Would You Watch Me Lose 40 Pounds?

Byjoel

I’ve got a confession to make.

I am fat.

That’s not P-H-A-T as in “cool”.

That’s F-A-T as in chunky, large, and overweight.

On top of that, I am not physically fit.

It’s no surprise.

As an online entrepreneur who spends a lot of time in front of a computer, I’ve become sedentary.

It’s a fairly common story.

Once upon a time I was both slim AND physically fit.

In fact, you might be surprised to discover that I ran a marathon when I was a teenager. I completed a 26.2 mile run in Montreal in the late seventies.

In college, I stayed fit by doing aerobics.

But then it happened.

I got married. We had children. Life got busy.

And I put on weight.

In 2003, I got sick of being overweight. I peaked out around 215 pounds and thought it was time to do something.

Long story short. I got myself down to 180 pounds. I was feeling good.

And then I went on a Caribbean cruise. That did me in.

Since that time, I have ballooned up to 225 pounds.

Yikes!

I have been on medication for high blood pressure for a number of years.

And I get winded walking up several flights of stairs.

It’s time for a change.

After all, I’ve got the rest of my life ahead of me.

I want to be healthy for my family, for my business and for the work I have yet to do.

The bottom line is I need to lose about 40 pounds to get where I want to be.

And why exactly am I telling you this?

I’m not a fitness expert. I don’t aspire to be.

I’m not a nutrition expert. I like to eat foods that taste good and are bad for me.

But what I am is a regular guy who has the same struggles that many of you do.

My goals as an author and speaker have always been to inspire, to educate and to entertain.

I believe you must first inspire people in order to open their hearts so they can receive what you have to say.

Then you must deliver valuable content that can be put into use by anyone listening or reading.

And it helps if it goes down with a spoonful of sugar. This is especially present when I am on stage as I like to clown around.

Anyhow, as I have been thinking about the next step in my journey and realizing that taking care of myself must play an integral role, I have had an idea.

What if I made my quest for better health a public exercise?

I am considering using the web, video and social media to hold myself accountable to do what I need to do.

By broadcasting regular videos to you, I could accomplish a few things…

1) I would be “putting myself out there.” It’s one thing to make a commitment to myself. It’s another to know that many others are watching to see what happens.

2) My quest could be an inspiration to others with similar needs. That would fulfill the first goal of my professional career.

3) I could use this platform for others to learn alongside me. By interviewing experts and discussing the issues that revolve around better health, I would fulfill my second professional goal to be a source of valuable information. Topics would include everything from cravings for sugar and how to eat out, to setting goals and choosing the right exercise regimen.

4) I could encourage those who follow to help me in supporting a worthwhile cause along the way. That would fulfill my goal to “do good stuff.”

5) Finally, I think it would be entertaining and a lot of fun. How many New York Times Best-selling authors and international speakers do you know that would put themselves out there like this? Yes, it’s scary. But I see so many positive things happening as a result. I am almost feeling compelled to do it.

So there you have it. That’s the gist of what I am considering.

Here’s the question for you.

Would you be interested in watching me go through this process?

Would it be inspirational for you to follow along?

Do you want to talk about the issues surrounding health in today’s world?

Or could you care less what I do?

As I said, I am not trying to portray myself as a health expert of any kind.

I just know I need to make a change.

And I am going to make that change.

The question is do I want to invite everyone into the process.

If I do invite you in, who knows… it may change you as well.

What are your thoughts?

As always, I am eager to hear your comments.

Thousands of people read my blog and emails each day, but only a small percentage actually interact and leave comments.

Would you please take the time to share your thoughts with me today?

This would be a major step for me and I really need to hear from you.

Note: PLEASE do not use comments to pitch me on the latest diet fad or network marketing program. I am not looking for advice at this time, or another business to get into. I will not approve comments with links to MLM programs and such. Thanks for respecting this request.

With that said, let’s hear from you!

