Men’s Health and Inspiration
Here’s How Alberto Melted His Potbelly and Doubled Testosterone in a Year.
A health coach might transform men’s well-being by acting as a catalyst for fat loss and hormonal/erectile issues.
It was a freezing winter day.
“What the hell has happened!” exclaimed my wife from an explosive sound in the car that had woken up our sleeping baby in the backseat of the car. I got shocked in the driving seat, thinking it was an accident, hooked on the steering wheel. Fortunately, it was not.
I met Alberto decades ago when our car had a flat tire on a busy highway on a cold winter day in Downunder. Our young child was crying aloud at the back of the broken vehicle.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have a roadside assistance subscription and no tools in this problematic second-hand car that we purchased a few days before this scary incident. I didn’t know what to do. Alberto kindly stopped his massive truck, volunteering to fix the flat tire for us.
While fixing our flat tire, Alberto mentioned he frequently drove large trucks from Melbourne to Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and even sometimes to Darwin to earn his living day and night. Darwin is 3,740 km away from Melbourne.
Alberto had not only a beer belly but also men’s boobs in his early forties. He disliked the appearance of his body. But his genuine concern was his erectile dysfunction was causing relationship problems. Intimacy was important in his life.
He used to smoke two packets of Winfield Blue on each trip. And during his rest days, he consumed at least two six-packs of Victoria Bitter and XXXX Gold, Toohey, and Matilda Bay, famous Australian beer brands.
As he looked like a warm and decent person, we exchanged phone numbers. Coincidentally, we lived in nearby suburbs. Since our wives clicked in the first meeting, we became family friends.
One day, I introduced Eliza to Alberto. They became good friends after many barbecue sessions we invited them both too. They loved each other. Their love was at a platonic level.
Eliza considered Alberto her brother. Since she suffered from obesity for many years, Eliza recommended Alberto see her fitness coach Adrian. I introduced the capabilities of Adrian in Eliza’s story previously.
Alberto agreed to see Adrian. In a conversation, I found out that the main cause of Alberto’s condition was related to insulin resistance. He was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome having over 45 inches waistline. In addition, his tests showed mild liver damage.
Adrian helped many obese men reverse their obesity, gain desirable physics, solve hormonal issues, gain insulin sensitivity, and address erectile dysfunction problems. As a coach, Adrian did not solve the problems by himself, but he became a catalyst for the solutions by referring his clients to relevant experts and coaching them with care, inspiration, and motivation.
In this post, I want to introduce Adrian’s approach to helping Alberto solve his obesity, fatty liver, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and erectile dysfunction issues within a year.
Alberto’s Fat Loss and Sexual Empowerment Journey
I cover Alberto’s issues under five broad categories: 1) Insulin Resistance, 2) Hormonal Balance for Sexual Performance, 3) Chronic Stress and Inflammation Management, 4) Mental Health Improvement, and 5)Physical Transformation.
These issues are interrelated. I only provide highlights for each problem and relevant solution cases. Please note that this is not health advice.
I simply narrate this inspiring story for information purposes based on my observations and interaction with this good friend.
1 — From Insulin Resistance to Insulin Sensitivity
Diet plays an essential role in the occurrence of insulin resistance and sensitivity. Too frequent meals with high caloric carbohydrates raise blood glucose over the threshold and, after a while, cause insulin resistance. Lack of exercise can be another cause of insulin resistance.
Adrian informed Alberto that when people had insulin resistance, they would have difficulty losing fat. In addition to insulin resistance, it would be almost impossible to lose belly fat when cortisol levels reach elevated states. This was a new piece of information to Alberto. And Alberto learned that fat loss had nothing to do with calories but more of a hormonal issue.
Adrian recommended Alberto consult with a doctor specializing in human metabolism. Alberto got a referral from his family doctor and attended the specialist session. He was diagnosed with pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
The specialist provided a treatment plan for Alberto. The main focus was reducing carbohydrates and eating more nutrient-dense food with moderate protein and healthy fat. Considering this diagnosis, Adrian helped Alberto to find a dietitian with a proven record in assisting pre-diabetic patients.
In addition, Adrian helped him to try intermittent fasting. Initially, Alberto started with an eight-hour feeding window and later reduced it to four hours gradually. This regime worked very well for him.
2 — Hormonal Balance for Sexual Performance
Elevated cortisol was one of the culprits for his growing waistline for Alberto. Reduced testosterone was the other contributor. His endocrinologist confirmed these issues and also pointed out that Alberto’s DHEA hormone was low too. On the other hand, his estrogen level was higher than the average of men in his age group.
The endocrinologist reviewed Alberto’s blood test results, and she did not recommend testosterone replacement therapy as Alberto was still young and did not have a testicular issue. His testicles were still producing sperm.
Based on the report from the metabolism specialist, the endocrinologist recommended Alberto improve his situation via lifestyle changes. Following advice from a dietician and exercise coach seemed a viable option.
However, Alberto was apprehensive about his erectile dysfunction and wanted to see a private men’s health specialist. This specialist also did not wish Alberto to use Testosterone Replacement therapy; instead, he suggested using natural aromatase inhibitors.
