Tag: Transformation

Living the life, I deserve!

I had such a hard time thinking about living the life I deserved in 2009. Just as importantly was me living the life Polly, my wife, deserved. I’ve always been great at helping others, which I Iove, just not so great with taking care of me. I am sure some of you can identify with me.

Actually, understanding that living the life I deserved was important was a huge deal for me. I had always been good at being in the background, supporting others, helping others find success, and making things happen that way. I am not complaining, it is something I am quite good at and take pride in then and now.

At the Ports Authority and Boys & Girls Clubs, I thrived at helping those that worked with me and for me find success in what they were doing and wanted to do. That is how I built successful operations. Each person was part of the overall success.

In my volunteer work I was always ‘Johnny on the spot’. I always showed up, always, said YES, and always made things happen to bring success to the project or organization.

Both my careers and volunteer work were and are very important to me. But for too many years they came at a toll. I gave up far too much of myself and my life. At some point at started sacrificing too much of me, too much of I wanted to be in life. I found myself helping others live the life they deserved while coming up short on living the life I deserved.

When I would do things to take care of me and pursue my personal goals/dreams, I felt almost guilty for focusing on my wellbeing. I felt that if I took time for me, I was taking away from someone else, the project, or organization. I developed a warped sense of thinking over time.

It took me almost 53 years of life to figure out I needed to ‘Take Care of ME’ to be the best me for everyone else in my life. I realized in 2009 that I had no more to give and my tank was empty. In 2009 I started working on living the life Polly and I deserved.

It has taken me a number of years to come to grips with the fact that living the life I deserve not only helps me, it helps a lot of other people, too. I am a much better me to help my family, friends, and community. I am in so much of a better place now with my health, wellness, and mindset. I am working toward ‘living the life I deserve’ AND I am bringing people with me on the journey. I LOVE THAT ABOUT ME! And, I have found it is OK to love me! If you don’t love YOU, learn too!!

I have gone from a fatguy that took care of everyone but himself, to a person that is becoming a beast about taking care of himself! Being a beast is a mindset I have developed and continue to work on to best take care of me. And by being a beast about taking care of me, I’ve found that I am much better at helping others in my life. I am much better at being a husband, son, brother, friend, and volunteer. I am much better at helping people live the lives they deserve!

Note to ME and YOU: Could a better version of YOU be a bad thing? I think not! Live the life YOU deserve and be a BEAST about it!

thefatguy-thefitguy-thebeast.com

15 March, 2018
2017, WHAT A YEAR!
2017 was a great year and another turning point for me. It was a year of self-evaluation, self-determination, prayer, commitment, gratitude, love, and amazing opportunity. It was a year that will make me smile for a long long time!

The journey to 2017 was tough, rocky and filled with struggle. I struggled with the aftermath of my car accident in April 2015. The neck, shoulder, and back issues wore me down and dealing with the insurance company was/is an ugly experience. While I tried to stay in bounds, I saw my weight rise to 260 pounds in January of 2017! This is a very short version of pre-2017 events and circumstances.

In January of 2017, I committed to a major reset. While still dealing with issues related to my injury, I worked to find a path out of where I was at 260 pounds. The 260 pounds became overwhelming and brought back the hopeless feelings I had experienced at 360 pounds in 2009. These feelings were scary, but made me understand something about myself and many people I had talked with about my journey over 8 years. When you head down the road of hopelessness you start thinking ‘this is it, I can’t get out of this hole, it’s just too deep’! I’ve seen it in me and many others. It is not a good feeling.

