The Fat Guy Forum

Rob Rafanan found himself at 400lbs, dealing with mobility impairments, and disappointed he was present as a father but didn't feel like he was an active parent. In his own words, he had to finally bet on himself, take a big risk to bring much needed change. And you'll hear in this discussion that Rob hit the jackpot! He not only reclaimed his health, became the father he wanted to be, and found n...

This one has been a long time coming! I have been connected to Rocky aka Queso for years, and has witnessed the true rollercoaster of a journey he has been on with his weight loss and health. In this new episode we get into it all, his decision to have weight loss surgery, his successes and failures, his use of weight loss medication now, and why he has never given up on his self. He's got a big p...

Biggie (aka Emiguel Arroyo) had accepted his fate living at over 600 pounds, until a medical emergency led him to hear a doctor tell his father not to expect him to live to see 40. He was 36 years old and facing the reality of his health condition, finally. What follows is far from a clean clear path and we get into it all. Biggie's story shines a light on how intimately linked our mental health a...

Pedro Guerrero turned to food as an escape from many things in life. It was his way to manage his emotions, and brought him to two major health scares at over 480 pounds. He knew he needed to make change and it would take releasing his longterm coping mechanisms and healing his relationship with himself, food and even the gym. In doing so he discovered the real power in discipline and loving himse...

Chuck Trujillo joins me on this week's new Fat Guy Forum to talk about his journey to build a healthy lifestyle that serves his goals! Using a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting Chuck is now down 135 pounds and counting. We get into how he found the tools and habits that feel most sustainable for him and more!  Connect with Chuck on IG at @chuck.the.builder! Ready to talk about making real la...

Josh Gault struggled with his weight as a kid and at 15 he was a massive car accident that paralyzed him from the chest down. After the accident his weight continued to rise until he was 350 pounds and physically not able to do anything for himself. It would have been easy for him to give up then, and just accept his life, but Josh saw the possibility in himself and decided to control the things h...

Over a year ago Louiz Elvira Jr was trapped. At over 500 pounds he could barely get to the bathroom at work 150 feet from his desk. He needed to make change happen fast and started investigating weight loss surgery but chose another path. It is one that has led him to drop 180 pounds so far, and has him taking 3 mile hikes with his family! We get into it all in this new episode of the Forum. A per...

This week's episode is a New Year's rewind where Anthony DiDomenico and I discussed surviving the holidays, our thoughts on New Year's resolutions and getting your mindset straight for the upcoming year. It is a great talk between two longtime warriors in this battle! As a bonus I added my thoughts today on getting ready for 2025!  Connect with Anthony on IG at @Comicanythonyd! https://www.instagr...

The countdown to 2025 is on! All new coaching purchases are 25% off until January 1st, 2025! Ready to talk about making real lasting change in 2025? Schedule a FREE consultation call right now at: https://calendly.com/mike-consultation/consultation   This week on the Forum: At 421 pounds and wrangling with food addiction, pain and more, Dustin Cade found the ketogenic diet in 2016. From there he n...

Elmer Linares had dealt with weight issues his whole life and like many of us out there, the pandemic compounded things in ways he never expected. Finding himself at nearly 450 pounds he knew he needed to take more definitive action, and he did. Today he is 246 pounds and has found a passion for the gym. How did he make that change? You'll have to listen to find out! Connect with Elmer on IG at @e...

This week is a throwback episode featuring an in-depth chat with Anthony DiDomenico and myself on being off track, getting back on track and what that track is anyway. This well worn road for us both. We know the mistakes. We know the wins. And we bring a unique perspective on it all! This is truly an in the trenches talk that is just what anyone who has ever struggled with weight loss success and...

Nick joins me to talk about his life long struggles with his weight and health, and how learning to truly advocate for himself is making a huge difference. We get into his life at 600lbs, medical advocacy, living with stage 2 lymphedema, theme parks and more. Nick's story is one of true perseverance and hope, I hope you will enjoy this conversation. We had a lot of fun! Connect with Nick on IG at...

