That’s where having that motivating factor comes into play. That factor is so powerful that it forces you to power through your weakest of moments. Like when you are thinking of eating just one cookie.. which almost always turns into 3, then 5, then the whole pack. Or when you say to yourself I’ll take today off and start again on Monday… but Monday becomes Tuesday and Tuesday becomes next week and next week becomes next month. Oh, and the drive-thru for dinner temptations. Don’t even get me started on that. Those are the moments when you need to dig deep. When you look at the situation and say to yourself, “No! That’s it. I will get through this!”

I can’t even keep track of how many times I’ve given in to the temptations and have been weak. It sucks! Why? Because I’ve lost control. Losing control is not a good feeling, especially when you are on such a tough journey. Losing weight is very challenging. Weight loss is simple. Yet really difficult. To lose weight you need to eat less calories and exercise. Pretty simple concept. Sticking to it is the hard part. That’s why you need the motivation to get you through it.

So what’s your motivation? Mine? Well.. I have several. I am battling the potential of self inducing diabetes. I want to win this battle. I want to be around for my daughter and be a positive role model. I want to be able to say that I finally gained control of myself. I want to prove to myself that I am strong enough to accomplish this ( I know I am but the proof is in the weight loss). I want to prove the haters wrong. And then I have tons of tiny little motivating factors that are keeping me going. Some are more special than others, but all of them help.

So, I repeat, what’s your motivating factor?

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Find that Motivating Factor

So my issue with this guy is that he thinks that he knows it all. Heck, maybe he does. At first I thought he was just being over zealous with the sharing of his knowledge. I figured I’d listen to what he had to say since he has been able to successfully maintain his weight loss for several years. But over time I realized that it was just too condescending. It was as if anything besides what he preached was not good enough. It was his way or the highway.

He’d doubt just about everything. I recall when I told him I was able to do a pull up at 284 lbs. He said it couldn’t be done. But guess what… I did it and got it on video. I performed a clean pull up at 284 lbs. Something he couldn’t. See.. the thing is he doesn’t know my body and what I am capable of. All he had to go by was what he was capable of. There was another time where he said it was impossible for me to do a proper burpee… guess what I did those too.

This guy would even doubt other success stories. There’s a guy that dropped about half his bodyweight in less than a year. All this hater had to say was “I guarantee you he gains it all back in 2 years.” Not a “Congrats, I wish him the best” but a negative remark about how he thought the guy would fail. He was such a downer. The final straw was when we were about to have a contest, which I honestly believe I would have won, and life happened. Things came up in my schedule that prevented things from happening as planned. So he turns around and calls us names and some derogatory remarks. Really uncalled for stuff. At that moment I realized how much I did not want this person in my life anymore.

Now, this person will probably respond on his site. Maybe even leave a comment below. I can care less. I’m venting. lol. The guys is living proof that what he has tried and done had worked. I can’t take that from him. He is helping others with his story and knowledge. But the way in which he tried to “help” me was just not working out. So yes, in my eyes he’s a hater.

Maybe I’m a hater for hating on his approach with me?

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

There’s a Hater Amongst Us

So how are you dealing with weight loss issues right about now? Share some of your tricks, please! It’s been quite a challenge every holiday season for me to stick to my guns. Why does weight loss have to be so difficult, yet really simple?

Something I’ve been thinking about doing is getting together on weekends with a bunch of guys and playing sports. I love sports, loved playing, love watching. So I want to incorporate more sports into my life. I’ve gotta use it before I lose it.

Mentally, it’s really a challenge to stay focused. That has always been the hardest, most crucial element to my weight loss. Stay focused people. Stay focused!

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

How Are You Dealing with Weight Issues?

Here is a group photo of us in front of the Nutrilite Center for Optimal Health:

After the health assessments we ate breakfast, which was delicious. We were then given a tour of the center by Bob Tully (I have pics and video of that too). After the tour we were shown a video that explained what Nutrilite is all about. I must say, it was impressive. They then brought in Bob Tully to talk about perfect balance, Dr. Duke Johnson, M.D. to speak about optimal health, Diane Paetz to speak about fitness, Micheline Vargas to speak about Nutrilite Sports Nutrition, Jenn Stuczynski (Olympic Silver Meal winning pole vaulter) and Tom O’Rourke (masters track cyclist and world-record holder) to discuss sports.

While the above few hours may seem overwhelming, they weren’t. Everything was done smoothly and the time just flew by. We even managed to get in a quick 10 minute workout! I broke a little sweat and so did a lot of the others.

After that we had lunch and some time to talk with Dr. Duke, Jenn Stuczynski, and Tom O’Rourke. Each shared some insight. Jenn and Tom had some great stories and Dr. Duke was very open about sharing his knowledge. We then departed for the Avia Hotel and set out for a group run/jog/walk. John and I decided to jog, while some of the more “in-shape” folks ran. Some people decided to just take a stroll around the area since it was a very beautiful day out.

So that brings me back to now… I am finishing up this post so that I can hop in the shower and meet everyone for dinner. The entire trip to this point has been amazingly eye opening and well worth it. I’ll leave you with a quote (albeit an extremely paraphrased quote) from Tom O’Rourke with regards to weight-loss.

If you want to lose weight, don’t set a goal of weight loss. Set a goal that you can achieve and the weight loss will come.

That really resonated with me because I’ve been there. When I set a goal of being able to do a pull up or being able to do 15 burpees, I have success on the scale and in the mirror. But when I only set weight related goals I tend to get absorbed in that and it really throws my off mentally.

With that said, I’m outty 5000!

Here is a list of the other attending bloggers, in no particular order. Be sure to check them out as they share their life experiences.

