Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Confessions of a (Former) Doughboy



I know what it's like to fight the proverbial battle of the bulge. I know what it's like to struggle with weight. I have been engaged in that conflict since my childhood.
       
I have enduring memories of feeling bad about myself due to my weight, even eschewing short-sleeved shirts in order to cover the stretch marks on my arms. I can still recall the hurtful experiences of being labeled "fatboy," the comparison to the Pillsbury Doughboy and believing that I was an inferior person because of my weight.
       
Happily, I also know what it's like to emerge victorious from this battle.
       
Beginning in 2007, I embarked on a weight loss journey which would lead to the eventual shedding of more than seventy pounds of excess weight. Although I had lost a little weight at various points in the past, my victory dwarfed the successes of those previous attempts.
       
In a very real sense, I experienced a transformation - not only in terms of my appearance but also from a mental and emotional standpoint. For the first time in my life I achieved a feeling of self-confidence and positive self-esteem. I started to actually feel good about myself. It had less to do with the reduction in body fat and more to do with the knowledge that I had succeeded in transforming into a better version of myself. That was the goal, I achieved it and boy did it feel good.
       
I have been asked on multiple occasions how I managed to achieve such weight loss success. The question would usually be accompanied by a remark about the dramatic change in my appearance. Due to such questions I conceived the idea of sharing my story and disseminating the principles which I utilized to lose weight and gain health. Although the idea remained simmering in the back of my mind, I wasn't exactly sure how I could make it a reality. This book is the realization of that idea.
       
I adopted the ideas found in the following pages into my daily life. As a result, I succeeded in maintaining my improved health and fitness for five years. So I know they work when they are put to work.
       
Regrettably, I fell prey to depression and consequently abandoned the principles which brought me so much success. I am ashamed to admit that I allowed myself to gain every lost pound back. It didn't happen overnight. It was a gradual regression but that is usually how regression works. But there is good news!
       
I have rediscovered and returned to the ideas contained within these pages and am once again experiencing weight loss success. As of this writing, I have replicated my previous results to the tune of fifty-plus pounds.

GEM TIME 
       
Gems are precious and beautiful. Gems are small. But despite their smallness, they are valuable. They have great worth. Gems permeate human language as a metaphor for something precious and valuable.
       
Why am I writing about gems in a book about weight loss? Consider this book a treasure chest of informational gems - valuable ideas - for empowering you to reach your health and fitness goals. I can attest to the value of these Slim Gems because I have experienced their sparkling brilliance in my own life. (Besides, the aforementioned term is also a clever wordplay on the famous beef snack, don't you think?)

It's important to keep in mind that the ideas I write about are not theoretical. They are not untested and unproven theories. As stated above, I have put them to work in my own life and personally experienced their positive effects on my weight and my health. As for you, dear reader - why not experiment with them yourself? Take them on a test drive of sorts. Try them out and watch what happens. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

© Matt Decker

» This post is excerpted from the Introduction to my booklet  SLIM GEMS: 10 Priceless Weight Loss Techniques

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