Half-naked and smiling

For the past few years, I haven’t enjoyed looking at myself in the mirror. Acres of rolling fat aren’t exactly the kind of pasture Julie Andrews would want to run through while singing The Sound of Music, definitely.

Bill Phillips recommends taking a picture of yourself before starting the Body For Life program, so I asked Cathy to shoot a shot of me. I took off my shirt and posed in my boxers, trying to look like all the unhappy fat people in their before shots with their bellies and frowns out. Before she pressed the button on our digicam, she asked me if I wasn’t going to smile.

Why smile? I thought to myself. All the other fat people in Phillips’ book aren’t smiling!

Then I figured, you know what? I should smile. Because this will be the last time I will be seeing myself like this, God- and body-willing. I am going to have a body I’m proud of! So I smiled.

The shirtless Ganns that grinned back at me with chipmunk cheeks and belly all a-jiggle will serve as the ultimate motivation to get myself back on track. I should frame it!

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4 Responses to “Half-naked and smiling”

1. marc says:

   September 8, 2008 at 8:56 am

   Good point. They’re NEVER smiling in the before pictures. Very subtle marketing move lol.

   Good meeting you, man. Will link you up.
2. berg says:

   September 8, 2008 at 4:55 pm

   wear that smile, ganns! its infectious hehehe. good luck with the program! you can do it! woohoo!!!
3. liquidskinn says:

   September 8, 2008 at 4:55 pm

   why, ain’t that right! :D I’m happy for you Ganns, coz you, unlike me, can see a silver lining within a mile radius..

   Blog for Life is a book? How’d you… *dies in mid-sentence*
4. jhermie says:

   September 8, 2008 at 10:41 pm

   wow good luck ganns! stay positive! =) nice to be here again!