Extreme Makeover Season 2 (Jacqui)

Top Quotes From The Season 2

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition

This episode featured Jacqui, a 30 year old who’s starting weight was 355 pounds.

Jacqui began to put on weight at the age of 14, after she was sexually assaulted. It is not uncommon for victims of sexual abuse to gain a significant amount of weight. Sometimes it is intentional. The thought process is that ‘If I’m fat no one will find me attractive. If I’m not attractive no one will ever sexually abuse me again.”

Sometimes it is unintentional. It seems like victims of sexual assault often carry a great deal of shame or guilt. This shame and guilt often evolves into insecurity, self-doubt and a sense of unworthiness.

This is so sad. I can’t imagine how horrible it must be to be a victim of a sexual assault. These victims did absolutely nothing wrong. They are every bit as worthy of good health, confidence, self-esteem and happiness as everyone else. We have to find a way to stop this self-sabotaging emotional and behavioral action that so often follow sexual abuse!

If you or anyone that you know has been a victim please know that you are 100 percent worthy of all of the good things that life has to offer.

I am by no means qualified to offer any type of guidance for people who’ve experience this type of trauma. Please seek out a qualified professional in your area. I can help with nutrition and exercise advice. It can be a team effort!

Now for the quotes from this weeks episode

“It’ makes you feel very alone and very sub-human.”

“It’ just came out and that passion that I have for my future pushed me to something that I didn’t know that I had.”

“I forgot how strong I could be.”

“I have to prove to myself that I can do more than I ever thought possible.”

“I used my weight as and excuse not achieve all of my hopes and dreams.”

“Now I feel like I’m worthwhile and I’m strong. and I’ve done something great and that’s a healthy feeling.”

“The biggest change besides the weight  loss was changing my mind.”

“I could have lost any amount of weight, but if I didn’t chose to love myself and change my mind about how I feel about myself I would still be and empty shell of a person.”

 

Jacqui also took every task, every short-term goal and stayed focused. She never wavered from her program. Because of this she hit every goal and actually lost more weight in one year than any other female client that Chris Powell had ever worked with. She lost 207 pounds.

Way to go Jacqui…you DESERVE IT!!!

 

See you next week…

Extreme Makeover Season 2 Premier (Tony)

Top Quotes From The Season 2 Premier

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition

Because each episode of this show follows a very similar format, I’ve decided not to go through a thorough run down of each show this season. Instead I’ll mention some key moments and lessons and share them with you. Plus I’ll list the top inspirational and motivational quotes from each show. Hopefully this inspiration will help you to reach your weight loss goals.

The overall take away message that I want to share is that Tony overcame a ton of “real life” obstacles during his year.  Yet he didn’t allow any of them to derail him. He was unemployed, broke up with his fiance, ended up homeless and started a new career in Security. All of this at the age of 49.

Despite all of this he still lost 200 pounds in 12 months!

If he can have that type of success in the face of that much turmoil, certainly you can find a way to reach your weight loss goals.

The time for excuses is over!

Now for the top quotes

“Food makes me happy.”

“Food gave me pleasure, gave me joy, gave me love, I enjoy it.”

“Eating is where I got my joy and love from.”

Tony clearly was an emotional eater. He had a very deep rooted emotional relationship with food. It is very common for people who have this type of emotional connection with food to struggle with their weight. If you identify with this, you’ll need to address your own personal emotional relationship with food to be successful. You will probably struggle if you just focus on the behavioral and habitual aspects of nutrition and weight loss. If you need help with this you should find an experienced counselor in your area.

“I don’t want to die obese. I don’t, I’m scared.”

“It just seem like we’ve both been overweight for so long. It’s kind of hard to know that you’re not going to be obese anymore.”

You’ll also have to overcome any fear that you might have about a new self-identity of “an obese person” to be successful.

“Life does seem unfair at times. But I don’t think that life throws anything at you that you can handle or you can’t change if you have the will or the determination.”

“You don’t have to give up. You just need to dig deep down inside and say, ‘I’m doing to do this for myself’ and you have to love yourself”

Notice the evolution of the language that Tony used from the beginning of the year through the end of the year. This weight loss journey is all about the changes that occur on the inside. You have to change your mind to be able to change your body. Your body is just a physical manifestation of what is happening on the inside.

Start your journey…see you next week!

Harvard Study Reveals How Certain Foods Effect Weight

Last month Harvard released a study on how certain foods affect weight. There is some really important information that you need to know if you’re going to be successful in losing weight. This study confirms some of the things that I’ve believed for years, but were scientifically yet to be supported. This study also challenges many current weight loss approaches.

First of all this is a large and significant study. This study was conducted by one of the leading and most respected educational institutions in the world. The researches followed more than 120,000 men and women in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s for over 20 years. They looked at various foods and drinks, as well as exercise, sleep patterns and other lifestyle choices and the impact that each has on affecting weight gain.

