What he’s doing now(February 2004): The professional demands on Malcolm, a single father who works long, unconventional hours as a union business agent in the entertainment industry, have multiplied since Season Two ended. "I quite often can’t remember when I’ve had a day off," he says. Alas, regular workouts at the YMCA - the core of his fitness plan -- were abandoned in favour of getting his three children to bed at reasonable times.
With his fitness goals subsumed by his personal and career responsibilities, Malcolm decided to make some drastic changes. He bought a new house and invited one of his sisters to move in with his family. She’s helping bring order and planning to the family’s eating habits. "The amount I spend on restaurants now is way down," Malcolm notes.
The next phase in his new approach is to put the entire family on a low-carbohydrate diet. "And then I’m going to see about finding the time to go and see about my head," says Malcolm, who is convinced that emotional health is essential to maintaining healthy physical habits. "Dieting for me is just the mechanics of losing weight. Dealing with the emotional stresses and triggers, that’s the real issue."
What he learned about himself during six months of taking it off: "The outpouring of support from people was amazing for me and it made me take a step back and look at how I’m accepted in the world. When I used to see people talking about me, I automatically assumed they were dishing me. I’ve had to stop and recognize that they see something else in me."
"For me, it’s all about dealing with anger and not turning to that old friend (food.)"
Malcolm’s favourite fitness strategies: Drink water. It works. It flushes your system and it helps fill you up.
Plan your meals ahead. Otherwise you’re sure to drop the ball when you arrive home after a long, stressful day.
A life coach. Malcolm found it beneficial to have a neutral party to talk to "who will either back you up or tell you you’re out of line."
The secret to maintaining fitness after weight loss: "It all comes down to self-worth and knowing that you owe that time to yourself and the improvement of yourself, and knowing how much better you’ll feel afterwards."
