The Tom Brady Diet

Being Superbowl Sunday I thought it fitting to write about Tom Brady, the man who is always on a diet. I believe we should always be on a diet. But just like Brady, I'm not afraid to cheat if I have an occasional craving. I'm talking about once a week, not every day. Brady might be the only Pro-athlete that doesn't conform to the team's strict dietary regiment. 

At 43 years old, Tom Brady's career is still going strong.

And what's interesting about his continued dominance in the NFL is that, unlike other elite athletes, Brady is transparent about how he maintains his level of high performance.

It’s almost as if by divulging his secrets to health, fitness, and diet, he’s daring his opponents to try to match his level.

The former New England Patriots, now Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has previously detailed his diet in his 2017 book, The TB12 Method. His approach to eating is what some (okay, most) people would call strict. Here’s how he explained his diet, in a broad summary, within that book.

“The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies,” Brady wrote. “Some of these principles have been around for thousands of years. My nutritional regimen may seem restrictive to some people, but to me, it feels unnatural to eat any other way.”

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MEN'S HEALTH

“Many people have conditioned their bodies to a nutritional regiment made up of lots of white or pale-looking foods—french fries, potato chips, white bread, chicken nuggets—that don’t exist in nature.”

Except that Brady, in an exclusive interview with Men's Health, explained that his diet isn't as strict as it seems. “Unfamiliar” to some maybe, but definitely not restrictive to the point where he can’t have anything.

So, what the heck does Tom Brady’s diet actually consist of?

A lot of fruit, a lot of recovery fluids, and just the right amount of pizza.

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Tom Brady consumes an astounding amount of liquid.

After he hops out of bed at 6 a.m., the first thing Brady reaches for is a 20-ounce glass of water infused with electrolytes. Then he sips a smoothie, which typically contains blueberries, bananas, nuts, and seeds. Pretty normal.

During his 8 a.m. workout, he drinks more electrolyte-infused water, followed by a post-workout protein shake.

Brady stresses the importance of hydration and drinks anywhere between 12 to 25 glasses of water a day—which is probably enough to fill the fish tank you always wanted as a kid.

However, Brady trains a lot harder than the average human being, so the 25 glasses of water make sense.

Tom Brady used to be really strict about the foods he eats.

In his 2017 book, Brady explained that he was focused on eating “alkalizing” foods, or foods meant to decrease inflammation in your body. For lunch, Brady would eat fish and vegetables, and his personal chef revealed that 80 percent of what the Brady household eats is vegetables.

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However, Brady says that he now gives himself some breathing room when it comes to his diet. "I have a friend who freaks out if it’s not the most organic this or that, and I’m like, 'That stress is going to harm you way more than eating that chip is,'" he explained.

That said, Brady does favor routine: berry-and-banana smoothies pre-workout; avocado and eggs for breakfast; salads with nuts and fish for lunch; hummus, guacamole, or mixed nuts for snacks; and roasted vegetables and chicken for dinner.

And in his gym and fridge tour, Brady revealed a fridge full of fruits like grapes, blueberries, apples, pears, bananas, and veggies like cucumbers, kale, and spinach. He likes to add TB12 electrolytes to his water, and he's a fan of recovery fluids.

On game days, his meals are simple: a smoothie and almond butter and jelly sandwich.

Tom Brady isn't afraid of cheat meals.

Brady doesn't mind treating himself, but if he does, it has to be worth it.

PAUL TAYLOR

"If I’m craving bacon, I have a piece. Same with pizza. You should never restrict what you really want. We’re humans, here for one life," the quarterback told Men's Health. "What’s changed as I’ve gotten older is now if I want pizza, I want the best pizza. I don’t eat a slice that tastes like shit and then wonder, 'Why am I eating shit pizza?'"

Want to know Brady's specific cheat food? Chocolate, of course.

