Bo McCoy

Count the points

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:27:27 +0000

Today is of particular difficulty. It is the first Monday of a new year. First Monday after the big holidays. So here we are in 2009. The holidays take their toll on a diet plan that is for sure. I mean I think the holidays were invented by chocolate and cake salespersons. Regardless of how we spent 2008; 2009 is here and we have a chance to do something amazing with it.

I woke up this morning with one goal in mind. (my resolution list) I want to lose (5 lbs a month) for the next year. I mean how hard can it be to cut back enough to lose a meager 5lbs? Well, based on my track record…pretty darn hard. So, when I woke up this morning I had a plan. I was going to track my food with a points (weight watchers plan). I have long loved the analytical nature of the WW Points plan. I created an excel spreadsheet to help me keep my points in a visual manner. If you would like a copy of the excel to use for your own journey I will be glad to provide to you via email.

I have been beating around the bush around concerning the reasons for the new found ‘zeal’ to recapture the control of my eating habits. Sometime between Thanksgiving and January 1st I realized I was about to turn 40. (Yes, I said forty). I had such a great Christmas with my daughter this year. It was her first “real” Christmas and I enjoy watching her open her presents so much I realized I wanted to be here for many years to come. So, my resolution was to make 2009 MY YEAR. This is my 40th year alive! I don’t feel old. I don’t act old (well maybe). I don’t look old. So, I have decided to be 40 years young!

I have created a 40th year resolution list. (Similar to a bucket list) Here is my list of 10 things to accomplish this year:

Finish my book by May 1st.

Go scuba diving in bahamas again.

Lose 5 lbs per month for the next year.

Pay off debts (credit cards, car, etc)

Buy a bicycle to go riding with my daughter

Have a great 40th birthday party with my friends.

Smile and laugh more.

Spend more time with my family (brother, mother, father)

Finish my degree (6 more classes)

Go dancing more.

The way I see it…a man that has all those things is both wealthy, loved, and fulfilled. If at the end of the year I have accomplished those things I can say that I have taken control of my life and the ‘out-of-control’ man I was in my youth is gone and I am in my prime of life.

Friends, family, and lurkers are free to join me on the ride…. it’s 2009… every day counts and there are no points award to those who check out early!

Say Cheese

admin — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:30:07 +0000

Say cheese.

The other day I watching the Food Network (I affectionately call it the porn channel) LOL. So, I am was watching a program about ‘dives and diners’ and one of the ‘dives’ was serving a cheese burger with an obscene amount of cheese on a hamburger so much so, that it created a cheese “curtain” on the outside of the bun and around the sandwich itself. If you like fried cheese or just cheese in general then you would have loved the way this burger looked with the cheese ‘curtain’.
Our product today is very much like the cheese curtain. Only this product has baked cheese formed into a ‘cracker’ the produce is called “just the cheese” produced by the Specialty Cheese Company. http://www.specialcheese.com/
For today I wanted to review a couple of products supplied by the company.

Pizza flavored cheese snack.

These crunchy little things have a great pizza flavor. I was very surprised by the robust pizza flavor. See below for the nutritional content. These are the perfect snack for the high-protein low carb dieters. I recommend these in place of popcorn or other movie snacks. In fact, the company has already thought of that and produced a “popcorn cheese” product that is great for a movie. (Although, don’t get caught sneaking it in the movies!) The pizza snack was a great product. I found it to be flavorful and just the right size for a gastric bypass patient. Definitely a ‘pouchready’ product.
The product is made from real Wisconsin cheese!

Cheese scale: 1 cheese wedge being low and 5 cheese wedges being the highest.

Taste: VVVVV
Price: VVV
Protein content: VVVVV

Popcorn flavored cheese snack.

Ok this is a really neat product. It has great packaging and would be exceptional for smuggling into the movies. This product is larger than the other product. It reminds me of a cheese cube you might see on a “fried cheese” order.
I liked this product because it was ‘cheese’ flavored cheese. (Umm, did that confuse anyone? It did me for a moment…but, it was really nice.)

