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Let’s Go! is a movement led by Eat Smart, Move More South Carolina to provide more options to eat healthy and get active. Let’s Go! includes everyone — at school, at work, at church and in the community — in South Carolina.

Let’s Go! WALK in October is a focus of Eat Smart Move More Charleston Tri-County. We want to find walking events, areas to walk, and ways to walk! Much of this information will be highlighted in this article/post.

To kick off event is:

Let’s Go! Walk the Ravenel Bridge with TheFatGuy & Coach Dave

Event: Let’s Go! WALK the Ravenel Bridge with TheFatGuy & Coach Dave

Start: October 5, 2013 9:00 am End: October 5, 2013 10:30 am

Meet TheFatGuy and Coach Dave at the parking area on the Charleston side of the bridge located on the corner of East Bay and Cooper Street. We will be there and start our Let’s Go! Walk! at 9AM

Organizer:  Mike TheFatGuy Campbell, Chair Eat Smart Move More Charleston Tri-County

Email:[email protected]

International Walk to School Day is October 9^th. Check with your school to see what they are doing on this day!

We will highlight any walking events on our Charleston Tri-County Events Calendar page for October. Send us the information at [email protected].

Let’s Go! WALK is much more than events. TheFatGuy, Mike Campbell, just started his journey to wellness by Moving More. He walked the stairs, walked the dogs, walked the golf course, walked the Ravenel Bridge, walked the stands at Stoney Field, and started a Youth Marathon Program to get kids walking and running.  Message here is just WALK, just Move More! It’s simple.

You can get more information about walking at our Eat Smart Move More SC website. Check 7 Healthy Tips for personal ideas to walk more. Check Options for Action to positively impact your school, workplace, community, and more. And, Let’s Go! Charleston Tri-County has an ever growing map of assets that can aide you in finding great places to walk and Move More.

One final resource! Check out Walk Leader Manual- Charleston Tri-County ESMM

Mike Campbell, Chair Eat Smart Move More Charleston Tri-County

 

This question came out of TheFatGuy’s last blog, Bad midterm grade, so what are you gonna do about it? As he pondered this question, it did not take him long to see how important ‘others’ were to his journey.

TheFatGuy has always said that you have to travel this journey for YOU. In following this logic he has always traveled his journey for him and worked on how he would find success in becoming fit and healthy. In doing this he has developed a great amount of personal success in his journey. BUT, this success was drawn from many relationships he has had or now has in his life. These relationships have become many of the building blocks to his success. Having the ‘right’ people around you tremendously improves the odds of success on your journey.

How have family and social networks played a role in TheFatGuy’s story?

·         As many of you know, TheFatGuy’s wife provided the spark that helped start TheFatGuy’s Journey OUT OF THE FIRE!!. She is the person that made TheFatGuy realize that he needed to find his way Out of the Fire if he was going to be able to be of value to his family and friends, and be able to help them the way he wanted to help them.

·         As TheFatguy traveled his journey he quickly developed an all too familiar champion of his journey. His brother, Walter, started checking out his blog posts and following his journey online and in his everyday life. Walter introduced TheFatGuy to the Lean Team when he was looking for an organization to volunteer 100 hours with and donate $100 to as he lost his 100^th pound. This introduction ultimately lead TheFatGuy to doing a SWOT analysis for the Lean Team, becoming Chair of Eat Smart Move More Charleston Tri-County, Chair of the state ESMM communications committee, and more in the obesity prevention arena. You never know how one person will influence your journey!

·         TheFatGuy’s mom and dad have prayed for him and given unconditional support to him throughout his life and journey. Masses said, candles lit, and prayers always help to keep the journey in a positive lane. 

·         TheFatGuy had many friends move in and out of his journey with kind words, support, and advice. Everyone had an impact on his journey in some way.

·         His attachment to the relationships built through Camp Kemo (a camp for kids with cancer) and Lasting Impressions (a support group for teens with cancer) have been a key to his life and his present journey to health and fitness.

·         His most recent revelations have come from the support and connections he has developed through social media. As he sits here and ponders this social network, he is a little amazed. Facebook has been a great place to find support and interest for his journey. But, Twitter has been a complete surprise to him. The support, information, and inspiration he has received from his Twitter social network has been a great addition to his journey. He has gained connections with people at different stages of their own journeys. He has seen these connections help him in ways they probably do not know, but their inspiration has been wonderful and often timely. Some of these connections include: @100Lighter, @Fit4April, @dietcokehead85, @Lizette0124, @OvercomingO, @keepitupdavid, and @ColleenFKelly . These are not ALL of the positive influencers he has on Twitter but this group represents a fair amount of tonnage lost and knowledge gained. They share their knowledge and experience freely. They positively influence TheFatGuy and many others. He is happy to have them in his life and part of his journey!