This study is based on a large number of people, followed over time, and it showed that there are particular types of food that are contributing more than others to the obesity problem (and there are some that protect against weight gain).

Here are the primary culprits.

Every additional daily serving of potatoes pushed up the scale by more than a pound every four years. But the type of potato is important. French Fries added 3.35 pounds and potato chips added 1.69 pounds.  And that’s only over a four year period. Over a forty year period, say from the age of 20 to 60, that’s 33.5 pounds from french fries and 16.9 pounds from potato chips. Eat both and you’ll gain 50.4 pounds in forty years. That’s Obesity!!!

Also every extra serving of refined grains, such as white bread added .39 pounds in four years. That may not sound like much. But statistically it’s the same as eating sweets and deserts.

Conventional wisdom has been that you should eat everything in moderation and just reduce your total calories; without paying attention to what those calories are made of. We need to re-think conventional wisdom. Refined carbohydrates cause blood sugar and insulin to surge. Which makes people feel less satisfied and eat more.

A surprise from the study is that yogurt helped to keep off nearly a pound of fat over a four year period.

Those you exercised more gained nearly 2 pounds less every four years than those who exercised the least.

People who slept less than six hours or more than eight hours were more likely to gain weight.

Now this study did have some limitations. The precise “serving size” varied among foods and relied on the participants memory and honesty.

But the study is based on a large number of people followed over time, and it shows there are particular types of good and are contributing more than others to the obesity problem.

The finding adds to the growing body of evidence that getting heavier is not just a matter of “calories in, calorie out” and that the mantra “Eat less and exercise more” is far too simplistic.

All foods are not equal, and just eating in moderation is not enough. The findings help to explain why many people put on weight little by little over the years without even realizing. Just by picking the wrong combinations and portions of foods and making unhealthy lifestyle choices, you can imperceptibly pile on the pounds as the years go by. Eventually becoming overweight or even obese.

So what can you do?

1. Eliminate or severely reduce potatoes (especially french fries and potato chips)

2. Eliminate or severely reduce refined grains (especially white bread)

3. Get between 6-8 hours of sleep every night

4. Exercise almost every day (if you don’t know what to do, I’ve got programs to help and you’re already on the site)

5. Eat Yogurt (This is a tough one for me because I’m not a big advocate of dairy products)

6. Pay attention to food combinations and proper portions.

This information is so powerful and will hopefully change the way to look at fat loss for the rest of your life. I originally simply wanted to share it with you and had no intentions of promoting anything, but this information is 100% in line with what I’ve been teaching people nutritionally for the last five years. If you are confused or think making these changes will be difficult, then you should get a STAX System. It is the only nutrition program that I recommend and it follows the findings of this study to the letter.

Or you could take all of this information and do nothing. If you do that, you’ll keep gaining weight.

I hope that you found this information interesting and helpful. If you did, please leave your comments below…I love’em and I’ll reply…

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition – Finale (Krista)

The Season Finale of Extreme Makeover Weight Lose Edition

Chris Powell chose Krista a 34 year old stay at home mom, who definitely has had some bad things happen to her in her life. The most significant thing was that her daughter began to have seizures at the age of two. The doctors decided to remove the left side of Krista’s daughter’s brain. Her daughter, Gabie, seemed to recover fine, but definitely has some special needs.

Krista began putting on weight about the same time that Gabie began to experience the seizures. It was classic emotional eating. But Krista gained so much weight that she realized that she wanted to stop the cycle and lose weight. She realized that Gabie would need her to live as long a possible to help her with her needs.

Krista’s start weight was 445 pounds.  Chris set a goal to lose 100 pounds in the first 3 months of the program. If she did, she’d win a brand new car. This was a big deal because Krista and her husband only had one car to keep their expenses down. So they could afford the special care that Gabie required. Krista felt like a prisoner in her own home, because her husband had the car all day.

Chris also took her shopping for a wedding gown, so that Krista and her husband could renew their vows. She found a dress that she loved but the largest size that it came in is 18 and she is currently a size 28. Her goal for the end of the year is to fit into the dress so that she can have the wedding ceremony that she never had.

At the 3 month weigh-in Krista lost a total of 105 pounds and now weighed 340 pounds. She won the car. A Mustang!

The goal for the second 3 month phase was to lose 60 pounds.

During the second phase Krista began to have problems. She really began to struggle. She told Chris that she was worried about her finances and may need to find a part-time job. She stopped returning calls and emails for three weeks. On day 140 Chris surprised her with an unannounced visit. He showed up at 11am, and woke her up.

