My New Podcast Has Dropped!

The Weighting has begun…a weekly podcast as I work to lose the final 20 of 101 pounds. 

After more work than I imagined, and the help of a wonderful producer and dear friends, my podcast, The Weighting, is live on iTunes, Google Play and SoundCloud and more. 

If you are interested in following me on my journey to see if I can lose my 101st pound by Independence Day click and subscribe. I’ll be talking to smart people about exercise, fitness, psychology and nutrition. And I’ll be talking to you about how to set goals for yourself and turn your wishes into realities. 

Here’s some links to the first two episodes; please subscribe, listen and rate us so others can hear about one man’s story of setting and meeting goals one pound at a time. 

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weighting/id1386717204

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/avidzell/the-weighting-episode-1

Losing Twelve Pounds the Hard Way

Over the past few weeks I found out my diagnostic skills, at least on myself, need a little work. An overlooked appendix almost killed me and made me more grateful than ever for becoming fit later in life. 

A few weeks ago, after a full day of work, gym and even a date (during which I felt zero pain—hormones are amazing), I decided to admit myself to an emergency room in Midtown Manhattan for what I thought was “food poisoning.” Since about 3 PM I had been having bouts of extreme pain around my abdomen, something that had happened a few times across the past six months. At 10:30 I had had enough and made myself get dressed and head to a local ER. Almost from the start, the intern thought it was my appendix. I told him “no, no, I have ruled out appendicitis.” A few CAT scans and a lot of moaning later, I got the word—I was not going home—I had to have an appendectomy STAT. About 18 hours later I was consulting with a surgeon and a few hours after that awoke to find myself one bloated appendix lighter. 

Very few of my clients ever follow my orders for care, and as a result I am an ideal patient. Despite my rigid adherence to all of my recovery rules,  the past few weeks afterwords have been up and down. I will have a good day or two, hop back into work and then hit a wall. My recovery is slower than I would like but it sure beats the alternative. So my workouts, with the exception of a few runs and a modified weight routine, are not taking place. So much for a six pack by my birthday. 

Happily, my weight has stabilized and actually declined over the past month. I weighed myself the morning of January 8th and was 220 pounds. I had a heavy weight day and running the day before and weight lifting typically increases my body weight the day after a hard workout. That night I was admitted to the ER and missed my 5 am weigh-ins until the 12th, four days later. I had been weighing myself daily for so long I did not know what to expect when I hit the scales that Friday. My weight was up—223.6. 

An M.D. friend of mine had told me that I would see a rapid decline in weight as my recovery continued and he was right. For most of the next week I lost at least a pound and sometimes two pounds a day. Not working out, consuming 1900 calories and 200+ grams of protein daily but the weight dropped and dropped even more. I had a few workout days and those are the days you see weight increases. But on the whole the past thirty days has been amazing, with my weight on February 3rd (212.6) being the lightest weight I have ever been.  

If you look at the chart, you can see I was actually the 

lightest I have ever been as an adult on February 3rd

Thursday morning before I left the hospital, one of the residents was looking at my incisions and was amazed at how well I was doing. He praised me, say that the only reason my recovery was so rapid was that I came to the hospital in “tip-top shape.” Those words have been echoing in my head ever sense—tip-top shape. It’s hard for a former fatty to digest the idea (pun intended) that I am no longer who I have been my entire life. Despite the amazing daily weigh-ins and the slim-fitted suits and the “likes” and “winks” I get on dating apps, a part of me still sees a fat guy where one used to be. That resident’s comment, said in passing as he continued his rounds, gave me one more reason to stay the course. 

Being in control of my eating puts me in control of my life. 

David Ezell is a life coach and therapist, with clients in Connecticut, New York and around the world via the Internet. If you want to make a change for the best, make an appointment for a consultation by writing him at Info@DavidEzell.com or calling 347.302.2585. 

Being ON is Just as Important as Being OFF

My first trip abroad has been a massive challenge to my ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am really ready to resume my fairly tedious dietary life. 

