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Hi! I’m Tony Bernard, a friend of Jennifer’s since 2000 when we were both hired to teach at the same school! We’ve seen each other gain and lose weight through good times and bad. These are definitely good times! I am so excited that she asked me to be a guest blogger for ItSuxToBeFat and to share my story of gains and losses.
Let’s cut to the chase—I JUST WON THE WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION AT OUR SCHOOL! Hooray! I lost over 50 pounds in 11 weeks! (Yes, that’s the same contest that Jennifer won last year!) I am so excited! But how did this all come to pass? I’ll share my story; is it similar to yours? (The story is long—if you don’t want to read it now, just skip to the last four paragraphs!)
The Good Old Days
Once upon a time, there was a young man who was in great shape in high school and college. Really great shape. I amazed the college coaches with my 9% body fat and ripped leg muscles. I worked out in the gym several days a week, and rode my bike every morning. I (thought) I could eat anything I wanted. Life was good.
The First Stage of Disaster
So there I was at college, in the best shape of my life. I weighed 140 pounds of mostly muscle. Invincible. I had always worked off campus, but my senior year I started working many more hours a week and ended up eating fast food a couple of meals a day. At the same time, I had less time to ride and work out. I gained five pounds that year, but I could live with 145 pounds and 12% body fat. Life was still good. I was on top of the world!
The Appalling Change
I graduated college and began working 40+ hours a week at one job and 8 at another. I was living alone for the first time, and finding all kinds of creative ways to cook with cheese and butter! I always enjoyed cooking, however, with cash in my pocket and no guidelines but my taste buds, I started cooking like Julia Child on crack! The richer the food, the more I liked it (I didn’t understand that there are actually addictive ingredients in rich food). There was no more free gym like in college. There was even less time to ride my bike. And fast food 3x a day was so much more convenient than cooking, especially since I was working seven days a week. I began to gain weight. Fast. Life was not as good…
Trials and Tribulation
When I hit 175 pounds for the first time, I knew I was in trouble but didn’t know what to do about it. I tried the prepackaged meal diets, medically supervised plans, etc. You know what happened, don’t you? My weight bounced up and down like a yo-yo for two decades. But each time the bounce went up ever higher than before. In 2010, I weighed 280 pounds! Double what I weighed in the 1980’s! I was with my family on a Caribbean cruise when I realized that I could barely make it to the top of the Mayan temple that I had climbed with ease five years before. I felt like I was going to pass out. Back on the ship, I had a consultation with a nutritionist from their spa and she told me about research that really made sense to me.
Enlightenment
I have a Ph.D. — I know research can be manipulated. But this really rang true. She explained that my metabolism had basically shut down from years of ingesting toxins like those in prepackaged foods, carbonated drinks, and of course from pesticides that end up in or on our food. She said that the key to regaining my health was to detoxify my cells so that my metabolism would kick back in. 85 pounds later, I can tell you that she was right! I’ve read several books in the last year that corroborate her advice.
Effort and Remorse
So if I lost over 50 pounds in the last 11 weeks, why have I only lost 85 pounds in the last 20 months? Yo-yo, of course. Not big swings, mind you. Two steps forward, one step back. I’d lose a few pounds during my structured work week and gain most of it back on the weekend. I’d have a net loss each week, but then I’d gain a lot on vacation and be back to the drawing board. The contest changed all that. It kept me focused 24/7. It helped me to achieve a new “normal” that will keep me healthy for the rest of my life! The effort necessary to change my habits was definitely worth it!
My New Lifestyle
If it isn’t sustainable, it won’t work as a lifestyle. My new eating habits include mostly organic veggies, fruit, whole grains, and beans/legumes. I’m now mostly a vegan—not fanatical, but as a general rule I try to not eat anything that came from a creature with a face. (My family started one day a week with Meatless Mondays—we would look at the plate and wonder, “where’s the entrée?” After adding another day or two each month, vegan is our new normal.) I’ve cut out processed foods and foods with preservatives (because they preserve our body fat). Every day, I drink almost an ounce of water for every pound of my body weight. And I’ve begun to work out again!
Motivation and Willpower
By chance, I sat down at a retreat dinner next to Danny Cahill of “Biggest Loser” fame. I don’t watch much TV, so I didn’t know who he was. I said to him, “that must have taken a lot of sweat.” He agreed, and mentioned goal setting. My goal had been to lose weight. Now my goal is to get back to a healthy weight. Watching Jennifer lose over 100 pounds has been a great motivator. My goal to preempt conditions like diabetes and heart disease was another. My kids are in middle school—I want to set a good example for them and be around to see them grow well into adulthood. My kids’ TaeKwonDo teacher, Mr. Groce, was always there to motivate and encourage me. The staff members at my school seemed to always have a compliment ready when I needed a nudge. But most of all, I had to take personal responsibility, to “man-up” and exert enough willpower to make those healthy choices 24/7. I feel great! I look so much better! My success has helped me regain some of the self-confidence that had dwindled as the weight piled on. And I don’t feel guilty about the occasional slice of cheesecake.
Life is Good!
I am so thankful for the people who motivate and encourage me every day. Our friends and family can encourage us, but who has to do the work? We do. Remember, it is up to you to make it happen. Whose life is it? What quality of life do you want? So find what works for you and make it your new normal. Points? Calories? Fat? Portion size? Exercise? Organic? Vegan? We have to take personal responsibility for our life choices. I can sincerely say again, “life is good.” Is your story anything like mine?
I pray that you will find your path to good health and a happy life, because it does in fact, suck to be fat!
Tony – Before 
Tony – After Losing 80 pounds! Biggest Loser Winner Danny Cahill – Guest PostWeight Loss Competition Is OverBoosterthon Guest PostWhat Now? – Boosterthon Guest PostWeight Loss is Like Marriage 
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