Jennette – http://www.pastaqueen.com/

Mark – http://www.MyFitnessHut.com

Veronica – http://www.RonisWeigh.com

Evita – http://www.evolvingwellness.com

John – http://www.johnisfit.com

Steve – http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/

Sarah – http://rxironman.blogspot.com/

Spread the Health News – Get all of the latest health news, submit your own, and vote them to the top at HealthRanker.com.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Nutrilite Sport Blogger Event Day 2 – Quick Recap of Activities

It’s already late so I haven’t had a chance to meet any of the other bloggers that are here. Some of them you might have heard of: John from JohnIsFit.com, Roni from Roni’s Weigh, and THE PastaQueen, to name a few. I can’t wait to meet them tomorrow morning.

Saturday is packed with activities. We’ll be having some health assessments performed, learning more about Nutrilite, meeting Olympic athletes and even working out! I’m excited about it all. Plus, California is one of my favorite places to visit so this was just perfect.

I’ll have some video of this exciting weekend, but for now I’m off to bed…jet lag anyone!

I leave you with some photos of my Avia Hotel room (the pics do it no justice).

Spread the Health News – Get all of the latest health news, submit your own, and vote them to the top at HealthRanker.com.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Nutrilite Sport Blogger Event Day 1 – Late Flight

When I’m working out in the cold I feel like Rocky. Remember that scene when he has a full beard and is carrying a log? Or was it dragging it? Well, that’s me during the cold months! I feel immune to pain and fatigue in the cold. It’s like I can go on and on and on with a workout, not that I do because it becomes counter-productive after a while. It also takes me a little longer to get warmed up when I’m working out in the cold, but it’s better than getting lightheaded like I do when I’m working out in the heat.

Not sweating as much is a catch 22 for me. On the one hand, I don’t feel gross with all that nasty sweat dripping and I can have a tough workout without being as sore as normal. The downside is that I can easily overexert myself due to the longer workout and I sometimes feel like I haven’t “done anything” since I didn’t sweat as much.

There’s a fine line, but at the end of the day I prefer to workout during the Fall/Winter than in the Summer.

What about you? Do you like working out in the cold or in the heat? Why?

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Cold Weather Workouts Help Me Train Harder

Seriously though, we were down for several days and I was locked out for a long time. Things should be back to normal now. I’m just glad the site is back up, people were probably beginning to think I abandoned them being all wishy-washy. You know, like I am…

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Wishy-Washy and…We’re Back!

Click here to view the embedded video.

That’s right. I go shirtless. I made this video back in July and haven’t gotten around to posting it. But I figured I’d do it since NO ONE is going shirtless in the weight loss blog world until AFTER they have lost the weight, and that includes Muata!!!

So..there it goes. I went shirtless at 284 lbs DURING my weight loss journey. The video pretty much speaks for itself…

Thoughts???

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Show Off the Fat and Go Shirtless at 284 Lbs

Click here to view the embedded video.

Forget about your weight, your fat or how you look for a second today and take some time to remember those that were lost 8 years ago.

Where were you on 9/11? I remember I was in bed. I was still a college kid and had class that afternoon so I decided to sleep in. Then my cousin calls me and tells me to turn on the television.

The rest is history…

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Where Were You on 9/11? Remembering September 11th, 2001

But if you find something that you enjoy and look forward to, it will be easier for you to make time for it. We all make time to eat; mostly because it is a fabulous pastime. But the other end of the spectrum is oftentimes harder to enjoy. By taking part in an exercise routine that you loathe, chances are slim that you will continue to do it.

What you are passionate about? Did you used to play a sport in your younger years? If so, try to fit some aspect of that into your workout. If baseball or softball was your game, swing a weighted bat. If you enjoy football, have a friend throw the ball to you as you sprint to catch it. Find a way to fit what you like into your workouts, and you will do more of them.

Another good thing to remember is that if you do the same routine over and over again, you are going to get bored. Chances are that you would not read the same book over and over again. You already know what is going to happen; there is no excitement. Try to mix it up and do something a little different each time you are working out. You will use different muscles and gain strength in different parts of your body. Plus, you will find that by doing various activities, your interest in being active will spike.

There are so many activities that you can do that will help you lose weight and get in shape. No matter what you enjoy doing, be creative and mold the pastime that you love into a fitness routine that will keep you slim, and keep you motivated.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

A Tip or Two for Motivation…

It will do for now as I have something to compare it to when I finally get to below 25% body fat. That’s my first BF % goal. Then I’d like to stay around 10% to 15% body fat consistently. If my body fat is 31% now, that means it must have been in the forties or even 50s before. Yikes.

How did I have my body fat measured? I went into the local Bally’s Total Fitness here in Tampa, FL. It’s located on Hillsborough Avenue and is the bigger of the two in the area. I walked in and asked for my BF to be tested. It was free, but then again, it wasn’t. I had to endure a tour of the gym and listen to the trainer pitch me on joining even after I told her that I wouldn’t be joining because I do my own thing at home. She was actually really pleasant and almost convinced me to attend a 5 AM bootcamp class for free. Almost!!!

So she weighed me, measured me, I held some X Box controller looking thing, and then she did some math. She also told me my BMI, but I don’t go by BMI since it’s a crock of s*!t. BMI strictly takes your height and weight then spits out some BMI number. It doesn’t take into account body fat, muscle or anything else. That means that if you look at Ronnie Coleman’s (the 1 million-time My Olympia) BMI,, he would be obese. I digress.

I’d like to eventually get a more official body fat percentage check. Maybe the one where you go into an egg-sphere or where you are under water. That would be nice.

For now this will do. I’ll actually be doing a visual self-check every day/week. No one knows my body better than me, so I’ll be inspecting it to see if there is fat reduction.

My body fat is 31%…mad higher than I’d like it to be, but we have to start somewhere.

What’s your bodyfat percentage?

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Weekly Check-In: 31% Body Fat

Here is the weight loss chart:

That little hiccup of 2 lbs ain’t nothing! I’ll be fine next week once my body lets go of some of this water it was holding. This past week was a good one. Yet again I managed to control my eating…something which I’ve been working on heavily. For the past few months one of my main goals was to let go of the emotional, mindless eating and take control of the nutritional side of things. I can honestly say that I am extremely close to my goal of controlling myself when it comes to eating. My gluttonous days are almost over.

