Talk about losing weight… this guy from my gym lost 240 pounds! If you were to see him, it is hard to believe that he once weighed 445 pounds. He is one of the fittest guys I have ever seen. I had noticed him a few months ago because of his intense workout sessions on the eliptical trainer. I don’t think I had ever seen anyone workout that intense for such a long period of time.  When one of my friends at the gym told me this guy lost 240 pounds (yes - LOST 240 pounds!) , I had to introduce myself and find out the whole story. (Pic on the right is L.P when he weighed 450 pounds)

Here is my interview with “L.P”… This is probably the one of the most inspirational stories you’ll ever hear.

Martha: What is your current age, height and weight?
L.P: I am 46 years old, 5′9 and weigh 205 pounds. (Martha’s comment - while 205 pounds may sound a lot for someone who is 5′9 - L.P. does not appear to have an ounce of fat on him. I bet his body fat is 8% or less.) Pic on the right is L.P’s “after” pic

Martha: How much weight have you lost?
L.P:   240 pounds

Martha: How long did it take you to lose this weight?
L.P:  18 months

Martha: How did you lose the weight - did you count calories, follow any special diet, enlist support from anyone such as Weight Watchers, a nutritionist, doctor, etc.?
L.P:  I changed my eating habits and started paying close attention to sugars, carbs, fats as well as calories. I also did 2 hours of intense cardio a day.

Martha: Did you have a weight problem for most of your life?
L.P: No, I didn’t always have a weight problem. However, as I got older, I was exposed more to “bad ” food including fried foods, high sugar desserts and eating late at night.

Martha: What were your major problem areas when you were overweight?
L.P: I love desserts, used to eat late at night, ate really large portions and got no exercise.

Martha: I am very curious to know what triggered you to lose weight and how you stayed so motivated…
L.P: I was losing close relatives to high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. I also had low self esteem, was self-conscious and was afraid of dying young.

 Martha: When did you first start to exercise (how long ago) and what did you first start to do for exercise?
L.P: I started to exercise about 11 years ago at a fitness center that was free to employees of my workplace. I started doing the treadmill for about 30 minutes.

Martha: You appear in great shape. What do you do for your current exercise program: (how many times a week, how many times do you weight train and perform cardio)?
L.P: My exercise regimen is 4-5 days a week of weight training and 7 days of cardio (winter time on the eliptical machine and summer time running outdoors). 5 of the 7 days, I do cardio in the morning and evening (for a total of 2 hours of cardio)

Martha: Can you tell us what you eat on a typical day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks?
L.P:
Breakfast: oatmeal with banana and a protein drink (low carb, low sugar and high protein)
Lunch: 2 all-natural peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Dinner: salmon or chicken and a sweet potato
Snacks throughout the day: rice cakes, oranges, protein bar, sugar-free pudding, yogurt with fruit. I also drink a gallon of water during the day.

Martha: Do you ever go off your “diet”?
L.P: Yes …without any guilt because I work out religiously on a regular basis.

Martha: How do you stay so motivated??????
L.P: It it helps me to stay motivated when other members of the gym come approach me and comment on my progress and body structure. I also like to help motivate other people and to see their progress.

Martha: Well, there you have it! For those city girls and guys who think losing 10 pounds is hard work, imagine what it would be like to lose 240 pounds! BTW - L.P has been approached to appear on various televsion talk shows to discuss his amazing feat. He declined all interviews. I would like to thank him very much for allowing me to interview him. I think he will be very inspirational to readers of citygirlbites who are trying to lose weight. It goes to show that you can lose weight and keep it off …with hard work! It also goes to show the importance of exercise when it comes to maintaining weight loss. Not only does exercise burn calories, it also will build/preserve muscle mass which will help to speed your  metabolism. I am certainly not saying that everyone has to exercise 7 days a week for 2 hours per session. But somehow you will need to make exercise a priority if you want to lose weight and keep it off!

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