23 JEFF SHAW’S REPORT

HIS KILLING FAT JOURNEY

Once in each decade of adulthood, if you are lucky, you work with a person who not only grasps what you are trying to teach, but who takes the concept several steps farther than you anticipated. That’s exactly what Jeff Shaw of Leicester, England, did with me in 2016 and 2017.

Since Shaw is a precise record-keeper, I asked him to look back and assemble a report of his body’s transformation from fatness to leanness.

Meeting Ellington

It’s mid-February and inevitably it’s cold and it’s raining. I’m hoping it doesn’t snow, because today I’m flying from London, England, to Orlando, Florida, to spend a whole day with Ellington Darden—a man I’ve spoken to for less than 15 minutes on the phone but whose books on bodybuilding and nutrition I’ve been reading for thirty years.

I’ve been strength training since I was eleven years old. I used to compete in bodybuilding contests. Now I’m fifty-five, but, sadly, I don’t display the physique of someone who has put well over forty years in at the gym. I first read one of Ellington’s books when I was in my late twenties. It set me on a successful path, and I’ve used many of the training methods he has outlined to add muscle. I know that because I’m big, at around 224 pounds at a height of 5 feet 10 inches.

My problem is that I’m also overfat and have become increasingly unhappy with my shape and my apparent lack of ability to rid myself of that flab as I grow older. I’m no stranger to diets and have followed several to the letter. Yet I’m still out of shape and I can’t figure out why. Meeting Dr. Darden face-to-face and discussing where I’m going wrong has become close to an obsession. There must be something complex I’m not doing or am missing. My frustration with my condition is at a peak.

I arrive safely in Orlando and visit Ellington’s home gym the next day.

The Weigh-In, Photos, and Workout

“You have this really funny accent.” I smile. Ellington glances up. “I’ve got a funny accent? I’m thinking you’ve got a weird one,” he says with a grin. We’re getting to know each other and swapping bodybuilding anecdotes. Slowly we move on to the more serious stuff of why I’m here.

I strip to my gray training shorts and we do circumference and body-fat measurements. I’m a few pounds down from what I normally weigh. Ellington tells me I’ve got some good thighs and calves and some muscular triceps as well. Secretly, I’m pleased, but use the opportunity to bemoan my lack of bodybuilding success—I’ve never won a contest—blaming my genetics. Without saying it, I’m trying to blame being fat on my genetics as well, rather than anything I’ve done or any mistakes I’ve made.

Then we prepare for photos. I take off my glasses and shuffle barefoot out in front of his garage. I can’t see without them, but I’m conscious of how far out my tummy is sticking. I concentrate on playing hide and seek with his dog. I don’t like dogs, but he seems to like licking my bare legs. I wonder if he’s trying to eat me. The game continues as Ellington snaps the photos. It removes my mind from how fat I really am.

Time to really begin now. I shuffle back to his private gym and re-dress into my bright yellow top. I’m determined to show him I might be fat but I know what I’m doing in the gym.

I’m pushed through eight upper-body exercises. We use a 15-second negative, 15-second positive, 15-second negative, followed by 8 to 10 normal reps, for most of the workout. I am used to exercising hard and to the style of training we use. I have, after all, read the books. About three-quarters of the way through, Ellington admonishes me as I fail on a shoulder press. “C’mon, Jeff, you’re stronger than this. Let’s go!”

I’m not. This really is it. I’m not holding back. I’m puffing and blowing. Again—this is something I’m entirely used to. Ellington asks me if I’m okay to train my legs. “Oh yeah,” I respond as enthusiastically as I can. I am determined not to show any signs of weakness.

30–10–30, the Knock-Out, Carbohydrates, and Killing Fat

“Jeff, I want you to try 30–10–30 on the legs,” Ellington says. “It’s my latest method of negative-accentuated training.” He explains what I need to do, and after one set of the calf raise and one set of the leg press, I’m thinking that this new negative style is the absolute best for growth stimulation that I’ve ever felt.

