Healy Arms

Great week. Tuned up the heat on the workouts even more - clean eating (except while at the ASU game - man oh man was that a good time). Showing a little over a pound lost on the scale, but the clothes are getting bigger by the day. It will be a fine, fine day when I donate the 34" stuff. Tested the 1000 foot vertical time - got it down to 15:40. 41 seconds from the goal. 3000 vertical is easily/consistently under an hour now at around 54:00. Hundreds of situps. Hundreds of pushups, squats, burpees, presses, etc. etc. Solid week of work & progress.

Fixed the not-so-great eating a week ago. Back on the meat & vegetable wagon, down almost 2lbs and refocused. Still working out like a machine. I'll be starting 2-a-days in the near future as my hunt nears. I wish I'd had this kind of workout tenacity in my 30's. Heck - I just might start 2-a-days tonight. By the way - it's amazing how fast simple carbs and insulin spikes halt weight loss progress. Grinds you to halt in one meal.

Monday night - still sitting at ~203 from my vacation indulgence. I'm back on a strict eating plan now. Not so much last week. Business lunches at the Mexican food joints are not slimming. The positive side: I can eat almost whatever now and not gain. The negative side: I want to get back on the BMI ideal area so I can't stay in one spot and make that goal. Workouts are still 5 or 6 days a week - religiously. That's definitely paid off in the cardio arena. I'm right at 30 days to elk season. Let's see how eating clean, clean, clean - no beer and no BS processed food - for 30 days cuts weight.

So... I'm reading the post by MT. CAT in the "Potential Realized Training" thread and get to the point where he talks about "I had no idea I had that much fat to lose" and a light goes on. That is a common theme in the gun shop. Now that I have personally lost enough walrus blubber for it to be readily noticeable (not the one-eyebrow up with the question, have you lost a few - but the real hey, you look a lot better. Your gut was getting huge) the conversations centered around "I need to lose a few" have been a near daily occurrence. America has gotten fat. So not a day goes by that someone in my sphere of influence couldn't stand to "lose a few". When I finally said enough is enough and realized I was quickly becoming comparable to a beach ball with feet, I went to my doctor. I told him I was ready for a physical and a life change with my weight. I was 44 years old, 5'9" and 245lbs. The physical & blood work surprisingly came back pretty good, but he assured me that would be short-lived if I didn't cut weight and change my eating habits. Which led to the question - Doc, how much do I need to lose? Knowing I'd need a visual, he handed me a Body Mass Index or BMI chart and said here is a good gauge for you to set some real goals with. Here is a picture of the chart. Of course he's a marathoner and a lean 65 year-old jogging machine. But I know that only silly people run for fun so I take this obvious affront casually at first. I'm looking at a chart that says I should be between 160 and 169 on the HIGH end and immediately think BMI is just a guideline right? BMI must be outdated right? 165? Surely not. So I say to the doctor - uhm... are these numbers accurate? Do I need to be shooting for 165? And he bluntly says - YES. He adds that if I were in the mid 170's I would be just fine, but I should shoot for 160-165 and let's see what happens. I say to him - I was thinkin' I need to lose 30-40 pounds. He tells me - yeah, that'll be a good start, but if you lose 30 you will STILL be obese. Still?? I thought, holy moly he just used the O word. I can't be! But, there it is. In black-n-white right in front of me. Being the quick thinking type that I am, I begin to defend my idea of 30-40 lbs and question the Body Mass Index validity. He's obviously heard this line of tripe before and shoots my balloon out of the sky immediately. The Doc says - you need to go look at photos of American men in the 1950's and 1960's. A man back then who was 5'9" tall was overweight at 180lbs and that has NOT changed. There are some VERY NARROW exceptions to BMI based on body frame and muscularity, but if you get to 180 and you're so dang huge that you're ripped to shreds, let me know 'cause I'd like to see it. He added - you need to understand that the idea of "being fat" in America has changed as we've gotten way, way, way too fat. Clothes have gotten larger and the tag that should say XL or XXL now have a tag that says Large. He called it "vanity sizing" and said we glorify being super-fat with brands like Big Dogs which he said makes obese pre-diabetic men feel like super-studs. He summarized - BMI still applies in 2014 and every ounce of fat you choose to keep is an ounce of fat working against you when you hunt, swim, exercise, play with your son, etc. etc. Just because you don't WANT it to apply doesn't matter - it does. To say the least, it was an eye opener. So I look back at photos of my grandfather in his late 30's and early 40's and the Doc was right. He was 5'8" tall not an ounce over 145 - a lean and muscular pit miner from Globe - certainly not starving as we might say if a man is 5'8" and 145 today. Then I get out a photo of me graduating from police motorcycle school - there I am at 175 - looking nothing like the 245 beach ball status I had attained. The evidence is in and the Doc is right. I need to lose at least 75 pounds. That's reality. Period. The reason I bring this up is to shed some light on what a healthy weight actually is. I've talked to plenty of BMI deniers since I've taken this project on. Big guys that need to lose 70-100lbs who say "I'd like to lose 20 or maybe 30 pounds". If I know them well I will challenge that notion and work on a more real perspective of where they need to be so they can set a goal. If I don't know them well I leave it alone because 20 or 30 is a darn fine start anyway. I've chosen a one-year path to lose the 75lbs. I amped up my exercise routine and have done a lot over time to clean up my eating and drinking regimen. I did NOT make drastic food changes right away that resulted in huge weight loss. Rather I made smaller changes that both gave results and that I could sustain forever. I've lost 38lbs and I'm happy to share with anyone who wants to know what I'm doing. In the meantime, best of luck to all who begin the journey. I hope this information helps. And remember - they won't tell you when you're way too fat until you lose it and then they'll tell you how they couldn't believe you'd gotten that big. LOL Here's to huntin' light!!