Taste: VVVVV
Price: VVV
Protein content: VVVVV

Nutritional content:

Nutritional Details Rounds Snack Bars Popped Cheese
Serving Size: 1/2 oz. 1/2 oz. 1/2 oz.
Servings per Container: 4 1 3.4
Calories per Serving: 75 75 75
Cal from fat 60 60 60
Total Fat per serving: 6 1/2 g 6 1/2 g 6 1/2 g
Saturated Fat 3 1/2 g 3 1/2 g 3 1/2 g
Cholesterol 25 mg 25 mg 25 mg
Sodium 300 mg 300 mg 300 mg
Total Carbohydrate 1 g 1 g 1 g
Dietary 0g 0g 0g
Sugars 0g 0g 0g
Protein 5 g 5 g 5 g
Vitamin A 5% DV 5% DV 5% DV
Calcium 16% DV 16% DV 16% DV
Vitamin C 0% DV 0% DV 0% DV
Iron 0% DV 0% DV 0% DV

Kay’s Naturals

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:45:16 +0000

I just finished a great weekend with my daughter and mother. It was one of those times that your happy you got to enjoy. My mother doesn’t live near me and my daughter doesn’t get to see her very often. It was great weekend when my mom came to visit.

During our Sunday time together we decided to have a snack. I pulled out the Kay’s Naturals pretzels. I opened the Golden Butter pretzel. I let everyone try the product. I loved the product. I also opened up a bag of Wasabi pretzel sticks. I have to say, I love the Wasabi very much. It was my personal favorite.

My mother and my daughter both enjoyed the product too.

For those of you who do not know Kay’s Naturals is a great product that provideds a protein source with a high-fiber source. I first began working with Tim Beard (Sales Manager) for the company about two years ago. Kay’s Natural has been very generous to provide samples for all of ObesityHelp’s events. I have heard many people who share the same enthusiasm as my mother and daughter did. The product is a “natural” in the bariatric industry.

For lunch today, we used the Golden Butter pretzel to compliment our sandwich. I was telling my mother that I thought the Wasabi pretzel’s would be good in a salad. (I haven’t tried that yet).

Golden Butter Pretzel: Grading the product — (grading on a “&” pretzel scale. 1 low to 5 high).
• Taste: &&&&
• Protein value: &&&&
• Packaging: &&&&&
• Fiber value: &&&&&
• Price to value: &&&&&

Wasabi Pretzel Sticks: Grading the product — (grading on a “&” pretzel scale. 1 low to 5 high).
• Taste: &&&&&
• Protein value: &&&&
• Packaging: &&&&&
• Fiber value: &&&&&
• Price to value: &&&&&

Parmesan cheese chips: Grading the product — (grading on a “&” pretzel scale. 1 low to 5 high).
• Taste: &&&
• Protein value: &&&&
• Packaging: &&&&&
• Fiber value: &&&&&
• Price to value: &&&&&

Other products include: cinnamon toast, parmesan cheese, nacho cheese, and lemon herb.
To purchase this product please visit: http://www.kaysnaturals.com/

It’s time to celebrate.

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:37:54 +0000

“We’re going to have a good time tonight …let’s celebrate…it’s alright, baby” - ‘Celebrate’, by Cool and the gang.

Sorry for the singing introduction but occassionally you try a product and it gives you a feeling of celebration because you finally found a product worth trying. Not coincidentially the name of today’s product review product is: “Celebrate vitamins”.
www.celebratevitamins.com

Celebrate is the brain-child of Vic Giaconia, for those of you whom have had the pleasure to meet Vic know he is a wonderful human being. I had the pleasure to meet and enjoy Vic’s energy and excitment for bariatrics over the past year and I have found him to be a genuine supporter of the bariatric industry.

Now lets talk about the product.

First things first. I am a marketing specialist and I can tell you Vic has done an exceptional job of making the product look amazing! I love the images and logos. So, if I were grading this product on appearance alone I would buy it!

Second and most importantly, taste. I tasted the multi-vitamin and I have to say I was prepared for a bitter after-taste. Guess what. This thing actually tastes good and I was no left with that ‘bitter chalk taste’ after chewing it up!

Third and very important, active ingredients. I spoke to Vic during ASMBS regarding the formulation of the product. I was very happy to hear Vic say that formulation was designed for Celebrate ’specifically for bariatrics patients’. What does this mean? Your biology is now different since your surgery and this vitamin has been formulated to for quick absorption into your body!

Lastly, when it comes to vitamins there are always going to be choices. However, I am sure even Vic would agree if your not going to celebrate with him; you should aleast sit quietly in the corner and take your “brand x” vitamins. However, given the choice to “celebrate” or not “celebrate” I think the choice is clear.

The score card: (grading on the celebrate scale \0/ -waive your hands in the air like you don’t care!)

