A new machine: May 2012

Sunday, May 27, 2012

5-27-12

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. 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.

Back to basics. 30 day cutting phase begins today. I am upset at the numbers on the scale. I don't have a lot to lose, but the total I saw the last 3 mornings is unaceptable. I believe 180-185# is my ideal range. Let's see how long it takes me to get back to 184. It isn't a race. I just need to track my food intake. Really let that slide he past few weeks.

Day 1 May 27th -- 193.8 #

Day 2 May 28th -- 193.2 #
Day 3 May 29th -- 193 #
Day 4 May 30th --
Day 5 May 31st --
Day 6 June 1st --
Day  7   June 2nd --
Day   8 June 3rd --
Day  9   June 4th --
Day  10   June 5th --
Day 11    June 6th --
Day 12    June 7th
Day 13    June 8th
Day 14    June 9th
Day 15    June 10th
Day 16    June 11th
Day 17    June 12th
Day 18    June 13th
Day 19    June 14th
Day 20    June 15th
Day 21    June 16th
Day  22   June 17th
Day 23    June 18th
Day 24    June 19th
Day  25   June 20th
Day 26    June 21st
Day 27    June 22nd
Day 28     June 23rd
Day 29    June 24th -- Last Day of Cutting Phase

June 25th -- start creatine cycle

Today's intake :
2030 calories
161 grams protein
26 grams fiber
Sodium is high
% of calories from fat, protein and carbs were pretty much an even split -- strange

The only "bad" items I had today were some ranch dressing, bacon bits and croutons with my salad (also had salsa with the salad, didn't overdo it on dressing .... need to break my dressing habit again, though).

Saturday, May 19, 2012

5-19-12

That is a scan of the business card Nita designed for me. I love that girl.

Focused on counting my blessings this weekend and it is important that I credit the source of my power.

My power carried me to the ability to master the arts of self loathing and self pity. I dominated in trips to Taco Bell!!!!! No one could put away the RC Cola like me.

April 2009 305# vs April 2012 185#

My family loved me. I was too weak and depressed to care. Nita loved me. I was too blind to see. I put walls up that no one could break through.

I went 6 + months without praying (exceptions made when friends had specific prayer requests).

I killed my prayer life.
I killed my love life.
I had no will to live.

Pathetic. I always had the potential to lead a good life. We all do.

The heaviest I got, well over 300# (needless to say, I rarely stepped on scales once I got over 300#), was in 2008. I had a goal that year :
I wanted to watch all 162 Yankees regular season games online (and a bunch of minor league games, too). LOTS of fast food, junk food and pop. No exercise. Ever. I ended up watching most of the Yankees games that year.

No one that knows me today could even picture me at that weight were it not for photographic proof.

What was the biggest key to my transformation?
Prayer.

The faith of others is none of my concern. I believe in Free Will .... you are as entitled to your faith (or lack thereof) as I am mine -- to each their own.

Last summer, I began to pray hard. I prayed that God would transform my body, that it may be used as a vessel to spread word of his power.

See me on a bike or on a yoga mat with my eyes closed? I am praying.

My favorite time to pray is while warming up.
I pray for whoever I have chosen to dedicate my workout to, then ask for things, including :

For God to loan me his power for the next hour
For God to send thunder and fire down from the heavens through me

I do not pray in my name. I pray in the name of
The Prince of Peace
King of Kings
Lord of Lords

I pray in Jesus dear name.

Again , believe in what you will. 1 question, though :
If you've seen me at the front of the classroom .... or you've seen me on my way to or from class ...... or if you've seen me in a yoga class right after I finished a bike class..........
Did you see any thunder and fire?

I dedicate the above post to 2 strong women of faith with extremely bright futures :
Kendra Lynn Walker and Liv Harris.
Thank you for working out with me this week. I see so many positive things in you girls. You know what you have to do : pray, count your blessings, focus on being positive. Can I have 2 baby sisters? I am so proud of you both!!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

5-12-12

http://smilestillithurts.blogspot.com/2012/05/confessions-of-emotional-eater.html?spref=fb

Go, Tamara, Go!!

