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X3 Bar Reviews: Is X3 Bar Worth It?

In this short article about X3 Bar Reviews, I’m going to answer as many questions as I can about the X3 Bar. I won’t make this article much fluff, we’ll just get right down to it.

You can jump right to the question you want answered by using the Table Of Contents below:

Table Of Contents For X3 Bar Reviews:

What Is The X3 Bar?
My Personal X3 Bar Reviews
Who Is Dr. John Jacquish?
How Long Is The X3 Bar?
How Long Are The X3 Bands?
How Many X3 Bands Are There?
Where Can I See More X3 Bar Reviews?
Are Bands Better Than Weights?
Is X3 Bar Worth It?
X3 Bar Reviews: Final Thoughts

X3 Bar Reviews: What Is The X3 Bar?

The X3 Bar system is a home exercise weight lifting replacement system. It’s actually quite a smart piece of equipment. It consists of a long steel bar with a hook on each end. It comes with elastic bands made of layered latex.

There’s also a heavy duty foot plate that allows you to do exercises that you normally can’t do with a basic band system. The price of the X3 Bar Elite is $549.00. If you want to add the Elite band which doubles the amount of weight, the cost is $649.00.

Here’s the page where you can order the X3 Bar Elite

One quick tip if you are thinking of buying the X3 Bar. If you join the Facebook group, you can get a coupon for $50 off. You can join the Facebook group here and you can also read a bunch more X3 Bar Reviews.

As a matter of fact, on Facebook, the X3 Bar Reviews come in at 4.9 out of 5 stars with close to 200 reviews in so far. (as of 10/29/2020).

What is so interesting about the X3 Bar is that it also comes with a complete 12-week training guide. This includes PDF documents as well as weekly videos. The videos show you how to complete the workouts each day as well as provide an X3 nutrition plan.

With the X3 Bar, you’ll be doing the following exercises. At first, you’ll do 4 days a week. Over time, you will graduate to working out 6 days a week. But don’t worry, the whole exercise routine takes about 10 minutes and it’s HARD but very doable.

Here’s the X3 Exercise Routine:

Push Day:
Chest Press
Shoulder Press
Front Squat (eventually you’ll add in a one-legged squat, similar to a lunge)
Tricep Press
(Advanced) Eventually you can also add in a Pec Fly Chest Crossover as well

Check out this video showing a typical push day:

Pull Day:
Bent Over Row (back)
Bicep Curl (Curls for the girls!)
Deadlift
Calf Raise

Check out this video from a typical pull day:

You alternate back and forth day to day so for example my X3 workout schedule looks like this:

MWF – Push Day
TRSat – Pull Day
Sun – Rest

As far as cardio, the X3 program states you don’t really need to do cardio because you get quite a cardiovascular workout from the X3 session. I can personally vouch for this as my heart rate skyrockets during the workout, especially during front squats which are an absolute monster.

I still walk everyday, but that is more because I enjoy it.

The big key with the X3 workout system is that you will do 1 set of each exercise, but you must do the set to complete failure. Once you reach failure (you phyiscally can’t do another full set), then you do a half rep until you can’t do those anymore, then end with quarter reps until you can do no further.

This maximizes the muscle fatigue of your full range of motion. This is one of the secrets of the X3 Bar system.

My Personal X3 Bar Reviews

I started using the X3 Bar back in the summer of 2019. It was the first time I had ever tried any kind of band system. I always though of bands as sort of weak and was of course sold out the idea that lifting heavy weights was the only real way to build muscle.

The reality was though, I had been lifting pretty steadily at that point for nearly 4 years. And my results were dismal. I had lost a lot of weight, but couldn’t add muscle to save my life. I wasn’t a workout warrior by any means, but I consistently did the 45-60 minutes in the gym thing 5 days a week.

And I grew no muscle.

I started using the X3 and actually got results for the first time in my life. I will add that I did start with testosterone replacement therapy around the same time, so I am sure that helped some. But I was put on that by my Doctor due to having low testosterone levels for my age.

I didn’t measure myself but I was would estimate I gained about 10 pounds of muscle in my first year with the X3. I didn’t follow a great diet during this time either. Now, for the last while, I follow a lower carb diet and lift with the X3 6 days a week.

As I continue to tighten up my diet and get better at lifting with the X3, I anticipate that in the next year I can add another 15 pounds of muscle.

My X3 Bar Review goes like this:

I love it. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen muscles on my body. I have more energy, more stamina, and my strength is at an all-time high. I really love that I can complete a full workout in about 10 minutes. Because the cardio aspect is so hard sometimes I rest a little longer and it can take up to 15 minutes to finish.

I don’t mind.

I can say that this X3 workout band system has been a life saver for me.

Who Is Dr. John Jacquish?

The following excerpt is taken from Jaquish Biomedical:

John Jaquish, PhD, is a Wall Street Journal Best Selling author and inventor of the most effective bone density building medical device, which has reversed osteoporosis for thousands and created more powerful and fracture resistant athletes.

His devices were put into production, and has since been placed in over 300 clinics worldwide. Osteogenic loading has now helped over 20,000 individuals with their bone health.

Dr. Jaquish also quantified the variance between power capacities from weak to strong ranges in weight lifting, which brought him to his second invention, X3. The research indicates that this product builds muscle much faster than conventional lifting, and does so in less training time, all with the lowest risk of joint injury.

