Bodfather: Tales from the Bod Squad

This is how it began:  due to the fact that there wasn’t a whole lot of weight losing going on for a site that calls itself a weight-loss blog, I decided to chronicle some other folk’s stories as they did their best to change their ways and their bodies.

I dubbed myself “The Bodfather,” and sent out a call for people willing to do what I told ‘em and share their stories with my blog. Overwhelmed with hundreds of responses, I wound up taking on five individuals. Some had some to lose and some had a lot to lose (and some had a lot more than that. The common denominator:  they all were really gung-ho to make a big change in their lives and they all came in with great attitudes and great motives.

There was Kerensa, a bride-to-be who wanted to walk the aisle in a good-bit-smaller gown. There was Tom, who wanted to be a good example to his young daughter. There was Laurie, a workaholic legal eagle who has had trouble making good health a high priority. There’s Jodi, a young woman with big dreams and too-big everything else. And there’s Billie, a fun, fit mom trapped in a 400+ lb. frame.

This wasn’t a contest, wasn’t a competition. What I was hoping for... what I expected… was that the spotlight of a lot of people watching what they were doing and showing their support would push them forward into uncharted waters. I know for a fact what six months can do… it can change everything!

And for the first couple of months, that seemed to be the case. I heard from each of them fairly regularly, and they all seemed excited about the results they were seeing and the way they were feeling.

But then the holidays hit, as they almost always seem to do in late November. I expected a little stall-out, but I didn’t foresee the going to be as tough for the “Bodfather” participants as it’s been lately. That was probably my bad.

I think it’s rare in our lives that we’re really ready to embrace a big life change. I mean, really and truly ready to take on a life-altering challenge. And that’s what this, after all. A life-altering challenge.

“Life-altering” because you can’t keep doing the same things that got you in the shape that you are. “Challenge” because… well, this sh*t’s hard. Exercising takes effort, time and determination and eating less takes sacrifice and a commitment to not taking the easy way out.

And there’s so much of the world that’s set up to keep us from succeeding. There are traps and temptations around every corner, and some days it just doesn’t seem worth the effort. Besides, instant gratification is so instant and so, so gratifying.

Some of my Bod Squad are faltering and some are flying high and some are somewhere in that mushy, mushy middle where so many of us spend so much time.

If there’s a good story to tell with one (or all) of them, I’ll tell it here.

If not… well, we’ve all been there before, huh?

Bodfather: More Than What I Seem

Subject #5 in the "Bodfather"
Witness Reduction Program: Billie

 Height: 5’4”
Starting weight: 411 

Current weight: 397
Loss: +3.2

Total Loss: 14.0 lbs.

I was getting a little worried about Billie, the fifth and final participant in my “Bodfather” program. To those just joining us, I’m playing the “Bodfather” to five individuals who’ve agreed to share their weight-loss stories over a six-month period here on JSGF. Since I’m not a personal trainer, dietician, medical doctor or gifted motivator, my assistance is somewhat limited; however, I do provide email encouragement and support and have hooked each of them up with a free Philips DirectLife activity monitor. It’s the least I can do, and I’m always about doing the least I can do…

So anyway…

I knew Billie was having a rough month. While she’s still down from her starting weight, the past few weeks on the scale haven’t been all that kind to her. To Billie’s credit, she’s recognized that some of that is due to her fat-to-muscle transformation.

“I know I've built muscle (my arms are most certainly stronger), and oddly, pants fit that weren't fitting before. But I can tell you this--no matter what muscle I'm building, I still need to see a downward movement on that scale.”

Then I didn’t hear from her for a while. Just like with bloggers, when things go dark, it’s rare that anything positive is happening.

But Billie’s not your average weight-loss warrior. Here’s her message to me yesterday:

How am I doing?? Well, let me just tell you...

This morning's workout:

20 minutes, Treadmill. 2.5-2.6 mph. Upped that incline, 2, 3, 4...man. Nothing adds intensity like incline.

Elliptical: 40 minutes. Incline, 10-11. Resistance: 8-10, RPMS 94-132

I felt VERY STRONG today.

The sun is shining.

I am a ninja.

Not to say that I am an undercover mercenary. What I mean by that, is this:

If you would pass me on the street, you would have NO idea that I just did an hour of cardio, or that I would be remotely capable of doing so. I can barely believe it myself. 

Ninja literally means, "One who is concealed." I think that there are a lot of ninjas running around--those of us that you would look at and assume are incapable or unfit, when really, they are superstars incognito!! 

It reminds me of a hefty guy I saw at the beginning of the Ironman triathlon in Kona a few years ago--I saw him in the water, and I thought, "Oh man, how could he possibly finish?" I mean, this guy was definitely in the Clydesdale category (and I'm not being insulting--it used to be an actual category for this triathlon). The camera panned in on him, and the announcer said something like "...and for some, you wonder why they even came out at all..."  I watched the highlights from the race, and all the jubilant people who made it to the end. The very last shot of the program, was him walking across the finish line with his wife and two young children. =) Ninja!!

I even wrote a haiku.

The sun is shining
I'm much more than what I seem
I am a ninja

Billie, I’m still going to worry when you go into stealth mode on me, but I promise you one thing: I’m not going to doubt you anymore.

Bodfather: Good Things Happen to Those Who Weigh

Subject #4 in the "Bodfather"

Witness Reduction Program: Jodi

 

Height: 5’8”
Starting weight  317.6
Current weight: 299.0
Loss: 18.6 lbs.

They call me the “Bodfather”.