He confronted her and all she did was make excuses as to why she couldn’t do this. Chris kept pressing her until he found out the real reason. Krista was scared that something bad was going to happen to Gabie again and her fear was resulting in her reverting back to emotional eating again. He asked her if she wanted to talk to someone about this on a regular basis. I think this was a good call on Chris’ part. Her emotional trigger is very deep rooted and beyond the scope of a fitness and nutrition expert to deal with.

Krista seemed to respond well to this and got back on track. At the 180 day weigh-in she weighed 295 pounds and had lost 45 pounds during the second phase. Although she didn’t reach her goal both she and Chris were happy with the progress. That’s because when Chris weighed her during his surprise visit, she had actually gained weight. So it appeared that she had really turned the corner.

Her goal for the third 3-month phase was to lose 75 pounds.

Oh Yeah, she also ran a half marathon and the Disneyland resort. It wasn’t easy, but she did finish it. As I watched this part of the show I realized it was just an ad for Disneyland. Plus don’t forget that Disney owns ABC…

During the third phase Gabie began to experience seizures again. This caused Krista to struggle with staying on track, and understandable so. At the 9 month weigh-in Krista weighed 325 pounds. She had gained 30 pounds. But the good news is that Gabie’s condition stabilized and that allowed Krista to get back on the program.

There was no mention of the skin removal surgery in this episode. I don’t know if that’s because Krista never planned to have it done or if her struggles during the second and third phases of the year eliminated her as a candidate. Either way I really like the episodes where the people don’t have the surgery. I like to see them put in a full year of weight loss, or better yet, complete the weight loss process entirely before electing to have the skin removal surgery.

So with Gabie stabilized and Krista back on track the goal to get into the size 18 wedding dress was still a reality during the fourth phase of the year. At the reveal it was obvious that Krista had a good three months, and had lost a considerable amount of weight.

At the final weigh-in Krista weighed in at 265 pounds. She lost 60 pounds in the fourth phase and a total of 180 pounds for the year. She fit into her wedding dress and she and her husband renewed their vows.

I’m glad that they used this episode for the final. There are a couple of really important things that happened in this show that I think everyone can learn form and be inspired by.

The first thing is that it’s important to understand that things may come up in your life that negatively impact your weight loss goals. When they do, deal with them. Don’t let distractions become an excuse to abandon your goals. Deal with the distractions and then get back on track. Krista had some really significant and genuine distractions, yet she never gave up. Although she might have been able to lose more weight, she still lost 180 pounds in one year. If she can do it, anyone can.

Second, It was beautiful to watch the sacrifices and unconditional love both she and her husband had for Gabbie.

And third. By the end of the year Krista had found that inner confidence that always results from eating right and exercising. It can’t be denied. She was confident that she was going to keep losing until she reached her goal of 160 pounds. And you know what, I believe her.

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition is done for the year. I hope it comes back. I know that Chris Powell is genuine! I do hope that they tweak the format a little. The process of every episode was essential the same, so the last few episodes did become somewhat predicable.

Chris Powell is awesome and the eight people that he helped this season are inspirational!

Here are the quotes from this weeks episode

“The pain that you feel now is far greater than any workout.”

“Until Krista stops making excuses and stops justifying her actions she can lose all the wight in the world, but she’s not going to keep it off. It’s gonna come right back.”

“You don’t have to do shit!. I want you to want this too.”

“What you decide to do, is going to define who you are.”

“No matter what, we always finish what we start.”

“It’s about falling down and getting back up.”

“Just do more than you did before.”

Remember to leave your comments below, I love them!

Click Here To Learn More About The Nutrition Program That Chris Powell Created

or

Click Here To Sign Up For The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover

Until next season…

First Annual Update

Welcome to the First Annual State of the HQ address! This is going to be fun. About a year ago, you elected me to lead you as “Your Fitness Tutor”. Ok, not really. I decided all by myself that I wanted to drop some fitness and nutrition knowledge on you.

So, how have we gotten to this day?

About 14 months ago, I decided that I wanted to build a website/business that would allow me to reach out and help more people (way more) than I was able to as a Personal Trainer. I did a little research and decided to build a blog website using wordpress. Based on what I read, this would be easy and allow me to make updates to my site quickly. Plus, according to wordpress, I’d be blogging in about 15 minutes.

Two months later, I launched Fitness Know How Headquarters (fireworks in the background). Now, two months is a lot longer than 15 minutes (remember I’m a fitness person not a computer person). Fitness Know How Headquarters is one year old this month.

I want to thank you for being a part of my first year and trusting me as a credible source of fitness and nutrition information (on that note, DON’T BUY A SHAKE WEIGHT, THEY DON’T WORK!).

But seriously, one year ago when I launched Fitness Know How Headquarters the site had:

1. A free give-away “10 Tips to Boost Your Metabolism.”
2. One featured post.
3. My Bio/Story.
4. A bunch of promises on what the site would become.

Now in all honesty, the site will never be finished. I’ll always be adding new information.

