Cooling Down and Heating up

Well a happy hump day to everyone on this cool morning even here in Florida.  Well I am moving right along this week doing very well so far, made it to the gym yesterday for my usual  1000 calorie's workout I do on Tuesday's.  I do 65 minutes on the treadmill and an additional 20 minutes on the bike for a combined 1000 calories and I am good and sweaty and worn out after that let me tell you.  When I first started the best I could do was about 30 minutes on the treadmill at about 2.4 mph with no incline and I was huffing and puffing now I do 65 minutes at 4.2 mph with a 3.0 incline and have energy to spare.  I am quite proud of my progress I have made over my old Nemesis the treadmill it's just one of those things that I have really been able to chart my progress as I just got faster and faster. I once saw a quote that said something like there are two types of people when it comes to treadmills the ones who voluntarily walk on them and those who wait till a doctor makes them at a stress test because of heart trouble. So I decided to put myself in the first group rather than wait on the second one, how bout you?


So the weather finally turned a bit cool this morning here in the sunshine state, just in time for my three mile walk this evening with the walk jog club at the gym.  Luckily for me my wife thought ahead and got me a new long sleeve Nike  thermal layer to try out tonight so I am kinda excited about that it's a bit snug still but it gives me something to shoot for to make it looser yet. I am doing well so far too  as I am regulating my portion sizes better and really counting every calorie and I have already noticed some of that Thanksgiving weight starting to come off as I am down 2 pounds since Sunday so I am right on track but still with  much track in front of me.  So how have you been doing so far, have you noticed where all that stuffing and cranberry sauce ended up as it always has to find a place to land and you will see it a few days later lol Well the good news is as I am proving  you can make it go away fast enough all it takes is a little work this week and you too can be right with me on track to have Thanksgiving's leftovers behind us.  The two things I have found that can really slow any weight loss attempt is eating too much food and snacking, especially snacking.  All those little empty calories really add up during the course of a day a cookie here and a piece of candy there or even just a few bites of something right out the fridge can end up being worse than sitting down and eating a really bad snack just once a day.  What I do is eat my regular 3 meals a day and plan ahead with my snack if I need a quick snack fruit is your friend so be sure to call them before you hit that vending machine. 


So wish me luck as I embark on my first attempt at the 5k walk jog tonight with the walk Jog club so any of my local friends who feel like getting out for a walk tonight we will be leaving from the gym around 5:30 so come on by and hit the trail with me I can always use all the support I can get.  So thanks so much for stopping by today I hope that you are having some success of your own this week and are using this week to start off your drive to finish off this year strong and be ready to find the new you in 2012 or even if it's just to get rid of those Thanksgiving leftovers.  So as always thanks for sharing the blog and don't forget to check in later this week for the debut of video as we are getting that set up now.  So make it a great day and get out there and get on a treadmill and take another step towards FIT.

Off and Running

Well a good Tuesday morning to everyone this morning.   Well day 1 of my re commitment went well and I am well on my way of getting back in my weight loss groove  and getting some more  results.  I'm not going to lie it was a little bit tough  getting back on the horse after a nearly a few weeks off but I know it's all just a matter of getting back into the plan I was in before  I was forced to slow down. Yet another thing I have learned is that your body will adjust to whatever lifestyle you choose to throw at it.  If you live a very sedentary life and never leave your house or raise your heat rate your body will sense that as normal so when you try to go beyond that normal that's why you feel tired.  However the real trick is knowing you have the power to change that normal you can make a new normal where you body is used to physical activity to regularly having to put out more energy to raise your heart rate during daily physical activity. The longer you put yourself in that lazy groove as weeks and months and even as in my case years go by without you asking your body to raise it's level of activity the harder and more painful of a process it is to make the change to a level where when you are active you don't feel like you are about to die.  So this week I am only having to make a small change only from a short resting period back to being active as my normal but you can only imagine the way I was back in April  my first workout I literally felt as though I was going to pass out for days afterwards my body hurt it screamed at me " what the hell are you doing to me, this is not what you are supposed to be doing, go home and lay down and watch TV"  But you know what you have to do? Just don't listen keep pushing yourself and your body will adjust, it gets easier  it gets more rewarding but at first it is hard but remember it's hard because it's supposed to be hard if it were easy there would be no fat people  because it would be so easy to not be fat.


So  what about you today have you made a commitment to finish this year off strong and use these last 30 or so days we have to build a strong foundation that you can build on in 2012. That's what I have been doing these last months is building a foundation tearing down the old me has been brutal and there is still quite a bit of that left still to do but day by day I take down another piece and begin to lay a new foundation that next year I can begin building a new me that is beyond any thing I have ever imagined before that I could be.  So please it's not too late this year don't wait on that resolution start now ask Santa for some new work out cloths this Christmas  so your ready to get  going strong in the new Year.  However here's what you do ask for some that are a size smaller than the ones you have now and there is your motivation right there, you want to use those cloths than get out there today and start earning them and after you used these last 33 days to your advantage when it's time to put them on you will be ready. Just imagine how much better you will feel when you know those smaller sizes you made happen you set your mind to it and made it happen by your own free will to make it happen for yourself.


So today as you have probably noticed I am trying out a new font size so I would really appreciate  your feedback on it does it make it easier to read or does it make it too long.  So let me know in the comment section what you think and I can adjust accordingly because it's really all about you the reader.  So with Facebook I have done a recent study and have found that with the new format post's tend to get buried in the feed so If you could do me a favor and after you read the post just click on share so the post gets bumped back up the order so others can see it when they log on.  In addition coming very soon will be a new experiment for me video, that's right get ready to see more of yours truly as I plan on taking you into a day in the life of Don and taking you the gym whether you like it or not,lol Even if it's just virtually. So stay tuned for that and much more.  Well thanks for stopping by today and I hope you make that commitment to finish strong.  So get out there today and take another step towards FIT.

It's go time!

Well a good Monday to everyone, I hope everyone had a nice long holiday weekend. I took a few days off from blogging to recharge my batteries and get ready  for a big push this month as I try and close this year out strong. So today I'm starting over, last month seemed to be not nearly as successful as I had hoped, with everything that happened traveling, filming, illness and thanksgiving are now all behind  me and today I am recommitting myself  to making the next thirty days  some of the most successful I have had. I didn't do too bad even during the worst of my slacking but still I feel over the last few weeks I have been really spinning my wheels at best and a slight back slide at worst.  It's just a matter of letting life get in the way of my plans and losing focus on what  I have been working so hard to achieve over the last seven months.  So today I am vowing to myself and all of you that it's time to put the blinders back on and pull like  mule and get this thing across the 2011 finish line strong and achieve my goal of weighing less than 300 by the end of the year. So today I'm back hitting the gym hard with the return of mega Monday as Ulrick as finally returned from his vacation so it's training then the Zumba class.  I also hope to actually complete that 3 mile walk on Wednesday that I was supposed to do last week but didn't feel up to.  So I've got some big fitness goals this week but most important for me I think it's just so vital that I get back in my routine  and start making it happen again.  You know as hard as it has been you wouldn't think I would miss it all but I have missed it terribly the last few weeks I have felt like I just was truck that has been climbing up a hill but now I'm just spinning my wheels, so it's time to grab a new gear and keep hauling this thing to the top.