I finish the workout and we sit down to chat. I’m breathless and my fingers are tingling a bit. The feeling gets worse. My whole body is now tingling. I go as green as Ellington’s top. “You’re getting too much oxygen,” he drawls. I end up lying facedown on the cool floor and breathing in and out of a paper bag. Getting my own carbon dioxide into my system tells my body that having too much oxygen is not going to damage me. Ten minutes later I start to feel more normal.

“You have to tell me,” says Ellington when I’m finally able to sit upright again, “what do you want most from me?”

“I’m definitely going to take 30–10–30 back to England and apply it,” I reply. “But it’s my diet that I can’t seem to get right.”

Ellington asks me for a list of what I’m eating. I’m less than halfway through reciting my typical high-protein bodybuilding regime when he stops me. “Where are your carbohydrates?” he challenges, his face a bit flushed. “Jeff, you’re not serious about this!”

My heart flutters and a lot of unsavory words form in the back of my head. I keep quiet, but I know I’m looking glum.

The interrogation continues: “Have you read The Body Fat Breakthrough? Why aren’t you following the diet in that book?”

Good question. It’s about time I did. After all, that’s what I’m here for. All other diets have failed me.

Ellington goes over some helpful dietary guidelines with me and tells me about his new book project, which he wants to call Killing Fat. The book will unveil his 30–10–30 knock-out punch. Seems I’ve already been down, almost cold, for that count.

Killing Fat. That’s exactly what I want to do, and I say that to Ellington. He cracks a slight smile, sort of the way Clint Eastwood used to do in those spaghetti westerns.

My Progress After 2 Weeks: Minus 8.5 Pounds

The first day I arrive back home, I locate my copy of The Body Fat Breakthrough and pore over the diet plans. They are so simple. Why didn’t I just follow them? I write down everything I need to make this plan a success, drive to the supermarket, and fill my shopping cart.

I am less concerned about the workout plans in the book, as I know I am quite capable of writing and undertaking my own routines that are completely aligned to the principles laid out by Dr. Darden, including a few performed 30–10–30. I even send him a copy of all my future workouts for some sort of verification and am pleased when I get the virtual thumbs-up. The plan is that I train only once per week on around eight exercises. That’s about 20 minutes a week.

I start on the diet that same day. I’m used to sticking to a diet. Planning, preparing, having everything at hand is not new. But Ellington has told me in no uncertain terms that I’ve been following the wrong one.

“Once a week? For twenty minutes?” Andy at work laughs when I tell him the exercise plan. “You need a lot more exercise to get rid of that,” he says with scorn as he points at my bulging tummy.

Two weeks of diet and exercise later, I’m sitting at home and writing down what I weigh. I’ve weighed myself three times. I can’t quite believe it. I have lost an amazing 8.5 pounds. From two weeks and only two workouts in the gym, I’ve lost more than I have ever lost on any other plan. I’m stunned with my level of success. Andy isn’t going to like this.

After 4 Weeks: Minus 14.25 Pounds

No one at work has really noticed any changes in me. Andy is being really quiet. I’m an engineer for a large automotive company. My work is stressful and demanding at times. I’m also the caretaker for my elderly mum, which is equally stressful and demanding. I’ve decreased my calories and I’m on the edge of hunger all the time, feeling cold, spending time in the bathroom, and am disappointed that no one at work has said anything positive because I have now lost an additional 5.75 pounds.

I need a bit of that positive reinforcement. Despite my melancholy, the actual food plan, the gym, and the workouts are really no problem at all. I may be hungry, but the diet is easy to follow and I’m doing it. I really enjoy working out as well—who would stick to a pastime for over forty years if they didn’t enjoy it? You have to be resilient to train the way Dr. Darden asks you to. I’m sure younger men would relish the challenge. I do, too. No exercise, routine, or amount of effort fazes me, but I really don’t know why I can’t bring myself to walk as much as I’m supposed to. It’s a real challenge for me. I write an email.

Hi Ellington,

Well, after 4 weeks I’m pleased to say I’m down to 207 pounds. Still sticking 100 percent with everything diet and water wise. Sleep is around 9½ hours a night as a minimum.

My waist is now: 40¾ inches above navel, 40¾ inches at navel and 38½ inches below navel. Currently on 1400 calories per day.

