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"...I love what I’m doing. I get to help people make changes to their lives, not just their physiques."

"...everyone wants to look good, to be attractive to the opposite sex and to feel like they’re desirable...if anyone tells you they don’t have those wants, or desires, they are lying to you. Plain and simple."

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"I don’t give a damn what society thinks of me...My ultimate identity can't be influenced or altered by what others think of me or do to me. I have this big 'ole white derriere that they can smack their lips on."

"All human behavior can be traced back to two forces: the desire to gain pleasure and the need to avoid pain... Human beings will always do much, much more to avoid pain than they will ever do to gain pleasure."

"Everyone needs an objective view whether they are preparing for a contest or just trying to get in shape for the summer.  It is very difficult, almost impossible, to step outside of yourself and honestly assess your own physique. And the Lord knows you’ll never get an honest answer from family, friends or members of your local gym."

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"...you didn’t get out of shape overnight so don’t expect to get back in shape overnight either. Nothing happens overnight and if you take extreme measures to lose weight quickly, the results would not last. Diet is 70% of the equation, with weight training and cardio exercise being secondary."

"The most important advice I would give is that you must seek professional help from someone who knows how to help reach your goals. Also you must sacrifice some of your current lifestyle in order to achieve your goals."

"I admire...anyone and everyone who are trying to improve their quality of life through fitness...I admire their efforts every day. They are my role models because they are not making excuses for their dismal health. They are taking control of their health and improving themselves. They are the people that motivate me to get/stay in shape.

"Bottom line. I do have a tough exterior and I do stand up for what I think. I am very straight-forward and that rattles people.  And most times, I’m not the most diplomatic person on Earth. But I never do anything to intentionally cause harm to anyone."

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As seen in BodyTalk Magazine by Jim Rainey, Editor-in-Chief

Quiet confidence…that’s what strikes you about him as he walks across the gym floor. As his eyes intensely canvas the building you are reminded of a lion waiting to pounce on its prey. Then, in a flash, you see the genuine softness of the man as he approaches an elderly woman struggling with an exercise machine, and again later when he becomes a living, breathing training seminar for a high school boy. He is passionate for his work and controlling of his surrounding, a commanding presence of a man firmly in charge of all things around him. There is nothing complicated or flashy about him.  Instead, things are simple and straight-forward. Intimidating to some. Approachable to others. When asked a question he never hesitates with an answer. He looks you straight in the eyes and tells you exactly what he’s thinking. No grey areas. Just black and white. Cut and dry. If you don’t like what he says, that’s fine with him. But it doesn’t change him. Get over it and move on. Rough around the edges. He's everything you love, everything you hate. It's easy to see why some people won't like him, yet you can see why others are fond of him. In the end you can tell that this is a person that will go out of his way to help almost anyone, that prays more for others than for himself.

BT: What’s your background?  How did you get started in the fitness industry?

RS: My educational background is in economics, finance, accounting, mortgage banking, kinesiology and exercise physiology. I spent my time in accounting and mortgage banking before deciding to turn my hobby into my livelihood for the second half of my life. So, in 1997 I made the switch to the fitness industry.

BT: That’s interesting. Why would you change from such lucrative fields to the fitness industry?

RS: That’s simple. Most people choose their occupation as a means of income and that’s all it is. They choose an occupation by how much money they believe they can make. They are driven, or controlled, by money. I’ve been there, done that. Now I earn my living doing what I love. There’s a huge difference.  I get to help people make changes to their lives, not just their physiques.  Besides, from a financial viewpoint the possibilities in the fitness industry reach much farther than my prior fields.  Think about it…people need their taxes done but everyone wants to look good, to be attractive to the opposite sex and to feel like they’re desirable.  The fact is that people do not buy needs. People buy wants and wants are emotional, not logical or rational. So that makes the earning potential unlimited. And if anyone tells you they don’t have those wants, or desires, they are lying to you. Plain and simple.

BT: You work with a lot of gorgeous models. That must be a lot of fun for a single guy?

RS: (laughing) All I do is provide them with the tools to be successful. They do all the work preparing for their photo shoots. And as far as doing the photo shoots with models…that is work, not a date. I’m nothing more than a big prop!

BT: Okay, but doesn’t working with beautiful women set your standards higher than most?

RS: I don't think so. The last person I was involved with wasn’t a 10 but she cleaned up really good (grinning). On a scale of 1-10 her physique is a 6.5, but has the potential to be a 10. Physical attraction is only a part of the equation. I'd prefer someone to be my friend. Real friends are so much harder to find.

BT:  It must be rewarding working with elite models and bodybuilders?

