2008 Transformation Contest

So I was a bit late with my video.  As I told you, we suffered a power outage.   I have included my attempt at taping my workout in the dark as well as tonights video.  Enjoy.

In the Dark

Tonight’s Video

Yesterday was not as stressful for me as it was for Maddi, but everyone in Missouri was under siege by severe thunderstorms.  My morning workout was wiped out by civic duty.  I do hope all that could vote yesterday did.   My evening workout was interrupted by power outage and work issues.  This is no excuse for missing a workout, but it did postpone my video being made and uploaded.  I will be a day late.

It has been found that fear of lifting heavy and swallowing bubble gum can have disastrous results!

There is great confusion in my soul concerning this game.  It is my nature to like long standing records like the Miami unbeaten season.  I have an aversion to power house franchises rooting for the underdog against the dynasty whenever I can.  All of that and I still like the Pats.  There team is fun to watch.  I see this game as Pats 41 to Giants 24.

If you have not heard or read about it there is a great story about the Giant’s motivator and Superbowl honorary captain LT. Col. Gadson It is a great story and well worth the read.  But a great story and motivator will not beat the complete talent that is the Pats.

What are you eating today?
Lamb kabobs off the barbie.
Steak kabobs off the barbie.
Fresh veggies and a yogurt dip
Lean beef chili as dip for veggies with some cheese and onion.
Green tea in a frozen beer mug….I know weak

If the Pats win by 17 I will have a 30 minute treadmill session tonight.  If the pats fail to cover it will be 1 hour session.

This video explains a bit about why I workout barefooted and why I use the bands.  Over the past several weeks I have had a bunch of great advice given to me about workouts and I appreciate all of it.  What I have decided to do is follow Coach Mike’s training regimen to the best of my ability and as long as I see tangible results I see no need to change.  Could I be doing better following another workout?  Maybe I would.  What I have seen is a rock solid 2 pound plus drop in weight every week except last week since the beginning of December.  This is solid fat loss, not water and not muscle.  Results are proving Coach Mike and his prescribed workout to be on the money.

While I endeavor to win the Bodybuilding.com 2008 Transformation contest I know where I am and what I need to do to become healthy.  That is my goal, be healthy.  This will take me 1.5 to 2 years.  When I get to that point I will decide my next challenge.  Bicycle racing, power-lifting, or any number of other physical challenges that keep me on my toes will keep me focused on my new found fitness, a fitness that begins here.  

This morning I am eating turkey in stir-fry vegetables for breakfast.  Being an introspective type of guy I ponder why my diet is so successful today compared to the previous attempts at cleaning up my food intake?  I don’t bother with measuring or weighing out my food.  I don’t bother with tracking my macro’s.  In previous attempts I would do both in a compulsive way.

As I chew through a chunk of turkey, water chestnut, and pea pod I came up with a few changes.

The food replacement game:
How many out there have tried to replace their favorite food with something that fits their diet.  You know the game.  If you are avoiding pasta you get giddy when you discover Spaghetti Squash or you look for the lowest carb version of pasta.  This can lead you down the artificially created foods such as the Olestra chips.

I don’t play the food replacement game any longer.  Favorite foods that do not fit the diet are gone.  That is just the way of things.   Favorite foods that fit the diet but I find I ‘can’t eat just one’ are gone.  My body and my life has no room for these foods.  

Instead of the food replacement game I am playing the favorite replacement game.  An example is ice cream.  I love the stuff.  I can’t eat enough of the stuff.  There is no place in my diet for the stuff and it is gone from my diet.  There is no ice cream like replacement in my diet.  I am not eating frozen yogurt or ‘fat free’ ice cream.   Ice cream simply does not enter my body.  What I have done is shift my favorite food from ice cream to cottage cheese + blueberries + walnuts.   It is not that I get a craving for ice cream and try to satisfy it with my CBW, I get a craving for CBW and no longer for ice cream.  Hard to believe?  It is the truth.

Pasta and pizza are another prime example.  They are favorites of mine and I have zero control when I start to eat them.  My diet right now calls for no carbs outside low GI/GL vegetables.  Instead of trying to find a replacement for these foods they are simply gone from my diet.  What is funny is that I don’t crave these foods.  Sure, when the family brings in a pizza I would love a piece, but I stay away.  There is no substitute for the pasta or the pizza.  I have retrained my palate to prefer a steak and steamed broccoli to the pasta and pizza.  This took time but if you would place the two side by side I would choose the steak because I like it more not just because it is better for me.  