I have asked Tamara about combining our blogs. Different spots on the map (Tamara lives in Washington, I live in Kansas), different views from female perspective/male perspective ..... same focus, though : being fit.

Not sure about the logistics, but we'll see what happens. In the mean time, please join me in rooting hard for Tamara. Love my Yankees and Broncos, but I would so much rather root for a friend. Never got a text, email or phone call from Derek Jeter. Tamara has been in my corner for over 3 years -- great girl. Made me smile through some very dark times.

Getting a new printer in a few days. Nita is going to make me some business cards. My love for G-cycle and Group Ride knows no bounds. I talk about the classes everywhere I go -- the cards would be a better tool than "Hey, my class is at ........ ". Yeah, time to kick this into higher gear.

Friday, May 11, 2012

5-11-12

I stopped my cutting phase. Something is going on with my body -- something good. Not sure whether

A. a supplement is responsible for the difference lately

B. I have one heck of a placebo effect going on

C. My change in exercise lately -- lots and lots of stationary bike work + Group Centergy (my favorite yoga class) ONLY

..... is making the difference. It is kind of difficult to define. Perhaps I'm just in a really good place in life.

I feel better physically than I have at any point in my life. Not "perfect", of course, laughable notion..... but stronger by the day. Lots of work ahead of me, but I just so happen to love working out.

Stopped my cutting phase because my body needs more calories. I had started to feel sick to my stomach right after working out...... UNTIL I started eating a little more pre workout. 1800 calories isn't LOW by any stretch, especially when it wasn't a strict 1800 count, but I will continue to stick to instinct on intake. I am in tune with my body -- it says eat ? Best to listen. Still eating healthy, of course. Having an extra treat here and there. Not a problem -- guaranteed I am burning a ton of calories with my extra cardio.

Speaking of Group Centergy, my morning was extra blessed with a Centergy connection.

As I taught G-cycle in Studio B
Coach Becky Holcomb taught Group Centergy in Studio C

and Diane Ravenstien (also a Centergy instructor) taught Group Kick in Studio A

Icing on the cake : the man who sold me on Centergy, Stewart Flinn, was with his wife, Osun, taking Becky's Centergy class.

How about a bonus -- got to say hi to one of my favorite Genesis family members, Marla Eriksen, as she was going into Centergy...... and Centergy tough guy Warren Dusseau was one of my G-cycle students.

G-cycle was dedicated to my Genesis teammate Joe Stierwalt. No way on earth I would be an instructor were it not for Joe. God bless you, brother. NFL.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

5-6-12

8 week cutting phase

Day 1 weigh in 186.8#

Day 2 184.4#
Day 3 182.8#

Day4 182.6#

Day 5 181.8#

Day 6 182.4#
Day 7 181.0#

Day 8 181.6#
Day 9 181.8#

Day 10 -- April 21st -- no weigh in or intake tracking

Day 11 -- April 22nd -- no weigh in or intake tracking

Day 12 -- April 23rd -- no intake tracking

Day 13 189.8#

Day 14 188.8#
Day 15 189.4#

Day 16 187.8#
Day 17 189.0#

Day 18 185.6 #

Day 19

Day 20
Day 21

Day 22
Day 23

Day 24 May 5th --

Today 188.4#

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28
Day 29

Day 30
Day 31

Day 32

Day 33
Day 34

Day 35
Day 36

Day 37

Day 38
Day 39

Day 40
Day 41

Day 42

Day 43

Day 44 -- May 25th -- no intake tracking

Day 45

Day 46

Day 47

Day 48

Today's intake --

1842 calories

34 grams fiber

178 grams protein
% of calories from fat 20.55

Sodium was high. Other numbers look fine. Counted everything.

Doing away with a lot of the things I've been taking. Found an all-in-one supplement I think very highly of thus far. Just want to give it some more time before I discuss it here.