RS:  Actually, yes and no.  And I say that because those individuals are expected to look a certain way.  It’s their job.  I am simply making them better at their chosen profession.  It is far more rewarding to work with the individual who is trying to change their quality of life through fitness, the person who doesn’t earn a living looking good...or rather, what the general public perceives as good.

BT: What do you think differentiates you from other people in your field?

RS: They’re not me!  Plain and simple.  I’m good at what I do and I know it.

BT: Isn’t that a little arrogant?

RS:  No. It’s confidence. I’m not making undue claims and I’m not exalting my worth or importance. It’s not bragging if you back it up.

BT: Okay…but a lot of other “fitness gurus” have large groups of followers who endorse their theories and practices.  What’s your take on them?

RS:  Charles Manson had followers, too. Does that mean he was right?

BT:  Good point.

RS: I'm not asking anyone to "be a disciple," so to speak. Discern for yourself it I'm right or not. I only ask people to use common sense when it comes to fitness and their bodies. Think about what you're doing before you do it.

BT: So do you feel you are the best at what you do?

RS: Absolutely not. In my opinion, Chad Nicholls is the best in this business. Bar none. He has no peers.  His track record speaks for itself. I respect Chad and turn to him when I’m preparing for a contest.

BT:  So you have a nutritional consultant?

RS: Absolutely. Everyone needs an objective view whether they are preparing for a contest or just trying to get in shape for the summer.  It is very difficult, almost impossible, to step outside of yourself and honestly assess your own physique. And the Lord knows you’ll never get an honest answer from family, friends or members of your local gym.

BT: Okay. How would people describe you?

RS: Well, my distractors would describe me as a drug-abusing, ‘roid-raging, child-abusing, arrogant S.O.B. You know, the typical stereotypes you hear about any bodybuilder.

But those few who know me would describe me as a kind, gentle, caring person that would do anything he can to help someone.

BT: And???

RS: Well, if the former were true there would be one helluva lot of human carnage in the path that I’ve walked but nobody seems to be able to produce that. I do not sell, and I’ve never abused drugs. I’m not one who easily flies off the handle and I’ve NEVER abused my daughter. Bottom line. I do have a tough exterior and I do stand up for what I think. I am very straight-forward and that rattles people.  And most times, I’m not the most diplomatic person on Earth. But I never do anything to intentionally cause harm to anyone.

I would like to believe I'm the type of friend that would be there for someone no matter what they've done to me in the past.

BT: Don’t you want to prove those people wrong? Don’t those allegations anger you?

RS: No. I don’t give a damn what society thinks of me and I won’t permit other people to mold me into what they think I ought to be. If the insult is patently false, then I disregard it. My ultimate identity can't be influenced or altered by what others think of me or do to me. (laughs) I’m too damn stubborn for that to happen. If I try to prove myself to someone that means that person is very important to me. As for the rest of them…I have this big 'ole white derriere that they can smack their lips on. (laughing) Pucker up, Buttercup!

Discipline and self-restraint are the ultimate measures of courage and self-respect. Self-respect comes from the inside and is projected outward. I don’t need that validated by people that don’t know me, much less people who don't like me. Let's be honest here. Are their words really hurting me? No. Besides, if I just remain myself it will prove those distractors wrong.

Anger? No way. Frustrated sometimes, even disgusted at times, but not angry. There used to be a time when those things would anger me, but never to the point of violence. Now I realize that anger only hurts the person who is angry. Every time someone attacks me it only makes me stronger in my beliefs. More importantly, I refuse to let my daughter be raised in an environment of hatred.

BT: Okay. Back to the fitness industry. If someone asked you how to lose weight and get in shape quickly, what would you tell them?

RS:  I would say that you didn’t get out of shape overnight so don’t expect to get back in shape overnight either. Nothing happens overnight and if you take extreme measures to lose weight quickly, the results would not last. Diet is 70% of the equation, with weight training and cardio exercise being secondary.

The most important advice I would give them is that you must seek professional help from someone who knows how to help reach your goals. It's like taking a cross-country trip. If you go by car you'll hit a lot of curves, hard roads and hills to get there. But if you take a non-stop flight you'll get there a lot quicker. The same principle applies to fitness. You'll reach your goals a lot quicker with professional help.

 Also you must be willing to sacrifice some of your current lifestyle in order to achieve your goals. And if you’re not willing to do that, then consider plastic surgery.

BT: Plastic surgery? Liposuction?

RS: No. (laughing) Have their lips sewn shut so they can’t continue to stuff the Big Mac’s, Twinkies, Pizza Hut and other junk foods down their throats!

BT: Oh my God! Okay, seriously. What about the person who has trouble losing weight? What would you advise them?

