A Real Weight Loss & Health Transformation Story

Weight Loss and
Health Practices Can Get Crazy

I recently wanted to try some “advanced” diet and
fitness practices in order to see how low I could get my body fat percentage.
The plan was to see how lean I could get, then document the results with a
fun, body photo shoot- you know, one of those “bucket list” things.
Some of the practices were quite extreme, more commonly used by models and
physique competitors to “lean out” their appearance before a photo
shoot or competition.

The photo shoot itself was awesome! But getting there was not
easy, and not fast! Even on the day of the shoot I found myself feeling not
quite “satisfied” with how far I had gotten. I had pictured more of
a “six pack” in my abs, but despite a lot of hard work and
extremely disciplined eating, my abs just didn’t quite look the way I
expected them to. How could they? Since I had never been that lean before, I
had no real evidence or proof of what my abs should look like at
all.

By the end of the shoot, I gave up trying to “make my abs
pop” for the camera, and just enjoyed being in my healthy body. I
decided to just start having fun being in front of the camera, with the body
I had in that moment. It was a really fun and rewarding way to celebrate how
far I had come. The photos turned out great! But it was a HUGE lesson in how
vulnerable I was in the process.

I recognize the same tendency in many clients. I openly call it
the “crazy threshold.” When someone moves out of a productive,
healthy, happy mindset of self care, and moves into a place of starving,
pushing too hard, excessive exercise, and overall dissatisfaction with
themselves and their progress, even though they ARE making progress! When
this comes up, I immediately try to start addressing it, candidly, with
empathy and compassion, and listening ears. Sometimes we need to step back
and take inventory of our goals and expectations, and adjust if the healthy
endeavor starts to become an unhealthy obsession.

If you look to the health and fitness world, over-obsession with
health and fitness is a big conundrum. Just put #sixpackabs or #leanbody into
your Instagram search bar and scroll-away! How many of those thousands of
posts actually offer you the solutions you need to be healthy and happy for
life– or to solve your unique and compelling health and fitness challenges?
My guess is that there are not too many that can accomplish that. So in a
way, many health and fitness “influencers” are actually just
contributing to the collective shortfall.

I’m not here to judge or criticize. I want to use my experience to
ask the right questions of myself and others, to hold us all accountable for
what a truly “healthy” society should look like.

So, with all of this experience and observation, I thought it
would be helpful for a “super fit” person like me to give an honest
account of what it has really taken to get to this point. So, I’m sharing my
journey here, from the day I decided that feeling like crap was no longer
acceptable, to the current version of myself.

It has been roughly 12 years of weight loss & health
transformation in the making! And the funny thing is, the journey hasn’t
stopped. Sure, I could have stopped any number of times along the way and
would be considered perfectly healthy and fit by most people. But that is not
human nature. We are hard wired to do more, achieve more, be better– and
when it comes to weight loss & health, the key is to enjoy the
journey and be kind to yourself along the way. Be willing to weigh the costs
against the benefits as you move through the process, and keep it sane! Try
not to let yourself cross the “crazy threshold.”

12 Years of
Personal Transformation- My Journey

2008: The “Happy Chef”

This is what age 40 looks like for an average guy who enjoys
drinking, doesn’t get much exercise, and doesn’t pay much attention to diet.
I was enjoying life as a chef and catering business owner. My motto was
“Happy, drunk, and full to my grave.” Well, I was definitely
heading in that direction at top speed.

2010: Starting to
Make Small, Healthy Adjustments

A close friend needed a place to stay
for a while, so she moved in and stayed in our guest room. One day I was
complaining to her about how crappy I felt all the time. She was very health
conscious, and suggested that we start preparing healthier meals together.
That is where my healthy journey really started. I honestly just started
eating more whole food fiber, and drinking more water. I also started
becoming more aware of how my body felt. I started to become a little more
active, got on my bicycle for a ride or two, and just generally started
coming to my senses with more self-care awareness. I still drank a lot of
alcohol at this point, but was paying more attention to my nutrition.

2012: The
Multilevel Marketing “Detox”
Adventure

In 2012 I started becoming dissatisfied with my catering career,
and still not feeling my best physically. I was looking for something new,
but didn’t exactly know what that would look like. A woman in one of my
business networking groups invited me to join her multi-level product
company. I was curious about the business model, and interested in the
nutrition products. In the process, I did their “28-Day Detox” that
included supplementing with a protein shake, a digestive supplement, and a
cleanse supplement. I also had to give up alcohol, coffee, gluten, and
refined sugar for 28 days.

The results were quite astounding! A testament to what can happen
when you stop harming your body from
stuff that doesn’t support it. I believe the products were okay for each
serving their respective purpose, but it was the absence of alcohol, sugar,
and processed food that really made the difference.

