Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness
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Health Bloggers Unleashed Contest Winner, and Water
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Guess what? It’s time for another fat man video blog. In this vlog I mention the Health Blogger Unleashed Contest winner and rant about drinking water. Back in April I announced the first ever Health Bloggers Unleashed Contest. There were some good submissions, not many, but the ones submitted were good.
The winner is Lisa Newton from Iowa Avenue and Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers. She wrote a great post titled “Is your Food Worth its Weight in Exercise.” It was picked up by a few sites which brought in some decent traffic. I loved it! Thanks Lisa. She is the lucky winner of a Fat Man Unleashed shirt, a free one year subscription to any magazine of her choice, a one month banner ad on FMU, and a site review. Man, I gave away a lot of stuff. I guess Lisa got lucky!
As far as drinking water, well, drink it. But don’t drink too much. Your body usually tells you when enough is enough. I normally just check the color of my urine: If it’s clear I drink less water. It also depends on whether I am having a tough exercise day. Either way just make sure you drink enough.
Enough blabbering, watch the video below.
RSS subscribers, watch the video blog here.
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Health Bloggers Unleashed Contest Winner, and Water
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Seeing is Believing with WeightView
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WeightView is a digital and personalized motivational tool that uses the power of visualization to help to achieve weight loss success! The site basically works like this: You submit your before photo, they send you back an after photo. You then use that as your motivation. Sounds pretty simple to me.
My first impression of WeightView is that it is a genuinely useful program. Looking at their results page shows many individuals that have submitted their before photos for editing. In one video interview a lady mentions how it actually helped her stay motivated, leading to weight loss. WeightView clearly states that “Seeing is Believing.” This is something that I strongly believe in. It’s the reason I have my old in-shape photos on my fridge and why I have my in-shape before pictures on my about page. I’ve actually considered PhotoShop-ing some photos.
They are clearly proud of the number of people that use their service, which is an impressive 60,000 and growing! That’s a lot of photo editing. I took the time to submit an old picture of my heavier days and am pleased to say that it only took them about 12 hours to turn around a digitally altered after photo. Here it is:
It’s supposed to be me 50 lbs lighter. It’s not ideally how I would want to look, but it’s a damn good start. To be honest, it’s uncannily close to how my real after 50 lb loss picture looks. The See Results section shows all of the folks that have tried the free service. Some are more stunning then others. I would like to see a member page where a member can add their REAL after photo. That would be cool.
Speaking of which, the site needs a more social aspect to it. With all of the press they have been getting, it would be a much stickier site if they had some form of user interaction on the site. As it stands right now a user submits their photo then leaves the site only to return when they get an email saying their photo is ready. Then they leave forever after saving the photo to their computer or printing it. There is no real reason to stay, unless you are curious how the site is evolving or want to submit another before photo.
The viral nature of the site is slightly touched upon with the tell-a-friend feature, but they need way more user/community interaction. Possibly adding a forum or some other social network type of functionality would help take the site to the next level. This would also help cover some of the costs of the site and the free nature of it. I’m not saying to charge for the service, free is good. What I am saying is that with more traffic they can turn themselves into a weight loss social network of sorts and make money from their traffic. Aside from some banners, they are relying on the online shop where you can find diets and other weight loss solutions and aesthetic products. You can find them all at the WeightView Mall.
Ultimately a website like this can only do so much, it is up to YOU to take action to lose weight. WeightView is a great motivator and could be all you need to get started losing weight and getting in shape. It’s a useful website presenting an innovative idea: the power of self-motivation through your own modified images, picturing yourself with considerably less weight.
Fake it till you make it, right? What do you think of the site? Have you heard of it or uploaded your own before photo?
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Seeing is Believing with WeightView
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It’s Not Your Fault You Regained The Weight
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I was reading this article in the Los Angeles Times.
The article tries to explain why it is so difficult for people to keep the weight off once they have lost it. In the article they discuss many reasons it is difficult to keep the pounds off including:
- The human body’s yearn to be at its fatter weight
- The physical adaptations of the human body
- Lack of exercise
- Not eating certain foods
- Metabolism
- Appetite hormones
- Signals from the internal organs
Soon they are going to blame the Hare Krishnas.
Why You Can’t Keep The Pounds Off
People can’t keep the pounds off because they are impatient and unrealistic. Most people trying to lose weight start some ultra-strict diet or exercise program. Some even chose to have weight loss surgery or get liposuction.
They lose the weight very quickly. They become content. Then they go back to living the way they were before they lost the weight. Then they are amazed that they regained all of the weight. Are you kidding me?
