Two Keys To Losing 150 Pounds of Body Fat

Yeah, but have YOU ever lost this much weight?

You make a fair point.

I used to be skinnyfat. And I was picked on. And I couldn’t get girls.

But I was never obese.

You don’t know how hard it is to lose 100 pounds! You’ve never done it!!

While not logically air tight, your argument is not invalid.

How can I help an obese person if I have never walked in their shoes?

God was obviously listening.

Because eight minutes later an old client reached out:

“Mike!!

I would love to write a guest post about my weight loss journey. 

Directed at those people who have a TON of weight to lose.”

I love you Amy.

I used to coach the amazing woman pictured above. We worked together in group coaching, I trained her in the gym from time to time, and I coached her in my one on one online coaching program.

Suffice it to say, I know Amy very well.

She even wrote a testimonial telling me how great I am. Which is like fifteen times more enjoyable than sex. In case you were wondering.

I also train her son Max, who is a beast and a great kid.

10985176_841989702552780_5648670562313077243_n

Max is pissed that we are screwing with his chin-up rest times, but he’s a sport.

Anyway, I think I’ve rambled enough.

Take it away, Amy.

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Two Keys To Losing 150 Pounds of Body Fat

By: Amy Budd

Certain things in life are generally accepted as really, really, REALLY difficult to accomplish.

Scaling Mt. Everest.

Winning consecutive Olympic Golds.

Disliking Taylor Swift.

Okay, maybe not the same thing… but come on. She is like an adorable singing embodiment of magical fairy dust!

[Mike: This is true. Taylor Swift has never made a bad song]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dZZKxxHPjE

 

Anyway… While those feats are not technically impossible, they are certainly intimidating to even consider. And when we think we have very little hope for success, it is easy to decide not to even try.

For example: when you are severely, morbidly overweight, and to fix it would require a complete and total life transformation.

I’m talking really, very, a lot overweight.

More-than-100-pounds a lot. Needing-to-lose-half-of-your-starting-bodyweight a lot.

The kind of weight loss that would catch the attention of casting directors for weight loss reality shows – shows that only exist because the public consensus is that losing that kind of weight is next to impossible.

We have been sold a lie, my friends.

Because that is just not true. Not even a little.

And if you are that really, very, a lot overweight person – then you listen up right now.

It absolutely can be done. And you can do it.

I don’t care how much you have to lose. You can do it.

I don’t care how many times you have tried without success in the past. You can do it.

I don’t care what anyone else says. I don’t care what fear or sadness exists in your own mind. YOU CAN DO IT.

I know what you are going through

Believe me.

I know how you feel – to be that morbidly obese person.

To be facing what seems like an impossibly steep mountain.

It is terrifying, depressing, and exhausting all at once. I know what it is like to stand at the bottom of that mountain, for what seems like the thousandth time, trying to summon the courage try again.

I know because that was me.

Amy skate square

Me. 320 pounds. 2008.

I wish that I could go back to her – to that sad, helpless, obese woman – so that I could hug her and assure her that she will succeed this time.

But since I can’t do that, maybe I can assure you.

You can.

YOU CAN DO THIS.

I know, we hear over and over how difficult it is to lose a substantial amount of weight and keep it off.

But I see this a little differently. Losing a bunch of weight really isn’t difficult, in and of itself.

High quality information is there for the taking. There are so many resources and so many inspiring people with great health and fitness information: workout routines, form videos, and endless healthy recipes.

You don’t need a celebrity coach or a personal chef – there is a huge community of people out there who are sharing information and tools for healthy weight loss and maintenance. Everything you need to know.

So, if it isn’t an information problem, what is it? 

Based on everything I have learned during my journey losing over 150 pounds, I believe it boils down to two things:

Thing #1:

You need to have complete & non-negotiable consistency

Holidays and birthdays. Vacations and travel. Family reunions and road trips and amusement parks. On emotionally disastrous days. On logistically inconvenient days. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. For as long as it takes to get it done.