At this point forward, I began doing the “avoid certain
foods” thing and working around those restrictions. I had not yet
discovered the power of adding nutrient-dense vegetables and fruit to your
diet. In fact, at this point I thought most fruits were “bad”
because they contained sugar. This is an example of where
we can go with unnecessary food restricting when we basically don’t know any
better. I hadn’t yet realized that not all
foods are “bad” or “good” for everyone. I didn’t have the
insights to know that food is food, and it just depends how that food
interacts with your unique body.

All in all, this was a rewarding experience and where the true
transformation started happening.

2013-2014: Before
the Big Shift

Weight-Loss-&-Health

I was feeling really good, thinking that I had this
weight loss & health thing totally figured out! I was still
juggling the “restrict certain food groups” concept, and using
alcohol in more moderation, with the occasional binge. It’s funny how you
think life is pretty awesome, but it isn’t until you move into the future–
when you learn that it can get even better. I really had no idea what was
coming!

My venture into nutrition product sales was about to take a big
turn. I decided that I wanted to learn more, be more, do more. I started
earning certifications in nutrition, and that’s when I realized that true
transformation doesn’t come from a product. It comes from becoming the best
steward and champion you can for your own life and body.

Upon this realization I came to grips with the fact that I needed
to stop, or drastically cut back my drinking, and pursue a healthier, clearer
pathway forward. With the help of some amazing people and resources out
there, I was able to heal my relationship to alcohol. Once I truly reversed
the negative effects that the alcohol had on my body and mind, the truly
powerful healing began. An inner-athlete and a curious student, hungry to
learn, emerged. I was on the path to profound mastery of my health and
life.

2015-2018: A Study
in Nutrition & Fitness

My first certification in Holistic Nutrition was heavily biased
toward 100% plant based eating. So, I was convinced to go vegan. This is also
when I learned the power of nutrient density- or getting more nutrients per
calorie consumed. This was a wonderful phase, and it provided loads of fun in
the kitchen exploring plant-based alternatives and posting whole-food,
plant-based recipes on my blog, featuring vegetables I had grown in my Los
Angeles garden.

Then I was given an opportunity to provide nutrition coaching to
real clients in a clinical setting. Once I started working with the public, I
quickly learned that vegan was not for every one. I started collecting data
on my various clients– what foods seemed to work and not work for them.
That’s when I became a “professional dieter.” I started studying
various diet theories on myself, and then blogging about them. I tried Paleo,
Keto, and many other diets, and documented my experience with each
approach.

What I learned is that each diet theory had benefits…and
drawbacks! All of them seem to have some of the same common, underlying
principles. The most valuable thing I learned was that not every diet was a
fit for every person. I started eating more of what seemed to support my
goals and what made me feel at my best. In general, I found that I thrived
best on mostly whole foods, lots of vegetables, and some protein from
animals. I learned that when I am more active, carbs– even in their most
refined state– could be extremely helpful. I realized that gluten was not
something I needed to avoid (thank God), and that some sugar, in the right
amounts, actually rounded out my energy.

I started becoming very curious about how I could help my myself,
and my clients, master a way to tune into oneself to know what the perfect
eating approach might be. I continued learning and earning credentials that
balanced and confirmed my life and practical experiences. And that is what I
have been doing for and with my clients ever since.

2019: Discovering
the “Inner Beast”

The more certifications and learning I pursued, the more I learned
about how important it is to support the whole body. I became more aware of
how exercise, sleep, and many other factors will have an impact on your
overall health and your ability to maintain a healthy weight and body
composition. We are genetically designed to move, and we thrive at our best
in a healthy state of eustress, or good stress.

I learned how great it felt to tease out my “inner cave
man” or “inner beast.” I started doing more weight lifting,
HIIT workouts, and really explored my athletic self. At this point, no food
was off limits, I just knew what amounts and ratios to eat in order to be at
my best. Lap swims, surfing, running in the mountains, and a regular bicycle
commute were an inherent part of my weekly routine. It seemed like weight
loss & health was turning more into a normal way of everyday being–
a mastery of physiological excellence.

On Labor Day weekend of 2019, I put my body to what seemed like
the ultimate test: Joining my brother and a few other people, we rode our
bicycles, pedaling from Newport Beach, Ca. to the Mount Baldy Ski Lifts. We
started at 10:30 PM and rode overnight, 70 miles and about 6,000 feet up in
elevation. Then, that morning, we participated in the “Run to the
Top,” an event where a mass of people run 4,000 feet up in elevation,
and about 7 miles to the top of the highest mountain in Los Angeles
county.

