john mccabe, keeping fit, sun media (sept. 7, 2006)

2
 J ohn  McCabe admits his workouts used to be an exercise in f utility. Sure he would pump iron with vig- our and top it off with  a sweaty ses- sion on a cardio machine. And sure he was religious about it, rarely missing a scheduled trip to the gym in the several years since he first began lif ting weights. But McCabe didn’ t have much f ruit t o show for his la- bours. In f act, at s ix-foot-one, he weighed a bulky 3 12 pounds. Not t he typeof  str eamlinedphysique you’d expect f rom someone who worked out regularly. That was a littlemore than five years ago, just before he found out he was missing a key ingre- dient in thefitness equa- tion – proper nutrition. About 95% of people who go to the gym don’t make progress,” he ex- plains. “Most of it has to do with nutrition. Nutri- tio n is t he building block of  your body.” In McCabe’s case,  he says his portions were way too big at the time andhe was eating too much of  the wrong types of foodlikehighly processed f are and sugar-laden protein bars. I was disgusted with the way I looked and the way I felt. I had to do something,” he recalls. Af ter enlist ing  t hehelpof a coupleofpersonal tr aine rs, McCabe soon began seeing the error of his dietary ways. And as he learned first-hand the importance of good nutrition, a  f unny thing happened along the way – hi s previously stubborn physique fi nally began to changefor the better. That t hick layer of f at coveringhis body st art ed t o me lt away and McCabe drew f urther inspiration f rom his progress. The biggest motivating f actor was seeing that scale drop every day or every two days,he says, adding com- pliments f romf riends and acquaintances also served to buoy his spirits. McCabe ended up buying a whole new wardrobe twice andgetting ridofhis “f at clothesalong the way. Af ter s ix months, McCab e says he droppe d 105 pounds, bringing him to a lean 207 with 7% bodyf at and the type of chiselled abs he used to only dream about whileflip- ping through the glossy pages of muscle magazines. These days, the 38-year-old Edmontonian’s weight has levelled out to about 220 pounds. He works out at the south-side Club Fit four times a week, lif ting weights for about 45 minutes and doing up to an hour of cardio – either the elliptical machine, the stationary bikeor walki ng on t he tr eadmill at a st eepin- cline. Most importantly,  he st ill monitors every morsel of food that he puts in his mouth. His six-meals-a-day diet includes lean c uts of  red meat, c hicken, tuna,  egg whites, rice,  pasta, baked po- tatoes,  low-f at dairy products, yogurt,  microwave pop- corn and veggies. Since his metamorphosis, McCa be has become a cer- tified personal trainer and nutritional consultant. He has also launched a web-based business  body- shaping101.com – with the goal of helping others reach thei r fitness and weight-loss aspirations through weight training and nutrition. McCabe, who makes house calls, points out that he’s  just the guy next door.” And because he s not perfect,  h e subscribes to the 80/20 rule, which means he eats what he’s supposed to 80% of  the time. The re- maining 20% of  the time, he allows himself  to splurge. Its OK to go out and have pizza on a Friday night with your f riends, but you don’t do that every day,” he says. “Its moderation.” And the Nova Scotia na- tive, who as an overweight child was teased  by his peers and was forced to en- dure the indignity of being picke d last for s ports teams, knows his battle of   the bulge will likely last a life- time. It has to  be  a  lifestyle change if  you want to keep what you achieve,he says. Its a never-ending battle. Its something you have t o work at every day. That six months was easy.  I ts the rest of my life thats hard.”   D o  y o u h a v e  a n in s pi r a t ion a l  st o ry fo r K eeping  F  i t ?  E -m a il  Ca ry Ca st a  gn a a t cca st a  gn a@ edm su n.c om EDITOR:  S a ll y J o h n s t o n  PHONE:  4 6 8 - 0 115  FAX:  4 6 8 - 0 1 3 9  E - MAIL: s john s t o n @e dm s u n. c o m T H E E D M O N T O N S U N •  T hur s da y , Sep t em be r 7 ,  2006  lifes ty l e  6 9 CARY CASTAGNA  Supplied photos In six months, John McCabe tr ansformed himself f rom a bulky 312 pounds,  lef t, to a  lean 207 pounds with 7% body f at, above. H u ge v a l u e o f n u t r i t ion I was disgusted with the wa  y I looked and the wa  y I felt.’   J ohn McCabe S hed 10 5 po u nd s b y e a t ing  r igh t 

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Page 1: John McCabe, Keeping Fit, Sun Media (Sept. 7, 2006)

8/13/2019 John McCabe, Keeping Fit, Sun Media (Sept. 7, 2006)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/john-mccabe-keeping-fit-sun-media-sept-7-2006 1/1

 John   McCabeadmits his

workouts usedto be an exercise inf utility.

