American tennis pro Arthur Ashe once offered this motivational advice: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
While that might sound obvious, hackneyed even, it is often the simplest advice that motivates those who want to see changes in their health. For Westlake Chemical’s I & E superintendent Lynn Brossette, that starting point, and his motivation, was his daughter’s engagement announcement.
“She accepted the proposal of marriage in December 2021, setting the wedding date to become Mrs. Jordon Chargois for March 11, 2023,” Brossette says. “I looked at myself in the mirror and saw a man with no neck. I did not want to be that person in her wedding photographs. I had a year to get in better shape, but still, I procrastinated. In December, 2022, I went for my first tux fitting. When I realized what my neck measurement was, I vowed to start my weight loss plan on Jan. 1.”
Ah! The New Year’s resolution diet and exercise plan. Many a perennial dieter has made that New Year/New Me commitment, only to reach the first of February still procrastinating.
But Brossette was determined, and he had plenty of incentive, aside from his daughter’s wedding. At age 56, weighing 263 pounds, he also had a medical history that included high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and acid reflux.
He realized the changes he wanted would be neither easy nor quick. He resolved to stick to his intermittent fasting plan, eating only between 6 am and 3 pm daily, and to make regular trips to the gym.
“I started with a few weights, and about 15 minutes of cardio,” he says. “I’d walk two minutes, then run two. I pushed myself to get on the elliptical and treadmill. My goal was to get to 200 before we went on vacation in July. I made it to 208 by the Fourth of July, but by our family beach vacation on July 17, I was at 203, In 29 weeks, I’d experienced a 60-pound weight loss. That last 15 to 20 pounds was the hardest. By October, I was down to 191, but I still didn’t like what I saw in the mirror.”
A common hurdle for anyone, male or female, who experiences this kind of dramatic weight loss is to understand how the body drops weight while simultaneously losing muscle tone. Brossette says when he began to feel dehydrated and had to deal with kidney stones, he became aware that his long-term plan was going to need some serious tweaking.
Brossette in Dec. 2022
Brossette in Dec. 2023
Eatingwell.com quotes registered dietitian Melissa Mitri, M.S., RD, who notes: “When you lose weight too quickly, much of this weight loss is muscle and water weight, not fat. Muscle loss impacts much more than your ability to lift heavy things and to have proper balance. It can be problematic to many parts of your body that use muscle to function, like your heart pumping blood to your organs, or the expansion of your lungs for breathing.
“Loss of muscle also causes weakness, making you more prone to injuries. One study showed losing weight quickly can result in up to six times more muscle loss than a more gradual weight loss plan. Preserve your muscle, strength and health by treating your weight loss as a journey and not a sprint.” The study Mitri refers to was published in a 2016 issue of Obesity.
“I loosened up a bit on the fasting, allowing myself to eat fruit and other low-calorie foods at night,” says Brossette. He started using what he had — the resolve to continue and the resolve to not depend on shots or surgery. “I quit drinking beer. If I wanted alcohol, I might add vodka to Crystal Lite lemonade. I also started
“I will tell anyone that the hardest part of getting started is that first day. As time goes on, the results give you the motivation you need to continue. I recently started my second 16-week exercise routine given to me by my fitness instructor — the exercises vary, the reps, the frequency, etc. But now I do not need the CPAP to sleep anymore. My doctor dropped me to lower doses of blood pressure medication, and I no longer have acid reflux. I feel 100 percent better, and I have more energy. That keeps me going.”
adding more protein to my diet, making shakes for breakfast with protein powder and oatmeal, and then allowing myself to have a decent lunch. This added muscle to my body, but it also brought my weight back up by 20 pounds. Since March 15, though, I’ve dropped back down to 203. Ultimately, I’d like to land at 180.
Cameron and Jordon Chargois, Kellie and Lynn Brossette, and Josh and Beth Brossette pose with kids Briggs, Lane, Emma, Maddie and Jace in Gulf Shores in July 2023.
Brossette says heredity is a big factor in his struggle with weight. “My father, uncles and grandfather are all short, so putting this weight back on is a huge concern for me,” he says. “But I will tell anyone that the hardest part of getting started is that first day. As time goes on, the results give you the motivation you need to continue. I recently started my second 16-week exercise routine given to me by my fitness instructor — the exercises vary, the reps, the frequency, etc. But now I do not need the CPAP to sleep anymore. My doctor dropped me to lower doses of blood pressure medication, and I no longer have acid reflux. I feel 100 percent better, and I have more energy. That keeps me going.”
And here is where the “do what you can” part of any lifestyle change is critical. You can do so much more when you feel better, but you can also burn out quickly. You can lift more weight, run more miles and swim more laps, but you can also get injured more often and more seriously.
It is critical to search for and implement healthy tweaks to your personal fitness plan. You have to incorporate changes that are not only healthier but more sustainable if you wish to maintain a stronger metabolism and improved immune system. The weight loss yo-yo can be frustrating. Still, new information on what our bodies need nutritionally, and what they are capable of when it comes to daily performance, is constantly at our fingertips via the internet, personal physicians and, yes, even well-meaning friends. It is essential to understand that one size does not fit all. Not even when shopping for a tux, as Brossette will attest to.
Dietitians and fitness gurus may disagree on techniques and plans, but on this all experts agree: You must ensure your body is getting the necessary nutrients it needs for daily activity. Weight loss that occurs too quickly leads to its own health issues, like gallstones, diabetes, loss of energy and, most critically, scale obsession.
Worrying about gaining back the weight you’ve lost is an authentic form of stress. The obsession to get to a magic number creates a mental health issue that can get out of hand quickly. When our weight creeps back up again, after all that hard work and discipline, after everyone has patted us on the back and given us the high-fives, it can result in an unhealthy relationship with food. Body image pressure is real and, if one is not careful, it can become a form of self-sabotage. Feelings of failure, shame and guilt creep in as our weight creeps back up.
Brossette with his daughter Jordon at her wedding in March 2023.
To avoid this, experts says one must face reality. Our ideal weight is something we cannot choose precisely, any more than we can choose our height or shoe size or change our age. The focus should instead be on how energetic one feels. Do not use weight as your only health marker — and never let a number define your self-worth. Short-term results that lead to long-term health problems are simply not worth it. Consult your health care provider for a practical plan of action. Find reasonable incentives as you start your journey to better health and more energy.
Remember, on the other side of that sweaty workout, on the other side of denying yourself that unhealthy food, is the healthy body and mind you want.
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