And that is the big difference in my successful diet and non-successful diet.  Instead of trying to find foods to act and taste like my old favorites I have changed my favorites.  It is a mind game.  Am I lying to myself about what I like best…..sometimes.   But after lying to myself about what my favorite food is I start to believe it until I find I am no longer lying.  In the end I find that I am a changed person.  

I encourage anyone that has a great deal of weight to lose to think about changing their palate of favorites.  It takes work, time, and concentration.   It takes the willingness to eat foods you previously found distasteful……wow you mean I actually like zucchini now?  Yep!   If you don’t change your favorite foods and simply substitute some facsimile I guarantee you will fall back to eating as you did before.

Darn that turkey and stir-fry was good.  Those vegetables were so sweet and flavorful! I am satisfied nutritionally and palate-ly.  Change is good!

It is funny that Isaac brought up Yoga a few posts ago…or did he mean Yoda?   Anyway, I recently questioned several people I know concerning Yoga.  My flexibility and breathing are not the best and I put a great deal of worth in meditation.  That sounds like Yoga for me.

I tried Yoga in a previous weight class and found it to be extremely challenging, meaning hard.  After my discussions with people about Yoga they almost all directed me toward Tai Chi.  The concentration, increased flexibility and breathing are all things Tai Chi is reputed to better.  So I get on the Internet and begin to research Tai Chi.    As with most things it is not a simple matter of picking up a video of Tai Chi and beginning a new training program.  There are zillions of styles that have been developed from 4 basic schools of Tai Chi.  

There is a class of Qigong at the local community college that I will probably take.  If anyone has any thing to add to this topic please leave a comment.

JR:
I really believe that unless you have had to lose triple digit poundage you don’t understand the challenges faced. You lost 110 pounds. That is awesome. How did you handle the ups and downs through that long journey? Any tips for those of us needing to lose 100 pounds or more?

Angel:
Gosh, so, so many and I’ve already written a book just about! heheh. There ARE a lot of ups and downs. I still face them. But the one thing I will say, the one thing that saves me EVERY TIME, the thing I bang over your head JR (heh) is: NEVER GIVE UP. Start, don’t stop, never give up. Start, don’t stop, never give up. That is the ONLY thing that sets you apart DESTINED for success. Even when I question myself, or feel discouraged it passes quickly because the thought of I’m not giving up anyways comes so I snap out right out of it! I use the word REFUSE to give up. It is powerful to make that decision. I will not waver from it. That tenacity ensures success.

JR:
I just want to end by letting you know that you were always a beautiful woman. Your body simply allows you to show that beauty a little more. You told me to live and act in the NOW. That has become my mantra. Every time I get bummed about blowing my nutrition plan the day before or when the scale does not go down I tell myself to get my ass back in the NOW. Every time I look to the end of the journey and get frustrated with the length of time and amount of effort the is ahead of me;I pull myself back into the NOW.

Your support, wisdom, and beauty give me strength when I can’t find it myself. Thank you.

JR:
Thank you Dave, it means a lot that I have encouraged you. I am thankful for my history, struggles and successes because it has not only made me a stronger woman but given me opportunity to help others like you. And yes, there is only Now. You are a strong man and it starts on the inside. Be and enjoy the discovery of where you are at. You are in the moment of creation! Thank you for the opportunity to share my story!

Kathleen

JR:
You always encourage me not to set limitations on my goals. What are some of your goals? Do you have dates set to accomplish these goals?

Angel:
As a rule I generally do not put dates on my goals. My focus has always been on as long as I am making improvements I am getting closer. Time passes and the weight comes off/body shape changes. Every occasionally I throw in a short term date goal but it usually serves as a reminder to why I don’t like date goals when it comes to transforming my body. One such time is now actually. I am headed to California in two weeks so for the last month I have had this as a short term goal. The thing is, even when you do everything “right” and give your best effort sometimes your body will still do its own thing. So when you don’t hit the number goals you desire when you plan its easy to beat yourself up (and sometimes partake in defeating behavior), rather than acknowledging the improvements made. As for my goals they are very different from four years ago. Four years ago I just wanted to be not obese. The day I shopped in a normal store was the most exhilarating experience. I dreamed of Madonna arms (haha) but never thought they could be a reality for me. These days I am aiming for physical excellence. Excellence in fitness, leanness, muscularity. I want to SEE what my full potential is. I want find out how strong I really am. I want to show that it is not only possible to lose weight and keep it off but to live an extraordinary life sharing that reaching your dreams are a reality if you choose to step up.

