Weight loss, I’m not an expert or perfect! Just been there and done that many times over!

October 1, 2016 and I’m still 30# overweight! Ugh! As an overweight person most of my life and being 57 years old, losing weight has been like that roller coaster at an amusement park. It goes up and down and up and down and up and down. It’s always a struggle to get to that ideal weight in my mind. I’m not sure how to define that “ideal weight”, but my doctor said I was “too skinny” back in 2010 after I lost 135# to get to 175#. People started asking me if I was sick and I would say, NO, I just lost a lot of weight. My doctor said the charts say I should be right around 200#, the ideal weight for my age and height.

This year (2016) has been incredible:

I climbed the stairs for the 7th time at the Hustle Up The Hancock in Chicago. 812 stairs and 52 floors.
I ran #9 1/2 Marathon in Indianapolis… The Indy Mini!
I got scuba diving certified! Now I can swim 60′ down below the surface of the water with a buddy!
I did my 1st Triathlon. 1/4 mile swim in Lake Michigan, 12.5 mile bike ride, 5K run.
I biked my 1st 100-mile ride all in one day in Three Oaks, MI. I was literally pedaling for 8-hours!
I vacationed in Italy, Florida, Boston and Vermont!
I no longer have to take cholesterol medicine! Woot! Woot! No meds for me!

All while being overweight by 30#. The best part is I’m not 310# like I was back in 2009. I’m my hardest critic. I have to always remember that I have lost over 100#.

Back on 12.31.09 I weighed 310# and that’s the day that changed my life forever. I was tested for sleep apnea with the expectation of being hooked up to and sleeping with a new bed partner every night “The C-Pap Machine.” They told me I was free and clear of sleep apnea, but that I probably should lose some weight. Ya think, I weighed 310# at the age of 50. I was ready to lose weight.

Losing weight will always be a challenge for me, BECAUSE I LIKE TO EAT.

My ideal weight is to be right at 200# to be healthy, happy and good looking. LOL

Back to 2010, with no pills, no potions and no surgeries… Good ‘ole exercise and following the Joy Bauer Book YOUR INNER SKINNY and I was inducted into her Joy Fit Club on 11.29.10 for losing over 100#. I was even on TV: Here is my 5-minutes of celebrity fame (My FAT video), LIVE from the NBC Today Show 11.29.10 http://www.today.com/id/26184891/#40417906

Fast forward to 10/1/16… I’m 30# over my ideal weight. It’s not easy, and it’s been a bumpy road full of ups and downs. And it is still a struggle every day. There’s just not enough out there about food addiction. Being overweight and obese is a food addiction. I had a lady last week say to me when I was eating a Weight Watchers ice cream “hey, aren’t you on a diet?” First of all it’s not any of her business. But, I did reply: Nope, I don’t do diets. I’m not ready for the first 3 letters of that word, DIEt. It’s a lifestyle food change for me. I choose what goes in my mouth, not anyone else.

So, here I go on another ride… Hoping this one stops at my ideal weight!

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

If it’s important you’ll find a way, if it’s not you’ll find an excuse.

Forrest Gump’s Mama said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” I thought about that quote when I recently watched the movie, and it hit me. I try to live my life on the positive side of the coin and encourage people to do the same with the hope to inspire as many as I can. Back in 2009, my life changed dramatically as I went on a mission to lose weight when I tipped the scale I stood on at 310#. My initial thought was how am I going to lose 100#. I was tested for sleep apnea with the thought of having to wear a C-PAP machine when sleeping for the rest of my life. The good news was I didn’t have sleep apnea, but I was FAT. I got up the next morning after I heard 1/2 the good news and started walking with Molly & Belle (Our family dogs). My first time around the block was exhausting. I weighed 310#, so any kind of exercise would of been just that. I tell people all the time “Ya gotta walk before ya can run.” and I’m not really referring to becoming a runner. It’s just things in life. Don’t make excuses for why you can’t get it done. Focus on all the reasons why you must MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Make a long story short, I lost 135# in 10-months in 2010 and I became a runner and a person who exercises everyday. A man who jumps out of airplanes for fun. I’ll try anything once and if I like it, I’ll do it again over and over.