Company bariatric friendly: \0/\0/\0/\0/\0/
Packaging: \0/\0/\0/\0/\0/
Taste and tolerability: \0/\0/\0/\0/\0/
Price: \0/\0/\0/\0/
Staff / Owner: \0/\0/\0/\0/\0/
Overall value : \0/\0/\0/\0/\0/

Bo’s recommendation: “It’s time to ‘Celebrate’…….. \0/ ”

Wednesday Blues

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:05:01 +0000

I’ve heard Wednesday called ‘hump’ day; which ignites my inner twelve-year-old but, ok let’s assume Wednesday is a good day to call “middle of the week” or a great day to energize our diet.

So, here we are on yet another Wednesday. My weekend was wrought with too many carbs and my days since have been filled with guilt over my carb indulgence. I have done well for the past few days again removing carbs from my diet to focus on proteins and good vegtables. I thought I might stop here and say that ‘dieting’ is exhausting. I wish living a healthy life didn’t require so many plans, concessions, and down right sacrafices. God, why can’t I just eat what I want? Ok, rant over.

Couple tips for making it past the Wednesday “Blues”.

Do something different on Wednesdays. Try to walk backwards through life. Don’t take the same route to work, walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, park your car far away from the door of the office. Just make yourself move more.

Get yourself on of those desk games you can play. A pool table, those swinging steel balls are cool, how about a putter and a flag? Take some time to mentally remove yourself from work and stress.

Treat yourself to a simple delicacy. Maybe a Starbuck coffee (2% milk of course). Just make the act of getting the coffee and “event”. Plan your outting. Make it a date with yourself.

Call and old friend from high school. Hearing how difunctional they have become might make you happier about your own life. I have heard someone say once…there is always somebody crazier, poorer, and worse off than you. - Seems to be true.

Don’t tempt the devil. By this I mean don’t go to Dairy Queen to buy a salad. Who are you kidding? Don’t make cookies for the “kids”. Who are you kidding? Try to stay away from your trigger foods.

If you just can’t make designate Wednesday your 20% day. (For more information on your 20% day search for “20% day” on this site). Enjoy your day - Friday is coming soon.

Of course all this sounds good in theory right. But what happens if your boss is being a jerk? What happen if your spouse is being a jerk? What happens if your kids are driving you crazy? Would anyone begrudge you a pint of ice cream? Certainly not. Or maybe a king size chocolate bar? Why heavens no. Nobody, would dare say you don’t deserve to treat yourself. But, the real question is “how are you treating yourself?” Is chocolate really a reward? (I mean it can in certain countries I am sure it is used for currency but, let us be honest chocolate is not a reward. It is an unhealthy snack that brings a psuedo feeling of comfort).

I heard once that scientist say that “love” has the same chemical reaction in the body as a person eating chocolate. I personally think this great marketing for guys who want to get lucky with a box of chocolate as a “buy” in. Don’t be fooled girls…don’t mistake chocolate for love or love of chocolate as the same thing.

Here is my easy-way-out motto: if you don’t buy you can’t eat it.

Treat yourself like gold and you will feel like it. Treat yourself like garbage and you will eat garbage. True weightloss is linked to self-image and positive thinking.

Put the chocolate down and back away before someone gets hurt.

-Bo.

Two-and-half men.

admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:45:19 +0000

Every day I sit in from of my computer for 8 hours plus. My laptop looks like a piece of “bling” on my lap. Its no wonder that my lifestyle of work, school, being a father has created an nearly perfect environment to create a super-sized man.

Here is a typical day.

Wake up. (snooze button, moaning, covering my head with pillow, wishing I had just “ten more minutes”, wanting to go back to the cool dream I was having, dreading getting up, looking for the bedside phone to call for room-service (I wish), looking for the bedside phone so I can call for maid service (I wish). Basically, all the same things a boy would want just in adult form.)

Bathroom and morning house chores. Pick up dirty clothes. Load / or unload dishwasher. Pick up stray toys left by Baili around the house. Pick up stray ‘coke zero’ cans left by me around the house.

Make breakfast. I normally have a high-protein and low-carb breakfast. Example: couple turkey sausage links and a wheat english muffin. (About 350 calories, 25 grams of protein, 20 carbs.)

Clean breaksfast mess. I usually put everything in the sink (putting off until later what I can put off even later when later arrives).

Make coffee and start my work day. Usually by 9am. Laptop comes on. Blue tooth in my ear. Two phones near me, home and cell. CNN on the big screen (or light jazz). Candle lite on the mantle. My work day has begun. Working from home is the best perk of my life. Depending on the day of the week (Monday - Wednesday) I normally work 10 hours a day. Thursday & Friday I normally work 8 hours a day. With occassional phone calls in the evening. - Approximately 50 hour week.