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187 Comments

  1. Hey Joel:
    I was at exactly the weight you are now about 5 years ago. I lost 40 lbs. in around 3 mos. I did it using the original edition of the South Beach Diet. Followed the suggested recipes after I read his explanation on why this way of eating is beneficial. The first 20 lbs. came off in about 6 weeks. It was amazing!
    The South Beach Diet is pretty simple. Cut out all white and processed foods. It’s a little more in-depth than that of course but that’s the basics. I’ve basically changed my eating habits based on what I learned in that book and have kept the weight off. BTW, I am not a health nut and don’t work out (much to the dismay of my wife).
    On a completely different topic; why don’t you use the Socrates Theme for this blog?
    Cheers,
    David

  2. From the outpouring of comments and the passion with which people have already given their affirmation, I cannot see how you can do anything but make this a public venture. As one who has also put on the baby weight, marriage weight, and eaten the “I deserve it” candy bar over and over . . . I could also stand to make some changes. I know my husband would echo my sentiments when I say that we NEED this, probably more than anything else you’ve done in your career. So, Joel, go ahead and inspire, put yourself out there, and make it entertaining. We’re on board with you, and we’ll look forward to seeing a lot less of you and ourselves at the finish line! : )

  3. Hi Joel. I too need to lose about 40 pounds. I too want to help inspire people in a similar situation. I purchased the domain http://www.FlatTummyTips.com to show my progress and give tips on how to get that flat tummy that we all desire, but I have not been keeping my site updated. Your post today has inspired me to continue. Maybe I can show your videos on my site. I bet there are a lot of people who want to lose weight with you. Let me know how I can help.
    DeaconDavid

  5. I applaud you for speaking openly and honestly about your weight. This is an issue that I share with you as do many others. My weight gain came on as a result of stress eating in challenging economic times. In my efforts to become financially free and lose the excess weight,I noticed that similar actions needed to be taken.
    The result is my blog, http://www.skinny-and-rich.com. My premise is to stay extremely focused on getting skinny and rich and if my actions don’t support either one, pass. The only exception being family.
    What’s come up is the process of getting started, the obstacles, the progres and my feelings about how it’s affecting my life on a deep level.
    If this was easy we would have done it already.
    I look forward to watching your progress and wish you the best of luck and support. I hope we are both successful in our journeys.
    Here’s an idea: WHAT ABOUT A CHALLENGE? That would make it more interesting and add a healthy bit of competition to the mix. What do you think?
    Best regards,
    Lynn

  7. Joel,
    I totally agree with everyone who said you have to do it for yourself. It may sound harsh, or selfish, but it’s truly only for yourself. Of course, the outcome is beneficial for everyone around you, immediate family, kids, etc…
    If you make it public it’s ok, but the main driver will be in you. I did the same thing and washed off 50Lb. Walking, then started running, which didn’t work bc of knees, then started biking, heavily. And that took it off all. My story is linked up there and you can unlink it after reading, but it’s all true. It really worked and I didn’t starve at all. I ate almost exactly the same as before, except I was burning everything. Even my (diabetes 2) blood sugar level dropped from 14.7 to 5.9, which is for me revolutionary 🙂
    Anyway, good luck and I support the initiative, since I can take off 10 more pounds.

  8. Greetings Joel,
    You’ve hit the nail right on the head with this one.
    As wonderful as computers are for ringing up the cash, sitting behind this thing all day does take its toll on us IM’ers; and everyone else who depends on them to earn a living for that matter, including the 9-5 crowd.
    I believe that your idea in this regard is an excellent one, as people are motivated by those that they admire. This is definitely the solution to the infomercial dilemma that you talked about recently, and it makes for excellent positive PR.
    I myself have made it a habit recently to use the recreational facilities in my neighborhood on a daily basis to get a handle, no pun intended, on my own 50 pounds of excess baggage that needs to go the way of the dinosaur.
    Looking forward to how it all turns out! 🙂
    Warmest Regards and Best Wishes,
    Felix Torres

  9. Even as someone who works out regularly and writes a fitness blog full of weight loss advice, I too have put on a few pounds by joining the internet marketing game and sitting all day. No matter what diet or gimmick you use, at the end of the day it’s calories in vs calories out. I would love to see your progress on this.