Today, Fitness Know How Headquarters is a much different place to visit online than it was just one year ago.

Here are just some of the changes:

1. There are now 8 featured posts.
2. There are now 60 pages to the site (though many are hidden, terms conditions, etc).
3. There are now 89 blog posts (that’s a lot of fitness 411)
4. There are 12 exercises and descriptions in the photo gallery.
5. There are also 12 exercise videos in the video gallery.
6. You can “like” the Fitness Know How Headquarters fan page on Facebook
7. You can follow me on Twitter or connect on Linkedin.

In addition to those changes, I’ve also developed 7 effective and unique programs

1. My FREE give-away “31 Days To A Much Improved You”, and as you’ll see when you sign up for it, it’s “So Much Free Info, It’s Crazy!”

2. I released my first ebook, Secrets Of A Personal Trainer. This book is for everyone who has gone to the gym and is honest enough with themselves to admit that they weren’t sure of what to do. Or, people who were positive that they knew what they were doing, yet didn’t reach their goals. “Secrets” will take all of the guess work out of what you should be doing. You’ll learn how to design workouts that are specific to your goals. After you read it and apply the info, you’ll reach your goals.

3. The STAX Nutrition System. Ok, I didn’t develop or create this program. But, my friend Chris Powell did, and it works. If you want to lose weight safely and effectively, STAX is the best way to do it. STAX focuses on three basic principles; eat whole and natural foods, eat proper portions, and eat your meals frequently. If you want to lose weight, you should start STAX.

4. Fitness Know How Headquarters’ Workout Of The Month Program. Every month you’ll get a completely different workout. When you change your workouts often, your body is forced to adapt. This means that you can expect incredible results. The workouts are unique. I guarantee that you won’t come across workouts like this anywhere else. Plus, it’s only $3.99-$7.99/month.

5. John Preston’s Weight Loss Coaching Program. This is a local program for people in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. On this program, I’m your personal coach. I’ll teach you everything you’ll ever need to know to lose weight, reach your goals, and keep the weight off.

6. Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover (live). This program is also for people in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. This is a 56 day personal challenge. The goal of the program is to lose as much weight (body fat) as possible. This is a short term physical challenge where you’ll learn that you are stronger than you previously thought. You’ll amaze yourself at the things you’ll accomplish.

7. Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover (online). This program is exactly the same as the “live” version, except it’s for people who don’t live in AZ. The only difference is that you’ll work out on your own, without supervision. Because of that, the price is lower.

Wow! It’s been quite a first year. As you can see, I’m very serious and committed to helping people improve the quality and length of their lives by sharing accurate fitness and nutrition information.

And, I’m just getting started. Here a few things that you can look forward to this upcoming year.

1. I’m revamping “31 Days To A Much Improved You” into a down-loadable ebook called “31 Days To Ultimate Health”. That way, you’ll have the information available to you at all times instead of having it get lost in the clutter of your inbox. But, I’m not stopping there. I’m creating additional free bonuses as part of the “31 Days To Ultimate Health” program. So, even if you’ve already signed up for 31 Days, you’ll want to be a part of this. Stay Tuned.

2. At least 3 more featured posts are coming your way.

3. If you live outside of the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, an online version of my Weight Loss Coaching Program is being developed.

4. Later this year, I plan to launch my Fitness Seminar Program. These seminars are very low cost events. At these seminars, you’ll learn why you should do certain exercises and how to perform them properly. The seminars will cover topics like: low back pain, nutrition, hotel and travel workouts, stability ball workouts and many more.

5. Soon to follow the Fitness Seminar Program will be simulcast webinars, so no matter where you live in the world, you’ll be able to attend.

6. Plus, there are some secret programs I’m not yet ready to reveal.

It’s been a busy year, but I love it. Sharing what I know with you and helping you to live a better life is my passion. It drives me. I wake up every morning (though not super early) ready to go.

With all of the stuff out there vying for your attention, I’m honored that you trust me and that you are a part of my program. Thank you. Until next year (ok, I’ll send you some more stuff before then)…

In Good Health,

John Preston
“Your Fitness Tutor”

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition – Episode 7 (Staci)

This week Chris Powell chose Staci

Staci is a 30 year old mother of two. She also has a husband who suffered a stroke and has no sensation on the left side of his body. Because of this Staci also works full time as a mobile radiology tech. to support the family.

She has some very classic weight gain issues. She always puts the needs of everyone else before herself. This appeared to be rooted in the fact that she gained weight early and always considered herself a failure to her mother. So she gave up trying and kept putting weight on. It’s a vicious cycle of, I don’t like myself, I’ll put everyone else first, I’ll gain weight and like myself less.

Luckily for Staci, Chris Powell chose her. Her starting weight was 456 pounds and her first 3 month phase goal was to lose 100 pounds. If she did Chris would get her a nanny to help ease some of her responsibilities at home, for the second 3 month phase.