Yesterday in London was awesome for me. Why? I found a gym that had the basics I needed and did a double workout. I really craved the neural release that comes with being connected to my body, and loved the sense of normal that comes with exercise. 

I was also benefitting from the confidence that comes with reestablishing a handle on my nutrition. After loading up Saturday at Holland & Barrett, I packed my bag with 2100 calories and 200 grams of protein, while also factoring in a half a piece of fish and some chips (I am in London after all). 

The gym, Nuffield Health in Covent Gardens was a labyrinth, as so many city gyms are, stairs down and more stairs down and then stairs up and around to the changing room and gym floor. The staff was nice but the facility was so-so — not enough variety in equipment, no wifi — but it was clean and I was able to hobble together a kick-ass workout and then got in a full 2.5 mile run as well. I then ate a bit and ran around London. When I got back to my hotel room I looked in my food bag and was amazed — I had over 1000 calories I had no consumed. It seems my body clock was still off causing my under-eating. I was going to dinner at the London Playboy Club so at least I had plenty of room to explore. 

At the Club, I had an amazing meal and hands down the best Caesar salad I have ever had. The meal was primarily meat to keep my protein up, but I still had to eat some more when I got back to keep my numbers in place. 

And then today I made a major discovery — London takes Christmas very seriously. The tube shuts down, regional trains are closed, Victoria Station is sealed shut. I was going to store my bags at Victoria, grab a workout and then take a long self-guided walking tour before my flight. Luggage storage was all closed. No gyms are open, at least that I could find. So I walked 1.5 miles to an open Pret with my luggage and decided to wave the white flag. A $100+ Uber ride got me to the airport as it was that or a 2 1/2 hour bus ride with hundreds of other puzzled travelers. 

So here i sit fairly late into the day and I still have a 9 hour flight ahead of me. So my day is going to be….

The above sentence is unfinished because my flight was called and I slid into business class, watched movies, played games and came to a realization: time off means time off from scrutinizing my diet and recording every morsel. I started thinking about the professional athlete I have worked with for years — I know he takes time off from his training and nutrition, he has talked to me about it many times. I started thinking about the coach of another big sport who has mentioned the importance time off plays in training for himself and his players. And I thought about basketball, baseball, football — all have seasons where players are on and equally off. 

So that my friends, is the end of me attempting to control my diet when I am away. That said, healthy eating is contagious (just like unhealthy eating I suppose). Me “cheating” means using butter on a piece of bread or eating an extra protein bar, not downing a pint of ice cream or getting drunk and binging. So letting my hair down is not that big a deal based on who I am in 2017. 

And the result of the overeating and under-eating and no gym? I weighed in at 5:30 EST — very nervous might I might add — and I gained a whopping 2.2 pounds while I was away. Big deal. All that worry for a 34-ounce gain. 

So what now? Back to it folks. I know what happens when I don’t exercise and eat well — I get fat, out of shape and depressed. So the choice is clear and I’m going back to what I did to lose all that weight and keep it off. After all, I’ve still got major goals ahead!  

Happy Boxing Day to you all — see you in the gym.

The Downside of Being a Mammal

Just like squirrels, bears and cows, we slow down when the temperatures drop. Slower achievement can make us feel like changes aren’t occurring, even if they are. Feelings are not facts. 

I diligently (some would say obsessively) weigh myself every morning at 5 AM. That data has given me a great deal of insight into what works and what does not with regard to my fitness, training and diet. It also helps me make accurate predictions about my progress. Most of the time I can predict how much loss will occur with pretty surprising accuracy, especially considering my compromised numeric skills. 

Keeping that in mind, I have noted a rather disappointing trend in that my weight loss has plateaued despite my moderately good (I hesitate to call them “best”) efforts at being disciplined. You see, I put on a good show with regard to weighing myself, recording my food and going to the gym. But I’m a tad bit of a fraud. How? Well, despite my preaching the gospel of writing EVERYTHING down that I eat and drink, there are a few indulgences that typically don’t effect my long-term goals. 