Dr. Jaquish is a research professor at Rushmore University, speaks at scientific conferences all over the world, has been featured on many of the top health podcasts, is an editor of multiple medical journals, and is a nominee of the National Medal of Science.

How Long Is The X3 Bar?

The Elite X3 Bar is 21.5 inches in length. It weighs 4 pounds and has a diameter of 1.25 inches. Some people are afraid the bar is too short. But in reality, the bar is designed to be held with a tighter inside grip. This design maximixes the muscle fatigure which helps to grow your muscles faster.

Others have also asked why there aren’t some sort of dumbbell type attachment. The shorter answer, according to Dr. Jaquish is that the barbell is best for strength. It’s all about being more functional. We don’t pick up items with only one arm, so why would we curl with only one arm? By using a barbell with the X3 system, you will get better results.

How Long Are The X3 Bands?

I have not been able to locate anything with official documentation to how long the bands are. My best guess after looking at them is that they range anywhere from 12 inches up to 16 inches in length. Once I have an official answer, I will update this article.

How Many X3 Bands Are There?

The X3 Elite Bar order comes with the following bands:

White
Light Gray
Dark Gray
Black

This video goes over the bands and shows you how to choose the right one for you:

The bands get progressively harder as you go darker in color. I highly recommend you start with the white band the first week for all exercises just to get a feel for using the X3 Bar. While it is harder to get injured with the X3 compared to free weights, it is still possible.

There is also an optional ELITE band which is a bright orange. I bought one but honestly have never been able to use it yet. Once you focus on doing your form correctly and going slow, you’ll find that it’s very hard to move a lot of weight.

Remember, it’s really about fatiguing the muscle. That is what causes growth.

Here’s what each band represents in “weight” roughly. This is from the official X3 Website:

The X3 light grey band: 25 to 80 lbs, then doubled over, 160 lbs. The X3 dark grey band: 50 to 120 lbs, then doubled over, 240 lbs, The X3 black band: 60 to 150 lbs, then doubled over, 300 lbs. The X3 Elite band : (sold separately, for those who need it) 110 to 300+ lbs, then doubled over, more than 600 lbs

Where Can I See More X3 Bar Reviews?

There many X3 Bar Reviews available online. Here are two sites that list out reviews. As far as I can tell, all these reviews are legit, especially the ones on the website.

Facebook Reviews

Official Reviews From X3 Site

Are X3 Bands Better Than Weights?

In my opinion, X3 Bands and bands in general are better than weights. Here are a few reasons why I think that:

  • Free weights can cause a lot more injuries
  • Variable resistance of bands means you can lift heavier weight at the peak of your lift
  • Bands don’t break your bones if you drop them on your foot
  • Bands are easier on joints because the weight is limited when at the joint level

There will always be debate over this, but multiple studies referenced in Dr. Jauish’es book reference that bands outperformed free weights in multiple tests. My personal results speak to the efficacy of the X3 band system.

Here’s a graphic from the official X3 Site:

Is X3 Bar Worth It?

This is something you can only answer for yourself. But here’s how I did the math on it. Let’s say you buy the full system and spend $649.00. You could say wow that’s a lot of money for a bar and some “rubber bands”. Of course, the bar is made in America of Steel and the latex NEVER stretches or loses it’s latency. So, it’s unfair to call them rubber bands.

Anyway, this one piece of equipment replaces your entire gym membership. If you paid the average cost of a gym, let’s say $20/month ($240/year) it would take less than 3 years for the equipment to pay for itself. And the best part is – this X3 bar system is meant to last for life.

Even if you had to replace it every 5 years, it would still be way cheaper than paying for a gym membership.

Then think of all the time you save. I was spending at least 8 hours a week going to the gym, working out, traveling back home, packing and upacking stuff, etc. Now, thanks to X3, I spent no more than 75 minutes per week working out TOTAL… and I do it all at home.

So, the way I see it, I save time and money. I can use that time to work more or pursue another hobby.

So, yes, to me the X3 Bar is worth what I paid for it and even more!

X3 Bar Reviews: Final Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed this article of X3 bar reviews. I am a fan of the X3 and have had great success with it. I myself have lost over 300 pounds and the X3 bar has been a part of that journey. I should add that one of the dietary changes I made along with the X3 was to start intermittent fasting. If you’d like to learn more about that, check out my article on the topic at intermittent fasting 101.

I give it my highest recommendation. I hope you give it a try. I am not paid anything for writing this post or sharing links for you to purchase the X3. But if you decide to buy it let me know and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

I’ll be here to help answer any questions!

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How To Practice Stoicism: 15 Proven Daily Stoic Exercises

Many people want to know how to practice stoicism. They may have read popular books about stoicism or maybe they heard about it from a friend who swears by it.

The challenge is knowing how to practice stoicism. Sure you can (and should) read through the famous works of Stoics like:

Marcus Aurelius
Seneca
Epictetus
Cato The Younger
Zeno Of Citium

Each of these provides a universe of insight into how to practice stoicism. The issue is that the translations may not always make sense to our modern age.

That’s why in this article we’ll go over 15 practical daily stoic exercises you can use today to better learn stoicism.

Table Of Contents: How To Practice Stoicism 15 Daily Exercises

I would also highly recommend you grab the book by Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic, if you haven’t picked it up yet. It’s a great guide and intro into the non-philosophical philosophy of Stoicism.