I was nervous about being able to complete this challenge, but I
did it. Once this was achieved, I truly understood what it means to be an
athlete. And I learned that with the right support and balance between
exercise, nutrition, and purposeful recovery, anything is possible. I also
learned that anything we look at in life can be framed as an “athletic
event.” If we prepare our bodies and minds for every day and every
challenge we encounter, the way an athlete prepares for a competitive event,
we can be in an optimal state of thriving and winning most of the
time!

2020: Going to
Extremes for the Photo Shoot

By now staying active and maintaining a balanced diet was second
nature. But I wanted to see what it really would take to achieve a
“model” like body. Funny how we distinguish “models” by
associating them with lean, muscular bodies. More than anything, I was just
curious to see how low I could get my body fat– sort of another one of my
self-study diet experiments! So, I scheduled a high-end photo shoot as a goal
post. Once I achieved 10% body fat, I would do the shoot, and have fun
documenting my results.

I underwent about 2 months of highly detailed tracking of my
calories and nutrients. I also had to make sure there was a balance in my
activity. Too much cardio would take a toll on my muscle composition. So, my
daily bike commute of 18 miles each way to work made it more challenging. I
had to decide whether I wanted to keep bike commuting, or start driving to
work in order to preserve muscle mass- crazy right?

I had to make certain that I got enough protein, and just enough
calories to stay supported, while also continuing to burn fat. If I overate
just enough of the wrong thing, the fat mass would go up, and the muscle mass
would maintain at best, or go down. I never missed a workout, and even did
specific types of exercises the week of the shoot, to optimize the appearance
of my muscles. Being age 54 didn’t help. As we age, our bodies don’t
typically build muscle. And I am more muscularly slim, not bulky. It was
definitely a challenge!

The most extreme practice was that of fluid manipulation. The week
leading up to the shoot, I manipulated the electrolytes and fluids in my body
in order to create a leaner appearance on the day of my shoot. This requires
extreme hydration, followed by dehydration, along with manipulating how many
carbohydrates you consume. It was sort of nuts and on the morning of the
shoot I had to really dig deep for mental strength and focus to get through
the day. Being dehydrated is no fun! As they say on TV, “don’t try this
at home.”

The entire photo shoot adventure was a valuable learning
experience. It helped me realize how much actually goes into making your body
“magazine perfect.” And honestly, I’m not even sure if I’d get a
magazine modeling job, despite my best efforts. Ha!

Bringing this post full circle back to the beginning, I want to
hit the point home that creating physiological change in your body takes
effort, time, experimentation, and a lot of love and patience for yourself.
It requires a combination of giving your body the support it needs to then
give you what you want, while also inserting an occasional
“bio-hack” to refine your results, while not upsetting
homeostasis.

It feels awesome to have come all this way, and it’s fun to share
and inspire others. But a valuable lesson I learned is that unless your body
is naturally designed to be super lean, achieving ultra-lean body composition
is probably not a sustainable practice. Find a place where you can be truly
happy, and settle in there. I have clients who might be clinically classified
as “overweight,” but their blood work is healthy, their medical
numbers are good, they feel strong, have energy, and have learned to maintain
a healthy relationship to their food supply. They love themselves, know how
to take care of their bodies, have mastered their own health, and have it all
in good perspective. I say “yeah” to that! The next client wants to
be more lean. That’s cool too! Just be happy and honest with yourself and the
world is yours!

Takeaways in
2021

I believe we can all enjoy the experience of pushing our bodies to
see what can be achieved. But this can only be done effectively if the body
and mind, the whole person, is completely supported. If you are mentally not
happy with yourself, forcing your body to change is not going to be a
pleasant, or even a healthy, experience.

Now I teach my clients how to live in their best-version body, at
a happy, realistic weight and state of health, while also being able to move
into phases of challenge every once in a while. I help many people achieve
the same thing I achieved, in far less time, because I can leverage my
training and experience to help them reach their goals far more efficiently.
But it still takes a willingness for self exploration and a little
experimentation.

For the athletes and super model enthusiasts out there: Extreme
practices are perfectly appropriate in the right circumstances, with
experienced help, the right mindset, and a certain level of emotional
maturity. Even the most ambitious athletes will do better if they know the
basics of good health and self care– with the foundations of nutrition at
the forefront– this means nourishing your body with what it is genetically
programmed to thrive on. Eating a balance of good protein, lots of colorful
fruits and vegetables, hydrating, watching out for chronic toxic habits, and
getting plenty of rest will get you a lot further in the long run.

If you’ve enjoyed reading my story, and see yourself anywhere in
this discussion, maybe now would be a great time to hop on a
Complimentary
Coaching Call with me. We can discuss where you are
with you own weight loss & health journey, where you want to go, and
how we can help you get there! You
can schedule that here! I look forward to helping you
any way I can.

You can learn more about my nutrition coaching practice by heading
back to my home
page!

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