Based on prior experience, Adrian recommended Alberto see a naturopathic doctor. This doctor prescribed Alberto use Calcium D-Glucarate and a few herbal solutions such as diindolylmethane (DIM), nettle root, and grape seed extract.
The naturopathic doctor also asked Alberto to increase the consumption of monosaturated, healthy saturated, and omega-three fats and Vitamin D supplementation. Interestingly, these suggestions aligned with precisely what his dietician recommended to him. He was happy with the tips and followed the advice.
As Adrian knew weight training would contribute to a better hormonal balance, he recommended Alberto undertake scientifically proven Testosterone Boosting Exercises. He prepared a workout regime including compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench presses, and dips.
3 — Chronic Stress and Inflammation Management
In addition to an anti-inflammatory diet, Alberto took several other measures to fix his chronic stress and inflammation issues.
Adrian, as a coach, recommended Alberto see a sleep specialist. The plan offered by the specialist worked very well for Alberto. Since his health was vital, he decided to cease night shifts from his job. He only drove trucks during the daytime and rested at night. His wife was pleased about this decision.
Adrian taught Alberto several relaxation techniques, including meditation, deep breathing, and yoga, after the workouts. These techniques helped him sleep even better.
4 — Mental Health Improvement
Alberto had an addictive personality. He couldn’t give up smoking and alcohol, especially excessive beer consumption, even though he knew their harm to his body, particularly the liver and lungs.
Adrian recommended Alberto see a hypnotist who helped many patients to stop smoking. Alberto was initially hesitant as he thought hypnosis was a pseudo-science. However, he listened to the advice of his coach as he had helped so many people in the past. He always remembered Eliza’s success story.
With his trust in Adrian and Eliza, Alberto took a few hypnotherapy sessions. He couldn’t believe the rapid positive behavioral changes. His cravings disappeared in no time. He felt a unique sense of well-being that he had never experienced before. He reduced drinking alcohol and stopped smoking cigarettes entirely.
5 — Physical Transformation
Adrian put Alberto in a stringent weight training program for every second day. The plan included upper body training in one day, a rest day in between, and a lower body training cycle. Alberto loved squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench presses, and dips. As a result, his belly fat shrank, and his muscles got more robust.
As he recommended to Eliza, Adrian also proposed a 20-minute fasted cardio to Alberto. This regime worked very well for Alberto too. He lost two pounds of fat per week and felt better and better.
In addition to weight training and fasted cardio, Alberto agreed to swim at the weekends for an hour. He had half an hour sauna session, as Eliza and I always talked about the benefits of swimming and sauna during the barbecues.
He joined our health club at the weekends and met many inspiring health enthusiasts such as my centenarian friend Algor, entrepreneurial friend Maggie who reversed her obesity, and academic friend Jennifer who healed her brain fog. We had lots of fun together. We also meet in a laughter yoga club at the weekends. Social support with a community spirit can create wonders for people’s physical and mental health.
Summary of Plans
Solving insulin resistance and eliminating metabolic syndrome symptoms made the most significant change in Alberto’s physical and mental health.
According to Adrian, his well-balanced and monitored diet by a dietician and compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench presses, and dips helped Alberto have better physical and hormonal balance.
Moderate cardio such as 20 minutes of fasted the treadmill, 45 minutes of walking in nature, swimming, calisthenics using body weight, and some low-impact asymmetric workouts on his painful joints, helped Alberto burn fat efficiently.
By reducing alcohol and stopping to smoke, Alberto improved his health further. In addition, I believe the sauna at the weekends helped Alberto detoxify his body.
Inspiring Results and Lessons Learned
Within twelve months, Alberto lost substantial body fat. His waistline was reduced to 34 inches. Symptoms of his metabolic syndrome disappeared, and insulin resistance reversed. He had more steady blood glucose and insulin sensitivity, as confirmed by his blood biomarkers. He was not pre-diabetic anymore.
More importantly and interestingly, Alberto’s testosterone level doubled, as confirmed by his endocrinologist. This hormonal improvement naturally resolved his erectile dysfunction. As a result, he did not use testosterone replacement therapy or ERD medication such as Cialis or Viagra.
Like anyone who lost substantial belly fat, Alberto experienced significant hanging skin in his abdominal area. However, after a year, by using some of the techniques I used to eliminate loose skin, he significantly reduced them. He still has some loose skin. However, with ongoing resistance training, he has a firmer abdominal composition.
After taking personal responsibility and obtaining the support of a caring fat loss coach, Alberto transformed his body, resulting in a better hormonal balance, better mood, and attractive physic that his partner admires.
What is more inspiring, their relationship significantly improved. This middle-aged couple had a healthy baby after the transformation of Alberto. His success inspired many others who suffered from similar conditions. He passed along his knowledge and experience to many of his friends, especially truck drivers who suffer from poor lifestyle conditions.
I am still a good friend of Alberto and his family. So, when I asked him whether I could share this inspiring story in my blogs, he was delighted and said, “fair dinkum mate, go for it”.
Thank you for reading my observations, interactions, and perspectives.
I post more stories like this to my publication Euphoria on Medium.
Please note that this story is not health advice. I shared my reviews, observations, and perspectives for information purposes only, If you have related diseases, please consult your healthcare professionals.
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