I know, consistency is BORING.

Planning and prepping is annoying and time consuming. Going to the gym in the early hours of the day, or when it’s raining or snowing, hot or freezing, or when you just want a break already. Consistency is inconvenient. It’s relentless. You don’t get a pause button.

And there will be tough-but-necessary sacrifices – by which I mean giving up some kinds of foods for a while. Completely. Not forever, but for a while. (Don’t ask how long. The question is irrelevant. It must be done.)

More on this in minute, but first:

Thing #2:

You have to love yourself

This is the big one. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and if I hadn’t done it, I am 100% certain that I would still be well over 300 pounds and growing.

You have to forgive yourself.

You have to completely reprogram your inner monologue to be kind and encouraging and loving.

And you have to believe every word of it.

You need to decide – unequivocally – that you are worth the highest level of self-care. You have to love yourself.

Because without Thing #2, you will never sustain Thing #1. You cannot maintain the discipline and sacrifice that is required if you do not believe that you are worth it.

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“But what about moderation?”

A fair question.

What about eating mindfully?

What about ‘diets’ aren’t sustainable in the long run?

I don’t disagree with the positive messages around mindful eating and moderation out there in the online fitness community. And they can certainly help a huge population looking to improve their health and fitness in a way that is sustainable for the long term.

A way that includes pizza and ice cream, or wine, or chocolate, or insert-your-favorite-calorically-indulgent-food-or-drink-here.

But the rules are different for people like you and me.

People who that have to lose a massive amount of weight. This is an unavoidable truth. Because, let’s face it – one does not get to a place where one has to lose half of one’s body weight with moderation, and so it stands to reason that one is not going to leave that place behind through moderation.

You have to make an all-in investment in your future self.

The good news is that this is not forever, and it goes faster than you’d expect.

And that all-in investment? It pays off at an astronomical rate of return.

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How exactly does losing 150 pounds change you life?

Amy b.a rec 2

Mike: Pictured above is Amy, looking fucking hot in that dress.

There is the obvious change in appearance, which is certainly awesome. I think about how I would always cry in dressing rooms – and I mean every single time.

Now, shopping is just fun. In fact, sometimes I can’t keep from making “squee” noises, because I remember how awful it used to be. However, while looking better doesn’t suck, it pales in comparison to the Big Stuff.

Like, now I can DO things. I do incredible stuff in the gym – I throw around heavy weight, and I feel like a strong, sexy badass doing it.

And I do amazing outside-the-gym stuff like zip-lining, mountain climbing, beach running, dancing and paddle-boarding … because I CAN. And I always, always opt to take the stairs, because knowing that I can just bound up a few flights anytime I want to – that feels like freedom.

I can do anything I want to do now.

My body doesn’t hold me back anymore. Perfect example: I was recently looking for some good “Before” photos of me. I scrolled through years of photos. Birthdays, vacations, holidays, endless gatherings of family and friends… and there are almost no photos of me. I was absent in my own life, because my physical limitations and emotional shame. Never again.

Now, I can actually participate in the events of my life. No more inventing excuses – no more missing out. I pursue every opportunity for joy. I carpe every damn diem.

But the biggest benefit is that I’m literally saving my own life.

I’m not being dramatic.

Diabetes and heart disease are killers, and I was a textbook case.

It takes years to kill you, sure, but those are some pretty awful years.

I know because my Dad is a diabetic. 

He had both of his legs amputated, and now he needs a kidney transplant. I was following his path, and I was setting that same example for my own children to follow.

Now, I am doing the opposite. I’m setting a better, healthier example. I’m the Mom who built a gym in the garage so we can all use it. Who asks her family to go to an adventure park for Mother’s Day. Who figures out ways to make delicious dinners that are also macro-friendly.

All of that improves their lives, too. I love my family so much. And getting and staying healthy is the best thing that I have ever done and can ever do for us.

To me, that’s everything.