After ninety days Staci weighed 350 pounds. She lost 106 pounds. And she got the nanny.

Her second phase goal was to lose 60 pounds. With the help of the nanny she continued to do great and she lost exactly 60 pounds.

One thing that was interesting in this show compared to the previous episode was that there was finally some proof of the nutrition program that Chris Powell uses to help people to lose weight. When he moved in during the first phase he was carrying a STAX System.

And during the second phase there was a scene where Staci was preparing food and had a STAX System on the counter and all of the STAX food containers neatly stacked (pun intended), in her cabinets. So if you are interested in losing the type of weight that you’ve seen on the show. Get a STAX today!

After six month Staci went through a grueling firefighter skills and drills training program as a milestone for all of her accomplishments. Because of the heat and the extreme requirements she came up a little short of completing the fire hose carry up 6 flights of stairs. But she did regroup and completed the task without all of the gear.

Staci is a very hard worker and she’s getting the most out of this opportunity so far.

Her third phase goal was to lose and additional 60 pounds. If she did she’d be a candidate for skin removal surgery. Without Chris and the nanny in the house, Staci struggled with all of the responsibilities of work, family, exercise and nutrition. During the third phase she actually gained 4 pounds. She wouldn’t be able to have the skin removal surgery.

But she did have a personal weight loss goal to lose 200 pounds during the year. She refocuses and at the final weigh-in weighed 255 pounds. She lost a total of 201 pounds in 1 year without having skin removal surgery.

At the end of the show Chris really challenged viewers of the show to come up with excuses why they can’t lose weight. He basically said that if Staci can do it, than anyone can. Everything was working against her having success. Yet she changed her priorities and made the conscious decision to change. And Change occurred.

Awesome work Staci, you deserve it!

Now for the quotes from the show

“I can do it and I will do it”

“I didn’t take care of myself, I put everyone else first”

“Are you ready to start living again? Are you ready to do it fo9r yourself and not anyone else?”

“I’m ready to hear it, because I’m ready to change it.”

“I didn’t quit, I didn’t stop, I kept going and i proved it to myself that once I start something I can finish it. No matter what.”

“She has to learn how to live this lifestyle without any special assistance.”

“I want it really bad.”

“You have to love yourself.”

Remember to leave your comments below, I love them!

Click Here To Learn More About The Nutrition Program That Chris Powell Created

or

Click Here To Sign Up For The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover

See you next week…

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition – Episode 6 (Wally)

OK This episode was much different than the rest!

After watching the previous 5 shows, a definite pattern was starting to develop. The shows were beginning to get very predicable. I’m glad that this weeks show was different, and there is a ton that we can learn from it.

This week Chris Powell chose to help Wally a 26 year old with a wife and a young daughter. Early in the show it became clear that Wally had something more serious going on. He obesity wasn’t the result of simply having poor habits. Wally is a food addict.

His Starting weight was 490lbs.

His 3 month goal was to lose 110 pounds. Remember that during the first three months Chris spends considerably more time with the people he is helping (read comments from the previous episodes post on whether or not he actually lives with them for 3 months). Anyway with Chris’s guidance Wally lost 110 pounds exactly and won a trip to Disney World with his family (although more subtle than The Biggest Loser, this still was an ad for Disney).

His goal for the second 3 month phase was to lose 70lbs.

Chris met Wally and his family at Disney World for the six month weigh-in. It was obvious that Wally hadn’t lost very much weight. Turns out that he only lost 21 additional pounds. He admitted to Chris that he had been cheating. This didn’t go over very well because all along Wally had been telling Chris that he’d been right on track.

Chris clearly was angry and he called Wally out, yelled at him a lot. He was doing the “tough love” trainer thing. Which probably seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But as you’ll see it probably wasn’t.

Then Chris made a decision that I disagree with. Even though Wally had not been fully engaged in the process, Chris still decided to go ahead with their plans to go on a 100 mile bike ride. I get what Chris was trying to accomplish. He wanted to show Wally that he was capable of doing more than he though he could. And that makes some sense, sometimes you have to push yourself and get uncomfortable to realize how strong you really are.

But this ride appeared to be in the Orlando Fl. area, and they kept talking about the heat. OK I get it, it get’s really hot in Orlando. But Chris kept saying that it was 112 degrees. Maybe he was talking about the heat index, because it doesn’t get that hot in Orlando ever! Anyway I think it was a mistake to have a 359 pound person, who hasn’t been training for long distance cycling and isn’t fully engaged in the weight loss journey for a 100 mile bike ride on a hot day in Florida!

And it didn’t turn out well. Wally didn’t finish. He had symptoms of heat exhaustion for sure. Luckily they didn’t force him to continue and the medical staff took care of him.

