I have received tons of questions as to WHY I would be involved in this 90 day challenge.  I have been met with a lot of the same reactions.  The biggest one is:

"I mean REALLY RICK?  Are you completely and totally obsessed?"

Well, I AM an actor in Los Angeles.......

And because of that, I have always kept myself in top physical condition.  Recently,(in the past year) many of you may know that I have been in rehab for a shoulder injury that required surgery last June.  At that point, I was trying to get a hold of what I saw to be a slow increase in my weight.  A few cocktails every week.  Mom's pasta and sauce on Sunday's.  Nothing crazy.  But, before I knew it I was in an area where I had never been.  A number I had never been.  Now, I could pass it off to my age, or my activity level, and yeah all those things are factors, but the greatest factor in any weight change involves diet.

Did you know that if you increase your calorie intake by a little over a 100 calories a day, you will be 10-15 pounds heavier in a year?   YEAH, I DO NOW!

Who would have thought that having that over the course of a year could so radically change your body?  And believe it or not, this is how it goes for many people that are overweight or even obese in our country.  It starts slowly, and then gains momentum.  Believe it or not, it took actual work to get where you are right now.  Either positively or negatively.  Everything compounds.

So, for me it was time to compound in the other direction.  And as I am all about motivation and inspiration and victory and community, I joined this 90 day challenge.  The thing that makes this more successful for most is the partnering aspect.  We all know that the efforts of many far outweigh(pardon the pun) the efforts of one.  Many hands make light work as they say.  In this case, many hands make you lighter in other ways.  :)

It's been a great experience so far with many people jumping in on the challenge to achieve a myriad of weight, fitness, and health goals of all kinds.  I'm loving how engaged and accountable it's made me.

What I have realized about this challenge above anything is that it opens the door for anyone to set a goal for themselves. And if you can set the goal once and achieve it, you're body remembers, and you can do it again and again!

I am so grateful to have found something that is providing a path of victory for so many.

If you are looking to CHANGE WHERE YOU ARE , and see where you CAN go,

Join Us!

and Let's Create YOUR Story.

I AM SPEECHLESS!

I know. I know.  It's beyond belief.  While I am a pretty big mush from time to time, there are no words to describe how incredibley moved I was by a recent testimonial by one woman that chose to engage in the Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge that I have been promoting.   I know that most people are looking to me and saying, "whatever" with regards to why this is so different from any other weight loss plan.

I caution anyone reading this to beware.  I feel very strongly that will you indeed be moved. That goes without saying.  The part that may overtake you, is the overwhelming urge to join us.  This woman took faith in hand, and faced a fear that is in many people's hearts.  The inspiring part is that she made a dramatic move for herself.

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

Stay tuned for more updates.

If you want to keep up with how myself, Derk Cheetwood and others are progressing with our Challenge and how you can begin yours as well click on this tab.

I haven't been on here for a while I know.  Soooooo much going on.  Let's just say I have been defining myself lately.  Between being a contract player on Bold and the Beautiful, directing Peter Pan, auditioning, coaching, being an entrepreneur and independent business owner I felt there has been little time to get over to this side of my website.

Well, here I am and I am announcing something that I am publicly going to engage in.

As many of you know, I went through a year of injury and recovery and am still on the road to recapturing the fitness level and overall appearance that I once had.  Time however has not been kind to me and it seems every time I begin to get ahead, something, or moreover someone(myself)seems to derail me.

I kid alot about my vanity and am fairly happy with my appearance.  I also know that when I engage in a focused goal at a time when opportunity surrounds me, the doors of prosperity open wide and a flood of blessings begin pouring out.

We all need to feel a sense of accomplishment.  With that, I have begun a 90 Day Challenge to transform myself physically.

I do this for many reasons.

I have always been passionate about being healthy and promoting that to others.  We are a country that is engrossed in a state of depression financially which has also translated into an emotional and physical depression as well.

By engaging in this challenge for myself, I will chronicle my journey within a community and wish to share and promote this as a means of creating an awareness while calling to action any and all who wish to join me in this journey.

It will be a journey that will be shared.  Triumphs and struggles.  It will be a journey that will create and solidify vision for many who join it.

Who's Coming With Me?

To Your Success And Happiness!

Rick

Usually, when I start a diet regimen I am screaming by this time.  I count every ounce on the scale and stamp my feet when I don't get the NUMBER I want.

Rick

Sweet Salmon

Savory Salmon

Hey All!

Brandon and I will are headed out to the East Coast for Fall!  Oct. 22-23

Rick

I woke up with a bright idea about 4 weeks ago.  I so missed having my event for all of my fans at GH fan club weekend that I thought to myself, "This isn't right.  Mom's upset that she didn't get to cook for 3 days for hundreds of people.  We didn't have the normal argument that takes place on the trip down to the event when someone forgot something.  My kids didn't get a chance to riff with the audience.  This sucks!"

So, since I have been learning much about video marketing and blogging of late with regards to my business, I decided why not do a weekly video blog on Sunday with the family?!

So, without further adieu, here is the first installment of Sunday dinner with Rick and family.

Enjoy!

Rick