Eating lunch. I normally eat lunch with my laptop open (sitting on my lap) my lunch sitting to my left. I rare stop and just “eat” lunch. I think this is a mistake. I think contributes to thoughts of hunger later. Because eating was such an ‘non-event’ I think my mind felt cheated out of the ‘experience’ of the meal. Here is a confession. I have eaten lunch before and kept working only to forget that a) that I ate luch at or b) what I had for lunch. I have done this numerous time. This is very scary because I think this has allot to do with the psychology of hunger. My mind needs to comprehend that I am full.

Finishing a busy day. Many times in the evenings I still have my computer on my lap around 6:30 pm or even later. Because the ‘home office’ is in California; I tend to work later to be available to the PST crowd. It is not unheard of for me to be sitting with my laptop at 8pm working.

College. Just like John Belushi I wear a ‘college’ shirt everyday. I have been taking class at the University of Phoenix for about 1.5 years now. I love the idea of being a student. I have many goals in life that are attached to educatioin. FYI - I have scheduled myself to take the LSAT on February 9th of 2009. Can’t wait to see how I do on the test. Each night I spent between 1 and 3 hours doing school work. Writing papers, posting, reading etc. Knowledge is fun.

Dinner? Did I mention that I ate dinner in fron to my computer? Oh yeah. I did a repeat of the lunch routine only this time for dinner. I most-likely ate dinner while on a phone call with someone from the home office or while creating a contract for a client. Again, my mind feels cheated out of the ‘experience’.

Its after 9pm do you know where your day went? There are days when I can honestly say I cannot remember stopping for a single moment to rest, ponder, and or just ‘play hookie’ with my mind. I am exhausted. My day is nearly done and I am trying to achieve some ‘down-time’. One of my favorite down-time things to do is watch Two-and-half men. I know, not much social redeeming value there but, it makes me laugh. But, my watching this show is not the reason I named this blog after the name sake show I love to watch. Keep reading.

It’s after 11pm do you know how long you have been sitting in the same place? I estimate I sit and or work from the same place on my couch for approximate 10 - 11 hours. Not withstanding bathroom breaks, drink runs (coffee, etc), occassional snack run. Its now wonder that my legs feel stiff and my joints don’t want to move when I get up to do something.

Bedtime. I get myself ready for bed. I turn off the big screen. I blow out the candle (been on since the morning), I turn off the lights and put myself to bed. I lay there wondering how productive I have been and if I accomplished anything that I wanted to achieve?

Did I eat to much today? - I can’t remember.

Did I get any excercise? -No.

Did I spent 20% of my day doing anything for me? - Not really.

Did “I” exist today or did the alien invader who makes me a dependable person take over?

It’s no wonder that a person in this scenario could end up weighing the weight of two-and-half men. If the average man weighs 180 lbs then two and half would be 450 lbs. I think I see why weigh gain is so easy. I think I recognize a pattern in my life that sets me up for descruction. But, in order to break this cycle I have to do the following:

Stop eating in front of the computer, tv, and make it an ‘event’
Get some excercise. Even 30 minutes of walking would be better than the ZERO I have been getting.
Let work know that I have boundries. After 6pm, I will only answer the phone, AIM, or emails at my discretion. I have to separate work and life. I cannot continue to be pulled into “emergency” phone calls that are not even close to emergencies.
Remain positive about my self image. I am doing great compared to 626 that I started with.
Make good food buying choices. If you don’t buy it you can’t eat it.
Remember life is too short. Life is too short to give up so much, to gain so little, to end my day with so few moments I call “mine”.

Blog schedule / topics

admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:54:08 +0000

In order to make this blog more interesting I have decided to schedule this blog’s daily topics. Here is the schedule I created:

Monday - Quick start your motivation for a good week of healthy eating.

Tuesday - Something for the guys. (Ladies this will help you too)

Wednesday -Mid-week blues. How to make the week not make you “weak”.

Thursday - Product review. I will give you my product pick-of-the-week.

Friday - Social eating and fun. Let’s talk about learning to eat healthy in social environment.

Saturday - How to avoid drive-thru. Stay away from chain restaurants while your out.

Sunday - Remember your 20% day rules. Getting ready for the next week and planning your “plan”.

Ok, so that is my plan for this blog.