I’m working with a small group of folks who are allowing me to share their weight-loss journeys on my blog. I offer up support and encouragement, and have even hooked them up with a free Philips DirectLife activity monitor. I’m as involved as they’ll let me be…

But if you read the last installment of this saga, you know that it isn’t always easy being the “Bodfather”.

Oh, everyone’s super excited at the start, coming out with guns blazing.

Then they shoot up all their bullets and start whining about how hard it is and how slow it’s going and how they know what they’re doing wrong but they’re having trouble making lasting changes.

What can I tell ‘em?

It’s hard.

It’s slow going sometimes.

If your head and your heart aren’t in it, you’re not going to be able to make it happen.

Each of them have fantastic reasons for wanting to lose weight and get more healthy.

Just like you.

Each of them have plenty of excuses for why they can’t seem to be able to get the job done.

Just like you.

Now it’s just a matter of doing it or not doing it.

That’s why I’m so proud of Jodi, the 4th participant in the “Bod Squad”. I wasn’t sure about her at the start of this deal, but she’s become a driving force these days.

She just powered past the “300” milestone and wants to never look back at that number again. Even through all the temptations of the holiday season and a nasty bug that kept her from getting her normal exercise in, Jodi’s been rocking the scale lately.

“I've all of a sudden started to really notice that I'm losing,” she told me recently. “My pants are annoyingly sliding down...time to get a good belt! The hubby is noticing too...he was watching me exercise and he told me my butt doesn't jiggle a bit...good and firm. Still waiting for other family members/friends to see...but I guess it can be hard to notice when I'm wearing the same stuff. Who knows?”

I know.

I know that if Jodi keeps on making good choices on the food front and stays active and focused, that the people in her life are going to have no choice but to stand up and take notice. She's making it happen.

Some days, it’s really fun to be the “Bodfather.”

Bodfather: A Big Step Backwards

Subject #3 in the "Bodfather"
Witness Reduction Program: Tom

Height: 5' 9"
Starting weight:  437.5
Current Weight: 433
Total loss: -4.5 lbs.

 Call me the Bodfather.

I’m chronicling the stories of five overweight folks as they do what they can to bring positive change in their lives. It’s not a “Biggest Loser” deal; there’s no competition, no grand prize (other than better health and the thrill of wearing skinnier pants). I try to provide some information, encouragement and  support, and I did hook each of them up with a free Philips DirectLife activity monitor. But other than that, I’m not really doing much but watching, waiting and writing. Just like with all of us, it’s a do-it-yourself project.

Tom started out like gangbusters, and I had a hunch he was going to blow the others out of the water. If you ever want to stir up some sh*t (and let’s face it… some of us enjoy sh*t-stirring more than others), lay out the argument that it’s easier for women to lose weight than it is for men. Oh, people will come back at you with a lot of “facts” about how the opposite is actually true, but it makes for a few hours of good, clean fun.

Don’t use this to contradict me the next time I say “It’s easier for women to lose weight than men”, but I’m pretty sure that men have a metabolic advantage in this arena. Simply put, most of us guys (when we put our minds to it) can lose larger amounts faster than the fairer sex. I guess that’s to make up for men being paid less than women in the workplace…

That said, I had Tom pegged as the man to beat, and he proved how smart I was by coming out of the gate like he was shot out of a cannon.

But over the holidays, I started hearing from Tom less and less. While most of the “Bodfather” participants would check in with me every couple of days, weeks would pass without word from the lone male in the “Bod Squad”. It didn’t take a Sh*tlock Holmes to guess that Tom wasn’t burning up the scale.

His last check-in was a pretty casual affair, and I didn’t even get mad until I looked at the numbers and realized that Tom’s nine-week adventure has netted a total loss of 4.5 pounds. loss. At his size, he could lose that in a week if he really wanted to do it. If he really got serious about it.

I’m calling you out, Tom. Talking about how much you want to do this is all well and good, but it’s time to sh*t or get off the pot. Nobody said this was going to be fast and nobody said it was going to be easy, but remember… you’re the one who knocked on my door.

I turned down hundreds of people who were looking for help, Tom. Looking to change their lives for the better. This is a great opportunity, and you’re squandering it.

The people who leave comments here will probably be much nicer to you than I’m being, but that doesn’t change the fact that I think it’s time for you to nut up and start getting after it.

Waste your own time if you want to, but now you’re wasting the rest of ours.

Decide if you want to do this… and do it right… and get back to me.

Bodfather out.

Bodfather: Here Comes the Judging

Subject #2 in the "Bodfather" 


Witness Reduction Program: Laurie

Height: 5'6"
Starting weight: 240  
Current weight: 228 

Total Loss: 12 lbs.


They call me the Bodfather. There are many things my father Horace taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer and keep your friends who you're trying to help with their weight-loss journey even closerer.

Hey Jack,

After a week of crappy eating, with bright moments of health, and struggling to get any activity in with a bum knee, I am feeling much better. Oh, I expect a gain this week. But I got way more out of this week than just a pound or two, I got knowledge. I got schooled in all the ways my plans will not work and what I have to do to make this weight loss thing doable for my schedule.  

I was completely unprepared for the amount of food that would be around the office. I have never worked in an office situation before. I spent years working in labs where the holidays were acknowledged, but no luncheons, no candy, no crap around the offices.  Over the last 2 weeks, we have had multiple clients and people in the community drop cakes, pies, candy, and other assorted fat making dishes.  It culminated in yesterday. 