 

My Message To You

The process of making this climb can actually be fun.

I guarantee that it will be empowering. And it will be life-changing in the best possible ways. Ways that you can’t even imagine when standing at the bottom of the mountain.

Your dreams are within your grasp. You are worth it. You deserve it.

And you can do it.

 

Mike: Amy’s Current Condition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzdELNNsRmM&feature=youtu.be

Amy just squatted in a BIKINI.

So… If you don’t give her insane love in the comments right this second, you are basically dead to me.

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Amy Budd is a passionate lifter of bells of all varieties – bar, dumb, and kettle – and an enthusiastic real-food-meals-maker who loves preparing and serving yummy, healthy treats for family and friends. A quick-witted potty-mouthed breaker of tension, she is a loyal friend, an incredibly lucky wife to a wonderful, loving husband, and Momma Bear who’s been blessed with the best teenagers ever. You can contact her on her facebook page or visit her website, and follow her on Instagram.



Comments for This Entry

  • Sonya

    I don't know which one of you I'm more impressed with right now. Amy, thanks for the post which I'll probably read 20 times today, and Mike, thanks for being an awesome trainer to anyone who wants to train and not just gym bunnies!

    July 24, 2015 at 12:04 pm | Reply to this comment

  • KT

    I know exactly how Amy feels and while I've lost 1/3 of what she has lifting weights and trying to eat right and count my macros. It is a great feeling when you shop and fit into smaller sizes. When you look back and go I can't believe I used to wear this size and it was tight and now 5 sizes smaller is getting big. I hired a personal trainer who helped me and while I strayed from his eating plan to follow Mike V's macro counting I've been successful at both. I just bought a bathing suit for the first time in over 15 years. I've still got a ways to go but stories like this keep me inspired and Mike's posts and snarky comments to his haters re-invigorate me on a daily basis! #OTRforLife

    July 24, 2015 at 12:30 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Marcy

    Absolutely amazing, Amy! Thank you for writing this post and Mike, you are an amazing coach! :)

    July 24, 2015 at 12:34 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Melissa

    This is THE best article to date I have read. Amy, you are so inspirational, and I know I can do it because of reading your story, thank you for sharing! Mike, I have the most respect I've ever had for someone who I have never met! You continue to amaze and inspire me! I just hope some day I can afford to hire to to kick my ass into shape! :)

    July 24, 2015 at 1:13 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Genie

    Oh.my.God! Mike and Amy! Thank you so much! THIS is just what I needed to read today. You are both awesome and Amy, you just gave me the encouragement I needed to hear.

    July 24, 2015 at 1:58 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Nora

    Overly impressed by Amy! You rock! And Mike, you're an awesome coach!!

    July 24, 2015 at 5:58 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Angela

    Great inspiration for the rest of us butterflies still in our cocoons.

    July 24, 2015 at 11:49 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Amy Budd

    Mike, I love you right back. Sonya, KT, Marcy, Melissa, Genie, Nora, Angela - thank you all so much. Please reach out to me for encouragement or resources anytime. :)

    July 25, 2015 at 6:43 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Alycia

    Amy is such a role model, both for her important, life-saving, inspirational journey to butt-kicking health, and as a down-to-earth, hilarious, wise-woman. I'm so lucky to have her as my big-cuz.

    July 25, 2015 at 7:12 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Erica T

    SUCH an AWESOME article!!! Amy is truly fitsipirational as I've gotten to know her through Instagram and FaceBook, I'm not sure exactly who found who or how, but I know my fitness journey is stronger for having her in my corner!

    July 26, 2015 at 12:07 pm | Reply to this comment

  • John Fawkes

    Great article! I know everyone harps on consistency, but the point about self-love is really underrated. A mental barrier a lot of people have- and one I've noticed in some of my readers- is this idea that the desire to change has to mean you don't love yourself. So they get caught in this trap of either trying to change and feeling terrible, or covering those feelings up with a really forced kind of self-love, which kills their motivation. The way I like to look at it is, treat yourself the way your parents treated you when you failed a test in high school. They may have cracked the whip, but it was done out of love because they wanted a good life for you.

