Paul James - Take It Off, Keep It Off: How I Went from Fat to Fit . . . and You Can Too--Safely, Effectively, and Permanently

TAKE IT OFF,
KEEP IT OFF

TAKE IT OFF,
KEEP IT OFF

How I Went From Fat to Fit

and You Can Too

Safely, Effectively, and Permanently

FEATURING PJS PROVEN K0-90 PROGRAM

PAUL PJ JAMES

Da Capo Lifelong Books
A Member of the Perseus Books Group

Copyright 2012 by Paul PJ James

Photographs by Blush Photography

Photo on page xi by Andrew Raszevski at Icon Media

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First Da Capo Press edition 2012

ISBN 978-0-7382-1574-7 (e-book)

Published by Da Capo Press

A Member of the Perseus Books Group

www.dacapopress.com

Note: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. This book is intended only as an informative guide for those wishing to know more about health issues. In no way is this book intended to replace, countermand, or conflict with the advice given to you by your own physician. The ultimate decision concerning care should be made between you and your doctor. We strongly recommend you follow his or her advice. Information in this book is general and is offered with no guarantees on the part of the authors or Da Capo Press. The authors and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

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For every person who has made the commitment to get fit.

May you reach your goals and surpass all
expectations of what seems possible.

When you find yourself eating your way through two large pizzas on the same day you vowed to kick off a dedicated six-month weight-loss plan, you know youre in serious trouble.

Unfortunately, thats precisely the sad situation I found myself in on July 1, 2009, after a pathetic five-minute workout that ended with my ankle giving out and my pride caving in. I was fat264 pounds, to be exact. My cholesterol and blood-sugar levels were dangerously high, my lower back perpetually ached, and my inner thighs were forever chafed from rubbing against each other as I walked. Once an outgoing, adventurous go-getter, Id begun holing up in bed, seeking solace in takeout burgers, fries, and pasta. My sex life with my girlfriend had imploded. I tried to put on a brave face when people teased me about my man boobs, but inside I was riddled with pain, frustration, and disgust. I knew I had to lose weight, but a terrible body image, rehab-worthy junk-food addiction, and nagging fear saddled me with doubt: What if I fail?

The kicker? Just six months earlier I had looked like this:

Believe it or not, that is me.

For nearly a decade Ive worked as a sought-after personal trainer in Melbourne, Australia, and abroad helping hundreds of clients transform their bodies and, in the process, rediscover themselves. True, some of my regulars are aspiring bodybuilders and chiseled athletes, hell-bent on shredded abs and ripped quads. But for the most part my clientele is composed of people who are probably just like you: twenty to one hundred pounds overweight and desperately wanting to make a change. They dont need a butt you can bounce a quarter off of; they just want to be able to chase after their kids without panting for breath. Or fit in a pair of jeans from a mainstream store. Or bring their cholesterol levels down enough to get off medication.

Before I became a trainer I belonged to an even more body-conscious profession: high fashion/underwear modeling. I walked, bare chested, down catwalks for Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Prada, Calvin Klein, and Jean Paul Gaultier. For a 264-pound man, that might sound horrifying, but when I was in my peak condition, it was the ultimate rush. Back then you truly could bounce a quarter off pretty much any part of my body! I lived for the spotlight, and the spotlight loved me back.

But when youre overweight or obese, youre forced to deal with an entirely different type of spotlight. People stare. Strangers judge. Labels like lazy, weak and disgusting are hurtled in your direction, silently or out loud. The world assumes you simply lack willpower, that if you just buckled down and hit the gym, maybe turned down a cheeseburger here and there, you could shed the pounds.

You and I know better. We understand the power food wieldsespecially fatty, salty, or sugar-coated food. Weve experienced the crippling body image issues that make joining a gym and working out in public seem impossible. Weve been discriminated against for our looks, teased by family members and coworkers, mocked by the masses.

But if youve picked up this book, youre ready to change all that. Youre ready to regain control of your addictive eating. Youre ready to transform your body from an enemy into an ally. Youre ready to seize hold of a life filled with excitement and joy and new adventures. Youre ready to be healthy.

I will help you get there.

I have experienced life on both sides of the fence. In 2009 I embarked on a monumental journey in which I purposefully packed on 50 percent of my body weight in four months, then kept it on for another two. My inspiration: a growing number of over-weight and obese personal-training clients who were coming to me seeking inspiration and empowerment. As someone who has always been intrigued by the human mind and who prides himself on an innate desire to help people, I felt helplessly ineffective. How could I truly relate to someone who couldnt walk for more than a block without getting winded or was terrified of stepping foot in a gym for fear of being stared at? I wantedneededto walk a mile in my heavy clients shoes. And I arrogantly believed that both gaining and losing the weight would be a snap!

But the road from 6 percent to over 32 percent body fat was paved with confidence-sapping potholes and clinically depressed roadblocks. Being obese proved to be a terrifying existence for me. On one hand, I wanted to socialize with my friends and participate in hiking, swimming, and other outdoor activities that Ive always loved. On the other hand, I was ashamed of my new physique and embarrassed about the person I had deteriorated into. The result was a vicious cycle that drove me to eat for comfort. I hid my emotions behind closed doors, with a pizza and a Coke to console me, and never wanted to leave.

Until I did.

The moment was slated to happen on July 1, 2009. As you now know, my mind and body had other plans. But despite my severely sprained ankle, newly acquired junk-food addiction, and wounded ego, there came a point when I felt compelled to break out of my overweight cage. When I realized that the joy and comfort that fatty, salty, sugary food provided was fleeting, dependably leaving me feeling disgusting and depressed. When I longed for the rush of a workout, the clean feeling of working up a good sweat, the pride of accomplishing a physical goaleven if it just meant walking on the treadmill for ten minutes. And that meant committing to change at all costs.