Joel at 190 Pounds
Yesterday I scared little children around the world with photos of me at 225 pounds.
I did warn you beforehand, so please don’t send me your psycho-analysis and therapy bills.
For the past three months I have been on The Joel Comm Diet, which is not a diet at all.
Instead it combines common sense with a plan that works for me.
I am pleased to say that three months later I have lost 35 pounds!
Want to know what I did and see what I look like?
Losing weight requires two things. Eat less and exercise more. It’s common sense.
Doctors and experts will tell you that you are supposed to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.
That just doesn’t work for me. As much as I enjoy breakfast, I am not terribly hungry in the morning. I can get my day started without a big meal. So I have reversed that conventional wisdom. It worked for me.
First thing in the morning I have my Shakeology drink. It’s packed with nutrients and tastes good. It costs about $3 or so per serving, but its worth it.
For lunch, I don’t always eat a meal. More often than not I will enjoy a protein bar or granola bar. It’s enough to tide me over until dinner.
Dinner is where I will eat a larger meal. Fajitas, steak, chicken sandwich, tacos, whatever… I try to have a healthy helping of meat or poultry, a few carbs such as potatoes or rice and a fruit if it is available. I never eat the full-size portions that they give you at the restaurants. There is always food left on my plate because my stomach can’t hold as much food.
I rarely eat sugary foods these days. In fact, after a few days on my new plan I began losing my taste for sweets. That is a miracle because I LOVE cookies, cakes and ice cream. Desert has been a daily part of my meal plan my entire life, so this is a big change for me.
I am not tempted by sweets like I once was. I just don’t need them. In fact, eating sweets can mess with my blood sugar and cause me to have a crash a short time later.
Don’t get me wrong. Once I get to my destination weight, I will definitely be enjoying a waffle with butter and syrup from time to time. I will go to Coldstone Creamery and load up on a sweet cream with Nestle crunch in it from time to time.
It’s just that I am no longer a slave to sugar. It is very addictive and with God’s help I have broken the addiction.
On the exercise side of things, it’s also not complex.
I wanted to jog, but shin splints have made that difficult.
Instead I will get on the treadmill in my basement almost every day. I will walk fast for 30-60 minutes depending on how I am feeling that day. At my fastest speed, I am walking 4.5 miles per hour.
My treadmill is in front of my television, so I can watch something to distract me while I am moving my body. It’s been very effective and I have put a lot of miles on that treadmill.
And here’s the thing about exercising. When I take the time and exert energy to exercise, it makes me want to watch what I eat closer. Since I am putting so much into the exercise, I don’t want to negate it with a few moments of culinary pleasure. Exercising makes me accountable to eat better. I don’t think the opposite has the same effect.
There were no magical diets involved in my weight loss. There was no special workout that I followed. I didn’t even follow all the advice of my doctors. One recommended that I cut out ALL carbohydrates. That just didn’t work for me.
I did what came natural and these are the results.
Are you ready to see? I will post the before and after photos below.
Before… wearing very TIGHT size 40 jeans/
After… wearing lose size 38 jeans with the belt loosened FIVE notches. I can wear my size 36 jeans now, though they are still a little snug.
Before… the chins say it all.
After…
Any questions?
I’ve been on blood pressure medication for years. Recent readings have shown that my numbers are good. I am going to my doctor to see if I can back off on my dosage.
I sleep approximately six hours each night and don’t remember the last time I had so much energy. I feel great and am moving on to my next goal of 180 pounds. I think I can do it in thirty days or so. I will post more photos once I reach that goal.
I intend to remain healthy and not yo-yo back to where I was before. I know it will take continued discipline to exercise each day. My hope is that my metabolism is in full gear and that I can increase my calorie intake once I reach my target weight. I will have to watch it closely to see what I can and cannot do.
I hope my weight loss is inspiring for you! Let me know your thoughts, please.
Nice job Joel! But I kinda miss those other two chins.
That’s great Joel. The cool thing about this is, a lot of other people would be inspired by your success. Sure, you’ve done yourself a favor. But you’ve also helped a lot of others who’re struggling with their weight problem. Thanks for being an inspiration.
Good job. Some additional advice may be to start small. Anyone can eat an apple a day, and walk 2 miles a day. 2 miles takes me about 30 minutes, and I’m not even pushing myself, so, that’s around 4 miles per hour….