  10. Joel:
    I think it’s awesome! Yes America will want to see your transformation – no doubt.
    The question is always the same…are you moving towards health, or away? It’s either one or the other. By reducing your weight, increasing your muscle mass and changing the environment of your cells, its impossible not to become healthy – simply impossible. How much you want to bet you will be able to ditch any meds your on to boot?
    Remember what gets measured gets managed. Find someone to do a bioimpediance test on you before you start. Good luck! I will be cheering you on.
    Dr Kelly

  11. Go for it Joel,
    Just let me know when you start and what you
    did for the day and I’ll do the same here.
    I’ll do the challenge with you.
    I guess you’ve something inside your brain.
    Hopefully, to attack one of the most profitable
    market.
    Well going.

  13. Hi Joel
    I know you said you don’t need any advice but i’m compelled to share how i lost weight.
    I used to do martial arts and tried countless other ways of exercising and eating.
    Some things did work but were so hard i just didn’t want to do them long term.
    So long story short, i found a way from trial and error where i now eat healthy Mon-Fri and also exercise mon to fri for just 30 minutes (cardio).
    It’s not killer exercise and the food is just healthy (no processed food) and tastes good. And i also watch my portion sizes.
    It means i can eat whatever i want on the weekend (which is when there are more temptations for me), and i don’t miss out on my favorite foods totally.
    I’ve lost 2 stones and cannot see myself putting the weight back on since it is easy to do this long term.
    This approach may not be for everyone but it really works and has helped me a lot
    Good luck Joel
    Jash

  14. Hi Joel, I would love to follow your journey and at the same time be inspired to reverse the creeping pounds! I am looking for transparency and ‘real’ today!
    All the very best,
    Deborah

  15. Joel – PLEASE, PLEASE DO THIS and not just for yourself…
    This would be so appropriate and inspiring to why I have bought / am studying your stuff to start a video blog of my own journey of loosing 100 pounds (currently up around 300 with some recent success) via http://www.fatboyslims.net and just figuring out how I can use the socrates theme etc to get going… I have shot half a dozen flip video clips to date (rationale, reasons why, thoughts, feelings, successes and some how I am doing it stuff which I have yet to put up on the net and recently reached a plateau / needing to step up) but really keen to get the blog going and would love to follow your journey as well as make my own for anyone to see … maybe we could be parallel fatbusting buddies and could share methods and experience or just ‘keep on keeping on’ support? (I know how hard it is to keep this up alone and keep the fat off but determined to add 10 years to my life expectancy with this once and for all mission – I turned 47 yesterday and with a 6 year old son recently diagnosed autistic I MUST live to support and see grow up as passionately expressed in my video clips to date.
    Putting this out there for all to see will help you get the leverage to see it through (Tony Robbins suggests writing to people to let them know you are holding yourself to a higher standard in his ‘Body You Deserve’ program, which is one of my strategies and I thought why not tell the world though a video blog and help other ordinary people be around for loved ones that much longer too – using your stuff to reach out to them)
    I pray you get to read this and feel inspired to follow through on your idea – I know I AM taking action on mine for THE most compelling reason in my life after 20+ years abusing my body with food – feel the fear, know it is real but do it anyway!
    Best wishes
    Kevin

  16. Joel I am in the same boat and your story could be mine. There is plenty of information on the internet and elsewhere. As you can already see there are a lot of people who are passionate about you following their way of getting it done. I would be interested in following your journey and joining you on that path. The value is in sharing our story as we go through the process. The challenges, the victories, and the set backs.