Well as you can probably guess by my horrible report on how things have been going I have backslid slightly and am now at 310 up from 304 about four weeks ago, so that means I have 11 pounds to lose before that ball drops in Times Square to hit my goal of being sub 300 by 2012.  But I am vowing to take these next few weeks and really work my ass off and try some new things to make this goal happen.  One thing I need to work on is how much food I eat even when it is healthy I am going to try to work on portion control to try and cut my calories back another notch to help get that scale back falling in the right direction.  Because one thing I have learned is that when dieting, to much of a good thing is a bad thing and I'm getting a little too used to heaping my dinner plate too high even with chicken and veggies.  So it's time to try out some new plans and re commit to giving the tried and true ones a new commitment today.

So how have your plans been going the last few months did the double whammy of Thanksgiving and a long weekend of shopping and resting put you behind the weight loss eight ball.  If so then it's time to be like me and put the past in the past and recommit to doing better these next few weeks and months so you can start your new years resolution off on a nice head start rather than starting from scratch then because it will just be harder if you fall further behind.  So today I really want to hear from those of you who are making the tough choice to recommit your selves or commit for the first time.Will you  work along with me on finishing this year out strong and making it happen the next few weeks?  What changes do you need to make starting now what small change can you make starting now that you can squeeze in to your busy Holiday plans  to will help you start 2012 off strong.  Mine is the portion control and the recommitting myself to my workouts but what does yours need to be maybe even as small as cutting back on a few soda's a day until you can get off of them completely, whatever it is, it is never to small to make a big help down the road.

So thanks for coming back to the blog today and checking us out I will  be sure keep everyone more up to date with my progress as I really try to make it happen for myself these next few weeks and post results and pictures along the way. So as always thanks for your comments and emails to fitdon2011@gmail.com and clicking like or share on the Facebook posts so the blog can go out to a wider audience and others might let us know of how they are going to make it happen the next few weeks.  So today  be like me and get out there and take a BIG step towards FIT.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well let me start by wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving today, I certainly hope that all of you have a chance to gather somewhere today with your family and friends and enjoy a meal and be thankful for what we all have.  I know this year I certainly have more than usual to be thankful for as it has truly been an extraordinary year  for me with all the changes and all that is going on.  But I just wanted to let all the people who are in my life on this day of thanksgiving know that I am most thankful for you the people who are helping me to achieve my dreams.  Nobody does it alone it takes other people to make it all happen, people who support and encourage me give me advice and positive feedback and won't let me fail.  So to all the members of team Don who do things great and small who have had a hand in my success this year know that this day as I sit over my {reduced calorie) plate it is you whom I am most thankful for this year as it is you who is giving me the greatest gift of all, giving me back my own life.  I am also thankful for all of you who come here each day and enjoy this forum it is very touching to me to know that my story has the power to inspire people to want to not only achieve some success for themselves in the battle against obesity but to it the right way and the healthy way. It has been a great few weeks and I thank each of you for choosing to come along with me so far and look forward to sharing it all with you down the road.

So as you gather together today to be with those you care about remember to take a moment and actually think about the meaning of this day what is it your thankful for, Just ask yourselves, I am truly thankful for_____? So what is it you would fill in that blank space think about it and and let us know here on the blog today's question is just that what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving no matter what I have already said mine so that only leaves yours. But in addition to writing it here if your thankful for somebody in your life your family or your friends be sure and tell them today tell them what they mean to you and how thankful you are that everyday they do what they do to make your life happen. Take it from someone who is quickly learning the value of surrounding yourself with quality people there is never a bad time to thank the ones who give of themselves to us with their time and their council the only bad word of thanks is the one that goes unspoken.

So today will be a challenge for me I know. Like most of you I too love Thanksgiving and all the trimming that go with it but I am determined to just do the best I can this thanksgiving weekend, because after all we all know the food will go on and all all weekend. I'm just going to try and reduce everything on my plate, enjoy what I eat but not eat to the point of bursting at the seems just till I'm full and stop. The good news I'm feeling quite a bit better today so I'm an track to get back on track and make up for the diet sins that I plan on committing today, lol  Remember watch those carbs they are what really gets ya more turkey less bread,  Even after your feast rather than take a nap try and get outside and take a nice walk if the weather will cooperate where you live today I know it is a gorgeous day in in Florida so take stroll around the neighborhood enjoy being with your family and work off some of those carbs.

Well thanks so much for stopping by today and once again Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and to those of you hitting the black Friday madness good luck I hope you find what your looking for and get out safely, lol  As always thanks so much for sharing the blog and clicking share on Facebook post to keep us visible on other people's walls. So today answer that question in the comment section what are You thankful for, let's hear it. So have a great day and holiday everybody and even on thanksgiving let's all take another step towards FIT.

Running on fumes

Hello again everybody, I certainly hope every one's Tuesday is treating them good so far today. Today is just one of those day's where It just seems like I am just running on fumes one of those days where it just feels like I am not going to survive the day.  But on a good news front I can report for those of you who have not already heard my mom is home from the hospital, she still has some recovery to do but at least she is back home.  Me on the other hand feels like this head cold is going to kill me but never the less I am soldiering on today and carrying the ball up the hill.  With the Holiday season nearly upon us it just seems like the perfect storm of problems are converging on me right now to throw me for a curve but through it all I just keep trying to move forward and doing the best in the situation I have to work with.  That's really one of the lesson's  my Journey has been teaching me the last half year plus is the difference between success and failure is all in how we choose to react to adversity when it comes our way. I faced many challenges along this path I have had times when I wanted to give up times when I thought maybe just maybe it's all not worth it and wanted to flee back to the unhealthy yet comfortable lifestyle I was living before , but I didn't, not this time. this time I keep my eyes on the prize and keep moving forward with stead fast determination to complete this goal and beat the odds this time.

So what about you how's your week going, have you set another goal this week and are working hard to achieve it or are you just coasting by trying to get to your four day weekend.  I really hope it is former and not the latter and that even now in this week you might still remember that there is always room for a healthy lifestyle even at the Thanksgiving table. Remember it really isn't the turkey that will get you this week it's the carb laden sides that will really weigh us down  stuffing, mashed potatoes  and bread are the three biggest offenders found on most people's plates so please do this poor sick guy a favor and think of me and say no to that fourth heaping spoon of stuffing trust me you will thank me later.

So thanks so much for all of your kind comments that I have received this week it means so much especially at a time when the finally tuned engine that was Don's journey seems to be coasting on fumes trying to get past all of these obstacles.  It means so much each time I hear from someone who has both enjoyed the postings and decided to make a change in their own life for the betterment of their health or maybe the health of a friend or family member who might be struggling with weight and an unhealthy lifestyle. SO be sure to sign up to become a follower of the blog it's quick and easy you just click right here on the page because I'm planning some special stuff upcoming just for followers. As always thanks also for clicking share on the Facebook post it's a new feature to facebook that is located right next to the comment button on the post, when you do that my post will go out to your wall so all of your friends can also see it ans check us out too.  Well make it a great Tuesday everyone and wish me luck for shaking off this bug because it's really killing me to be off of my regular routine. So even if it's just to pick up my slack today please get out there and take another step towards FIT.

Conditions Improving.

