The updated version of Fat Head I’ve mentioned a couple of times is finally available. We received a shipment of DVDs while I was at work yesterday. Being a cruel husband, I asked Chareva to watch it to make sure there weren’t any video flaws. We’ll sell the DVD ourselves — I’m not making the mistake of trusting another DVD distributor.
(The good news is that you’re our number one seller! The bad news is that we just declared bankruptcy and used the proceeds from your film to float our operations there at the end. Sorry about the two years’ worth of residuals you’ll never see.)
Gravitas, the digital-content distributor who put Fat Head on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Instant Play and iTunes (also the only distributor we like) will be distributing it to the same markets overseas — at long last.
Creating a version our lying-sack-of-@#$% international “distributor” can’t lock down and sit on was part of the motivation, but I’m glad I updated the film regardless. It was due for a facelift.
I named it Fat Head: Director’s Cut, even though I’m the director and cut both of them. To make room for a followup sequence at the end, I cut two sections from the film. The first was the section about kids not walking to school anymore, people driving everywhere, etc. After I learned more about the negligible effect exercise has on weight loss, I cringed a bit every time I watched that section. What the research shows is that kids start getting fat first, then they stop moving around as much. Before they get fat, the kids who become fat later are just as active on average as their peers.
The other section I cut is this:
I didn’t cringe what I saw that section, but it appeared late in the film and felt out of place. I dealt with Morgan Spurlock’s nonsense sufficiently in the first part of the film; no need to give him another whack near the end. I uploaded that section to YouTube since it’s not part of Fat Head anymore.
Now, for the new stuff: cutting the sections I mentioned above gave me time to add a follow-up section at the end. Since I want anyone who has the old version and is considering getting the updated version to know exactly what’s been added, here it is. The YouTube video below starts from about a minute before the new section:
We have a couple of boxes of the old version left, but I decided to retire that one. For the past month or so, I’ve been emailing people who ordered the DVD to ask if they’d like to wait for the updated version. Every single one said yes. If you’ve been waiting for an order, it went out today. We spent a big chunk of last night getting caught up. If you order a DVD from this point forward, you get the updated version. For those who asked recently, yes, the international version plays everywhere. It’s the only version available.
That’s one big project out of the way. I have another roast to write and produce before the low-carb cruise in May, then I have two more projects I hope to finish this year: the book and companion DVD Chareva and I have been kicking around, and the Fat Head soundtrack — if Tom Monahan and I can ever coordinate our schedules.
p.s. — Chareva’s brother and his new bride will be arriving today and staying through the weekend. I’ll check comments, but won’t be writing another post until Monday.
If you enjoy my posts, please consider a small donation to the Fat Head Kids GoFundMe campaign.
@David, re. soy, etc. The other thing that is/was used a lot in low carb baking recipes was gluten. It’s a protein, so it fits the bill for low-carb. But for anyone trying to avoid grains in his/her diet, it’s not a good idea.
@David, re. soy, etc. The other thing that is/was used a lot in low carb baking recipes was gluten. It’s a protein, so it fits the bill for low-carb. But for anyone trying to avoid grains in his/her diet, it’s not a good idea.
I’m going to order a DVD soon – and I’m so glad I waited. Not only will you actually benefit from this version, but now maybe I can convince friends/family to watch it, when I tell them you used my pictures in it! 🙂
I appreciate you giving me permission to use those pictures. Your transformation is stunning.
I just ordered my dvd. After all you’ve done for me, I figured I owe you that and much more. Thanks for all you do.
I appreciate the support.
I’m going to order a DVD soon – and I’m so glad I waited. Not only will you actually benefit from this version, but now maybe I can convince friends/family to watch it, when I tell them you used my pictures in it! 🙂
I appreciate you giving me permission to use those pictures. Your transformation is stunning.
Tom, do you think you would be able to do a food log for one day so we can see what exactly you eat? I am really curious to know.
It varies, but here’s today’s food log:
Breakfast: coffee with heavy cream (I’m rarely hungry for food before noon).
Lunch: scrambled eggs with bits of sausage and some chili ladled on top.
Snack: a handful of dry-roasted almonds.
Dinner: more chili (Chareva made a big ol’ pot of it yesterday) with shredded cheese and sour cream mixed in.
Chareva’s chili is awesome. Here’s the recipe:
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/03/02/charevas-kitchen-chili/
Sometimes (like yesterday) she adds some ground liver to the ground beef. I don’t like the taste of liver enough to eat the stuff by itself, but I can’t taste it in the chili.
Merlin, have you tried Truvia or Z sweet in your coffee? Both are a blend of erythritol and stevia. I’m fine with just stevia, but some (like my husband) find the taste off putting. Blending it with erythritol takes that negative away. I buy Z sweet for my husband. It measures and tastes like sugar, with zero carbs, zero calories, and zero effect of blood sugar. try a half and half mix of Z sweet and your palm sugar at first and work your way down until you have only Z sweet. If you think getting rid of your palm sugar is what you really want to do!
Tom, I’ll be ordering a copy of the new DVD and will also recommend it to others. Well done.
I appreciate the support.
I just ordered my dvd. After all you’ve done for me, I figured I owe you that and much more. Thanks for all you do.
I appreciate the support.
Tom, do you think you would be able to do a food log for one day so we can see what exactly you eat? I am really curious to know.
It varies, but here’s today’s food log:
Breakfast: coffee with heavy cream (I’m rarely hungry for food before noon).
Lunch: scrambled eggs with bits of sausage and some chili ladled on top.
Snack: a handful of dry-roasted almonds.