  17. Joel, I would love to see you do this, and even go along with you for the ride if the opportunity exists. I need to lose at least 40 pounds, but have not been successful. Like you, I’ve also thought about sharing the journey with my fans/followers as well.
    Not sure if it’s a coincidence, but got this Chippendales – 20 years later from forwarded funnies today. It’s G-rated.
    http://www.forwardedfunnies.com/the_chippendales_pic_000169.html
    Mark

  18. That sounds like a great plan Joel.
    I for one would like to follow your progress.
    I too market online and it has NOT been good for my waistline or my hip line AT ALL!!
    I am with a group of people in a Skype chat and we have one gal that goes to the gym everyday. I mean she physically gets dressed and drives to the gym everyday. I can not imagine doing that.
    I have often thought of starting a Online Virtual Gym….
    I am sure I have every workout CD/Video ever produced. I also have about every piece of exercise equipment invented…. the old stuff and the new stuff since I do not think I have ever thrown anything away. I am sure many other people have that at home too. A Skype chat for encouragement and for a progress report and to say.. “OK Gang I am off to work out back in a bit…” Now even I could do that…maybe. This has not caught on YET!! But membership is open and at the moment it is free to join.
    Anyway Best of Luck and I’ll be looking for your updates.

  19. Hi Joel,
    I think it would be wonderful! I have recently lost 47 pounds and am at a standstill right now. I would like to lose another 25 or so pounds, but sometimes it gets frustrating!!
    Would love to follow along and please tell us everything! What works, what doesn’t, what’s good, what sucks….what you like about the different foods, plans, exercise, etc. You know what I mean. 🙂 Details.
    Very excited to see this!
    Take care and God bless!
    Lisa~

  20. Hi Joel,
    You sound a lot like me (except for the money part).
    I was 220 lbs, overweight, got tired walking up a couple flights of steps,
    had high blood pressure (take 5 different meds for it everyday) and didn’t look good in a bathing suit. I have lost as much as 25 lbs before, but it always finds it’s way back.
    Then, I got sick (stomach problems). I didn’t want to end up on a hospital operationg room table, so I got serious about my diet. I cut out all salt and sugar (damn hard to do). I cut out meat (also damn hard) and chicken.
    I even gave up coffee (addicted for the last 35 years).
    I started eating fruits, veggies and occassionally some fresh fish and whole grain rice. I dropped 25 pounds, my blood pressure went down and the stomach problem stopped. This all happened over the past month.
    I’m down to 195lbs and feeling good. It’s not easy to do, but it’s not that hard. I try to stick with my own cooking.
    Hope that helps.
    Best Wishes.
    Carl Willoughby
    Best Wishes,
    Carl Willoughby
    Although

  22. I went through a 30 pound weight loss this summer. Then I has heart bypass surgery late July. Although I feel the best I have felt in several years, the surgery, on top of being unemployed, has made this a lees then fun time.
    I would like to see how you will accomplish this. I’m rooting for your success.

  24. *applause*
    The obesity and overweight epidemic is frightening. By recognizing your pattern of taking the weight off and then putting it right back on again, you have now seen that being healthy is a lifestyle choice that requires diligence and commitment. You are also very smart for using your position as an influencer to turn the magnifier on yourself, and use your public following as part of your accountability as you implement a plan to take the weight off safely and keep it off — for life!
    The only safe, sustainable way to lose weight and keep it off is a proper diet and exercise. Everything else is temporary, unsustainable, or unreliable.
    There are tons of people who are great at helping people lose weight. And there are tons of books, DVDs, TV shows, and podcasts on the subject. You won’t be hurting for resources. I threw mine on top of the pile a month ago as an eBook “Video Nurse: 50 Weight Loss Tips for Busy People” as part of my experience as a nurse and therapist the past 10 years of helping my clients be fit and healthy. I do my small part in helping people online and offline to get fit, and I’m not sorry to say I can’t join you in losing 40 pounds, because if I did, I’d be severely underweight. Instead, there are people like myself who understand that we were meant to move our bodies (not be sedentary), and eat real food you were made for (translation: portion control and watch ingredients).
    If you’d like to have a copy of my eBook, I’ll send you a free one to review :). No MLM here, lol.
    Warmly,
    Imei