People can’t keep the pounds off because they expect permanent results from temporary changes.
How To Keep The Pounds Off
To lose weight and keep it off:
- Be patient
- Aim to lose ½ a pound or 1 pound a week
- Only adopt lifestyle changes that you can maintain for the rest of your LIFE
- Plan to cheat occasionally
- Expect to fail occasionally
- Get help from family and friends
- Understand that it is a lifelong battle
- Understand that you can NEVER go back to the way you used to live
Big temporary lifestyle changes lead to fast temporary weight loss. Small permanent lifestyle changes lead to slow permanent weight loss. The choice is your.
Let me get off my soap box before someone knocks me off.
I have no problem with the Hare Krishnas. Some of my best friends are Hare Krishnas. Not really, but it’s the politically correct thing to say.
Dr. Kal is a physician, weight-loss expert and ex-fat man. He is also the creator of the Don’t Go Broke Weight Loss Plan and the main contributor at Dr. Kal’s Blog.
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
It’s Not Your Fault You Regained The Weight
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Fat Man Unleashed Shirt Sighting: Ian Fernando
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A while back I mentioned that I had some Fat Man Unleashed shirts printed up. I was able to give away a few of them under the condition that they would need to take a picture with the shirt on while flexing their “guns.” I’m hoping they wear them to the gym or out to the store. This would help spread the brand that Is FMU! A few online friends have told me that they wear them to gym, so that’s cool. My brother, wife, and I wear ours all the time. Every bit of branding helps.
If you would like a Fat Man Unleashed shirt don’t hesitate to contact me. If you see anyone with a Fat Man Unleashed shirt let me know by leaving a comment or sending me an email. You can even take a picture of it and send to me (with the persons permission of course). I’m interested in knowing!!
The first person to inform me of their picture was Ian Fernando. He is an online marketer that has a blog in which he chronicles his online money making ventures. Aside from that, Ian is pretty damn cool. I met him in Las Vegas during the Affiliate Summit where we had some drinks and hung out. He is from Jersey, which is right around my home town of The Bronx, NY.
I shared some workout tips with him. He needs them! Look at his puny arms. Just kidding. He works out and is tying to cut up for the summer which shouldn’t be too hard considering he doesn’t have much body fat. I also gave him some eating tips too.
So, without further ado, here is Ian Fernando with his water pistols, errr… gun show!
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This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Fat Man Unleashed Shirt Sighting: Ian Fernando
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Two Ways You Can Make Squats Fun and Memorable
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Editor’s note: This is a guest post/workout routine from Josh Morrow who can be found at Muscle Bits, a strength training and nutrition blog.
Squats can be fun? Yeah, right, who am I kidding? Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s cut to the chase. Deep within the archives of fitness history, I’ve come across two lost but not forgotten ways you can make squats a little more interesting. Not to mention, both will absolutely kill your legs, and if you are stuck in a plateau, you’ll blast through it with these techniques. On to the good stuff, shall we?
1. One and a Half Squats. Just as the name reads, you’ll perform one and a half squats per rep. To put it simply, squat down as you normally would, but when you are on your way back up, stop midway, hold for three or four seconds, and return back to the bottom. Ascend back to the top position and congratulate yourself, you have ten more of these. Try to remember care bears and cookie monsters or you will shout every four letter curse word in the book.
Now, for safety purposes, you will need to choose a lighter weight that you can handle because this will completely cook you. Too much weight and you’ll find yourself flattened across the gym floor. Also, I highly recommend you recruit a spotter from the water fountain if you haven’t got one. You may find that this exercise is best suited as a finishing move in your leg workout. The premise behind One and a Half Squats is greater fiber recruitment. By keeping the leg muscles under constant tension, you will recruit both Fast Twitch A and Fast Twitch B fibers for greater muscle development and strength. Expect soaring testosterone levels following this exercise (for men, obviously).
2. The Twenty Repper. The Twenty Repper technique is simple. Normal, full-range squats performed at twenty reps. Twenty reps of love. The only twist you will add to this: you choose a weight that you can lift for ten reps. You will want to make sure you have a spotter though, in case you lose control of the weight. The idea here is that you (or your partner’s shouting in your ear will) push yourself beyond the limits of fatigue to put additional stress on the muscles. Similar to the phenomenon experienced with One and a Half Squats, you will recruit more fibers and surge your testosterone through the roof.
As sadistic as these two methods may seem, I can assure that you’ll leave the gym knowing you are primed for growth. You may want to plan on sitting around or at least stretching for the next few days because you are going to have one sore butt. Have fun and remember to lift responsibly!