So, I decided to set a course ‘out of the fire’ and work to help others do the same:
- I committed to follow my nutrition plan to work toward the results I wanted and knew I could attain. I did this with the amazing Nutritional Cleansing system of Isagenix and the great products they provided for my journey.
- I committed to trying to find some way, some path to deal with my pain and injury.
- I committed to figuring out ways to get my exercise routine on track while being mindful of the restrictions my injury had placed on me.
- I committed to the Isabody Challenge and becoming Isabody Champion.
- Most importantly, I committed to ‘taking care of ME’. I committed to putting my head and heart in the game and totally committed to reaching my goals.
In doing all of this I want you to know ‘YOU CAN ESCAPE THE DEEP HOLE OF HOPELESSNESS’. If you feel like you cannot climb out of that hole, I am telling you, YOU CAN! Get your head and heart aligned and committed to getting out and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Things I have accomplished this year since getting my head and heart aligned have been:
- I was gifted with the opportunity to write in a book ‘A Journey of Riches-Personal Changes’. Many thanks to Casey Plouffe and John Spender for this opportunity! My section is titled ‘Hopeless to Amazed’.
- I was able to lose 43 pounds from January to December and totally retool my body! Thanks to Total Gym, Isagenix, Dr. Hunter, Dr. Llop, Alvie Shepherd, Isabody Challenge, and more recently, OrangeTheory thanks to Chris Spina, Julie Thomas, and the great coach/trainer, Keith Hardwick Jr
- I was fortunate to have a good friend/lawyer, Joe Epting, deal with the insurance company! Thanks buddy!
- I was able to become a contributing writer with Oblique Magazine of Charleston. This came about because of a chance conversation with John Di Giovanni in Starbucks in August. I thank him for allowing me to bend his ear that day and then inviting me into his magazine.
- I was able to get back into speaking with the SCSNA conference in October thanks to Todd Bedenbaugh and my brother, Walter Campbell! (This leads into an appearance in Georgetown County this month!)
- And the most important piece for me is helping more and more people find physical and financial freedom through Isagenix and our HIA Team. Thanks to Casey Plouffe, our team, and Isagenix for EVERYTHING!
Last thing! I believe! I believe you can do anything when you commit your head and heart to the goal. I believe I can do anything when I commit my head and heart to the goal. I believe in God, I believe in ME, I believe in family, I believe in country, and I believe in YOU!

Note to Me and YOU: Believe and Achieve!

TheFatGuy

TheFitGuy

TheBEAST

PS 2018 is gonna be one kick ass year for me!!
3 January, 2018
My ‘why’ has gotten bigger!

My ‘why’ has gotten bigger!

I WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE combating our obesity epidemic!

My passion is to be healthy, fit, and strong enough to best help my family, friends, and community. It is my ‘why’ and it keeps me moving forward on my journey through all the highs and lows I experience. I have worked on this for the past 8 ½ years. I am not perfect, but I am in a much better place to pursue my passion and live my ‘why’.

Now, my ‘why’ is expanding! I want to change the obesity epidemic that plagues our country. With a third of our country obese and another third headed that way, I must do something! I want to sound the alarm! I want to wake people up! I want to turn the tide on this cursed epidemic that has become our health care crisis. It is truly a disaster!

WHY? Because I have found my way out of my own personal fire and want to lead others out of their fire!

I help people by coaching, nutrition support, giving away my story at fatguydiary.com, and volunteering with organizations, such as, Eat Smart Move More Charleston Tri-County. But, I feel this is not near enough for me. I have a burning desire to make a bigger difference! Bu how?

I just finished a project that was published this month called “A Journey of Riches Personal Changes”. My contribution was a section titled “Hopeless to Amazed”. I wrote “Hopeless to Amazed” by digging deeper on my journey and because I see so many people that feel they are hopeless to change their lives, change their destiny. I want people to know they CAN change their life, they CAN change their destiny!

My starting point is simple. I am doing more speaking engagements starting October 20^th and I am working on a grocery store guide with Eat Smart Move More CTC. I am looking for more opportunities to sound the alarm and give people the hope they need to start their journeys.

I am also excited to say I am embarking on a new writing project that I have been working on since early August. A chance meeting, has brought me together with someone that is giving me the opportunity to have a bigger voice to help give people some hope and direction out of obesity and unhealthy lifestyle toward a healthier happier future. This news will be coming soon!!!!

Note to ME and YOU: It is going to take ALL of us to turn our obesity epidemic around! Let’s do it!