    July 29, 2015 at 3:09 pm | Reply to this comment

    • Amy Budd

      Excellent point, John! I do a lot of emotional work around the idea of "Active Acceptance" - I can love myself right where I am, and BECAUSE of that love, work to improve. Loving yourself in the moment shouldn't invalidate positive change. Thanks so much for reading and adding to the discussion! :)

      August 1, 2015 at 6:32 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Tarah Galloway

    Amy I LOVE and appreciate your guest post so much! What an amazing transformation. I absolutely LOVE how proud you are squatting in your bikini. Get it girl!!! I have never had to lose half my body weight. I'm struggling with baby weight right now but I'm so close to being where I want to be I feel like I can taste it. For me the issue is that there is SO MUCH misinformation on the internet. Everyone is trying to sell you skinny pills, wraps, and creams. I've never found anyone who has explained it better than Mike (I'm on the regimen btw). From one mom, woman, and human being to another....I've got nothing but love for you. Mwah! Thanks for sharing your journey.

    July 30, 2015 at 11:08 am | Reply to this comment

    • Amy Budd

      Tarah, thank you so much - and love right back atcha!!! Whether it's half of bodyweight, or babyweight, or anywhere in between, the struggles and accomplishments are just as real and meaningful. Keep up the great work, girl! :)

      August 1, 2015 at 6:36 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Cecile

    Amy you are incredible! What a positive message and jaw dropping results. PLUS. the huge radiant grin on your face doing squats. Priceless.

    August 5, 2015 at 1:40 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Neva

    Thank you! I don't know who wakes up at 3am, stressed about being so huge... But in looking for a step in the right direction I found this. Thank you

    August 11, 2015 at 6:27 am | Reply to this comment

    • Amy Budd

      Thank you, Neva! And I know *exactly* how you feel. Deep breath - let go of the stress - and tell yourself that you can have ANYTHING YOU WANT. That you are worth it. That you deserve it. And then go get it. Please let me know how I can help. xoxox

      August 21, 2015 at 1:57 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Zoe

    WOW, just, wow. Amy, you must feel incredible! I love how you are focusing on the hard work you put in....and what an outcome. You look amazing, not just physically but you can see the happiness pouring out of you. Good on ya!

    August 27, 2015 at 8:23 am | Reply to this comment

  • Sandra

    Amy, congratulations on your success! Your story is definitely inspiring. Thank you for sharing and look forward to hearing more of your journey!

    August 29, 2015 at 12:36 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Kim

    Awesome job!! Mike thanks for giving us great information.

    September 13, 2015 at 4:28 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Effie

    Incredible, good reminder for all of us to quite complaining and get to work.

    October 27, 2015 at 4:12 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Stardust Luna

    Amy, you go girl! Thanks for the inspiration xoxo

    January 7, 2016 at 4:24 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Sol

    Thank you! Very inspiring!

    January 9, 2016 at 12:56 am | Reply to this comment

  • May Armada

    You go girl! Badass indeed! ? I lost 50 kgs after getting rid of all the junk that i eat and exercising regularly. Had an angiogram and been diagnosed diabetes. It scare me so much as my dad died at 57 of heart disease. It can be done! I super agree to everything you have said here. I am asked everytime to share my secret to weightloss but there isn't any. Dedication, perseverance and consistency is all it takes. Knowledge is power! Keep on encouraging! You are fabulous ? I was size 28 to size 10 ? #letsdoit #itcanbedone - May Armada (London, Nurse)

    January 16, 2016 at 1:32 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Janet Stead

    Thank you for sharing your story, Amy. What you've done (for the rest of us) is so important. Many many thanks. xo

    January 22, 2016 at 6:11 am | Reply to this comment

  • Stacey

    Love this. I did it once, I lost 80lbs in high school and then gained it back. In my 20s over the course of life and marriage, baby, and a serif mugger with depression and really just falling down my list of priorities. Now I'm ready to hit it. I'm giving 120lbs I'm at 285 and I'm ready to feel like me again. Thanks for your inspiration and thanks to Mike for sharing this with me. It's exactly what I wanted to know.