Well a good Monday to everyone this morning on this short week for most of us as Thanksgiving is only a few days away.  So first let me start by saying thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers this weekend and I am happy to report that my mom is doing much better and her lungs are clearing up and we hope to have her home in the next day or two.  My own health has been slowed the last few days by a cold and I have not been able to keep up with my regular exercise schedule although I have stuck to my diet but I am sorry to report due to all the unforeseen circumstance last week I am not yet able to achieve my goal of 303  I did come down some but not enough to declare victory just yet. So therefore today I really need to hear of some success  so those of you who did challenge yourself to achieve  a goal last week and made it happen lets hear it don't be shy post in the comments section today or send us an email if you would rather but lets hear it even if your goal was small I want to hear about it, how you did it and how you feel now.  Even if your like me and set a goal and didn't quite make it I want to know because examining the obstacles that keep us from our success is the first part of gaining that success next week and the weeks to come.  But I have to tell you I hate feeling sick I'm a terrible sick person I just feel like my energy has a 500 pound gorilla sitting on it holding me down when I want to for really the first time in my life get out and walk and exercise but I just can't the  last few days.

But on a better note today is also a very special day it is my two year wedding anniversary.  So today I have to say happy anniversary to my wife my partner and my rock that I lean on through all of this, I love you so much Jen and as you know my number one reason I'm working as hard as I am at improving myself Is so Ill be around to celebrate many many more anniversaries with my wife. Here is one of our favorite pics from our wedding you know Id really like to go back in time and see what Id look like in that Tux today I bet Id enjoy these pictures a lot more if I looked then like I do now. But fat or thin it was still the happiest day of my life.

So this week my friends we all have to stay strong and keep moving forward set a goal for your self even if it's just eating one less plate this Thursday or maybe a little less gravy, lol I know it will certainly be a different Thanksgiving for me but I'm still going to sit down and enjoy the holiday with my family but just try to plan ahead and do the best that I can. I'm really hoping I can shake this cold by Wednesday so I can get back in the gym but we will just have to see so for now i need you to walk a few extra miles for me and do an extra set or two when you workout to pick up my slack. Once again thanks so much for all your comments so far and don't forget about becoming a follower of the blog it's up in the upper right hand corner there because I'm planning on having some special upcoming surprises just for those who become followers. So lets hear from those of you who planted that flag of victory last week no matter how small it may seem. Thanks for stopping in today and for all your comments and for sharing the blog both on Facebook and to your family and friends through Fitdon.com.  So wish me luck getting better soon so I can rejoin all of you in getting out there and taking another step towards FIT.

When adversity comes.

Good evening everyone, I certainly hope everyone is enjoying their weekend thus far and is finding the sledding a little easier than I am so far this weekend.  Well even with the added adversity of being without my trainer for the past  week and for another week to come I now find myself feeling  a little under the weather this weekend  which is further putting me behind the eight ball this week.  In addition to all that my mom is in the Hospital so we have been having to worry about her and deal with all that entails.  On that note I would just like to ask a personal favor  if all of you who read this could Just keep her in your thoughts and prayers this weekend that she gets better soon and gets to return home very soon.  My mom over the last few months has been such a huge part of our success and her support always means so much to me as I have been working to do what I have done.

All of these seemed to have descended upon me all in the same week but that's life I guess I have truly been really lucky so far I guess as I have really been sailing along the last seven months quite smoothly.  However as any sailor will tell you it is one of life's inevitable truths that if you stay on the water long enough you will eventually hit some rough water. That's where I find myself now with all of these problems descending on me just in the time when I have been left to walk the wire without my friend and advisor who has the nerve to go off and enjoy his honeymoon with his wife. So Ulrick if your reading this from a beach in Jamaica enjoy your trip but hurry back before we all go crazy, lol   But every person I have found or read about who started out on a long term life changing journey like I have embarked on has found that all success and failure comes from how you over come adversity and continue to prosper when it comes your way.  So that's what I have have been focusing on this week doing the very best I can with my diet and exercise trying to get my own health better and trying to be there for everyone else in my life.  One thing that I noticed this week and I am very proud of is no matter how adverse things seem to get I don't feel like turning to food for comfort, before on every diet I tried once the slightest turmoil hit to throw me off the track I would go running back to the comfort and safety of the bad food and comfortable laziness that made me the way I was.  I'm also finding strength from this blog and all of you just know that you there no matter if I have met you before or not are there to keep me accountable for my own actions just for no other reason that you listen to what I say and do.

So I Just wanted to get a quick little blog in tonight to let you know what's going on and to ask all of you as you may be headed out to whatever place of worship you may choose to attend this weekend if you could include my mom in your prayers that she gets better soon.  But thanks so much for stopping by and being there for me as we are all in there together after all. Enjoy the rest of your weekend continue to share and link the blog and thank you so much for all the comments so far.  So get out there this weekend and take another step towards FIT.

The building of Don version 2.0

Well Happy Friday everyone we finally made it to the end of another work week here on the cusp of the Holiday season with Thanksgiving less than a week away.So how with five days of effort behind us how many of us have managed to accomplish what we set out to do this week. I continue to move right along this week towards my goals this week as I am having a good week diet wise and exercise wise just putting in the time and effort and waiting on the payout, but isn't that life ya no matter what you do.  Yesterday we started a new Facebook home for fitdon.com so whether you are  a friend of mine personally or not  come check us out on Facebook just search fitdon.com and like our page so you can get the latest links and info. In addition to that yesterday I found out my training for my 5k race is about to get ramped up in a big way.  Our gym Downtown Health and Fitness is starting a run- walk- jog club that I am going to be a part of, it will be every Wednesday evening  at 5:45 PM  we will leave from the gym and cover a 3 mile course just going at whatever pace is comfortable for you ending at a downtown Kissimmee cafe for a light dinner and drink specials and this week to kick things off they have some special prizes and gifts lined up for all participate that you will get along the way. So I would like to ask all of Kissimmee area readers to come out and join us next Wednesday and challenge yourself to a run or a nice walk along Lake Toho or you can just come to support me and drink wine what ever works for you but it would be cool if you would walk with me on my team. So if you would like more info drop us an email or call the gym at 407-201-7968.

So today by popular demand I have some more of what you have been asking for Pictures here are two both from this year that I think demonstrate the difference I have seen in the last seven months the first shot is from March and the second is from October.

You know it is actually a lot harder to notice weight loss in ones own self than it is for someone else to notice it in you it took me a long time before I finally started to say " Hey you know I think I might actually be getting a little smaller"  I guess you just get so used to seeing yourself in the mirror everyday and in pictures that it takes longer to notice.  The first picture was taken in march at my cousin Laura's wedding and I weighed approx 420 pounds that was about 2 weeks before I started the change my life.  The second pic was from our trip to Utah just about a month ago and I weighed  310 pounds and check the huge progress of my smoking hot wife has made in this time as well. But really as they say in the software world I have set out to design Don version 2.0 just like with software I am aiming to take out the things that didn't work and were holding me back and maximize and make better the things that are. Remember it is never to late to design a Your name Version 2.0 also no matter what problems you think are too bad it's never too late to change and make a new you that is better than ever. It's not easy just as a software engineer will tell you and you always worry what people will think of the new version but you press on anyway and continue to make it better and better despite that fear of the unknown and what will happen when I get there what will it all look like. Finally a non star wars movie quote for ya this time from another of my favorites " Joe vs. the volcano" it's where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan's characters and standing on the precipice of a spewing volcano and they are being told to jump in and  Meg Ryan tells him " I don't know what will happen, we will just jump and we will see, just jump and see"  That is another of my favorites that I think of often the last few months cause that is what we did we jumped and we are seeing, that's what I did when I started this blog  I jumped and I saw.  If you get nothing else from what I write about get that please don't be afraid to just "Jump and see" it's the only way your ever truly going to know how the, you version 2.0 will ever turn out.  By the way for those of you who never saw the movie the characters get spit out of the volcano  and live happily ever after.