My water retaining most likely came as a result of my constipation. On Friday I was not able to use the bathroom, something which I’ve been doing on a daily basis. So on Friday night aside from drinking my usual amounts of water I figured I’d drink some more fiber. What was that for? I was able to relieve myself but felt dehydrated and decided to drink a bunch more water since I wasn’t feeling good. I eat a lot of apples, kiwis, other fiber rich fruits and drink plenty of water so I’m not sure when I was constipated. I did buy some chocolate milk last week and started having some after my workouts. I haven’t been constipated in a very long time. It felt odd and I knew that my weight was going to be off because of it.

I’m not worried. Next week I’ll come back and be better than ever. This isn’t really a plateau or a wall I’ve hit with my weight loss. I’ll know when I hit a wall because I’ll feel it and the scale will tell me. My consistency is so on point that I don’t anticipate hitting a wall for a few more weeks. Another reason I don’t see myself hitting that wall for a while is because I’ve recently started switching up the routine. Instead of just doing burpees on my burpee days, I’ve included bear crawls, plyometrics and some other exercises I hate doing.

So, yeah, I gained 2 lbs this week but they will be short lived. I guarantee it!

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Weekly Weigh-In: 2 lbs Gained & Weight Loss Constipation, Literally

Look at yourself in the Mirror...Positively.

It’s true. Self image accounts for a good portion of how we look. According to Sarah Grogan’s 2007 edition of Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women, and Children, she states that,

“Promotion of positive body image is important in improving people’s quality of life and physical health, and body image is implicated in a number of health-related behaviors. Although being dissatisfied with the way that we look and “feeling fat” can motivate us to exercise, it may also prevent us from engaging in organized sports activities such as joining a gym or exercising due to concern about whether we have the right kind of body to fit in with a sports culture that promotes a slender ideal…Body image factors may also influence whether we restrain our eating. Positive body evaluation has been linked with healthy eating, and we are less likely to binge eat and engage in restrictive dieting and self-induced vomiting if we feel satisfied with the way we look.”

…

In a nutshell, it’s important to at least have the ability to see who you are in a positive light. If you can’t even begin to do that, then what’s the point in attempting to change the way your body looks?

No, I’m not saying that you need to look in the mirror and give yourself some encouraging compliments vaguely reminiscent of Stuart Smalley from “Saturday Night Live,” though that wouldn’t hurt. I’m just saying that you need to think of yourself in a positive light, EVEN if you think there is something that you’re not fond of about yourself.

Remember, no matter what it is that you dislike, there’s no way you can hate every aspect of yourself. Find something that you like; find a few things. Take those thoughts and smile about them, hold them close. Make sure that, while you’re thinking about something that you want or need to change in yourself, you ALWAYS keep those positive feelings close by.

As a sufferer of scoliosis with pectus excavatum, I’ve had an extremely up-and-down struggle with body image. The scoliosis has curved my spine, tilted my hips and bent my rib cage; the pectus excavatum has left a huge dent right smack in the center of my chest. Believe it or not, I’ve dealt with the chronic dull ache at the center of my spine and the intermittent shortness of breath with a smile and only light complaining. It’s the cosmetic aspects of each defect that have eaten at me every day since I hit puberty.

Up until last year, I’d worn a bikini only a few times and I shied from anything with a neckline that sank below my clavicles. What changed?
It was what I said to myself in the mirror. (Not out loud, mind you. Well, not all the time…)

I stopped covering the mirror with a towel and started at least looking at myself. The next step was stopping to look at myself. After that, I worked up to appraising something else other than my perceived defects: my eyes, my ears…

It eventually got to the point where I didn’t need the mirror anymore to keep these positive thoughts flowing. They also started to focus on things other than the physical aspects, such as my mind, the smile I gave to a little kid the day before, etc. Small things, big things, anything!

Once you have these positive thoughts flowing in your head like a natural spring, it’s a hop, step and jump over to where you need to be to start making positive changes.

Try it. I dare you.

Photo courtesy P0psicle.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Let’s Start with the Man (or Woman) in the Mirror

Here is the ever impressive weight loss chart:

This past week was a tough one. I didn’t work out as much or as intensely as I normally like to, so I decided it would be my down week. I’ve been hitting it hard for a few weeks and my body was begging me to chill out, so I did. Monday was a big day as I did 100 burpees, then I took off Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday was a light, I did 6 sets of chin ups and push ups then called it a day. On Friday I was way too exhausted to work out and decided to just take it off. On Saturday I picked it up a little and went for a 2 hour walk sprinkled in with some 2 minute jogs. Later in the day I did a few sets of burpees. Sunday was another long walk, this time with the family. We went for a walk on a trail near our house and did a quick set of burpees just to get my heart pumping.

I was afraid I wouldn’t lose any weight for my weigh-in, but I did. I need to get it out of my head that I need to push my self to exhaustion every workout. That’s a no-no and it’s slowly being ingrained in my noggin.

Another reason I thought I had plateaued was because of Olive Garden’s Tour of Italy dish. On Friday night we went out to celebrate my wife’s new job and certification. After a bunch of years she finally achieved passing her exam to become certified in her profession. How she does it I don’t know. She puts up with my BS, raises my daughter, is a great mom and wife, works, exercises with me, and the list goes on. She has managed to fit getting certified into her schedule and I wanted her to celebrate that. She is a major reason for me being able to stay on track.

So we went to eat out have her customary Margarita. I hate those things, but she loves them. I had a Tour of Italy…all of it!!! It was so damn good. I kind felt gluttonous and guilty, but decided to just move on and make up for it over the weekend. Which I did. I hadn’t eaten that much in a while and my body was reacting negatively to it. My sides were hurting, I was taking dumps left and right, and I felt tired. So over the weekend I ate fruits, veggies, and protein. Nothing processed. By Sunday night I was feeling better, but man I won’t be doing that again.