9 October, 2017
CIRCUMSTANCES

Circumstances

I did a Facebook post the other day about Managing Circumstances! In this picture you will see me icing my neck and shoulder. They are the result of a car accident 2 years ago and a very long story. When I made the post, I was not expecting prayers and good thoughts, but I thank everyone for them! My focus was my circumstance and dealing with it. You see many times in life I have given into my circumstance. I know it is a road many of us go down in our life. Circumstances can often be overwhelming.

At this point I would like to bring your focus to some of the inspiration I have in my life that teach me how to deal with tough circumstances. First, my dad is a great inspiration to me. He lost his partner in life (my mom) after 60 years just 2 short years ago. It is a very difficult circumstance. I know his heart hurts every day from the loss, I see it. How does he deal with it? He relies on prayer, God, family, and love. He is the best dad and granddad I know.

Another person is a good friend of mine. He is caring for his mom and mother in-law. He is raising a lovely teenager, works in the community, helps others, and works to share time with his wonderful wife. And, did I mention, he has dealt with retinoblastoma and the after effects of managing that horrible disease. He does an amazing job managing his ‘circumstances’! You will not know his circumstances because he rarely shares them outside of a select group, but he is amazing.

Then there is an entire group of people that are game changers for me. I’ve been watching, loving, and been part of the lives on countless children and teens over the past 31 years. The wonderful young people of Camp Kemo are all dealing with some form of cancer or blood disorder. They are dealing with ‘circumstances’ I wish on no young person. They are dealing with hospital visits, all kinds of treatment, weight gain, weight loss, hair loss, changing relationships with their peers that have no idea how to deal with them and their disease, and yes, death. They are traveling a very tough road with tough ‘circumstances’. And how do they deal with their circumstances? They laugh, smile, cheer for one another, share, care, dance, cry, hug, and overcome. I have watched them overcome their ‘circumstances’ for many years.

These young people, my friend, my dad, and many others in life have taught me that circumstances do not define the person. Circumstances can be tough, they put much pressure on people in their life’s journey. I am thankful that I have many examples of people in my life that have seen the tremendous pressure of ‘circumstances’. How they have managed their circumstances and dealt with the pressure has created many jewels for me to look to for hope and guidance in dealing with my circumstances.

I never question or compare people’s circumstances. What I do know is I have many examples of people in my life that have managed and overcome some circumstances that seemed impossible to work through. They were steering at a solid wall of circumstances and brick by brick removed the wall to continue on an even greater journey.

Note to ME and YOU:

Your circumstances are not YOU!

YOU are a product of YOUR Decisions!

TheFatGuy

TheFitGuy

TheBEAST

2 June, 2017
Open Letter to Starbucks

Open Letter to Starbucks

Could you send some lifeboats?

Dear Starbucks:

I love having coffee, an occasional sugar free light treat, working, and people watching at your stores. In full disclosure, I am a recovering “fat guy” or TheFatGuy, as I say.

This morning I witnessed several parents giving their kids sweet treats as breakfast! I know this is their choice but it is hard to watch with the obesity epidemic I am oh so much a part of in this country. I was offered a “healthy version” of your new Frap, The Midnight Mocha Madness. When I took a sip of the sample, I asked what made this shot ‘healthy’? “Oh, it doesn’t have whip!” was the explanation I received. Ummm, I think not!

Yesterday I saw a first grader I know with his grandmother in Starbucks. This first grader happens to be a Type 1 Diabetic. His grandmother explained what she went through to come up with a healthy, no carb version of a treat for her very special grandson. She had goosebumps just talking about it. She had done an amazing job researching and putting together a concoction that turned out to be quite good and shake like! BUT, she had to be extremely specific and watchful as the treat was assembled to make sure there were no added carbs.

I don’t tell you this to demonize your company or place blame on you for the obesity epidemic in our country. There is a lot of blame to go around. I made bad choices when I weighed 360 pounds that got me to that weight and kept me there. I used to drink 2 to 3 venti mochas a day! That is about 900 to 1350 calories a day with 90 to 135 grams of sugar. I made that choice and I am responsible for the 360 pounds I carried.