Switching bee pollen granules from weekends to weekdays. Letting my flaxseed, chia seed, bee pollen, wheat germ and maca powder run out. Those items worked wonders for me, but my intake is always subject to change.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

5-5-12

June 2011 -- and I was having slimfast for supper a fair amount of the time ..... I apparently thought that slimfast cancelled out my lack of exercise and all the pop, chips, etc I was taking in.

No slimfast for this guy. Look what Genesis Health Clubs did for me.

5-3-12 G-cycle, baby!!

This was a very big week for me. Hadn't made a blog entry lately, nor will I next week. Completely focused on some things I need to tighten up before I am ready to film a class to submit for certification. I will make significant strides in the coming week. I will work hard on my goal and I have been getting some excellent coaching from the other Group Ride instructors. That is a can't lose combination. I wrote the following Wednesday after teaching my 1st Group Ride class. I am proud of what I wrote, let it be my mission statement.

I will persist without exception. I will continue despite exhaustion. I acknowledge the fact that most people quit when exhaustion sets in. I am not “most people.” I am stronger than most people. Average people accept exhaustion as a matter of course. I do not. Average people compare themselves with other people. That is why they are average. I compare myself to my potential. I am not average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to victory. ~Andy Andrews, The Traveler's Gift

***********************************************

Time to start a revolution.

My life changed for the better once I started thinking along these lines :

I am so tired of being underrated.
I am so tired of living my life as if I had limits
I am so tired of having no fire
I am so tired of living without passion
I am so tired of letting down my friends and family
I am so tired of quitting on everyone who cares about me
I am so tired of hating everything about myself
I am so tired of not wanting to climb out of bed in the morning

I was tired because I leaned on my own strength
I was tired because I listened to negative voices from the past
I was tired because I felt sorry for myself instead of counting my blessings

I had no one but myself to blame for my failures.

I no longer lean on my own strength. I lean on my Genesis Health Clubs family.

I am a child of the King of Kings
The Lord of Lords
The Prince of Peace

I am without limits because I was made in His image.
My savior never quit. He never gave up on me.
Nor shall I, from this day forth.

I know why I was chosen to be part of the best team in the world,
the team at Genesis Health Clubs, Hutchinson

I was chosen because it is my turn to soar
Flaws and all, I am a positive force

Armed with belief in myself and in my teammates, my fellow instructors and trainers ....... belief that was instilled by those I have been blessed enough to be adopted by, the 515/530 AM crazies who are the most dedicated, uplifting people I've ever met

....and driven to constantly break through whatever limitations I once imagined I had by my students, who NEVER fail to deliver their best effort

I vow to do everything I can to help others take my personal G-cycle goal for themselves.

Simple goal :

Better
Stronger
Faster

Short and sweet. Rolls right off the tongue. Easy to memorize.

Revolution......
Who wants to change their lives for the better

Who wants to see what can happen once they believe in themselves

Who wants to learn how much further we can push ourselves individually via the power of a TOTAL TEAM EFFORT in class?

I saw a room full of such people this morning.

I saw workout warriors, from Group Ride veterans to new students.
WE .... MY STUDENTS AND I..... combined to burn a ton of calories as we pushed through a very tough workout. I loved what I saw and .....

I WANT MORE.

I had so much fun this morning. It sure wasn't a clinic in perfection, but it was intense and an excellent springboard into my next opportunity to lead my beloved students :

G-cycle tomorrow 9 AM. Today marked a giant step in my transition from G-cycle instructor to Group Ride instructor.
There is no turning back. I have some BIG class goals looming.

I am a man on a mission, driven to help others achieve their fitness goals.

I have much to learn, but my teammates are helping me every step of the way.

I stuck around for nearly an hour after class today because I didn't want to leave Studio B. As I showered the floor with beads of sweat during class, I left plenty of tears of joy on it afterwards.

THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU to the tough guys and girls who shared my workout with me.

Completely let things slide on my weight and intake tracking. I suppose I could make excuses, but that would be pathetic, wouldn't it? Back on track tomorrow.