How To Practice Stoicism – Video of Marcus Aurelius

Check out the above video to get a full summarization of 22 Stoic Principles directly from Roman Emperor and Meditations Author Marcus Aurelius.

Now, let’s dive in and provide 15 exercises you can start doing today so you can better learn how to practice stoicism.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 1 – Accept Death

Realize that you are going to die and accept that. I know it’s a hell of an exercise to start with, but it’s so important to the Stoic philosohpy. If you can’t accept this fact, then odds are Stoicism won’t really work out for you.

You need to own up to the fact that our lives are short especially when compared to the vastness of time and the universe. Try telling yourself that you are just one link in an endless link of history. You serve an important purpose, you just may not see the bigger picture of what that purpose is and that’s ok.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 2 – Deprive Yourself

One of the main belief systems behind Stoicism is that you don’t need much to be content. Humans aren’t guaranteed happiness or any outcome. In fact, many famous Stoics had horrible lives yet continued on despite of it.

Similar to Buddhism, the less you want, the easier it is to accept and enjoy what you have. You can exercise this practice by taking cold showers, fasting meals, and even eating foods you really don’t like. It’s all about depriving yourself of things you like so you realize those things don’t matter that much anyway.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 3- Reflect On Stoic Quotes

This is a pretty easy one to follow. Everyday you should read famous quotes and passages by Stoic philosophers. Don’t just read them though, really think about them and reflect on them. What do they mean and how can you apply them in your life?

Here are a few great quotes to get you started:

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.”

– Seneca.

Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day… The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time. – Marcus Aurelius

Just keep in mind: the more we value things outside our control, the less control we have. – Epictetus

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 4- Keep A Diary

Writing out your thoughts is one of the most powerful things you can do for your mental health. As a Stoic, it becomes even more important.

You want to write out your own thoughts so you can reflect on them. I actually have a collection or Morning Pages that I use to collect my thoughts nearly everyday. One of my questions is if I am being a good stoic or if I let matters out of my control adversely affect me.

If I find myself straying to far from my stoic belief system, I can see it happening in my journal reflections so I can work on it right away.

Journaling and keeping a diary helps to keep you aware of your own thoughts.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 5- Reflect On Your Life

This one sounds easy but actually can be tougher than you realize. In today’s modern age it’s harder than ever to really just sit back and think or reflect. You’ve got to set aside time for this. Maybe 15 minutes, better if it can be 60 minutes.

Turn off your phone, no computer, no spouse of kids in the room. Just you, alone with your thoughts. Think about what you’ve been journaling. Reflect on your actions. The true test of a stoic is how you’ve been reacting to others.

For me, I tend to get angrier than I would like with those closest to me. That is what I really focus on during my reflection time.

As far as when to do this, morning is obviously best as it’s usually quieter, but pick a time that works for you. The key is to stick to it and do this at least weekly, though daily is great.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 6- Think Negative

As a guy who grew up knee deep in the “positivity school” of think happy thoughts, this one has been tough for me. But since I’ve implemented it, the results have been spectacular.

The idea isn’t to fantasize or think about negative things just for the fun of it. No. Think of it like a personal form of disaster planning. One of the greatest enemies our minds create is expectations. We hate being surprised and we love certainty.

This practice is known as Premeditatio malorum. Here’s a video that explains it well:

So with this daily stoic practice, what you want to do is follow the option tree. Look at every possible outcome that could happen and imagine what it would feel like to go through that. You can then create a plan of how you would respond.

I can tell you from firsthand experience when bad things befall you, if you’ve at least thought about it mentally it’s 1000 times easier to deal with. While not fool proof and you’re sure to miss some potential pitfalls, it’s a great way to steel your mind against the travesties of life.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 7- Stoic After Dark

When you’re in bed, just before you fall asleep, your mind is in a good place for reflection and thought injection. Now, before you drift off, think through the day. How did you do? What could you do better?

What emotions got in your way? Did you succumb to anger or another negative emotion? These questions, if asked daily, allow you to keep track of your day by day progress as a Stoic.

While none of us will ever be perfect due to our human nature, we can always improve each day. Taking a moment before sleep to think about what we can do to make each day a little better goes a long way.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 8- Know Your Place

This is another exercise that helps you realize how small you are in comparision to the vastness of the universe. Our ego is huge so we tend to overstate our importance. Stoicism helps to remind us that we are really just a vapor in the wind.

Picture the Sun in all its splendor and glory. It gives us heat and light and life. It is nearly 93 million miles away from earth. Now picture how far 93 million miles is. And consider the fact that 1 million earths could fit inside the sun.

And we aren’t the earth. We aren’t a country, or a state, or a city, or a street, even a house. We are just one single person sitting here, right now, thinking about the Sun.

Realize your place in the universe. Then, think about the fact that the Sun will die as well. The sun is middle aged right now. It has about 5 Billion years left. Us humans, if we’re lucky, get about 100 years. Small potatoes.

Now, work hard at being ok with this. Accept it, lean into it. Know that you have work to do to fulfill your purpose. Do everything you can with the time you’ve been given.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 9- Imagine The Ideal You

This one is pretty easy as it plays right into our ego. But it’s helpful because it can point out gaps between where you are and where you want to be.

Picture the ideal you. Who are you, what you look like, how it feels to be you. What have you accomplished? Where do you live? What kind of character do you have?

