The Underbelly of Weight Loss
What Really Happens Between the Numbers… and Why Most People Never Talk About It.
The Moment of Truth
Before I even stepped on my InBody scale early this morning, I knew full well what I was about to see.
Kim and I had just spent a long weekend away, still celebrating our 46th wedding anniversary, and I’d enjoyed more cocktails and carb-dense foods than usual.
So when the results came up, it wasn’t a surprise: my total body weight was up +3.2 lbs since Friday, and my water was down –3.0 lbs. Anytime that kind of shift happens, chaos shows up in the other body composition numbers too.
How do I know that? Because after 10,000+ one-on-one body composition consultations and 2,500+ personal scans, you learn a few things about the body’s rhythm, reactions, and recovery.
Do I love seeing when the results go chaotic? Of course not. But I’ve learned that what the scale shows on any given day, week, or month isn’t judgment, it’s information.
And as long as you keep showing up, and Staying The Course, what’s temporary, stays temporary.
📊 Stats Snapshot… the “Tale Of My Scale” over 45 days…
(Saturday, Sept 20, 2025 → This Morning)
Water: –2.5 lbs
Muscle: –1.6 lbs
Body Fat: +2.0 lbs
Total Body Weight: –1.9 lbs
Since Friday: +3.2 lbs (Water –3.0 lbs)
When the dust settled, one truth stood out: forty-five days after I stood on the Ventura Pier, declaring in a video my Impossible Goal to reach 50% water weight, 110 pounds of muscle, 15% body fat, and 185 pounds by September 21, 2026, I was, in many ways, right back where I started.
The Reality Check
The scale didn’t sneak up on me. I knew exactly what I’d been doing these past 45 days because I’ve been documenting every step, literally.
Here’s the honest highlight reel of what shaped my results:
I eat on average about 1,700 calories a day
I enjoyed 2–3 cocktails a week
I’m averaging 5,000 steps a day while my hip-replacement muscles continue healing
I put strength training on pause since Jenny’s breast-cancer treatment began
We celebrated our 46th anniversary (and extended it with a long weekend “away + weigh”)
I ended most nights with a small after-dinner treat (even if it was just protein powder)
I managed to stay emotionally steady, but my follow-through, the true commitment to change, never fully clicked into gear.
No excuses, just what’s so. Life happens as it always does, and I was happy to stay where I was.
And while I was comfortable, I also see how easily comfort can camouflage complacency.
I declared and shared an Impossible Goal, but didn’t yet embody the mindset that fuels it.
Flashback: The Ranch Reality
Back on The Biggest Loser, we couldn’t hide. Every week we stepped on that scale in front of millions. Accountability wasn’t optional, it was built into the process.
We couldn’t escape to the drive-thru, 7-Eleven, or pantry. We had no distractions, no social media, no work, no TV, just ourselves, our thoughts, and a lot of walking. The food was clean, measured, and tracked.
That’s why it worked. The structure created progress.
But it also created a false sense of control.
In the real world, there’s no Ranch, no weigh-in stage, no cameras. Only you, your daily decisions, and the quiet moment when you step on the scale and no one else is watching.
That’s where the real work begins.
The Human Condition: Why We Hide
At home, it’s easy to avoid the mirror or skip the scale. We tell ourselves we’ll check tomorrow, or next week, or when we “feel” ready.
But what we’re really hiding from isn’t the number, it’s the story underneath it.
That’s what I call “The Tale of Your Scale.”
It’s not about pounds; it’s about patterns.
It’s about how we interpret the data through the lens of our self-talk.
When the story in your head is harsher than the truth on the scale, you start believing you’ve failed. And that belief, more than any calorie or carb, is what keeps people stuck.
The Turning Point: From Messy Beginning to Messy Middle
Every transformation has a Messy Beginning.
That stage where you say you’re ready but still have one foot in your old thoughts, beliefs, stories, and habits.
Then comes the Messy Middle, where results slow down, motivation dips, and self-doubt gets loud.
But here’s the thing: that’s not failure, it’s formation.
The Messy Middle is where awareness gets stronger than avoidance. It’s where you start to recognize that you’re building something more durable than willpower: you’re building trust with yourself.
Create a Seminal Moment: A seminal moment is the seed that changes everything.
It’s when what’s under the surface finally pushes through and reaches for the light.
This 45-day check-in is a seminal moment for me, a moment of truth sprouting from beneath the surface.
Staying The Course: The 45-Day Rhythm
I’ve decided my major “check-ins” like this will happen every 45 days.
Eight of them over the next 360 days, each one a 45-day “view from the trail.”
There’s no magic in the number; it just feels right. Long enough to gather real data, short enough to course-correct before drifting too far.
These next 45 days aren’t about perfection.
They’re about engagement.
They’re about earning the right to believe in my Impossible Goal again, through action, not affirmation.
And this time, I won’t chase the Ranch version of transformation.
I’ll live the real-world version, the one that doesn’t have a production crew, a controlled kitchen, or a some of the best trainers in the world.
This time, I’ll live the version where cravings happen…
where stress hits at 10 p.m. and the pantry starts whispering…
where holidays, birthdays, and date nights collide with good intentions…
where work deadlines, travel days, and sleepless nights pile up…
where the scale stalls, the mirror lies, and old habits try to talk me into comfort.
It’s the version where I’ll face:
the smell of fries that can turn a parking lot into a battlefield,
the late-night “I deserve this” voice that still thinks sugar is a reward,
the stress of watching someone I love go through something I can’t fix,
the urge to skip workouts because “tomorrow” sounds easier,
the glass of wine that can blur commitment into compromise,
the self-doubt that asks, “What if you can’t do it again?”
And still… I’ll Stay The Course.
Because this isn’t about chasing perfection, it’s about building resilience.
It’s about showing up for myself when no one’s watching,
and proving that the real transformation isn’t filmed, it’s lived.
The Takeaway
The underbelly of weight loss isn’t shame, it’s truth.
It’s the messy, human, inconvenient part where growth actually begins.
When you can stand on the scale, see what’s so, and not run from it, you’ve already won half the battle.
Because weight loss isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about practicing presence.
And that’s what I’m doing, one “check in,” one day, one 45-day chapter at a time.
Postscript:
I’m writing this not because it’s easy to share, but because it’s real, and real is what creates results.
So what’s there for me to do… Stay The Course.
————————————————————————————————————————
🙏 Thank you so much if you’re already following me on Instagram @my_last_100_lbs I truly appreciate you being part of this journey.
If you’re not yet following, here’s what you’ll see when you do:
💡 Lessons learned from over 10,000+ one-on-one consultations that can help you better understand your numbers
🎯 Daily real-time check-ins sharing my actual body composition data, water, muscle, fat, and weight
💬 Honest reflections about what’s working (and what’s not) as I chase my Impossible Goal
———————————————————————————————
And if you’re already a subscriber to Lose the Weight… Gain the World, thank you for showing up every week to go deeper with me.
If you haven’t yet, ➡️ CLICK HERE to join me @ Lose the Weight… Gain the World for…
🧭 Weekly insights that go beyond weight loss stories, mindset shifts, and practical tools to help you Stay The Course
💥 A front-row seat to the movement redefining what success on the scale really means
📈 Behind-the-scenes context from my own transformation and what it teaches us about yours