I also know you market what people buy. You would not have all of the, let’s say sugary crap, available unless people were buying it! I get it. When I am standing in line behind children with mother’s and father’s in the morning at Starbucks all of the ‘sweet treats’ are eye level with the little darlings in line! HMMM, I wonder what they will ask for?! It does not take a marketing department to answer this question.

I’ll admit, it is kind of odd working in Starbucks and writing about Starbucks, but I am sure you will be fine with this feedback and my thoughts. You have a huge R & D team (200 plus according to your website) that works on developing your food and beverage items. I know you have sugar free this and light that for choices. I know you promote yourself as a responsible company, offering Kale chips, etc.

Knowing all of this and watching the choices being made by our youth, I was wondering if maybe you could invest some major dollars in a “Healthy Campaign” targeted at young people! Reach out to schools, promote healthy choices to kids, impact the next generation in a truly positive and healthy way. I’ll bet the profits would see a short term and long term boost!

Maybe take the dollars you use to promote drinks like the Unicorn Frap (76 grams of sugar in a Venti) and invest some in a healthy campaign. Have a contest where people come up with healthy drink ideas. Invite the grandmother and mom of the young Type 1 Diabetic I know to give their input. Maybe you will even help turn around the epidemic of Type 2 Diabetics. Just my thoughts.

As you can tell, I am quite passionate about bringing attention to our obesity epidemic and the health issues it creates for so many people in our country. Roughly one third of our country is obese with two thirds being overweight. As I said earlier, I know people make choices, I made bad choices. Now I make good choices!!

I am 61 and as healthy as I have ever been in my life! I am 150 pounds lighter, fit, off of 7 medications, and have ditched my CPAP machine! That is the short version of my change. I want everyone to experience the type of health and wellness I have attained. Could you help me? Could you be a little more of the solution and a little less of the problem? Could you make a difference now and in the future? What a statement you could make if you were able to impact the lives of young people in way that improved the lives, health, and wellness of an entire generation!

I know all companies have some sort of look toward healthier choices. Some are giving it lip service, some are marketing healthy that is not so healthy, and some are ‘trying’ to make a difference. But, I know that marketing departments are looking at marketing to the two thirds of the population that is overweight already. It does not take a genius to know companies are in business to make money!

The obesity epidemic is like the Titanic. We have not only hit the iceberg, we are hitting it repeatedly and sinking very fast. Could you and some of the other leading companies in our country send some lifeboats to save some of the children!?

Note to ME and YOU: It is going to take more than a village to combat the obesity epidemic.

TheFatGuy

Mike Campbell

23 May, 2017
61 and not close to DONE!!
61 and not close to DONE!!

(Pay It Forward Today!!)

Today I am 61 and I am not close to done. 8 years ago I thought I was done. I was old, unhealthy, obese, and generally miserable.

Today I am blessed.
- I am blessed to be fit!
- I am blessed to continue on my journey in spite of 2 years of working to manage pain.
- I am blessed to be as healthy as I’ve been in my life!
- I am blessed to have a second chance! (it’s probably a lot more than second!)
- I am blessed to be helping others find their weight loss and wellness journeys!
- I am just plain BLESSED!
The feeling of having released 150 pounds 7 years ago is amazing. Losing it and learning to manage my weight, health, and wellness has been a great experience and one I will embrace the rest of my life. What is hard to convey to you is just how much my quality of life has changed. The best way I can explain it is to take a look at my before and after pics, multiply by 4 and that is how much better I feel! That is how much my quality of life has improved!

I work to let people know just how much I have changed. I work to let people know they can change too! Sometimes when you are struggling with weight and its effects on your life, you just don’t think you can make the change; you just feel hopeless. I promise you, I felt hopeless at 360 pounds and now I feel amazed. I know if I can do it, if I can commit to the journey, that you can do it too!

If I can help you, please let me know. You can HELP ME! Check out my Facebook page and Pay It Forward today. That is all I want for my birthday. All I want is for people to do at least one random act of kindness and Comment Done on my Facebook post.