Well yesterday we crossed a huge Milestone here on the blog as we had our 1000th visitor who knows maybe it was you or even if you were number 997 thanks just the same it means so much that so many of you have taken the time to read what I write each day and share it with your friends and I truly hope there is some bit of inspiration in it for you because that is truly my intent of this whole thing.  Well as always thanks for stopping by, enjoy your Friday and remember "Healthy Rewards" people healthy rewards go back and read it if you need to.  We will see you tomorrow so get out there and  Jump and  See what it takes to take another step towards FIT.

The cost of obesity

Happy Thursday everybody we are almost there that weekend is right around the corner.  So we are now four days in towards achieving our goals that we set for ourselves this week and hows it going for you so far. I made it three days in a row to the gym yesterday  and worked out with the wife and Lori. One of the best workouts I have found that I do on a regular basis is Boxing, I love  just hitting that heavy bag now it is not only a great cardio workout and great for all the muscles but it has the added benefit of being some of the best stress relief  from exercise I have ever found.  You just put those gloves on and pound away the stresses of the day while getting a good workout at the same time.  So I am right on track with achieving my goal of losing a pound or two this week as long as my friend the scale will cooperate with me, sometimes as I have said it can be so frustrating  when you work hard all week and do everything perfect and that scale just won't budge so hopefully I can see some results by Sunday but if not I know I'm still making progress cause I'm doing all I can do to keep me moving forward.  That's really the real trick is just to know your doing the best you can and attacking the problem on all fronts (nutrition, fitness, health) and you will feel better knowing that you are definitely moving in the right direction if one measuring stick doesn't want to tell you, you still just know it's true. So what ever your goal you set this no matter how slack you may have been these last few days you can still get out there today and attack it on all fronts and have some success this week.

This morning I read a very interesting article about the rising cost of insurance as it is linked to obesity  and smoking in particular here is the link  Insurance story.  Now my opinion about this story has really changed over the last few months because when I was as obese as I was I really didn't care to think about how much of a liability I really was medically speaking to someone like an insurance company.  But now as I continue to turn my life around  I can really see their point of view and agree it should cost more for someone to make the decision to walk around being more than 100 pounds or more over weight and just waiting for something bad to happen to their health because of it. I will also tell you coming from someone who made those bad choices year after fat year it is a choice Ill say it again  PEOPLE CHOOSE TO BE FAT.  Some might say Don that's not too nice what about people with medical conditions and things like that and I say this, when you pick up any piece of food or raise any liquid to your lips you are making a conscious choice no matter what is going on with you, you choose what is on that fork and in that glass just as you choose to watch TV rather than be as active as you can be. So what do you think about this article should people who make the choice to be obese or to smoke  have to pay a higher and higher cost for insurance it can be a very controversial subject. But I will say now today my answer is yes and Ill tell you why, because now I know how hard it truly is to make the right choices to change you whole life and decisions you make about what you eat and what you do and believe now not only should people who make the right choices get rewarded with discounts people who make poor choices should have to pay even more because of theirs.

So thanks for stopping by today and checking out the blog I hope to have some big changes coming along in the coming weeks including more pics and hopefully some video entries.  Today I have added a few new areas to the site, their is now an option to sign up to receive the blog delivered to your email all you do is sign up with your email address and it will be delivered each update.  Also below each update there are now links to the most popular blog posts so you can go back and catch up on the ones others found to be the most interesting. I wan to thank all you so much because we are now closing in our 1000th page view and I am very honored that that many of you have taken the time to hear what I have to say each day. Thanks so much for continuing to share the blog on facebook and anyplace else.  Have a great day everybody and get out there and make a Choice to take a step towards FIT.

Will you be on my team?

Hi again everybody I hope every one's Wednesday is going good. Well after two days on our own I am doing pretty good still sticking to the diet and have been to gym both yesterday and Monday and walked 4 miles each day plus some weights. I decided to try very hard between now and thanksgiving to try my best to achieve a loss of four pounds without the aide of my trainer to see if I can do it myself if I can take what I have learned and turn it into results on my own. So now we are three days into your healthy goal that we are trying  to accomplish this week, how's it going did you start out strong or didn't start to well, have you hit obstacles already but managed to over come them.  Life will constantly throw us curve balls and challenges but the difference between whether we can accomplish even a small goal that just takes a week or fail to start at all is how we handle those unexpected curves. I have had so many obstacles along my path the last seven months I can't even count them but I just keep moving forward slow down if you have too but keep moving forward all the time.  These next two weeks I really have a drive to accomplish my goal of losing 3-4 pounds by next weekend I have taken it as a personal challenge to be able do this on our own and prove to myself that I can do it if I try hard enough.

So whats fueling you this week to drive you towards achieving your goal you set for yourself this week?  Is it a need to really turn your life around or is it just to see if you can do it.  What ever your reasons are use them to fuel you towards your goals so you can block  out those distractions and focus on accomplishing your goal this week. Another of my goals I have set forth for myself is by next spring I want to get myself in good enough shape to complete a 5k.  There are several in the spring that I have my eye on and I am going to start training for after the start of the new year. From where I was seven months ago if you would have told me I would even consider entering a race where I had to jog for several miles I would tell you you were on something funny but now I feel like I can really get out their and accomplish those big goals.  I am even thinking of starting a team to compete in a 5k race this spring and I want as many people to come and complete that race right along side me. We are going to start training for it in January and I want as many people has I can possibly get who read this blog to do this thing with me, come train with us and we can accomplish this big goal together by knocking out those 3 miles as a team, so the only question left is who's with me who's willing to take that step and join my team to get in shape to run that 5K next spring, let me know and we can make it happen.

So thanks so much for the great comments I have received so far. I made a few changes to the blog yesterday let me know what you think about the new color scheme and if I should go back to the old one I thought this one was more thanksgiving like also I changed the way the blog appears on fitdon.com you will only see the latest blog shown but you can always go back into the archives to read earlier posts.  Well everybody make it a great Wednesday and think about your goal this week and if your willing to come and walk/ run with us so can all win. Well thanks for stopping in today and reading and sharing the blog don't forget about or email it's fitdon2011@gmail.com so feel free drop us a line. Thanks everyone and get out there and take yet another step towards FIT.

The secret of my success

What's up everybody I hope your Tuesday is treating you well. So who started working toward achieving their goal yesterday were you like me and went to the gym or did you have a healthy supper made fresh rather than another heart attack in a bag handed through a window.  What ever your goal is I certainly hope it is off to a good start and we can keep you motivated all week and moving towards accomplishing that weekly goal this week.Every goal is worked at one day at a time and one good decision at a time and no goal is to small as long as it is moving you in the right direction so just remember to follow up yesterdays good start with more good decisions today and then before you know it you will have a healthy pattern, wow cool how that works.

