Racetrack Diaries
The following is not an actual race track diary story, but a story of a jockey named Lisa Dellipaoli (now Lisa Platts) that inspired me so much that I went on a diet and lost over 60 pounds. Below is a 2 part story about what I did to lose the weight, what Lisa's inspiration did for me and her reaction when she found out I wrote a story about her that appeared in my magazine. The story first appeared in my magazine and then was posted at (www.metalcorefanzine.com) I'd love to read feedback on my story. Email me your thoughts and yes there is pictures of Lisa in my photos section.
TELL US ABOUT THIS PERSONAL STORY YOU WROTE.
Well you can read the story below. The first part appeared in issue 25 of my zine and part 2 was in issue 27. It is in a nutshell the story of how a jockey I liked at the race track inspired me to go on a diet and she didn’t even know it. You can read all about what I did to go on a diet and the results of my diet all in the article. Part 2 you can read what happened when I showed her the article from issue 25. Also you can see a pic of her and me in the picture section elsewhere. (this story originally appeared in issue 25 of my zine).
Almost all of you only know me through the mail and when you read my magazine. Well, I am a big time shy person when it comes to talking to people I don't know, though when I open up I can't stop talking....ha ha. Anyway, my self esteem has always been about a 5 on a scale of one hundred. I pretty much go to the gym, do mail, screw around on my computer and do Listenable Records stuff. Of course I work a regular job at the race track as well. Anyway there was this girl there name lisa who I thought was cute as hell. A mere 5 foot 4, she had gorgeous long black hair & a smile that would stop a charging bull. She also had a great personality to match. Well I did some asking around & I found out she had a boyfriend. It didn't surprise me being how good looking she was. Anyway I made some small talk with her when I could & just kept my distance. In late Feb. or early March I went up to Immolation's for a visit & when I came back I found out that her and her boyfriend that they weren't going out anymore!!! At first I got all excited & then later I calmed down & kept telling myself that I would never have the nerve to ask her out. Hey when your self esteem is low you don't need it getting any lower than it is. I'm sure a few of you can relate to what I am saying. So I started talking to Lisa as much as I could never letting her on that I liked her. Well Lisa at this point was going through a slump at the track & I really felt bad for her. Her ex was giving her a hard time & it was effecting her job. So I decided to see if I could cheer her up. I decided to send her some flowers. So I called the place up and all & then like a smacked ass I canceled the order. At work that night imagine my surprise when I over heard that the next day (which was the day the flowers were supposed to be sent) was Lisa's birthday!!!!!! What a coincidence huh? (I'm dead serious it really did happen) Of course I re did the order & had the flowers sent. Did that in a heart beat ha ha. Well the flowers were sent to work & later on during the night Lisa was on her way out to do her thing & she turned around and said "Oh by the way thanks for the flowers". I about died on the spot. Later she told me she called the store & they gave my name. I was happy that I helped cheer her up even if it was just for a night. At this point I toyed with the idea of actually asking this girl out. So one night I said to hell with this I'm gonna do it. To most of you it may not be a big deal, you say hey if she says no move on to the next one. Well I really like Lisa & when your self esteem is low you don't need it any worse. So I sat in a a chair at work all night thinking back & forth in my mind trying to come to a decision. Finally I decided to go for it. If my idol Mark Messier can bring the NY Rangers a Stanley Cup then I can ask this girl out. Well at the end of the night came & I was walking Lisa out to her car I told myself just stay calm & ask her out. I was nervous as fuck & when we got to her car she rolled down the window & I asked her if I could ask her something. Well I popped the question & much to my surprise she said when this all blows over I could take her out. As she pulled away I stood there stunned like a model posing for a portrait. I also punched my fist in the air and yelled "yeah, Hell yeah"!!! I banged on the fence as as I walked back into work as I couldn't belive she said yes. I was high as a man on a mountain. At this point I decided to go on a diet. Lisa with her little words gotton my self esteem up to the highest it has ever been (trust me it was never up there big time to begin with). I was brimming with confidence. I told myself I could do this. I went in with a plan and I wasn't going to stop til I finished. Now at that time in March I weiged 260 pounds. Now I lift weights and am a pretty big guy and NO I don't use steriods and shit like that. I am really strong, but I just had a big waist (size 42 to be exact). I have tried to diet before, but I always gave