Note to ME and YOU: You can always change. There is always hope to change. There is no time like NOW! Also, a random act of kindness will help you more than the person you help J

TheFatGuy

TheFitGuy

TheBEAST
19 May, 2017
A message from my wife about my obesity

Below is a message from my wonderful wife, Polly, which is the lead into my story which I give away on my website. It will give you a small idea of how my obesity impacted the love of my life.

A message from TheFatGuy’s wife, POLLY:

Just how big are you going to get…

After Michael left his non-profit job, he just sat around getting bigger and bigger and more and more depressed. He was struggling with ending a dream of working with a children’s non-profit and it was killing him. He was also struggling with how he would start over as a 360+ pound, 50+ year old man in a society that is so geared to the young and pretty.

He self-medicated with food…all kinds of food: ice cream, candy, chips, soda. And he often ate after eating. Remember the pre-barbecue scene in Gone With the Wind where Scarlett had to eat before the party so she ate like a lady at the party? Well, Michael would leave a family reunion where there was tons of food and he had eaten a huge meal and stop at the convenience store for candy and a coke to make the trip home. And not just one item but several: junior mints, Mike and Ikes, jelly beans, milk duds.

Or he would buy a 100 count box of Freeze Pops and bring 6 or 8 to bed and eat them while we were watching TV. And I would cringe as he ate them and I would feel pissed when I threw the wrappers in the trash. But I never said anything because we didn’t discuss the elephant in the room. I remember feeling desperate and angry.

At one point, I became overwhelmed and frustrated with his self destructive behavior. I remember going to work one morning and telling my friend Missee, “I’m going to ask Michael, “Just how big are you going to get?” Her eyes got really big and she said, “Maybe you should put that in a letter.”

Well, I never wrote the letter or had the conversation, but my vibe must have been strong…because in early March of 2009, Michael started on a health journey that continues to this day.

(Note: TheFatGuy was dramatically impacting the person HE loved most!)

16 March, 2017
I AM BLESSED

I was struck yesterday by the thought of just how blessed I am in life. I know I am blessed and I thank God daily for my blessings.

What was different about yesterday? Why did it ‘strike’ me suddenly? I have seen a number of my contemporaries pass over the last few years and in particular this year. Some were friends, some friends of friends, past co-workers, friends of my wife, some family (my brother in-law) and parents of younger friends/relatives. It all seemed to come together as I looked at that old picture of me at 360 pounds (the one I keep to remind me of where I was, and where I will not go back to) and thought of a cousin that lost her dad several years ago.

I don’t know why my mind works the way it does, but a wave of thoughts and emotion came across me. I thought about how bad a shape I was in at 53 years old. I thought about how many people I’ve known in my age range that I/we have lost recently and over the years since finding my journey. I thought about my younger cousin and other younger friends I know that have lost parents that are my age. I thought about life, problems, pettiness, and sadness. We get so caught up in the small things in life that we do not enjoy the people we have when we have them.

The emotion that came crashing down on me was focused around the realization that I could be gone now, that I would be gone now if not for that moment of clarity in 2009, that AHA moment created by the Fire Story my wife told me. How lucky was I? Why me? And then I thought about those younger people that lost their parents much too soon. They were my age and I don’t think of my age as old. Why them? Why have we lost them so soon?

I caught my breath, sat there, and thought for a moment. I thought ‘I AM BLESSED’. Then I thanked God for my blessings and prayed for those that passed much too soon and those they left behind.

I also thought about how I was on my way out in 2009 and how I am nowhere near that now. I was able to start my journey to healthier happier me. I was able to control my destiny. How many people get that opportunity? How many people think they are done when they may be able to change their present and future? I meet people every day that could gain that control. They feel too far gone or hopeless, but they are not. I pray these people find their moment of clarity and realize they can change and can create a journey to a healthier happier you. I know this is true because I was them in 2009. I was too far gone and hopeless. I AM TRULY BLESSED.

If I can help YOU, let me know.