So today I thought I would let all of you in on the real secret to my success the reason behind all that I have accomplished and the motivation I have to keep going and accomplish all the more things I want to, so are you itching to know well here  she is.

The old saying goes " behind every good man you will find an even better woman" and that is certainly very true as I have found out the last seven months.  My wife Jen has really been the real secret to me being able to lose all the weight I have and go on to do all the things I have done.  Without her support none of this would have been possible she has been my rock that I lean on and not just a person to help but a partner to go along this road to healthy living with me.  For all of my results I have accomplished over the last seven months Jen has accomplished so much right along with me.  You see when my wife had different reasons for starting a new healthy lifestyle a few years ago Jen developed Diabetes  and her blood sugar levels and her AIC levels were really off the charts and she was heading down a road much like mine that really didn't lead any where good.  But we decided together that we could change our destiny that it didn't have to be the way it was we could be in control of our own bodies and our own health if only we started to make the right decisions so not to over simplify things but that's what we did we started making it happen.  Jen had never worked out much in her life but now after over a few months she amazes me with not only how much she can do but by how much she wants to push herself to accomplish more and more of her fitness goals and how much of a priority she has put on using exercise to improve the composition and tone of herself and she is further living proof that it is all possible if you only put your mind to it.

I am also very happy to say that Jen has lowered both her blood sugar levels down to a much more manageable level and cut her A1C level from an off the charts 13.4 to a near normal 7.9  and is on the road to being off of all her diabetes medications and I could not be more proud of her for that.  Jen is a perfect  example of why I say any healthy goal is a good one. what ever you are suffering with, what ever is holding you back you have the power to change it Just like Jen has, it only takes a commitment to achieve success and a lot of hard work. I am so unbelievably proud of my wife and excited to continue down this road together to see what greats heights await us in the future, next week will be our two year wedding anniversary and I am quite sure that few couples I know have accomplished more together in the first two years than us and baby you ain't seen nothing yet.

Well thanks for indulging me today as I brag about the reason that all this has been possible I so appreciate all of you who stop by and check out the blog everyday. I have been getting such great feedback from people who are getting more and more motivated to make those positive changes and go with me down the road to what ever healthy goal you want to achieve for yourselves and your friends and families.  SO as always keep up the good work and keep those comments coming in on all fronts and don't forget about the website portal to the blog  www.fitdon.com easy to remember and share with your friends and the email for the blog fitdon2011@gmail.com so you can email me your question or comments or if your ready to try the FIT I can help you out there too.   Well make it a great Tuesday everybody and keep making those healthy decisions and take another step towards FIT.

So what's your goal this week?

Hello everyone.  So it's Monday again the beginning of another week, and another week that we need to set a fresh goal that we want to achieve this week.   This is what I have been doing, yeah I set a huge goal of losing 150 pounds in a year but if that was the only goal I set for myself and the only thing I thought about it would drive me crazy thinking only about how much I had left to lose. So each week I divide that whole big goal into small manageable weekly goal's and just focus mostly on just this near term success. Because if every week you achieve a small goal than week after week and month after month the huge goal slowly but surely gets chipped away and becomes much more manageable to even think about.  So this week my goal is to get back into the gym and work hard with my own schedule to challenge myself to use what I learned over the past few months and achieve a loss of 1 to 2 pounds this week. You have to remember in the grand scheme of things when the weight you have to lose in total is in the tens or hundreds of pounds1 pound is a small piece but when you have to work so hard to lose just 1 pound it is a huge victory. So there you have it I have thrown down the gauntlet  for myself this week to try to get to 303 or lower by Sunday.

Now who will join me this week and throw down your own little challenge this week, What's it going to be what small goal will you set this week to achieve by this time next week.  It can be like me and a small piece of a huge goal or a whole thing you wan to achieve in only a week.  But today set a goal no matter how small that you want to accomplish.  If you can't  come up with anything specific for yourself right now how about you come a long with me and try to lose a pound this week because after all no matter how much you believe you have to lose in total a pound is a great start and hey if nothing else it can put you a little bit ahead for thanksgiving.  Wouldn't it be cool if everyone who reads this blog can lose just one pound imagine how many pounds per week we could lose that's a lot of pounds.  So even if it's not losing a pound set a small healthy goal for yourself this week and really work hard to achieve it because no victory is too small if you work hard to achieve it.   Every week for last seven months I have set out a goal and went hard after it and I will continue to do so because that big goal is still lurking out there and I just gotta keep chipping away a little more each week.

This week for me is also another week on the cleanse, each month for 6 days as part of the FIT system we take a product called Reset which is a small bottle of Juice that acts as a cleanse for your digestive system it just works so well at really flushing out all the toxins and build up in your digestive system from things that we eat and drink that your body does not digest well and kind of just sit around.  This product works great for people who even don't have a lot of weight to lose  because it really gets your digestive system back on track by taking out things that shouldn't be there to begin with.  So check out the FIT site for more info and contact me.

So everybody let me know your goals this week I really am excited to know how many people are going to try to lose that pound this week so I can total it all up and post how much we all lost this week just to see how much we can get up too 5, 10, 20 pounds who knows the more who try the higher we can go.  So let me know here in the comment section or send me email with your goal or any questions or comments about Reset or the FIT or anything at the blogs email fitdon2011@gmail.com or drop me a note on facebook.  As always thanks so much for those of you who share the blog it's really a good feeling to see that people are getting inspired by us to share it with their family and friends.  So set that goal and get after it and take another step towards FIT.

Back in the saddle

Good afternoon everybody! I hope everyone is having a great weekend, well after a few days away, never fear the blog is back.  My wife and I had a great time down in South Florida for a few days and attended a very lovely wedding for our dear friends Ulrick and Karen.  Thank you guys so much for inviting us to your special day. It was a lot of fun and an honor to share it with you. So what has been going on while I was away? I hope everyone has been sticking to their healthy changes even though I was not around to remind you. to do so because after all the bottom line is you have to change for you and no one else or it will never work.  I can say my advice I gave from my last post I used pretty effectively even with four days away I can say I made smart choices and tried to stay as active as possible and stayed on target with my overall goals. So there you go, it is possible with a little planning even at a wedding.

So I met some really great people on our trip who hopefully are checking into the blog now and welcome to all of you who are here for the first time.  You know one thing I have really learned over the last few months it how good it feels when people  notice what you have done and it really does,  if everyone who is addicted to unhealthy food because they think it makes them feel good could only experience what it feels like to blow people away with your results I think fewer people would have the problems with food that we struggle with as a society today.  When you get to out of shape and don't look or feel the way you want to you tend to look for comfort in things like food and things you feel won't judge you unfairly.  But that so pales in comparison to the real authentic self confidence that only you can create for yourself.  The trick is to turn that motivation that I mentioned earlier into self confidence and then you run on results and not just hope for the future. 