You want to create in your mind the vision of the ideal you. Now, take a moment to look at the real you. Where are you falling short? Is your character everything it should be? Are you lacking any of the core values required of a good Stoic (more on those next).

The gap is the area that you can fix. It will take time, but this daily stoic exercise is all about taking you from where you’re at now to a more ideal you.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 10- Remember The Four Virtues

It can be easy to turn Stoicism into a religion. Something we all need to watch out for. One way to do that is to remember the Four Virtues of Stoicism not as a dogma or rules, but as a great way to live your life. If you like the results you get, the other stuff doesn’t really matter.

The four virtues of Stoicism are as follows: (credit to Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

  • Wisdom – Wisdom is subdivided into good sense, good calculation, quick-wittedness, discretion, and resourcefulness.
  • Justice – Justice is subdivided into piety, honesty, equity, and fair dealing.
  • Courage – Courage is subdivided into endurance, confidence, high-mindedness, cheerfulness, and industriousness.
  • Moderation/Temperance – Moderation is subdivided into good discipline, seemliness, modesty, and self-control.

As you can see, there’s a ton here to unpack. Turning this into a daily stoic exercise should be really easy.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 11- Don’t Get Distracted By “Life”

Life is filled with distractions that pull you away from the task at hand. While this particular exercise isn’t necessarily a “practice” you can do everyday, the idea is to gain awareness.

Notice how apt you are to drift away mentally. If someone is talking to you, are you paying attention to what they’re saying or are you waiting for your chance to speak?

Does your phone call out to you to look at it every hour or less (mine does). Does this prevent you from living your life and staying focused and on task? As we’ve discussed earlier, life is short. Every distraction is robbing your of what little life we have left.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life or even being distracted – as long as you are aware that you are making that choice. Don’t let it happen to you without your permission.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 12- Remember That Everything Is Temporary

Yes, another discussion about how nothing lasts forever. But it’s important to remember. How many problems do we let stress us out that really don’t matter in the grand scheme of things?

Too many of us let the small things turn into big things and ruin our day or our week. Here’s the reality though… there are very few “big” things or little things. Life is full of temporary moments and yes we should enjoy what we can when we can.

But don’t forget that all things pass away. The person you’re mad at for cutting you off in traffic is headed to the same ending that you are and that I am.

We must remember our end so we can live life to the fullest right now and squeeze out every drop and play our part as best we can.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 13- Practice Self-Control

Perhaps the greatest of all the virtues is moderation or temperance. Think of this as self-control. If you are going to drink, be in control of it. Same with food, sex, or any other pleasurable activity.

Stoics are definitely not hedonists. While there is nothing wrong with pleasure, over time we become desensitized to it and need more and more to get that dopamine high. This is why addicts and alcoholics require more and more of their drug of choice to get the same feeling.

We can control this as Stoics by remaining vigilant in our decisions. Practice daily the habit of self-control. You will be amazed how good it feels to say no to something you want. You will start to become aware of the idea that you are really two people.

I think of it as the “present” me and the “future” me. Present me is pretty dumb and lives for the moment. Future me is wise and thoughtful and wants what is truly best for me long term. The more Stoic I become, the more I listen to future me and tell present me to shut up.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 14- Ask Is This Something I Have Control Over?

Every good Stoic knows that things in life break down into one of two different categories. Things we can control and things we can’t control. You need to develop the daily practice of thinking about those two options as life presents you with obstacles.

Many mistake Stoicism for just accepting everything and remaining emotionless. This is not what it means to be a Stoic. It means that we will work hard to change the things we can control but we won’t waste mental or emotional energy on things outside of our control.

It takes time to recognize the difference between these two things, but daily practice goes a long way towards building up this muscle.

How To Practice Stoicism: Exercise 15- Accept What Happens

I saved this one for the end because it’s one of the toughest to deal with. The popular phrase is Amor Fati, and I actually have this tattooed on my arm.

Amor Fati

The Latin phrase means Love fate or love one’s fate. It is believed to be from Nietzsche. You can watch this video to get a better idea of what it means:

Nietzsche on Amor Fati

This idea goes hand in hand with accepting what we can and can’t control. We want to get to the point where we see the world as not happening TO us, but happening around us. If negative events befall us, they are only negative because we provided that judgement.

Consider that when one team wins a championship, the other team loses. What is good or bad is not what happened, but what side you are on. If that’s the case, then we really aren’t in a position to cast judgement or desire either way.

At least not philosophically speaking. Sure, we have a preference for how we want the world to work and treat us, but we are not in control of that. All we can control is our daily actions. Everything else is up to chance or God or the Universe or Fate. Learn to love and accept that.

How To Be A Stoic: The Conclusion

Use these daily stoic practices so you can learn to reframe what happens to you. At it’s heart, Stoicism is about taking all the negative feelings we may be experiencing and turning them around into peaceful thoughts.

We do this by shifting perspective and ridding ourselves of expectation. You can literally live a much happier, fulfilling life by simply practicing these stoic exercises and letting go of what “should” be.

We are not in control and never will be. As humans on a giant rock in the middle of nowhere, how much power do you think we actually have?