RS: Look. Anybody can lose weight. The secret to fat loss is simple. It’s called a “caloric deficit.”  CLICK HERE to learn more.  If you focus on daily actions and create a persistent caloric deficit, the results will come. In the same respect, anyone can gain weight by creating a caloric excess. That is, unless you are the one and only person in the universe that God has ever created differently from the rest of us.

BT: So, do you make these comments to people you work with?

RS: Absolutely. If I make it clear to an individual that they are no different than anyone else on this Earth and that there is no excuse that they can use with me, then we are on the right path to getting the results that they are looking for. They realize that they can’t make excuses to me for their failures. A person doesn’t have to like what I say. They just have to know that it is the truth. They are not paying me to be their friend. They’re paying me to get results. So, if my sarcasm, or off-centered humor, gets my points across then we are heading in the right direction.

BT: Statistics show that only 10 percent of Americans exercise. Why do you think the other 90% avoids a healthy lifestyle?

RS: All human behavior can be traced back to two forces: the desire to gain pleasure and the need to avoid pain. No matter how complex the reasons may appear, the underlying forces of pleasure and pain drive all behavior. Human beings will always do much, much more to avoid pain than they will ever do to gain pleasure and most people consider exercise painful. People feel that the pain of exercising is greater than the potential pain medical problems may give them in the future, and as a result, will avoid the perceived pain of exercising. For them it is a battle of two sources of pain, and they are looking for the lesser of two evils.

BT: Why would anyone want to jeopardize their own health?

RS: Well, why do people smoke when it is proven to cause cancer? Because, in his/her brain, the very real immediate pain involved in the process of quitting is greater than the potential distant pain of possibly having cancer. Because the pain of cancer is not a reality (yet) it does not create motivation. Unfortunately, the same can be true with health and fitness. For someone to make lifestyle changes, it often takes something as serious as a heart attack, when they are faced with the very real pain of possibly dying.

BT: Okay, but how does that apply to people without current medical problems?

RS: It’s real simple. No different than any other decision-making processes, it is a weighing of consequences. A person will exercise because they believe that the pleasure derived will outweigh the pain. If not, they believe the pain will outweigh the pleasure they want to gain. So my job is to respectfully get them to face the painful consequences of their health, both current and future, and motivate them to do something about it. It can lead to some incredible success stories.

BT: Speaking of triumphs, what do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment?

RS: That would be four years ago. The day my daughter was born. Until then, each day was like every other day. Now every day is like no other day. That thrills me. My daughter and I are a good team. Anyone who knows me knows that nothing means more to me than her.

BT: Who do you look up to in this business?

RS: Anyone and everyone who are trying to improve their quality of life through fitness. I admire the same people who think they look up to me, who watch and try to pick up little tips from the way I train.. I admire their efforts every day. They are my role models because they are not making excuses for their dismal health. They are taking control of their health and improving themselves. They are the people that motivate me to get/stay in shape.

For example, there’s one guy that comes to the gym where I train. I simply gave him some advice and suggestions pertaining to his diet, weight training and cardio. He took it from there and has lost over eighty pounds in the last year. He’s not in bodybuilding condition by any means, but this next summer he will no longer be afraid to take his shirt off in public. He will look better than 95% of the people he comes in contact with. I admire him for his discipline, desire and guts to make such incredible changes to his physique and life.

BT: What does the future have in store for Dr. Diet?

RS: A lot of traveling. Between preparing athletes for shows, models for photo shoots and personal interests I anticipate being on the move a lot. My health is the best it’s been in the last year, so the Good Lord willing, I’m looking at competing this upcoming summer.  Right now I’m eyeing shows in Tunica, MS. and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I also know several persons in the music industry and I plan on seeing each of them on tour within this next year.

BT: Is there anything further you’d like the public to know about you?

RS: I train hard, work hard and play hard with a singular objective - to achieve my goals in life. I realize that nothing in life is given to you. You achieve what you want through hard work, discipline and dogged determination.

I have a tough exterior but I am a very easy-going person, and if there is anything you would like to know about fitness I would love to help. Simply e-mail me or visit my website www.prodiets.com for any advice or questions.

 QUICK QUIPS:

BT:  Most bodybuilders are dumb.

RS: Most people are dumb but you never hear anybody say that.

BT: Your favorite types of music?

RS: Hank Williams, Jr., Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker, 3 Doors Down, Gretchen Wilson, INXS, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

BT: The best bodybuilder of all-time?

RS: Ronnie Coleman.

BT: The most approachable individual you’ve met in the fitness industry?

RS: That’s easy.  DeeAnn Donovan.  Next would be Monica Brant and Kim Chizevesky.

BT: Drink alcohol?

RS: Not often. There's a devil in the bottle and it won't rest until you're dead. If you don't control it, it will control you. I've seen it ruin plenty of lives and I'm sure I'll see it ruin plenty more. That sucks, but it's true.