JR:
Trainer or Solo?

Angel:
Right now I have a trainer that meets me twice a week. I also have a nutritionist that meets me once a week and in contact via text. I also feel very fortunate to have become friends with some of the bodybuilding trainers at my gym. Sometimes I feel like I have a team of people who keep an eye on me and offer support, encouragement and even form instruction. I would like to add that all of those people help me expecting nothing in return (I pay my nutritionist the equivalent of petrol money). One of the above trainers once put it like this to me “It is a pleasure to help someone, willing to help themselves”. I don’t share this to boast but instead to encourage people that if you work hard, are teachable and appreciative that the support you need will come. This has been true for me from the moment I discovered bodybuilding.

JR:
Workout partner, group, or solo?

Angel:
Apart from when I see my trainer I train solo. Though at different times I have trained with a partner and it has been a lot of fun as well as challenging. The bigger you are and the fitter the more I want to keep up!

JR:
I find that people I used to hang with and I have little in common. It is like our poor eating and lifestyle kept us together. Now I am building new friendships or evolving old relationships. Did you run into this? If you did how did you handle the change?

Angel:
This is, and continues to be an ongoing challenge for me. Some people I have come to realize were part of my life just for a time. I am inclined to say that I don’t have a single relationship that is the same. Fortunately many relationships have changed for the positive.

JR:
Do you suffer from ‘fittism’ or people outright resenting the fact that you are a studette now?

Angel:
Hahaha studette? Wells I don’t think I have had anyone outwardly resenting me in a hostile way however one thing I come up with quite frequently is the contrast between my continued progress and others stagnating, going backwards/gaining weight, or those whom I have seen lose some weight and then gain it back. For those people it can sometimes be a bit awkward. Like my success further highlighting their challenges. I usually then look for an opportunity to encourage them. I fully believe that I do not have any special ability. If I can do it, and they desire it then they can do it too.

JR:
Do you still see yourself as the woman in your before picture?

Angel:
No. And that is a quiet respectful no. Not even a little bit. That woman didn’t know who she was or what she was capable of. She is a distant dream who believed in the power of A Little Bit (progress).

Angelfish has been a bodybuilding.com member since August 2006.  Her forum signature pretty much sums up her philosophy on transformation, “Consistently maintain forward momentum. Be clear in your goals. It is easier to work in line with your goals than against them. 50kg (110lbs) lost to date. ”   Angel has been a good online friend and is a great lady.  She made me feel comfortable on a site of bodybuilders when I obviously was not one. Angel, you have been a great inspiration to me and others.

What follows is the first of a three part interview with Kathleen (AKA Angelfish).  Give here a shout at her Bodyspace.

PART ONE
JR:
In your before picture you are holding a child. Is that your child and if so how many do you have?

Angel:
Yes that’s my son. I have two children, my daughter is 6 and my son is now 4. I started this journey when my son was about 10 months old.

JR:
I have stated in my blog that there was a ’switch’ that flipped in my head and I no longer was going to be a fat guy. There is no question, there is no doubt, it just is. Before that switch flipped I was simply playing at losing weight. Did something similar happen to you? Do you remember the moment you knew you had really changed?

Angel:
Yes I do, I call it my pantry moment - a very precise time where I made a choice that changed me forever. Trying to lose weight had been an ongoing issue for me. I had tried every diet. Every Monday was a new diet day, a so-called fresh start that gave me permission to eat up “for one last time”, and so on. One such typical day I had started anew AGAIN and by lunchtime I was searching around the cupboard looking for junk food. In my head I was saying I will start properly tomorrow, therefore giving me an excuse to indulge. At that moment a new thought flashed into my head that I was lying. It occurred to me that I wouldn’t intentionally lie to someone else, someone I cared about and here I was blatantly lying to myself. I closed the cupboard and that was it. I decided to be truthful to myself, get real and behave my way to success.

I didn’t know if I could or would be slim. But I told myself to think like a slim person and do what a slim person does. Literally faking it till I make it. It’s only really been in the last year or so that I have an inner knowing I will never go back. The flashes of insight of how far I’e come can still sometimes take me by surprise but every day I wake grateful, and amazingly appreciative of not only my history because it has made me who I am but also of this gift of seeing life with new eyes. Being able to look others in the eye is a gift like no other.

