Hank's BIG Advenure

As a sports fan growing up in sports crazed Greater Boston, I always dreamed I’d play for the Bruins and the Red Sox. Like a lot of kids, I dreamed of taking a drop pass at the top of the right circle and blasting home a goal against the Montreal Canadians. I dreamed of stepping up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth at Fenway Park wearing a Red Sox jersey and blasting a walk off homerun against the Yankees. I never dreamed, however, that I’d look more like the late, great John Candy. He was one of the funniest men I’d ever seen, a huge hockey fan and a terrific human being. But he wasn’t an athlete. When someone told me I looked like him, it definitely made me think about my girth. Like Dewey Oxberger, his character in the movie "Stripes", likes to say………"My doctor says I swallow a lot of aggression ……and a few too many pizzas."

Too many pizzas, peanut butter cups, chocolate bars and doughnuts have taken it’s toll. I’ve gotten stuck in chairs, had to sit in the handicapped section at the Boston Garden because I was too fat for the seats and had to pass up amusement rides because of my extra wide size. I’m sick of not being able to ski with my kids, ride my bike and show off my abs at the beach. OK, I never had abs.

Anyway, after a recent trip to the doctor, he remarked that I looked like I was having a baby. Maybe it was the man boobs that gave it away.

Luckily, I ran into my old friend Mike Boyle, who is one of the world’s most respected strength and conditioning coaches. He’s been the strength and conditioning coach for the Boston Bruins, the 1998 gold medal winning women’s U.S. Olympic hockey team, and the nationally acclaimed Boston University hockey team that won the national championship with Mike on their staff. Mike’s work with Cam Neely is the reason the Bruins’ great number 8 is in the Hall of Fame.
Mike invited me to his gym in Winchester, Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. Check out his website at www.bodybyboyle.com. Mike convinced me that better eating and a commitment to exercise could be fun, invigorating and exciting. I’ve been working out there for a few weeks and I cannot tell you how much better I feel. I swear to God. I’ve been walking, riding a bike, stretching, lifting weights, doing work with rubber bands…….WOW. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. I’m having a BLAST. Everyday I move a little bit better. My thighs have stopped chafing, my man boobs bounce less, I’m feeling muscles I didn’t think existed any longer and my really fat clothes are getting looser.
The great thing about working out with Mike and his staff is that it’s a totally un-intimidating environment. They work with world class athletes every day, but they don’t care if you look like Humpty Dumpty. It is all about health with Mike and the folks at his gym. I am just as important to them as one of their NHL stars. That makes a HUGE difference.

If you want to feel better, join me on my journey. I’ve got well over 100 pounds to lose, but I’m going to enjoy all the little steps along the way. There’s just way too much fun to have and I love fun. I’ll be on the slopes next winter, not watching my belly slope down to my knees.

Let’s Go. Let the fun begin!
Rock the house, y’all!