Belly Off: How Cardio Helped a Former Lineman Burn Fat at  

Vitals: Dan Sizelove, 24, Brick, NJ
Occupation: Marketing coordinator
Height: 6'1"
Time Required To Reach Goal: 9 months

Weight Before: 290
Weight After: 210
Lesson learned: Believing in your ability to stay on track is essential.

Inspired Tip: Cook for yourself. It's easier to track portion sizes than when you're dining out.

 

The Gain

As a defensive lineman in college, Sizelove followed a hard-core lifting routine that helped him pack on muscle. But a lack of cardio exercise, coupled with poor food choices and plenty of late-night boozing, added 65 pounds of fat to his once-athletic frame. "I blamed my weight gain on being a lineman, but that was really just a scapegoat," Sizelove says.

The Change: After graduation, Sizelove realized his weight was holding him back. His longtime goal of running a 5-K was becoming a far-off dream, and he felt a void in his life from being inactive. He decided that a lifestyle change was in order, so he hit the gym, focusing first on interval training to burn off blubber. Eventually he added weight training and watched more pounds fall off.

 

The Lifestyle

Sizelove lifts weights four times a week, runs frequently, and bikes to work as often as possible. Having the freedom to map out his own workouts instead of mindlessly following a coach's instructions has boosted his motivation as well. Sizelove now loads up on protein, such as chicken and fish, and has reined in his college habit of snacking on chips and pretzels late at night.

 

The Reward

Old friends are astonished when they see Sizelove's new physique, and his energy level has skyrocketed. "I don't even need coffee to wake up anymore," he says. He already one-upped that 5-K goal by running a second one this past April.

 

Dan's Tips
Avoid overblown expectations. Take things day by day, and accept the fact that your body won't transform itself overnight.

Stop counting calories. Adding up every bite is demoralizing and only reminds you of the foods you can't have.

Break through plateaus. A stall in weight loss is frustrating, but even a small change -- like running instead of biking one day a week -- can be the push you need.

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