SO, although TheFatGuy has to travel his journey for him, he definitely has associated himself with people that can assist him in a positive way on his journey. He wishes everyone finds positive people with positive energy, great experience and solid information to assist in their journey.

Note to ME and YOU: Recognize, love, and thank the people in your life that have impacted your journey in any way.  Cherish those relationships, for they are the ones that could be the difference in a successful or not so successful journey.

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

 

 

TheFatGuy was not pleased with his midterm grades as he did his Midyear Checkup 2013 (a little late). The grades could have definitely been much better, BUT the journey did continue! So the question becomes “Bad midterm grade, so what are you gonna do about it?”

To answer this question TheFatGuy has to revert to a good dose of Self-Honesty and take a hard look at himself. What good habits need to be revisited and reinforced? What will continue to build a road toward success for TheFatGuy’s journey?

Some of the conscious changes he made on July 5th were:

·         Understanding he allowed this situation to occur is a critical point. Regardless of circumstances, TheFatGuy allowed himself to get more than a little ‘out of bounds’.

·         Taking processed sugar out of his diet except for very very special occasions (i.e> 28^th Anniversary Celebration with his wife!)

·         Logging- in his effort to move away from his physical logging, he lost sight of managing his days. He is now working on logging ‘mentally’ to track his daily intake and number of meals

·         Water intake- again he is not sure he was really taking in the water necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. He is now back to ½ ounce of water per pound of body weight a day, minimum!

·         Portion Control- he is now back to measuring, checking and knowing what a portion is!

·         Keeping the right foods on hand: fruits and veggies with a ‘healthy’ dose of protein is now what stocks the fridge and cupboard.

·         Not taking food (healthy or not) upstairs with him after the evening meal!

·         He continues to work toward a positive healthy attitude to start each day. Part of that involves encouraging others on their journeys and learning from their journeys. Through social media TheFatGuy has become part of a network of people that are at varying stages of their own journeys. They help hi travel his own journey every day. (TheFatGuy may do a separate blog on this SOON!)

·         Using the Total Gym XLS to do Advanced Workouts with Todd Durkin. Kicking it up a notch is a good thing! The Total Gym has been a big part of TheFatguy’s journey and continues to move hi forward in his fitness and health goals.

·         Increasing his cardio work doing stands, sprints, walking, and biking!

TheFatGuy has worked to get all of these things in place. He is happy to report that as of last week he is already down 10 pounds from July 5^th! You know, that last weight gained is the quickest to go.

TheFatGuy would also like to encourage you and all to not let setbacks define YOU! No, he nor you want setbacks to become a pattern or habit. But, we only truly fail when we stop trying.

Note to ME and YOU: Learn from the setbacks and keep moving forward toward where you want to go and what you want to be. Travel YOUR journey!

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

 

 

I will be talking about exercise on a budget with 2 Girls and a Guy on 95SX July 9 at 830. They want to know how far $50 will get you starting your exercise routine. I thought this would be a great subject to blog about so here goes.

First, think about where you want to start, what you will stick with, and how to keep it simple. You want to do this so you stick with whatever you start. If you are on a tight budget, you want to make a sound investment! Think about what you love to do. Do you like to run, walk, dance, or tone/build muscle? Start with what you have the best chance of sticking with over a week, 2 weeks, a month or longer.  

Let’s list out some items to start:

·         You can get a Danskin Now Yoga Kit for $20.36 from Walmart Danskin Now Yoga Kit:

o   25 cm exercise ball

o   Blow tube

o   Light-resistance band

o   Yoga mat (23'' x 68'')

o   6-inch cotton yoga strap

o   Workout guide and DVD

o   Fitness guidebook

·         Omron HJ-112 Premium Pedometer

o   Can be carried in your pocket, bag or on your belt and still track every step you take

o   Large display resets at midnight so it's ready to go every morning

o   Clock shows time of day and time spent doing aerobic walking

o   Security strap attaches to clothing, preventing pedometer from being lost

o   Counts steps at all positions perpendicular to the ground

o   Counts steps and aerobic steps during walking or jogging

o   Tracks distance traveled in miles and amount of calories burned

o   7-day memory function lets you review a full week of exercise

o   Detachable pedometer belt holder with spring clip

o   Monitor your time with AM/PM clock

o   Omron pedometer accessories: battery screwdriver, clip, CR2032 battery, strap, belt holder