Chris made some great comments at this point in the show. He basically said that Wally was either going to react to this struggle on the bike by stepping up and re-committing to the program, or he would shut it down and struggle.

Turns out he struggled.

Wally was making videos and he kept talking about how difficult things were. He struggled with the temptations of fast food, doing the workouts. When he cheated he kept punishing himself my eating more food. During the 8th month of the program he stopped responding to emails and phone calls from Chris.

Just before the 9 month weigh-in he sent Chris a letter and explained that he was a failure, that he hated himself.

Chris got on a plane and flew to Chicago to intervene. When he got there he met Wally’s wife, pulled her aside and showed her the letter. He asked for her support. When Wally returned (supposedly from a workout, but really from a fast food restaurant), Chris confronted him.

Wally admitted that he wasn’t following the program and that he’d been eating fast food almost everyday. He said he was depressed and had been suicidal for the past month. I think I knew at this point what Chris was going to do but I wasn’t sure.

They weighed Wally and he had gained back 60 pounds!

Chris admitted that he couldn’t help Wally. That his program will only work if Wally want to help himself. He knew that Wally was a food addict and needed help beyond Chris’s expertise. There is a program in Chicago (and probably most mid to large cities), that helps people with food addictions. Chris asked if Wally wanted to go there for help.

Wally agreed and Chris took him.

There is so much to learn from this show.

1. Nutrition plans and exercise programs only help people who are willing and/or capable of  helping themselves.

2. No matter how much someone might know and how much expertise one has, there is always a chance that the help someone needs is beyond your scope.

3. Not everyone is going to be successful when attempting to lose weight.

4. Chris Powell made the right call, Wally needed help in ways that Chris couldn’t provide and he made an appropriate referral.

 

Admitting some of those things are very difficult for me. When I wake up every morning I believe that the combination of my education, experience and the programs that I’ve developed are enough to help everyone accomplish any goal that they may have.

But the truth is they aren’t enough. Not for everyone! I can’t help everyone. I can only help people who are ready to receive the information that I share and have a willingness to help themselves. I’m humbled by this realization.

So I’ll help those who are ready and hope those who aren’t will look me up when they are.

Chris Powell is an awesome guy. He made an incredible decision after only 9 months with Wally. And it was the right decision.

I hope that Wally has found the help he needs.

Here are to quotes from this (These aren’t quite as uplifting as previous episodes, but they are powerful)

“If you can get your mind right, at least there is hope (that you will reach your weight loss goals).”

“Fast food has become the opiate for the masses.”

“I can’t help you. I can give you all the tools in the world but Wally only you can help yourself.”

“Whatever emotions I have I find an excuse to eat. And I have to change that.”

“Life got too complicated and I just when back to old habits.”

“Ultimately fast food is a lifestyle that Wally has to choose to give up.”

“Obesity is a terminal illness, it’ll kill you.”

 

Remeber to leave your comments below, I love them!

See you next week…

Click Here To Learn More About The Nutrition Program That Chris Powell Created

or

Click Here To Sign Up For The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition – Episode 5

This Week Chris Powell worked with LaRhonda

LaRhonda is a 24 year old whose starting weight was 433lbs. This show followed the same format as the previous 4 episodes.

  • Chris Powell surprises the person
  • They go to a week of boot camp
  • Chris moves in with them for the first 3 months
  • Goals are broken down into 3 month segments
  • There is a reveal and a final weigh-in

Here’s what made this show unique and interesting. LaRhonda had a very fun and dynamic personality. You could tell as the show progressed that she and Chris really liked each other. They had great repoire. LaRhonda began to put on weight at the age of 8. She did this because she was molested. And as Chris said it was the only thing she knew how to do to protect herself and prevent it from happening again.

LaRhonda also lost her mother at a young age (48 years old), due to a heart attack that was the result of complications of diabetes. She was concerned that she was at risk also. She has been saving her mother’s unused insulin needles, because they remind her of her mother. Chris eventually got her to get rid of the needles. He didn’t want her to define/remember her mother as a diabetic.

Her First Phase goal was to lose 100lbs. At the 3 month weigh-in she weighed 333lbs., she lost exactly 100lbs. That was incredible. Her prize for reaching her goal was a new car! She got a Toyota FJ!!!

OK, what’s up with that? Remember last week. James prize for hitting his goal was a bike. If I’m James, I’m calling up ABC and calling a major prize foul on that one!!!

Her Second Phase goal was to lose 60lbs. When she showed up for the weigh-in it was obvious that she had lost a lot of weight. But Chris was concerned because he had been watching her on the monitor and saw that she was cheating a little on the nutrition and exercise. At the Six Month Weigh-in she weighed 273lbs. Again she reached her goal of 60lbs on the dot. I don’t know how she does it, but LaRhonda has a knack for reaching goals.