It was time to test my program & progress in a real-world setting. Took my pack, filled it to right at 50lbs and hit the hills Sunday and Monday at 5500 to 6000+ feet of elevation. I tried my 10 months of workouts and blubber loss against the hills. Boom - No Problem. No stopping. No dropping a lung. It didn't matter what the terrain was like. Ducking under & around trees didn't matter. A night and day difference. This year's hunting will be great. Next year will be even better. Steady progress. I need to do a thread called "The Skinny Fat Guy". One of the guys we had with us is a little too quick to remind me that he's height/weight proportionate and stays that way without a fitness regimen. After the smack talking, he got schooled on fitness yesterday. I felt bad for him sucking wind until I realized it was a self-inflicted situation. Been there. It was his turn.

I'm calling this check in "The Power of Food" I went on a week's vacation to Vancouver Island and gave myself an open ticket to eat and drink anything I wanted. Net gain in weight: 2.5lbs - not bad considering the caloric intake, the sugary deserts, the beer, fish cooked in butter, the burgers, the fried food, etc. That would have been a 8-10lb gain without good metabolism. However! Note to self: never do that again. My time in the gym this morning nearly felt like week number one when I got back on track several months ago. Out of energy. Out of breath. Same circuit training stuff from the week before vacation, just ZERO go power. Good Lord.. Fortunately I'll bounce right back with a natural food detox and extra extra treadmill time. Cheat day occasionally - YES Cheat Week - NO - worst idea in a long time

Dropped off a pile of clothes for Goodwill yesterday. With the current condition of American humans I'm sure there's a full-figured 36/38 inch waist guy who can use them. 200.4 today - that's a full 45lb loss from the starting point. As of this morning I officially get to leave this thing behind. I'm curious how much actual fat I lost. I'm sure it's more than 45, I just never did the dunk thing to know for certain. One more 35lb plate to go and I'll be all the way back. I'll definitely have another 15 off by December 1st. As for my friends (some of them reading here) who tell me "you'll be too skinny" . Whatever - we'll see. I strongly believe that's incorrect.

That'll keep a man motivated. Shed it like you mean it.

I think it's time to donate some old camo. It might keep me from creeping backwards if I have the buy the big stuff again.

I'm staying at 202 - 203 and getting thinner. Eating is back on track and my clothes keep getting magically larger and my face is shrinking - but the scale is not budging. Not to worry. It will. My workouts are intense and have stayed the same. Now I've added uphill hiking on an incline treadmill a few days a week (I live in the middle of flat lander ville, so I have to find other methods to get elk country training). At least with an incline-hiker machine I can get a continuous or widely varied uphill for as long as I need to meet a training requirement. Here's a typical one-hour incline hiker session - 2600+ vertical rise, approx 2.7 miles and 1000 calories in the dustbin. I like the ability to track progress with a machine. When I weighed 240-245 I used to take 22 to 24 minutes to do a 1000 vertical foot stress test. I've worked that down to 16:05 and hope to see 14:59 or lower before my hunt. The MOST important thing with the incline machines is NO holding the bar at the top of the machine. Let your arms, legs and back move like you would on a hunt. Nature doesn't have handrails. I see people holding the top bar all the time, effectively taking the incline out of the exercise. Makes you feel like a stud but doesn't do much. I remind myself to keep it as close to hunting as possible and use lots of muscle groups. It's been a good year. I'm glad I finally started.