o   Dimensions: 2.88'' L x 2.13'' W x 0.63'' H

o   Weighs 1.13 oz. (battery included)

o   Omron pedometer model no. HJ-112

·         Drive Medical Deluxe Folding Exercise Peddler with Electronic Display for $29.01, Features:

o   Five function display indicates exercise time, revolution count, revolutions per minute and calories burned

o   Scan feature alternately displays all measurements automatically

o   Ideal for leg and arm muscle exercising

o   Four anti-slip rubber pads prevent sliding and protect surfaces

o   Resistance easily adjusted with tension screw

o   Completely assembled, foldable design

o   Includes: Button cell battery included

·         Exercise Bands! :

o   First, Check out http://www.band-exercises.net to learn about exercises you can do with bands.

o   Second, check out the websites below for different band options:

§  http://www.bodylastics.com

§  http://www.roguefitness.com/bodyweight-gymnastics/fitness-pullup-bands.php?gclid=CL7thMz7nbgCFZBj7Aod4TkAOw

§  http://www.walmart.com/cp/Stretch-Bands-Cords/1078204

§  http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=4417803

·         iPod Shuffle, $49 (Apple Store). Hardy and feather-light, the simple 2-gigabyte iPod Shuffle is a gym staple. The built-in clip means no fussing with an armband. Personalize it by having a message engraved when you order online or by uploading a favorite workout playlist.

·         Walmart> click Exercise Equipment under $50  for 340 results of items under $50!

·         There are a slew of exercise and dance DVDs out there for under $50!

Well I could go on for a long time with this but, as you can see, there is a lot out there you can purchase for $50 or less. My advice would be to check out the Walmart site then shop around and compare online pricing.

My wife and I purchased a Total Gym XLS back in November for Christmas to replace the old 1700 model we had at the house. I figure it cost us about $50 a month for 16 months. We are more than getting our money’s worth out of it!

Some other sites you might want to try are:

·         http://www.target.com/c/exercise-bikes-fitness-sports-outdoors/-/N-56fdb

·         15 Gift Ideas Under $50 for Fitness Buffs

·         http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D3407731&field-keywords=exercise+under+%2450

As you can see, it is easy to get overwhelmed!

Note to ME and YOU: Choose what works for YOU, not what works for someone else!!

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

 

Can TheFatGuy do a Push Up?

Can TheFatGuy do a Push Up?

This is a question I will be glad to talk about now…………. but avoided in 2009! In 2009 I was not able to do a push up. Didn't try to do one, didn't want to do one, and couldn't even visualize myself doing one. As Executive Director of the local Boys & Girls Clubs, a board member came to me with a Push Up event idea in 2007. He worked VERY HARD to pull a Push Up fundraiser together with the owner of his training studio and a fellow trainer. They competed against each other in April 2007 to raise funds for the organization. The three of them went head to head for 45 minutes doing Push Ups and raising funds for the kids that needed it so much. I think it raised about $6,000 that year. In the spring of 2008 he developed a team concept and had 5 gyms/teams compete against each other raising funds and Pushing Up the kids that needed it most. He had a vision of a bigger and bigger event that he continued to grow.

I never dreamed of competing in this event or training to do Push Ups to raise money. In my role as executive director, I helped how I could. I MC'd the event in 2008, but never ever dreamed of doing Push Ups in front of a bunch of people! It would have been a Herculean effort for me to do one push up much less do pushups for upwards of 30 minutes. Heck, walking a flight of steps damn near killed me! So to answer the question, in 2008/2009 TheFatGuy could not do a pushup to 'save his life'.

Recently, Dr.J of Dr.J and TheFatGuy, asked me to join her Push Up team with MUSC to help raise funds for our local Community In Schools. I checked it out and who do you think was organizing it? The guy I knew as a board member had grown the event tremendously with the help of many dedicated individuals. I was impressed! But, even though I am in BEAST MODE now, the thought of competing in this event was a little intimidating. I started thinking back to the guy that could not do a pushup in 2008/2009. I started wondering. Then I checked out the recommended training program. Do 5 pushups every 20 seconds for 5 minutes then 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes. WOW, can I do this?

OK, now I took a reality check. I thought about all of the training I had done on the Total Gym that had helped transform me into a fit BEAST! I thought about how I had increased the resistance and number of reps each time I used the Total Gym and did thousands of chest and tricep exercises. I thought about all of the things I could do now that I could NEVER do before!  

