The Diet Guy

Naked Photo Shoot

Five years ago my eating was out of control, I was a very big guy getting bigger by the month.

I then decided in September 2005 to do a diet and trimmed down 11.5 stone (161 pounds) in 20 weeks.

 
The day I finished the diet I decided never to diet again, never to obsess over food and to prove everyone wrong who said that people who are big are destined to regain all their weight. I dealt with the real reasons I overate and I have never touched a diet since then.

Big Mike would never get changed in a changing room, Big Mike never went swimming for fear of people looking at my belly and judging me, Big Mike was never seen with anything but a full set of clothes on !

Today I went and stripped off naked in a photo studio to show the world that it is possible to be big, get slim and then stay that way for years and years and years !

So not to offend I haven't put the pictures on this blog but to see the pictures then check out the Mighty Aphrodite blog at Naked Photo Shoot - Mike Scott

 

3 Weeks To Go !

Just three weeks to go to my naked photo shoot!

Pleased to say that I am building up nicely, I have dropped 3% of my body fat and have been building up my abs and arm muscles nicely. I am doing around an hours weight lifting every night and because I have a real focus on the 20th August I am enjoying the journey and enjoying seeing the results.

For me now I am totally focussed on what I want, when I decide I want something in my life I never doubt I will get it, I keep my eyes on the prize all the time and let nothing and nobody stand in my way.

The old me was very much a dreamer, I loved the idea of being slim but then I didn't actually put in the 'effort' required to deliver the result. I would diet for a day or two and then get bored or have a night out and then it would all stop and fall to bits.

But now it is about the result, I love putting in 'effort' if it means I get what I want, now for me at the moment I want to look great in the buff and have some pictures to be proud of when I am 90 years old and also have a laugh and tell my friends that I had a mad day out in a photo studio.

For me now I am happy on the journey to be happy, what I mean by that is that when I was big I used to always talk about if I could just be slim I would be happy but happy is a state and not a goal, you can be happy today and then tomorrow and then the day after.

And for me I am looking forward to the 20th August and what fun I can have but I am also happy to put in all the 'effort' that means I will get the results I want.

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway (With A Big Smile On Your Face!)

Since trimming down in weight I love challenges now, without challenges in my life I get bored and I get trapped and feel like I am treading water and not making a difference and growing.

Now some of my challenges are bigger than others, I like to pick challenges which scare me and excite me at the same time, now when I got slim I went on a six month 'bender' and did a lot of very silly things but in heinsight they scared and excited me at the same time.

When I sorted myself out and got back on an even level then I have continued to do some big challenges, my first was to run a race ! So I did the great south run, now I was scared I would never complete it but I was excited and what it might be like so I did it and completed it.

I then decided to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, as it terrified me but also fascinated me at the same time and I completed it.

Now with my photo shoot next month I am exactly the same, the thought of getting my kit off infront of total strangers makes me feel nervous and excited all at once and it is a powerful mix. I got sent a link yesterday to the new male section of the site --> Mighty Aphrodite Men Section

Now I love the idea of doing it but also I am panicking but in a good way!

Because we need challenges! We need to grow and push ourselves otherwise everything can become a little mundane in our lives.

When I look back now to the end of September 2005 and when I started my last ever diet was the sense of anticipation mixed with butterflies and apprehension, it was a very powerful and heady mix, the fact that I E-mailed my department telling them I was going to be slim when I still weighed nearly 25 stone made some of them raise eyebrows but it was a challenge and it was never in doubt I would complete it.

Eyes on the prize and let nothing and nobody stand in your way, especially yourself !

The Date Is Set!

I mentioned back last weekend that I was pushing myself well outside my comfort zone by going for a naked photo shoot in August --> Doing Things That Push My Limits

Well the date is now set! The 20th August and all booked and paid for so no backing out now :-)

All that is left to do is to let the studio know which 2 sets I want to do and then get down to Reading in good time for the shoot! (oh and get some new sexy boxer shorts!)

I am very nervous about doing it, but in the same way I was nervous about trimming down my weight. It is what I called nervous excitement where I am focusing on just how much fun and how empowering it can be as opposed to focussing on how embarrassing and what a dreadful experience it might be.

I never did nudity when I was big! I would not take off my T-Shirt in public, let alone my underwear. I can remember being in Florida in 90 degree heat and refusing to take off my T-Shirt to go in the swimming pool, saying I needed it on so I didn't get burnt but the reality was I didn't want people to see just how big and overweight I was and judge me for it.

I went for a tattoo when I was big on my right arm and the man asked me to take off my shirt so he could do it and I asked if I could come back later with a different T-Shirt on so that I didn't have to. He must have thought I was mad as I disappeared for an hour to the big man's clothing shop to get a T-Shirt with cut off arms so that he didn't get to see just how big my stomach was. The reality was that a thin T-Shirt was never really covering up just how big I had become but clothes were my protection!

But no protection now! No hiding behind long black trousers and a 21 inch collar white shirt anymore, time to bare all and be proud of it!

I did get a couple of people E-Mail me and ask if I was going to post up the results just to prove that I did it and my answer was DEFINITELY! I am proud of who I am now and I hope in some way I can inspire others to not worry about the odd bit of loose skin, or not having the super 21 year old's six pack, my bum is certainly not tight and I am certainly no Linford Christie but I am who I am and I am happy with who I am and therefore BRING ON THE CAMERA!

Doing Things That Push My Limits !

I like pushing my limits now otherwise how do I know where they are or what I am capable of? I love doing thing now that I would never have dreamt of doing when I was big! I like blowing my mind with just what I can achieve if I decide to do it!

I had never thought of climbing a mountain before I did Mt Kilimanjaro last year and the thought of doing it excited and scared me at the same time. I wasn't sure I could make it to the top or have the stamina and determination to do it but even though it nearly killed me I got there and was so pleased that I did.

So it's been just over a year now and I need something that scares me and is exciting at the same time!

I was discussing this last night with our best friends and decided what is the one thing I would be scared stiff of doing and I remembered back to when my wife did a photo shoot last year. She was really nervous before doing it but said it was very empowering and actually loved the experience and was very pleased with the final results. I remember saying there is no way you would get me doing a naked photo shoot as I used to be so self conscious about my body that I used to go swimming at the swimming pool wearing a T-Shirt and long shorts and was the only person in Florida with full sleeve shirts on in 90 degree heat. I would never strip off in a changing room in front of anyone and would avoid communal showers like the plague.

So the challenge is set!

At the end of August I am going to have a naked photo shoot! Just thinking about it makes me nervous but I now have a mentality of 'I will try anything once and therefore let nothing and nobody stand in my way, including myself!'

I have been at goal weight now for well over four years and I don't want to lose anymore weight (or gain any) as I like me the weight I am and all my clothes fit me perfectly, but I do want to tone up and define up a bit before stripping off and therefore over the next 8 weeks I will be hitting the rowing machine, swimming pool and exercise bike.

Now over the next 8 weeks I will post about how I am getting on with my toning and more importantly how I am feeling as I now have a goal and need to push through everything to get there.

I am going to use a company called Mighty Aphrodite who do very arty nude photography and some examples of their work and what I am letting myself in for can be seen at Mighty Aphrodite Case Studies (please note there is nudity so don't look if you are easily offended!)

So there you go!

I have a plan! I know the goal which is to go and have some photos done that I am really proud of! Now I need to get on with the fun of putting some more definition on my tummy and getting the courage up to drive there and have it done!

Butterflies in my stomach? Oh yes!!

Going to do it anyway! Hell yes...