  25. Great idea! Get moving asap! In 4 months I expect to see pics of you in the classic body building pose flexing your biceps and showing off your six pack! What’s your body fat goal? Here’s an idea: Create a Joel Comm Community Group Weight Loss Program where we can participate, too, and share our progress, ’cause I’m overweight, too, by at least 20 pounds! It could be sort of like Bill Phillip’s Body for Life, but online for others to see. Participants could record our data & pics once every week or so and celebrate our progress. Just an idea, although by the time you got it up & running you could have already lost all the weight you want to lose! Weight Loss for Internet Marketing Nerds…. a website whose idea has come.

  26. Think it would be great! We all get caught up in our work and forget ourselves, but shedding a few pounds would inspire the rest of us to do the same — to find that “8th day of the week”, as Tony Robbins and others allude to, and reclaim it. A balanced life isn’t easy but that’s why this show would be so valuable and inspiring.

  27. Hey Joel
    Good Luck, I just started a Socrates theme blog for the very same reason to loose weight, get fit and keep things in focus. I would be happy to help you stay vigilant.
    all the best
    John

  28. Joel,
    Provo for you. As someone who has struggled with a weight issue over the last 25 years I want you to realize that you have taken on a true challange. It is not about dieting! It is not about exercise! It is not about eating out! What it is about is your attitude towards all of the above.
    I have yo-yo’ed like so many others. Trying diet after diet, exercising compulsively and the end result – I lose the weight only to “FIND” it and then some. Imagine I have lost over 100 lbs. in 13 months and just 16 months later “FOUND” 115 of them around my waistline again!
    I would love to not only follow your results but would like to know what you are doing to achieve those results you seek. I want to know what motivates you, cause I believe if it motivates you then there are many others who will be motivated as well. I want to hear ALL the news, both good and bad. What is working but what is not as well.
    I look forward to being your “weightloss” buddy so we can be where we want with our health together.
    To reiterate the perfect quote; “JUST DO IT”
    Marvin D.

  30. Joel,
    Would love to follow your progress on this.
    Here are some suggestions from this longtime yo-yo dieter (lose 10, gain 20, lose 20, gain 30) who finally got a lifestyle that works:
    1. While exercise is great, relying on significant exercise as a lifestyle for weight loss is one of the surest ways to fail, since it’s one of the easiest things to let slide.
    *What you eat* is paramount. Don’t train with the gung-ho fitness gurus until after you’ve adjusted your eating correctly. You have to set up your lifestyle to lose weight *even if you don’t exercise*.
    2. The core problem has been identified by modern factual studies of open-minded science-minded guys (think Gary Taube, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Atkins, etc.): It’s the sugar/insulin battle in the bloodstream.
    By the way, a low-carb diet will solve that, BUT…almost no one can consistently stay on a very low (Atkins type) diet. Don’t bother trying. It creates cravings that almost guarantee failure.
    3. The core problem is solved by some variation of the following:
    a. eliminating grains, even whole grains…bread, corn meal, pasta (except Dreamfields), etc.
    b. eliminating sugar, including but not limited to table sugar, corn syrup, fructose, so-called “natural” or “raw” sugar, honey, etc.
    c. eliminating high-starch foods like white potatoes (sweet potatoes are OK), or too many legumes (starchy beans).
    This will result in a lower-than-normal carbohydrate intake, but that’s not the point. You not only don’t have to count carbs, but you can enjoy carbs from the right food groups (vegetables, some fruit).
    4. What can one eat, then? (Bread is my life!, you may say).
    You can eat delicious things that most diets say you can’t: beef, pork, chicken, almost all vegetables, Dreamfields pasta, some fruit (Mercola recommends maximum of 15-17 grams of fructose in fruit per day — that’s two or three pieces of fresh fruit — apple, banana, etc. — delicious).
    5. You DO NOT have to count calories, carbs, grams, points, or anything else! To do so is another step to failure, because we naturally gravitate away from the chore of it, plus it tends to cause us to “starve” ourselves, plus it tempts us to cheat through self-deception.
    6. These are five reasons for failure to lose or keep it off as a lifestyle:
    a. “Counting” something (carbs, calories, points, etc.)
    b. Eating grains, sugars and starches (sets up a sugar/insulin thing that causes cravings which will be given in to
    c. Starving oneself (ends up being too much to live with)
    d. Going low-fat (this is BAD science, — read Taube’s “Good Calories Bad Calories”, Mercola’s “No Grain Diet”).
    e. Relying on exercise (exercise will work — walk briskly five miles a day and you will lose weight — but only one person in 5000 will stay with it — why sabatoge yourself)
    7. Using the no-grain, no-sugar, no-starch method, you don’t have to stuff yourself all the time and still be hungry with “false” cravings for more grains/sugar/starch. You can enjoy great food, satisfy the carb cravings with vegetables and some fruit, and lose weight the way you gained it (a little at a time — think a year ahead instead of 20-30 pounds this month).
    BONUS: Experts like Taube and Mercola (and MANY other MODERN students of weight loss and health) will tell you it’s FAR more healthy — preventing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other ailments caused by the sugar/insulin syndrome.