Once we get the right state of mind, we are prepared to live a good, honorable stoic life. I hope this article helps you on that journey,

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Duodenal Switch Before and After – My 250 Pound Weight Loss Story (With Pictures)

Table Of Contents

Duodenal Switch With Biliopancreatic Diversion

I apologize for starting out with a science sounding title, but that is the correct name of the Duodenal Switch procedure. It’s a long name so many just call it the Duodenal Switch or even DS for short.

I have a pretty crazy weight loss story (one that I won’t go into completely just to keep this blog post shorter.).

I’ll keep it pretty straight forward and focus on the facts as I know them about the Duodenal Switch surgery procedure.

Duodenal Switch Before and After

My before story starts in 2015 in regards to the Duodenal Switch surgery. I weighed a whopping 493 pounds. And I had racked up quite an impressive list of comorbidities. Off the top of my head I remember having diabetes, high blood pressure aka hypertension, sleep apnea, a rapid heartbeat, and I was tired and sore all the time.

My body ached and my energy was 0. I’m 5’10 so my BMI back then was almost 71! You can calculate your own BMI here. If you’re trying to qualify for the duodenal switch with biliopancreatic diversion and have your health insurance pay for it, you’ll need a BMI of at least 40 in most cases. You can also have a BMI of 35 if you have 2 or more comorbidities.

You can see a list of comorbidities most insurances accept here.

I should add that I was pretty young at this point. I believe I was 33 years old just about to turn 34. I was way too young to have so many health problems.

Here’s a few pictures of me taken around that time period.

duodenal switch before and after
This is a few years before I had my duodenal switch surgery. I weighed as much as 540 pounds.
duodenal switch procedure
This is me at my own wedding in 2014. I was happy to have gotten “down” to 450 pounds.
michael giannulis extreme weight loss
Here I am hiding in the back at one of my best friend’s weddings.

Making The Choice To Get The Duodenal Switch Surgery

After years or yo-yo dieting and losing literally close to 1000 pounds altogether only to gain it back… I finally realized I had enough.

Here’s a quote from my journal entry about why I chose the duodenal switch procedure. 

I have had many ups and downs with my weight throughout my life. Sadly, no matter what I tried, I always ended up back where I started or even worse.

After a lifetime of pushing myself to extremes, I finally got real with myself. I knew I could lose weight, I’d done it time and time again. But what I lost faith in was my ability to keep the weight off.

At first, I blamed myself. Where’s my willpower? Where’s my desire to live and not be fat anymore? Finally, after years of beating myself up and feeling like a failure, I looked more into the science of weight loss. 

I reviewed study after study, diving deep looking for what I may have missed. Finally, I found it. Nearly everything I read pointed to the fact that less than 1% of people are able to lose weight and keep it off for more than 5 years.

But, there was an exception. And that exception was weight loss surgery. I didn’t want to believe it, but as I looked around all I could see was story after story of people who had lost weight and gained it back. Including myself multiple times.

This led me to ask a difficult question. Why are we doing the same thing over and over again, even though it isn’t working? More importantly, why am I?

And that is what led me to research weight loss surgery and the science of bariatrics. During that deep dive on Google (like you’re probably doing right now) I ended up learning all about the Duodenal Switch with biliopancreatic diversion, which is known in the “industry” as the platinum standard.

I dove in and got the procedure done in Orlando, Florida on December 10, 2015. The day before I turned 34. My results were pretty spectacular.

Within 3 days of my surgery, my type 2 diabetes was resolving. I had a fasting blood sugar range in the 90’s. Today, my A1C is <3.9 which means it’s off the charts in a good way. My fasting blood sugar is in the mid to upper 70’s depending on what I ate the night before.

My sleep apnea is gone, my blood pressure is normal, my heart rate is in the 50’s and 60’s and is completly normal. I am a 100% healthy 38 year old.

Here are the pics that really show how rapid the weight loss can happen with the duodenal switch. This picture was taken basically a year after my surgery date.

duodenal switch before and after

If memory serves me, in one year I went from 455 pounds on surgery day to somewhere around 240 pounds just one year later. That’s a total weight loss of 215 pounds in one year.

What other changes did I make besides the Duodenal Switch surgery? I worked out 3 days a week at the YMCA (nothing strenuous I wore jeans and a t-shirt most days!) and I ate a low-carb, higher fat and protein diet.

And the weight melted off like butter in a frying pan. A recent update to my diet has been implementing intermittent fasting. I wrote a post about it you can read. It’s meant for beginners and it’s called intermittent fasting 101.

Here’s a recent photo of me taken in 2020:

michael giannulis now
Michael Giannulis in 2020 at the age of 38

I post this one to show that I’ve been able to keep the weight off coming up on 5 years post-surgery. That’s a huge accomplishment that I am very proud of.

Duodenal Switch Reviews

If you came here looking for duodenal switch reviews, I hope you have enjoyed my review. I’ll write out a few more thoughts on what the surgery has meant for me and also lay out a little bit of the pros and cons just so you have a full picture.

Cons of the Duodenal Switch Procedure

There are very few cons for me, but I’ll lay them out so you can consider all factors before making your decision. First, I was very sick for a day and a half after surgery. Throwing up blood and just out of it. I had my surgery on a Thursday and it wasn’t until Saturday morning that I felt better.

That being said, I was one of the largest patients with a host of issues. I actually was released and was back home on Sunday which was nice. I’ve helped quite a few people go through the process of getting the surgery since and now they seem to have really dialed it in. Everyone else seems to be going home the next day.