Change Your Food, Change Your Life, Lose Weight

There have been thousands of studies done by scientists all over the world on the subject of eating good foods for better health. Everyone seems to agree, the way to good health is to eat fewer calories. In one study all the seniors that were interviewed were eating less than 2000 calories a day and women about 300 less than men. Women don’t metabolize calories the same as men. No one said that they felt like they were on a diet, they felt like they had plenty to eat. So I decided to try it. I was going to change, kick those bad habits of eating empty calories, and start eating food that would help my body.

First, I had to start keeping a record of my calorie intake. Then I knew I’d have to change some of the things I was eating so I could get more nutrition out of my calories. I could eat just bread and pastries and stay under 2000 calories but I’d run out of energy. I knew I’d have to maximize the nutrition in the calories so I had the energy to work, exercise and maintain my body.

I knew I’d have to give up eating a lot of the foods I liked and start eating the foods my body needed. Today it’s so much easier to get good information than in years past with all the information on the internet and the easy access using your cell phone or your laptop or use the computers at the library if you don’t have internet access at home. Today you can’t turn on a talk show on television or go to the bookstore without seeing something about diet and nutrition. There are thousands of websites and hundreds of books dealing with the subject.

Keeping a record of the food I was eating really helped me see what I was doing wrong. After a few weeks of keeping records, it’s easy for anyone to see the mistakes. The hardest part for me was giving up alcohol for several months until I reached my goal. After that, I eased back to a moderate one drink a day. Alcohol will mess with your metabolism and keep you from burning calories, and it also is a big source of calories. Yes, a lite beer is only 100 calories or some as little as 65 calories but the alcohol will interfere with your body’s ability to burn calories, so alcohol in general even if you stay below your proper calorie intake will keep you from burning calories. Once you reach your goal one drink a day won’t hurt, but you’re not trying to lose weight only maintain it.

You don’t have to go without food to lose weight, just stop eating the junk and start eating the good stuff. Cut your portions and don’t skip meals. Skipping meals will keep you from losing weight. Everyone thinks I’m lying but eating will spike your metabolism and that’s what burns calories. Eat something as early as possible and try to eat something small about 6 times a day. Just remember small portions all day long. When I was trying to lose I would stick to 300 calories at a meal and 6 meals a day. Others have more luck, with a three-meal plan that reverses meal size. You eat the largest meal for breakfast. Smaller at lunch and only a snack size meal for dinner. You might have heard of it. You eat like a King for breakfast, a Prince for lunch, and Pulper for dinner. The idea is to consume 80% of your calories early in the day so you have time to burn them. That's the opposite of what people do today. Today we eat too much at night and we don't do any activities to burn the calories. That's the time of day when your metabolism is almost dormant. This means most of the food you're consuming at night will be turned into fat. Only a small part will be digested. 

The fastest way to start losing weight is to change your eating habits. 

Eat real food for breakfast like Oatmeal or one egg and one piece of Bacon or Canadian Bacon(ham). To jump-start your metabolism you need to eat some protein the first hour your up. Some people who always seem to be pressed for time will make a protein shake and drink it while their driving. You can make those shakes the night before bed then take them out of the frig in the morning and blend them and pour them. In two minutes you're gone, you have coffee later. That's about 300 calories.

Next, because you packed snacks the night before, around 10 a.m. while you're drinking coffee, you have a Greek Yogurt or half a sandwich with real cheese not processed or peanut butter, just be careful what your buying, read the labels. Personally, I buy the ground peanuts, they're in paste form like peanut butter, but they have no additives. Manufacturers use palm oil in jar peanut butter and I never eat palm oil or those other chemicals. 

