Thank you, JP for the opportunity to contribute in this forum. I think there is something strangely novel about being fat -- even moreso when you are the fat guy who is into fitness and nutrition. I want to begin by saying that I don't know everything. What makes one successful doesn't necessarily equal success for another. The truth is guys, as novel as it may sound there isn't any secret to what I have done. There are men and women doing the same thing I did everyday. We are fortunate to have so many members of this forum who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off. It is my most sincere hope that they will continue to share their experience with others here in the Livin' Large subforum.
My conversations with JP have been rapid fire brainstorming sessions (read: jump around a lot) that were they not tempered by the occassional childhood exuberance of the kids; I think my brain would melt from the sheer volume of knowledge one can acquire from him.
I grew up in Oklahoma City. I currently live in Tahlequah, OK and am employed by Tahlequah City Hospital. My title is Nutritionist/Dietitian's Assistant. I am still finishing up the last portion (3 classes) of my double major - Dietetics and will attend my Dietetic Internship after that --though I don't know where I will be going to do that. A little bit of uncertainty is good, right? After that I will sit for the RD exam.
Having a double major means multiple internships. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a group of Native American teenagers who had weight issues. The program centered around nutrition education and fitness. It was a wonderful experience and it was great to see the lives of young people being impacted. My new project is along similar lines. I will be writing a program to be implemented by TCH (hopefully) as a community outreach to the many overweight and obese adolescents in this area. I strongly believe that this is one front in the battle against obesity that we cannot afford to ignore.
Whether you are 5 lbs or 500 lbs overweight one of the most important things you can do is decide that you want to do something about it. While there is a lot of psychology in dieting, the plain and simple fact is that you must ACT if you want to get results. Coaches, trainers, dietitians, nutritionist, whoever may want to unscrew the cap on your head and pour in the motivation but we all know that isn't going to happen don't we? We can give you the tools, but it is up to you to use them.
This is a place where you can start to build your arsenal. Livin' Large is not just a physical state of being. It is also a state of mind. Health, wellness, and happiness are attainable....reach for the brass ring...MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Newman
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