Fat-Loss Diaries: Day 5

So, here we are on the Fat-Loss Guy Diet: day five.

The “diet” actually began two weeks ago on March 9^th …but I chose March 15^th as the ‘Official Starting Date’ because…. Gee, I don’t know why because.

Well, that’s not true.

I do know why.

I chose a date in the future on purpose …just in case …just in case things didn’t go well and I wanted to bail on the whole darn thing.

That way if I found it all too tough, I could always just ‘start over’ on the “Official” start date.

By giving myself a “do-over” date, I could begin again.

Have you ever been guilty of that?

Have you ever set out to do something big, I mean really, really big …ominous, daunting, overly challenging and super tough…..but you secretly left yourself an ‘escape hatch’ or two…..just in case things got too sticky?

Yeah, well okay you got me.

That’s what I did.

But the good news is I didn’t screw it up….

I stuck with it.

I began cutting my bodyfat on March 9^th and here we are eleven days later and I’m still going strong!

Well, kind of strong…

I say ‘going strong’ because I’m sticking with my plan and I haven’t wavered or strayed from my plan once (no, not even a little). I’ve wanted too, sure, but I haven’t. The beginning is always the easiest for me (as things wear on though…).

Even still…. I’m falling prey to all the typical ‘traps’ of cutting bodyfat and “losing weight”:

1.) I’m easily agitated

2.) Feeling anxious

3.) Feeling deprived

4.) I have low energy (sometimes, but I know how to fix this)

5.) I’m Hungry!!!!!

I know, I know….

I know I’m supposed to be the “diet-geek” with all the tricks and all the tools and all the ways to lose weight without feeling hungry but you really can’t escape it….

You feel hungry sometimes!

Your belly growls and your tummy talks and you just feel …..unsatisfied.

So am I starving to death?

Of course not.
I’m smarter than that.

But I do get hungry every so often. And I get hungry mainly because I haven’t been following my own advice. I don’t eat often enough!

Over time, I’ve allowed myself to eat fewer and fewer meals throughout the day which is probably a big reason I gained weight as I did.

Most days I eat only 4 meals….when I REALLY should be spreading my food intake over 6 or even 7 meals a day.

I’m on the comeback trail though….I’m eating more often…including that ever-important protein at each and every meal….

I’m not up to 7 meals a day yet, but I do notice that the more often I eat…the better I feel.

Next time we chat, I’ll tell you what my eating plan looks like and let you know if I’ve dropped any fat yet (I’m going to be really upset if I haven’t!).

To your good health!

~Paul

Paul D’Arcy

(517) 673-5286

www.SportFitNow.com

“Committed to your Success!”

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Good News – Bad News

When my son was just a small boy (he’s 19 now and in no way is he ‘small’ anymore) –but when he was just a boy, he loved to tell stories ……just for fun.

He used to play this game with his teen-aged babysitter and her boyfriend.

After work I would go to the babysitter’s house to pick up Sean and his sister Heather.

The boyfriend was usually there. He was a good kid, good with children and he loved playing with Sean too.

When I came in, the boyfriend would say, “Hey Sean, what’s the Good News and what’s the Bad News?”

Then Sean would just make up his stories….

He would chatter away and tell us what he thought the Good News was and what he thought the Bad News might be…

He would just make things up!

It was fascinating to hear what my 6 year old boy thought was “Good” or “Bad” about the world.

It is truly amazing what children will say when you give them the chance and then really listen to them.

Well I have some ‘Good News’ – ‘Bad News’ stories to tell of my own…and they’re all true!

The Bad News….

I’m fat.

Not crazy obese, but fat…too fat!

And for ‘the fat-loss guy’ that’s some really, really bad news.

The thing is….it sorta ‘snuck up’ on me too (doesn’t it always?).

See, I had this goal. I wanted to weigh 260 pounds by the end of February.

It was September when I dreamt this up and I only weighed 245 at the time.

Of course, I didn’t just want to weigh more….I actually wanted to add more muscular weight. That was my real goal.

I wanted to remain the same body fat percentage ….just add more muscle to my frame.

I didn’t do too badly either.

I only missed my goal by 4 pounds. I made it up to 256 pounds and my strength was higher than it has ever been.

I set all kinds of new ‘personal bests’ in the gym and on the lifting platform.

That was my ‘Good News’ …I got stronger! Yeah me!

Stronger Paul = Good News

But back to the ‘Bad News’

Now it’s mid-March and I’m fat.

Fat Paul = Bad News…Really, really Bad News

I worked real hard, gained muscular weight and I got stronger….and that’s great.

But I gained too much weight in the process …..too much body weight in the form of adipose tissue and ‘adipose tissue’ is fat …yuck!

So guess what?

The ‘fat-loss guy’ has to lose some fat now….

Should be easy, right?

Yeah right…..not so fast.

It’s no easier for me than for anyone else.

I hate dieting….hate ‘cutting weight’

But I have to do it, so here goes….and you get to watch …umm, well sort of.

What I mean is that I’ll document my progress for all to see.

This should be interesting….and maddening at the same time (for me, at least).

Stick with me here….

We’re all going to learn a thing or two.

~To your good health!

Paul

Paul D’Arcy

(517) 673-5286

www.SportFitNow.com

“Committed to your Success!”

What I Learned in London

I just spent the weekend in London, Ohio with my Sweetheart.

Not exactly a romantic destination, right?

No, not so much. London, Ohio is actually pretty far from romantic.

I was in London, Ohio for a different reason though and my Sweetheart was good enough to go with me. She supports me like that (she’s a really great girl!)

I spent the weekend in London, Ohio learning diet tips, exercise routines and new ideas for improving your health from a group of professionals that diet for a living. I mean they really do diet and exercise for a living….it’s what they do.

The folks I went to learn from were professional bodybuilders and strength athletes.

If they don’t lose fat, if they don’t get healthy and stay really lean when it really counts….they lose…period.

They don’t earn a living and they let their families down.

How’s that for pressure?

You don’t lose weight? …….you can’t pay your bills.

You don’t get strong and stay healthy? …..your family is out on the street.

Now that’s motivation!

Not many of us have that sort of motivation, do we?

Well, maybe some of us do…..

The thing is, you would expect that people who actually lose weight for a living would be really good at it….that it would come naturally to them.

It really doesn’t. It’s not any easier for them than it is for you and me.

They struggle too….

I think the difference is, with the professionals at least, they know that losing fat and getting healthy is just a process. They know what to do…they don’t like it any more than you do….but they know it must be done….so they just do it.

They commit themselves to the process and let the process take its course and you know what?

The process always works…..always.

They couldn’t earn their living otherwise.

It works.

They don’t like it….but they don’t have to like it….they just have to do it.

So they do.

I’ve lost over 100 pounds at a time….several times in my life.

I’ve done is foolishly and I’ve done it wisely. But I’m no superman.

I’m just regular guy that made a decision and carried through with it. And I keep making that decision over and over it seems…..but that’s okay. It’s worth it to me.

I know how hard it is….and I also know how very simple it can be.

You can do this.

I know you can.