We've all seen "Before and After" photos hundreds of times, we've all heard of people who have accomplished what John has accomplished. So what makes John different? Why the newspaper articles and incredible website traffic and huge forum membership? I doubt that everyone who experiences a similar transformation gets this kind of attention.

So what is it about John's story that nobody else's story had to offer? What about John made you think "I can do this too"?

For me it was being able to see the weekly changes instead of just the before and after. By week 6 he'd almost completely lost his gut, and to me that's much better inspiration than seeing what he accomplished in say, 12 weeks or 6 months. The start is the hardest part.

So what is it about John's story that nobody else's story had to offer? What about John made you think "I can do this too"?
Oh this is an easy one. :nod:

He's a network admin. So am I.
He isn't trying to sell me anything.
He documented everything. There are no secrets.
He points out that the majority of it was mind over matter -- if my mind is weaker than my matter, get me out of here!


I think that's the majority of my reasons. For some reason I feel like I can relate to John (who knows if I can), which helps. He's also a self-made man, that helps a lot too.

Hmmm... I didn't think I was a groupie :o

I agree with daveo. For me, the before pictures of John remind me a lot of myself, and seeing his transformation happen (when I looked back at all of the pictures) showed me that with willpower and a good diet in place, I can do the same! To me, seeing all of the pictures along the way makes it sooo much more credible than just before and after shots. I guess the best way to describe it is that not only did he do it, but he can prove it!

:tu:

-CP

See above.

Also, the thing for me is, I can see that John is just a normal guy who took the initiative and made a change. If I look at some bodybuilding magazine, I see guys who work out all day and most likely use stuff that I wouldn't ever use.

The fact that John's not selling anything is a big thing, too. Every other "normal guy" site out there is the same in that they either tease you with helpful info so that you buy their book, or they attribute all of their success to some gizmo or energy bar.

John, I hope you do write a book. But if you do, I'd suggest you make it about your thoughts and experiences while you were losing the weight. There are a billion fitness books out there- but I haven't seen one that describes the mentality of someone going for it. That's something that everyone can relate to. Your website stands for itself as a bountiful resource of fitness information- I've learned more here in a month than in years of trying to find the "right" way to lose weight and get strong.

Just my $.02

Yeah, yeah yeah... go on and deny it all you like, but I know the real reason people keep coming back to my site: everyone is waiting for the triumphant return of my snowboarding M&M boxers. Their allure is not to be trifled with.

...everyone is waiting for the triumphant return of my snowboarding M&M boxers. Their allure is not to be trifled with.
Don't hold your breath big guy. I was just pointing out to my GF last night... "see, he really got his head in the game and even got rid of the M&M boxers -- that's some mental discipline!"

I'm just waiting for the day he starts smiling in his daily shots. Then watch the female membership skyrocket.

I agree with all of the previous reasons...

Plus, I have read about Body-for-Life and many other programs and seen the before and after pics, but the detail on this site is outstanding. I liked Body-for-Life and even tried it once, but it turned out that it was vague in many aspects. John's updates are so consistent. You can see what he did in detail at each phase of his transformation. Good stuff.

There are several things that have allowed me to become a faithful viewer of John's site:

1. Simple layout/quick load times (even with broadband, waiting for pages to load is annoying)

2. His current vocation is awfully similar to mine.

3. A lot of his training techniques are similar to mine. Upon seeing his results, I felt validated and knew that if I actually stayed the course I would ultimately reach my goals.

4. No gimmicks necessary. No subway diet or amazing weight loss pills to be found on this site. Just honest hard work and determination (I'm a sucker for 'em both). ;)

5. Lots of info/updated often. I love being able to come by during the day and see new pictures, new food charts, and a new text update. It's a reward in and of itself to all of us who use this site as motivation (which is, I imagine, everyone here). Also, for quite some time I found myself discovering something new upon every visit; I would spend hours at a time perusing the site and finding out a bit of info I had missed in my previous visits. It allows me to pass the time; I like that.

