2-14-12 Girl Crazy edition

12-26-11 with Shelly


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 and finding the love of my life. 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.

As this is Valentine's Day, I decided to post a love letter to some special girls. Starting with Shelly Hurtt, the girl who takes my breath away. We celebrated our Valentine's Day yesterday. It was a wonderful day.... fell in love with her all over again. Crazy about that girl. Happy Valentine's Day, baby.


Wanted to mention 3 friends I didn't see this morning who have helped me a lot in my journey of physical transformation at Genesis  -- Laurie Laufenberg-Edwards, Cheri Mullen-Hastert and Abby Hurst ......
and several I got to say hi to today :
Becky Holcomb, Letty Shaw, Diane Ravenstien, Michelle Stoll and Kim Carson.
I have been blessed having you as friends. Thank you to each of you. Special mention to Kim, who gave me the opportunity of a lifetime -- becoming a G-cycle instructor.

Speaking of G-cycle.... I got to spend an hour this morning with 5 hard working students :
Valerie, Becca, Kelly, Joanne and Cindy.

Those girls showed tremendous effort and intensity. I know we all had fun, which is what matters most. I'm certainly not one to hold back in class. I was restless with anticipation at 4 AM and it built and built as 9 AM approached. I was definitely firing on all cylinders as I warmed up. Each Tuesday brings something new to look forward to, be it new faces, seeing the progress a student is making .... seeing them work hard and smile leaves me striving to push myself harder. My students deserve my very best effort. Looking forward to working on new music tomorrow.  

Huge key to class is what I do prior to warmup. Lights out, music off, on the bike and pedaling slowly, I pray..,.. and I pray hard.  I thank God for all he has done for me, for blessing me with a body that is 1/3 lighter .... 1/3!! than the 270# I carried last spring. Yes, that took a lot of work on my end, but it was something I prayed for and had help with every step of the way. To be surrounded with such wonderful friends -- encouraging and supportive -- constantly pointing out the changes they saw in me as I lost weight ..... it has been amazing. I strive every day to improve. I want to help others feel better about themselves -- show them how physical transformation can open doors in others aspects of life. It isn't that life gets EASY -- that just isn't possible.... but dedication and positive thought changed my life. I hated everything about myself last summer. My prayer life was dead. I had no hope.... looked forward to nothing, as each day felt worse than the last.

All that has changed. Though, as I said, life will never be "easy", I have been richly blessed with wonderful friends, a son I'm very proud of, a gorgeous girl who makes me smile big on Valentine's Day.... and next Tuesday's G-cycle class, which already has me fired up. 

2-13-12

1-20-12

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 and finding the love of my life. 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.



Sure have been an underachiever on writing this month. I suppose it isn't the worst thing to take a step back, catch my breath, and admit that there are things I struggle with. Easy to get caught up in writing about my world when I was up in the clouds..... and it was easy to slip when things got difficult. I wasn't loafing in the gym, but it became the place I escaped to , not the place I thrived in.

The start of a new week is the perfect opportunity to rededicate myself. I have physical goals to crush and a class to instruct. Lots of people would trade for those opportunities. I felt strong in my prayers again this morning. That had been lacking. Hard to understand how I prayed less as things weighed on me more. All I have to do is glance at my "before" pictures to see I've been blessed with good health. Really easy to see I've also been surrounded with the best friends a man could ask for.

Sure, there is something else I seek, but I know it will come to me more easily as I become stronger inside.

As for physical goals, I'm not happy with my body fat % this morning. I know what I have to do to fix that. Step one is getting requisite sleep. I was letting things get to me.... worrying about things that were out of my control. Not healthy. After a great session this morning with my personal trainer, Becky Carder, capped with a reminder that, yes, she is indeed the best stretcher west of the Mississippi, I'm taking the rest of the day off for some much needed R&R.

Celebrating Valentine's day 1 day early with a very lovely girl. Life can't be so bad after all.


Happy 12th anniversary to my favorite couple, Tom and Becky Holcomb!!!

2-9-12

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Group Centergy with (L to R) Warren Dusseau, Todd Carr, birthday girl Becky Holcomb, myself, Stewart Flinn and Tom Holcomb -- one of my best mornings at Genesis --Friday 12-16-11

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 and finding the love of my life. 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.


Need to start with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY  wish to my dear friend and mentor, Coach Becky Holcomb. Becky has been a tremendous influence with her joy for instructing Group Power, Group Centergy and Group Ride classes. Don't ask me how she memorizes everything for those 3 vastly different classes. She has such a joy for teaching!  Becky and her hubby, Tom , gave us a treat in Group Power this morning by team teaching.  Good luck finding a better couple -- they still look like newlyweds 12 years into their marriage. 





http://smilestillithurts.blogspot.com/2012/02/scale-went-in-wrong-direction-this-week.html?spref=fb

Also wanted to share a link to Tamara's blog. Just bumping mine for now.