What's with all this Keto mania, and why i'm blogging about it.

     So it's been a very long time since I really took a serious look at blogging again. Through personal struggle, personal failure, and just plain life throwing a wrench in whatever it is you want to accomplish. I keep on asking myself the same question over and over again: why try to join the seemingly millions of voices in the online health community. Keto has spread like wildfire, everyone's talking about it. I thought to myself, what could I possibly offer that would make my voice unique, or what could I possibly say that all the experts are saying. The amount of advice is staggering and almost unwieldy at times.
     The ketogenic diet has been around for quite some time, often called a Low carb, high fat (LCHF) diet, Nutritional ketosis, or whatever variation you choose. So why in the last few years has it caught on like wildfire? The short answer is, when its done correctly, it works. I can say from my personal experience that it has changed my life, literally. The long answer of how it works is something ill have to save for a time when I'm not at work and staring at the clock at 5:23 am.

     So getting back to why am I trying to do this whole blogging thing again. To be honest, from an expert in failing miserably in my old diet plans, from somebody who was almost 450 lbs exercising 5 days a week, tracking my calories, getting my daily recommended macro intake, intermittent fasted, tried liquid diets, went vegetarian for a few months... basically you name it I tried it, to very very minimal results. When I was practically killing myself hitting up an elliptical for an hour daily, seeing a change in my waist line nowhere in sight, I thought I was defective. I convinced myself that I was broken. To answer whatever questions might be forming in your head. No, I'm not a diabetic, no, I don't have thyroid problems, and I'm definitely not lazy. But what I am most certainly am fat (for now).
Something just wasn't right, it didn't add up that I was hitting point A, B, and C, and not losing a significant amount of weight, not even close.

     I caught wind of this ketogenic diet thing for the better part of 6 months, and I was telling myself "there's no way that works". Scoffing at the idea and not really doing any research, mockingly saying "oh great, the next fad diet is so friggin stupid, they have people eating fat to lose weight". I mean, what... every dietitian and health expert is wrong about how we lose weight? seriously, How the hell is eating MORE FAT supposed to help a fat guy lose weight. Seems to go against everything we've been taught in our natural born lives right? I'm sure you either felt that way at one point or still do now.

     I can tell you with confidence, that yes... They are wrong. Dead wrong even, to certain people. Dead wrong for someone like who subscribed to their way of nutrition. I mean I only went over by a few hundred calories on my food tracking app, which I purposely underestimated to account for such a time when I want to eat a tiny bit more... And boom 2 more lbs on the scale.

Ever since I tried keto, I've pretty much been telling people that I'm melting. 50lbs down without even trying. I feel better then I have in a long time. Simply put, it works. I'm going to end this little rant now but I just wanted to throw my story in the pool of success stories, and hope we can all continue to spread the word on the amazing benefits the keto diet has to offer

Week 5, 15lbs down!

Just an update of my progress so far. Down 15 pounds, and it shows that small changes made a big impact on my weight loss! Similar small changes can help you too! 

Big Guy Tips

My life at 440 pounds, and what motivated me to change.

Anyone who checked out my blog would know that i'm a bigger guy, I figured for accountability purposes I'd put an actual number on my progress. It took me a long time to take changing my life seriously. It took countless hospital visits, scares, and rather recently, looking at death right in the face quite literally. This is a precautionary tale ladies and gentleman. Its never too late to make a change.

Lets go back 5 years ago, I was in a very different place mentally. I seen my waist line grow but I kept telling myself "its not that bad, I will start going to the gym again soon". Because like many people, I had a gym membership, I just didn't use it. I would go for 2 months, not see results, get discouraged and stop for 6 months. All the while falling into an endless loop of guilt, emotional eating, then more guilt, and more emotional eating.
It took me going to the doctors and getting weighed, and seeing the scale, a whopping 440 pounds, until I knew something had to give. Not only that, my blood pressure was dangerously high. It was a battle between my life, and my addiction to food. Lets get this strait: food is a drug. Like any drug, eventually it gets to a point where you cant control it. That conversation is in another post.

My battle with food saw some victories and failures. After a few years, I managed to finally get under the 400 pound mark, but just barely. It stayed on that number until recently, after my last major health scare, one that almost killed me.

After my aortic dissection, heart surgery.

Back in May, I went to the hospital for "heart burn", or so I thought. What actually happened was my aorta was on the verge of rupturing. The doctors caught it just in time. Flew me to the nearest hospital with a heart specialist, and saved my life. Just take a second to Google "Aortic Dissection" and you will see how lucky I am, it comes on suddenly, and has an extremely high fatality rate.

