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There is actually something to be learned from the Tom Cruise picture, and I’ve experienced it.

In 1997 I went on a diet at age 43. I am 6’ 1” and have a large frame. I weighed 245 lbs and was an avid bicycle commuter. I was not “fat” but very healthy and just a big guy.

I lost 55 lbs in three months. Two things I noticed. First, my engergy level went through the roof. I felt like a kid. But the second was even more interesting. I lost so much wieght in my face that people who had not seen me in those three months did not recognise me.

But that brings us to another thing: I noticed something I never noticed before: I’d walk into one of the trendy bar’s in Seattle and Bellevue and, as I scanned the room, “hot” women would rapidly look away as we briefly made eye contact (it got where it was kind of embarrassing). And it wasn’t just women. Men were almost as bad (I can only assume they were sizing up the competition). The most interesting episode was when I was in Restoration hardware in downtown Seattle with my wife and a homosexual couple was about 20 feet from us. My wife watched as one of them, staring at me, walked into a display and knocked it over, resulting in a dirty look from his partner.

I’m 60 now and have gained back a significant part of that weight. It’s why I’m comfortable talking about it. However, my point is this: Just as the stars have the ability to look like regular people, we regular people have the ability to look like stars. It’s about diet and exercise.

And though this is off topic, to anyone out there that is overweight, you will not believe what it does to your self perception, energy level and love of life when you get down to HWP. Seriously.