And, as we know by now TheFatGuy started a journey, and TheFatGuy became TheFitGuy and grew into TheBEAST. Now let's ask the question again, Can TheFatGuy do a Push Up? Can TheFatGuy do a pushup!………..really, you are going to ask me a question like that. Come on, a pushup, sure he can do a pushup. I think he can do more than a pushup.

I was not going to ask the question, 'can I do this?' anymore.  I WOULD do this event, I WOULD train for it, I WOULD challenge myself, and I WOULD have FUN!! And guess what? I worked up to 2 training sessions of doing 5 pushups every 20 seconds for 30 minutes. Yep, if you can multiply you know that is 450 pushups in 30 minutes. Not bad for a fat guy that could not do a pushup in 2009.

I participated in the PushUp & Up event with Dr.J's team and we had FUN! And we did almost 2,000 pushups and TheFatGuy did over 400 of them.

I am truly blessed to have found my journey, to have found my health, to have found the best fitness of my life with the Total Gym, and to be able to accept challenges that I never dreamed I could tackle. No mountain too high! TheFatGuy has found SUCCESS in another way and built on it.

Note to ME and YOU: Challenge yourself! Nothing else, just challenge yourself, you may be amazed! Find your SUCCESS. A Total Gym could be the perfect way to challenge yourself and help you complete your journey!

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

PS Chapter 7 in my FREE book talks about what SUCCESS looks like to TheFatGuy. A great friend read this chapter twice recently!! (Thanks Katie)

 

 Youth Marathon Program

TheFatGuy is proud and thankful for any of his accomplishments in life. One accomplishment he is most proud of is leading the Youth Marathon Program since October of 2009. He has seen participation grow from 75 students and one school participating in a significant way to over 500 students this year with 2 schools having 93 and 123 participants each.

The Youth Marathon Program is a race, but not a 'foot' race! It is a race to help kids establish healthy lifestyle habits at an early age. TheFatGuy wants this to be the first steps in the very long marathon that will be needed to turn the tide on our present obesity epidemic. We have students of ALL fitness levels participating in this program. We have seasoned young runners, walkers, joggers, and some in wheelchairs.

We have such a neat support network of people guiding these kids: parents, teachers, day porters, principals, siblings, nurses, and the list goes on! All of these people are champions in my eyes and are champions to the kids they guide!

So as we reach the Final 1.2 miles of this year's program, let's keep the 'eyes on the ball' and realize this is a step in setting healthy habits for the rest of this year and a lifetime!

TheFatGuy thanks ALL of the caring adults that brought this program to one child or a school full of children!!! You are doing something very great. You are changing the life of a child and changing the path of a nation.

Note to ME and YOU: Change the obesity epidemic one step at a time, one child at a time, one habit at a time. JUST DO IT, PLEASE!!

TheFatGuy TheFitGuy TheBEAST

TheFatGuy has done well with some lifestyle and habit changes and not so well with others during his journey. This past year he continued to learn lessons on his journey and is working to apply KISS to his New Year's Resolutions for 2013. He is sticking with 2 resolutions this year with different strategies:

1. Wear 32" Waist jeans!
2. Develop a plan to MARKET his coaching, speaking, and book!

Let's take a look at Number 1 > TheFatGuy gets into 32" waist jeans. He has hit some 'stretch goals' with resolutions in the past. Things like losing 150 pounds in 363 days or doing 150 straight reps of Stoney Field bleachers have been big ticket goals for TheFatGuy in the past. AND, he has attained these goals! Why pick getting into 32" jeans? Well he has not been in 32" jeans since 9th grade! He has pushed the limits of the 34" jeans he has worn the past year or so and needs some motivation to reinforce good healthy habits and eliminate old unhealthy ones. Although he is over 3 1/2 years into his journey, the old lifestyle habits creep in when stress and life happen. SO,  his plan is not to go up to 36" waist jeans but to go down to 32" waist jeans!!

And, just how does he go about reaching this stretch goal? Well, he has tried many things in the past and he will return to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). He has reviewed things he has done in the past and will use parts of these things to KISS It!