Right around Christmas 2015, someone asked me if I was going to do another weight loss challenge. I mean I am human, so I to did gain 34# back that does not make me happy. So, I created the “Nip Your Waist 2016 Weight Loss Challenge.” The thought was everyone pays $20 and the person who loses the highest % of body fat in 12 weeks wins all the cash. I blasted it all over Facebook for 2 days and 15 people said YES! This thing was happening quick. First weigh-in date was 12/28/15 and people had to pay by 1/8/16. The only reason I did this was to re-motivate me to Get Fit for Life and lose my 34#. People motivate people. Many people started to pay and then 3 more people said YES to joining late, so I said sure because I didn’t want to discourage anyone from getting on the path to success of losing weight. People have to take a picture of their scale weight every Monday and text it to me. Everyone was given a random # and those results would be posted on Facebook showing the running % of weight loss every week. It’s all anonymous and only I know who has what number and what they weigh. I’m not telling anyone who is who.

I said if you don’t pay by 1/8/16, you are out. It’s an accountability thing. We are all busy and chasing money for weight loss challenge was not one thing I really wanted to do. We are all adults, if you are in… you’re in and if you’re not… it’s just another excuse. 1/8/16 came and only 9 out of 18 people paid. So I thought maybe I’ll just send out a little reminder to “motivate” the ones that may need the inspiration the most. Then the excuses started coming in from “I’m not getting in because your text was rude, it slipped my mind, I forgot to mail the check, the checks in the mail, please remove me from the challenge because I’ve been getting sales pitches via texts from people.” Nobody is too busy, it’s just a matter of priorities. I just tried to make it fun for people by putting a little spin on losing weight. Pay $20, lose weight and may the winner WIN. All 16 people now will be winners in many ways, because of we can all lose some weight in 12-weeks (which we will), we will all be WINNERS!

Make whatever you do in life important. Find a way.
If you don’t, it’s just an excuse.

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

Get Fit For Life… Just not an expert!

Today is 1.29.15 and I’m feeling really good about getting Fit For Life.

Today, I read an article about Drinking Water.

Drinking water in the morning will give you energy, starts your rehydration, and will help you lose weight.

– The water you drink first think will kick up your metabolism right away and the coldness seems to be a bit invigorating.

– When you drink water in the morning you will find that you have less appetite since you already have the water in your stomach fooling your brain into thinking that you are not hungry.

– We lose our hydration at night from breathing out moist air and since we take nothing in and are losing water to digestion we really do get dehydrated.

On 1.25.15 I jumped on the scale and weighed 227.6, up 10# from 12.31.14… SHIT! What I am doing?

This week I started back on drinking a crap load of water, and eating less. By drinking water, it fills me up and I eat less. As of today 1.29.15, I weighed 220.2 down 7.4#. NOTE TO SELF: STOP eating, START drinking more water.

My goal in 2015 is to get back to my goal weight of 200#.

Losing weight will always be a challenge for me, BECAUSE I LIKE TO EAT.

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

TOO SKINNY! My lifetime struggle with weight… A good 2014!

Today, 12.31.14 and I stepped on the scale for the last time in 2014 expecting to be lighter than I was on 12.31.13 RESULTS = Down 6#. Some will say “so what” six pounds, but to a 55 year old young man who has always struggled with being FAT & OBESE, that’s a huge number.

Back on 12.21.09 I weight 310# and that’s the day that changed my life forever. I was tested for sleep apnea with the expectation of being hooked up to and sleeping with a new bed partner every night “The C-Pap Machine.” When they told me I was free and clear of sleep apnea I was ready to lose weight.

With no pills, no potions and no surgeries… Fast forward to 11/2011, I lost 135#. Good ‘ole exercise and following the Joy Bauer Book YOUR INNER SKINNY and I was inducted into her JoyFitClub on 11.29.10

My real point is losing all of that weight was awesome, but I did gain back and weight has always been like a roller coaster for me. In the winter of 2014, I gained 40# in 3 months and lost 35# of that during The Greatest Weight Loss Challenge I, where 12 friends said hey let’s lose weight. We all paid $20 each to do it and winner take all after 12 weeks. Well, I won that challenge. I’m #42.

And in Challenge II, I was #6… It was hard to win this one as I lost 23# in Challenge I.

Losing weight will always be a challenge for me, BECAUSE I LIKE TO EAT.