Lunch is next about three hours later and if you bagged your lunch then you want to eat a sandwich and a piece of fruit. Try to only have bottled water or tea with no sugar. You should be drinking about 4 bottled water at work, one every two hours. I can get a little tired of plain water so I flavor it with lemon juice, no calories in that. Sometimes I bring celery or radishes to eat with the sandwich at lunch. Both of them have lots of nutrition. This is another low-calorie meal, but it only has to last you 3 hours and then you can eat again. When you cut your calories, you want every calorie to count for increased energy. And you don't want to get your energy from sugar highs. Lunch is where most of us go off the diet. You're out with a friend and you're in a restaurant looking at the menu and trying to do damage control by not eating anything that will add pounds but you're trying to eat normally so you don't have to explain what you ordered. I always order salads for lunch in a restaurant. I try to order one with seafood, like shrimp and I get the salad plain and then I put olive oil and lemon. It might not be what you like but I had to get used to eating lots of things I never had before and you will get to, it's not bad tasting food, it's just not what you are used to. Again, I drink water with lemon or iced tea no sweetener. 

Mid-afternoon, about 3 hours after lunch you want about a 300 calorie snack, so I'd have greek yogurt and a piece of fruit. I pick greek yogurt because there's less added sugar, Get your sugar from the fruit you eat, not out of a packet or as an additive in your food. Personally, I buy the greek yogurt plain and add my own fruit. I buy the blueberries or strawberries in the frozen food section, there's nothing added. But if you're bringing your snacks from home you have many choices. You want to stay within the daily calorie count and you want something nutritious. Another idea would be a handful of mixed nuts or just almonds.

Dinner is next about three hours later and for dinner, that's when I eat meat and usually a vegetable or a salad with fruit and vegetables. No gravy on the meat. No salad dressing, use olive oil and lemon or vinegar. When eating meat, I try to eat fish as much as possible and white meat chicken, or turkey about twice a week. When I was trying to drop pounds I was following the Mediterranean diet and I'll go over that in more detail later in the book.

Finally, the sixth meal was about three hours after dinner. I'd have another greek yogurt. You can substitute with fruit if you like.

That was my whole day and you will lose weight, you'll have lots of energy and you won't be hungry. You might want to skip that last snack if you eat dinner late and go to bed early. Try not to eat the last two hours before bed.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Until February 23rd Smashwords has a sale on my ebook for $.99, don’t miss out. This book is a one-stop-shop for all your weight loss questions. Use the coupon code CL77K.

Choosing Healthy Protein

We know we have to eat protein and for Americans the protein of choice is meat.

Making healthy protein choices is more about the fats that accompany the proteins and the preparation methods than it is about the actual proteins themselves. Look for protein sources that are lower in saturated fats, a little higher in mono and unsaturated fats, and prepared in healthy ways.

Okay, I'm going to spell it out, when you eat protein you're also getting fats and you prepare any meat, you use cooking oil or lard, so I'm not saying that you should stop eating protein, but the kind of protein you eat and the way you prepare meat can increase your risk for heart trouble. Animal fats will clog the arteries that carry blood throughout the body causing bad circulation and that causes heart trouble.

A fish fillet baked with lemon and almonds is an example of a healthy protein choice. Roasting a chicken breast and topping it with salsa would also be another healthy example. Seafood and poultry have different types of fat that are not harmful to the body.

A porterhouse steak is full of protein and tastes delicious, but it is not as healthy as poultry or fish due to all of the saturated fats usually found in red meat.

For most people, it's a good idea to limit red meat consumption to only a couple of meals each month. Processed meats, like lunch meats, are poor sources of protein too, because the fats and ingredients used to make them have been linked to cancer, and some people also worry about hotdogs and brain tumors.

Of course, fish and chicken may not always be healthy. Fried fish sticks or breaded and fried chicken are not good protein choices because this type of cooking adds unhealthy fats and extra calories.

Meats may be cooked on a grill. This method of cooking can be healthy as long as you take care not to char the meat. Use indirect heat and choose cuts of meat lower in fat to prevent charring.