up after a few weeks. I told myself not this time. I started to go to the gym with more of a passion and urge. I started doing aerobics 6 days a week. For the first week I did 30 min. than before long I was doing aerobics 6 days a week for an hour!!! At work I was running the stairs (13 flights) up & down for a fuckin hour. I would lose 4-5 pounds per work out doing that. Now we fast foward to May & the weight started to come off & Lisa got out of her slump. May 8th was a great day for me as Lisa rode home 2 winners & those stinkin, rotten, losers known as the Phila. Flyers were eliminated in the playoffs by the Buffalo Sabres. It doesn't get better than that let me tell you. I could tell Lisa was riding with more confidence & every race she raced I cheered her on hoping for a win. Meanwhile the weight was coming off me. I was attacking each workout and lifting session like a war. I made my own tapes & blasting to the sounds of Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, old Metallica (Ride the Lightening) etc., also helped me along bigtime. The best tape was Crumbsuckers "Life of Dreams" release. Running the stairs and jumping around like a madman would be quite a site for you guys to see ha ha. Many times when I would be huffing & puffing, sweat pouring down me, I would want to quit, well my mind wouldn't let me. The music kept going as well as thinking of all those nice things Lisa said. Let me tell you this way of fooling my brain worked wonders. Trust me you can play tricks on your mind very easily. Plenty of times while lifting the body would say your done, but with the music pumping in my brain I would always manage to rip out another rep or two. Intensity is the name of the game. Well May 23rd came upon the track & it was the last day of the meet. Me and Lisa had a nice chat & she said some really great things to me that I cherish til this day. I even managed to get a picture taken with her which I used as inspiration when I need some inspiration. Well as I type this Sept. I have lost 50 pounds!! My waist size is down to a 32 & I feel awesome. I am in the best shape I have ever been in & I have a decent confidence level now. And it is all due to one person. Even though she wasn't there directly she was the one that pushed me. I have had tons of people tell me I look great now & that really makes me happy. The reason I wrote this story was to try to tell any of you, if you are faced with an uphill battle just focus on someone who overcame alot to get where they are at. Whether it be a football player like the guy from the Detroit Lions who they said would never walk again & he is walking today. The Detroit Red Wings who overcame everything to win a 2nd cup. Also use your mind & keep telling yourself that you can do it. You would be suprised at what you can do using your mind. Slap on some metal music and use it's power to pull you through. If it wasn't for music, Lisa and my supplements I took while on my diet I never would have done it. If I can do it, anybody can. If any of you would like to comment on this story, feel free I welcome all feedback. ONE LAST THING LISA, IF YOU READ THIS, WORDS ALONE CAN'T EXPRESS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME and as far as I'm concerned, you beyond a shadow of a doubt, belong in the Winner's Circle permanetely cause your a winner 100% in my book and you are JUST TOO SWEEETTT!!!
Part 2 of this story (this story originally appeared in issue 27 of my zine).
Well after so many people asking me about Lisa I decided to do a follow up story cause I am sick of you asking me ha ha. Seriously, I appreciate all the letters and emails that you all wrote to me. So let me tell you what has happened since issue 25 came out. Well as I said in issue 26 Lisa was supposed to come back to ride in March. well on Feb 27th while over at Phila Park (she is a jockey, you know She rides horses) she got into an accident. While at the starting gate the horse she was on stumbled at the gate and the horse buckled up and down hitting Lisa in the face ( ouch) and sent her flying off of the horse. March 19th was the start of our live meet and I couldn't wait to see Lisa and to see if she liked the new me. I had literally had hundred's of people literally shocked at the new me and I was hoping Lisa would be equally impressed. Well March 19th rolled around and no Lisa. She had hurt her back when got in the accident and had broke 3 vertebrae in her back and she didn't even know it!!! I felt really bad for her cause as far as I can remember she had never gotten hurt riding. I respect these jockeys both male and female for what they do each and ever time they go and ride. So April comes around and still no Lisa. Now here is something you might get a chuckle out of. I usually go to work early on workdays To either run the stairs or ride the bike etc. So I was getting ready to leave to go work out when my friend Eddie calls and says he needs a favor. He needs me to drive his friend to the Newark airport. So being the good guy I am, I take his friend and skip my workout that day. Well I come to work and I go down to the jock's room and I hear that Lisa had been there all day.