Sure he  wouldpump iron with vig-our and  top it off with  a  sweaty ses-

sion on a cardio machine.And sure he was religious about it, rarely missing a

scheduled trip to the gym in the several years since hefirst began lif ting weights.

But McCabe didn’t have much f ruit to show for his la-bours.

In f act, at six-foot-one, he weighed a bulky 312 pounds.Not the typeof  streamlinedphysique you’d expect f romsomeone who worked out regularly.

That was a littlemorethan five years ago, justbefore he found out hewas missing a key ingre-dient in thefitness equa-tion – proper nutrition.

“About 95% of peoplewho go to the gym don’tmake progress,” he ex-plains. “Most of it has todo with nutrition. Nutri-tion is the building blockof  your body.”

In McCabe’s case, he says his portions were way toobig at the time andhe was eating too much of  the wrongtypes of foodlikehighly processed f are and sugar-ladenprotein bars.

“I was disgusted with the way I looked and the way Ifelt. I had to do something,” he recalls.

Af ter enlisting thehelpof a coupleofpersonal trainers,McCabe soon began seeing the error of his dietary ways.

And as he learned first-hand the importance of goodnutrition, a  f unny thing happened along the way – hispreviously stubborn physique finally began to changeforthe better.

That thick layer of f at coveringhis body started to meltaway and  McCabe drew f urther inspiration f rom hisprogress.

“The biggest motivating f actor was seeing that scaledrop every day or every two days,” he says, adding com-pliments f rom f riends and acquaintances also served tobuoy his spirits.

McCabe ended up  buying  a whole new wardrobe –twice – andgetting ridofhis “f at clothes” along the way.

Af ter six months, McCabe says he dropped 105 pounds,bringing him to a lean 207 with 7% bodyf at and the typeof chiselled abs he used to only dream about whileflip-

ping through the glossy pages of muscle magazines.These days,  the  38-year-old  E dmontonian’s weight

has levelled out to about 220 pounds.He works out at the south-side Club Fit four times a

week, lif ting weights for about 45 minutes and doing upto an hour of cardio – either the elliptical machine, thestationary bikeor walking on the treadmill at a steepin-cline.

Most importantly,  he still monitors every morsel of food that he puts in his mouth.

His six-meals-a-day diet includes lean  cuts of   redmeat, c hicken, tuna, egg whites, rice, pasta, baked po-tatoes,  low-f at dairy products, yogurt,  microwave pop-corn and veggies.

Since his metamorphosis, McCabe has become a cer-tified personal trainer and nutritional consultant.

He has also launched a web-based business –  body-shaping101.com – with the goal of helping others reachtheir fitness and weight-loss aspirations through weight

training and nutrition.McCabe,  who makes

house calls, points out thathe’s  just “the guy nextdoor.” And because he’s notperfect,  h e  subscribes tothe 80/20 rule, which meanshe eats what he’s supposedto 80% of  the time. The re-maining 20% of  the time, heallows himself  to splurge.

“It’s OK  to g o out andhave pizza on a Friday nightwith  your f riends, but youdon’t do that every day,” hesays. “It’s moderation.”

And the Nova Scotia na-tive, who as an overweightchild  was teased   by hispeers and was forced to en-dure the indignity of beingpicked last for sports teams,knows his battle o f   thebulge will likely last a life-time.

“It has to  be  a   lifestylechange if  you want to keepwhat you achieve,” he says.“It’s a never-ending battle.It’s something you have towork at every day. That sixmonths was easy.  I t’s therest of my life that’s hard.”

–  D o  y o u h a v e  a n in s pi r a t ion a l  st o ry 

fo r K eeping  F  i t ?  E -m a il  Ca ry Ca st a  gn a a t 

cca st a  gn a@ edm su n.c om 

E D I T O R :   S a l l y J o h n s t o n   P H O N E :   4 6 8 - 0 1 1 5   F A X :   4 6 8 -0 1 3 9   E -M A I L : s j o h n s t on @ e dm su n . c om

T H E E D M O N T O N S U N •  T hur sday , Sep tem be r 7 ,   2006   l i fes ty le   69

CAR Y CAST AG N A

–  Supplied photos

In six months, John McCabe transformed himself f rom

a bulky 312 pounds,  lef t, to  a  lean 207 pounds with7%  body f at, above.

Huge v alue ofnutr ition

‘I was disgustedwith the wa y I

looked and thewa y I felt.’

 –  J ohn McCabe

S hed 10 5 po u nd s b y e a t ing  r igh t