Other healthy protein sources include legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Vegetables and grains also contain some protein. These plant sources contain polyunsaturated fats, some of which are beneficial to your health. You will learn more about the different types of fats in the next two lessons.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

If you need 2,000 calories per day, then about 300 to 400 calories should come from protein.

One gram of protein has four calories, so that means you would need 100 grams of protein each day. One ounce of protein is about 28 grams, so you need about four ounces of protein each day. One cup of diced chicken breast meat has about 45 grams of protein or just less than two ounces. Three ounces of canned tuna has 20 grams of protein or about two-thirds of an ounce of protein.

So how do you turn this into the right number of portions? One serving of meat is usually about three ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards, and has around 20 grams of protein. One cup of low-fat milk has about eight grams of protein. Twelve almonds have about three grams of protein.

Vegetarians and Incomplete Proteins

Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, and incomplete proteins are missing one or more of the individual essential amino acids. Proteins from animal origin contain all of the essential amino acids, but proteins from plant sources do not. This means that a diet based on plant protein requires the right combinations of protein sources to get enough of all of the essential amino acids.

People who regularly eat meat, dairy, and eggs don't need to be concerned with combining proteins since meat, eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy products all contain complete proteins. Vegetarians and vegans may choose complementary proteins to get all the essential amino acids.

For example, grains are very low in the essential amino acid lysine, but legumes contain large amounts of lysine, so grains and legumes are considered complementary. When you eat both grains and legumes during the day, you will consume the lysine you need.

Here are some combinations of complementary plant proteins. They don't need to be combined at every meal as long as you get enough of the various proteins each day:

Grains plus legumes. Try black beans and rice.
Nuts and seeds plus legumes. Lentil soup with a serving of almonds on the side.
Corn plus legumes. Try pinto beans in a corn tortilla.
There are lots of possible combinations.

Try whole-grain pasta tossed with peas, almonds, and Low-Fat Vegan Alfredo Sauce.

Whole wheat toast with peanut butter will give you a complete protein.

Bean soup with whole-grain crackers.

Corn tortillas with refried beans and rice.

A vegetarian or vegan diet that includes legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds will supply all of the essential amino acids. Soy protein is a complete protein, and eating soy will provide you with all of the essential amino acids.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Until February 23rd Smashwords has a sale on my ebook for $.99, don’t miss out. This book is a one-stop-shop for all your weight loss questions. Use the coupon code CL77K.

Is Sugar Bad For The Brain?

5.3 million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease, and that number is projected to sharply increase as our population ages. As we look at various ways to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, including mild cognitive impairment, one of the many areas that have been studied frequently is that of sugar.

We Americans, in general, love our sugar. But is it possible that sugar increases our likelihood of developing dementia?

Research on Sugar and Cognitive Functioning

There's an already established link between type 2 diabetes and the development of dementia. But how does sugar affect people who don't have diabetes?

Multiple studies have been conducted on how sugar, or more specifically, glucose levels in our blood, impact cognition. A few of them include the following:

• In 2008, the journal Neuroepidemiology published research that measured the fasting insulin levels of more than 1,400 middle-aged women who did not have diabetes. Beginning 10 years later, the researchers measured the cognitive ability of these women over the next four years. They found that the women who had higher insulin levels in mid-life were more likely to experience cognitive decline later in life.
• In 2013, the journal Neurology reported on a study where researchers again found that higher blood sugar levels were associated with significantly poorer performance on cognitive tests measuring delayed recall, memory, and learning. This study involved 141 participants with an average age of 63 years old, none of whom had diabetes.

• An article published in 2013 in the Physiology and Behavior journal described research involving 98 participants without diabetes. The scientists measured each person's cognition by using the Stroop test, which is widely considered to be an accurate measure of the brain's executive functioning ability. The results indicated that participants with an inability to regulate their glucose levels achieved lower scores on the Stroop test, indicating decreased cognitive ability. The researchers stated, "Our results indicate that even mild hyperglycemia in the non-diabetic range is associated with attentional processing difficulties in a sample of younger adults." 