She needed to lose a couple pounds!!!! Boy was I pissed. I could have seen Lisa and there would have been nobody there to bother me and I could have even given her some workout tips. I have the most rotten luck let me tell ya. So finally the end of April comes and Lisa is finally back!!! I am up in NY and on Wed I am off from work, but there is no way I am going to miss Lisa riding her first race in like 60 days. So I drive to the track and I am nervous as hell. I don't think I have been this nervous in a long time. I had no idea what to say to her or how I'd react to seeing her. So my dad is there too and I go up to the clubhouse and when Lisa's race is getting ready to go off I sneak downstairs and I see her. My heart starts pounding really fast and I see her in the flesh for the first time in like 9 months. She looked GREAT! So the race goes off and Lisa finished dead last!!!!!!!! I felt really bad for her, but she got a race under her belt, She had one more mount for the night. So that race goes off and Lisa makes a bold move on the inside and wins the damn race!!!!!!!
Oh was I fuckin happy. I went outside and watched as Lisa got her picture taken in the winner circle (that is where you go when you win a race). Lisa was all smiles as you can imagine and inside I was so happy for her. First night back and she has a win. I was happy cause I knew the win would help out her confidence big time. I was getting ready to leave when 2 guards I know were like 'aren't you going to congrads Lisa on her win?" I was like "nah" and they talked me into it. Now I had on a tank top and tight jean shorts and I got up the nerve and I said to Lisa "congrads on your victory." Lisa just thanked me and kept n talking to the owner of the horse. She didn't even give a second glance. I walked out of there with my head hung low. I kept thinking to myself "I lost 60 pounds and she didn't even notice". My self-esteem was beyond low now. I couldn't even sleep all night. I was tossing and turning. Well the next day Lisa rode again and I went down to the jock's room. My friend at the desk told me Lisa was in the sauna trying to sweat off a pound so she could ride that night (jockeys have to weigh a certain weight to ride). So I ran back to our office and got out a bottle of Xenadrine (a fat burning pill I used when I was on my diet...this shit works) and I brought it down to the jocks room. I walked in there and she walked by in a robe, hair all wet. She looked incredible in my eyes. So I walk to the back and call out her name and I sit on this big desk. Lisa walks out and I slide the bottle over to her. "What is this?" she asks. I tell her it is a fat burning pill that will help her. She then utters the words I will never forget "You lost a lot of weight!!!" I almost literally passed out on the spot I swear. We made some small talk and she asked me how I lost all my weight. Now I have to back track a bit here. Now I was never going to show Lisa the article I wrote in issue 25, but thanks to constant bickering by Jill Girardi and Andrea Grimes I finally decided to show Lisa the article and I had it in my hands while we were talking. I had the mag pushed back to the story in a brown envelope and I pushed it toward her and I said to her "you might find this article interesting" as she went to the back. I walked out of the jocks room in complete confusion. What would she think of it? Would she read it and be impressed? Would she read it and think I am some crazy nut? (which is what I was afraid of). Would she be flattered? Would she show the whole jocks room? I had no idea. And about half the people the people had told me how great I looked and asked what made me do it. I just hoped they weren't gonna find out. So Lisa went out and ran her race and just smiled at me when I saw her. I had no idea if she even read the damn thing. I was dying inside cause I wanted to know. Well it wouldn't be long before I'd find out. Lisa got dressed and I carried her bag out for her out to her car. Oh here we go again right?!! I bent down and asked her if she read the article. She looked over at me and smiled and said "yes I did I am flattered." FUCK YEAH!!! I talked to her some more and I asked if she had a boyfriend. She said she had met someone and was going out with him. But she grabbed my forearm and said 'when you asked me out last year it wasn't a good time, but if things don't work out I will gladly go out with you!" Well we talked a few more minutes and off she went. Well the meet was quickly coming to an end and I brought the pic of her and me for her to sign. Lisa wrote one nice message on it, let me tell ya. I did tell her I get very nervous when I am around her and she said "don't be nervous because of me, just be yourself" which was cool of her to say. So the meet has come and gone and Lisa is over in Philadelphia doing her thing and I am still at the Garden. Well I don't think I will ever go out with Lisa, but who the hell knows. And if I ever do get to take her out it would be a beautiful thing he he. But don't think this has set me back. HELL