  31. Joel,
    I would be interested in watching you make a lifestyle change. It really isn’t about losing 40 lbs. that you will gain back if you do not change your mindset. I encourage you to change the way you look at food, nutrition, exercise and stress and healing. Encourage you to read the “Maker’s Diet” by Jordan Rubin.
    Would love to see someone model a “life” makeover and be a model for so many that need to see someone living well and healthy in a culture that promotes bad diet, poor food quality, disease and reliance on a reactive pharmaceutical medical model.
    Good luck!

  32. Joel,
    Taking care of yourself is priority number one!
    I can’t imagine a better way to hold yourself accountable than to announce something like this to your list of subscribers / circle of influence.
    I know that when I went from working (being active) to being sedentary (working from home) I started to put some weight on now as well.
    I nipped that in the bud really fast and now in better shape then when I was in college (over 10 years ago).
    If you need any help / advice along the way, feel free to call on me.
    Brian

  33. Hi Joel, Stephen here,
    First of all, 180 pounds to 215 pounds, which ever the weight, is shocking, especially for a man with no regular exercise, and fluctuating your weight will not help in the long run,you now have the first step, which is you know you need to lose weight.
    Second, the computer should never be used as an excuse, if fact, people who use computers should have better fitness routines than people stuck in hourly jobs, you create your own hours, create your own health plan, no more beaten round the bush no matter how busy your are, green pieces of paper won’t help you when the ticker says’s “I’ve had enough of this crap”
    Third of all,
    You say you want to be healthy for your family and business, that alone should be enough for a new goal. Remember Joel the drive and passion you have and had when starting out in IM etc. you know it’s there, using that same mind power, telling yourself “not a chance buddy” drive yourself to set a goal with a change in lifestyle the way you did with IM, you were successful with that, no reason why you can’t, in time, change your diet, small step of fitness here and there, find that addiction us fitness freaks seek and love and incorporate it in to your life, you would be surprised how much it may benefit your business, never minding what it can do for family life.
    Joel, I’m new to IM, yes I love your emails, and they help alot, but while I’m training in IM, I’m boxing, running, swimming, working as a chef, writing poetry and plays# my passion# and making time for the girlfriend, letting life keep me healthy and not a slave to work, healthy mind and body equals a healthy smile, a little lame that sounds but I feel it.
    I say go for what ever you are thinking, but do not rush it, it’s frame of mind you want to get in to, not frame of zimmer frame. Excuse my long mail, I hope you read it, give your mind a break and think long and hard about whats most important, which I’m sure you will. Takecare, good luck, Stephen.