Yesterday, I almost cried at my desk. I walk in and on my desk are two big boxes of Godiva chocolates and three gift bags full of homemade goodies (fudge, peanut brittle, pralines, fruit cake cookies, etc). I thanked everyone, had a few things because it was so overwhelming, packed everything up and took it home (I probably should have just thrown it all in a dumpster). My husband (home for the weekend) and I just stared at it all. And then I packed it up again and there it sits, like an evil demon on the counter waiting to suck me into its depths. All of it is going somewhere other than my house. I don't care where, just out. Having it there broke me for a bit. I spent too much time agonizing over whether I could actually lose weight. My emotional interactions with food has really surprised me.

So now, my skin is looking somewhat sallow (I haven't gotten much sleep in the last 4 days because we have a horrible deadline that is killing us, but Thursday of next week, it will be over) from too much sugar and fat.

And I realize that people around me are going to make the whole thing harder and I have to be better prepared for that.  People in this office know I am losing weight and watching what I eat.  And still yesterday happened.  I feel like yelling at them, but I can't because I know in their minds they are being kind.  And I am going to have many sessions where sleep is a luxury I can't afford to indulge in too much.  And eating at the office during between and around meetings and deadlines is going to have to be planned for in much more detail.

Progress can be measured in other than pounds.  Progress can be made in learning what works and what doesn't and implementing accordingly.
 

1. Planning is key to getting through any situation.  But planning must be backed up with the resources available.  For instance, keeping food in the freezer for emergencies is fine as long as the food doesn't suck.  Keep with only tried and true stuff.
2. People are kind hearted evil things.  Take the goodies, walk to the dumpster and toss. 
3. Activity is a bitch to get in when chained to a desk.  I will have to plan around it and stick to the plan. Walking for more than 5-10 minutes during the day is unrealistic.  But a 5 minute walk multiple times a day isn't.

So Jack, you can yell at me for being weak around the food, I deserve it. But it was an amazing learning experience. And this year, instead of greeting the New Year hating myself for being fat, etc., I greet the New Year with an open heart, having learned that EVERY situation teaches me how to do this whole weight loss thing better, if I pay attention. That's a very powerful feeling.

Oh, and beginning Saturday, I start a detox. I gotta get the sugar out of my system. Veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean meats. No sugar!!!

Hope you are having a wonderful holidays and hope everyone is healthy.

Laurie

Hey Laurie,

Well Laurie, I'd like to yell at you but it seems like your own body is beating you up enough. I've lived through (and continue to live through) the break room full of goodies and the sugary presents from well-meaning nitwits. It's easy enough to get through it provided that you don't try to half-ass it... this is truly a situation where you can't have your cake and eat it too.

If you truly are on board going forward, then I'd say it's a one step backward, two steps forward kind of deal. And truthfully Laurie, you're either going to do this now or you're just not. I'd like to think that I can push and cajole folks to be passionate about this business, but at the end of the day it's all on you. You can decide that this is going to be a top priority for you or you can shrug it off and things will simply stay the same.



I hope you'll use the knowledge you've gained as a launching pad to something extraordinary, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Hope you and your family have a nice holiday.

Jack


Obligatory lawyer joke:

A local United Way office realized that the organization had never received a donation from the town's most successful lawyer. The person in charge of contributions called him to persuade him to contribute. 



“Our research shows that out of a yearly income of at least $700,000, you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give back to the community in some way?”

The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied, “First, did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills that are several times her annual income?” 



Embarrassed, the United Way rep mumbled, “Um ... no.”

The lawyer interrupts, “or that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair?”

The stricken United Way rep began to stammer out an apology, but was interrupted again. 



“Or that my sister's husband died in a traffic accident,” the lawyer's voice rising in indignation, “leaving her penniless with three children?!”

The humiliated United Way rep, completely beaten, said simply, “I had no idea...” 



On a roll, the lawyer cut him off once again, “So if I don't give any money to them, why should I give any to you?”

Bodfather: The Brick Wall

Subject #1 in the "Bodfather" 



Witness Reduction Program: Kerensa

Second Check-in

Height: 5'7"

Starting weight:  254.8
Current weight: 248.6

Loss this month: .6 lbs.
Total Loss: 6.2 lbs


If you’re a JSGF newcomer, I’d sometimes referred to (by myself) as The Bodfather. A few months ago, I chose a quintet of folks that were interested in me chronicling their weight-loss adventures and have worked with them from afar to try to spark some makeover magic.

Kerensa was the first participant, a lovely bride-to-be who got off to a blistering start but had a tough go of it during the holidays.

Hey Jack,

So. I think I really have hit that brick wall. I feel like I don't know how to get back on track with this thing again, I actually caught myself wondering why I was doing this in the first place. In the back of my mind, I don't want to disappoint anyone, myself included.

I feel like having self-confidence is a double edged sword. It means that I am happy with myself, and so there are two different ways I can take that. I am not really sure what else to say, except that I am needing some help. Help to remember why I wanted to lose weight in the first place. Help to focus. Help to get charged back up.

I can see in the back of my mind this issue playing over and over again. It is like some sick re-run where I am happy with myself, so I lose my focus and let myself off plan. Things go okay for a while, because I know how to eat right, and after months of eating less, it takes a while for me to be eating as much as I did before I went back on plan. So I might not gain weight for a bit, but old habits tend to die hard. In the end of the terrible sitcom, I end up just as fat as before, and then some.

In some ways, I feel a bit distanced from the rest of the Bodfather group. I feel like I don't have the stamina that Billie does, or the reasons that Tom does. I have been doing this since August, and don't feel like I can tell the change. The scale says there is a 35 pound difference from where I started, but I don't necessarily feel it, or see it for that matter.

I feel like I am being a Debbie Downer. But I know when I need to ask for help, and this is that time.

Kerensa



Hey Kerensa,



You've just gone through the choppy waters of the holidays, and it's 
pretty natural to be second-guessing yourself.



