Good for you.  I gained 50lb with the first and it has never really come off.  Some pregnancies have gone better than others as far as weight.  With this one I’m really struggling to eat right.  I know if I eat balanced and in the right portions and get the exercise the weight does come down, but it is such a daily battle.  I had gestational diabetes with the 3rd and learned a lot about nutrition and portions.  All I can say is american portions are entirely too large.

Hopefully it will inspire people, but I wonder if it will make many people discouraged? a big part of losing wieght is the mental ability to make the hard decisions, and if he was in “fantastic shape” before he likely already has that ability to persevere phisically when it is tough. I found it much easier to loose weight after baby 3 (and keep the weight gain reasonable with my current pregnancy) because of a number of situations (running, sick husband, elimination diet, etc) that have made me recognize the importance of my health and how food affects my body. i’m skeptical with this fit2fat2fit because, just like biggest loser, it is a completely artificial situation. i find the amazing testimonies of all you real women much more inspiring!

As a lifelong dieter, I was thrilled to find a CATHOLIC weight loss program.  It is called The Light Weigh and was written by an amazing woman named Suzanne Fowler who is the mother of eight children.  It really helps get behind the “why” of overeating.  She uses the Ignatian Review and the spirituality of St. Therese, the Little Flower.  You think God brings you to the program to lose weight and you end up with so much more- deepened faith, prayer life, etc.  Check out the website:  thelightweigh.com

I just came across a similar article about this man the other day and as a health coach and soon to be personal trainer focused on helping moms and their families live happier more healthy lives I was completely mixed on it. On one hand, I appreciate the man’s desire to really understand what it must be like to walk in another’s shoes however, NO amount of weight will allow him to truly experience this. I also feel like it shows great disrespect for his body because quick, drastic weight gain or loss is never healthy and to do it on purpose? The reason I decided to pursue health and fitness as a career, in addition to it being part of what I believe to be God’s calling for my life and the example I wish to set for my three little girls under 6, is because as a young teen through my 20’s I had an eating disorder. Now that I am on the other side of it, though none of us are ever truly 100% healed as our friend Kate Wicker attests to in her book Weightless, I now see eating and fitness as a way to love my body and serve God. If I hadn’t gone through the pain and suffering of having a clinical eating disorder, I couldn’t be as compassionate with my clients. I get that. But I do find it hard to believe that before this he never had a craving or struggled with eating. If so, kudos, but it does seem like quite an extreme measure that still cannot truly allow him to experience that of us moms, women and men who truly psychological struggle with the issues of weight and self-image. I suppose we shall see. Thanks for writing about this topic Rachel!