  34. Great idea Joel.
    I had to put my chocolate chip cookies down after reading the posts here. Presently weighing in at 20+ lbs over my healthy and wise limit, I think I should join this caravan. Everybody (big body?) that joins should become part of my new Hog Blog… Sorry getting carried away. Computers food and weight seem to go together. My kids would like to see less of me if you know what I mean. Count me in.
    Steve

  35. I don’t typically respond to your stuff, but this one deserves a reply. You’re talking about your health, and adding years to your life, so do it, but do it for yourself, not as a gimmick.
    Good luck. Get slim, stay slim!
    Wally

  38. I too have been battling the pounds since 1995 after injuring my back. In March of this year I reached an all time high on the scale. I was constantly our of breath, tired and miserable. I finally decided to get my life back. I have since lost 32 lbs. Totally changed my lifestyle, diet habits and attitude. I still have many more lbs to go before I can be considered a normal weight, but I have begun to enjoy the journey. I think your blogging about weight loss and healthy lifestyle may help and encourage other people. I would follow. It couldn’t hurt business either.

  39. Hi Joel,
    I live in Fort Collins, CO, and have been seeing some of your stuff over the last year or so. I own some of your AdSense Training also. It is great to hear that you will be taking care of yourself too! That is a BIG step!
    I do wish you luck and perseverance with your current efforts. Over the last year or so, I have been trying, most of the time, to lose weight myself. I’m 45 and keep getting injuries as I think I am over-anxious to make progress. I had a sore knee twice, and now have a problem seemingly with the connective tissue in my feet causing me to have sore heels. Is it the shoes? Too much all at once???? Too much time at the computer? I hope you will be able to get into the exercise pert of things gradually so that your progress is not hampered by stops and starts.
    I have done the Atkins diet with low carbs, iceberg lettuce and celery to fill me up, black olives (5), carrot sticks (3 small), half a tomato per day with bits of ham or bacon or egg on top to make the salad tasty. I kept the fat to modest levels using canola oil for its omega-3s. Mostly I ate normal dinners missing out the rice or potatoes and focusing on meat. I ate less as missing the carbs seemed to decrease my appetite. I ate lots of asparagus and mushrooms as my low carb veggies. It worked for about 6 weeks until I got tired of it. But, it was a great start to losing weight. That was 10 years ago.
    Since then I have tried Bill Phillips’ Body-for-Life program. You work out with weights, either upper body or lower body, every other day, on the days in-between you do cardio (with interval training, if possible) three days per week, and you get one day off per week. This program requires that you eat carbs and proteins in small portions 6 times per day, every 2 or 3 hours. It is great that you don’t feel hungry and you know when your next snack or meal is coming. You can choose starchy veggies as your carb if you like and you can add extra veggies too. Suposedely, eating often keeps the metabolism up so that you burn more calories constantly. The workouts tone different parts of the body and allow recovery time for muscle growth. Since muscles burn more calories than fat, so you win there too. You have more muscles and burn more calories while maintaining them when you are idle between workouts and sitting at your computer. (Your muscles use more energy while you are not working out than fat cells use.)
    This seems like a GREAT system to me and I followed it faithfully for six weeks about nine years ago. Other health plans don’t seem to make sense to me. The problem is to find the discipline when you are trying to work hard during the day as well! I would love to get back into this, and have been trying by starting out with treadmill time and before then by walking around my long block. But injuries happen as I got too over confident in my aging body, I think. It is not as easy to avoid injuries as when I was younger.
    One great tip for having snacks on the Body-for-Life program is to either use shakes and protein bars or parts of them as snacks, or, my favorite is to use one low-fat yogurt, as the carb, and a similar amount of cottage cheese, as the protein, and mix them together and divide into three containers. You can carry these around with you in an ice box or lunch bag and have your three snacks available all day! They are like a treat and help keep you eating the right things!
    We should all get active as preventing all those nasty diseases is far more enjoyable than experiencing them, me thinks!
    Good luck and good efforts to you!!!!! If you want to chat or brainstorm ideas I’d love to be in touch.
    Loretta Chen