Let me tell you a story (and if I were at home instead of a hotel room 
in St Louis, I'd sent along a photo to a accompany it):  when I was
 getting married 25 years ago, my wife-to-be asked me to lose weight.


Really, it's been the only time she's ever made that request in all
 our years together. She was planning this beautiful wedding and asked 
me to try... Just try... to lose a little weight for the big day.



To this day, I don't know why I couldn't do it then, when it obviously 
meant so much to the person who meant more to me than anyone in the
 world. I didn't lose the weight, Kerensa. Actually, I gained some.



The wedding went on, but to this day, I cringe when I look at the
 pictures. I can't watch the video. I wish I could go back and do it
 over.

I guess that's why your "Bodfather" email stood out to me, K. I think 
I saw an opportunity to help someone with something I wasn't strong 
enough to do at the time. I want you to look back at those wedding 
photos and see the person you really want to see in them.



This isn't an easy undertaking you've taken on, but I believe you've
 got what it takes to make it happen. I can't force you to do what I
 want you to, but I'm here to tell you that all the effort and 
sacrifice will be worth it in the end.

 I could go on and on and on, but you know how it is with me and thumb-typing...



Take care,


Jack

Bodfather: Ending the Year with a Bang

Subject #5 in the "Bodfather"

Witness Reduction Program: Billie

 

Height: 5’4”
Starting weight: 411 

Current weight: 393.8

Loss: 17.2 lbs.

 

 

As is so often the case, I didn’t know what I was doing when I started my “Bodfather” program.

I was a little frustrated that I was writing a weight-loss blog and it was missing a little something (weight loss).

I thought it would be interesting to work with an individual and try to help and encourage them to get a little farther toward their weight-loss goals. That individual became a quintet of individuals, but I can’t say that any of them have gotten me more energized about my own fitness goals than my friend Billie.

Billie’s a large lady. I can’t pretend to know all the obstacles she’s faced at 400+ pounds. The rude comments and the complications of living in a world build for “normal”-sized people.

But there’s something even bigger about Billie. She’s got a irresistible energy and an infectious drive that’s powering a big, positive change in her life.

One day, I was telling her about how I could barely go for 15 minutes on an elliptical when I was at 300 pounds. She’s spotting me 100 lbs and tearing it up with the exercise. She’s just about blown up the DirectLife activity monitor that I muscled my friends at Philips for all the “Bodfather” participants.

“I am an athlete. A machine,” Billie told me recently. “I'm doing this like it's my job. And it is.”

Like the other “Bodfather” participants, she’s having issues on the food front, but she’s figuring it out day by day. And she’s rocking that scale. She’s said goodbye to the 400’s forever and is saying hello to a brand new person.

Billie wants a better future.

And she makes me want a better future for myself.

Bodfather: You Can't Spell "WOW" without "WW"

Subject #4 in the "Bodfather"

Witness Reduction Program: Jodi

Height: 5’8”
Starting weight  317.6.
Current weight: 307
Loss: 10.6 lbs.

They call me “The Bodfather”.

There are five individuals working with me to better their health and utilizing my vast experience as a non-doctor, non-private-trainer and non-nutritionist. Actually, the only reason why anyone would choose me to help guide them on their weight-loss journey is that my price ($0) is very, very reasonable.

But something’s working right so far. All the participants are losing weight… and that goes double (at least) for Jodi.

Jodi’s story may (or may not) sound familiar to you: she’s been a fanatic about working out, been awesome at making activity a daily part of her life.  She was regularly ringing the bell of the DirectLife activity monitor that Philips so graciously provided for all the “Bodfather” participants.

However…

She still struggles on the food front. After a tough day at work, she can’t muster the energy to concoct a healthy dinner. Or else she finds herself snacking right before bedtime. Whatever… it wasn’t translating to much success on the scale.

That’s why, at the first of this month, Jodi (along with her husband) joined Weight Watchers and really started putting the brakes on the rampant eating.

“I hate to admit it, but Weight Watchers just seems to work for me,” she told me. “I didn't feel like I was eating much differently, but I did make sure to stick within the guidelines and make good decisions. I focused on filling my body with the good stuff and turning to fruits and vegetables more often than when I was just merely counting calories.”

I suspect that being on WW has just made her put the same kind of focus on her diet that she’d already had with her exercise.

And keeping her eating reined in has made her want to put even more effort on her workouts. Now she has her sights set on putting the 300’s behind her for good.


.

Bodfather: Plenty to Give Thanks For

Subject #3 in the "Bodfather" 

Witness Reduction Program: Tom

Height: 5' 9"
Starting weight:  437.5
Current Weight: 426.5
Loss: 11 lbs.

You know, if I’d thought about it some, I might have put off this “Bodfather” business until the first of the year.

I mean, how fair is it to get these individuals all amped up to lose weight right as he head into the headwind of the holiday storm? It’s a time of year filled with cookies and cakes, parties and pigouts.

But there’s nothing I can do about the calendar, and here’s the thing:  the holidays have to be navigated every year, don’t they? I read where the average person in this country gains 7 to 12 pounds over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays (I used to pick that up about a week after Labor Day).

Anyway, I was a little worried about my “Bodfather” family as Thanksgiving rolled around. For those just tuning in, I’m following five individuals over a six-month period and blogging about their weight-loss struggles and successes. I even hooked each of them up with a Philips DirectLife activity monitor to encourage them to make exercise a part of their daily regimen.

The lone male member of the Bod Squad, Tom had quite a bit on his plate this Thanksgiving. He made plans to participate in a – are you kidding me? – 10K race.