JR:
Obviously you lift, but I read in your blog that you did a special type of running. What was that about?

Angel:
LOL! Not quite a special kind of running heheh I call it Bush Running because I run in the bush! Here in New Zealand that is what we call our forest areas. Its hilly, its fresh, its aerobic, its challenging, full of ferns, trees, streams, and on the sea edge. and buggery. Its too tough on my knee at the moment!



JR:
Is it the water in New Zealand that makes all NZ women so beautiful and cool?

Angel:
LOL! Cute JR.

JR:
You have always been very helpful to people on the bodybuilding forums and made me feel at home on the bodybuilding website even though I am far from a bodybuilder. Are you more outgoing now after your transformation or were you always this way?

Angel:
I am absolutely more out going now. I have always been friendly and would do what is needed in a social situation. Now though I joke, I am not afraid to go places by myself, I am comfortable around new people, I hold my head high, I speak in front of people? you could almost give me the title assertive (wow now that?s a new word for me!- yeha!)

JR:
What did you have for dinner yesterday?

Angel:
My fav ? 200g Salmon fillet, 1 courgette, ? red pepper, generous serving of mushrooms ? all grilled with my absolute favorite sugar free sweet chili sauce!! YUM. At the moment I have this exact meal 3 evening meals out of 4.

The progress pictures will come this evening but the weigh-in was this morning.  Last week I was 353.5 and this week I am 354.  This is my first gain in several weeks of 2+ pound losing.  The strange thing is that I am not bummed out, anxious, or angry.  I felt my body stabilizing this week.  The 350 barrier.  

It really does not matter.  This poor body will have no choice but to obey my good nutrition and workout plan.  I feel stronger, firmer, and that is what matters.  We will see later if the pictures show any change.

Jan. 23

Jan. 16

Dec. 26

Posting these pictures and videos takes a lot out of me.  Not only am I faced with my own shortcomings but I then share them for all to see.  But, as Isaac’s post below points out, you got to start where you are.  Wish though I might I will not magically knock out the push-ups without the pain and struggle that comes before.  So I offer you these videos so that everyone sees that it doesn’t kill you to not look like a stud as long as you do the things to make you a stud, or studette.  These will also be great to look at next January when most of the weight is gone and then I will laugh.   Right now though….

My shoulder is really messed up.  Back in my younger days I tore up my shoulders in a freak ….um…drinking accident.  I fell down a stairwell from the fourth floor tearing a nerve in my shoulder while trying to hang on for dear life…..gravity is a ….     Anyway, as I let myself get more and more out of shape I never really did recover.  Later this month I will be looking into ARTS therapy to see if I can loosen it up a bit.

Without further ado:

Taking supplements and medications throughout the day has overloaded my normal supplement organizer.  What do you guys and dolls use to organize your supplements?  Kris Gethin in the great question and answer session available here stated that he uses a tackle box.  Now that sounds like it would work.  Let me know.

Heroes and Circumstance

It is my firm belief that the true heroes in the world are those people that do the right things through mundane times at least 90% of the time.  Mundane as in waking up and going to work every day, doing your planned workouts, not drinking and driving.  The things that make up 99% of our life are mundane.  

The grand happenings in life make for great headlines and earn well deserved praise.  Some people don’t handle the mundane well at all but rise to the grand happenings in life.  Some people are just lucky/unlucky to be in a place that requires grand effort.  For the most part it is the people that succeed 90% of the time in the mundane things in life that accomplish the grand happening.

If you talk to a soldier or Marine that has earned a medal for valor you will find that they never view themselves as heroes.  They were doing what had to be done when the situation required it to be done.  This is why every soldier and Marine is a hero.  They train and train.  They do the routine mundane things day in and day out.  When placed in a position when some great thing must be done they do it.  They do it for their brothers in arms.  They do it because it is the right thing to do.  So even if a soldier or Marine is never placed in harms way they are heroes.

The same is true for you and me.  We are heroes if we do the day-to-day things that need to be done to the best of our ability.  When we don’t skip the workout or eat that cake.   We are heroes when we cook a healthy meal for our family and get up in the morning and go to work.  It is accomplishing the ordinary 90% of the time and not the 1% extraordinary in our lives that makes one a hero.

***Warning***
Bible discussion below, skip if you would rather not hear it (more…)