So why did I do it? I wanted to test how I felt afterward. I wanted to see if I could recover from something like that. In the past I couldn’t. In the past I would not be blogging about what happened at Olive Garden. I’d just be all depressed and eating my depression away telling myself that I’ll get back on track in a week, only to have months go by before I got my act together. Was it worth it? Hell yes!

I’ve come a long way and it’s starting to show in all aspects, not just physically. Speaking of which…stay tuned for a very unleashing video this week.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Weekly Weigh-In: Another 3.8 lbs Lost, 70.4 lbs Total

Office Junk Food, Pastries or Fruits?

Fighting the temptation of high-fat and high-calorie food can be tough for anyone. But once you do, you will find that you feel better about yourself and the urges will be easier to tame.

Below are some steps that you can take to help control the mid-day sugar cravings. Following just a few of these steps could point you in the right direction to living a healthier lifestyle.

First, eat breakfast. And don’t just eat an apple or a piece of toast. Aim for a higher calorie, high protein breakfast that will stay with you right to lunch. The more you eat in the morning, the less you will eat at night. Try scrambling two eggs with onions and cheese, and topping it with hot sauce. Add a slice of toast with peanut butter, and you will find your before-lunch cravings will be greatly reduced.

Second, drink more water. Water keeps you hydrated and helps you feel energized. By drinking more water, you won’t have to search for something else to satisfy your cravings. Water will keep you refreshed and the more you drink, the fuller you will feel. If you have a hard time drinking it, try adding a squeeze of lemon juice, or a low-sugar flavoring such as Crystal Light.

Third, arm yourself with healthy snacks. It is rare to walk into an office break room and find healthy foods. Resist the temptations of sugary-sweets by bringing healthy alternatives with you to work, such as natural almonds, whole wheat crackers, granola bars and fruit. Eating whole foods will increase your energy and will stay with you longer than a bag of chips or a candy bar.

And finally, don’t deprive yourself. The old saying, “everything in moderation” still holds true. By cutting yourself off from all sweets and “junk food,” you are more likely to binge and eat more unhealthily than you would if you allowed yourself a snack from time to time. It is fine to indulge every now and then, just don’t make it a habit. Treat yourself to a sugary snack from time to time, and your cravings for those kinds of foods will not be as hard to fight in the future.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Fight the Good Fight: Feel Full or Feel Fat

Leading up to doing the burpees was gut wrenching. I knew the feeling of cranking out 100 burpees and let me tell you, IT SUCKS! Takes me back to one day in high school when our football coach had us running plays with out a water break for hours. Our lungs and lips were burning from the exhaustion. I wanted to test myself doing the burpees in the afternoon, since my night workouts are usually easier. The moment comes and I’m all nervous about it. I set up the GymBoss for 20 minutes and got right to it.

I had to break the video down into 3 parts. Enjoy…

100 Burpee Challenge Part 1

Click here to view the embedded video.

100 Burpee Challenge Part 2

Click here to view the embedded video.

100 Burpee Challenge Part 3

Click here to view the embedded video.

I counted and only got 98…dammit! I know I had more in me. I should have just kept going. Next time I will!!!

Since my last burpee bad form video I’ve tried to improve my form. It’s hard controlling your body when you are as big as I am, but I’ll get there. As I continue to lose fat/weight I will be able to better control my body. Doing as much burpees as I did takes some mental toughness because your mind and body are telling you to stop. After about 12 burpees I was considering stopping. Thinking about doing just 10 more burpees was scary…but I got through it. Control of your mind and body are crucial.

I do burpees differently than what I’ve seen folks do. I try to do them like Steve Maxwell demonstrated. He says that the squat portions should be full squats. No matter how you do them, burpees will give you a great workout in a short amount of time. I’ve noticed that the burn in my legs has gone away. Now my muscles burn all over while doing burpees. That I can guarantee.

Comment away, give feedback, and share your burpee videos!!

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

100 Burpee Challenge at 281 Lbs in 20 Minutes

120 STRAIGHT DIAMOND HAND POSITION PUSH UPS

33 STATIC PUSH UPS ( HOLD POSITION 3 SECONDS MID REP )

120 TWO INCH CRUNCHES

33 UPSIDE DOWN NINJA VAMPIRE JAIL BAIR SIT UPS, performed upside with ankles hooked on the high portion of the cell bars…Vick comes all the way up to the ankles….painful.

120 BURPEES, yes he does outdo the resident fatman himself.

40 JAIL BED DEAD LIFTS, Vick weighed down the bed with various books such as Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, The Secret (self help book) by Rhonda Byrne, The Secret, a short story by Arthur C. Clarke, The Secret, a novel, juvenile story by Charlotte Bronte, Clifford the Big Red Dog and a DVD of the movie Marley and Me…hey Mike Vick got a little confused at the Jail house library.

45 MINUTES OF SHADOW BOXING WHILE LISTENING TO RAPPER DMX’s…WHERE MY DOGS AT?

JAIL BAR FOOTBALL THROWING PRECISION DRILL, since the cell was only six feet deep aim was the goal so he threw the football 100 times between a designated pair of cell bars at a specific six inch area. Precision was achieved when the ball wedged perfectly in between the correct bars.

Will this all translate to the field? We’ll soon find out! Roger Goodell and the NFL seem to think so…

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

The Michael Vick Workout

Michael Vick has served his time and National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell has weighed in following a meeting with Vick earlier this week. The commish is handing down a four or even six game suspension…ouch! Vick can participate in preseason games and practice during the four to six game regular season suspension. So who’s going to roll the dice on Mike Vick?