"One of the best things though about this Thanksgiving is the 10K I did on Thanksgiving Day,” he told me recently. “And it was not so much about doing the 10K and completing it (which was great, don't get me wrong), but it was more about having my daughter out there with Grandma seeing us (my wife and I being active).  I got to pass them as the race started and said ‘hi’, and then my wife (who had well finished by the time I came around) met me with our daughter with about a mile to go. We all walked to the finish together. It’s just great to know that I trying to set an active example for my daughter to follow.”



Tom confessed that he couldn’t walk for two days after the event, but the experience of completing that 10K did him a world of good.

And I’ll tell you what I told him: if you think you’re full of pride now, imagine how you’re going to feel next Thanksgiving Day when it’s you waiting for your wife because you’ve already finished the race.

Tom finished that Thanksgiving 10K, but the real race is just getting started.

Bodfather: The Jury's Still Out...

Subject #2 in the "Bodfather"
Witness Reduction Program: Laurie

Height: 5'6"
Starting weight: 240  
Current weight: 232
Loss: 8 lbs.

What happens when a lawyer is made godfather? 
. . . He makes you an offer you can't understand.

What can a goose do that a duck can't do that a lawyer won't do? 
. . . Stick his bill up his ass.

What's black and brown and looks good on a lawyer? 
. . . Two dobermans!

Pretty soon after Laurie–the second participant in my “Bodfather” program–got started, I began having misgivings.

First off, Laurie’s a lawyer, and when has anything to do between an attorney and me ever gone the way I wanted it to?

Secondly, Laurie’s heart didn’t really seem to be in it.

She was busy.

She didn’t have time to eat right, her career kept her hopping too much to exercise.

Ummmm…

I object!

I had to get a teensy-weensy bit testy with Laurie because I didn’t like a lot of what I was hearing from her:


And I'll go ahead and say this right to your face: get your priorities straight! A career is important, to be sure, but don't relegate taking care of yourself down the list. Yesterday I was working on a project with an afternoon deadline that I was woefully behind on. My first impulse was to skip my noontime workout and knock the project out, but at the last minute I said "F that" and went and did my thang, trusting that I work even better under pressure (well, maybe not "better" but definitely "faster"). It all worked out in the end AND I got my workout in. I know that law can be an intense profession, but you're not gonna be in any shape to enjoy those big bucks you're pulling in unless you make some big-time changes in your life. 


I thought about all the people looking for assistance that I had turned down, and I was getting ready to really let Laurie have it with both barrels. Because that’s what I envisioned this whole “Bodfather” business being about anyway… about having someone to shine a light on you, someone to hold you accountable even when you start second-guessing yourself.  Someone to make you do this, and do it right!

I’m not even sure if the “Bodfather” participants realize how serious I am about this, but if they start slacking off on me, I’m prepared to publicly wear them out (and I encourage you to join me in the beatdown).

But for now, Laurie seems to have straightened herself out. After a no-loss weigh-in to start things off, starting enjoying a little success on the scale. She’s still having issues with time management and food, but she’s starting to see signs of a down-the-road payoff already and has been chronicling her struggles and successes on her own blog.

“I can't believe that food had me in tears at one point,” she told me recently. “It's really embarrassing.  And I am so confused as to why it is so hard.  I am confused because I feel better. You are so right, that energy is starting to come back. After starting to take 10-20 minute walks at lunch or, if meeting, in the afternoon, I feel so much better. People have begun to notice the energy (I talk really fast when I have energy...you are probably a figure of dislike at my office now). And my skin is clearing up. I knew it had a lot to do with sugar and as soon as I stopped eating candy and made the effort to read labels, it started clearing up.

“My clothes are already fitting a little better. I still creak, still not all that flexible, but I can smoke a 1 mile walk now. I have climbed to 15 minutes on the elliptical in one week. And I can get up from a chair without using the arms.

“All in all, everything is changing for the better. I wish I could figure out why, when all of these GREAT things are happening, I have so many moments during every single day of wanting to quit, wanting to eat crap? I suppose the most honest answer is, of course I am fighting every single day. I spent over 20 years giving in every single day. That gremlin is not going to be silenced by a few days of being denied.

 “Scientists have found that what we call will-power (the strength to say no) has to be built up like a muscle. The more we use it, the stronger and more automatic it gets. It's why it takes a dedicated smoker multiple times to quit. And it's why a dedicated weight loss person usually has to go through a lot of crap in the beginning phases. People give up because they don't realize that it will get easier, that they are building toward something."

Laurie got off to a slow and unsteady start, but she’s catching her stride now.

What do you get when you cross an overweight lawyer with a positive life change?

I don’t know, but we’re gonna find out…





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Bodfather: A Little Less to Love

Subject #1 in the "Bodfather" 

Witness Reduction Program: Kerensa
First Check-in

Height: 5'7"
Starting weight:  254.8
Current weight: 249.2
Loss: 5.6 lbs.

It’s a dilemma.

Your big day – your wedding day – is there on the horizon.

You’ve got a reception to plan and you have to decide which crazy scripty font to put on your invitation.

And then there’s the matter of a dress.

Kerensa, the first participant in my “Bodfather” program, is scratching her head about when she should choose a wedding gown, given her recent success on the scale.

To those of you just checked in, my role as the Bodfather is to oversee a few selected individuals and give them any assistance I can as they work to lose weight and get more fit. Besides all the email support and encouragement I can muster, I’ve used my connections to hook them up with a free Philips DirectLife activity monitor to help them see how much (or how little) they’re moving during the course of a day.

