My goals. I don’t deal with the scale because I am an endomorph and even when I am “small” I could weigh a lot so I go by the fit of my clothes. Unfortunately, I gain in the thighs ,butt, and if a guy can have them hip area then my stomach(can’t honestly at this point call mine abs!!!!) I will go back and read the detox section of EODD book because of cause being an extremist A type personality, I went directly for the Extreme plan. I will read though it this morning. Detox scares me though because when I hear that I think of limited intake and lots of fiber. Unfair impression so I need to read the section as well as your detox posts.
Allen

I have been lurking around on your website for about a month now, and I listened to your interview with Amazing Abs Formula, and I have to say that I am feeling INSPIRED.

I used to be very athletic and fit, but during the extreme stress of college I gained not 15, but over 30 lbs, and, moreover, all my muscle turned to fat, so it looks like I’ve gained even more. In the five months since graduating, I’ve changed my eating and exercise habits, and I already managed to lose 15lbs – a difference friends do notice – and I dropped to 30% body fat, which is “acceptable”. But in the past 2 weeks, I’ve gained back 5 and gone back up to 33% – which means I am “obese”. The major change I want isn’t just going to “happen” by itself – I need to go for it. It’s time to really take action.

Why? Because

- I want to look GREAT. Not just good, but fantastic. I want heads to turn as I walk down the street. I want to be able to go to trendy clothing stores and try on all the fashionable clothes and feel great in them (even if I can’t afford them!).
- I want my family and friends to say, “Wow! You look so healthy!” I want to talk about the canoeing and hiking trips we used to take, and know that am I fit enough to still do them today (and look good in the new pictures).
- I want to BE healthier, walking uphill to work without breaking a sweat, and passing the slow people who go jogging in the park. When I get warm, I want to feel confident taking off my warm-up jacket because I look great.
- When people see me jogging and sprinting in the park, I want them to think “Wow! She’s FAST and FIT!” and them come and ask ME for workout advice.
- My boyfriend is an athlete (and extremely supportive and thinks I am great as I am), and he always wants us to go running together. We haven’t yet, because I feel ashamed of my speed, endurance, and the way my whole body jiggles. I want to be proud to go running with him. When we go “hiking” on his jogging routes, I want to instead be able to jog with him! I love his athletic lifestyle, and I want to be able to participate more in it!
- In a few years, I plan on being a mother. I want to be fit, to give my children the healthiest possible start to life. And then I want to keep it up, to set a good example and have the energy to be a great mom.
- Though some people deny it, looking good is important for being successful in the workplace – and I plan on being super-successful! I need to look and feel great and confident so that I can excel, ask for and get the promotions I deserve – not to mention have the energy to work hard and make myself deserving.
- I’m still young, so it’s important to be healthy NOW so that I can stay healthy for the rest of my life! I’m doing all sorts of things to prepare for the future (graduated college, saving money), so why should my health be left out? My health should be my #1 – or I won’t make it to that “future”. I am going to make staying fit a top priority again.

Those are my reasons. I am taking your advice and making concrete goals with deadlines. Not only that, but I am going to take your challenge and make my goals public. Today, on the 21st of November, 2007. The goals I set out may be challenging, but I want to PUSH myself and really make this happen. I admit I don’t know much about how fast body fat percentage can change, but I don’t want to be “acceptable” – I want to be “fit”! I don’t need to be “skinny” or “ripped,” but I do need to be healthy (and toned)!

I am going to take a picture of myself today. In one month, when I go home to visit my family and friends for the Holidays (some of whom I haven’t seen in a year), I want to astound them with the progress I’ve made. I’ll take another picture then. In another month, when I leave for a beach holiday, I’ll be taking a picture of a body I am absolutely proud to strut across the sand.

How do I look?

You can see the muscles that make up my abs (washboards aren’t in my gene pool, nor do I want them). I can feel my hipbones. When I wear tight jeans – which look great – they to stretch from hipbone to hipbone over my lower abs – no pooch! My collarbone is visible again, a beautiful arc between my toned arms with no jiggle. My shoulder blades jut out, and when I move you can see my back muscles ripple.

Here are my deadlines:

21 November 2007:
Weight: 145
Body fat: 33%

21 December 2007:
Weight: 135
Body fat: 28%

21 January 2008:
Weight: 130
Body fat: 23%

Scott, thank you for giving me this chance to be accountable. I hope to keep you (and Angie and everyone) updated on my progress!

My goals. I don’t deal with the scale because I am an endomorph and even when I am “small” I could weigh a lot so I go by the fit of my clothes. Unfortunately, I gain in the thighs ,butt, and if a guy can have them hip area then my stomach(can’t honestly at this point call mine abs!!!!) I will go back and read the detox section of EODD book because of cause being an extremist A type personality, I went directly for the Extreme plan. I will read though it this morning. Detox scares me though because when I hear that I think of limited intake and lots of fiber. Unfair impression so I need to read the section as well as your detox posts.

Allen

Looking lean is definately part of it – so vanity… I love being able to see my abs, my hips. I love looking good, feeling sexy (as does my husband who also works out) our relationship is much better when we are both feeling sexy/healthy. The mental/psychological aspects of being/feeling fit and sexy can’t be underestimated. Being connected to someone like that is also part of the happier whole to life, the world just seems a brighter, happier place when you feel great within yourself. Also to start the day with a workout, just sets me up in a happy place for the rest of the day, I feel like I’ve achieved before I’ve even walked out the door.

I am also driven by the feeling of being fit, healthy and powerful. Being able to take a turn at the front of the bunch group ride, being in that ‘zone’ whilst running at a fast pace, being able to lift another 10kg, being able to execute a powerful side kick – all just feels SWEET. My body in action, capable, strong – I’m driven to see what I can do, what I can accomplish next and with each new thing I do I realise that what I can achieve is limitless. I am unstoppable!

Eating healthy food makes me feel great, if I eat processed, sugary type foods I feel sluggish and bloated and well.. like crap. So I’m motivated to eat vegetables, protein (lean chicken, tuna etc), fruit, nuts, seeds, pulses, healthy fats – because these foods energise me. I need to eat every three hours, to feed my body correctly so I can perform optimally. I don’t feel like I’m missing out by not eating chocolates or chips or unhealthy foods anymore – these foods make me feel sick. They don’t make me feel strong and alive and energised – food is a very big part of the driving force that keeps me driven – without eating correctly I wouldn’t have the energy to have a driving force.

Setting a good example for my children is also a driving force – I see so many overweight and unhealthy kids at school – I think how much harder it must be for them having to carry that extra weight around. I ride with our boys to school, it takes about 30 minutes so quite easy to allow that much time and is good exercise for them, getting them out in the fresh air, one of the unexpected benefits is that during that time we slow down, we enjoy the scenery and we can talk, we can connect. The boys also do TaeKwonDo with us and we connect through that as a family. We laugh together, we do sparing together – we have fun. We do weekend rides together, go mountain biking together, ride the railtrails together, do bushwalks, have picnics/BBQ’s afterwards – we connect as a family. This is a major driving force for me – it’s important to me that we are close as a family, that we do things together.

These are the things that drive me/us to lead the lifestyle I/we lead.