. “How did you get such amazing calf muscles,” is the most common question I get from other runners. “I used to weigh over 300 lbs. I built them up over a long period of time.” More than once, they respond with, “I need to gain a lot of weight, then!” I tell them I don’t recommend it as a muscle building exercise, but it made me think.

There are people I see online who talk about diet to lose weight and exercise to sustain muscle mass. I think this advice may be a little misguided. You don’t need exercise to maintain muscle mass. Your muscles will shrink at a much, much slower rate than the fat will. Also, just by being a little more active, you will maintain a lot (if not all) of the muscles. The exercise should be to make your heart stronger and to help with strength and stamina. Muscle mass will take care of itself.

Now that I’m within 7 lbs of my final goal, it’s nice to see muscles popping out from behind the fat. I always look forward to my runs to continue building up my legs, arms, abs, and most importantly, my heart.

The latest comparison photos (what a difference a few years makes)

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On February 4th, Sherry and I went on the Bluebonnet Wine Trail and sampled a variety of wines from local Texas wineries. We had a great time. It was also our fifth time to do this, and I remembered that I had taken a photo at one of them when I was at my heaviest. I asked her to re-take the photo from the same spot so I could compare the two. I couldn’t believe the difference.

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First of all, I still like to wear caps and jeans. Second, I still like to sit on the patio at the winery and check my email, check into Swarm, and catch up on any missed texts from my kids. Oh, and then there’s the third: look how much smaller I am now! Not just the size of my stomach, but even my arms and legs and heck, even my head! The hat I’m wearing on the right didn’t fit me when I was on the left. I had to give it to Sherry to wear because my head was too big. Now? Fits perfectly.

Change is possible. It takes time, effort, and discipline. All you have to do is eat right. If you don’t want to do the exercise, that’s okay too. You don’t have to. I got from being the guy on the left to being the guy on the right just by eating good, delicious, and filling foods and not working out. Look into Paleo and Whole30.