Al Davis and the Raiders perhaps? Vick would look sleek, stealthy and deadly in the Silver and Black. Vick was a “Raider” in high school when he played for Warwick High in Virginia. An option closer to home for Vick, a Virginia native (Newport News to be exact, Allen Iverson’s hometown as well) are the Carolina Panthers. Jake Delhomme’s sub par performance and injuries have sounded the alarms in Charlotte. A dark horse could be the Baltimore Ravens, even though Joe Flacco seems to be Mr. Franchise.

But ultimately my instincts tell me that the Washington Redskins might be courting Mike Vick harder than the rest of the possibilities. Jason Campbell is some what of an enigma to Redskin fans. Is he a star on the cusp or a bust with a few years of dust? Besides that Daniel Snyder truly likes to make a splash…he will be the modern day age Al Davis mark my words. Hey Vick would be the perfect edition to the freak show that is D.C., I am referring to the politicians. The Redskin’s headquarters and training facilities are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia, a town in Loudon County, not to far from Dulles International Airport. The location of the Redskins along with the team’s needs seem to combine to create a logical fit for Vick. Didn’t Washington D.C. former mayor Marion Barry get arrested recently for stalking a woman? Legendary material you simply can’t make this stuff up. Add on Washington’s politically incorrect mascot with the surefire ribbing that will come from the supporters of P.E.TA. and you have a witches brew for the Redskin front office.

The Redskin’s media department will have to answer to animal lovers worldwide as well. Could the bad press end the Redskin’s eight year NFL attendance record? The Redskin’s are the most profitable franchise in the NFL currently so do you really want to fool with that revenue stream with the signing of a dog-fighting felon? Daniel Snyder would. Hail to the Redskins my friends! Would it be insane if the NFL had a dog themed team…or mascot and Vick played for them. Imagine the dog pound in Cleveland…don’t know if Vick could be a Brown for that reason. Maybe Virginia Tech and the Hokies will take Mike Vick back…just a thought.

So let’s tackle the burning question every owner and fan has: can Michael Vick perform on the gridiron?

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Michael Vick and The NFL Make Amends for the Love of Dogs

By far, my least favorite of all the filthy, scandalous four-letter words in the English language is “DIET”. No other word has the ability to make my toes curl and skin crawl like the dreaded “D” word. Tell me that the idea of having to go on a “diet“, or the memory of having been on a “diet”, isn’t enough to give you nightmares. Ok, so maybe I’m being a tad bit over-dramatic here, but you and I both know that dieting sucks.

For me, being on diet used to be like a dirty little secret that I kept hidden from the rest of the world, in absolute fear that they might find out. Why I thought of it as a secret, I don’t know. It’s not like people couldn’t just look at me and tell that maybe I needed to start watching what I ate. I guess maybe what I was really afraid of was the questions:

“What diet are you on?”,
“How long have you been on it?”,
“Lose anything yet?”,
“How much are you looking to lose?”
“How many Weight Watchers points would this be?”
“Should you be eating that?”

On top of hating the unending barrage of questions, I was also trying to protect my pride. See, I acknowledge fully that I have serious pride issues. If everyone knew I was on a diet, and I couldn’t do it, then that would mean everyone would know I was weak and a failure. To me, there is nothing worse than letting other people know that I can’t do something. I have a hard time asking for help, and an even harder time walking away from something I haven’t finished. The idea that people would look at me as weak or incapable is unacceptable for me. If people are going to judge me, then I am going to give them something to judge. I welcome the challenge. I finish what I start. I push through the hard parts. I don’t walk away.

EXCEPT when it comes to weight loss. For some reason, when it comes to dieting, I find it so easy to just give up. I have no idea why time and time again, this is the one thing that I seem to be so quick to walk away from. I’ve spent a lot of years thinking about this and have come to realize that I have a 50 pound or 6 month limit. Any diet I have ever been on has only been effective for that amount of time or that amount of weight. And, of course, the weight has always come back. All that hard work and sacrifice tossed aside. This was the story of my dieting life.

Until this time! Right? Uh no, sorry, not so much….

I had been deluding myself into thinking that this was the first time in my life that the weight wasn’t going to come back. Woo hoo, go me! I had been counting that fact as a minor victory. See, it had been about a year, and I was only about halfway to my ultimate goal. I hadn’t really seen much movement on the scale in that time, and I thought I was still living a focused, balanced lifestyle. Then this morning I got on the scale for the first time in months and saw that the numbers were going the wrong way. Twenty pounds in the wrong direction, to be exact.

After suppressing the urge to vomit, and wiping away a few tears, I realized I wasn’t really all that surprised. I had gotten to the point where I was feeling so frustrated and completely unmotivated to do anything about losing anymore weight. The last few months had thrown me completely off course, and I was starting to see and feel the negative changes in my body with each passing day. I ignored it for as long as I could, but those numbers on the scale made it reality. The fat was coming back, and there was no one to blame, but myself….AGAIN.

And the truth is….I’m scared. Terrified, actually. I can’t go back to where I was – sick, sad and lost. I’d love to summon that “all go, no quit” part of my personality that would grab my psyche by its temptation-loving throat and throw its flabby backside onto the elliptical machine, but I can’t. I’m stuck, free-falling backwards, and since I already threw out all my super-sized fat clothes, the idea of gaining back all that weight is simply not an option.

So now I’m turning to you, FMU’s faithful readers. I’m making this public because I need the challenge. I need to hold myself accountable, not only to myself, but to those who care about me, and want to see me succeed. Sounds silly, I know, but I lost the first half of the weight in a Biggest Loser competition at my job, and probably wouldn’t have done as well if I hadn’t been in the spotlight. I’m putting this out into the universe, and hoping that once again, my pride will take over and I’ll be able to set myself straight again. Wish me luck.

Photo courtesy Hendrick’s Photos.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Coming Out of the Dieting Closet

Click here to view the embedded video.

Update: Here is a video of me completing a 100 burpee challenge.