How About Sugar Intake?

The British Journal of Nutrition in 2011 outlined a study that sought to determine if sugar intake (not blood glucose levels) affects cognitive functioning. 737 people without diabetes, ages 45 to 75, were involved in this study, which was part of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study conducted from 2004-2009. The participants' cognition was measured by a variety of tests including the Stroop test, clock-drawing test, digit span test, and verbal fluency tests. These results were compared to the amount of sugar ingested by each person. The researchers found that in general, higher levels of sugar intake were correlated with lower cognitive scores.

Effect on the Brain

Not only does research show a connection between cognitive functioning and blood sugar levels, but it also has demonstrated a correlation with actual brain size and structure. A study reported in Neurology found that higher blood glucose levels in people without diabetes were correlated with brain atrophy (shrinkage) in the hippocampal areas and the amygdala.

White sugar or refined sugar is the problem and it should be avoided like the plague. 

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, BN.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Until February 23 Smashwords is running a sale on my ebooks for $.99 this is your chance to pick up a good read very cheap. I one-stop shop for all the information you need to change your diet, lose weight, lose body fat, and find out why you’re having trouble.  Use the code CL77K

Choosing Healthy Protein

We know we have to eat protein and for Americans the protein of choice is meat.

Making healthy protein choices is more about the fats that accompany the proteins and the preparation methods than it is about the actual proteins themselves. Look for protein sources that are lower in saturated fats, a little higher in mono and unsaturated fats, and prepared in healthy ways.

Okay, I'm going to spell it out, when you eat protein you're also getting fats and you prepare any meat, you use cooking oil or lard, so I'm not saying that you should stop eating protein, but the kind of protein you eat and the way you prepare meat can increase your risk for heart trouble. Animal fats will clog the arteries that carry blood throughout the body causing bad circulation and that causes heart trouble.

A fish fillet baked with lemon and almonds is an example of a healthy protein choice. Roasting a chicken breast and topping it with salsa would also be another healthy example. Seafood and poultry have different types of fat that are not harmful to the body.

A porterhouse steak is full of protein and tastes delicious, but it is not as healthy as poultry or fish due to all of the saturated fats usually found in red meat.

For most people, it's a good idea to limit red meat consumption to only a couple of meals each month. Processed meats, like lunch meats, are poor sources of protein too, because the fats and ingredients used to make them have been linked to cancer, and some people also worry about hotdogs and brain tumors.

Of course, fish and chicken may not always be healthy. Fried fish sticks or breaded and fried chicken are not good protein choices because this type of cooking adds unhealthy fats and extra calories.

Meats may be cooked on a grill. This method of cooking can be healthy as long as you take care not to char the meat. Use indirect heat and choose cuts of meat lower in fat to prevent charring.

Other healthy protein sources include legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Vegetables and grains also contain some protein. These plant sources contain polyunsaturated fats, some of which are beneficial to your health. You will learn more about the different types of fats in the next two lessons.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

If you need 2,000 calories per day, then about 300 to 400 calories should come from protein.

One gram of protein has four calories, so that means you would need 100 grams of protein each day. One ounce of protein is about 28 grams, so you need about four ounces of protein each day. One cup of diced chicken breast meat has about 45 grams of protein or just less than two ounces. Three ounces of canned tuna has 20 grams of protein or about two-thirds of an ounce of protein.

So how do you turn this into the right number of portions? One serving of meat is usually about three ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards, and has around 20 grams of protein. One cup of low-fat milk has about eight grams of protein. Twelve almonds have about three grams of protein.

Vegetarians and Incomplete Proteins

Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, and incomplete proteins are missing one or more of the individual essential amino acids. Proteins from animal origin contain all of the essential amino acids, but proteins from plant sources do not. This means that a diet based on plant protein requires the right combinations of protein sources to get enough of all of the essential amino acids.