Those come to mind at the moment, although there are other less-obvious reasons for my continued viewing.

You know, I think that also by being in these forums, stating my plans and goals, the things I hope to acheive, talking about food, etc., I've made a stronger commitment because I'm not the only one that knows about it. If I was doing it on my own it'd be easier to quit or get lax because I don't have anyone to "answer to" or to tell "I screwed up". Having my husband working towards similar goals helps as well- our work schedules are radically different so we rarely eat or work out together, but knowing that we're both working on it makes a difference.

ive often asked myself "why all the fanfare for john?" as well. the answer is just like everyone elses, "he is a normal guy" that does normal things. he likes dogs, he likes gardening, he likes spending lots of money on quality audio/visual gear. he is normal, and does normal stuff. he isnt taking wacky ECA stacks or miracle weight loss drugs, he didnt have his stomach stapled, he didnt get diagnosed with the fat gene, he didnt do atkins, he didnt take roids, he didnt do a lot of the quick fat loss fads(although he did drop his cals too low initially, and lets everyone know he made that mistake). he DID however get off his a$$ and hasnt looked back. he also responds to emails(or at least did before he became MR POPULAR!). every email ive sent to john, he responded within 24 hours, with down to earth, person to person advice. he is never condesending, never better-than-thou, never anything more than just john. his job is the same as mine (network engineer), which made it easy for me to identify with him. he has similar work life challenges, ie pager going off, demanding customers, etc.


but i think one of the top reasons he got such fanfare is that while his journey to getting in shape is a terribly personal one, he has shared it with the world. most people are too scared to take a photo of themselves when they are fat, or share feelings or thoughts on where they stumble and mess up. he shares that without fail. he doesnt miss a day updating his site, nor do i visiting his site. its part of my morning now. i update my site, then read his, as im eating my breakfast following my workout.

ps. i think people really come back anticipating another bleaching of his hair... :p

I'm just waiting for the day he starts smiling in his daily shots. Then watch the female membership skyrocket.Look, I already explained why I don't smile in my... wait a second, are you serious about the ladies? Do you really think that would happen? Hrm...

[That sound you just heard was the brick Lisa threw hitting my head]

:D

Can you tell it's Friday?

ps. i think people really come back anticipating another bleaching of his hair... :p
Be careful what you wish for, summer is coming and I was just hit in the back of the head with a brick! ;)

BWAHAHAHAHA!! :D :p :) :spaz:

Be careful what you wish for, summer is coming and I was just hit in the back of the head with a brick! ;)
haha! lets just see if John smiles in tomorrow mornings photo...

We expect a big, cheesey grin in Saturdays pics John! C'mon, prove to us you have teeth!


Also, how about updated calf pics? Since you have been mainly working the legs the past few months, how about an update? Its been a few months! Also, where is the gratuitous lat spread, or updated double-front-bi, or most muscular?!?!?!?! :flex: C'mon man, its time to kick out some more photos!


ive got $1US that says he doesnt smile... any takers? :whistle:

haha! lets just see if John smiles in tomorrow mornings photo...

We expect a big, cheesey grin in Saturdays pics John! C'mon, prove to us you have teeth!


Also, how about updated calf pics? Since you have been mainly working the legs the past few months, how about an update? Its been a few months! Also, where is the gratuitous lat spread, or updated double-front-bi, or most muscular?!?!?!?! :flex: C'mon man, its time to kick out some more photos!


ive got $1US that says he doesnt smile... any takers? :whistle:
Don't take that bet. :)

I don't smile in my daily photos, and won't, because I want to keep the pictures consistant from one day to the next (except, of course, for muscle development and fat-loss).