Dinner: more chili (Chareva made a big ol’ pot of it yesterday) with shredded cheese and sour cream mixed in.
Chareva’s chili is awesome. Here’s the recipe:
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/03/02/charevas-kitchen-chili/
Sometimes (like yesterday) she adds some ground liver to the ground beef. I don’t like the taste of liver enough to eat the stuff by itself, but I can’t taste it in the chili.
Merlin, have you tried Truvia or Z sweet in your coffee? Both are a blend of erythritol and stevia. I’m fine with just stevia, but some (like my husband) find the taste off putting. Blending it with erythritol takes that negative away. I buy Z sweet for my husband. It measures and tastes like sugar, with zero carbs, zero calories, and zero effect of blood sugar. try a half and half mix of Z sweet and your palm sugar at first and work your way down until you have only Z sweet. If you think getting rid of your palm sugar is what you really want to do!
Tom, I’ll be ordering a copy of the new DVD and will also recommend it to others. Well done.
I appreciate the support.
Mr. Naughton,
I said, no more shines. Maybe you didn’t hear about it, you’ve been away a long time. They didn’t go up there and tell you. I don’t shine shoes anymore.
Let me understand this, maybe it’s me, maybe I’m a little @#$%ed up. I’m funny how, like I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I’m here to @#$%ing amuse you? Whattya you mean funny? Funny how? How am I funny?
Mr. Naughton,
I said, no more shines. Maybe you didn’t hear about it, you’ve been away a long time. They didn’t go up there and tell you. I don’t shine shoes anymore.
Let me understand this, maybe it’s me, maybe I’m a little @#$%ed up. I’m funny how, like I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I’m here to @#$%ing amuse you? Whattya you mean funny? Funny how? How am I funny?
No matter how many times I come back to this website I always leave feeling like you give a damn about people and it is your only motivation. As an owner of the DVD I say thank you for putting this clip up. You have proven you’re not out to squeeze every last penny out of people and as a token of my appreciation I am going to buy that shirt I’ve been on the fence about.
In other news: I know you have exactly ZERO desire to make another movie, but I think documenting your new lifestyle including your geographical change would be fascinating.
Thanks again!
I appreciate the support. I probably won’t produce another full film, but we’re planning a DVD companion to go with the book.
No matter how many times I come back to this website I always leave feeling like you give a damn about people and it is your only motivation. As an owner of the DVD I say thank you for putting this clip up. You have proven you’re not out to squeeze every last penny out of people and as a token of my appreciation I am going to buy that shirt I’ve been on the fence about.
In other news: I know you have exactly ZERO desire to make another movie, but I think documenting your new lifestyle including your geographical change would be fascinating.
Thanks again!
I appreciate the support. I probably won’t produce another full film, but we’re planning a DVD companion to go with the book.
I just saw your dvd on Netflix and love it. So I just had to find your website!
I will be buying your updated dvd as budget allows (that means in the future). But do you know when it will be available for viewing on Netflix? I look forward to seeing the updated version.
Also, what book did you reference on your above post? I searched on amazon and could not find any books written by you.
I follow Dr. Rob Thompson’s Glycemic Load Diet, avoid doctor’s warnings on saturated fat and have given up all forms of gluten as well as wheat. So many health symptoms improved.
Thanks for a great dvd and website. Sheryl
I haven’t been given a date yet for the Director’s Cut going to Netflix. I’ll certainly announce it on the blog when it does.
We’re working on a book, but it’s nowhere near finished yet.
I just saw your dvd on Netflix and love it. So I just had to find your website!
I will be buying your updated dvd as budget allows (that means in the future). But do you know when it will be available for viewing on Netflix? I look forward to seeing the updated version.
Also, what book did you reference on your above post? I searched on amazon and could not find any books written by you.
I follow Dr. Rob Thompson’s Glycemic Load Diet, avoid doctor’s warnings on saturated fat and have given up all forms of gluten as well as wheat. So many health symptoms improved.
Thanks for a great dvd and website. Sheryl
I haven’t been given a date yet for the Director’s Cut going to Netflix. I’ll certainly announce it on the blog when it does.
We’re working on a book, but it’s nowhere near finished yet.
Tom,
I just watched the video posted here, and when I got to the part where you asked, “Do I want my kids to grow up to be LA kids?” I literally did a spit take! Seeing the girls “transformed” like that was so funny and so wrong at the same time! I love your sense of humor!
Rebecca
Thank you. That’s Chareva’s Photoshop skill on display.
Tom,
I just watched the video posted here, and when I got to the part where you asked, “Do I want my kids to grow up to be LA kids?” I literally did a spit take! Seeing the girls “transformed” like that was so funny and so wrong at the same time! I love your sense of humor!
Rebecca
Thank you. That’s Chareva’s Photoshop skill on display.
I really enjoyed the first “eye opening” video and I am looking forward to getting the new Director’s cut version.
I am trying the low carb way of life right now and in the first week, I lost 1 1/2 pounds. I hope to see that continue so that I can also reduce my cholesterol readings and get better HDL and LDL readings as well as reduce my blood pressure.
Thank again for opening my eyes.
Roger B
Here’s to a new and healthier path.
I really enjoyed the first “eye opening” video and I am looking forward to getting the new Director’s cut version.
I am trying the low carb way of life right now and in the first week, I lost 1 1/2 pounds. I hope to see that continue so that I can also reduce my cholesterol readings and get better HDL and LDL readings as well as reduce my blood pressure.
Thank again for opening my eyes.
Roger B
Here’s to a new and healthier path.