The Six Pack Project

You don’t see me at 6 am in the gym. You’re not there when my lungs are burning, my legs are shaking, my hands are raw, when the bile is rising in my throat. You’re not there when every fiber in my body is screaming at me, a symphony of sweat, pain and lactic acid rising to a thunderous crescendo. This is the moment I live for. There is no mortgage, no job, no deadlines. I live for the peak of that crescendo. That moment when time slows and I am completely in my head and there is nothing but a choice. A choice to give in to the voices that tell me to stop. The voices that tell me I’m not strong enough, not fit enough, not good enough… that I should just quit and give up and get out. In this moment I am alone and my only obstacles are fear and doubt. This is gut check. Choice. Jesse Willis, Choice will set you free

I know. I know. You think I'm referring to some escapade where drinking a six pack of beer in five minutes becomes a horror story of gushing proportions. Not so!

this is a story about true grit. About passion and commitment and dedication and doing the right thing. This is Jesse's story.

Jesse is a friend of my daughters. For many years he was a frequent visitor at our house, a welcome presence who dated one of my daughters. Even though that relationship has shifted, Jesse is still one of those people I love to have around. He's interesting and intelligent and, along with being a sommelier (which means he brings along great wines and fascinating conversation), Jesse is a fitness guru.

Before I met him, at the ripe old age of 21, Jesse decided it was time to lose weight. He lost 100 lbs, became a personal trainer and thought excess weight was road kill never to appear again on his road of life. And it was, for quite awhile. Until recently. Because one morning Jesse climbed on the scales and realized, 30 lbs had crept back on and he hadn't seen them approaching in his rear view mirror. This is not good, he decided and set about shedding the pounds and gaining, as he calls it, a six pack by Christmas.

Yesterday, Jesse launched his new website, The Six Pack Project. Now, a couple of things to know about Jesse, he's one gifted writer and he knows what he's writing about. How you fit a guy who loves wine into the body of a personal fitness trainer, is as deep a mystery as to how they get the caramel in the chocolate. I don't like caramel, so the combo doesn't work for me. But in Jesse's case, what a great combo!

I've followed Jesse's writing for some time on his wine blog, Vine Arts: Wine Made Simple. Delightfully erudite, Vine Arts: Wine Made Simple is witty, filled with information and ideas on pairings and combos and food selections. Jesse is knowledgeable. Irreverent yet always relevant. Jesse's saunters through wine country and wine store aisles never fail to intrigue and captivate.

I invite you to click on over to The Six Pack Project whether your goal is to shed pounds, or build muscle or create a dream come true that has nothing to do with fitness or weight loss or weight gain, (I know -- some people actually do have to work at weight gain. Go figure.) Jesse will inspire you! And while he's at it, he will make you smile and laugh with the images he creates in his written words. Quite frankly, anyone courageous enough to put a picture of their half-naked body on their site gets my vote. Okay, so the naked part is his torso and he's starting with a two-pack and he is 27!

Oh, and I've decided to piggy back on Jesse's formidable strength to inspire me to keep pushing down the pounds and pushing up the muscle.

And I'm starting with my determination muscle. I think I can. I think I can. I know I can. I know I can. I am, doing it.

Go Jesse Go!

Go Louise Go!

Wanna add your name to the list?

Come on over to Jesse's place. You'll be glad you did!