Did you ever want to learn how to do a burpee? How about I show you how to do a burpee with bad form. Then maybe you can work on the right form. I’ll post a video of me doing some burpees in good form later this week. I’ve been doing them for several months now, ever since I was 300+ lbs. I decided to make a quick video to see what I looked like performing a burpee. The video doesn’t lie and although my left pec is hurt as I’m doing them, I won’t use that as an excuse. I noticed some major flaws in my technique.

Keep in mind that when you are as obese as I was and am, it is extremely difficult to control your bodyweight. But you already know that right? Burpees are not for beginners. They can really kick your ass. I love them. I hate them. If you do enough you can get an amazing workout in a short amount of time. I started out just being able to do 5 burpees, I think it was. We’d worked up to doing 3 sets of 10. I’ve been Facebooking about it for a few months now. I’ve lost a tremendous amount of weight by incorporating burpees into my weekly routine. I was able to 105 burpees one night, but never video taped it. Until this afternoon, which I’ll post later this week.

What did you notice about my form? This is what I noticed:

• My heels aren’t flat on the ground during either squat.
• My elbows are flared out instead of in tight.
• Coming down too hard on my wrists, which shouldn’t be happening since I’m supposed to be squatting down.

I of course am not jumping high (it’s hard to do so when you are as heavy as me, so that’s not really something that counts as an error). Some people think that burpees should be left to the physically fit. I say screw that. Get your fat, out of shape butt on the floor and do some burpees.

The pain from burpees is akin to that of doing sprints after football practice. After 2 hours of drills and hitting, we would have to run sprints. It was like hell and it hurt. That’s what burpees feel like. When I first started my legs would burn. But now it’s my whole body that hurts and begs me to stop. After 8 burpees I am already thinking to myself, “Why did I decide to do burpees today?”

Did you notice anything else? If so, please let me know so that I can improve me form (Noticed how I channeled my inner-Pop Eye?).

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

How To Do Burpees in Bad Form at 284 Lbs

This past week was a good one. I was able to get myself on video performing a chin up, some burpees, and I’ve begun wearing clothes that I haven’t worn for years. The weight loss chart isn’t looking bad either, the downward trend continues for another week! YES!

That makes it another week of three or more pounds lost. Losing 3 lbs a week has been my attainable goal for the next few months. As much as I’d like to lose 5+ lbs a week, sometimes that just won’t happen. Slow and stead wins the race?

The weight loss is starting to show more and more as I continue on my journey. Workouts aren’t getting easier, but they aren’t as hard either. I’ve been able to maintain my strength, and in some cases even increase it, which amps me way up. I’m all about being able to lift heavy things. I’m going to really start focusing on being able to control my own bodyweight in just about any movement I make. That’s a major long term goal I have.

I’ve been thinking about my weight loss goals recently. Being that I am now wearing an XL shirt and it’s baggy, I’m pretty scared about looking too fragile and skinny. Sounds funny right? Me being afraid to look too skinny. I’ve never wanted to look skinny. I’m 280+ lbs and fit into an XL shirt. I have tons of fat I need to lose, so it makes me wonder what size shirt I’ll be wearing when I lose the fat… I’ve just wanted to look good naked and have an athletic looking body, akin to an MMA fighter or something like that. I don’t want to look like some bodybuilder or be a power lifter type, I just want to be strong and look athletic. My workouts are geared towards that. I don’t do any frequent long distance (muscle eating) running, I do sprints and short bursts. The only long distance anything I do is walking and riding my recumbent bike as I watch my favorite DVRed television shows. If I do any long distance running is once every two weeks, but lately I haven’t done any.

So, back to my goals. My original goals were: get under 300 lbs, get under 280 lbs, get to 250 lbs, and get to 225 lbs. I’m on track to reaching those goals but now I plan on seriously re-evaluating my goals once I reach 250 lbs. I know that when I get there I’ll still need to lose a considerable amount of fat, I’m fine with that. The issue is that once I get to 250 lbs, do I drop to 225 or lower and build back up or not? It’s a road I’ll need to cross when I get there, but it’s creeping up on me and bothering me since I don’t want to look all skinny and lanky.

Speaking of nutrition…I’ve been eating great. What’s great? Well, a majority of my calories come from fruits and veggies. I eat protein and fat too. It’s all good in my hood. I make sure to eat fruit every time I ate something. Whether it’s a banana with my morning breakfast of peanut butter on wheat or kiwis with my chicken and lettuce at dinner, I make sure to eat fruit. My bowel movements are regular, which I love. I like knowing that my body is functioning properly on the inside as well as out.

I have an issue. It’s nothing too serious, not some disorder or anything like that. It’s more of a mental thing. It’s that every week on Sunday I start thinking about my Monday weigh-in and being really anxious to get it over with. I then start thinking about not having lost any weight when I step on the scale. I even dream about it on Sundays. Just last night work up thinking that I had weighed in at 221 lbs. That’s like a weekly loss of 60+ lbs. That’s how much I think about it on Sundays. I guess I’ll get used to the notion that I am actually losing the weight. We’ll see.

I try to focus more on my workouts, getting stronger, and seeing the visual change in the mirror. These things won’t go away when I’m in maintenance mode. The weight loss will stop once I reach my goal weight and that’s something I have been preparing myself for. I won’t be doing the same workouts as I do now, not time wise anyway. I know some people continue to spend hours on treadmills and elliptical machines, addicted to the “weight loss” mentality. Not me, there’s more to this whole thing than just losing the weight. Or at least that’s what I think…

What do you think?

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Weekly Weigh-In: Another 3.4 lbs Lost

Click here to view the embedded video.

About 30 days ago, June 23rd 2009, I challenged myself. I was to perform one unassisted chin up by August 1st. I recorded myself not being able to perform a chin up, as proof. I then did some band assisted chin ups, three reps, for the first time ever. Not being able tp perform a chin up was pretty embarrassing, but the way I look at it is that I have a ton of room for growth. And I will show growth!

