Three images of Matt showing progress each week.

Belly Fat and Chronic Illness Week 3

Hey everybody. It is Matt Cavallo checking in with you at the end of week three of my weight loss journey. Just to recap, in week one, I started at 243 pounds by BMI and body fat percentage standards. I was obese. I had a problem area, which was belly fat. Belly fat’s a dangerous fat because it can cause all kinds of serious health problems like heart disease. Week two, I started to show some progress. I even shared the Skilly, or skinny Philly, a diet dish my wife and I created. You can see these videos and more on our YouTube channel.

For me, it caused acid reflux. I had bad symptoms like hiccups, laryngitis chest pains. It even was my, my stomach was pressing on my lungs and, and I was getting asthma as a result. And I hadn’t had asthma since I was an early teen. So, this weight gain that I’ve experienced was really wreaking havoc on my life.

I decided to take action. Over the last year, I had tried intermittent fasting. I had tried a couple of different diets and I would yo-yo; I would drop down a couple of pounds here, a couple of bounds there. But then I would bounce right back. And so, I decided to enroll in a medical weight loss program.

I wanted the medical weight loss program because it’s run by a doctor. I have multiple sclerosis and I’m on immune-suppressing treatments. If I’m going to take any medication, I like to have the guidance of a doctor just to make sure that everything’s okay.

It’s just peace of mind. And that doctor prescribed two medications. One was a hormone. Yeah, that helps accelerate your metabolism. And the other was an appetite suppressant. So, I’ve been on that for three weeks. Now, today is the end of three weeks. And throughout this journey, I’ve had some accelerated gains and I’ve hit some plateaus and those plateaus are where you kind of stay at the same weight for a little bit.

But I’m trying, I’m really trying to get to 200 pounds or under my stat sheet says my ideal weight is about 194. And because I had problems I have with walking and, and hip pain, and it really just weakness on my right side because of MS. I really want to get down to my ideal weight just to kind of.

Take some of the pressure off of my right side. And then I can maybe start a strengthening routine and maybe see if I could correct some of those deficits that I developed with MS. So this weight loss journey. It has taken a change of mindset to accomplish. I’d been really good so far. I’ve followed the diet program to a T I have not strayed the one time that I don’t want to say I was tempted, but I went into Costco cause we needed some egg whites because I can have four ounces of protein in the morning and I choose egg whites.

And I could smell their fresh, big pizza. And if you watch the first video, you know, I think pizza is the most perfect food. Right. And nothing beats the smell of fresh-baked pizza. And for, for just a quick moment, I was like, I really want a slice. But then I quickly focused and I said, Hey, that’s not the goal.

We’re working on the program. And you know, I was able to kind of enter an environment where there were temptations and just walked past it. And I think that’s the key, right? Is you’re not only doing the diet by taking the medications or eating the right food, you’re doing it by adjusting your mindset.

You know, you have to really put it in your mind that you can accomplish this. Right. You know, I, in the past, I might’ve said, Hey, you know, it’s the weekend. Let’s just take a little break. You know, and I would give myself excuses of why I could go eat the things I wanted to eat. Right. And it wasn’t until I put it in my mind that I needed to make a change for my health.

That, that I really started doing it. And now you know, I, I, I’m not even really concerned with what the scale says because I’m just looking here. I’m starting to feel like I look younger almost like I used to, and I’m starting to see definition in my face. Again, I don’t have really the double chin that I had developed the kind of neck.

I mean, I still see a little bit of it. My shirt is fitting much better. I’ve been wearing the same shirt for each video, so hopefully you guys can see the progress And I’m noticing on the first video, I’ve really had an accentuated belly and now, you know, it’s come back in, you know, it is really starting to come.

I still have problem areas here in problem areas there. So I know I’m not down to. Exactly where I want to be, but I’m, I’m three-quarters of the way through the initial process, and my wife and I said, Hey, we’re feeling so good that we’ve made these changes. That even when the diet’s over, we’re going to continue.

Right. Because. We’re in this together. And that’s really been the key to sticking with this thing is I have my partner for support and, you know, we lean on each other, you know, we talk about it and you know, if either one of us is having a bad day or something, we’re there for each other. And I think if I was doing this alone, especially with having the kids, you know, the kids they don’t want to be on.

The diet, you know, they want to, they still want to eat their stuff. They want to have French toast sticks for breakfast and, you know pizza and chicken wings and all that good stuff. So, you know, we have to feed them and then we get our diet portion. Of not that food by the way of just our six ounces of protein and cup and a half of vegetables.

So it’s, it’s been a, it’s been a journey and we’ve got through it together and I’m excited. I haven’t been on the scale yet today and I want to see where I’m at. So let’s go ahead and take a look.

218 pounds on the nose.

Wow.

I haven’t been under 220 pounds and over 10 years I’m at a loss for words right now. It’s you know, you work hard at it and you hope to see results, but I can’t believe wow. So I started at 2 43, 4 days into the program. I was. 2 34 a week ago today I was at 2 26 and now I’m down to two 18. I am 20 pounds away from my goal weight in three weeks.

I just it’s amazing. It’s amazing. What. Getting a positive mindset, setting goals, and sticking to and executing on a plan, will get you, I, I didn’t know, it could be under 220 pounds anymore. And now I’m at two 18 and you know, I feel great and I want to keep going. And I think if I keep this mindset up, think if I continue to work the program and I continue to, to think positively and, and do the things I’m supposed to do, I can accomplish my goals.

And you can too, if you have a goal if there’s something you want to do, Just set your mind to it, write a plan think of the steps to execute, and then make sure your mindset is focused on that goal you want to achieve. Now I’m only at the halfway point you know, I’ve lost, what is it about 25 pounds.

So I’m at 25 pounds. I still have 20 to go. So I’m just over halfway. You know, I’m going to celebrate this as a minor victory, but I’m going to turn the page and I’m going to stay focused on the road ahead because it’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. This is a change in lifestyle, but it’s a change for the good, thank you so much for joining us.

My name is Matt Cavallo. Please like, and subscribe to our videos. It helps our community grow. And remember, no matter what situation you’re in, you can turn it positive.

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