16 Making the Cut for Life
Congratulations! You made it. And you may be surprised at how quickly the 12 weeks went by.
As you saw from the “Making the Cut” transformation stories, and may have experienced firsthand, the first few weeks of The Cut are the most challenging. Changing your eating habits and getting into a workout groove take mental focus and discipline. Once you pushed through those initial few weeks, though, you found that it got easier—because you created new habits for yourself.
Your mission now? To stick to those healthy habits, as best you can. Eating right and exercising regularly should be a part of your day-to-day life, just like taking a shower or brushing your teeth.
But we know that life happens. We recognize there will be times when you slip up and eat stuff you know isn’t great for you. Maybe work responsibilities or family commitments get in the way of your regular workout routine or you went a little crazy on vacation. Stuff happens. When it does, don’t beat yourself up. Look at what you can do to get back on track. Maybe it’s making time to get to the gym. Maybe it’s a week or two of eating clean to get your weight back down. If you need a full-blown jump start, you can always start the program again. It’s here for you, whenever you need it.
Making the Cut: Real People, Real Results
Name: William Scott Carter
Age: 42
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Occupation: Self-employed/AdvoCare and front desk at a local gym
Height: 5'10"
Starting weight: 250 pounds
Ending weight: 216.8 pounds
I’ve been overweight for about 15 years. I’ve tried dieting without exercise; I’ve tried diets where you had to purchase special foot to eat; and I did a 12-week program that I did well with but I had to get through it twice to get the results I wanted. I ended up gaining the weight back.
I was really excited about The Cut because I know Obi is the real deal—a true expert who knows what he’s talking about. I had been following him on social media for a while and was familiar with him and his work. Since I’ve had some experience working out in the past, I was really looking forward to getting back into the gym.
Eating healthy on The Cut wasn’t really an issue for me.
I made sure I always had healthy food available by keeping easy, ready-to-go items stocked. For example, I always kept celery and peanut butter for snacks when I needed something right away as well as apples and bananas. I had individual packets of meal replacement shakes available in case I didn’t have time to heat up a lunch. I also cooked all my food on Sunday, saved it in containers, and placed it in the fridge, ready to go. My lunches were mostly prepped into containers for the week.
Getting a workout in after really long days was challenging at times. At the end of a long day—and there were many of those—there is nothing that sounds better than to lie down and sleep. But I had several motivating factors. One, I had to prove to myself and my family that I could actually pull this off. Until now, I’ve never been able to finish a 12-week program with significant results (and I’ve tried several over the years). Honestly, I’ve never really completed anything. I wanted to show my children that anything is possible if you give it everything you have and you don’t give up.
Second, I made my goals public, and there were a lot of my family and friends watching my progress. I couldn’t allow myself to fail. That alone got me out of the house and to the gym on those nights when I just wanted to sleep. Third, I wanted to be an example of what is possible if you work hard, don’t give up, and honestly give it everything you’ve got. It wasn’t easy and there were a couple of times when I did just sleep it off. But when I woke up the next morning, I felt so guilty about missing my workout. I cheated on myself and I hated that feeling.
One thing is certain—for every workout session I pulled off at the end of a long day when I didn’t feel like doing it, I felt so good afterward and I was always glad I went. It was the greatest feeling!
At the beginning of the program, I was so out of shape, I couldn’t even finish some of the workout routines. I couldn’t complete the ab work at all and I think I got about 20 minutes into my cardio before I was exhausted. My body was completely spent. Now that the program is over, I feel like I can’t get enough! An hour of cardio is easy… my strength has increased and just this morning I did 100 crunches and 100 scissor kicks without rest!
After 12 weeks, I feel amazing! I can run up several flights of stairs without getting winded when before I would be out of breath just walking up a set of stairs. My body has shrunk significantly and I am much more confident in myself. At 42, I’m very positive about my future and what I will be able to accomplish personally, physically, spiritually, and professionally.
This program basically jump-started an entirely new way of living for me. I was just barely starting to get into the fitness lifestyle. I couldn’t stand the work I was doing, so I quit my job and I was in the middle of changing careers when this program came into my life. With the changes I’ve been able to make, I hope to be able to inspire my friends, family, and anyone else I can… I’m so excited about my future and I truly have a new passion for life!
The Cut is 12 weeks for several reasons. One is that this is enough time for you to shed a significant amount of fat and fire up your metabolism with lean muscle so that you’re burning more calories every day, all day. Twelve weeks is also long enough for you to develop new healthy habits. Think about it. You no longer have to think about what to have for meals, do you? Your diet has become the norm for you. You look forward to your cheat meals without worrying that you’ll blow your diet or ruin your progress. And instead of wondering whether you’ll work out—or making excuses as to why you can’t—exercise is part of your routine.
STAYING LEAN FOR LIFE
We realize that you’re not going to stay on The Cut forever. Once you reach your desired weight, you can maintain it by switching to a maintenance lifestyle program. That means you consume more calories than you did on The Cut while continuing to follow the basic healthy eating principles—basing your diet on lean protein, some healthy fats, and a balance of starchy and fibrous carbs. Yes, you can still have your cheats, as long as you keep those portions small.
Just how much should you eat on maintenance? That will depend on your body weight and your activity level. In general, to maintain your new, leaner body, you should:
Consume 12 to 14 calories per pound per day if you’re exercising twice a week or less;
Consume 14 to 16 calories per pound per day if you’re exercising three or four times a week; and
Consume 16 to 18 calories per pound per day if you’re exercising at least five days a week.
You’ve learned how to Cut—and now that you know how, you can use these strategies for the rest of your life. So enjoy your new body—and the compliments from people who want to know how you got so fit, so fast. When they ask for your secret, tell them about this book!
You can see the results in the mirror, but the real results of The Cut go beyond what you look like. By completing the program, you also now have more energy, more confidence, and overall better health.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this program—and why we’re so excited about it—is that it changes not only how you look, but how you feel. As we said early in the book, this program is simple. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Completing the 12-week Cut has proven that you can set challenging goals—and meet them. That’s a game changer.
We’ve seen how people just like you change not only their outward appearances but their inner attitudes as well after doing The Cut. They’ve learned that they can handle a challenge. That they are stronger than they realized. That they have the ability to overcome obstacles. That gives people an amazing level of self-confidence!
How about you? Now that you’ve completed The Cut, what’s next for you? Maybe it’s time to set a new goal for yourself. Maybe that means changing jobs or seeking a promotion. Maybe it means going back to school. Maybe it means setting new goals for your workouts. It might simply mean feeling proud when you look in the mirror—and confident when you take your shirt off!
Whatever your success means to you, embrace it. You worked for it. You earned it. You deserve it. We knew you could do it, and now you know that, too.
So get Cut—and stay Cut—for life!