Another con is that you will get some pretty smelly gas and stool. Just no way around it. The way they arrange your intestines causes your gas and stool to be what the doctors call “malodorous”. You get used to it and also learn to minimize it. The key is to reduce carb intake. Less carbs = less gas and less smells.

Finally, there’s the duodenal switch vitamin regimen. If you click that link, you can see all the vitamins I’m taking. In the future, I’ll write a full post about it, but at least you can see what I’m taking daily. I err on the side of caution and take a lot of stuff, some of which I don’t necessarily need but I want to stay in front of my vitamin needs.

Because you malabsorb fat and protein and a lot of what you eat, you will need to supplement with vitamins for life. I just view them as my “weight loss pills”. If someone said you could be thin and healthy if you took these magic weight loss pills, notonly would you take them, you would pay thousands for them.

So, for me, the tradeoff is nothing compared to what I get. Plus, as an added bonus, the duodenal switch vitamin regimen helps me stick to a better schedule.

Pros of the Duodenal Switch Procedure

First, it saved my life. I probably wouldn’t have died yet had I not gotten the surgery, but I would have been well on my way. Plus, the life that I was living was a very sad one. I didn’t do anything, go anywhere, or really see anyone.

I worked from home and ate out everyday. My life revolved around food and trying to get my next food fix. It wasn’t a life, it was an existence.

And as I said earlier. I resolved my type 2 diabetes, my sleep apnea, my hypertension, and my rapid heartbeat. All my joint pain and body aches are gone. Only issue is a little bit of back pain every now and then.

I have more energy, stamina, and strength than I’ve ever had.

My life is 1000% better. I would go through the duodenal switch procedure every year if I had to to feel the way I do and have the health and life I have.

Duodenal Switch Before and After Questions

What else can I answer? Please comment below so I can help. Whatever you want to know about the surgery and the process I’m glad to help.

Looking forward to writing more posts around this topic as well. If you have ideas or questions you want me to write about, just comment and let me know or if its private use my contact form.

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Intermittent Fasting 101

INTERMITTENT FASTING 101

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Intermittent Fasting Diet?

You may have heard all the hype around the Intermittent Fasting diet, also known as IF, but what is it? Is it a new diet trend, a lose weight quick fad, a spiritual event, or could it be a total lifestyle change? 

Because this article is focused on the basics of Intermittent Fasting, or Intermittent Fasting 101 as I like to call it, let’s start with really understanding what intermittent fasting is.

Here is an official definition to help you understand the concept: 

Intermittent Fasting (IF) refers to mealtime scheduling that cycles between fasting and non-fasting or, simply put, eating vs. not eating.  It is not a diet per se … it’s an eating pattern.  Intermittent Fasting 101 doesn’t tell you WHAT to eat… it just tells you WHEN you should eat.

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Does this mean that you can gorge on chocolate ice cream and cake and then starve yourself in between? If you take the definition literally, then technically YES! But, just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you should. 

Fasting is nothing new, but traditionally it has not been thought of as a way of life or a daily eating pattern. Typically, we think of fasting as a necessity before a blood test, or surgery or an activity that is done during a religious holiday or holy event. Fasting as a form of nutrition is far from typical to most of us.  

How Do You Do The Intermittent Fasting 101 Diet? 

Now that you’re intrigued by the whole process, how do you do it? If you don’t think you can handle those pangs of hunger or growling stomach, don’t worry!  You have options. There are actually different ways to fast. At first, it may seem a little complicated, but when you breakdown the various options, it’s not that difficult to understand. Here are two common approaches that can be adjusted to fit your schedule and your needs which is also one of the main benefits.  

The 16/8 Intermittent Fasting Diet Plan  

With any pattern change, following a schedule is sometimes the best approach to achieve goals. With the Intermittent 16/8 plan, you eat during an 8-hour period, say noon to 8pm, and then you focus on something other than eating and fast for the remainder of the time. Instead of getting up and eating breakfast, focus on something else. If time permits, sleep in a bit. Then, fill the rest of the time with exercising, reading, meditating, writing, working or anything else that does not involve eating. If you busy yourself with another task and start a routine, you will learn to quickly adopt that behavior. Once you adjust your mindset, it’s really not that hard.   Often, we eat because there is nothing else to do or because we think we are supposed to eat at that time. Noon is synonymous with lunchtime, but it doesn’t have to be. If you fill your time with another activity, you won’t miss eating and won’t even think about it.         

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The OMAD/24 Hour Intermittent Fasting Plan  

This plan takes a little more dedication, but basically, you would finish your dinner at 8 pm one night, and then you would not eat again until 8 pm the next night. This plan gives you 24 hours of fasting time. It doesn’t matter what time you start and stop as long as there are 24 hours in between. Sometimes this plan is known as OMAD or One Meal a Day. You can eat one time per day usually waiting 23-24 hours between meals.

Both plans are customizable to fit your schedule and offer benefits. It’s just a matter of finding what works best for you and that is the beauty of Intermittent Fasting. It’s flexible and adjustable to fit your lifestyle.  

Why Does Intermittent Fasting Work 

We run in a 24/7 society where we are always plugged in. This also means we have more time to snack these days. Limiting that snacking time and fasting in between allows our bodies to burn through more calories so that we can start burning fat.  

