Your Own Girth Control Project

This is the most simple program ever. You need only one piece of equipment – a tape measure. Not a builders metal version, a cloth or plastic dress-makers version. Or steal a paper one from Ikea. The original version of this project was done with a group mentality, a team of men trying to cumulatively lose enough girth to meet the target. Some may contribute a lot (and need to) others may contribute a little. No matter – if the team achieves the target they are all winners. Those with metabolic disorders (diabetes, kidney disease, etc) should seek clearance from their GP before messing with their diet.

Procedure:

Do NOT weigh the subjects. This project has nothing to do with what you or they weigh. I don’t care, as long as less of it is visceral fat. No weighing before or during the project duration (4 months), however you can weigh-in after completion just out of curiosity.

Measure abdominal girth
  • Best done by another person
  • Measure at level of umbilicus (belly button) keeping the tape horizontal all the way around and measure directly against the skin
  • The subject must be standing upright (thinking tall) and not looking down to see the number
  • The tape tension is firm with contact all the way around, but no ‘guttering’ or ‘grooving’ into the flesh
  • Measure to the nearest half centimetre or half inch. Measure twice and average the score
  • Record this figure.
Educate the Subjects
  • Risk of too much abdominal fat to their health prospects (bowel cancer, prostate cancer, high blood pressure, arthritic knees, heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnoea)
  • Why 94cm is the threshold between healthy range and increasing risk of these illnesses (because the medical science shows this)
  • Strategies to moderate his food and beverage intake to reset his metabolic furnace to burn more fat (click here)
  • How long to persist with the program (four months) for all participants
  • Explain that they are not ‘big boned’ – their girth is fat, organs, blood vessels, spinal column and fluid. Every bloke can be 94cm or less
  • Tell them it will be very difficult to make these changes and only strong men will get it done. Don’t let the team down.
Monitor & Support
  • Keep in touch with the subjects by email, SMS or getting together. You will all need support at home and elsewhere.
  • Ensure the household of subjects is onboard for this project, especially if they are in charge of getting, preparing and serving food in the home
  • Get together occasionally to remeasure during the four months and plot team progress (over a refreshing glass of water or zero alcohol beer or a protein shake meal)
  • Try and lose at least 4cm per subject in your group: 4 blokes = 16cm total loss; 7 blokes = 28cm loss; 30 blokes your target is 1.2 metres!
Completion
  • Bring all subjects together for the final measure
  • Use the same tape as the first measure
  • Use the same measuring technique
  • Don’t tell each bloke what he lost (yet) calculate the group total and see if you met your total goal
  • Celebrate your success in moderation.