You’ve probably replaced your need for sugar with all the natural sugar you’re getting from the fruit you eat.
Excellent work Joel! And it’s great to know that you did it by listening to your body and taking baby steps along the way. Bravo to you!
You look FABULOUS and decades younger!! Thanks for being such an amazing inspiration in this and so many other ways!
Wow. You look great. Congratulations on all of your hard work. I’ve had a recent set back in my goal. It’s inspiring to see your progress. Thanks for sharing.
Joel
Congrats. You’ve made great strides. I am following in your footsteps watching what and how much I eat along with regular exercise. It does work.
Joel – wow, super inspiring! Thanks for sharing this…
– Diane Z
I am always amazed how loosing weight makes one look so much younger! Great work!
Awesome, Joel! My husband has lost 15 pounds so far simply by cutting out the sweets. How he can say no to cookies and pie and ice cream, I don’t know, but it’s working for him.
It definitely helps me, because now that junk isn’t’ in the house, but if we eat elsewhere, it’s tough for me to resist.
We can do it Liz…
If Joel can look this good just think how great we can look 🙂
That’s a great accomplishment Joel. I love the smile on your face, that says it all. Good for you for taking charge of your health and doing it the right way. Congratulations. I’m very proud of you. This will inspire a lot of others to do the same.
Congratulations Joel, I knew you could do it.
Now that you lost the weight, the next thing to go is that old raggedy hat. 🙂
Congratulations Joel! I am impressed. I’m not at my weight loss goal yet, but you are inspiring me to keep up the good effort!
You look so much fitter. That must be very rewarding for you!!!! Keep up the great effort and I’m sure you’ll keep enjoying the results:-)
Hi Joel,
Congratulations! You are looking good (from a guy’s perspective, anyway!). Keep up the good work and I know you will reach your intended weight goal. Common sense is too often pushed aside for complicated diets and formulas. The funny thing is that this applies to other areas in our life, like internet marketing and business. Imagine that! Anyway, you have inspired me because I need to support my beautiful wife who is going on a diet and I could probably lose a couple of pounds myself. Sweet treats have definitely been our downfall. Good luck and I’ll be following your great progress.
Michael
Very proud of you. I am sure you feel so much better and energetic. I am going through the same transition and the energy high is waht makes it worth it for me. Keep up the good work !
Great job, Joel. Good luck on your next target! Portion control, exercise, and mind over matter works! When your friends try to tempt you because they think you are looking too thin, stick to your guns! It’s worth it!
Merry Christmas!
That’s TERRIFIC, Joel! Congratulations on the improvements not only to your physique, but especially to your energy levels! That’s what makes one more eager to greet each day.
Congrats Dude! I must sign up for d Gym myself. I need to put on the weight though…
Congratulations Joel- you look fantastic!
And thanks for sharing this journey and being so honest about this process.
Your integrity and authenticity stand out above MANY in this space!
What a great holiday gift to yourself (and your family).
AWESOME results Joel – you look fantastic. It seems like it was just last week that you were starting this program.
Thanks for the Motivation you are providing to all of us!
Nice work
Joel, you look great! I think what you are doing is great and I think that it will give other people inspiration for starting their own healthy eating and exercise program. Keep up the good work!
Congratulations, Joel
That’s exactly my problem too. Since I stopped working for three years I took 25 pounds. I was already 25 pounds overweight. You just motivate me to lose the 50 pounds overweight I have. 3 years, I am sitting at my computer to sell plans to lose weight and I do not apply.
You just put me into action and I also will lose those 50 pounds.
Congratulations and still ongoing.
Raymond Charter
Quebec, Canada
http://www.club-form-and-sante.com
Good stuff Joel!
GRATZ! You have truely inspired many with your journey. And in only three months! Stay well.
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the kind words, but knowing that I have inspired some people is really the best part of being public with this. I figured if I was going to go through with it, why not use my platform to help others move in that direction.
I hope those of you that need to make a change follow through and make it happen!
Next stop? 180.
Joel
Joel, you look awesome and now I’ve got to get moving! Thanks for the inspiration! I didn’t expect to see you look so much younger – what an awesome added benefit! How fun is that!!!
