3-17-12

May 2009  305#

3-13-12  Feeling better than ever

In May 2011, I weighed 270 lbs and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. I had been overweight for most of my life and hated myself. I've tried all the quick diet pills and quick fixes and had more failures than I can remember.

Late June 2011, the light bulb went on and I decided to arm myself with knowledge on getting healthy. I studied nutrition and started exercising.... the only way to accomplish body transformation is to master caloric deficits. ACCOUNTABILITY IS KING.

This blog will show my intense journey to losing over 85 lbs in the past 8 months, while quitting smoking. If  I can inspire some more people to do the same, my journey would be even more meaningful.... this has become my higher purpose. 

Thank you to Alan Hirsch and Joe Stierwalt for their guidance in getting this blog rolling. 




GET WELL SOON, SARA KEAZER








My G-cycle students gave me another gift last Tuesday : their best effort yet. I was extra fired up that morning, having 9 new songs to share with them, including 8 by The Ramones. Those Ramones songs are very short -- most are in the 1:30 to 2:00 long range -- but they supply in intensity what they lack in length.  Punk  meets G-cycle. Gabba Gabba Hey. Upping the intensity further is the fact that I used the speed slide on the stereo starting 2 weeks back to speed the songs up. The 17 song set provided a soundtrack for a workout that leads to my theme for class :
BETTER
STRONGER
FASTER




#1 priority in class will remain having fun, because I would fail miserably in my mission at Genesis if my students don't enjoy themselves and want to come back for more .......... but the way we will build this class base up is by harnessing our collective positive energy as fuel for guaranteed huge physical results. Doesn't matter if it is a huge group in class or not -- we will work together to fire each other up. I know it showed.... I used what I saw in the faces and heard in the voices of my students to BRING IT. We were explosive.... matching the pace and energy of the music. I heard it in those groans when I asked for an extra turn to the right.... and another.... and another..... they want a tough workout every bit as much as I do. My students were making a lot of noise -- it was beautiful.


It is on me to find ways to keep raising the bar. I will keep the workout very tough, the physical effort is already there -- I just have to make sure I am practicing hard between classes and that I am in tune with my students, making them aware that I am open to any changes in class that would encourage them more or make class more fun. I HAVE to get this across : we work out on stationary bikes, and it isn't a race or a contest. Everyone, from the 1st time student to the spin class veteran, can benefit from the positive energy of the group. Each of us cantransform our bodies, achieving any physical results we desire. I want to be there to help, be it with the workout, or before/after class. Have a question about caloric defecits, supplements or working out? Fire away..... if I don't know the answer, I can find out easily enough.


Supplement talk :
For Awesome Abby Hurst --

The natural stuff remains in my fuel supply ....

1 tbsp flaxseed
1 tbsp bee pollen
1 tbsp wheat germ
1 tbsp maca powder
1 scoop chia seed

Those items will always remain in my routine. I take them workout days only, I don't take any supplement 7 days a week -- perfect example is using Opti-Men multivitamin Monday-Friday and Men's One A Day Pro Edge on weekends. Yes, cycling multivitamins on weekdays/weekends probably isn't something ANY nutritionist would say was necessary, but my results came from hard work combined with never allowing my body to get used to any one thing, be it an exercise or a supplement. They are both quality multis and the different ingredients are a plus. No, Opti-Men probably wouldn't be a good choice for Abby. ;)

What is changing with the natural stuff is timing. I used to take that stuff pre workout in a protein shake, then switched flaxseed and wheat germ to post workout. These days, I have been taking things preworkout that are to be ingested on an empty stomach, thus no more protein shakes preworkout. Moving those supplements to postworkout.

 HyperFX by BSN is a supplement I swear by. I take it on an empty stomach 30 minutes or so before my class or sessions with my personal trainer.  Great energy boost. 1 scoop does the trick.

$19.95 for 30 servings (10 or so weeks for me) at supplement central.


Not so good : Anadrox Pump & Burn.
Nice in theory -- supposed to be very good as a Nitric Oxide boost AND as a thermognic fat burner, I'm not thrilled with it. It made me sweat a lot more than usual when I first started taking it.... the thermogenic aspect sure appeared to work, but, roughly 2/3 of the way through the bottle, my body appears to have gotten used to the product. I was on the skeptical side wen it came to pills, instead of a powder, for N.O. boost. That  skepticism seems to be warranted. I suppose I could give Anadrox a C grade..... but C grades aren't good enough for my intake. Have to either love a supplement or ditch it.


I'm giving a chance to one more kind of pill for N.O. boost, BSN's Nitrix.  I'll give it a fair shot, then just stick with powder ifit underimpresses. Another BSN product, N.O. Xplode, is my go to powder, but I have a couple other brands lined up to compare it to in the coming months.


Magic product -- this is insane, but I swear it works for me :   

 Magic? Pretty much. Epidril, when rubbed on my target area twice daily.... has visibly reduced my stomach. There is no denying the results. I am upset that I didn't have Nita take a "before" picture. Expensive stuff, though it wasn't too horrifying when I caught it on sale. Less than 2 weeks of use and I am astonished by what it has done. I'm told Avon and some other companies sell something similar. The bottle warns that (AND THIS APPLIES TO EVERY SUPPLEMENT) exercise and diet are the keys to how well it works. It also has to be said that no supplement works for EVERYONE.... our bodies are all different.


Trying out a couple products by Muscle Pharm :

Re-Con (postworkout)
Bullet Proof (before bed)

Both are loaded with amino acids and other goodies. Too soon to report on either, though Re-Con was VERY impressive when I took it yesterday (1st time I had taken it). The purpose of both is to help with the recovery phase. I have some other things lined up to try in the coming months. Bullet Proof contains ZMA and GABA, big plusses in my book. Taking Re-Con immediately after workout, then waiting an hour to eat/have a protein shake.  


Supplements will only work well if I work out hard and eat right.


Supplements will only work well if I work out hard and eat right.


Supplements will only work well if I work out hard and eat right.


Supplements will only work well if I work out hard and eat right.


Supplements will only work well if I work out hard and eat right.

No joke. Even if Cutting Gel APPEARS to work like magic, there is no "magic" to it. If I sit around eating junk food, all I did was flush my $$ away on a supplement. Supplements CAN help me achieve positive results, but I alone am responsible for supplying the WANT TO.

I want to get

BETTER
STRONGER
FASTER


I refuse to be denied the results I want to achieve. I will not stop. I will not let up, even a tiny bit. Feeling better physically than I have at any point of my life and I want more....