Just to recap, here are the starting numbers from June 23rd:

• 0 reps unassisted chin ups
• 3 reps band assisted chin ups

The good news is that instead of performing a chin up by August 1st, I was actually able to do it exactly one month after I challenged myself. On July 23rd I was able to record myself performing a chin up. Cool right? I think so. Not only does it show some strength, it helps me mentally because it encourages me to keep on plugging away at it. This part of the journey is great because I just keep showing positive signs of improvement.

One of the main reasons I was able to do the chin up is the weight loss. I basically lost about 18 lbs or so from June 23rd to July 23rd. Those 18 lbs were holding my fat ass down! The bands helped a lot to, thanks to Iron Woody Fitness for helping me reach my goal!

After watching the video I noticed that I had full control of that rep, so it was a good one. During the chin up I thought that I may have looked a little sloppy, but that’s not the case. That’s why I kept saying that I didn’t have full control. I am accustomed to doing chin ups from a dead hang, thanks to the military…but Muata suggested I don’t do that so that I’d engage the lats and not hurt any ligaments.

So Muata (Mr. Israel can’t do a pull up at 284 lbs because he is too fat and I was able to do my first chin up at 225 lbs but can now do 9.5 chin ups), I was able to do a chin up. What do you have to say now? You keep doubting me brotha!!! I told you that I was a beast. That’s what the whole unleashing thing is about my man. I’m not at your level yet, but I will be thanks to you. Critiquing and providing advice is always welcomed in my book. I know that I need to work on form for some movements, but that’s why video and people were created. Keep pushing me. It helps tremendously.

Numbers after 30 days:

• 1 rep unassisted chin ups
• 5 reps band assisted chin ups

Not too shabby! I can’t wait until I’m repping 10+ chins up! I don’t think that’s too far away…End of year maybe?

That’s one challenge down…2 more to go.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Chin Up Challenge Attempt at 284 Lbs.

Like most people, I find myself wanting to lose some inches and weight. So I went back into the gym, I am watching what I am eating, and I even hired a personal trainer. But with all of this, I still found myself wanting a little something more to kick my ass. So I decided to join a class called Bootcamp.

It meets 2 times a week for an hour in the evening. It’s run by an ex-army drill sergeant who believes that pain is power. Just the name itself sounds intimidating but I said to myself that I could do it. But as I walked into the gym for that first class my doubts and insecurities came to mind….will I be the only rolly polly in the class?? Will I be able to keep up with everyone?? And my biggest fear….will I look really stupid and embarrass myself.

So as I start to see my fellow classmates enter into the gym and get all the introductions out the way, I realized that two of my fears came true. I am the only non-skinny person in the class and this is everyone’s 5th time taking the class. Great!! Now everyone will laugh at the chubby girl trying to keep up. But as I found myself wheezing like there was no tomorrow, I noticed something. My classmates were encouraging me. When I felt like I couldn’t do another push up I heard someone say, “Come on!!! You can do it, just push it out!!” This gave me the will to keep going as well as coming back the next class.

So as I enter the gym for the next class, I was feeling good. I completed the first class and so the worse was over. How sadly I was mistaken. The class begins and we go through the motions. About 15 minutes into the class the instructor yells for us to go upstairs and grab a treadmill. He pairs us up and has us put the treadmill to a speed of 10. We are to take 30 second turns running on the machine. Now, as I see the treadmill’s rubber floor whiz by at a speed of 10 all I could think about is….How the hell am I suppose to do this?? When I use the treadmill my speed of choice is a 3.3 and that puts me at a brisk walk. And if you have never seen a speed of 10, let me tell you that it’s freaking fast!!

As I stand there and watch my partner, who is in her early 50’s, jump on this machine and make it look so easy, I am trying to psych myself up. I am telling myself that I can do this, I’m tough, I’m strong, and I’m in control of my life. This is why I signed up for this. Now it’s my turn. I step on the sides of the treadmill and look down at the rubber flying by under me. I can do this, I keep chanting in my head. I take a deep breath, look up, grab the side handles and anxiously await the instructors signal.

When I hear the instructor yell go, I placed my foot on the treadmill to run. This is where my third fear comes true. You remember the one…..I am scared to make an ass out of myself. Yep that’s the one. So as I place my foot on the treadmill, I just remember feeling this sensation of leaning forward and desperately trying to grab something but only getting air. The next thing I know my knees hit the rubber, along with my hands and I land on my rear end with an un-lady-like thump against the back wall. As I sit there in utter humiliation and mortification I can hear the gasps and the “are you all rights” all around me. I can’t believe this just happened. It’s like a comedy except it’s not funny because it’s me!!

I immediately jumped off the ground and said that I was alright. I didn’t want to be fussed over and draw more attention to myself. I just wanted to prove that I could handle the class and I belonged there. So the instructor, realizing a little too late, put me on a separate treadmill and reduced my speed to 6. I went on and continued the class. I felt like crying a few times due to embarrassment but I stuck it out.

At the end of the class everyone came up to me to check on me and to tell me good job for hanging in there. I didn’t feel like I did a good job. I was feeling sorry for myself and my insecurities came back. But as I drove home I realized something. I am tough. How many people can fall off a treadmill, pop back up and complete the class?? I know that people probably got a good chuckle from watching me flail like a fish out of water but so what. So who cares that I can’t keep up with my classmates. What’s important is that I did it all at MY pace and pushed myself and gave 100% (plus some skin).

Everyone’s fitness level is different and I shouldn’t expect myself to be at a 10 when I am at a 6. I will be a 10 one day but I have to work my way to it. And who cares that I am the only round person in the class. What’s important is that I am taking the steps to do something about it. And who cares that I looked stupid for a couple of minutes and my new nickname is tripper. The important thing is that I got back up!!!

Photo courtesy SashaW.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Getting Back Up…..