I'll see what I can do about some updated pictures of my calves and so on. ;)

Also, I'll try to get some more picture of me smiling up ASAP; in the meantime, these should tide you over:

http://www.johnstonefitness.com/html/upper_body.html (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/html/upper_body.html)
http://www.johnstonefitness.com/c2003/pages/john_lisa_loki.html
http://www.johnstonefitness.com/c2003/pages/family_tree.html
http://www.johnstonefitness.com/c2003/pages/john_mom_tree.html
http://www.johnstonefitness.com/t2003/pages/everyone_but_lisa.html
http://www.johnstonefitness.com/html/john_wl_4_f.html (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/html/john_wl_4_f.html) (older photo, but still smiling)
http://www.johnstonefitness.com/html/john_bicep_compare.html

I think most of you really summed up everything. For me it was his daily comments that I would love to read. I think I became addicted, God forbid he was busy and only write one small paragraph I felt so cheated :-)

Also I won't mention how many times I have looked at the animated pics, that just amazes me. Each time I watch it I try to focus on a different body part to see how it changed. (Weird huh) But I recently have discovered that I do have collar bones, they've been hiding for so long, so I went back again and watched the clips.

Side note: I would love to see more pics of your quads, they are barely visible in most of the pics, I've had to resort to the 2 inches above your knees to measure any progress.

I don't smile in my daily photos, and won't, because I want to keep the pictures consistant from one day to the next (except, of course, for muscle development and fat-loss).
Yeah, but a big shit-faced grin in the middle of the animation would catch peoples attention a la Tyler Durden :tu:

I too like the site because he isn't trying to sell me anything. Not only is it all free, but incredibly detailed. He does everything but come to your house and give you the swift kick in the ass you need. I like these forums over other bodybuilding forums because most of you all seem like normal people who just want to look good naked and not the hardcore roided out freaks that populate most fitness forums.

Yesterday I was issued a challenge in a light-hearted discussion that can be found in the "Off-Topic" forum .... I'll be posting to that thread in a short while with my "answer" to the challenge.

Woo Hoo!!! Let the games begin!!!!

:spaz:

Ok, here's the cheesiest "buddy christ" picture I could come up with. So silly... :tu:

Oh, and Lisa was not happy that I only linked to pictures of her in her jammies with no makeup on. Here's a nice shot of her and her mom: http://www.johnstonefitness.com/c2003/pages/lisa_mom_phone.html

Here ya go Troy, calf pic from this morning. Hairy & no tan, but what the hell.

:tucool: Really nice pictures, John!! (I suppose Lisa is the one not wanting you to smile in the pic's! :D Just kidding, Lisa.)And Lisa, you look good even in your jammies without makeup, I'm sure John agrees with that!
It's just amazing what a change you have made, John! I'm sure that despite you being the same person now as for January 6th, 2003, you feel somewhat different. As I wrote in your private mail, I really do admire what you have done, and you're such a good example to the others of us, that it actually IS possible to be what we want to be. (Well, I suppose you do have some kind of generic "thing" that most of us don't.) I don't have a web-cam, but I do have some very bad pictures of myself just to scare myself off.
The support that you, Lisa and the rest of the forum group are giving, is really something I greately appreciate. When I am able to do harder work outs, I'll probalby need even more help and support than now.
And John, I'm waiting for that book, with a receipe-section! Thanks!!! :claplow:

Here ya go Troy, calf pic from this morning. Hairy & no tan, but what the hell.


Good stuff, John. Dig the Dogma reference... I just wanted to say that like many others, I keep coming back to this site because of your honesty and willingness to talk openly about your struggles and victories. I started getting in shape in mid November and I only found your site a few weeks ago, but it certainly has added to my motivation. :jumping:
So thanks for becoming my only daily resource!

Great picture there John! :eek: You look like a used car salesman that went on a workout binge! LOL!! Love it!

What I would like to see is a video of John running along the beach in his M&M shorts, then he turns towards the camera, with a big toothy smile he flexes his right bicept while giving a big thumbs up with is left hand!! Hahahaha!!! :spaz:

Kinda reminds me of this old workout TV show I use to see starring the guy named Gilad, "Bodies In Motion".