There was an interesting lesson to be learned from her cheating. She said that she needed to learn how to eat a few chips and dip then stop. Her old behavior was to eat a few then beat herself up, get depressed and finish the whole bag. Lesson learned people, follow LaRhonda’s example. If you stray from your plan, stop and get back on it. There is no reason to punish yourself.

Her Third Phase goal was to lose enough weight to be at about 50% of her start weight. If she did that she’d be a candidate for the skin removal surgery. At the Nine Month Weigh-in she weighed 237lbs. and had lost 45.27% of her total weight. She was eligible for the surgery.

At the reveal she looked great. Her final weight was 231lbs. She lost a total of 202lbs. in one year. I liked the way that LaRhonda pushed herself during the year. She was the first person on the show to lose a significant amount of weight during each phase of the first 9 month. It didn’t matter if Chris was there or not, she stayed on track the first three months.

Even though she lost a total of 202lbs. Her last 3 months weren’t that impressive. She only lost 6lbs. The skin removal surgery took off more than that, so in actuality she probably gained some weight during the last quarter. But she did say one thing that was revealing. “It was hard to lose weight when you’re layed up for so long after the surgery.” I think that skin removal surgery if very hard on people and it’s a long recovery.

It’s too bad in LaRhonda’s case that she couldn’t have gone the entire 12 months losing weight and then have surgery. I think she could have lost another 30lbs., then had at least another 30lbs. of skin removed and weighed-in around 170lbs. I know that the 1 year time frame is a cleaner more “made for TV” time period. And they have to do the surgery 3 months before the end of the show so that the reveal is more dramatic.

Either way it was an amazing transformation. Congrats LaRhonda and as usual Chris Powell did an amazing job!

Now for the quotes of the show:

“This is all for you.”

“Why am I allowing myself to be this big?”

“Are you ready to start loving yourself?”

“I’ve been exhausted for 16 years. I’m over it.”

“Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

“Losing 100lbs. in 90 days is a lot of weight. The best thing about it, is that it’s completely doable.”

“Trust yourself and just go.”

“Take it meal by meal, it’s a lifestyle now.”

“I didn’t know what I was missing. If I had known what I was missing, I would have done it a long time ago.”

“I’m not destination happy, I’m journey happy”

Another Great Show!

Remeber to leave your comments below, I love them!

Click Here To Learn More About The Nutrition Program That Chris Powell Created

or

Click Here To Sign Up For The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover

 

 

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition – Episode 4

Chris Powell set a new record for total weight loss in a year!

This episode featured James, a 26 year old. James is a former football player and power lifter from Ft. Worth Tx. He began gaining weight in high school after a football injury. He seemed to be a promising player. I’m not sure if the injury was career ending, but the weight gain sure was. He believed that he weighed as much as 700lbs. He had already begun losing weight on his own.

His starting weight with Chris was 651 pounds.

The show followed the same model as the previous three episode

  • Chris surprises the person
  • They go to LA to a health and longevity institute
  • They weigh in on a loading dock scale
  • There is a week of boot camp
  • Chris trains them really hard to see if they are ready
  • Chris moves in with them for the first three months
  • They are given 3 or 4 three month goals
  • There is a reveal at the end

 

James was a little different than the previous three people on the show. His football and power lifting personality came through in that he was combative, confrontational but very determined. I think there were some moments that Chris might have been a little afraid of him..

His Phase 1 Goal was to lose 150 pounds. That is crazy. That is 50 pounds a month… If he lost the weight Chris would give him a bike that can support up to 500lbs. Again I really like this reward, it has nothing to do with food!

During the first 3 months James lost 154lbs. That is awesome. He got the bike.

The Phase 2 goal was to lose 80lbs. During the second three months James ended up with pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism. He spent a week in the hospital. His attitude was that he wasn’t going to focus on his weight loss until he was fully recovered. He didn’t focus on it and it showed. He only lost 11lbs. during the second phase.

Chris had set up a football scrimmage with some “pros”. I don’t know if there were or not but they definitely were real athletes. Both Michael Irvin and Nate Newton (former Cowboy’s) were there to drill James. Man did they, but James responded and earned their respect. I found it interesting that Nate Newton was there. He was huge when he played football. Apparently he has lost over 100 pounds since his playing days. It was a great example for James to see.

Then I think that Chris Powell made the decision of the year! He allowed James to set his own goal for the third phase. It was a great decision because as Chris said to James, “I think you like to do things your way.” Allowing James to take control of his journey and the inspiration that came from the football scrimmage seemed to make all the difference.

At the 9 month weigh in James lost another 92lbs.

Because of James’ weight and a hernia that will need to be operated on, he wasn’t a candidate for skin removal surgery.

At the reveal James weighed in at 338lbs. He had lost a total of 313 pounds in 12 months. That is incredible.

