My blog post last week was about Drew Carey's 80 pound weight loss. I revealed his fatal flaw to lasting results. Nonetheless, he's doing a lot right.
But this week John Goodman has lost a reported 100 pounds! And he has done it the RIGHT way.
Let's talk about how he did it.
His Turning Point
"It's been constant. It's always been in the back of my mind. It just ate at me the whole time. That may be part of the reason I shoved food in my mouth so much. That satisfaction."
When John got a role in Santa Clause he said enough was enough. But he finally wised up and didn't set the ever-futile New Year's resolution. He hired a trainer and got on a program.
Whether you have a specific turning point or not, you MUST decide enough is enough.
His Nutrition
"I had to clear out my own house first. It was built on a bad foundation."
"...But also fresh vegetables, lean protein... I'm not a real hard-on about keeping strict calorie counts. I know what's in my wheelhouse, what I can eat and what I can't. And I'm satisfied eating it. I cannot tolerate sugar. I crossed over to the diabetic side, but I can't tolerate it anyway because it creates hunger."
Spot on John. First fix the foundation. Get rid of the crap. Now he's getting protein and cutting the sugar. Very important. And if you notice his nutrition is supportive to his exercise.
His Alcohol
"Alcohol is alcohol. I'm an alcoholic. I would drink no matter what. That's just part of being an alcoholic."
"...and the big key was drinking."
Goodman has cut out alcohol completely. The problem with alcohol is not the calories or how many carbs are in your beer. That's marketing hype.
Alcohol inhibits your metabolism. And your metabolism is your body's process for burning the fat. If you want to lose weight and get in shape, cut out the alcohol.
His Identity
This is very important and I probably don't give it as much attention as I should. I've talked to men and women over the years that feel as if their weight helps identify themselves. If your weight helps identify you, i.e. being the 'big cuddly bear' or defines you in any way, then YOU WILL NOT LOSE WEIGHT.
I'm not being a cold s.o.b. here. I'm being honest. How you define yourself will dictate how you think, act and live your life. I identify myself as being a healthy guy. Will I always be healthy? Yeah, I probably will. I may eat a donut from time to time, but I won't let myself become grossly unhealthy. Because that's not how I define myself.
So if you identify yourself with being 'the big guy' or in some other way with your weight; you won't lose it. You might lose some for a period of time, but you WILL gain it back.
So... on weight being apart of his persona and being worried about losing his weight and having people perceive him differently in the acting realm...
"Hey, that's too bad. I'll scream and cry when I'm in the unemployment line, but that's really secondary. I am what I am. I can act at different weights. It's a miracle I was hired at all for a lot of these jobs."
Don't let ANYONE tell you who you are and what you can or can't do. Ever!
His Exercise
All cardio John?
"This time we mixed in strength training with resistance bands. They're great for me because I can contract and release slower, and that builds up better muscle for me."
"I was doing a job in New Orleans twice a week called Treme. I was only working a couple days a week. I wanted to treat this other thing (exercise) like a job--to get healthy."
This speaks to how much he's exercising. I wish more people took their health and fitness as serious as John has.
His Effort
Does he like it?
"I do. I'm still a sucker for highs, and I get those endorphins. It's just a feeling of well-being. I'm where I'm supposed to be. I'm doing what I should be doing. I feel good. I'm hopefully extending my life. Before, I didn't care."
Being fit, firm and strong; able to handle stress or any situation that comes your way; not just looking good, but feeling good... that's when you have it all. That's when life is at it's best!
But I can't adequately describe to you what being fit feels like. That feeling must be experienced.
There are a TON of lessons to be taken from John's weight loss journey. I hope you pick them all up. Of course the 80/20 rule will apply to these lessons.
Many will read this and say, "Well, he's a Hollywood actor, with money, and time, and blah, blah, blah." And those people won't do a thing. They'll stay the same. Stagnant. Inactive. Unchanged.
The other camp will take this as another success story (yes, I have given you others) to model and motivate and make a change in their life. What you do is your decision. But I hope you decide wisely.
To your weight loss success,
Tim Chudy
P.S. You can read his Men's Health interview here.
P.P.S. If you would like more information how we can help you with your own personal health and fitness, request a consultation here.
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