Some products just ‘click’.

admin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:03:08 +0000

For quite some time I have been a coffee ‘junkie’. I personally own (4) four espresso machines. The number FOUR was not a typo! I have my kitchen decorated in coffee ‘mottif’ and I enjoy a rich full-bodied coffee most everyday.

I personally make espresso ‘iced lattes’ most every day during the summer. And sometimes as a ’snack’ replacement. Of course, I use sugar free syrups and Splenda as to make it sweet. Sometimes I will take ice and put in the blender and make a Frappe out the drink. Man, just thinking about that coffee ‘goodness’ makes me want to go whip one up right now at midnight.

But, before I go and get my ‘drink on’; I thought I would recommend a new protein drink that has exploded onto the bariatric scene. The drink is called “Click”. The premise behind the product is “espresso based flavored protein drink”. I mean come-on that is like infusing a Reeses cup into water right? Sure it is!

I first met Beth via email and then later in person. Beth is the owner of the company and let me tell you; you will not find a more fun lady behind the helm of a company. So is the product any good?

Lets graded on the “cup scale” 1 cup meaning is low grade (worse than oil change coffee) and 5 cups meaning (Look out Starbucks!). Somewhere in the middle would be 3 cups (good to the last drop - sorry Maxwell House).

Taste - (4) Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/
Protein content - (4) Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/
Value -(5) Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/
Hot -(4) Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/
Cold - (5) Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/
Packaging (4) Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/
Customer service -(5) Cups! Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/

Overall score - (4+) Cups! c\_/c\_/c\_/c\_/

For more information on Click Espresso Drink please visit http://www.drinkclick.com

Down 6 lbs.

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:44:52 +0000

On my last blog I noted my weight at 377; as of yesterday my weight was down to 371 and I was so excited. I know what you might be thinking “Ok, but hey your still fat..” right? Well, to be honest, that statement would be considered ‘true’ in the academic sense of the word. However, I don’t feel ‘fat’ anymore. I realize that to the world being 371 is “HUGE” but, to me it is quite spry! Imagine going from 626 down to 371 do you think I still feel fat? Umm, No!

However, before the critics begin flaming me and throwing rotten vegtables…keep reading.

I am not content with 371 because despite my feeling that I am not fat; I do feel I am not as healthy as I would like to be. I noticed I am snoring allot more (sleep apnea’ish type snoring) - how do I know this? I woke myself up snoring. LOL. So, with this in mind - I keep moving myself forward. Falling forward.

What is my current diet?

Breakfast: low carb wrap, muffin, or bread. With a protein. Sausage (usually turkey).

Lunch: meat protein with cheese. A small amount of roughage.

Snack: Latte with 2% milk. (my vice)

Dinner: meat protein (with cheese or maybe no). A small amount of roughage.

I get maybe 10 - 20 carbs a day.
I get maybe 120 grams of protein per day.

Things I need to reduce:

Fat from cheese. (going to try low fat versions)

Fat from meats. (focus on turkey and other low fat meats)

Things I need to add to my diet:

More roughage. High protein is always hard on my system.

Thought of the day:

I can’t wait to see Baili today. She is my little princess. I don’t suppose everyone would understand but, there are days when she is the only reason I keep falling forward. I appreciate her for who she is. The best way I can describe her is to say she is my funny, smart, beautiful, little nugget. She loves so unconditioinally; a feeling that can never be compared to anything.

The other day Baili was sitting next to me while I posted to blog. She saw my before and after picture on the site. She said “there’s daddy”. I said to her, “which one?” she pointed to my after picture. I said to her..(pointing to my before picture) “Who’s that?” She responded, “I don’t know.” - I hope that she never knows that person.

Reality check time.

admin — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:42:34 +0000

Ok so at the advise of a good friend I am going to start being real on this blog. My friend did not imply that I wasn’t being “real” they just felt that I wasn’t really sharing all the things in the blog that I would naturally share in person. So, this blog may be a little different. It will seem more like a confession than a motivational blog.

The truth. I began the journey at 626 lbs. I had always been over-weight and I didn’t know what it felt like to be normal. I didn’t know what it felt like to have that feeling of being a “man” - a guy that people looked up to. I idolized men who were able to be that “guy”. I wanted to be that “guy”. I never felt that until after I had surgery.

I began the journey on 7/31/2002. I started living on that day. Over the next 6 months I lost 200 lbs. I went back to work after 7 years of disability. I continued to lose weight for over 24 months. At my lowest I had lost 385lbs (I was down to 241). My life was on ‘hyper speed’.