Now 4 months later, and semi-healed, I have to do something drastic to preserve my life and hopefully inspire others along the way.

I may not be an expert, or guru, or anything like that. Regardless, I want to start a weight loss journey with the world. So many people die of complications that can be avoided. I was a lucky one, a day or so later, and I wouldn't have been. I think If I can blog about my success, hopefully someone will take notice of there own life, and want to change it.

(above) Me at 410 pounds, and a much more recent one

At over 60 pounds down so far, and a lot more to go. My journey is nowhere near over. I hope you guys will want to join me. Because our lives depend on it.

Big Guy Tips.

Midnight snacking and how to stop it!

Midnight snacking? Here's a little tip to avoid it

Going off my previous post I wanted to give a quick tip on how to avoid the issue that kills many a diet programs, midnight snaking. Those cravings are a fact of life and this is a simple trick to avoid it. Please subscribe, like, share, and most of all, comment. If you have any advice for the big guy its always welcome!

Big Guy Tips

Starting Points: The 30 day challenge!!!

Starting Points: The 30 Day Challenge

Well its the 1st of a new month, and I think we should kick it off with a bang. A little 30 day challenge never hurt anyone!
Wanting to start working out and have no idea where to start? This is a perfect jumping off point. I have been going to the gym for quite some time and even I am going to try it! Who is gonna try the challenge with me? Lets do this one together people.

Big Guy Tips

Welcome to Big Guy Tips! The Vlog!

Welcome to Big Guy Tips! The Vlog.

Just a quick introduction to the world of the Big Guy himself. A chance to interact with people give my advice, and grow along the way. Its still very early in its inception, so bare with me. It will improve over time. If you enjoy it and want to follow me on this journey, please subscribe, like the video, even shoot me an email! I'm prone to taking advice from you guys too! Thanks everyone and once again. Welcome to Big Guy Tips: The Vlog.

How to survive a late night FOOD-RECTION

"The time, 3:45am. and I cant shut my eyes. The sandman must be sleeping with the fishes, because he hasn't paid me a visit in days. Tossing and turning in bed like a like an addict who needs his fix, my mind in going in circles. My drug I so desperately need? Sleep. I hear a rumble down below. Shes calling me again. That wench named hunger, and she brought her friends boredom with her. The dynamic duo they are, who can wreak havoc on a diet faster then termites at grammies house. I feel a burning in my loins. My pacing has took me right to the fridge on the dark cold corner of Cravings ave. I think about opening it, the recently stocked vessel has everything a growing boy wants. My palms are sweaty, my mind racing. I take a step back and breathe. Daring not to risk all the hard work I put in. As I walk back to my warm bed, a smile creeps across my face. Hunger.... boredom... you almost got me."

Thank you, thank you. My Noir Crime/ self-help mash up will be out by next year. As dramatic as it all sounds, I think we all faced this at many points in our personal health life. I know I've lost that battle many times and my life. Insomnia is a very real thing, it prevents muscle growth, limits energy throughout the day, and worst of all, makes you prone to eating super late, and ruining your progress. So here's what I learned from my mistakes and hopefully these nuggets of advice will help you if you are plagued with a late night Food-rection.

Know your goal and shut your mouth!
As simple as it is, reminding yourself of what your working towards goes a long way in keeping your eating habits in check, especially during late night crave sessions. Your mind is the absolute best weapon against poor decisions, unfortunately we tend to lose it quite a bit in the wee hours of the morning. Don't let that Food-rection win! So say it out loud, create a mantra, look a picture of the 'old you' that you want to surpass, anything. You will eventually sleep, you may wake up tired, but not guilty.

keep yourself busy
If you absolutely can't sleep at night, under any circumstance, at least do something that will make you not think of eating. Food-rections come and go, so when you feel one coming, its time to find something to do till it passes.
A perfect example I could give you is what i'm doing for myself right now. I created this blog, not just to help inspire myself, and others. I do it to fill in gaps until I do get sleepy. The more occupied you are, the least time you have to get bored, then hungry... then guilty.
YouTube, Netflix, or even your favorite news source, all great ways to blow through time if you CAN'T sleep.

If you don't use it you lose it
I think the thing that helped me more then anything when dealing with insomnia and Food-rections. The second you start feeling tired, jump in bed! Well, don't jump, but you know what I mean. What use to happen to me often is I would get tired, wait too long to go in bed, and by the time I finished reading my article, or watching my show, I wouldn't be sleepy by the time I was good and ready when the show was over.

Seriously, Insomnia is terrible for any diet plan your on. Remember what were working towards, and you can fight the urge any Food-rection could throw at you. Lets work every day to get where are trying to go.

Big Guy Tips