Kerensa, a college student living in Oklahoma who’s always struggled with her weight, is getting married in June of next year and wants to be slimmer by summer. 

Which brings us back to the gown…

Does she go on and get one now and be mindful that it may have to be altered on account of her shrinking frame?

Does she wait a bit longer and see how this weight-loss business goes over the next few months?

Does she just paint her body white and drag a sheet behind her?

Kerensa is so confused about it that she’s actually asked my advice about the dress. Isn’t it enough that I’m riding shotgun on her weight-loss journey, catering the big event, giving her away at the ceremony and performing a medley of cowboy yodeling hits at the reception?

I’m sure that you’re going to provide her better advice on the wedding dress question than I’ve been able to thus far. I just want her to keep pushing herself, keep making smart choices about food, and keep rocking that scale.

And whatever dress she chooses, I hope it’s something that’s adjustable…



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Bodfather: Last, But Not Least

Subject #5 in the "Bodfather"

Witness Reduction Program: Billie

 

Height: 5’4”
Current weight: 411 lbs.

When I began this “Bodfather” series, I went into it with a vague idea of the kind of person I wanted to participate in the project.

Someone with a huge hurdle in front of them.

Someone who maybe didn’t get the support or encouragement they needed to succeed.

Someone whose story might make others sit up and take notice.

My original idea was to just go with one individual, but after receiving over 100 interested applicants, I expanded it out to four.

Then I heard from Billie. At 400+ pounds, this thirty-something year-old homeschooling mom realizes that this is a make-it-or-break-it point in her life. But it wasn’t the amount of weight she’s looking to lose that convinced me that I wanted to be a part of Billie’s journey; it was her unflagging spirit that captured my imagination.

Billie’s spent far too long on the sidelines of her own life. She’s sick and tired of all the things she can’t be, all the things she can’t do.

“I am fully and painfully aware of, at all times, the limitations placed on me because of my size,” she told me recently. “About a year ago, when I was working out pretty steadily, I was walking into the Y when I heard a little girl say to her mom, ‘Mama, what did that woman do to her body?’

“I wish I had turned around and answered that little girl. Not harshly at all–she really wanted to know. And I hope her mama told her. I hope she didn’t just say, ‘Shhh–don’t say that honey, it’s not nice.’ I hope she told her all about how important it is to stay active, and eat your fruits and veggies, and not just eat because it tastes good and you want some more or because you’re sad/happy/angry.

“I hope she told her that just because I was bigger didn’t mean that I was any different from anyone else, that what mattered most when it came to people was what was on the inside, that someone can have a outwardly beautiful appearance and be unbearably ugly inside.”

Billie may be big, but she's been blessed with  thick skin, so she tries to live her live with as much humility and good grace as possible. She’s used to being pointed at, giggled at, smirked at. She may not like it, but she tries not to let it get her down.

“I am not particularly sensitive about my weight, or even the word fat,”, she says. “It’s simply an adjective. It’s the state I’m in now, not who I am. And I’m really okay with that, because I am doing what I can to move in the right direction.”

I’d like to take credit for creating the spark that’s slowly turning into a raging inferno inside of Billie, but I think I’m more of a witness than a catalyst. From the very first moment of our ongoing communication, Billie’s been more gung-ho about her weight-loss mission than anyone I’ve ever seen. She wants it badly, and she wants it now.

As Shakespeare once said, “What’s past is prologue.” Billie’s writing a new, brighter future for herself. She’s even started her own blog in order to document her successes and setbacks. She knows she's got a long road in front of her, but she’s ready... check that... she’s eager to get going.

Me? I can’t wait to see how her story turns out…


Measurements (in inches)

Biceps - 19
Waist  - 45.5
Hips - 74.75
Thigh -  40
Body fat percentage: 61.8%

Bodfather: Ready to Soar

Subject #4 in the "Bodfather"

Witness Reduction Program: Jodi

Height: 5' 8"
Current weight: 317.6

Like the lead character in her favorite musical Wicked, Jodi is ready to start defying gravity.

A 32-year-old band/choir geek, newlywed (well, just over a year…), actress and blogger, she’s tired of hiding behind her fat and ready to take her turn in the spotlight.

Jodi’s not particularly proud of the way her opening act has played out. She’s dieted since as far back as 8 years old, but never been able to manage a truly successful weight loss. She’s got some ugly issues she’s had to deal with, including an abusive stepfather and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a condition that puts an added hurdle in her path. However she’s ready to put all her doubts and disappointments behind her and move forward.

“I want to have babies someday” she told me recently. “And I'm not even going to try at my size. Obesity can cause a lot of problems for the baby and the mother. I want to have healthy habits in place, so my children don't have to deal with the issues I did growing up.”

But a future with children and without health issues isn’t her only reason for wanting to get healthier. Her bottom is directly affecting her bottomline.

“I work in the pharmaceutical division of a major insurance company,” she explains. “This year, they’re charging those employees who have a BMI higher than 30 a higher premium.”

Jodi hit her lowest point (and highest weight) back in April when a “338” on the scale hit her squarely between the eyes. That was 60 pounds more than when she got married, and she wasn’t thrilled about her size back then.

So she geared up to make a real run at losing weight.

“Nothing is going to stop me this time.”

Whenever you say “Nothing is going to stop me this time,” you’re just tempting fate, so it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that Jodi’s husband immediately lost his job at this point. Suddenly, she was pulling loads of overtime and struggling to make ends meet. But as hard as she worked, it wasn’t enough for them to hold on to their apartment. She did manage to drop a little weight however, with something she likes to call “The Broke-Ass Diet” (definitely not recommended).