Intermittent Fasting Pros and Cons

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Of course, weight loss is one of the benefits. If you skip a meal and ultimately consume less calories each day, you will lose weight. Aside from weight loss and the potential for a flatter belly, there are other benefits associated with Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent Fasting 101 has been linked to lower cholesterol levels, blood sugar control, reduced liver fat, and improved blood pressure.  Intermittent Fasters have also reported increased endurance, improved sleep, better motor coordination, and increased self-esteem and overall well-being. 

What To Watch Out For When Intermittent Fasting

There are some cons and certain side effects that can occur during periods of Intermittent Fasting and should be taken into consideration when adjusting eating patterns.  Being hungry or “hangry” can affect your mood and you may feel periods of low energy and irritability until you learn to manage the cycles. Binging or periods of excessive junk food eating may result after periods of fasting but maintaining a healthy diet through the process is ideal for optimal results. Digestive issues, like gas, bloating and diarrhea, can also occur as your stomach adjusts to a new way of eating. With anything new, maintenance is hard, and keeping a consistent schedule can be challenging.    

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Of course, you should always consult with a health professional before making a major nutritional change. There are certain individuals that may not benefit from Intermittent Fasting and should avoid trying it at all. If you are pregnant, diabetic, pre-pubescent, underweight, have an eating disorder, take meds that require food or are elderly, then Intermittent Fasting may not be the best option for you. 

Is Intermittent Fasting 101 Right For You? 

If you don’t fall into one of the categories, then Intermittent Fasting may be a great alternative to other failed attempts at weight loss and healthy living. There’s an old adage that says, “you won’t know if you don’t try” and that’s true in this case. If you think you’re ready for the challenge, I want to help you! My name is Michael Giannulis. You may have seen me on ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss Challenge back in 2012 where I lost 255 pounds in one year. Losing weight and being healthy is not easy. I know! And, it’s not something that you can do with a fad diet or new trend. It requires an overall shift in mindset and the desire to make a change for the better. This can be a difficult thing to do on your own and sometimes you need a gentle nudge or huge push to move towards change. A strong support system is key. I understand your struggle and I want to be that support system for you. Intermittent Fasting may be the start you need. To learn more or to talk about other options, contact me at using the contact form on this site.

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My Fasting Log For The Week Of August 3 – August 9, 2020

Michael Giannulis Fasting Log

I have decided to focus this blog around health. As you may know, I lost a bunch of weight on a weight-loss show back in 2012.

I then went on to gain that weight back and pretty much had to start over. Thankfully, I found a strategy and program that work for me.

Over the last year, I’ve also started the practice of intermittent fasting. I really love it.

I use an app called Zero which I really love. I’ve tried several different apps and Zero seems to be the best for me. Each week they send me updates on how I did and how much time I spent fasting.

There are many wonderful things that happen when we fast and I’m working on a blog post all about that for a later date. In the meantime, I’ll just post some stats on how this week went.

Here we go!

Michael Giannulis Fasting Stats Week Of 8/3/2020 – 8/8/2020

For this week I completed a total of 7 fasts. A fast is basically anything longer than 12 hours without eating. You don’t get as much benefit with only a 12 hour fast, so I tend to only use them on the weekends when my wife wants to spend more time with me going to breakfast and things like that.

My total hours fasted for the week were 139.6 which is close to 140 hours. A 7 day week has a total of 168 hours so if you look at it from a percentage standpoint I was fasting 83% of the week. Sounds pretty epic.

One thing I also do is what I call Mealless Monday’s. I always fast 24 hours from Sunday night to Monday night. So, the name isn’t perfect because I usually eat my first meal around 5pm on Monday.

On occasion I’ll stretch that out to 48 hours and break my fast Tuesday around 5pm. It’s amazing how good you can feel when you fast, honestly.

I never thought I would be able to do some of what I’ve done with fasting. My longest fast so far has been close to 73 hours. I have a goal to do a 5 day fast, but I’m not quite sure when I’ll get to it.

And that’s it! That’s my update for the week.

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Can’t Believe July 2020 Is Over

What a freaking year it’s been. I’m not one to complain, as I try to live up to my Stoic ideas (and usually fail – especially when my wife and I have “discussions” lol.

Anyway, it’s really hard to believe that we’re entering into August. We are solidly in Quarter 3 and before we know it we’ll be having ourselves a very Merry Covid Christmas.

I can barely even track all the negative events of 2020 so far. I remember there being forest fires in Australia (this affected one of my wife and I’s companies because that company sells mainly to Australia/New Zealand.

Then there was the tragic and way too soon death of Kobe Bryant. Then of course came Covid-19 which started in 2019 in Chyyy-nnna (we think). It caused a major economic shut down here in the US, led to record unemployment and as of today (and worst of all) the deaths of over 150,000 people.

Worldwide I believe the death numbers are in the millions. Now there’s talk of aliens and UFO’s. China and the US are in some aggressive negotiations, Hong Kong seems to be back under CCP control.

Then, there’s the awful death of George Floyd. Seeing him killed like that was heart wrenching and led to an outcry we’ve never really seen before here (at least not since the 60’s).

I don’t condone the violence that came, but I get the protesting. I do wish the protesters had been safer with social distancing and mask-wearing because I do personally think some of the upticks of round 2 came from the large protest gatherings… but it’s hard to expect angry people to follow rules.

The world’s a mess right now.

But, even with all that, I have hope for the future of mankind. We’ve survived a ton of things and keep on cranking. I know that we are separating more and more into different groups.

