Hello Everyone!

I have had a lot of people that are wondering why I would even be on any "diet plan" or anything that would involve losing weight.  I know it seems strange and for the most part if I didn't know what I know about nutrition and how your weight is in direct correlation to your health, I would probably keep on the way I am and chalk things up to my age or my activity level or my metabolism, or my "big bones" etc.  Many people don't know this, but when I was a teenager I constantly battled with my weight.  Growing up in an Italian household I was constantly surrounded by food.  All fresh, delicious food, but A LOT of it all the same.  And believe me I was not shy about going for seconds and thirds.

To this day, I can recall the first thing my Grandfather would say moments after coming into his house. "You wanna sandwich?"  And frankly, he always had the best cold cuts(that's lunch meat for the non easteners).  Nothing like a good salami, mortadella, capicola, and Virginia ham on Italian bread with a little mustard and mayo.  That's right.  We all have our favorites.  The thing is, and I don't believe I am saying this, when I was a kid we were outside running around on our bikes, walking for blocks on end, playing ball, etc.  And guess what?  I STILL had a problem with weight!

Fast forward to where we are now.  Kids spend hours in front of a computer or television detaching from the world and mostly from being ACTIVE in it.  The same foods exist, in fact many of them are much worse.  Childhood obesity strikes 1 in 3 kids today.  In my day they had Husky sizes, and if you were in those, you felt horrible.  I elected to instead where jeans that were waaaay too tight for me!  That's what embarrassment of a label will do for you.

So, what did I do when I was a graduated Senior in High School?  I went on a diet.  Oh, not just ANY diet.  I went down the road of the true obsessive compulsive and ate nothing but Escarole with garlic and oil, and bread.  Everyday.  That's all I would have for dinner.  On top of that, I ran 6 miles a day in 108 degree Texas heat!  Now, THAT'S healthy!  Right? I lost 30 lbs. Funny thing is, I wasn't really doing any strength training or anything that would build lean muscle.  Just dance and working in the theater carting stuff around the shop. That was "the gym" for me.

But hey!  I knocked off the weight right?  So, off I go to college and I am sooo proud of my new body that I won't risk going back.  Mind you, at this point I am at 145 lbs., well under what was probably healthy for me.  I am good at right around 165 lbs.  for my body type and height.  I remember this one girl catching me as I would rub my stomach to see if I gained weight or felt flabby.  She asked me if I has been heavier before and I told her yes I had.  It became something that was almost unconcious.  Over the years, my weight rose.  I'll never forget when I reached a wopping 155 lbs.  At this point,  I had discovered the gym having moved to California and gotten on Days of Our Lives.  On up the scale I went until finally I settled around 162 lbs.  At this point I was working on Guiding Light in New York.  I was about to become a father and as it happens I started to put on baby weight(yes, the Dad's actually gain the weight along with their wives. If they know what's good for them :)I was also back in the land of my roots with all the pizza, bagels and cream cheese, and canoli I could get.  Funny thing is, I still was super conscience of what I was eating, however I didn't enjoy it because I would always think, "I gotta work this off tomorrow."

I topped out at what was my heaviest in years of 170 lbs.  That's when I actually found karate.  I got in the best shape of my life.  I was training 4 times a week, 3 hours each time.  I had found a motivational place to invest myself physically and it paid off.  However, even though I was super trim and fit, I still thought if I fluctuated 3-4 pounds of water, it meant that I was out of shape.  I tried different diets bouncing back and forth from the Atkins to the pasta diet(don't ask) to the 1 meal a day diet, to the cigarette diet.  On and on, looking for one that just gave me the results.  I never quite found one until I moved back to LA.  I was training in a dojo in Studio City with an awesome Master.  I started working out with this one guy, a fellow actor who shall remain nameless because the guy was such a douche bag that I had to remove myself from any affiliation with him.  The one thing he did do for me however, was shame me enough to commit to a plan.  I always looked for "the quick fix" or the radical change to give me my results.  I found this diet called the Zone Diet.  The principle of it was to balance the amount of protein, carbs, and fat in your diet.  I started to see when  I followed a plan that this was what was missing for me.  I stayed with the principle's of this diet and found it actually worked!  It also stressed eating consistently every few hours, small meals with a proper balance of each protein, good carbs(meaning no bread), and good fats.  So, here was something that was now a coupling of diet and exercise.  Funny, it isn't some magical method.  It really was just as we had learned when we were in school health class. Eat a well balanced meal. Problem was we weren't being given those "well balanced meals" in school.  And they haven't gotten any better.  Even with the first ladies efforts.

My food odyssey as I will call it, is not unlike many who are struggling right now.  It's all just different degrees.  We all are in a learning process with our health.  However, one thing I do know is this.  We are at critical mass in our nation with regards to our health and especially our nutrition.  And if we do not get hold of it, we will be putting children in graves for obesity related diseases.

So, why this challenge?

You see my story.  It is one that has taken me a lifetime to understand and accomplish.  The times where I succeeded the most was when I was partnered with a person or a group.  We are a pack driven society.  When a group moves, we move.  Positively or negatively, we feel and see the outcome.

This 90 day challenge with this company has given me the ability to serve in many different ways.

I have been given something that is "a plan" that is simple and easy for me to follow.

I am putting solid nutrition into my body that is balanced and is measured.

I am partnered with one or more people to hold me accountable and support me when I need it.

I am doing this without "adding" cost to my food budget.  In fact, I am actually saving money on my meals.

This has opened a passion for me that I wish to share with everyone, so that maybe if you are someone who is out there wondering if or how you can finally get a hold of the struggle with your weight, you can get the benefit of what this company is doing for so many people.

They are calling to action the person you are looking to be from the inside out.

We are setting a pattern, a goal.  When you commit to a goal once and follow through with it, trust me, you can do it again and again!

It is never too late.

[caption id="attachment_290" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Be Part of The 90 Day Challenge"][/caption]

Join me and my group on this challenge.

Get 3 good friends and say, "let's do this together!"

Make this the time you win.  You are worth it.

For your health.

For your life.

God Bless!

Rick

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