In September, things finally started looking up for Jodi. She found an honest-to-God house to live in, one complete with an actual backyard. With a new home and renewed spirit, she feels like it’s finally time for the show to start in earnest.

“I’ve started blogging again and doing weekly weigh-ins. Also, my husband (who recently landed a new job) is finally ready to change with me, and that support is crucial! I joined the October ‘Going the Distance’ challenge and I walked/jogged 100 miles that month, and am getting ready to participate in my first ‘real’ 5K.”

Now that she’s got some stability in her life as well as a partner who’s willing to make changes with her instead of resisting healthy meals and avoiding exercise, Jodi’s  finally ready to end the excuses, put her wicked ways behind her and start lifting her life to new heights.

Something has changed within me,

Something is not the same.


I'm through with playing by the rules


Of someone else's game
.

Too late for second-guessing
.

Too late to go back to sleep
.

It's time to trust my instincts
,

Close my eyes: and leap! 

- "Defying Gravity" from Wicked

Measurements (in inches)

Neck 16.25
Chest 46 inches
Bust 51 inches
Waist 47.5 inches
Clothing Size: 24/26 3X
Midway: 55 inches
Hips: 57 inches
Thigh: 29 inches
Knees: 18.5 inches
Calf: 18.5 inches
Upper Arm: 17 inches
Forearm 11.25 inches

Bodfather: Too-Big Daddy

Subject #3 in the "Bodfather"
Witness Reduction Program: Tom

 

Height: 5' 9"
Current weight: weight 437.5


Imagine: you’re over 500 lbs, you’ve lost your job as a direct result of your morbid obesity and you can’t watch your 2-year-old daughter play in the yard without falling asleep where you sit.

Being fat is one thing. Being a father, well… that’s a game changer. At least it is for Tom, my lone male “Bodfather” family member.

And before you start feeling all sorry for him, listen to this: although he’s been overweight practically his whole life, Tom’s already lost nearly 100 pounds on his current weight-loss journey. He’s already seen the positive changes that dropping major pounds can bring, and he’s committed to changing his ways, even though his progress has petered out, his success has stalled. He needed a “Bodfather” kick in the pants…

At 38, he’s well aware that time’s not necessarily on his side. Genetics did him no favors either; both of Tom’s parents are overweight, and so is his brother. But there’s good news on the family front: Tom’s sister has lost a lot of weight in the last couple years and has even run in a marathon. For Tom, she’s proof that bad genetic cards can be played into a winning hand.

There’re a couple of things that have lit a fire up under Tom these days, that have pushed him into that now-or-never territory where he currently resides.

The first came a year and a half ago when his wife and parents held their own intervention about the sleep apnea that had cost him his job and the obesity that threatened his health and future.

“They convinced me to talk to a doctor about gastric bypass or lap band surgery,” Tom told me. “I didn’t necessarily want to, but knew what my health situation was and didn’t really want to leave my daughter without a dad.”

At the initial consultation with the physician, Tom was told that he wasn’t eligible for surgery, at least not until he had lost at least 75+ pounds.

“I couldn’t believe it,” says Tom incredulously. “I was too fat for weight loss surgery.”

The doctor referred him to a medically supervised weight loss program, and Tom went into it with a newfound determination to change his life as well as a mission not to have to go back to the doctor for the weight loss surgery.

The second motivating factor for Tom is that daughter that he got yelled at by his wife for not watching in the yard. Falling asleep while keeping an eye on her was certainly unsafe, but Tom also understands the other danger he’s putting her in. He knows that the statistics say that a child with one overweight parent has a 50% chance of being overweight, and that’s a legacy he’s not comfortable handing down to his little girl.
Tom doesn’t want to go under the knife, but more than anything else, he wants to be around for his little girl. Wants to be able to run around at the park with her or ride bikes or do any of the things that daddies do with the little girls they love so very, very much.

I’m choking up a little as I type these words, because I simply can’t imagine not being able to be the kind of father I want to be to my own daughters. I can’t comprehend the fear and pain that must weigh on Tom every day of his life, the trepidation that runs through his mind when he holds that oh-so-little hand in his.

So we’re going to the mattresses, me, you and Tom. He’s pledged to make some big changes in his life, and nobody has any better reason to succeed.

This isn’t business, Tom. It’s personal.


Measurements (in inches):

Neck - 21

Bicep - 17

Chest - 66

Waist - 70

Thigh - 35

Calf - 24.5

Hips - 72

Bodfather: A Summons to Appear

Subject #2 in the "Bodfather"
Witness Reduction Program: Laurie

Height: 5'6"
Current weight:  240 lbs.


Opening statement: I hate lawyers.

I guess it comes from my personal lawyer, who sent me a bill the other day for crossing the street and talking to somebody that he thought was me.

So when I agreed to take on Laurie as part of my “Bodfather” program, my plan was to tell her to eat cupcakes six times a day and watch nine hours of television daily.

But then I started learning more about Laurie’s story.

“You know I was thin at one time,” she confided in me.  “My grandmother was obese. My aunt was grossly obese (I think that's the term). I saw my aunt about three years ago and her first words were 'I knew you’d eventually get fat.’”

Then she went into hiding. For the next couple of years, Laurie avoided seeing anyone that knew her from back when was thin, including her own family.

From there, she tells me, she spent a year in defiance.  “Yeah I am fat,” she proclaims boldly. “What of it?”

What of it indeed? Not caring what others think is one thing, but when it’s so obvious that obesity is taking its toll on your quality of life, well… that’s a different story.

“It’s about the aches and pains,” says Laurie. “It’s about the fact that my knees hurt or my back aches.  Or I can't go up one flight of stairs without huffing.”