So now I have a tough few weeks ahead of me.My trainer is away for a few weeks on his well deserved honeymoon but now I am left  to my own designs when it comes to fitness. Now i test myself  and remember  another of my favorite Yoda quotes, "Mind what you have learned, save you it can" ( I love that green guy he is so wise, lol)  So now my wife and I have do just that take what we have learned and put it into practice for the next two weeks even with the Death Star ( another Star wars reference, lol) of Holidays  for diet's lurking in the distance Thanksgiving but I will reserve my thoughts and fears about that for another day.  So I'm going to need your help my friends for the next two weeks we need to help and motivate each other through this time so let me know what you plan to do to get through this season without packing it on as they say.

Well I now have a new to contact me a new email channel that I will maintain as completely  private and confidential, it's fitdon2011@gmail.com  So feel free to drop me a line with your comments or questions and Ill do my best to get back to you whether you have questions about the blog or the FIT system or anything on here please I would love to here from you .  But as always feel free to comment here on the blog and become a follower so you can receive the latest updates.  Thanks for staying with me after a few days off enjoy the rest of your weekend and thanks for sharing the blog, now get out there and take another step towards FIT.

A little planning can help big.

Hi again everybody.  Today I head off to South Florida for a few days to attend a wedding and it got me thinking about one of the biggest things that can really stall out a weight loss lifestyle and that's traveling.  When you travel you are really at the mercy of fate if you fail to plan ahead you really can't go into a trip just saying well Ill just eat whatever I find or when I can find it, it doesn't have to be that way.  Take a little time before you leave to research the area you will be staying and find out what kinds of food options are there are there any restaurant's your familiar with that have healthy options you like ,so can you find a place to get some healthy snacks like fruits.  The internet is truly a great thing just go on a site like google maps for 5 minutes look up your hotel and you can see everything around it and plan a strategy that will keep you on track and maintain your peace of mind. You can also plan ahead especially if your traveling by car by bringing your own stuff with you like bottles of water and your regular healthy snacks.

Now I know half the fun of going on a trip is the spontaneous living you get to do for a while in a new area  but that kind of stuff can really put you some bad situations when you are trying to do your best to watch your calories.  Traveling also doesn't have to totally derail your exercise  regimen either many hotels have exercise rooms that are more like full gyms so it's easy just to get in there a get in 30-45 minutes and resume your trip, trust me the scale will thank you later.  Even if you don't have any access to a gym type area where you are staying trying to take a few minutes each day to walk outside, find a park nearby and see some new scenery it all pays off in the end.  But my point today is traveling and trying to live a healthy lifestyle  can coexist but you have to plan ahead and remember eating bad someplace else will make you just as fat as eating bad at home so don't do it no matter where you are.  So for your next trip try a few of these tips out and  you will find that living healthy on the road is indeed possible.

I have been getting some requests for some more information about the FIT so I have included a link to their website neat the top of the page called info about fit, it is in orange, but you can also visit tni.com/fit. It is truly a great product that can help anyone achieve their goals no matter if it's losing a ton of weight or just trimming up and toning up an already lean body. So check out the site and find out what the products can do for you then contact me and we will get you all set up.  Well as always it means so much for you to stop by and take a few minutes to read the blog.  Please continue to share it with your friends and get out there even if your traveling today and take another step towards FIT.

What motivates you?

Good morning everyone. Today I want to get into one of the most important topics in any weight loss plan the big M word MOTIVATION.  It's really what gets it all started and keeps it started without it we go no where fast.  So Just take a minute after you read this and ask yourself what is it the motivates me, not what it is I merely like or something I might admire but more than that I'm talking what gets you up and moving with no excuses accepted.  This kind of motivation doesn't always have to be a positive thing look at me one of my biggest motivated factors  to do what I am doing was a fear that if I didn't do better I was going  to die an early death due to my weight.  So find that place  that really gets you going even if it is a little bit dark and tap into it cause you will need it.  Ask yourself honest questions about your situation when looking for that true place of motivation because it is there you just might not want to think about it.  We all spend our lives running from safe place to safe place  especially when it comes to weight because we are not  motivated to change it.  A big motivational factor for me is one that is true for all of us and that is time, no matter what your age your not getting any younger and that ticking clock we all hear in our heads is always there.  For me I want to experience everything life has to offer and I knew I could not do that being strapped to over 150 pounds of excess weight it just makes too many activities unfeasible.

Every time I am able to try something new whether it be an activity or cloths or visiting a new place I use that now to fuel my motivation to only do more and continue to kick in those doors that were closed to me because my old weight didn't allow me to do those things or buy those cloths.  When I started 7 months ago  I made a vow to myself and everyone I care about that aside from all the health concerns we had I was doing this to get busy living rather than sitting still  wasting away as a fat man.  That's what motivates me there are so many more doors out there for me to kick in and I'm excited to get the chance to try.  A few weeks ago I was really excited to get past one of those big doors for me, I took a trip to Utah and being in Florida of course I had to fly.  I have no fear of flying but I had major fear of public humiliation by not fitting in the airplane seat or not being able to buckle the seat belt.  So I tapped into that fear and used it to fuel my will power over food and my workouts and you know what I kicked that airplane seats butt big time.  I am happy to say I fit just fine thank you very much both arm rests down comfortably and several extra inches to spare with the seat belt a major victory for yours truly even if no one else on that plane knew it but me and my wife.  So find that place of motivation and talk it over with those are on your team pushing you even if it is uncomfortable to talk about go there anyway and tap into that rich fuel source that will keep you going.

So today I'm looking for some questions from you the reader or suggested topics maybe something you would like to hear from me. I want this to be all of our blog not just about me. So feel free to leave a comment on the blog of ask me on facebook, send me a private message even, if your not ready to share your comments with everyone yet.  If your enjoying the blog thanks for reading it and please share the link and the website. So think about the motivation today and where that rich fuel is and how you can tap into it for yourself.  So everyone have a great Tuesday and get out there and take another step towards FIT.

Does your gym know your name?

Well a pleasant Monday to everyone this morning. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and managed to hold together their positive changes that they decided to make last week.  If you are Just checking back into the blog this week I invite to go back and view the posts from the weekend to see some shots from the Film shoot for the FIT from Saturday and some before pictures of yours truly from Sunday.  Well it's a new week and a new fresh chance to begin something great and another week to get some more results on what we are trying to accomplish.  Yesterday I went out and tried something new, I played racquetball  I can't say I played it well but It was a great work out and it is so much fun to be able to be in better shape that I can try new things and experience new ways of getting exercise. Remember anything that gets you out of the chair and on your feet and moving and maybe sweating a bit is a great thing, so find something new this week that you can do to get you up and moving and burning some calories and you might find your next passion for exercise  or a hidden talent that you didn't even know you had.

But today is "Mega Monday" for me another training session  with Ulrick and Jen  then Zumba class so Monday is always a very full afternoon and evening for me.  Speaking of going to the Gym, what is your Gym like, is it big or small is it in your own home or is it a mega Gym that's as big as a department store. I love my Gym one of the best attributes I have found in choosing the best gym for you if your trying to lose a lot of weight is how does it feel.  Gym's tend to all have a different feel when you walk through the door some feel like a place for models and athletes to hang out and admire themselves and some like mine at Downtown Health and Fitness feel like a place where everyone plays for the same team and we all have an interest in each others success. But as my Blog title suggests, does your gym know your name or are you just a number and other person occupying a piece of equipment. If your trying to lose weight you need a lot of support everywhere you go and the gym is no different find a place the knows your name and what your trying to do and  will get behind you and you can get behind their goals what ever they may be.  It feels so good to know that when you go to a place like a gym that the people who work their and your fellow gym members know who you are and are glad you are their and will celebrate your success and be their for you when you need some extra help and that's what I have at my Gym.  So I just want to thank everyone at Downtown Health and Fitness who have been so great these last seven months you guys are such a big reason for my success and I will be forever grateful.   So if your thinking of joining a gym or are looking to change one remember no gym is too small as long it feels right to you and is a place you want to visit and not  just one you have too.

