What is a man? ... Brix Pt. 2

Robert  "Brix" Glover known as the X-Fat Boy is a business mogul making waves in the personal fitness industry. Tipping the scale at 346 pounds with high blood pressure, a pre-diabetic Brix still wasn’t ready to change his lifestyle.  First, second and third attempts at weight loss had failed. Brix became the ultimate yo-yo dieter, with an unhealthy relationship with food and an aversion to physical activity. It wasn’t until January 2013, when a close friend who was the same age as he, died of health complications associated with obesity. Soon after, Robert made the decision to adopt a healthy lifestyle. He chose to forgo all lose-weight-quick schemes in favor of balanced nutrition and exercise. “Serious weight loss requires a complete overhaul of your lifestyle,” he says. “I literally had to hit the reset button and develop all new practices and habits and a new and improved relationship with food. I had to fall in love with being active; I programmed my brain to expect pain, stumbles and discouraging thoughts while on the way to the new me.” Every day since March of 2013, Brix has spent no less than one hour in the gym, often working out twice a day and prioritizing nutrition. Vegetables, grilled or roasted meats and plenty of water have become part of life. The exploration of new, healthy foods is now routine.  “All my life I’ve been very closed-minded when it came to food. One of the first things I did once I decided to change my lifestyle was to be open to trying new foods.” Brix also believes in balance, and in the need for the occasional indulgence. “Deprivation is not healthy, and it will probably drive you crazy. The key is to learn your body. At the end of the day, weight loss is simple math, calories in verses calories burned.” Today, having lost a total of 140 pounds is an accomplishment which Brix doesn’t take lightly.  “There’s no finish line when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle,” he remarks.  Brix’ current goals include the achievement of a particular body-fat-to-lean-muscle ratio, in an effort to begin competing in physique competitions. “There’s always more you can accomplish, always more to achieve. If you can dream about it, you can have it.”