Back in 1993 I was 25 years old and resembling Free Willy. Through a lot of time and effort I dropped about 45 pounds of fat and gained around 20 pounds of muscle. I’ve been a dedicated exerciser and healthy eater ever since.

Other than just being one of those lame “If I can do it, so can you” examples, I’ve actually got some legitimate qualifications to write a kick-ass fitness book:

• As I mentioned, I am a CSCS. This is considered by many as the “gold standard” of fitness certifications.
• I have an MBA, which is surprisingly relevant to getting in shape because I know a shit-ton about strategic planning, time management, and goal setting. Transforming from donut-scarfing couch potato into diet-conscious workout warrior requires a lot of planning, and I’m an expert.
• Unlike so many other fitness writers, I can actually write. Before my MBA I completed a bachelor’s and a master’s in history. In addition to first-rate research skills I have a flair for humor and sarcasm, and I’ve done my best to make this book interesting so that you’ll actually read it rather than fall asleep.
• I’ve published articles in a number of national fitness magazines, and am the strength / running / motivation expert for AOL’s That’s Fit website where I have a biweekly column. I’ve also discussed fitness on radio and TV and give regular presentations on fitness motivation.
• I used to be Director of Marketing for the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary where I interacted with Olympic athletes, their coaches and trainers, general personal trainers, registered dieticians, and some of the world’s premiere researchers (PhDs) in the areas of fitness, nutrition, exercise motivation and sport. I selected a group of these colleagues and created an Advisory Committee for this book. When published, this will be one of the most peer reviewed popular fitness books ever created.
• I look the part. That oily, shirtless guy in the top left corner is me. I wonder how many weight-loss books Dr. Phil would have sold had he appeared on the cover without his shirt on.
• I drink beer. Also, I've never boiled a chicken breast or separated the yolk from an egg, and I rarely eat tuna fish straight out of the can.
• I’m married to a modern woman who works full-time. We don’t have a housekeeper and I do my share of work around the house. My life is not brimming with free time.
• I have two young kids who try their best to drain the life out of me.
• I don’t consider myself a bodybuilder and I don’t take any fitness supplements and have never taken anabolic steroids. I’m just a guy who wants to be healthy and look good.

In short, I am a typical family guy. From a motivational and lifestyle planning point of view I’ve got street cred, and that street is a cul-de-sac in suburbia.  

About Dr. Heidi Fell, MD

Aside from being a smoking-hot mega babe and my loving wife, Heidi is my co-author because she has vetted the scientific content of this book for accuracy. I’ve known Heidi since she was 18 and just starting university. She is the most diligent, hardworking and intelligent person I have ever met.

Why she married me is a subject for debate.

She entered the University of Calgary in 1989 in what is arguably the school’s hardest science program: biochemistry. She never got less than an “A” in every single class. Her perfect 4.0 GPA score contributed to her not actually graduating, however, because after three years her stellar grades and high MCAT score got her early acceptance to the U of C’s Faculty of Medicine without finishing her undergraduate degree. The U of C’s med school does not rank its students, but if you were to ask any of her classmates (Class of ’95) who was tops all but one would say Heidi. The other guy would say himself. After med school Heidi entered a family medicine residency at Foothills Hospital in Calgary which she completed in 1997, and she has worked in private practice ever since.

She is also very close to achieving her black belt in karate, so you better not piss her off.

Her breadth of knowledge never ceases to amaze me. It is only because of her that I was able to understand some of the highly scientific information referenced in Body for Wife. Truthfully, her prints are all over this book.