Well today's big blog news is we now have a new way to access the blog, from our new website fitdon.com.  The blog is still in the same spot but we have created a new website to post it too and will continue to add content to in the near future.  It's just much easier to remember if you want to tell someone about the blog just remember fitdon.com.   Well thanks so much for all the great comments so far and remember to keep those comments coming in about what changes you have been making and all the progress you have seen so far, my challenge has been out there for a week now so it's time to hear about some of those results.  Well thanks for continuing to click share on the facebook posts and sharing the blog. Everybody make it a great day and get out to your gym today and take another step towards FIT.

Time to turn back the clock

So good Sunday to everybody today.  So by popular demand I'm finally posting the before pictures these pictures where taken right at the start of my road towards fit at the beginning of April. My weight in these shots is 420 pounds and my BMI would not even read on the meter, my body fat was over 60% which is really off the charts.  My belly measured at the belly button was over 62 inches which means we could not even close a standard 60 inch measuring tape around it.  It is truly hard to describe what it felt like to be that heavy even for someone like me who is 6 foot 3 carrying around that much extra weight is like having an anvil tied around your neck.  But the worst part about realizing what it's like is you don't realize it till you start to make it disappear , cause even with weight you don't know what you got till it's gone or at least going.  So here are the pics first from the front then from the side.

So I'm not at all very proud to show you these pic's now but it's so important to know where you came from  if you are to know where you are going.  So be sure to always mark where you are if you decide it's time to start moving towards a new healthy lifestyle take some pictures of you and say this is me at the heaviest I am ever going to be and measure yourself to you know how big you are and write it all down you don't have to show anyone but you will be glad you have something to measure against later on.  I'm not yet at my goals I'm right here on the Journey to fit with you with miles to go in front of me too.  But I'm very proud to look over my shoulder at the miles I have left behind me and the me I will never see again.  So keep two sets of pictures in mind both who you were and who you want to be because both can motivate you and any motivation is good.

Well last night we turned our clocks back an hour like we do this time every year, but instead lets all start turning back the clock with ourselves and our health by taking those steps to getting toward the people we want to be.  Well there you have it the before me I have plenty more upon request to if you need further proof, lol  Thanks to those who have shared the blog it is going along great.  , feel free to leave a comment here you don't need to have a google account or anything just choose NAME/URL type a name to post under click OK and type your message and it will post it.  Well everybody have a great Sunday and get out there and take another step towards FIT.

That's a wrap

Well I hope everyone is enjoying their weekends so far and have been out rewarding your hard work in a healthy  way. Well after four long days we finally wrapped up the shooting for the FIT commercials today and it was a whole lot of fun and an honor to be asked to participate in the project. Yesterday we spent several hours in the studio filming the interview portion which was super professional with the sound stage and the light and make up the whole nine yards as they say.  It is really great to represent a company like NONI  and the FIT line  who honestly cares about what message they are sending in their advertising and more importantly honestly cares about changing people's lives.

So the weekend is here a time for catching up on work around the house and spending some time with those we care to spend time with not just the ones the pay us to spend time with, lol  But it is important to remember that a healthy lifestyle is not not a Monday thru Friday thing or a 9 to5 thing if you are to achieve real lasting successes it has to be 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.  That means don't go and mess up a good job sticking to your changes Monday thru Friday and then go crazy Saturday and fall off the wagon life always seems to get in the way of a good healthy plan more on Saturday than any other day of the week parties,  eating out  and watching more TV. Just remember too if you do happen to fall off the wagon first recognize your mistakes own up to them because you have to tell yourself that your doing wrong or your heart will never believe your brain. Secondly don't under any circumstance lose hope in you, get back  on the plan tomorrow and redouble your efforts and you can get back on track in no time.  You can't stop living life and everything in it but when your healthy everything in it just seems to get a little bit better and your outlook will change because of it

Well it's been an awesome first week with the blog as My first entry was a week ago today so to those of you who have come by and checked it out everyday thank you so much and I hope you will stick around for the weeks and months to come.  As always feel free to share the blog with your friends on facebook or other networks.  Have a great rest of your weekend everyone and  get out and do something today even if it's just a walk around the block no step is too small to make a big difference so get there and take another step towards FIT.

Reward yourself

Well it's Friday everybody, I hope everyone has had a great work week and it hasn't been too exasperating for you.  Let me tell you it has really been one crazy week for yours truly, we wrapped up the second day of filming of the FIT commercials yesterday and it went really great and was actually a lot of fun. Let me tell you, you haven't lived until you are riding a bike behind a van with a guy filming you and giving you stage directions, lol  Today we go back into the studio for the interview portion of the production. I want to really thank the crew from the FIT it has been a blast to work with you guys and I really look forward to doing it again soon.  When you truly believe in a product like the products in the FIT line I really think it makes a difference in the ads and I think that will show in our final product with all of us who have taken part.

So I am happy to report that our little blog continues to have great success and I have had such wonderful feedback all week long as we close in on one week of posts.  So today is Friday the day many of us take stock on what we have accomplished  during the work week and prepare to enjoy a few days off.  So what will you be taking stock of today that you accomplished for your health this week. Have you lost 5 pounds, 1 pound, did you  go workout a few times for the first time in a while or did you find the will power to say " I don't care if Mcrib is back"  The bottom line is each week we all need to take stock on what we have done that is positive and reward ourselves accordingly.  Now this doesn't mean If I eat salad twice I can go have 5 scoops of Rocky Road.  But it does mean take pride in what you have done this week if you accomplished a small change this week whether it was from my urging or someone else it a great thing you did.  Now for those of you who have not decided yet what your change is going to be made we need to help you all along.  Today I would like all of you who have made the choice to make a change this week I want to hear it, nows the time to brag about your positive choice, and no positive choice is a bad choice. Let us know here in the comments section so those who can't decided can follow your lead. This week my decision was to stick to my diet and workout some each day despite my unusual schedule this week. It's tough for a lot of people to find time for exercise or changing the food they eat because of their busy lives, a good place to start is just working on your own will power to say no to something for 1 week that's unhealthy, quit something that you know is bad for you for 1 week and see how it goes, it could be anything some good choices are soda, beer, fried food, candy anything you know is not good and trust me we all know even if we never admit what is bad for us.  So start there, pick something and Just walk away for 1 week and see how it goes.

So big thanks to all of you who are sharing the blog this week please continue to do so and if you haven't yet please do I would be very grateful.  Well be sure to come by and check out the blog this weekend  as I will be posting something that I have had a lot of requests for this week some Before and Current pictures, they say pictures say a 1000 words so I should speak a lot hopefully.  Well thanks for dropping by today have a great Friday and a nice weekend and if you made a change this week give yourself a healthy reward and don't forget to post about here as we all want to read your success. Well I'm needed on the set, lol  so everybody get out there and take another step towards FIT.