People who regularly eat meat, dairy, and eggs don't need to be concerned with combining proteins since meat, eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy products all contain complete proteins. Vegetarians and vegans may choose complementary proteins to get all the essential amino acids.

For example, grains are very low in the essential amino acid lysine, but legumes contain large amounts of lysine, so grains and legumes are considered complementary. When you eat both grains and legumes during the day, you will consume the lysine you need.

Here are some combinations of complementary plant proteins. They don't need to be combined at every meal as long as you get enough of the various proteins each day:

Grains plus legumes. Try black beans and rice.
Nuts and seeds plus legumes. Lentil soup with a serving of almonds on the side.
Corn plus legumes. Try pinto beans in a corn tortilla.
There are lots of possible combinations.

Try whole-grain pasta tossed with peas, almonds, and Low-Fat Vegan Alfredo Sauce.

Whole wheat toast with peanut butter will give you a complete protein.

Bean soup with whole-grain crackers.

Corn tortillas with refried beans and rice.

A vegetarian or vegan diet that includes legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds will supply all of the essential amino acids. Soy protein is a complete protein, and eating soy will provide you with all of the essential amino acids.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Until February 23 Smashwords is running a sale on my ebooks for $.99 this is your chance to pick up a good read very cheap. I one-stop shop for all the information you need to change your diet, lose weight, lose body fat and find out why you’re having trouble.  Use the code CL77K

Define "Cleaning Eating"

Eating "clean" is gaining traction — but what does it actually mean, and how is it good for the body? You hear about it almost every day if your reading food blogs or watching cooking shows.

Clean eating is a deceptively simple concept. Rather than revolving around the idea of ingesting more or less of specific things (for instance, fewer calories or more protein), the idea is more about being aware of the food's pathway between its origin and your plate. At its simplest, clean eating is about eating whole foods, or "real" foods — those that are un-processed, refined, and handled, making them as close to their natural form as possible. However, modern food production has become so sophisticated that simply eating whole foods can be a challenging proposition these days.

Stores like Whole Foods have changed the food scene. We have more mini grocery's that specialize in fresh foods, organic foods, and healthier brands. Ten or fifteen years ago we had 3 major grocery's where I live, and we had Whole Foods and convenient foods in gas stations. Today the scene is much different. Healthy foods are becoming commonplace in the majors and small grocery chains are springing up throughout the city selling organic, fresh, healthy food. Restaurants are starting to offer healthy food on the menu. The difference is today the public demands it. A menu will have to show the calorie count. And recently the FDA what's food manufacturers to put the amount of added sugar on food labels. These changes won't happen immediately but the changes will be a good thing for consumers.

Not eating processed foods is the biggest part of "eating clean". I was surprised to learn how many people don't really understand what foods are considered to be processed foods. Most people don't realize that bread is processed food and that some cheese is processed. These new kinds of milk like soy milk and almond milk are processed foods and may have chemical additives.

I just finished a sugar detox recently. For 10 days I couldn't eat anything with added sugar. I'm glad I did the detox, but it's difficult finding foods or drinks without sugar.  I had to just buy the basics and make my own food. It's very healthy and I learned a lot and I have no regrets. The hardest part was not eating in restaurants. The other hard part was only drinking water, tea, and coffee. I could add lemon for flavor and add cinnamon to black coffee. I could eat salads in some restaurants but no salad dressing, only lemon, oil, or vinegar.

The reason I mentioned the sugar detox is if you want to get a taste of what it's like to "eat clean", try a sugar detox.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Until February 23 Smashwords is running a sale on my ebooks for $.99 this is your chance to pick up a good read very cheap. I one-stop shop for all the information you need to change your diet, lose weight, lose body fat and find out why you’re having trouble.  

About My Ebooks

This is a little different post than I usually write. I want to thanks the hundreds of people who bought a copy of one of my ebooks. I’m not a professional writer, I just like to write and a friend of mine once told me if I’m going to write I have to write about a subject I love. A subject I can write about every day. A subject that I have personally experienced.