Weighing 175# in 2011 was actually TOO SKINNY!!! People were asking me are you sick. I didn’t need to weight 175# to be healthy. I need to be right at 200# to be healthy, happy and good looking. LOL

My 2015 goal is to get back to my ideal weight 200#. So today is my last indulgence, as 2015 starts 1.1.15.

Who’s with me?

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

Stupidly gained 40# of weight over the winter. Lost weight and won $$$

I have done many stupid things in my life. One of the worst was allowing myself to buy a XXXXL shirt back in 2009 and to get my poundage up to 310#. It was that shocking size of a shirt that made me decide to lose weight one more time in my life. I lost 135# in 2010. The long winter of 2014 we all faced was bad in many ways. For me, it lead to gaining 40#, and I wasn’t having a baby. Just one more stupid thing I allowed myself (ME) to do. On tax day 2014 (4/15), I decided it was time to lose that 40# forever. Since that tax day I’ve lost 35# (7/1/14 weigh-in) and will not stop until that 40# is gone. My biggest help this time around has been T25 and Shakeology daily. I’ve promised myself that the only roller coasters I’m going on are the ones that go fast and upside down and eventually stop. Happy 4 1/2 years later to be wearing size LARGE shirts. One thing that I didn’t mention is I’ve done all of this in my 50’s. In July 2014, I’m turning 55. Never to old or to young to get Fit For Life. Want some info on what I’m doing, just ask me.Some people never have or never will struggle with being overweight, but for those that have or still do, I hope this helps you and ME since I struggle with this every day of my life.

But now that has changed and I’m feel like Michael Jordan “I’M BACK”. On 4.21.14 I weighed in for the Greatest Loser Challenge and in addition to that I started T25 fitness challenge to stay Fit For Life.

On 6.16.14 I weighed in and had lost 8.5% of my body and was the WINNER of The Greatest Loser Challenge. I lost 19# in the challenge and the highest % of body amongst 11 contestants.

You too can join this T25 challenge with me. It’s an exercise program that you do in your house for 25-minutes a day. No equipment is needed or required. http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCPT25205?referringRepId=386623

My motto: If YOU are not moving, YOU are not losing… If YOU say YOU can’t, YOU won’t… I know believe ME! My point is if YOU say YOU can’t, YOU won’t, and that has to do with everything in life. Do some kind of exercise everyday and keep moving. If YOU are moving, YOU are losing something. At the end of the day, YOU will feel better that YOU accomplished something today, that YOU didn’t do yesterday. The thing about it is, YOU have to do it everyday.

Never say “NO” to anything YOU want to accomplish in life. Just go for it!

Watch my video from my appearance on the NBC Today Show back in November 2010 when I was inducted into the Joy Bauer Fit Club for losing over 100#. SeeVideo

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

Weight loss is easy… Keeping it off is the hardest… I got stupid! Now, “I’M BACK!”

Some people never have or never will struggle with being overweight, but for those that have or still do, I hope this helps you and ME since I struggle with this every day of my life.

The hardest thing to do is to talk about it. In 2010, I lost 135# in 10 months and in 2013 (winter) I gained 22 of those pounds back on. Why? Because I got stupid and just got lazy with my eating habits.

But now that has changed and I’m feel like Michael Jordan “I’M BACK”. On 4.21.14 I weighed in for the Greatest Loser Challenge and in addition to that I started T25 fitness challenge to stay Fit For Life.

I have lost lots of that weight back off my body. I can’t really say what # I am in the contest because we all have a secret #, but I can say that I am extremely happy with what I have dropped.

You too can join this T25 challenge with me. It’s an exercise program that you do in your house for 25-minutes a day. No equipment is needed or required. http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCPT25205?referringRepId=386623

How to start:
1. Mentally change your mind that you want to lose weight and get in shape.
2. Start walking today. One time around the block, turns into more and more.
3. Start eating less when it comes to consumption.
4. Join a group that motivates you to change your eating plan.
5. Make a food lifestyle change. Never D.I.E.t. Nobody is ready for the 1st 3 letters in D.I.E.t.
5. Ask someone else to be a mentor for each other.
6. Join a walking group or running group.
7. Plan your exercise.
8. If you change your mind and do the above, it’s amazing the results you will begin to see.