A reply comes straight back.

Way to go Jeff,

Sounds like everything is going great. How’s your level of hunger each day? If there are no significant problems, I’d say go ahead and lower your daily calories to 1,300 per day for the following two weeks. That’s probably as low as you need to go. The inches you are losing around your waist are adding up nicely. Again, stay strict.

I am rejuvenated by this. We all need positive reinforcement at times. I make up my mind to seek out people who are going to give me that on a regular basis. I also get serious about this walking once and for all. I can hear Ellington’s Texan drawl telling me over and over, You’re not serious about this. I use it to put fire in my belly. I’m not giving in.

After 6 Weeks: Minus 19.25 Pounds

I have now lost 19.25 pounds since I began, and I look like a different man. People at work are now looking at me strangely, like they know something has changed but they don’t quite know what. There’s a few polite “have you lost weight queries” going on. I am over the moon, and my excitement is showing. I sit next to 260-pound Tony at work. He tells me he’s inspired to start dieting. I tell him to buy Darden’s books.

After 8 Weeks: Minus 23 Pounds

Another two weeks, and I’m down to just under 198 pounds. Everything is now going exceptionally well. I am so delighted by my progress that absolutely nothing and nobody is going to stop me now. I even have to lead the delivery of a two-day technical engineering seminar. I’m on my feet for nine hours both days. I’m tired, but I stick to it.

I knew well in advance that I have the seminar approaching. It’s a careful balancing act, but I am able to prepare all my food in advance. With some careful planning and thought, I even manage to tailor the breaks in the seminar so I can eat at the right times. I sip my water all day long, although finding time to run to the toilet does prove to be a bit of a challenge. I sleep extraordinarily well both nights.

I have also been working hard in the gym. In total I’m dieting, eating, sleeping, walking, and drinking water to the letter. I’m even putting a cold compress on the back of my neck three times a week. It’s pretty uncomfortable and I dread it a little bit, but this isn’t about a nice, easy process. This is about hard work. This is about driving for success. My discipline from all those years of bodybuilding is proving useful.

I’m finding that alternating workout cadences in the gym is giving me additional little challenges that I am relishing, and I have been alternating workout styles mostly between using an exercise cadence of 30–10–30 one week and one of 15–15–15, plus 8 to 12 repetitions, with a couple of exercises done 30–30–30 thrown in. From time to time I pick a weight that is too heavy for 30–30–30 (for some reason, I never seem to pick a weight that’s too light).

After 10 Weeks: Minus 28 Pounds

I am down another 5 pounds. My total weight loss is a tad over 28 pounds in ten weeks. I write to Dr. Darden again: Could I lose weight even more quickly? “Don’t do anything foolish,” he warns. “You’ve got a lot of determination. You’ve disciplined yourself to stick to a program exactly as specified for ten weeks.” And I have. The results show. Just stick to the plan. That’s all I need to do.

My trousers are far too big in the waist. Martin, at work, looks at me with bug eyes. “You have got to stop losing weight,” he chides. Tony keeps looking at Dr. Darden’s books on Amazon.com. Others are finally noticing. Even Andy is being a bit more cautious in his criticism. It’s not surprising. I look very different now.

A few others are being just as negative as Andy was, but most are asking what I’ve done, and how easy is it. One person is going around telling everyone that Jeff is on the “high-carb diet.” No. I’m not. I’m on a sensible, balanced diet. Probably for the first time in my life.

Caroline is asking me why I don’t eat more protein. She’s a long-distance runner. I tell her our bodies don’t need it and we use carbohydrates as our primary source of fuel for exercise and recovery. She shakes her head warily. We agree to disagree. There’s not a chance I’m going back to that. No more high-protein bodybuilding-magazine stuff for me. What’s more, I know I’m not finished yet.

After 12 Weeks: Minus 33.5 Pounds

I’m there. As a result of eleven workouts, totaling 195 minutes, and twelve weeks of dieting, I’m now at 187.75 pounds, for a total loss of 33.5 pounds. Originally, Ellington challenged me to lose 25 pounds, so I’ve exceeded that by 8.5 pounds.