At the end of the show they mentioned that he had moved to Austin to start a new life and he was still trying to get below 300lbs so he could have the hernia surgery.

Awesome transformation!

Here are the quotes from the show.

“Go back to the happiest moment of your life. Remember how you felt, and start your journey there.”

“How’s it fell to be alive?”

“Your new environment must be conducive to your weight loss.”

“Understand how powerful and extraordinary you really are.”

“This is your journey and your journey alone.”

“One day you run out of excuses and when that day comes, that’s when your life starts to change.”

Another Great Show!

Remeber to leave your comments below, I love them!

Click Here To Learn More About The Nutrition Program That Chris Powell Created

or

Click Here To Sign Up For The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover

 

See you next week…

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition – Episode 3

I liked this episode the best so far!

That’s because this week’s show was more about what was happening on the inside. Until you address what is going on inside of you, you will struggle with what is happening to your body. The physical condition of your body is just a side effect of what is going on inside. Get your mind right and the body will follow.

This week we were introduced to Dana, a single 44 year old gospel singer. Oh yeah, the other thing that was good about this show was that Dana had a more interesting and dynamic personality than the people on the first two shows.

The show followed the same format so I won’t get into too many details. Dana’s starting weight was 498lbs. The first phase (three month goal) was to lose 110lbs. OK, that’s a lot of weight to lose in three months!

But remember Chris Powell lives with these people during the first phase. So that’s usually when they lose the most weight. Chris seemed very aware that Dana was not letting go of the real reasons for his weight gain. He knew that Dana didn’t like himself. Chris kept trying to get to the root cause of Dana’s weight. Chris is smart, he knows that Dana won’t have a breakthrough until he addresses the true reasons that he gained weight in the first place.

While Chris was living with Dana, he found some junk food in the refrigerator. He called Dana out and challenged him for the reasons that he was continuing to sabotage himself. This led to a search of Dana’s car and the trash (this felt a little like scripted tv). But eventually Chris got to the truth. Dana had been sexually abused as a child.

I will say this. I saw this coming from very early on in the show. I knew it was coming at the initial weigh in when Chris said to Dana, “I’m looking at someone who doesn’t like himself” (ok that a paraphrase more than a quote). It is not uncommon for people who’ve been sexually abused as a child to use food and the obesity that results from it to protect themselves from more abuse. I know both Chris and David Smith (Chris’ first amazing transformation), and David had a similar experience (he spoke of it on TV so I’m not revealing anything).

But it’s important to note that sexual abuse is by no means the only reason that people are obese.

At the first weigh in Dana lost 111lbs. He met his goal and won a private vocal coach. Chris set his second phase goal to lose 70 pounds. But Dana struggled and only lost 29lbs.

For Dana to be a candidate of skin removal surgery Dana would have to lose 108lbs. during the third phase.  When he came back to LA to weigh-in he got to sing in a concert with his brother. I will say that all the weight loss, exercise and vocal training did make a huge difference. He was singing much better than he did at the beginning of the show. See how every aspect of your life improves when you lose weight?

At the third phase weigh in Dana lost 48lbs. He wouldn’t be a candidate for surgery.

After the weigh in it was obvious that Dana was still struggling with something and that was why he wasn’t reaching his weight loss goals. He pulled Chris outside and told Chris that he was gay. Chris congratulated him and thanked him for his honesty. He knew that was the breakthrough that was necessary for Dana to continue his successful weight loss journey.

Commentary – Isn’t it a shame that we live in a world/country that someone can be so ashamed of who they are that they eat enough food to weigh 498lbs.? Come on people, really, let’s treat everyone better than that.

Ok, back to the show. I will say that Dana’s enthusiasm, dedication and general outlook seemed a lot better during the final three months. This show was a little different because in the first two, both people had the skin removal surgery. Once they had the surgery we didn’t see them again until the reveal. I’d guess because they were recovering from surgery. But in this show Dana still was working out.

At the final weigh in he weighed 295lbs. He lost a total of 203lbs. That’s incredible for one year. Especially when you consider he didn’t have the skin removal surgery which could account for 40-80lbs.

Great Work Dana, Another Amazing Transformation

Here are the best quotes from this week’s show

“Change has got to come my way, or it’s over.”

“If you can’t control your weight, you can’t control your life.”

“Your journey is learning to love yourself.”

“This has everything to do with your journey, with your health and your happiness.”

“Every time you reach for food for your comfort, you’re reliving and you keep punishing yourself for something that was never your fault.”

“When you figure out what it is that’s driving you, it’ll be a life long transformation, because it’s the answer th that question that is the solution.”

 

Another Great Show!

Remeber to leave your comments below, I love them!

Click Here To Learn More About The Nutrition Program That Chris Powell Created

or

Click Here To Sign Up For The Fat 2 Fit 56 Day Makeover

 

See you next week…

 

 

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