By Nevin Martell

Only two more days to go in my Protein Bar Challenge. On the morning of Halloween, I’ll be doing an official weigh out to find out the results. Unless I have a last minute tumble off the wagon, it looks like I am on track to meet – or even slightly exceed – my most optimistic forecast for my weight loss efforts.

For this post, I spent some time talking to Protein Bar’s founder, Matt Matros, since it was his story that inspired this story. Over the last four weeks, he has been my guru, a voice of encouragement, and a spinning class buddy. I wanted to find out what inspired him and how he maintained his weight loss after his initial efforts.

* * * * *

When did you first know that you needed to go on a diet?

My father passed away from a heart attack when I was 11. When I was 22, I had a moment when I realized that I was heading down my father’s path, since I had been heavy and unhealthy my whole life up to that point. So I changed my diet and started exercising in April 2001.

How quickly did you notice a difference?

It was a pretty drastic change overnight. I went from having lattes and bagels and cream cheese for breakfast to having green tea and protein bars instead. It starts with the way you feel and then it becomes the way you look.

Did the weight come off slowly or quickly?

By October 1^st, I had lost 50 pounds. By December, I was down 60. So I had gone from 210 to 150. When I went back to visit my family and friends for the holidays, I went back as a completely new person. To this day, people from high school and college sometimes don’t recognize me. I now hover between 162-165 pounds, which is a healthy weight for me.

What kind of exercising were you doing?

When I began business school at University of Michigan, I started getting into triathlons. My first one was the New York City Tri, which I did while I was living there for a summer. I don’t have a tattoo, but people who have them say they’re addicting. Triathlons are that way for me. I’ve done eight of them since I first got hooked.

What’s your exercise regimen like these days?

I work out four or five days a week. Usually I’ll do two days with a trainer and then three days of classes, like spinning at Flywheel, CrossFit, or sessions at Power Yoga Chicago.

What do you eat now?

I eat about 60% calories at Protein Bar and 30% at Whole Foods, mostly from the salad bar. The last 10% come from dining out occasionally.

When you allow yourself an indulgence, what do you eat?

I have a huge sweet tooth, so fro-yo is my guilty pleasure.

What went through your head when you heard that I wanted to do this Protein Bar Challenge?

I was nervous about the other parts of your lifestyle, because you need an overall change to actually see results. But given your commitment to every element, it’s been exciting to watch. Also, I was a little worried you would get sick of the food. Thankfully, that hasn’t happened yet.

STATUS REPORT

Day: 27

Weight: 207

Pounds lost: 12.5

As well as reading my posts about my Protein Bar Challenge here on the Plate blog, you can follow my progress on Twitter @nevinmartell (hashtag #proteinbarchallenge) or on Facebook.