It all starts with just an idea.

Good morning everybody, well it's Thursday and night one of filming went very well and was a lot of fun. I would like to thank everyone who turned out for the filming of the Zumba class is turned out great.  Today we are back at it getting more shots of us working out and using the FIT products that we do on a daily basis.  It is really going to be a cool product in the end when it is all put together I can't wait to see the final product and share it with all of you.

Here's some of my new look.

It really dawned on me how amazing all of this is that is happening to me now and all of things that I have going on and it all started with just a little spark of an idea just over six months ago.  All I thought was " Hey maybe it's time to become a little less fat" just drop a few maybe walk on the treadmill a little bit.  Now  112 pounds later I'm sitting here writing a blog, endorsing products, doing film shoots and more.  That's why I stress to all of you the power that making even a small change and turning it into a huge result so others might see it and be inspired by you.  It seems we live in such a negative time right now with seemingly everybody always saying how bad things are and how things can only get worse.  Well if that's the way you think constantly Ill only give you one guess whats going to happen to you.  Make a change you can control, like your health and fitness you can improve your health your life and your entire outlook by  making a few small or large changes.  That's really what my challenge is all about for you to think about that one small or large thing that you can do today that will make a big difference on your life because I'm here as your proof that it can happen for you too in a big way.  All one needs is a good positive spark to get us motivated and once you get rolling things will happen but the hardest part I know is getting out of ones rut.  It's natural not to want to leave what's a comfortable  path we get on the foods we eat that are bad for us, maybe drinking too much or smoking it all just blends into the background eventually and you don't notice it.  To notice it, change something and see how you feel see how your body reacts and it will, I promise.

So everybody think about it today about what your spark needs to be to ignite that powder Keg that will blow you all the way to a Healthier, Happier person we all aspire to become. It's never out of reach only an unstarted journey.  Well as always I want to keep hearing from all of you about what your sparks should be so let us know here on the blog by leaving a comment it's easier than you might think just a few steps I swear, lol  Thanks to those who have clicked share on the facebook link so far, if my facebook friends could just click the share button on the link I post so we might be able to find out what even more people's sparks might be.  Well make it a great Thursday everybody and Please take another step towards FIT.

5 sizes in 6 months

Good morning everybody and Happy Wednesday.  So as my blog title hints last night I had to go buy some new cloths to use for my film shoot this week and I am very excited to say one of those items was a pair of Jeans size 40.  That is a full five sizes  down from my size 50 almost 52 that I was wearing in April at my heaviest.  It is hard to put into words when you are able to pick out cloths from the regular section of the store and not be banished to what ever meager selections most stores have in big sizes.  I know I am not at the size I want to get to in a few months I hope that these size 40 Jeans become too big to use and the new size is something I can't even fathom just yet.  But for today I am really happy to be at 40 and no where near where I was at.

So tonight we begin filming of the FIT commercials, I have included a link to the FIT site for those of you who have been asking about info, it is located right under the Big blog title.  The FIT really is a great product because it goes about not just losing weight but changing your body composition.  Which means changing the bulges of stored fat to lean muscle which makes you lighter, leaner and more toned which is what we are all striving for in the end anyway.  The best way the keep fat off is to replace it with muscle because the more pounds of lean muscle you can add to your body anyway burn more calories, muscles require calories to fuel them to grow and do their job of moving you around and doing any physical activity.  So basically grown those muscle fibers and the fat will go away just look at me.  The FIT is really a whole system of products that emphasises  digestive health, muscle health, and fat loss which you really have to have each of these in balance to make real change in how you look.  We have all seen someone who just quit eating much and does tons of cardio and lost a lot of weight, true you will lose weight on the scale but you are building nothing in it's place. Most of these people will gain most of this quick weight back because they didn't make any sustainable changes and didn't replace the fat with muscle. That's where bad side affects come in like low blood sugar levels, loose skin and droopy drawn faces because it's not all about what your losing it's about what your building.

Well thanks so much for all of your nice Birthday wishes yesterday It is always nice to hear from people. I was also happy to hear from my aunt yesterday who told me her change she was making was to start going to the gym for the first time in 15 years, that is awesome news and I'm super excited for you aunt Shoob you go get it done, I'm with ya.  So have you put any thought into what change you would like to make this week, remember it's never to late and no positive change is too small to make. Well as always please feel free to share my facebook post about this blog on your own wall I would really appreciate the help getting the blog out there to as wide an audience as we can get and keep those comments coming in on the Challenge.  Well Ill let ya know how the first night of filming goes tonight.  Have a great Wednesday everyone and go out and make another step towards Fit.

Exciting times

Well it's Tuesday  I certainly hope everyone avoided too many tricks or treats yesterday and had a fun safe day.  Well I'm also another year older today, it's also been interesting to have a birthday so near a holiday like Halloween nothing like having birthday parties with everyone dressed as vampires and zombies. lol  But this morning I am really fired up about my filming of the infomercial  for the fit in a few days.  It's going to be a really big deal for me and I'm quite excited about it. We are going to a film studio on Friday to film the still shots and they are actually coming to our gym tomorrow so they can film Ulrick and I working out.  When I met with the Tahitian Noni people I really stressed to them how I really enjoy the way they market this product and how important I thought it was they they came and shot some of the footage of us working out because of how they stress what a high role exercise has to play in any weight loss or muscle building plan. So anyway I am really pumped and will be sharing some behind the scenes shots of the filming of this production here on the blog later this week so stay tuned for that.

So this being my fourth blog entry I'm really interested to know what is going on with you. Has anyone decided to start a new plan this week or to  finally take serious improving your health and fitness.  One of the most important things I have learned in my Journey is the first step is hard and is the most painful but in the end will be the most rewarding because so many people never take it.  When I started six months ago all I could do at first was put one foot in front of the other pretty slowing on the treadmill and the two flight of stairs up to my gym were like climbing the alps for me.  Now I know I'm up to 4 miles per hour on a moderate incline for 65 minutes at least three times per week and I shrug off those stairs like they were not there.  It is truly amazing  how everything in life is becoming easier now with 110 pounds less weight hanging on me every little movement just comes easier and feels more natural to from walking to climbing even just sitting down in a chair is more like parking a car rather than docking a cruise ship, lol  If you have a lot of to lose of even no weight to lose but some other problem that is holding you back exercise can help it really and truly changes every aspect of your physical life, more energy more stamina and just a better attitude in general.

Well I made a few changes to the blog yesterday and now everyone should be able to post comments on the blog without having a google account so try it out.  Also especially for my Facebook Friends feel free to share the link of the blog to your page so your friends might see it so we can all help the people on all of our friends lists. I hope my blog has been at least entertaining for you who have read it and I have big plans to make it only bigger and better everyday so we can all help more people really change their lives.  So whether you know me personally or not for my birthday I would like each of you to make a commitment to making one small or large change this week that will better your health theres lots of things you can pick from exercise or cutting  just one thing you know is bad in your diet out can yield  a result you will like I promise.  So think about and let me know what you are doing for yourself with my Birthday Challenge because maybe your idea might be what someone else needs to try.  Well make it a great Tuesday everyone and take another step towards FIT.