You may have just read the title to this blog and are left wondering “What does this have to do with weight loss?” Well my answer to that question is, “It has everything to do with it!” Did you know that 2/3 of America is considered obese? Which is not surprising being that we no longer have to fight, hunt, and kill to get our food. No not at all, we live in a time of fast food and microwaves. It’s sad to say but we as humans try to find the easiest and fastest but yet not so beneficial way to do everything.

Our bodies are set up naturally to cheat, and find the easy way out of things. Billions of dollars are spent every year on technologies that makes things easier and more accessible. Things like cars, planes, computers, telephones etc. Technology does make our lives easier but it will do so at a cost. We’ve paid the price with our health, and fitness; our bodies have dealt with the burden and have paid the cost. America as a whole has become over fat, and extremely lazy.

America is in a depression but whose fault is that? The fault belongs to each and everyone of us. We as individuals have not taken care of ourselves, our families, our jobs, nor have we taken care of our country. If you study history you will find that in the great depression it was not the government that fixed things, it was we the people that came together and fought for a change to be made. We the people are the one’s responsible for the mess in this country, and I believe it is wrong of us to place blame on any political person in government.

Government is there to make laws, rules, and regulations, but those are made by the demands of we the people. It was we the people who fought against slavery, racism, women’s right, gay’s rights, animal cruelty, tax regulation, etc. It is we the people that put politicians in government to fight for what we the people want. But we the people have become to fat and lazy to step in and fix things ourselves. We would rather live average and ordinary lives, and let the government magically make things all better. Sorry to tell yah but, “It ain’t gonna happen.”

To make a real change in America, each of us individually need to live our lives to the best of our ability. Anything we do needs to be the best we can do. I strongly believe that if we do not take control of ourselves, and if we do not become the master of our own lives. Then anything we do, know matter how great a job it is will never be done to the best of your ability. I believe that 2/3 of this country are not performing at there best, therefore our country is spiraling downward at top speeds.

We are living in a blessed nation, and the generations before us worked hard and worked there best to make this country what it is today. But this new generation has taken all of that for granted and has sat back and watched as America has crumbled. Now ask yourself, what can I do to make a real positive CHANGE???? The answer is simple to say but difficult to do.

Become the master of your life, and take control of your surroundings. If you’re over fat then lose weight, if you’re weak then get stronger, and search for every flaw you can find in yourself and make ways to improve them. Do what you know you need to do, and stop doing what you know you shouldn’t be doing. If we plan on pulling America out of this depression, then each of us individually need to grab the steering wheel and take control. Once you have done this then spread the word to each and every individual you may know.

This country needs to be restored and we must start from the inside and work our way out. My goal in life is to inspire as many people as a can to make this change in their lives. I truly believe that success is in us all, we just have to want it bad enough. When we all individually work at our best, then together we can make a real and lasting change. United we stand, divided we fall.

Photo courtesy Tony the Misfit.

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

America is in a Depression but Whose Fault is that?

About a month ago I called out Muata, from Mr. Low Body Fat, to a fitness challenge. I also called out Tony from the Anti-Jared, but he is pretty busy with a new baby and what not. Instead, he launched a larger scale thing call the Missouri 60 and a stairmaster challenge against some lady. I wanted a one-on-one type of thing with Tony. Tony, if you’re reading this the call out is still there. I digress.

Initially it was supposed to be that I had to perform one full chin up by a certain date. That’s when I set up to work on my chins ups and pull ups. For the life of me I could not pull myself up. At 300+ lbs (mostly fat), it’s pretty much impossible for anyone to this. There are those few exceptions that can do it but they mainly have massive amounts of muscle that comprise their 300 lb frames. I am not a strongman, I’m just a normal fat guy. That’s when Iron Woody Fitness graciously hooked me up with some bands so that I can train. I’ve never used these things, but I can definitely say that they help!!!

On June 23rd, 2009 I officially started my chin up/pull up training for the challenge. That’s when I made this video:

Bodyweight Row Challenge
Recently, 2 weeks or so ago, Muata and I decided on a different platform for our challenge. Instead of me having to do a chin up, he thought it would better if we were competing against ourselves in a bodyweight row challenge. We would do a 5 minute set of bodyweight rows. The first number is our starting point. The challenge is to see who can beat their initial number by the largest percentage. Now, being that we are at different stages in our fitness (he is below 200 and has been maintaining his massive weight loss for years and I am still half way to my weight loss goals), this is the best route to go.

I suggest you go see Muata’s Bodyweight Row Challenge about it and check out that video of Steve Maxwell performing different variations of the bodyweight row. I’ll be at a different angle and using a different apparatus than Muata will. But we will use the same form and apparatus as we did in our first take when we perform our last. Muata’s going to be using fitness rings attached to his pull-up bar. I’ll be using my power rack and a barbell with less of an incline. I’ll get mine on video, as proof.

The starting numbers:

• Israel – 78 reps in 5 minutes
• Muata – 47 reps in 5 minutes

I know my number is going up because I’m getting lighter and stronger. I just hope it’s enough to win.

Band Assisted Chin Ups Self-Challenge
With all of that said, I still wanted to keep my challenge of being able to perform an unassisted chin up by August 1st. I decided that I’d be self-challenging myself. Did that sound right? Doesn’t sound like it’s correct, but you know what I mean. Right? So by August 1st I have to perform a chin up with no assistance whatsoever.

As you can see in the video I cannot even go half way up. It’s pretty embarrassing. But cut me some slack, I am over 300 lbs in the video. With the bands I am able to do 3 assisted chin ups at a time with horrible form, I might add. I’m looking to be able to do 3 sets of 10 assisted pull ups.

The starting numbers:

• 0 reps unassisted chin ups
• 3 reps band assisted chin ups

So, it’s on!

P.S. Tony…bring it!

This is an article from FatManUnleashed.com's Healthy Weight Loss and Fitness Blog.

Band Assisted Chin Ups and Bodyweight Row Challenges