DNC Worldwide

David - January 2010

Houston, Texas – Did you know that your fair city was named the sixth fattest city in America in 2009? Even worse, Houston has actually claimed the top spot on that list in four out of the last nine years. A Men’s Fitness magazine article claims donuts are 132 percent more popular here than the national average. Houston also ranks as one of the leading cities in the United States in number of restaurants per square capita.

Besides the fight with self discipline and access to food, there are many other reasons why staying in shape in the space city can be a challenge. For one, the local commute is 35% more oppresive than the national average, leaving less time to exercise and prepare healthy meals. Also, temperatures are above 90 degrees in 100 days out of the year, making outdoor exercise more of a challenge.

Irregardless of these statistics, every once in awhile you come across a success story. This time, it involves one of our own in our friend David “Foodah” Campbell, who recently took on the challenge of getting in shape for bikini season.

Well… Foodah isn’t getting into a bikini anytime soon (that we know of) but we are proud of him for losing almost thirty pounds between January of this year to now, a span of less than four months. David is an inspiration for what he has been able to accomplish in terms of weight-loss and overall fitness in these last few months.

David - March 2010

I recently sat down with David to discuss what his goals were at the start and how he has been able to accomplish them thus far. I wanted to share his story with our audience in hopes that they too could be motivated by what he has been able to do and improve their personal fitness levels as well.

David, your nickname is “Foodah” – How did you get that nickname?

David: I came up with the nickname about 10 yrs ago. At the time I was eating a lot… So to be witty, the name came from Buddha, who was a leader. Well, I was the leader of food. Therefore I created the monicker of “Foodah”, God of food.

I’ve known you for a long time and this is without a doubt the most fit I’ve ever seen you. To quote Stone Temple Pilots, “You’re half the man you used to be.”  How much weight did you lose, and how long did it take you?

David: Back in 2002-2003 I went from 276 to right about 200 pounds. But I had started to put weight back on in recent years. In 2008 I weighed 238 and last year I kept my weight around 225-230. So when I started my weight loss on January 11, I weighed 228 and on April 25 weighed 206 pounds. I lost 22 pounds in 15 weeks.

What was your goal when you started this? What motivated you?

David: My goal weight-wise was to get down to 210. What motivated me was being in the health and fitness industry, I wasn’t in as good as shape as I wanted to be in. So I knew I needed to make a change. I entered the bona foundation body transformation challenge. It gave me the jump start I sorely needed.

How did you do it? What is just one thing or was it a combination of different aspects that led to your improved shape?

David:  It was a mixture of good eating habits and healthy foods. I switched to 6 meals per day, probably averaged right around 2000 calories per day.

Also, I do 4 days of week of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, running 2-3 times per week, weights with my personal trainer twice a week, and 200 abdominal exercise repetitions, 4-5 days per week.

How difficult was it to change the way you ate? Do you find that you had to make a lot of sacrifices? Has eating become more expensive?

I just plan ahead and try not to wait to the last minute to get food. I consult with my trainer on what types of foods to eat and which ones to avoid. I started by giving him an idea of what I was eating and made sure it was ok. I am used to eating out probably 10 meals per week. From a cost standpointm, the switch didn’t affect me too much, I think. If I was on a tighter budget some weeks I would grocery-shop and that saves me a bunch when I need it.

What other changes did you make to your lifestyle?

David: Being consistent with everything I do and planning ahead. I eat the same time each day, stick with my workout schedule and BJJ schedule. I drink only once every 3 weeks. I make sure I also got enough sleep, since I am working out more.

We train together so I know general exercise and training (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) can be a factor. Can you describe what you did there to lose the weight, and what you have to do regularly to maintain?

David: I knew if I stuck with my game plan of eating and working out the weight would come off. The hardest thing was going to parties and avoiding temptation and also avoiding eating unhealthy when I go out to restaurants. I just try to remember the commitment I made and the results I want to achieve. For maintaining, it is just sticking with good eating habits and working out regularly.

Oftentimes it takes more than just oneself to accomplish things in life. Anybody you want to thank or recognize for helping you through this process?

David: I would like to thank my personal trainer Keith Tobias of BONA Fitness. Also thanks to Elite MMA for allowing me a great place to work out and supporting my weight loss goals.

If you have any more questions for David or referrals on how you can reach your fitness goals here in Houston, feel free to contact him on Facebook.