1. Be Specific & measurable: choosing a very specific and measurable goal of 32" waist jeans. They are sitting in the closet NOW!!
2. Set a time table: Project will be complete by March 31, 2013! Subject will be able to wear these 32" jeans on December 31, 2013!
3. Visualize: I am seeing myself wearing those jeans and they are in my face every time I open the closet!
4. Keep a journal/log: This is a 'no brainer' for TheFatGuy! He has tried to come off of using his log during 2012 and it has not worked well. Daily logging of eating and activity will happen!
5. Avoid previous resolutions: This seemed important to TheFatGuy. He has hit other stretch goals and missed some other common goals. He felt he needed a new stretch goal to move his journey to new heights! And he sees the heights on the horizon.
6. Plan: Now down to the nuts and bolts>
   1. No processed sugar except for sorbet. And if sorbet is an issue, NO sorbet.
   2. daily calorie intake target will be 1400-1800 calories per day. (Present BMR-2098)
   3. exercise routine will be focused on his Total Gym XLS. It has simple routines that include some great ab and core work to trim his waistline! He needs simple to keep on track.
7. Expect to revert to old habits from time to time. Treat failure as a temporary set-back. The only failure will be failing to try!

Hmmm, think that about covers the 32" jean goal. Pretty straight forward and simple even for TheFatGuy!

Number 2 is a little different. TheFatGuy has been stuck on trying to figure out how to MARKET himself. He has been really good at promoting other people and organizations and not so good at promoting himself. He has a one step plan at this point for the marketing goal. GET HELP AND ADVICE! He is enlisting the help of Dan Gheesling to coach him in this effort. So, as good as TheFatGuy is promoting others he has not totally figured out how to promote himself and gain the traction he needs to get the ball rolling. He will get the help of someone who knows how to coach and knows how to win. Not a bad combination!

KISS has been applied to both Resolutions! Now to make them happen.

Note to ME and YOU: KISS it with a PLAN or a COACH but whatever you do Keep It Simple Stupid!

TheFatGuy

TheFitGuy

TheBEAST

The following message is for anyone taking care of a loved one or anyone that is a caregiver! AND it is dedicated to Polly and all of the wonderful caregivers at Roper Hospital and Roper Rehab! YOU ROCK!

Over the past  4 weeks Polly and TheFatGuy have been working to give her mom (Effie) the best care possible in Roper Hospital, then a sub acute care facility (which will remain nameless), back to Roper, and now in Roper Rehab acute care. It has been an investment of time, love, energy, tears, and more time. There seems like a severe shortage of time these days to cover everything that needs doing.

So, what's TheFatGuy to do?

First, Polly and TheFatGuy both love her mom dearly and would do anything in the world to help her live a happy healthy life. All of the 'investment' made by Polly and TheFatGuy has been worth it now that Effie is in Roper Acute Care Rehab. They are doing a wonderful job taking care of her and working with her to regain the use of her right arm and leg due to a stroke while working with and around a fractured pelvis. The many hours in the hospital, on the phone, checking out facilities, and checking in with family/friends is paying off! Thanks to all family, friends, Roper staff, and most importantly God for being with Polly and TheFatGuy during this time.

Second, the amount of time invested with Effie's care has been overwhelming at times. You begin to struggle with:  when do you NEED to be with her, how long should you stay, are you doing enough, what is enough, and the questions go on. It is hard and it is overwhelming, though positive results make it worth the investment. A finger moved is a celebration these days! Yet there remains one more question!

How do I take care of ME, while taking care of YOU?

Lastly, this is a hard thing to think about for anyone that is a caregiver and anyone that is caring for a loved one. Whether you are a health care professional or a loved one, YOU need to think about this question. TheFatGuy did some very intentional things to stay on track while dealing with a bout of stress eating and inconsistent logging of food intake!

1. He intentionally made sure he got some sort of exercise each day. TheFatGuy and Polly purchased their Christmas present early which is the Total Gym XLS! He has worked through each routine on the exercise cards provided over the past few weeks. This gift was timely as he can do some intense workouts on the fly without leaving his house!!
2. He has worked to make sure he spends some quality time with Polly and other loved ones in his life. It has not always been easy, but much needed. All of these people are great support systems in good times and tough times. Always remember that!
3. He has worked to make sure he and Polly still attend some outside functions/events. This has been important to both of them. They cannot do everything they want but they can schedule and commit to 'some' things. Dr. J, of Dr.J & TheFatGuy, invited Polly and TheFatGuy to a brunch she and a friend were having last Sunday. This event was intentionally put on the calendar and committed to, as both Polly and TheFatGuy knew they would need some change of pace and a break at this point. It turned out to be a great break for a few hours last Sunday afternoon! Enough time to recharge but not so much that guilt snuck into their minds and hearts!