The largest reason I come to John's site on a daily basis is because I can relate to him. Him and I are both named John. We both work in the computer field. We both live in Florida (about 40 minutes apart). We both started our transformation at the same approximate weight and height. We both quit smoking immediately before the change. The similiarities go on. I keep coming here because instead of seeing him, I want to see myself. He is quite a few months ahead of me but I am seeing progress. It's not that John's case is so "different" than anyone's. It is that John documentated everything from "day one". This is why John's story blows everyone away. The can actually see him "melt" away before their eyes. This isn't something those damn Subway or Weight Watchers commercials show you. This is reality. Good work John. You are my inspiration as well.

i like john's site because of his mm shorts...where is it? hahahaha :p seriously, this site is really cool..because he's a real person who posts daily, and you can see his progress...also...it's free and he's not trying to sell something...though i don't understand a thing yet about weight lifting :o
oh, and lisa is pretty..even without make-up... :nod:

To sum up the John Stone phenomena, I have two words: Tipping Point. It's a term coined by Malcom Gladwell in his book "The Tipping Point". It's a book that explains why things catch on the way they do...everything from fashion trends to crime to disease. It's basically a book that explores social and physical epidemics in great detail.

John, this book has your story all over it. I highly recommend it to you and everyone here to read it if you ever have the time. It's a quick read, but very compelling.

Ok, here's the cheesiest "buddy christ" picture I could come up with. So silly... :tu:
HA HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA!

And you even flexed the quads, etc! :tu:

And you still have a tan(albeit noticeably faded...). Damn you Florida people!!!! I had to shovel my sidewalks this morning. Nothing like some nice powdery snow to prove its Winter. Time to hit up Monster.com and see if there are any engineer spots open in St Thomas or St Croix damnit!

He does everything but come to your house and give you the swift kick in the ass you need.

Even though, I bet he could make a killing starting that service! Pay him a plane ticket and $1000 and he could come to your house and kick you in the ass to get started. That would make a great gift idea out there for eachothers boyfriends/girlfriends!!

HAHAHA....Buddy Christ! Good stuff John.

http://www.graphittidesigns.com/store/graphics/actionfigures/buddychrist.gif

There we go....

John's mom sends me $1 for each post I make. She feels he doesn't have enough friends. ;)

What I like about John's story is the emotional side. John was 215 lbs. when he started his quest, but he could have been 300 lbs. or more. The weight loss is not what impresses me most: it was his decison that he had hit "rock bottom" and that change MUST occur. I never realized how much your body controls your self-confidence until he said it. For those of you who have seen my pictures in the "Photo Gallery" you know that I had the opposite problem: I couldn't gain weight to save my life. I would only wear baggy clothes and never shorts, or wouldn't go swimming with my friends because I didn't want them to see how skinny I really was. Whether you are 5'10" and 120 lbs like I was., or 5'10' and 240 lbs. doesn't really matter. When you life is hindered by your body and not helped by it, well, that's a problem. I really respect John's willingness to post his first picture, the picture that started it all. I visit this website every day without fail. Why? Not because I need to lose weight or need the motivation, but because as Doctor Cox said in "Scrubs", "...find your biggest insecurity and shine the world's brightest spotlight on it." That spotlight is this World Wide Web.

Cheers,
Jeff :)

I'd have to agree with JDizzo's point. The fact that John was willing to open himself up to the world and risk failure on the WWW was really admirable and makes his story truly unique. I am also impressed with the tools he used. He didn't join a gym and have a trainer hold his hand through each day - he friggin bought a bench and started lifting in his own home. I love that. My view may be influenced by the fact that I'm a work at home tech too - hehe. Nonetheless I have decided to purchase a system for my home and follow suit. John - you are truly an inspiration and I admire your willingness to share so much of your life with the rest of the world. :claphigh:

The reason i come here everytime everyday is because of the quick reply here by all the members to clear my doubt, with the people here with real experience and going through the same thing as me now