Warmly,
Joan Pounds
Joel, do you still make money with AdSense? btw, looks like your glasses have grown bigger! Good job.
Nice Job Joel…You look like you lost more then 35 pounds. I’m proud of you. Losing weight is not easy but is do-able as you have shown.
I kind of started at the same time as you and have lost 25 pounds. I am the same height and was as heavy as you. My goal is 180 to 185 so I have 20 to 25pounds to go.
Good luck with the rest of the weight loss!
Wow Joel must l say the Joel 2.0 version is looking great, but lam glad you still got the same great heart 🙂
Wow, congrats Joel, that’s impressive. Quite an achhievement in 3months. If I still had to battle with envy and jealousy, I’d sure envy you! 😉
Awesome job Joel! Very proud of you. I started my change on Oct 20. I lost 9.5 Lbs and I feel great! No working out, just changing what I ate and stopped eating once I was full. I can’t wait to see how much I will lose once I start working out on a regular basis. You inspire me to keep going. Thank you 🙂
You look great, Joel. And I bet you feel even better than you look. You may have dramatically slimmed down but I bet you’re absolutely bursting with energy!
You look amazing, Joel! I am so happy for you. A true inspiration. WOW 😀 Keep it going, and congratulations!
Joel, you look great! 35 pounds in 3 months is a heck of a lot of weight.
You are an inspiration Joel!! Thanks so much for your open honesty. I’m off to the gym right now!!
Great job, Joel!!
May you always maintain this level of enthusiasm.
You are an inspiration!
Dena
Daniela, the “diet plan” is outlined above. It’s very simple and works for Joel. It is sensible and logical. You need to find what will work for you.
Posting for all the world to see? Well, that puts more incentive for you to follow through. Everyone will be pulling for you, and will help you through the rough periods. That is why we declare our intentions publicly like this before witnesses — marriage, testimony, etc. — is the exact same thing. And when everyone knows what we have promised, then they will support us as well. Go ahead — make your statement, and everyone will keep you on track!
Way to go Joel!!
Great job Joel, you look good. Keep up the regimen and always watch what you eat.
Wow you look good boy!
But from a branding point of view this is a DISASTER. You will now have to go all over the internet and change ALL the pictures of you to the new lighter looking Joel! haha
You look younger too.
Although the heavier you didn’t look bad at all.
Congrats!!!!
Joel,
I showed a colleague your pictures and he had just one word; “WOW!” The same word I had – Congrats.
Plus he added after closing his mouth, “and you look younger too, funny how that happens.”
I’m 220 and 6’1″ and want to get to 198, my ideal weight :-).
Congratulations!! I really believe getting off the sugar roller coaster is key to what you’ve accomplished. I also recently lost 30 pounds and attribute it directly to a book my husband picked up at Costco about going off sugar almost entirely. You look terrific and as everyone has said, YEARS younger!
WOW! You look fabulous.
Inspiration plus, plus. Let us know what your Doctor says about your meds, time for all of us who joined project fit with you to gear up and get results like you!
Amazing, motivational, WOW! (You can see I am Gobsmacked)
Keep on going until you reach your goal weight…
Thanks for sharing.
Impressive! ;D
Fantastic Joel!!! You look great. I love that you have pointed out that once you get started, your tastes change and your body likes getting with the program. The key is to get started!
One thing you may consider at this point is to calculate your body fat percentage and not just rely on the scales for weight loss. As you lose more weight, make sure that your body fat percentage is also decreasing. If it isn’t, then adding some resistance training would increase your lean muscle and improve your results. Even something as simple as resistance bands can make a big difference.
Awesom Joel! What You have done is something that everybody who has some extra weight (less or more) should do. You are a good example, Thank You!
Great work Joel but for people like me who have the oppsite problem and loose weight easily sometime too easy is there a solution to putting on some kilo’s
Well holy smokes Joel,
excellent, very happy for you, you look great but hopefully feel great which is more important. I’m a fitness fanatic and love to see people take control of their health and fitness. A healthy diet is the key and a six meal a day is the way to go too, with out having to eat tons in the morning, a meal at lunch and a meal in the evening. Spread out a healthy meal plan for yourself.
Keep it up and enjoy it too, good luck,
Stephen