At this point you may be thinking, 'why is this all so important?'

Check out TheFatGuy's story and you will know why! He ignored taking care of himself for many periods during his life to help improve various operations, organizations, and people find success in life. Finally, he totally invested himself in saving a nonprofit for 3 1/2 years while ignoring his own health/wellness and many key people in his life. This behavior helped many young people while leaving TheFatGuy with 360 pounds of unwanted weight and all of the health and life issues that accompany that obesity! It has taken a committed journey and some work on his part, but he is pretty sure he is a LOT BETTER at helping others now that he is doing a better job of taking care of himself. There is a delicate balance some days, but he works to have the right systems and mindset in place to best take care of him so he can best take care of and help others he loves in his life.

Note to ME and YOU: Take care of YOU so you can be the BEST YOU to take care of others in your life! YOU ARE WORTH IT AND SO ARE THEY!

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

PS  Thanks again to ALL of the wonderful people at ROPER!

TheFatGuy was involved in an all day Obesity Summit (Conquering Tri-County's Obesity Epidemic: Challenges, Changes, Choices) in Charleston, SC on December 6th. He had the great pleasure of addressing the group of 100 invitees with the story of his journey to health, fitness, and wellness. He spoke of a number of things during his 15 minutes AND 15 minutes is a very short time when you are explaining what you have done over  1376 days!

One thing that TheFatGuy highlighted was the fact that we now have close to 98 million men, women, and children in the ranks of OBESITY! That is 98 million people that he wishes to see start their journeys to health, fitness, and wellness. As TheFatGuy has talked about before, if obesity was a type of cancer we would ALL be beating the doors down trying to find a cure. But OBESITY is a complicated issue wrapped in 98 million individual stories and a wealth of need for changing policies, systems, and environment. If we could 'cure' obesity there might not be a health care crisis!

The other thing that stuck with TheFatGuy about this day and his talk was a question he poses as he shows a picture of himself at 360 pounds with his wife (Polly) and Godchild/niece (Sara Jane). The question: "Just how BAD did I feel?" This is a tough picture for him to see and a tough question for him to answer.  He will try to answer it for you with a little more detail than he gave in his talk the other day.

 In February 2009 TheFatGuy felt terrible. Just moving was a chore for him and exercise was a very distant thought. On the day this photo was taken he was at Wando High School for a production of 42nd Street by the students. HE was there with family and should have been enjoying a fun event with friends and family, but he was not. He had to literally squeeze into the theater seats like one too many sardines in a can of sardines! He was uncomfortable (not the most accurate word) during the entire performance. He was struggling at best. At this time he was taking 7 different drugs to control or manage high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anxiety, sleep, migraines, asthma, and joint pain. AND, he used a CPAP machine to sleep! This was the short list of health issues that his obesity caused.  He avoided steps like the plaque, as even scaling one flight of steps would wear him out! He knew where ALL of the elevators were wherever he went. He was the guy that circled multiple times to get the closest parking space wherever he went. Yes, just moving had become a struggle. Can you even imagine him struggling to pick up the dogs bowls from the floor in the morning to feed them and replenish their water? He would warm up for this endeavor by first bending over to get the coffee from a lower cabinet to prepare him to bend all the way to the floor to retrieve the dogs bowls. This is sad and funny all at the same time. It’s OK for me to say this as I know TheFatGuy all too well!

The worst part of it all is that feeling bad had become the norm in TheFatGuy's life. So much so that he did not even realize 'how bad he felt' until he started losing weight and feeling better. That is a terribly scary thought that someone could feel bad for so long that it had become normal and accepted. He had lost touch with what feeling good, fit, and healthy was like. He now knows just how bad he felt. That is why the picture with this story is the desktop photo on his phone. He DOES NOT want to forget how bad he felt. He does not want to travel the journey back to that place where he felt terrible.

Now TheFatGuy wonders just how many of the 98 million men, women, and children are in the same boat he was in 2009. Has feeling bad become the norm for them? Have they accepted their obesity and all of the issues that come with it? Do the even know what feeling good is like? Do they remember or have a reference point for it? TheFatGuy feels sad when he thinks of someone else thinking that feeling bad is the norm when he knows what it is like to feel so good now.

Note to ME and YOU: If you are one of the 98 million people struggling with obesity now, PLEASE start your journey today! If you are lucky enough to NOT be in this number, help someone that is starting their journey to health and wellness.

TheFatGuy, TheFitGuy, TheBEAST