NO!!! Next to my parents she is without a doubt the most inspirational person I have ever met. She changed my life for the better and forever as well. You best believe my workouts are just as intense as last year. I feel much better about myself. I am very glad I showed Lisa the article as well. One funny thing you might get a chuckle out of (this was on the night I showed her the article) after she left and racing was done, if your working the jocks room you have to do lock up. Well my friend asks me to go check the ladies side of the jocks room for him. I went back there and sort of peeked in the trashcan to see if my Metal Core was in the trashcan (I just had to look my curiosity got to me). Mag was not in site. That made me happy that at Lisa brought the article home. Now the reason I wrote part two of this article for a couple of reasons. One to let you know what had happened since so many of you asked so I figured I would give you all a update. Now I know many of you may not be happy with the way you look, etc. Maybe your self-esteem isn't that great as I got some real nice letters from people who were in the same boat as me. Well I am here to tell you: DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!! Hey god gave you 2 good legs, arms, etc. Believe me we take too much for granted on the simple things in life. I see people at my gym in wheelchairs and stuff and I am sure they would love to trade places with you. When I was in the hospital a few years ago (my appendix burst at milwaukee fest!!) I saw all kinds of sick people, some young, some old. It got me really sad seeing that. I thank god after ever workout for giving me the strength, will and determination to do what I do. Now some may say "I can't do what you did." You have to trick your mind into believing you can. The mind is a funny thing, trust me it really is. You can do almost anything if you have the will to do it. Whenever I go jogging and I see a person in a wheelchair I just thank god that god gave me a healthy body and that I am the way I am. If you're not happy with your self as I said above, dammit do something about it. And now I'm gonna explain more on how to do it. Focus on something positive and use that as your springboard to success. I mean, sure when I went on my diet, I did it hoping to impress Lisa. I admit that. I was determined to impress her and I was willing to do anything to achieve my goals. After a bit, I started doing more for myself and less for her. She was my inspiration and my motivation. She still is in a big way. Now today I look and feel better. And I have a 5-foot jockey to thank for that. She told me I messed up in my story that she is not 5 foot 4. Sorry bout that Lisa. I am hear to tell each and ever one of you if you are unhappy with Yourself, get up off your ass and do something about it. Do what I did. Make tapes of your favorite metal bands and when you go out slap on some old Metallica, Slayer, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, etc, will have you sweating in no time. Your self-esteem will go up as will your confidence. I never told anybody, but around issue 24 I was ready to put down the Metal Core pen. My passion for the mag along with me was at an all time low. I wasn't happy with myself and it was affecting my job, me managing Immolation, and the mag. It was like a job and I was 90% sure I was going to fold the mag. I just wanted to end it. So you might say, Lisa in a way kept Metal Core going. I am having more fun with the mag now than ever. My passion for the mag is at an all time high. Now since my self esteem is pretty good I am telling anybody who reads this that wants to go on a diet that Chris Forbes is gonna help you. That is right I am going to act as your personal trainer. All you have to do is write or email me and ask me what you want to do. What goals you have in mind and tell me a bit about yourself. How old you are, weight, metabolism, etc. Now trust me, if I can go on a diet and lose the weight, then so can you. Sure it is going to be tough. But you're a fuckin metalhead and we are all tough. SO if you are SERIOUS about changing your life, then I am here to help. Lisa did something to me I will never forget the rest of my life and I figured I'd spread my good fortune with my readers. I know what it is like not to feel good about yourself, and it sucks. Now I am on the other side of the coin so to speak and it is a great feeling. Everything looks better when you feel good about yourself.
Now some of you may think I am a wimp for letting a girl get to me like that. Well I don't give a shit, cause The Rock says it doesn't matter what you think!!!! If I can help out just one reader then in the end writing these 2 articles was well worth it.
I huge thanks to Jill Girardi for all your long letters and just plain support. You're the best friend a guy could ever have and I truly mean that. I huge thanks to Andrea and Jill (again) for convincing me to show Lisa the article. You girls and Lisa are like Wayne Gretzky.... SIMPLY THE BEST!!!!!
Will there be a part 3? Who knows???