I picked weight loss because I have A lifetime of experience. I started wrestling in school when I was 12 years old. I was in 8th grade when the high school coach came to my school and talked to us about joining the wrestling team. I was a big kid, better suited for football, but I want to do both football and wrestling. The coach would come to my school after classes and taught us how to wrestle. We learned the rules and some of the moves and the strategy. By the time I was a Sophomore I was put on the Varsity team.

My best year was the Junior year when I when to State. That’s what we all competed for, just a chance to go to the State competition.

If you know anything about wrestling, it’s a constant battle to make weight. I wrestled 180 weight class for 3 years. During football season in the fall, I weighed 190. Wrestling started one week after football and the first match was one week after that. So I had two weeks to lose 10 pounds. It’s not that hard when you’re in high school. Your age helps, I started training for wrestling season the Monday after my last football game. We had to run 5 miles every day before we started practice. After 3 minutes on the mat, I was a mass of sweat. I could lose two pounds a day in practice, but I would go home and drink gallons of juice, milk, and water before dinner and put back whatever I lost. The weekends were the hardest to control my weight, but I learned how and I never missed a match.

My senior year was very important If I was going to get a scholarship. I got hurt in football and spent 2 months on crutches. After the doctor said I could play sports again, I weighed about 190 and the coach said I could come back but the only weight class open was 165. I only had 3 weeks before my first match. I made weight for my first match but I was so weak I could barely survive the 6 minutes. I lost that match and several after that and lost a chance for the scholarship I wanted. I tried to wrestle in College but the injury was in my hip and lower back. I had trouble running and I spent most of that season on crutches. That was the end of sports for me.

At least, that’s what I thought at the time. After I finished school, my wife and I got married and I started driving for Coca-Cola. The job was hard work, I had a bottle route delivering to bars, restaurants, and factories. I would unload the truck by hand alone making about 20 stops a day. 12 hours a day was the norm.

I lost 20 pounds my first couple of years with Coke. I started at 185 and soon dropped to 165. After about 5 years with Coke, I was tired of the long commute and I changed jobs. I worked heavy construction for about 5 years until we moved out of state.

The construction job was just as hard so I easily maintained my weight until we bought a restaurant. The work was just as hard with even longer hours but the access to food was almost constant. Over the next 3 or 4 years, I gained 60 pounds. The moment when reality set in was when I had to buy size 38 jeans, after being a 32 for almost 20 years.

That’s when I knew I had to lose weight. I was in my late 30’s and didn’t have a regular doctor so no one was pushing me to lose weight. I just feel bad, not physically, but emotionally. I was depressed by the fact that I had let myself get in this kind of shape after being in near perfect condition since I started to wrestle.

Losing the weight was a long process that took several years because no matter how much I lost, I always put it back on. I tried almost everything and finally, years later I had made it back to the 170s. I stayed there for several years. I became content with myself or maybe I just got tired of dieting.

That’s when I retired and started writing. After a few years of blogging, I had enough research material and time to try writing a book. I didn’t have any intention of getting it published but after more than one year of working on the book and getting some good comments, I decided to turn it into an ebook. Even if no one buys the book, It doesn’t cost that much, so why not.

When I began to look into publishing, I found hundreds of books already on weight loss. I couldn’t believe how many pages of books I found. That’s when I decided to keep blogging and use the posts to tell readers about the ebook. That was several years ago and the sales were slow, but in the last couple of years the sales have picked up.

My second ebook is selling much better. Personally, I think it’s because I picked a better cover. My first ebook had a plain cover, not very interesting, But I thought the material was good.

My second ebook is sold through a different publisher. I spent more time picking the cover give it more color.

So to sum this up before it becomes more boring, again I want to thank the hundreds of people who have bought ebooks and I hope you found some value in them.