I roughly calculate that I am now at 9.3 percent body fat. Bearing in mind that I knew how to train and had already used the workout principles devised by Dr. Darden, nothing has really changed in that department. The only differences for me are how I eat and the deliberate steps I now take, to use Ellington’s words, to “lose body heat to the environment.” I seriously can’t believe the difference between getting the diet wrong, i.e., getting fat and staying fat, and getting the diet right. Andy offers me a bit of cake to celebrate.

**JEFF SHAW,** age 55, height 5′9.75″

**AFTER 18 WEEKS**

**53.75** pounds of fat loss

8 inches off waist

10 pounds of muscle gain

The first two weeks I lost the most rapidly, and the losses have been steady at about 2 to 2.25 pounds a week since then. Surprisingly, after an initial quick drop, my waist measurements have not changed much for quite a while and are now at 37.5 inches above the navel, 37.5 inches at the navel, and 37.5 inches below the navel. That’s a drop of 7.625 inches from my waist. I’d like a smaller waist, but I have to accept that belly fat will always be with me to a certain extent. I wish I was younger. I’m sure my waist would be tighter. I can honestly blame genetics now. I can live with that—just!

After 18 Weeks: Minus 43 Pounds of Weight and 53 Pounds of Fat

I’m not finished yet. Ellington has given me another target. He wants me to go for six more weeks and lose another 7 pounds. I respond to this immediately: I’m completely committed. I know exactly what to do. It’s another calorie descent. By the time I’ve finished in late June, I weigh 177.75 pounds. I’ve beaten his target by almost 3 pounds.

In a recent email, Ellington reminded me that I had been talking about weight loss and not fat loss. I had reduced my body weight by 43 pounds, but I needed to add my muscle gain, which was a solid 10 pounds, to the weight loss to determine my total fat loss.

In total, I’ve disposed of 53 pounds of fat. That’s right: 53 pounds. I’m elated.

The Long Haul

Twenty months have passed since that first meeting with Ellington. I’ve had to buy all new clothes, and I’m “styling” and looking younger than normal at my fifty-seven years. Andy retired and has moved on, Tony has read several of Ellington’s books and is now cutting calories and drinking ice water, and even Caroline is eating more carbohydrates.

The lean, strong Jeff Shaw is front and center. And I’m spreading the word about Killing Fat.

Most of all, I’m living it: Now, and for the long haul.

P.S.: Basic Principles

Six weeks have slipped by since I finished writing my journal. I was determined to carry on. Progress has been so good over the last two years, and I am so happy with what I’ve achieved that I didn’t want any breaks or disruptions. Ellington has reinforced to me several times that it’s not just a short-term plan that I’ve followed. It’s a plan for the future as well.

If only life were like that.

My new challenge has been an overnight and quite severe deterioration of my mum’s health. She’s been hospitalized, and as her caretaker, this has derailed any thoughts of my continuing to train or stick to a structured diet plan…until the future is a bit clearer.

To take my mind off my troubles, I’ve been reflecting on the basic principles behind my muscular results. I decided to visualize them in a triangle, as shown below.

The principles are based on the primary aim of increasing muscle, or, as Ellington has noted repeatedly, “building muscle for losing fat.” More muscle is better for overall health and plays a significant role in maintenance due to its high metabolic demand.

The basic principles in the triangle, starting at the bottom, are as follows:

Brief stimulation through negative-accentuated strength training
Correct nutrition—primarily water, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins—plus extra sleep
Adequate recovery, measured in days, to allow the stimulus and nutrition to be effective

Combined together, the result was that I increased my muscle mass by 10 pounds.

Yes, putting on 10 pounds of muscle was a goal I was pleased to achieve. But I’m equally pleased to understand that the entire process begins at the bottom-floor level of stimulation—stimulation from hard, progressive, negative-accentuated training.

Without such stimulation, my fat loss would have probably been significantly reduced by at least 50 percent—from 53 pounds to 26.5 pounds.

After forty years of lifting weights, it’s about time I learned how to achieve efficient results. I hope my triangle graphic can help you kill your fat, too.