Very cool - people are coming in the shop talking about fitness, weight loss, terrain in the units they drew and it all started with this Hunting Fitness forum. There are two guys at the gun counter right now chatting about eating changes they've made and getting extra exercise in for their upcoming hunts.

Totally forgot to weight in this morning, but everything is fitting about the same so I'm guessing all is good. Worked out like a champ the past 3 days to make up for some family birthday dinners that MIGHT have included cheesy & delicious Mexican food. Went to the doctor for a 90day follow-up visit last week on Wednesday. The "official" read on his scale was 204. He's not much for mincing words. I got the "well you've really come a long way - nice progress - you're still very overweight. You'll get there." Dang! Smacked on the forehead. I just smile-n-nod. He's right - I'll get there. Should have NEVER gone over 200. Alas - it's fixable. I know why he's staying on me to complete the project. If I want to keep hunting for the next several years I must consider the following: "Being only 10 pounds overweight increases the force on the knee by 30-60 pounds with each step." Read more here: http://www.hopkinsarthritis.org/patient-corner/disease-management/role-of-body-weight-in-osteoarthritis/

LOL - I can hear it now. "holy moly... I can do this. Where did I put week one? Ok, there it is. We're good. Moving forward." I know what you're talking about and that's a truckload of willpower. Good on ya.

Well... Down about a single pound - just under 202. I'm sensing a trend here - lol That works for me. A pound-ish a week will eventually make me a thin hunter. And I get to do it while eating regular food - differently than I used to - but normal stuff. I had 5 baby back ribs and a potato last night. I can't do that every night but it's game on in moderation. Wearing shorts to work this morning that NEVER would have fit a month ago. That's the progress I'm seeking - a little that lasts.

Same here! Classic tale of the American fat Yo-Yo. I'd like to blame Mexican food and beer and Dr Pepper and... and... and... I'm seeing it through this time - no fail and accept it - all the way to about 170 and stay there. Motivates me for Monday check in!

Speaking of clothes. I put on my XL workout shorts and shirt today and they fit like bags. What a difference the blubber loss makes. I had to laugh at myself. How did I EVER get there!?!? LOL

202.6 Clothes fitting better and moved out of the 36 waist pants. 34's fit well today - three weeks ago - not so much. Happy with the progress - my eating plan is working and doesn't suck. Can't wait for 199. It's been a very long time.

We just got our first shipment of the latest edition of the Mighty Atom by Wildlife Technologies. Featuring 2 speakers, this call gives even better clarity in all sound ranges. Just when you thought it couldn't sound any better - it does. Come by the store in Mesa and have a listen (CLICK FOR MAP). And as always - bring your Foxpro, Western Rivers, Primos, or ANY other e-caller with you for a comparison and hear what your predators have been missing. CLICK HERE to see it on our site - the sound list and pricing are both there. Questions? Call us at 480-621-5555 or Toll Free at 1-855-321-GUNS (4867)

It's interesting when people are in the store and have a lot of hunting knowledge it's almost universal that they found out about us on Coues Whitetail or were referred by a CW member. The true addicts seem to have that common thread. One of the more requested items by the hunting addicted crowd are the Flatline Maps. Having used them myself I certainly understand why. They are a very detailed and superior product to anything else I've used. So - we became a dealer and have their full line in stock now. Need a map? Come on over.

I have one left ordering more

No - that's not a map being offered by Flatline yet.

Steady as she goes - weight not up or down. Still in the 203-204 range. Waist got smaller by 1/2 inch and the scale didn't budge. It's progress and I'll take it. Worked out like a champ last week and stayed 95% true to the eating plan. The next weight drop is coming soon.

3164 S Country Club Dr #10 Mesa, AZ 85210 480-621-5555 CLICK HERE for a map

Overslept this morning - late to my workout - Monday... Lost 10 minutes but it still kicked my butt. I'm 204.4 on the scale this morning. Down another pound and officially 40lbs down and officially half way to the goal. Funny how some weeks you workout like a champ and eat well - lose nothing. The next week you lose 3. The next you're up 2. and then down 1. And then all of a sudden you feel different your clothes magically get loose in one single day and you've lost 5. And that's 5 that doesn't come back. That's an official new low spot on the scale. Odd but true. It's been a roller coaster - but it's going tin the right direction. My midsection is down 6 inches since December 1 of 2013. Until next week...

1. Yes I do - 6 days a week at 5:30am 2. It certainly helps and after the initial shock/soreness it makes you feel great 3. Lunch of Champions!!