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This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Two Ways You Can Make Squats Fun and Memorable
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Health Toons Unleashed: The Lemon Diet Works
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This cartoon is the first in the new series of Fat Man Unleashed: Health Toons Unleashed web comics/ cartoons. Every so often I will be posting new Health Toons Unleashed. These cartoons will be based on my life, news, and anything health related I can think of. There are no limits to my madness!
Why cartoons? For starters I have always been an artist at heart and have lost my artistic mojo over the years. This is just another way for me to use this site to help in my life journey. I used to love drawing and creating art work. I’ve also contributed my illustrations to my college newspapers. It was very therapeutic and self gratifying. I’m looking forward to drawing again. It may even lead into creating art with other mediums again. How I miss painting and sculpture…
Secondly, it’s fun and a welcomed relief to all the writing and vlogging.
And finally, it will fulfill a life long desire to have my own comic/cartoon published. I have some cartoon characters that I created many years ago and while I won’t be unveiling those, I hope to unleash some original characters over time. I figure that with the cool, awesome readers I have that I can at least fulfill that goal.
Are you seeing how doing things you love (or are passionate about) lead to positivity? It all started with making the blog to better my health…
The Lemon Diet Works. I won’t lie. I’m guilty of trying the Lemon Diet. Although I have yet to post my experience with it, I hope the following cartoon illustrates how a large portion of individuals view the diet.
Feel free to embed the cartoon on your site, all I ask is that you credit Fat Man Unleashed. 
This particular cartoon was created using Toonlet, the web comic creation tool. It’s a brilliant piece of online software. Although I think it’s awesome, it isn’t what I want to do and will most likely not be using it as often.
If you would like to have your health comic featured on Health Toons Unleashed, feel free to shoot me an email using the contact form.
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Health Toons Unleashed: The Lemon Diet Works
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Rising Gas Prices Can Help Your Weight Loss
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With the ever increasing gas prices (doesn’t seem like it’s going down any time soon) I figured I had better take advantage of it some how. One way that I thought of was to not use my car as much. That’s right. I have not only saved money, but gotten healthier in the process. I don’t drive to every single destination unless absolutely necessary.
“But that’s impossible Israel,” you say. WRONG! I know people that live 3 or 4 miles from a place they need to get and get there without the use of a car. I live in Florida and it’s pretty much important that you have a car here. It’s bad actually. Originating from New York City, I am used to walking and biking everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. This one time I had purchased a mountain bike and rode it all the way down to where I work. The actual distance usually took an hour on the MTA subway. Checking Google Maps reveals that the distance I rode was 12 miles each way! Not bad at all. I recall being extremely sweaty and my butt hurting from the long ride. That same approach can be used in places like Tampa or The Boondocks, Alabama (this is a fictitious location).
The point I’m trying to make is that you don’t necessarily have to be a slave to the rising gas prices. A bike at Wal-Mart, Target, or K-Mart can go for as low as $199. That’s about what some people spend on gas per month, depending on where they live. The price per gallon in my part of Tampa is at $3.74 at the time of this writing. If you can’t ride all the way to work maybe you can ride to the parking station, park the bike and ride the train or bus to work for the remainder of the distance. That’s one example. Or how about jogging to work and showering there? If you put you mind to it you can come up with some way to make a positive (health, fitness) out of a negative (high gas prices). Another example of something I did in New York was workout during my lunch break. Luckily for me there was a gym two blocks away. I know that’ not an example of taking advantage of the gas prices, but I wanted to illustrate the ability to think outside the box.
What about when you need to go to Blockbuster Video, the bank, or run some errand? Have you ever considered just walking there? For dinner the other night we walked to the restaurant. It was a 15 minute walk that not only allowed for a quick, healthy workout but brought us closer together (we spoke the whole way there). My 3 year old daughter was also along for the walk and loved it. It reminded me of all the walks I used to take in NY. Back in NY there are tons of hidden landmarks scattered throughout the five boroughs that people aren’t aware of. Over the years walking had helped me discover them. Walking to dinner that night opened my eyes up the beauty of my community and it’s surroundings. So walking not only was healthy for my body, it was healthy for my mind.
Did you know that walking, combined with healthy eating, can boost your metabolism which would help you lose weight? All it would take is 30 minutes a day 5 or 6 times a week. That can equal to quite a few pounds in the span of a year.
What are some ways you can think of making high gas prices benefit your health and weight loss?