  40. That’s a great idea. But, do it for you not for us.
    There are more exercise philosophies out there than there are religions, many of them either ineffective or dangerous. I know you’ll find the right one for you.
    One that’s impressed me and that worked for me (I’m back on it again) is the PACE program by Dr. Al Sears. It’s interval training. I have also had great success with an infomercial product that really works as advertised, The Total Gym. But I couldn’t get Christie Brinkly to come over and help me get started. Other than that, it worked just fine.
    Good luck with it. I know you’ll be an inspiration.
    All the best,
    Tom Justin

  41. Do you still need confirmation? 😉
    Go ahead, Joel! I’d love to follow you in reading and loosing weight, so I look forward to what you’ll have to share. Make an iPhone-app to support the quest! 😉

  43. Joel,
    If ya want some more motivation to stay on your plan use http://www.Stickk.com
    That site allows you to “goal bet” with yourself. I used it to lose over 20 pounds in a few months eating right and exercising.
    All the best.
    David
    P.S. I’ve gained and lost weight many times so I know what you’re about to go through. On Saturday I ran 14 miles so I’m doing it too.

  44. Hello Joel! I think this is a fabulous idea! I decided on making a change myself a couple of weeks ago.
    I have about 30 pounds to lose, but my goodness has it been hard to focus!! So, I’ve decided to focus on 20 pounds instead and start with that.
    I found a good video by Organic Authority on the importance of taking plant-based enzymes to help with digestion and had written a blog post on it http://texasgreensource.com/2010/09/05/how-to-lose-weight-with-plant-based-enzymes/
    Wishing you the best!!

  45. I agree with Ron Matthews that Mercola & Hyman are better than the no protein, low-fat camp — especially if you are concerned with your long term health and not artificially dropping pounds.
    Not trying to plug my credentials, but I would be willing to answer any questions you have on your journey! I’m also losing some weight after having a baby. So in a way, we’ll be doing it together, even if you don’t want my advice! 🙂
    Congratulations!!

  47. Hi Joel. This too is my story. What’s funny is that I said I was going do the exact same thing. I wish I only had 40 pounds to loose, but I have 100 pounds to loose. I decided on Sunday that I was going to do the same thing you are planning on doing. I put up a blog http://www.becomingmetv.com. I realized that I am so out of shape and my knees hurt so bad. I’ve always been chunky, but now I am FAT!!!!. I didn’t really realize just how out of shape I was until last year when I had to give a talk and just to stand for 30 minutes and talk I was out of breath. I could hear myself gasping for air wondering if my audience could hear me. But the topping on the cake came about a week ago when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and I went to the Dr. with her. The Dr. told me that obesity can now be linked to breast cancer. I realized that the signs were around me everywhere. I have been blessed that I don’t suffer from any of the diseases that are linked to obesity, but I know that if I don’t get a handle on this thing now I might not continue to have those blessings. And I really need to be there for my mom as she goes through her treatment so being healthy for me right now is so important on so many levels.
    So I think you should do this and I would really love it if you and I could take this journey together. I need someone to help keep me accountable and motivated. I’ve always admired you ever since you did the next Internet Millionaire and I met you at the Internet Summit in 2008.
    So I look forward to following you and also Becoming Me!
    Audrey

  48. HI Joel
    Why not create a blog around your weight loss programme?
    Monetize the blog in the normal way with all profits going to your charity, and then everyone will be a winner.
    Good luck, and send us a link to the new blog.
    Andrew

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