For example, I don’t record the skim milk calories in my coffee, typically I use between 6–9 ounces a day. Another allowance I give myself is pickles and watermelon. If I am hitting the wall with regard to macros and I still need a nosh to get me through, pickles and/or watermelon are my defaults. On long days with a small amount of calories I will go between one or the other based on the needs of my palate and what I think will satiate me. Up until now this has worked; but as it gets colder and I move less frequently and more slowly, my numbers are alarmingly static so every calorie is suspect. 

I’ve been told most bears don’t truly hibernate,

 they sleep for long periods called “torpor.” 

(photo courtesy of fun-with-pictures.com) 

Humans are animals, mammals by vertebrate class, and mammals slow down (and in some cases totally stop) when the temperatures drop. Humans are not immune to that process and I am feeling the effects of shorter days, longer nights and frosty mornings as I make my way to the gym. As a result my march towards losing 101 pounds is more like a saunter in December.

I feel like the weight is not coming off to my liking. But when I study the facts I am reminded of one of the central tenants of cognitive behavioral theory — feelings are not facts. Just because I feel something is true does not mean it is. Keeping that in mind, let’s examine the facts. 

During this time of year most people gain weight — on average about a thirteen pound weight gain starting in October (per a study done by Cornell University). Not only have I not gained any weight, I’ve dropped some weight over that time as you can see below. Yes it has peaks and valleys — totally normal for weight loss, but the jagged line continues along a negative slope — with the peak being 231 in mid-September and the lowest point being 218 in the first week of December (my lowest recorded weight is 217 even on December 15th — 83 pounds lost total. 

Keeping that in mind makes me feel better I did not gain since October, I have lost. And if we factor in the typical seasonal gain, the results are even more impressive. Take Thanksgiving Day; the day after I gained .02 pounds by eating whatever I wanted but eating small portions. I have changed my thoughts about food. I don’t have to gorge myself to enjoy the flavors of the season. I have a more sophisticated relationship with food and that come from examining the beliefs around it not only in everyday life, but on holidays and special occasions as well. 

Speaking of holidays and special occasions, I am going to London for Christmas. On the trip as I make my way across that sprawling metropolis I going to work hard to keep my waistline from sprawling by working out and finding healthy ways to eat like a Brit while I’m there. 

What foods do you think are truly British? Tweet them to me DavidEzell and I’ll put them on the list. And if you have a suggestion for great eating, healthy eating, or both, send those my way as well. 

Oh Those Holiday Parties…

December is a time to let go, right? WRONG!

This morning I got up, meditated, did my morning routine and then planned my nutritional day. I do that by opening up my favorite food tracking app, MyMacros Plus, and mapping out my eating for the day. I am currently feeding down and that means on Mondays I am allowed 2100 calories; the only restriction is that my protein consumption cannot be less than 200 grams. 

On normal days where I am in control of my eating I simply fill up my bag with food and slowly nibble away until the last bite is gone. Once that happens if I get a craving to nibble I “cheat” with my old standbys — sugar-free bubble gum, cough drops and occasionally a few pickles or some egg whites if I’m really famished. 

The thing is, I’m not always in control of my eating plan this time of year primarily because of holiday parties. As I continue to network and build my practice I get more and more offers for holiday happy hours and end of the year sit down dinners. And since they are at the end of the day, usually between 6 and 8 pm, my resolve is low, the goodies are plentiful and just the right price — free. So planning in advance is the key to sustained success. 

So what to do? Well I have two approaches that I freely offer to you dear readers: 1. Don’t Eat! or 2. Build the get together into your day. 

Option One is the easiest — at least from a planning perspective — and exactly what I did Thursday night when I went to an awesome get together at The Goose in downtown Darien. I grazed throughout the day as always (usually six small meals around 350 to 400 calories) finishing my last meal about 6:15 pm on the train to the event. Knowing that I had event at the day’s end, I left myself around 300 calories to play with by omitting parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds from my Thursday salads, just in case I was feeling left out. 