Note to ME and YOU: Pray for that moment of clarity, that AHA Moment, that gets you to the healthier happier you. I pray daily for this for ME and YOU.

TheFatGuy

TheFitGuy

The BEAST

30 September, 2016
Planning for your EATING EVENTS
I celebrated at a family reunion on my wife’s side of the family last weekend. Enjoying good times with great people is something TheFatGuy loves. But, TheFatGuy loves to eat too much at food events!

As with most people, TheFatGuy has many events centered around EATING EVENTS! These EVENTS include, reunions, family meals after Sunday mass, holiday gatherings, business events, volunteer events, and soooo much more J

SO, TheFatGuy thought he would throw together some tips to help him and you to stay on track at these EATFESTS:
- Wateris always at the top of TheFatGuy’s list: start your day with plenty of water and keep it up. Drink at least a 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight and go up form there if you are out in the heat. Drink a big glass of water before you eat and drink water with your meal. I drank a liter of water pre-reunion and one during the reunion meal this past weekend. And remember, don’t drink your calories if you can avoid it!
- Bread, Chips, and such– These offer little true satisfaction. Refined carbohydrates will spike your insulin and have lots of calories. Choose to avoid or limit this category at your celebration.
- What to eat first– eating salad and veggies first will help you feel full sooner. This is a tough one for TheFatGuy as he loves to go for the ribs, mac & cheese, fried chicken…… first!
- Small plates/eat slow– these 2 strategies can help you cut your caloric intake tremendously. Studies have shown that smaller plates and utensils do help cut intake. Taking your plate away from the serving area to eat slow and mingle with family and friends will help you, also. Enjoy the special time sharing stories with family and friends while taking your eye off of the food table!
- Desserts/refined sugar– This again is a tough one for TheFatGuy. If at all possible, keep your dessert size small and MOVE AWAY FROM THE DESSERT TABLE! Use moderation here. AND, because TheFatGuy has a lot of problems with moderation, he will may not be eating sugar at all. He gave up sugar the year he lost 150 pounds. His ‘all or nothing’ thought process does not work well with doing sugar in ‘moderation’. Being aware of this is the first step to dealing with a strategy to manage it.
- Everything else– Try to get your joy for the day from everything the day has to offer other than food. Enjoy your family, friends, the celebration, the games, the atmosphere and soak it all in without soaking in the calories. We, that have the control issues around food, have a tendency to make the eating the focus! Breathe in everything else and enjoy it!
Basically, it all comes down to choices and knowing yourself. So to make it easier, make a plan now and structure your plan and choices now for that big eating event. Have a great time knowing you have a plan.

TheFatGuy says, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE! And remember, your alcohol drinks have calories!

Note to ME and YOU: Enjoy your day, family, friends and life with a plan that works for YOU!

TheFatGuy

TheFitGuy

TheBEAST
30 August, 2016
Transformation
I’ve been blessed to see major transformation in my life, help others to find transformation in their lives, and help organizations transform.

What do all of these transformations have in common? Commitment, vision, knowledge, energy, and a can-do attitude!
- Commitment to the transformation is key. In each case people fully committed to make a change, and in some cases a radical change. If you do not commit, then no other steps matter.
- Vision toward where you needed to go was also a common thread in these journeys. People developed a vision and started down the road toward that vision
- Knowledge was gathered along the way to travel the roads toward the vision. Knowledge about self and knowledge about the task at hand were key pieces to each transformation.
- Energy is seen in each instance. People develop a certain energy to move toward transformation and they harness that energy to get where they need to go.
- A Can-Do attitude is needed to make the transformation happen. Yes a positive Can-Do attitude can get you a long way down the road to transformation! As TheFatGuy says, you choose your attitude each day regardless of your life circumstances. You will make good, sometimes great life choices with a positive attitude.
You should know that YOU can transform your life at anytime! I have been blessed to have it happen in my life and blessed to see it happen in many other lives and situations.

Note to ME and YOU: Transformation can get you from where you don’t want to be to where you dream to go!

TheFatGuy

TheFitGuy

TheBEAST
26 April, 2016