Hey!

Josh here.

Lemme show you a quick pic. 

This is me from a few years ago. 

For reference, I’m 5’7″ and was pushing close to 180 in this photo. At the time I felt like a tub of lard but I recently showed my brother this photo and his response was, “You’re in much better shape now, but you weren’t fat back then.” 

I musta looked at him like he was on a train to LocoLand.

To me, at that time, I may as well of weighed a thousand pounds. I felt terrible. My self-confidence was in the dumps. I avoided cameras like the plague. My clothes bulged against my skin making me look like I was always rocking spandex. I was constantly tired, always fatigued, never able to stick to any weight-loss or fitness program. I was depressed. Frustrated. A bit angry.

All-in-all, my life sucked.

I’m not gonna go so far as to say I hated myself, but I certainly hated how I looked and felt. 

Long story short: I was not able to live within my own body and still be happy with my life. 

Let me say that again: I could not be overweight and be happy. I just couldn’t. It’s not in my DNA. I couldn’t accept looking and feeling the way I was looking and feeling.    

Something had to change.

Because no matter what my brother or anyone else said, I was ashamed of my body and it was making me miserable.

But here was the problem: 

Even though I was not willing to accept my body, I was also not willing to stop drinking coca-colas. I was not willing to stop snacking on Publix Peanut M&M cookies. I was not willing to give up fast food, or Publix Carrot Cake, or Tostitos chips. 

As much as I wanted to get in better shape, I was not willing to make the sacrifices that were required to get in better shape. Instead, I wanted some method or system that would allow me to continue to live the way I was living while also transforming my body into a physique I was able to accept.

I needed to find that one special diet. That one secret workout routine. That miracle weight loss pill.

But here’s what I eventually figured out:

There is no special diet, no secret workout routines, no miracle weight loss pills.

There are only choices.   

On November 12th, 2022, I made a choice as to how I was going to live and what was going to make me the happiest.

The way I saw it, these were my three options.

1. Do nothing.
   
   
   I could just keep eating how I was eating, doing what I was doing, living how I was living. AKA: I could keep on being miserable and hating how I looked and felt. 
   
   With this option, I would continue to binge on fast food, and Publix cookies, and Publix carrot cake, and Tostito’s chips; and I would be blissfully happy while I was stuffing my face; but when I was not busy shoving food down my throat, I would be ashamed and embarrassed by my body and frustrated by my inability to exercise any level of self-discipline to accomplish my goals. Every now and again I’d surely summon up a burst of motivation and start a diet and workout routine but after a few weeks or months I would fizzle out again and find myself right back wearing my fat boy pants.
   
   With this option, I would keep blaming low self-discipline or weak willpower for my failures. I’d keep blaming life, or my current circumstances. I’d keep promising myself that I would try another diet, another workout routine at some point in the future. I’d go my entire life being ashamed of my own body, frustrated with who I am, not realizing or being aware of all the opportunities and happiness I missed by not becoming the version of myself that I wanted to become. 
   
   This is how I was currently living, and I was sick and tired of living this way. For me, this wasn’t much of an option. This was hell. It was miserable. I needed change. I wanted (and still want) to be happy and proud of myself with this one life I have been gifted.
   
   This option is open to you as well. It’s available to everyone. And let’s be honest, it is by far the easiest option to choose. It’s easy to do nothing. It’s easy to ignore change. It’s easy to keep living how you are living and then to pretend you had no other choices. It’s easy to make excuses, to live your life and throw up your hands and say, “This is my fate. It’s who I am! It’s how I was born! It’s the cards I was dealt! There’s nothing I can do!”
   
   It’s easy to pretend you are a victim to fate, but in all honesty, fate is only the destiny of those who fail to make a decision.
   
   You have a choice.
   
   You can make a decision.
   
   You can change.
   
   And if you are unhappy with your life and your body, then I’m begging you to make a change. Because there are already too many unhappy and miserable people in this world.
   
   Please…be different. 
   
   Make an actionable choice. 
   
   Because if you make no choice at all, then by making no choice, you are still making a choice. You will be choosing this option. To do nothing. And in my opinion, anything is better than allowing yourself to be unhappy while hiding behind nothing but hope and excuses. 
   
   Enough preaching. Let’s get to option two. 
   
   
2. Be Fat & Happy!
   
   
   First off, let’s start with this: There is nothing wrong with being overweight. There is nothing wrong with being a bit thick and having a little extra padding. If you are happy with your body and happy with your lifestyle, then I see no reason to sacrifice your happiness only to conform to other people’s perceptions of how you should live or how you should look. The goal is to be happy. 
   
   If you are happy being a few pounds heavier than your fighting weight, then good on you!
   
   Live your best life. 
   
   I, however, was not happy with my weight, or my body, or my lifestyle. My body and my weight were a source of my unhappiness. I hated how I looked and felt. I couldn’t accept being overweight. I couldn’t be happy living inside that body. 
   
   But’s that’s me. And you are you. If you are comfortable carrying around a few extra pounds, and it does not detract from your happiness, then by all means… eat a full carton of Publix M&M cookies for me!
   