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Rising Gas Prices Can Help Your Weight Loss
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Living XL: Shopping, with Large Fat People in Mind
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Looking for some new summer wardrobes, but don’t want to spend hours at department stores searching for your size? Then check out LivingXL.com, they offer clothes, accessories, home goods, even outdoor and travel products with the big and tall person in mind. Being a big (fat) and semi tall person, I find this site pretty useful. It’s a sister site to one of my favorite stores to shop at: Big and Tall Causal Male (now known as Casual Male XL).
Whether you’re a man or woman, LivingXL has everything you’re looking for to start your summer comfortable (and fit). They have a wide selection of clothing for you to choose from, including loungewear, pajamas, and even swimwear for those of you looking to make a splash this summer. Personally, extra large towels are hard for me to find, so I’m glad I came across the site. No more tiny towels barely covering one thigh!
LivingXL is pretty much a one-stop shop for us biggies, they not only have clothing and accessories, but personal care and health products like lotions, scales, heating pads, and back scratchers. If that’s not enough, LivingXL has a wide selection of home furnishings and bedroom accessories from specially designed comfort pillows to living room recliner chairs.
Overall, LivingXL is incredible and makes a great place to start off to a comfortable and healthy summer. If you hate shopping online, request a copy of their latest catalog and if you have a friend you think will love the store, why not get them a gift card? Don’t leave without checking their On-Sale section to see if you can scrounge up a few deals.
Their other awesome features includes an amazing online virtual catalog, a sizing and measurement guide and a FAQs section for quick answers to those common questions. Be sure to check their shipping and return policies (they ship to all 50 states, including other U.S. territories).
Happy shopping and here’s to a fit summer!
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Living XL: Shopping, with Large Fat People in Mind
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My Three Word Memoir: Be About It
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Be About It
It’s pretty simple. Be About It. Don’t talk about it. That’s my three word memoir if I had to have one right this second. So what’s the point of this? Well, Michael Kwan of Beyond the Rhetoric tagged me with his Six Word Memoir post. By tagging me he was essentially asking me to post my own six word memoir. The thing is that I didn’t need six words. All I needed was three.
The way I see it is that actions speak louder than words. Whether you are trying to get in shape or open a jar of peanut butter, actions will always trump words. I’ve learned that the hard way. Growing up in the ghetto streets of New York, I often had to take action even if I didn’t want to. Mouthing off usually led to physical confrontation. If I didn’t do what I said I was going to do, I would look like a fool, plus get my butt kicked. Lucky for me I wasn’t a trouble maker. It was often other guys that wanted to mess with me, but that changed once I got bigger.
I use the same principle of being a man of action for just about everything I do. Or at least I try. Making the decision to get in shape and, more importantly, taking action to achieve my goals requires me to “be about it.” Tons of people everyday say they will start a workout routine or a diet and end up quitting. Why? Because it’s easier to say you want to do something then to do it.
Accountability is Crucial
That could easily have been my three word memoir, but alas, I chose the prior. A simple trick I use to keep taking action is to just put things out there. Sort of like I did with this blog and my before pictures. I figured that if I put them out there for people to see that I would need to stick to the plan and get in shape so that I didn’t look like a fool when friends saw me. Accountability can be a very powerful tool when used correctly.
Starting this blog was a great way to hold myself accountable. I find that as long as I say I am going to do something, I usually do it. So in this case I am talking the talk AND walking the walk. There are times when I don’t need to say something before I do it, the fact that I know I will write about it if I do it is enough to fuel me.
Can you walk the walk? What fuels you to do things?
Passing the Memoir Torch
So now it’s time for me to “tag” some people for their very own Six Word Memoirs. I’ve decided to tag:
- John Is Fit - http://www.johnisfit.com
- JD or Mac - http://www.getfitslowly.com
- Jim - http://journalofhealthyliving.com
- Lazy Man - http://www.lazymanandhealth.com
- Weight Ladder - http://www.weightladder.com
The rules are pretty straight forward:
- Write your own six word memoir.
- Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want.
- Link to the person who tagged you in your post.
- Tag at least five more blogs.
- Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.
With that, I leave you. Peace out!
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
My Three Word Memoir: Be About It
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Health Magazines Sorta Suck: Video Blog
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It’s been a while since I posted a video blog. In this weeks version I go over the special “ad reports” that are found within health and fitness magazines. These fake articles trick you into thinking they are articles only to shove a product down your throat as you find yourself enjoying what you read. Don’t get me wrong, health magazines have value. You just need to know how to filter through and find it.
I must warn that the video quality is extremely grainy (something happened in the conversion). Enjoy!
This is a post from FatManUnleashed.com’s Weight Loss Blog:
Health Magazines Sorta Suck: Video Blog