Racial and ethnic divides seem stronger now than they have in 20 or 30 years. Politcally, we are close to broken. But dont’ forget, this country has survived a revolutionary war against the world’s biggest super power (at the time) and a Civil War between the North and the South.

In short – we have the cultural DNA to survive this. We just have to go into wide eyed and ready for anything. I am praying for the rest of 2020 to go well, but I have doubts.

I still think Covid will rain down death and the news media and politicians will use it for votes, eyeballs, and increased clicks. I’ve come to expect nothing less because we very much live in a society where it’s about the ends and not the means.

Ok, this post is turning more negative than I like, so I’ll stop it now. I just wanted to take a moment and get some thoughts down.

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Where In The World Is Michael Giannulis

This is my personal blog where I talk about whatever I want. Which is nice. It’s more like a journal for me in some ways.

I have my main business site which is OnlyOneMike.com. That is where I talk about things like copywriting, marketing, and business.

I actually just wrote a post (my best to date I feel) over there that I really like.

It’s all about copywriting exercises anyone can do to practice copywriting skills.

It’s a beast of an article at over 7,000 well researched words. Coming up next, I am starting work on a chapter for an Anthology book I was selected to participate it.

It’s all about the topic of persistance. My weight loss story is definitely one of persistence so I’ll probably end up using that story as a major story for my chapter.

Oh – if you haven’t yet, make sure you check me out on social media. You can see all my different accounts here – Michael Giannulis social media.

I still leave the quarantine life thanks to COVID. We’ve also got it spreading really bad here in Florida as I write this. The death rate seems to be creeping up. We’ll see if it continues. I hope not.

I am really enjoying life right now though, despite all the bad around me. I am eating better, doing intermittent fasting and a keto based diet. I stay away from the sugars and the carbs and I really do feel markedly better.

Anyway, that’s enough of an update for now. I’ll try to post random thoughts as they come up here on this blog about once a week or so.

Till next time!

Michael Giannulis

PS – To answer the blog post question, lol… I’m in Florida where I’ve been for years! (as referenced with the COVID stuff)

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Random Thoughts From Michael Giannulis

Just thought I would write a quick post today talking about my goals for this blog. I want to make it more about my personal thoughts and ideas… and I may even talk about politics some.

I am not sure yet though haha. I am not particularly partisian and I am open to discussion. I believe there are at least two sides to every story and that Truth exists, but is near impossible to prove.

So many times the reality is found in the messy middle. We just aren’t very good as humans when it comes to dealing with shades of gray. And it’s also a lot easier to sell the extremes.

Humans love certainty, not “it depends”. I find myself dealing with this a lot. The older I get, the more I realize that life is one big ball of uncertainty.

Our job isn’t to understand it, but to accept it and live with meaning as best we can.

Well, that’s my Michael Giannulis thoughts of the day.

One question for you readers – do you like Michael Giannulis or Mike Giannulis better? I don’t have a preference honestly. Most of my family calls me Michael while friends and business associates call me Mike.

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Mike Giannulis on The Benefits of Mind-Mapping and Thought Journals

Journaling and mind mapping are powerful tools that anyone can use to organize and better understand their thoughts, relieve stress, boost their emotional intelligence, and visualize positive goals.

Keeping a diary is something many of us engage in for at least a short time while in school, but it often gets left behind later in life due to the false belief that keeping a diary is somewhat juvenile or useless.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, journaling is a far more powerful tool in the hands of adults than it can be for most children says Michael Giannulis, who helps run the e-commerce startups and offers coaching services to a select group of clients.

What are the Benefits of Journaling?

Among journaling’s most important benefits according to Michael Giannulis is that a person can explore and express their thoughts, motivations, desires, and fears without risk of judgement from anyone else. It’s a great way for individuals to vent and express their frustrations, dreams, or general thoughts in a constructive manner.

Michael Giannulis says that many people are afraid to explore their thoughts for fear of what they may find but promotes journaling as an important tool to help them gain a better understanding of what makes them tick and how they can be successful in life. He adds that we tend to give our thoughts too much credit as being intrinsically part of who we are and that it’s not necessary to take ownership of everything that pops into our minds. Journaling can help immensely in that regard, allowing us to parse out how we think and feel about topics rather than just accepting the musings of our subconscious mind as gospel.

Mind Mapping Can Boost Creativity and Productivity

Mind mapping is another tool that can be used to somewhat the same effect, exploring the deepest recesses of the mapper’s mind to uncover their thoughts and the things or feelings they associate with different topics.

A mind map is essentially a diagram that starts with a central theme, which can be whatever topic the mapper wants to explore. From that starting point, the mapper draws lines that link to other ideas or themes that they associate with the main theme and can then further explore those subtopics if they desire. The result is a tree-like structure with branches of ideas shooting off in every direction from the central idea, or trunk.

Michael Giannulis recommends mind mapping for business and career-related topics, saying they can greatly boost creativity when it comes to promotional efforts or other brainstorming sessions, and can also help companies organize data into logical and manageable chunks.

Michael Giannulis says that mind mapping can be a powerful business productivity tool thanks to its ability to engage both the left and right sides of our brains, pairing the creative thinking side of our brain with the logical and rational side of it.

There are several different mind mapping programs and apps available that provide stylish visuals to go along with your data, further strengthening the connections that develop in your mind.