So Laurie decided to represent herself, decided that now’s the time to take control of her own future. 

However, and… well, you probably already know this:  it’s difficult.

“I can feel the excuses start around 2 p.m.” she told me. “ Candy = energy.  Hamburger = being good to myself.  Ice cream = yeah, you leave the ice cream out of this.  Ice cream never hurt anyone, ice cream loves me...okay, scratch that.”

 So, it’s not easy. I’ll tell you like I told Laurie: it’s not easy for any of us. Some may make it look easy, but I promise you that it’s not.

Easy? No.

Worth it? Absolutely.

“I don't want to be 20 again,” says Laurie. “But I don't want to feel so old either. I want energy. I want to get out of bed without groaning for at least thrity more years.  I want to run again.  I want to feel muscles again. I want to see a collarbone again.”

“Am I certain I will follow-through?” she continues. “No, I am not. But do I want to stop with the excuses?  Yep. Would I like someone there cheering for me? Yes, that would be pretty awesome.  Do I want someone there to ask the hard questions? Yep. It’s not about shame or guilt;  it’s about taking responsibility.”

Laurie’s story reminds me of the man who had been caught embezzling millions from his employer. He goes to a lawyer, telling him that he really, really doesn’t want to go to jail. But his lawyer tells him, "Don’t worry. You’ll never have to go to jail with all that money.” And the lawyer was right. When the man is eventually sent to prison, he doesn’t have a dime.

Okay, that doesn’t really remind me of Laurie’s story, but if I’m going to be working with a lawyer here, you’re gonna have to expect a few lawyer jokes along the way.

Measurements (in inches):

Neck - 15.75
Upper arm - 15.5
Chest - 46
Waist - 43.5
Hips - 49
Upper thigh - 28
Calf - 18


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Here Comes the Bride... Big, Fat And… Well, You Know

Subject #1 in the "Bodfather"
Witness Reduction Program: Kerensa

Height: 5'7"
Current weight:  254.8

As the Bodfather, it’s impossible for me to refuse a request on a person’s wedding day.

Okay… so technically Kerensa isn’t getting married until June, but the idea of helping her not be so big on her big day was too tempting to pass up.

A 23-year-old college student living in Oklahoma, Kerensa’s spent all her life struggling with her weight. Even though she’s lived a pretty active existence, she started seeing signs that her size – up to a high in the 280’s - was adversely affecting her way of life. She was tired all the time and if she sat down for long periods, her ankles swelled up like a puffer fish.

Then there was the thought of posing for wedding pictures. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment and thinking about flipping through the pages of a wedding album and cringing… well, that’s the kind of idea that’ll get you off your butt.

And beyond her wedding day, Kerensa saw a future impacted adversely by her own body.

“I know we want to have kids, and I want to be healthy for them,” she told me recently. “I want to be able to run and play with them... not be the fat mom who sits on the sidelines.”

Fueled by fear and driven by her wish to make a positive change in her life, she began a weight-loss program and started seeing some positive results almost immediately. But she’s been there before, and tends to run into a brick wall early in the game.

Why is that? Is it because her fiancé Justin accepts her just the way she is? Because she works at a Subway sub shop and has easy access to fattening foods? Because she’s a self-described “cheese whore”? Because her hectic school/work schedule keeps her from eating healthy and exercising like she knows she should?

Probably some of all that, to be perfectly honest, but she’s committed to making a change for the better. As a sign of her engagement in this venture, she’s vowed to send me her weigh-in numbers each week, and I’ll continue chronicling her tale as she takes the steps necessary to walk down the aisle as the fittest person she can possibly be.

Because more than anything, Kerensa wants a white wedding, not a wide wedding.


Measurements (in inches):

Neck -15 1/2
Chest- 43
Bust- 46
Waist-40
Midway-49
Hips-52
Thigh-31 1/2 (family nickname:  “Thunder-Thighs”)
Knee-21 1/2
Calf-19
Upper arm-17
Forearm-12 1/2



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An Offer You Can’t Refuse

I still like my blog, but I’ll be the first to admit that something’s missing these days.

Last year, I had an amazing run of weekly weigh-ins and felt as though there were some sort of magic, manic energy that infused the site.

Now that I’m thisclose to my goal weight, the intensity isn’t always there. I still want to lose weight… still want to get fit… but it doesn’t seem to be the driving force behind what I do each day.

Please don’t misunderstand me: I’m happy to no longer be obese, no longer be overweight, but…

Well, actions speak louder than words.

I want someone else to lose weight on Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit.

I want someone who’s having trouble getting it done on their own to share their journey with me.

I want to be the Bodfather.

I’ve already tried it with a couple of individuals, just sharing email encouragement and support. However, it petered out in both cases because I think I made it too easy for them to blow it off.

This time… this time it’ll be a Family affair. I want to share someone’s journey with the folks that hang out over here.

Here’s how it would work: you email me at jacksh.tgettinfit(at)gmail(dot)com and express your interest. If we can agree on some basic rules, I’ll train the JSGF spotlight on you and let you share the support and encouragement of some of the most fantastic readers you could ever hope to find.

Make no mistake; it won’t be easy. I can be a very demanding goombah, and I’m gonna make you share your weight, your measurements, your photos, everything. And I'm going to stay after you like nobody's business.

We’ll celebrate with you as you reach every milestone and we will help you to your feet whenever you stumble. I don’t have any silver bullets for you, but I’ll be in your corner every round.

That’s the carrot, and here’s the stick: if you quit on me, well… if I told you what I’m going to do to you in that event, I’d have to kill you.

Weight loss is the Family business, and I’d like to be your Bodfather.




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