Interview by Pattee Mak | January 1, 2013
Everyone from time to time wants to know the ins and outs of dieting, exercise, loosing weight etc etc. I’m sure each and every one of us have asked the same questions about how many calories sho
uld I eat in a day or have begged a friend to help them with their diet. And for you boxers I’m sure some of you have struggled to make weight. I know I’ve given my own expertise and/or advise just to try and help out a friend.
Now I’ve been involved in the bodybuilding scene along with the boxing scene and there are some similarities between the too. So when “The Boss” mentioned to me that he had written a book, I had to know more. Many of you know him strictly as “The Boss” but for those of you whom never met or are unfamiliar with “The Boss”, he is professional boxer Benny “The Boss” Costantino (7-2-0) from Warwick, Rhode Island.
Pattee Mak: So here you are 41 years old and you have your first book out. Tell me about your book.
The Boss: It is to expose the nonsense and junk out there. Being in the supplement business for years and dealing with some of the countries biggest suppliers I have learned so much, and so much is 100% well…BS Just like my book says I tell people more about what NOT to do apposed to what to do. All books do that so I wanted to try a different approach. It covers things like Zumba, P90X, Beach Body, Atkins, weights, scams and tricks the business uses.
Pattee Mak: What made you decide to write this book?
The Boss: I’ve been living by the scale for years while being in boxing and I have done it all, smart and dumb….then I realized it always came down to the same thing, calories in versus out…and being in the supplement business also I have learned what works, what doesn’t and what is total junk. It bothered me, the lies out there. I wanted to help the people who try so hard but just do not get it. If I charged all the people I helped for free, I would be rich but I enjoy it. So my book does tell you every little thing to do but more what NOT to do.
Pattee Mak: How often have you applied the principals in this book to your own life and professional boxing career?
The Boss: Everyday!
Pattee Mak: Where did you obtain your resources for your book?
The Boss: Reading, reading and more reading. LOL. I took sports nutrition courses, having 12 exams and I passed 11 of them with a 98 or better and on one I got a perfect 100. I get most of my info from the The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, Tuffs, Penn State Journals and many more. There are too many to list but I do not get any of my info from anyone or thing that sells products.
Pattee Mak: Out of all the other books written about myths & lies, why do you believe yours will stand out?
The Boss: I believe because I’m going after the BS and using a different angle. It’s easy to tell someone to eat less junk and more veggies.
Pattee Mak: How did you come up with the title?
The Boss: Well at first I wanted to call it “Your Personal Trainer Is An Idiot” but the publisher said no as at first it was more geared toward just them. There are so many that are great, but for most they are just salesmen and do not care about people which I do and I can’t help that. So me and the publisher talked and both came up with the title.
Pattee Mak: In your book it’s stated “This is “why” I have agreed to collaborate with my good friend, fitness author Franny Goodrich to deliver this valuable information of my good friends and training colleagues”. What role did he play?
The Boss: Franny is a good friend of mine. He helped me with the necessary steps to take to publish the book in the format acceptable to the viewer.
Pattee Mak: At any point did the two of you disagree on a particular issue?
The Boss: Nope. Never.
Pattee Mak: Has anyone come forward and differed from what was written?
The Boss: Not to my face…LOL… but a lot of people and so called experts want to claim calories do not count and its been proven over and over that they do and never proven that they do not count.
Pattee Mak: While your were writing the book, was there anything that you learned along the way that at one time you thought to be the incorrect answer?
The Boss: I admit, I use to be scared of fats…LOL But not anymore like carbs, there are good and bad.
Pattee Mak: Real quick, share with me the bad carbs.
The Boss: Well…bad carbs is a tricky subject, ‘they’ will tell you the basics of fast carbs = sugar = fat gain, and that’s half truth at best all carbs are chains of sugar but they fail to tell you that if you eat that so called sugar spiking bake potato with some fat and protein that the sugar spike is more then half negated, again a sales ploy, it’s just a catch phrase to sell stuff. Take a Twinkie they will claim that’s a terrible food because of the carbs but not the sugar and junk in it? Again it’s a sales pitch.
Pattee Mak: Out of all the contents, which one has been asked the most from you?
The Boss: Probably eating at night and storing fat, which is 100% a myth.
Pattee Mak: Do you help boxers with their diets when they are trying to make weight?
The Boss: Great question. Yes I do. I have helped many local fighters, pro and amateur as well as Peter Manfredo Jr. I love helping fighters as I could be a factor in if they win or lose and that’s pressure but I’m that confident in my knowledge.
Pattee Mak: Have you ever had an issue with making weight?
The Boss: I had many problems making weight when I was younger and that’s what made me want to learn. I was losing 35-40lbs per tournament and the last straw was when I lost 12lbs in 3 hours before the fight and of course I lost and at that time I said never again. Some of my stupid records are 12lbs in 3 hrs, 30lbs in 20 days and for my comeback after many years I lost 45lbs with losing 15lbs the first month,12lbs the second and 10lbs the third but that was by choice and I was very strong….and I did not sit in a sauna that’s to easy. LOL.
Pattee Mak: Sodium. Did you touch on Sodium in your book?
The Boss: Not to much as I think that’s more of an advanced topic but I do talk about the water debate and how much do you really need and does it help burn fat.
Pattee Mak: It states your book contains a ton of myths/lies. How long did it take you to list them all down on paper?
The Boss: Hmmmm, I took my time so this project took a few years but as far as myths coming to me to write down, too many to fast.
Pattee Mak: So the book took a few years to complete?
The Boss: A few years to get everything together but as far as saying OK here is what I got lets get in print only a few months.
Pattee Mak: Will we be seeing any more books by “The Boss”?
The Boss: I think so. Yes. I would love to expose the inside tricks I have learned about products and the legal loopholes in the FDA that you can expose to make millions.
Pattee Mak: Well I would be interested in how to make millions. So I want to have the first copy.
Pattee Mak: As you know there will always be haters. Anyone discourage you from writing this book?
The Boss: None at all. I’m lucky to have many great friends and many supporters.
Pattee Mak: What type of feedback have you been receiving from your readers?
The Boss: Great stuff! And that’s what makes it worth it. My favorite was an email I got that said “Benny I did everything you list wrong in your book…LOL” and that I have helped people is worth the time it took me to finalize it.
Pattee Mak: You are selling your book for $25.00. Where can it be purchased?
The Boss: On Amazons JR Company here https://www.createspace.com/3982380.
Pattee Mak: Will you be selling any of your books at any upcoming fights?
The Boss: Yes. March 21st at Twin River Casino in Rhode Island.
Pattee Mak: Any advise you would like to give to anyone who is thinking about writing a book?
The Boss: Don’t be afraid, there will be plenty of do overs, mistakes etc but if I can do it anyone can…LOL.
The Boss: Thank you. It was great speaking with you and I hope to see you at my next fight.
No, thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me. March 21st it is… I look forward to seeing you in the squared circle. Should you have any comments or suggestions, please free to contact me on facebook at Pattee Mak on twitter @PatteeMak or below. For those of you who’d like to “like” The Boss’s facebook page its “Benny KO’S The BS”.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
the new fight date is MARCH 15 ! and thank you again.