    January 26, 2016 at 9:27 am | Reply to this comment

  • Mallion

    This article makes me want to cry. I lost 65 lbs. I am stuck and sad. So many life changes and how do I get up the gumption to go at it again? Thanks for Sharing, it is encouraging.

    January 26, 2016 at 8:13 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Krystal

    Wow. Just what I needed to read! You both are amazing. Thank you so much!

    February 2, 2016 at 6:44 am | Reply to this comment

  • Donnie & Cindy Allen

    Thank you, Mike, for sharing your expertise. At 50 & 60 years of age, we appreciate your caring, friendly approach & guidance as we struggle to manage our changing physiques. Thanks, too, Amy, for "being there", understanding, "keeping it real" and loving yourself and others enough to share your personal experience & encouragement as we stand in the foothills of our own mountain(s). It's nice to know that, whatever obstacles we face, we have support to make what may otherwise seem impossible, POSSIBLE. You two are truly a dynamic duo!

    February 19, 2016 at 12:40 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Shelley

    Mike, thanks for sharing your expertise and being there for so many of us. Amy, your story brought tears to my eyes. I have been that dressing room story. I know those tears. I don't have as much to lose as you did, it just feels like that! Thank you Amy, you are an inspiration. You make me believe I can do it, too.

    April 16, 2016 at 1:09 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Ashley Fasick

    This is truly inspiring. I am 31 years old, 5'7" and 295lbs. I have recently "restarted" my journey to lose "a whole person". I have never been a small girl. I have always been overweight. I believe I have read this article at the best moment I possibly could have. Thank you.

    April 19, 2016 at 1:28 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Carol McKeon

    Amy you are amazing, thanks for the huge generosity to share your story, xxxxxxx Carol

    May 13, 2016 at 4:55 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Darren

    Im the heaviest I have ever been in my life...250 lbs and starting and continuing this journey scares the shit out of me but I know i need to do it...I was 180 lbs back in 2010 and doctor told me I need to lose 70 if not 100...again...its scary

    June 7, 2016 at 10:57 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Joshua

    Congrats, Amy! Not only did you manage to conquer a seemingly insurmountable task but you also managed to make me weep real tears while reading this. I'm not a crier, and even though I don't know you personally, I just want to say that I'm so proud of you!

    June 21, 2016 at 2:25 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Cat

    Thanks for sharing your story Amy. I too have a 100 pounds to lose and it was very inspiring to hear your story.

    October 10, 2016 at 2:47 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Wendy Norman

    I am about to start my journey to health. Thanks for showing me it can be done!

    October 15, 2016 at 4:50 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Olivia

    I am completely overwhelmed and feel as if I've been kicked in the gut. IN THE BEST OF WAYS!!! Just yesterday I found Mike (and started his regimen!), and now I've found you, Amy! I couldn't be more grateful for you both as now, at age 55, I have embarked on a journey to reclaim my life, learn to love & forgive myself, and seek the life I never-before believed I deserved. "Timing," as they say, "is everything," and finding you both now? And immediately implementing Mike's program? Reading about your transformation? Well, it's like receiving gifts I've finally come to realize I deserve. Thank you both so very, very, very much!!! And if you'll excuse me, I need to open my "Mike's Macros" app and enter the macros from the omelet I just had for dinner! (What's different: it's Fri night, and it's omelet, not ice cream...) Thank you both SO MUCH!!!

    March 24, 2017 at 11:11 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Zos

    This is incredible and so inspirational! Thank you so much for sharing, Amy. You're amazing. Sending lots of love!

    July 21, 2017 at 11:39 am | Reply to this comment

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