This week is a replay of Manny Ortiz’s visit to the Forum. Manny passed away unexpectedly recently and I wanted to honor him by keeping his story alive. I am grateful not only for his willingness to share his life with you, but to have been a friend to me these past few years. He will be missed but never forgotten. Manny joined me to talk about how his experiences with trauma, PTSD and opiate abus...

Kevin Ruiz is a child abuse prosecutor with a focus on combating child trafficking and fatalities, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, and a nutrition coach who knows firsthand the challenges of balancing a demanding career and family life with health goals. After losing 132 pounds, Kevin became certified in strength and conditioning, nutrition, and more, and now helps busy professio...

Hugo Mendoza joins me on this week's new forum to discuss his 200lb weight loss but more importantly what came next. Our journeys are never linear and our priorities can change. How do you manage your health and navigate the twists and turns of life? We talk about it! How do you work on getting your focus back when you have strayed from the course you once felt was locked in? We get into that too!...

Tim Kaufman, aka FatManRants, joins me to dive deep into the dominoes that needed to fall for him to make true lasting change in his life, and how it lead him to sharing his journey and perspectives to help others. As he says during our conversation, this is not a story about weight loss, it is one about reclaiming his health, his mobility and his drive. We talk about his challenges living with El...

Pete Brennan had accepted and embraced that he would just be that big guy forever, the center of attention in any room at almost 650 pounds. He had accepted that he was not long for this world as fact. Oh man can I relate! And I am not making light of it at all. Like many of us though, Pete realized that there were people in his life that needed him around, so he started fighting. He started looki...

This week we have something a bit different. Jonathan Shane (aka the Keto Road) and I put together a webinar about finding healthy success during the holiday season, and this week I am sharing the audio replay of it with you!! I hope you will give it a listen, it is chock full of helpful holiday season advice that applies to every way of eating! If you enjoyed the webinar and are looking to get yo...

The Fall Into Progress Group Coaching Program is starting October 7th!!! Jonathan Shane and I have developed a 12 week ketogenic lifestyle course that will not only set you up for success on your journey but help you navigate the holiday season with two coaches and a private support & accountability community. The 12 weeks cover keto nutrition with a personalized plan including macros, exercis...

Anthony Attanasio joins me on this week's new episode to talk about his life at 580 pounds, battling cellulitis, and his near death experience with lymphedema removal surgery. Anthony went from talking a lot about reclaiming his health and finally took action to do the things he needed. We talk through exploring weight loss surgery and finding success through building new habits and the use of Weg...

Mike's damaged relationship with food began as a child when he learned adults around him found his capacity to eat entertaining. If you just jump ahead you learn he was eventually 693 pounds and barely mobile, but his story is about so much more. It is about a lifetime of dieting and using food as comfort as he battled mental illness and physical trauma while navigating a health care system determ...

John Santoro made a promise to himself about his health and weight, and he kept it! But as always, the road to get there was not smooth sailing and we get into his journey in this week's new episode. From life at 5'4" and 365 pounds to success through his decision to have gastric sleeve surgery, we get into it all!  Connect with John on IG at @johnjamessantoro! https://www.instagram.com/johnjamess...

This week's discussion is about more than weight loss success and the journey to it. Junior joins me to talk about his successes and the subsequent challenges that followed. What happens when that success starts to slip away? We have a brutally honest talk about his experience achieving success, regaining weight, and the trepidation to start again. The answers aren't as simple as they might seem w...

Just a very quick update on the unintended break the show took the past two weeks! We will be back next week with an all new episode. PS. There's an announcement too! The Fall Into Progress Group Coaching Program is here! Jonathan Shane and I have developed a 12 week ketogenic lifestyle course that will not only set you up for success on your journey but help you navigate the holiday season with t...

Act NOW if you are interested in getting your goals in focus! All of my coaching services are on sale for 20% off with code SUMMER until 8/17/24 at midnight pst!  Check out my programs for Accountability & Goal Setting, Weight loss support, and Ketogenic Nutrition at: https://www.theketoroad.com/coach-mike-programs   Schedule a FREE consultation call right now at: https://calendly.com/mike-con...