My motto: If YOU are not moving, YOU are not losing… If YOU say YOU can’t, YOU won’t… I know believe ME! My point is if YOU say YOU can’t, YOU won’t, and that has to do with everything in life. Do some kind of exercise everyday and keep moving. If YOU are moving, YOU are losing something. At the end of the day, YOU will feel better that YOU accomplished something today, that YOU didn’t do yesterday. The thing about it is, YOU have to do it everyday.

Never say “NO” to anything YOU want to accomplish in life. Just go for it!

Watch my video from my appearance on the NBC Today Show back in November 2010 when I was inducted into the Joy Bauer Fit Club for losing over 100#. SeeVideo

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

Running In The Zone Mood… Beat the Beast!

If you are a runner you know that some days you got it, and some days you don’t. Today was an “I got it” day. It was the 2nd year running of the “Beast Boot Camp 5K” held in Crown Point, Indiana. I got up super early today and had a cup of coffee with the birds and dog on the back porch. I never drink coffee on a race day morning, but kinda was feeling good this morning. As I was doing some work in my office and kinda of catching up from a busy week, I thought today I’m gonna PR this race! Got dressed in my military camo shirt because it’s a boot camp run by the Marines. Just felt it was appropriate.

As I signed in, got my shirt and picked up a course map, somebody asked me if I make single printed shirts. I wasn’t even gonna talked any business, but had to answer the question. Why yes I do! I had a small twinge in my right knee so felt I had to go running to test it out. It felt perfect. So, perfect I ran the famous horse arena stairs 15 time sup and down as my final warm-up.

The 15-minute MARINE CORP workout was about to kill some people, but I knew what to expect and did that with no problem. I heard some people say “Can we quit now?” They must not of heard the MARINES, don’t quit.

Here’s my race summary: Run 1/4 mile to 100′ of Bear Crawls, run 1/8 mile to 100″ of Low Crawls, right into Crab Crawls, run 1/8 mile to 20 Burpees, run 1/4 mile to 100′ of walking lunges, run 1/8 mile to 75″ of Frog Leaps, run 1/2 mile to 25 Star Jumps right into adding a 30# backpack to your back and climb up/down every handrail in the grandstands, run 1/2 mile to the finish line, get a cup of water and go do it AGAIN. YES, AGAIN! Oh, and run between each station. A true beast does it twice with no questions asked. To many people that I know today that did it to mention and to congratulate that YOU DID IT!!! So, if you did it today, congrats… You are a beast!!!

I ran this thing all out today, because I was just in the zone. Finished “The Beast 5K” for a 2nd year and beat last year by 45-minutes. Proud to complete each task from start to finish and ran between each station. Pretty much a non-stop day. Pays to be better fit this year than last. Trying even harder to stay Fit For Life. To Beat The Beast one must complete each task (twice). Happy to have done that. HOORAH!!!

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

1st time for everything, right? Success = follow the plan

Yesterday, 4.13.14 I climbed 812 stairs, 52 floors of the John Hancock Observatory Building in downtown Chicago. It was my 4th time doing the Hustle Up the Hancock. My plan every year is to take the challenge 2-steps at a time all the way to the top. My 2nd and 3rd years I bombed out around the 85th floor and this year I was more than ever determined to complete this task. I trained this year doing more steps than ever in the past years, so I knew I was ready. Being heavier than last didn’t help. In the end, I was able to complete without ever stopping. 812 stairs… 2-steps at a time… 1:17 seconds slower than in 2013. That’s the way it goes. One challenge over another. I’m happy that I was able to complete my 2-steps at a time, but not happy that I was heavier than 2013. I’m such a dumb ass sometimes.

This morning I found out how much heavier. Here’s what I heard this morning 4.14.14. My Dr. tells jokes during my annual exam and in the end gives me a clean bill of health. She said, “your resting heart beat is 38 (what are you runner?) and great BP. You don’t need to take pills. The good news is “you’re not obese”, just overweight and that’s no joke. 12#’s heavier than last year, so what the hell are you doing? A #1 gain every month and you’ll be in a coffin soon.” My Dr. tells it like it. She’s woken the sleeping lion. Time for 6-meals a day and less consumption. Here we go! What a dumb ass I am.