   For some people, making the required sacrifices that come with losing weight and keeping the weight off will be the very thing that takes away from their happiness. Some people will be miserable not eating certain foods or drinks. They will not be able to live that way. They would rather eat and drink all the foods, snacks, and drinks they want, whenever they want, and accept a body that is a bit flabby and pudgy rather than having to restrict certain foods, snacks, and drinks from their diet. 
   
   I completely understand this. 
   
   Because losing and keeping off fat requires sacrifice.
   
   No matter whether you are trying to lose five pounds or five hundred pounds, it requires commitment and effort.
   
   It takes work. In my opinion, that is what makes it such an impressive feat.     
   
   But if you choose to not partake in the game of health and fitness, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. 
   
   The problem is not with the person who is a few pounds overweight, instead the problem is when being a few pounds overweight makes a person unhappy.   
   
   Life is way too short to be miserable for the entire duration of it.
   
   So either learn to be happy with your too tight pants and with your fat rolls, or start getting back in shape and learn to be happy with a healthier lifestyle and more controlled eating habits.
   
   Either decision is fine, but for God’s Sake, please choose something.
   
   And please choose something that you can accept and that will make you happy!
   
   
3. Be Fit & Happy! 
   
   Let me show you another quick pic.
   
   
   This is me now.
   
   Am I super jacked?
   
   Nope, I’m not.
   
   Am I gonna win any Olympic Bodybuilding Competitions?
   
   Nope, I’m not.
   
   But here’s the thing: I love how I look now! I love how much more energy I have! I love how my clothes fit! I love where my self-confidence is at!
   
   So yea, even though I could be more muscular, and I could have less fat, and I could have a more defined six pack, and I could be better in a million different ways – the question is…why would I do that?
   
   My goal isn’t (and has never been) to be an Olympic Bodybuilder. My goal has never been to be the most muscular man in the world. My goal has never been to have crazy-ripped-eight-pack abs.
   
   My goal has always been to look good and feel good about myself. 
   
   My goal is (and has always been) to be happy. 
   
   If I were to pursue a more muscular physique, or if I wanted to get crazy-ripped-eight-pack abs, or to develop bigger shoulders, or to have less body fat, or to be an Olympic Bodybuilder, or whatever…that goal would then require me to eat differently than I currently eat, and to spend more time in the gym than I want to spend in the gym, and doing those things would only take away from my current level of happiness. 
   
   Again…why would I do that?
   
   At this point in my life, I’m not willing to exert any additional effort in an attempt to look or feel any better than I look or feel right now.
   
   And that is perfectly okay!
   
   The message I am trying to get across is this: the entire point of weight loss and fitness is to reach a point where we are content and happy with not only our bodies, but also with the efforts and sacrifices required to get and maintain that body.
   
   The goal is to be happy. With both your body and with your lifestyle.
   
   There’s no point trying to develop the body of a Greek God if you’re absolutely miserable because of all the restrictions required to develop the body of a Greek God. 
   
   That’s foolish. 
   
   On the flip side, there’s no point in gorging on all your favorite unhealthy foods if being overweight is what makes you miserable. 
   
   The goal is to find an equilibrium where you can happily accept both your body and also the sacrifices required to get and maintain that body. 
   
   And you can do that! You can get in great shape and still eat the foods you love. For me personally, I still eat lasagna two or three times per week (I Love Lasagna!). For lunch today I had spaghetti with meatballs and for dinner tonight I’m having a half pound cheeseburger with french fries. I only spend roughly ten to thirty minutes per day exercising.
   
   It’s easier than you may think. 
   
   None of this fitness and weight loss stuff is rocket science. It doesn’t have to be super complicated. It doesn’t have to be crazy difficult. You don’t have to eat chickpeas and salads for the rest of your life. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym.
   
   However, I don’t want to make it sound like everything about fitness and weight loss is all rainbows and sprinkles. 
   
   There are challenges. 
   
   To lose weight and get in better shape (no matter whether it be five pounds or five hundred pounds) it does require a level of sacrifice and commitment. 
   
   Anyhow, the entire point of this article is to let you know that you have choices, and the choice you make should always be the choice which leads to your long-term happiness.
   
   If being fat makes you happier than having to make certain sacrifices, then be fat and happy! 
   
   If, like me, you cannot accept living inside a body you despise, then maybe it’s time to make some changes. 
   
   If you’d like to learn more about how you can lose weight and get in great shape while still eating the foods you love, then the bus to Camp Weirdo starts by clicking HERE! 
   
   And nope, I’m not trying to sell you a course, a book, a meal plan, a coaching program, nothing. I believe everyone should have free access to information that will lead them to a healthier and happier life. 
   
   But it’s up to you to implement and take action. 
   
   No one can do that for you. 
   
   It’s your choice.  

If you have any questions or comments about either this article, or about how to implement these habits into your fitness routine and life then please shoot me a line at [email protected]. None of this is as complicated or as hard as you think. I promise!