I was working for ObesityHelp as the events manager. I got married to a person who was post-op. I was “king of the world”. For about 6 months around 7/2004 - 12/2005 I was unstoppable. I was speaking at conferences twice a month. I was being called by the mainstream press. I was most probably only about a year away from establishing myself as a premier brand in the bariatric industry.

Through a series of events my life began to take a downward spiral. Some of which was my own fault. Other things was the fault of others. Let’s start with my own fault. Because I was so impressionable having not been “that guy” for long when I met someone who showed me any attention at all I loved it. I craved it. It became like a drug. It was my new “food” - I lived on the praise of others. I needed it more than food and water. The more praise I got the more I wanted it. I became an attention “whore” and I loved it.

When I married in July of 2005; I believe part of me married because I wanted to have ‘full time attention’. I thought that would happen in a marriage. Boy, was I wrong. I never imagined in a thousand life-times that I would have to struggle even in marriage to get what I was looking for. I had come to the reality that I “needed” something that I wasn’t getting even from marriage.

As life would have it I also found myself facing some drastic career changes. I was taken from the events department and put into the sales department. This event coupled with the marriage that didn’t bring the things I was looking for set me up for the ensuing depression and binge eating.

While I don’t blame anyone but myself in this story; I just wish people would be more understanding of exactly how fragile a food addict is until they have successful been ‘off the obese wagon’ for at least 5 years. I didn’t know it then but, I know now; the events department had been my support system and my life-line for what I needed. Acceptance. I was being bombarded by “ooos, awwhs..” the drug of my choice. I needed to feel accepted and events gave me that. However, when the events were over so was my ‘drug supply’. Nothing was giving me what I needed. So, I gave up.

By the end of 2005; my new found eating habits had been thrown out. I was eating what I wanted when I wanted. My now estranged wife and were expecting a child which only served to add another dimension of pressure to an already fragile psyche. It is not by accident that my life changes (marriage, job change, etc) had allowed me to embrace the one thing that had always brought me comfort. Food.

I returned to food like I always had. My addiction was back. My life was now spinning back out of control from December 2005 until December 2008 (today) I gained back 136 lbs. Three years to gain so much weight is frightening. I weigh 377 today. I am afraid. Not afraid because I can’t control myself; but afraid that I allowed this slippery slope to take back so much of my life.

One thing that I have found with obesity as the pounds come one the self-esteem errodes. So, what I have had to do was build myself back up from the bottom again. This time not on the “oohs and awhs” but, on who I really am. The real mccoy. The real Bo McCoy. The one who has had to learn to love myself despite my obvious short-comings. The real Bo that lies in his bed wishing he could have that moment back in time when I gave up.

This might be hard for some to believe. I have always been a motivator right? Of course. I am a perfect compartmentalized person. I had a ’stage Bo’ and a ‘life Bo’. The stage Bo belived and lived the hope. The life Bo was still screaming for help from those around. Slipping, falling, unable to find a place to plant my feet.

So what is different today than December 2005? Because today my life and self image is not built on the ‘high of being accepted by others’; my life is built on me. My name is Bo McCoy, and I offer myself honestly to this world. I try to give more than I take. I love more than I demand. I am a genuine person with an honest love for life.

I can’t tell you how good it feels to stand in front of a crowd and motivate them to find this ‘place’. The place I call the “real mccoy”. The inner person who I really am. I wish the people in the crowd could see their own faces. When the crowds here the words “your worth more than your weight in gold..” and “find your real mccoy”; I see hope coming back into their eyes. The same kind of hope I had in July of 2002.

So, what do I do now? I ask for help from my community to support me daily as I post my journey to battle back to my 250 rage weight. I want it for me now. Not for the “oohs and awhs” but, for the Bo McCoy who has been pardoned from Obesity. I want strut down the street (yes I meant strut) because regardless of how others might think of me; I am special. I am a rockstar! I am worthy of holding my head up high because I have done what few people do in this world, I have been honest iwth myself. I have been honest with you the reader.

So, where do I go from here. I go forward. I have always been a fall forward kind-of guy. So, I am 377 lbs; and I am going forward. I am going to lose 136 lbs I gained. I am going to finish my degrees and I am going to publish my book, “You’re worth more than your weight in gold”. Because, knowing what I know about this industry (the people in it)…there are allot of people who need to know that the real mccoy is still lerking inside them and they need to let him/her out.

Look out world. Bo McCoy is struting down the road…(can you hear the tune?) ….

This is me at my lowest weight (241):