So, the plan is to get out the book… “Your Inner Skinny”. The program that made me lose 135# in 2010 in 10 months. It worked then, it will work again. The nice thing is it’s a plan and not one of those diets where you have to eat 1,500-2,000 calories to lose weight. Who’s got the time to write everything down and keep track of it. It a lifestyle change with food.

This yo-yo shit has to stop. Told my Dr. before I left that next year when I see her, I’ll be down 20#. She said I’m holding you to that saying. I’m checking back you in 6 months.

Here’s to starting RIGHT NOW!

Rick Gosser
219-808-9888
gosserrick@sbcglobal.net

I refuse to return to the good ‘ole days in this way!

I just refuse to return to the good ‘ole days in some ways. On way that I am passionate about is being FAT.

In December 2009, I got on the scale and weighed 310#. I said to myself I need to lose some weight. It was an alarming wake-up call in December 2009 when I tested negative for sleep apnea when I had convinced myself that I would be on a C-PAP machine the rest of my life. On January 1, 2010 I woke up and said enough is enough. I was just plain ‘ole sick and tired of being sick and tired.

That is the day my life changed and I started walking. I weighed 310# and could barely walk around the block without being out of breath. I walked every day farther and farther every day as I was determined to weigh 200# someday. That was my goal. To date I’ve lost 135#. I had nothing sucked out of me and I did it all on my own.

As I began to walk I also started to take the dog, Molly with me. Molly doesn’t walk… she pulled me down the street. Her pulling took me from walking to running and running and running in a short time. Now over 3 years later, I run 3-miles every day. I have run many 5K’s, a few 10K’s and 4 (YES,4) 1/2 Marathons.

This October 2013, I am running the Chicago Marathon!

The ultimate secret was eating right and exercising. I followed the book “Your Inner Skinny” written bu Joy Bauer from the NBC Today Show. She inducted into her Joy Fit Club on 11.26.10.

Watch my video from my appearance on the NBC Today Show back in November 2010 when I was inducted into the Joy Bauer Fit Club because I had lost over 100# back then http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/#40417906

Need inspiration contact me anytime.

Rick Gosser
219.808.9888
sales@gossercorpsales.com

Pictures speak a thousand words during a transformation, so take them!

Every day I see someone I haven’t seen in quite sometime and I have to tell them who I am because they don’t recognize me. When I was fat over 300#, everybody seems to remember me with that look. One look I never want to see again. My picture was always taken when I was fat and have those pictures to prove it. My 310# picture I took when I decided to lose weight shows me in the prime of my heaviest. As I lost weight, I took a picture every 20# lost. Now that I have lost 130# my skinny pictures are nice to look at. I have worked really hard to lose the weight and to maintain the loss.

Today, was a funny day. I saw a guy at the post office and when I said hi “Tom”, he looked at me and said “How do you know my name?” When I told him who I was and that we used to work together, he made me show him my drivers license to prove who I was. I was blown away by that, but really happy that if that’s how I have to do it, then so be it.

If I can lose 130# at the age of 50, you can do it too. Just take that fat picture and pictures during your transformation.

This is this year to change your life and take charge of your health.

How to start to losing weight:
1. Mentally change your mind that you want to lose weight and get in shape.
2. Start walking today. One time around the block, turns into more and more.
3. Start eating less when it comes to consumption.
4. Join a group that motivates you to change your eating plan.
5. Ask someone else to be a mentor for each other.
6. Join a walking group or running group.
7. Plan your exercise.
8. If you change your mind and do the above, it’s amazing the results you will begin to see.

My motto: If YOU are not moving, YOU are not losing… If YOU say YOU can’t, YOU won’t… I know believe ME!

My point is if YOU say YOU can’t, YOU won’t, and that has to do with everything in life. Do some kind of exercise everyday and keep moving. If YOU are moving, YOU are losing something. At the end of the day, YOU will feel better that YOU accomplished something today, that YOU didn’t do yesterday. The thing about it is, YOU have to do it everyday.

If “I can do it, anybody can do it”.

Never say “NO” to anything YOU want to accomplish in life. Just go for it!

Watch my video from my appearance on the NBC Today Show back in November 2010 when I was inducted into the Joy Bauer Fit Club for losing over 100#. SeeVideo

Rick Gosser