Suburban renewal

Men's Fitness, August, 1998 by Jamie Briggs

Rather than settle into comfortable mediocrity, an average guy recharges himself

Jamie Briggs Naples, FL

Age: 32 Height: 5[feet] 9[inches] Weight Before: 198 lbs. Present: 180 lbs. Waist Before: 36[inches] After: 32[inches]

TRAINING

Works out in gym four to five days per week, focusing on one muscle group each day. Following 20 minutes of cardio, lifts weights for 40 minutes. Extra activities include running, basketball and golf.

In a way, you could say I'm pretty lucky. Obesity wasn't an issue for me. No disability to conquer, no tragedy to move past. In fact, the obstacles I've worked to overcome are ones many of you can probably relate to.

I earned 10 varsity letters in high school, worked out just about every day and took pride in being fit. In college, I was always heavily involved in intramural sports, and even though I liked to toss back beers with my buddies, the effect on my gut was pretty negligible.

After school, though, I settled into a real-estate appraisal job, got married and started a family. My activity level slipped, and my junk-food quotient went through the roof. Subs, burgers, greasy fast-food fries and ice cream sundaes formed the backbone of my diet. My weight inched upward, but I honestly didn't think about it a whole lot. Sound familiar?

It took a set of vacation photographs to make me see the light - my face, chin and neck looked flabby, and my gut bulged outward, sagging over my waist. That was a little over two years ago. Suddenly, staring at those pictures, I felt the need to reclaim my health - I was scared of what I might look like at 40.

I started by running for 30 minutes two or three days a week. That, along with my participation in a weekend basketball league, started melting away the pounds. Inspired, I also began lifting weights for the first time in years. Gym fever swept over me quickly - I felt like I was back in high school again. Having a background in sports helped me stay committed to working out every day, even when I didn't really feel like it. I'd start with 30 minutes of heavy cardio on a treadmill or exercise bike, then move into a 30-to-40-minute circuit workout that hit each muscle group. The circuit worked for me because it kept my heart pounding and trained my entire body in a short amount of time.

My diet, I admit, wasn't perfect. True, I gave up the burgers and other crap I'd been eating, and I started each day with a protein shake containing skim milk and fresh fruit. But I often ate like a bird the rest of the day - a sports bar for lunch and, if I worked late, no dinner at all. My wife fretted, but the weight fell off so fast that I couldn't help continuing. I lost nine pounds the first week, and after just two months, I'd dropped 30 pounds, down to 167.

I felt great - but I looked skinny. It was time to enter the second phase of my return to health and fitness.

I began supplementing more. In addition to the multivitamin I'd been popping for years, I started taking whey protein twice a day. Then I moved on to creatine. I really think it's made a big difference for me. I'll take it daily for eight weeks, go a month or so without it, then re-enter the loading phase. When I'm taking it, I feel more energized in the gym, like there's no limit to the amount of weight I can handle.

Magazines and books, meanwhile, helped me eat better. No more skipped meals; these days, I eat plenty of protein, carbs and fresh produce. Since bottoming out, I've added 12 pounds of lean muscle to my frame. At 180, I feel comfortable with my physique; size gains won't be an issue for me anymore.

I've sharpened up my golf game, too. Hitting long off the tee has never been a problem for me, but as I've gotten stronger and leaner, I've been hitting my irons a lot farther, and I find myself better able to concentrate on the course. (Alas, my newfound hitting prowess hasn't shaved any strokes off my game. But I'm shooting in the 70s, so I have few complaints.)

Like I said, I guess I'm lucky. I never got hopelessly out of shape, and I lost weight pretty fast. Still, I won't deny that my struggle toward fitness has been arduous and frustrating at times. I also won't deny that it's been worth all the effort. I look better, feel better and play better. And I have the determination to make this last. My son is almost three now, and when he's 15, I want to still be fit enough to play basketball with him. I'm confident that with hard work, and a little luck, it's going to happen.