Once I got to Darien I told the bartender I wanted a drink that looked like alcohol but was just seltzer (imagine a nice garnish, a straw and a swizzle stick or two) because alcohol is empty calories and lowers even the stronger resolve. There were tons of goodies floating about — chips and dip, handmade sliders and hand-tossed pizza — all of which I passed on thanks to my trust seltzer with lime.

Then I spotted a “safe” food that I could nibble; broiled prawns with cocktail sauce. I had around 8 ounces of shrimp and dipped each in cocktail sauce, equaling around 200 calories and 46 grams of protein — thank goodness I had saved myself some nibble room. 

When dinner came I sat next to some really interesting people. The man to my right had lost a considerable amount of weight some years past (and had beat the odds and kept it off), so we had loads to discuss. And the woman to my right, a family therapist from Fairfield, was a delight. 

The waiter slowly made his way around and everyone placed their orders — steak, lobster rolls, seafood au gratin —all way outside of my daily dietary orbit. When the waiter came to me I told him to bring me a plain dinner salad with no dressing and no bread. My plan for the rest of the night was to move the salad around on my plate and keep the conversation going. Why not skip ordering? People don’t tend to like that. They will cajole me and tell me how I should “just have a little bit” or even encourage me to “take a break the night.” But with food in front of me few people noticed and I avoided making others uncomfortable. I went home delighted with my numbers and the next morning my weight was right on track — 219 even. I was so proud of myself for holding the course and doing what needed to be done. 

Was I temped by seafood au gratin and sliders? What do you think? Of course I was—it’s homemade sliders with cheese! But after decades of struggle I know how it works — if I eat off course I am going to put weight back on, it’s just that simple. So while I am sometimes tempted I don’t waiver. I know what not being disciplined gets me and I never want to go back to that again. 

Later this week I will discuss plan two in detail and give you a real-world example from Sunday when I met friends for lunch across from Grand Central Station. But now — off to workout! Have a great Monday! 

Where Have I Been? Sick… :(

Food poisoning has kept me out of sorts for the past week so blogging has been on hold.

I got a few really nice notes asking where I have been. And the answer is right here, flat on my back sick. I will be writing a post about what I learned from severe food poisoning, but right now I’m going to join friends for Thanksgiving in lower Manhattan.

So have a great day off, as will I, and I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow.

81 pounds down!

I’m delighted to say yesterday’s prediction of moving into the teens happened, even better than expected. Now the next step….

This morning I woke up a bit early and laid in bed, meditated, napped a bit more and then hit the scales. I was strangely anxious and really needed to see good news. I heard the “beep!” and looked down to see this glowing up at me: 

Needless to say, I was delighted. I was hoping for 219.9, so this is damn solid. I hopped off the scale, took the above picture and celebrated with my Starbucks cheat drink, a Masala Chai (70 calories) and my favorite protein bar, Stronger with caramel pretzel (300 calories, 25 grams of protein). 

I looked at my stats and realized this weight had not only moved me into the teens but made we only 20 pounds shy of my goal, 101 pounds lost. It’s been an amazing year for me and I’m stoked about finding what the next 20 pounds off will have to offer. 

I’ve gotten so much great response from writing about my journey — a woman stopped me outside Equinox and said she and her husband were pulling for me; a man at church tapped me on the shoulder and offered his support; and several of the phone calls we have gotten at our amazing mental health practice, Darien Wellness, over the past month have been inquiries about how people can work with me as a coach. It’s always a surprise and I am so grateful for the kind words and expressions of support. 

I actually already have a waiting list for clients in Connecticut (pleasant problem) so I have been thinking about a way I can help people keep weight off for life. I’m in the process of putting a plan together, and I still have some details to iron out. But once I have it all set up I’ll announce it here and across the web. 

Okay, I’m off to start the day — aerobics, writing, meetings and more — have a wonderful Friday! 

How Can I Lose Fat Fast?

work + time = value

You can't. You can lose water weight or you can deplete your body of muscle mass...but you can't lose body fat quickly. Sorry.

No one like the fact that weight loss takes exercise and smart food choices. It is that simple and that hard.

It takes thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of hours to become obese. Doesn't it make sense that it would take an equal, if not a greater, investment to reverse the process?

The rewards of being fit are multiple and well worth the work but it is WORK. Anything valuable is typically hard to attain. If it were not, it would not be of value.

Healthy Street Food in New York City

I talk to my clients about defensive eating with great regularity, as there are hidden traps in almost every meal you have.

Today let's consider one of my favs--street food. New York city is littered with food carts selling meals that average about five bucks, and a lot of calories, many twice what one meal should be for an average diet.

So how to make one of the cart meals congruent with fitness goals?

• NO FRIED FOOD--that means falafel, aka Arabic hush puppies, are a no-no. Street vendors love to stuff dishes with fried tidbits. Tell them no....and watch closely as many will try to sneak them in "for flavor."
• SAUCE--there is an overwhelming desire amongst street merchants to slide in sauces of all sorts. Whenever I ask what "that" is, they say "sauce." My advice--light on the sauce or no sauce at all.
• BROWN RICE--always ask about rice options in advance and never do white rice, which is the grain world's version of shredded lettuce. Golden rice may also be available and a good option.
• VEGGIES--some guys will have all sorts of toppings for your dish--tell them yes to everything, with a few exceptions. If you are being mindful of the calorie count, say no to cheese (I do) and black olives (I do most of the time).
  
• WHITE SAUCE--I know I just talked sauce. But this one, the most egregious of the street sauces, deserves its own bullet point. NO WHITE SAUCE. It is dairy based and packed, packed with calories.

So what do you eat Dave? I get chicken and rice with salad. I only get TWO scoops of rice, as a scoop is about one cup of rice, which equals 218 calories (or thereabouts). So an extra scoop can take your dish into the high calorie zone quickly. No sauce except for "hot sauce," which usually is vinegar or tomato based. I always say no to the previously mentioned white sauce and also barbecue, which can have lots of hidden calories as well. Total calories? About 665, but that is a rough estimate as one cart's calories can vary vastly from another.

What do you do if they won't listen to me or can't understand my questions, instructions or pleas for help? As Dionne Warwick sang so long ago, "Walk on By," there is another one a block away...and you'll get a little extra exercise in to boot.

Bon apetit mes amis.

What Do You Get From Exercising JUST ONE TIME?

I have felt this oh so many times before, nice to see it proven...the very act of exercising can make you feel better about your body.

My Exercise Class is (Temporarily) Full

I dread this time of year at my gym or any gym for that matter. Why? They are packed. Packed full of the usual gym bunnies and gym rats and other animals, but also one other species that tend to appear on a less frequent schedule than most mammals.

These are the creatures that come with very high-minded notions, good intent and shortsighted goals—the short-term jock (jockus temporous). They huff and puff, don't stretch properly, exercise with bad form and hop on the scales over and over. And once they discover they did not lose 27 pounds in three days, they hibernate until their birthday, or until they lose a girlfriend or catch a nude glance in a full-length mirror. These mysterious creatures are very common and not very well understood.

All kidding aside, this situation is a sad one, as these are folks who can’t succeed in the gym. They have good intentions but no clue on how to incorporate fitness into their lives. As a result they suffer not only from a variety of physical health issues, but also the emotional effects of a sedentary life. I work with some clients on issues relating to their bodies and exercise. And there are a few common threads that seem to always appear.

First, they have very high expectations. They expect to undo years of damage—muscle loss or high body fat—in a few days. And these high expectations put them at risk for failure.

Another common problem is they over indulge, just as they did with eating and the other bad habits that motivate them to join the gym in the first place. And just like the problem of expectations, these indulgences create a dynamic that insures they won’t be able to enjoy the long-term fruits of a healthy lifestyle.

As I mentioned above, this is one area of expertise I have as a life coach, helping people either reconnect with their body or discover it for the first time. So if you'd like to find out more about how I can help you unlock your "inner jock," just drop me a line.

Now I am gonna go wait in line for a Stairmaster...at least for another week or so... :)