On May 8th, 2013 I reached the milestone of having lost 100 pounds, from my highest weight of 315! My starting BMI was 42.5 @ 38.6% body fat (according to my scale) and both numbers are now under 30! My current goal is to get down to below 200 pounds so I’m shooting for 195. The BMI charts say I should be under 185 but we’ll see how I feel when I get to 195. I’m more worried about feeling HEALTHY than I am about the final number.

My weight has been up and down over the years. In fact I lost 95 pounds about 11 years ago following Weight Watchers… but it felt like a “diet” and I didn’t incorporate exercise into the equation. I gained and lost and then re-gained practically all of the weight over the next 10 years.

During that time I became very active with my son’s Boy Scout troop (they’re both Eagle Scouts now!) and was actually the Outdoor Activities Coordinator for several years. I would lead the boys on hikes, backpacking trips and canoe trips and share my love for the outdoors (especially New York’s Adirondack Mountains!) with my sons and their generation of boys. When my weight was up I would struggle to keep up and it hampered my enjoyment, but I still got out there and tried. The past few years when I was over 300 pounds were a real struggle but you just can’t keep me cooped up!

So, it took the combination of realizing I couldn’t enjoy my favorite activities, the loss of my father (at the relatively young age of 70 due to health issues, including Type 2 Diabetes), the loss of my grandfather (at the ripe old age of 92, but also with Type 2 Diabetes) and nearly losing my wife to a ruptured brain aneurysm to finally wake me up. I was throwing away my own health by eating crap and not living a fit and healthy lifestyle.

This all added up to my AH-HA moment! I’ve realized that no one can do it for you; small changes add up to BIG results and each person’s motivation is different. Find what works for you and tweak it along the way. I started out with diet soda instead of regular soda. Then Crystal Light in my water instead of diet soda. Now I drink about three quarts of water a day, NO SODA!
I’ve also been using MyFitnessPal on-line. Great free app to track calories and “macro nutrients” as well as exercise. Definitely helps with accountability and making small adjustments to find what works. I’m currently eating about 1,500 net calories per day. MFP calculates what you burn off when you exercise, so I eat those calories too. I have my macros set for 40% protein, 35% carbs and 25% fat. I’ve cut out most grains and starches and found healthy fats. Love avocados! Protein shakes and bars are a great help to keep the protein intake up. Know what you’re eating, though. There are a lot of unhealthy ingredients in foods that sound healthy. I don’t condone “diet” food long term but again, baby steps are the key so they can help you transition to a healthier lifestyle. I know I couldn’t do all of the things I’m doing now if I tried to change them all at once from where I was a year and a half ago!

My “workouts” started with riding my stationary bike, and walking. If you’re just starting out, start small. Swimming classes are good if you have joint issues. Just do SOMETHING! After increasing my walking distances someone suggested I run in an upcoming 5K. I thought – “I can’t run… I’m too old and fat!” (I was 45 then and still weighed almost 270). This was another defining moment. I realized that if I decided I could do it, then I really COULD do it and I completed that 5K in 44 minutes and 40 seconds, just under my goal of 45 minutes!

Since that 5K last May I have run several more 5Ks, 10Ks, a 15K and a half marathon! My last 5K was the Color Run which I finally got my time under 30 minutes, and my half marathon (chip) time was 2 hours, 33 minutes and 27 seconds… beating my goal of 12 minutes per mile! Pretty good for an old, fat guy!

I’ve also used several different Beach Body programs on my journey and really learned a lot from them. Beach Body is a great company and their products are high quality. My coach, Victoria Barclay, has been really supportive and always willing to help. Last fall when I felt “stuck” I did their Ultimate Reset and lost 15 pounds in three weeks. I really learned a lot about HOW to eat, the importance of food prep and having a plan, and that I’m NOT a vegan! Not full time, anyway… I’ve also incorporated Shakeology and P90X Protein Bars into my daily routine. This year’s New Year’s Resolution program was the Power 90 Master Series which also taught me a lot about working an exercise routine into the mix, and I lost another 15 pounds with that!

Health and fitness are now my LIFESTYLE and I feel so much better than I did at 315 pounds! The changes in my body, and my mind, have made me much happier with myself and ready to tackle any challenge. Thanks to everyone for their support and good luck on your own journey!

Starting weight: 327

Current weight 170

I have been overweight the majority of my life. Probably from kindergarten until I decided to make a change at 24

My current fitness goals are to continue to improve my running and to focus on weight training to further sculpt and tone my new body

Currently I am training for a half marathon and run 2-4 days a week and weight train via boot camp or on my own 2-3 days a week
I am constantly eating! I lost my weight following the Weight Watchers plan and love it because I do not feel restricted. I made small changes to what I eat and it taught me how to live a healthy lifestyle instead of just a diet. I usually start my day with a protein shake, fruit for mid AM snack, lunch is a salad or sandwhich, and fruit for mid afternoon snack, dinner is always different but if I can get a small salad in I feel more full. I always have desert and maybe another snack. It is all about balance!

Starting Weight – 268lbs

Current Weight – 158lbs

About 3 years ago I found myself at my heaviest at 268lbs a size 22-24 and I was miserable. I decided in February of 2010 to change my life and get fit. It has been a tough last 3 years being that I am a single mother to a beautiful 4 year old girl, a flight attendant and an apartment manager. I have chosen to keep fighting for my life to ensure that I am fit and healthy for myself as well as to provide my child with a good role model.

Current fitness goals

In 2 weeks I am doing my first figure and bikini division show at the Emerald Cup held outside Seattle, Wa May 3rd and 4th.  After the show I plan on doing more shows and hopefully growing my career in the fitness industry.

Training split

I lift 5 days a week, do plyometrics once a week and do cardio 6 days a week

A typical day of eating & any supplements you would like to mention

Meal 1:
1/2 cup gluten free oats or 1 piece

          Ezekiel bread

         4 eggs whites or 1 scoop protein

         1/2 grapefruit

    Meal 2:

         3-4 oz lean meat or fish

         1-2 cups green veggies

         1 tbsp olive oil

         1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa

    Meal 3:

         3-4 oz lean meat or fish

         1-2 cups green veggies

         1 piece Ezekiel bread

    Meal 4:

         3-4 oz lean meat or fish

         1-2 cups green veggies

     Meal 5:

         1 scoop BeautyWhey protein by

          Beautyfit

  * supps:

       * 1 beautyslender after each

         meal except last meal

      * Beautycomplex before 1st meal

      * Beautyburnpm after last meal

      * take 1 BeautyHeat before am

        cardio session

Blog:

www.journey2bfit.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Gilmartin-Journey2bfitcom/417246738339595

1. Stats – starting body weight/fat – current body weight/fat

 Started: 225/25% Current: 185/5%

2. Back round – how u got started, what motivated you to start?

 I was always a very active and athletic individual.  I played 3 sports in high school and went on the play college baseball.  Where the problem started was after college.  Just like many other college students who graduate reality quickly hits and its time to get out on your own in the real world.  I was fortunate enough to land a job in corporate america but the downside was it came with long hours leaving me with little time to workout and daily fast food stops for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It wasn’t until one day a co-worker and I went into the corporate gym and had a fitness analysis and realized I was 20-25 lbs overweight of what.  It was then I realized it was time for a change.  I began to not “finding” time but “making” time to workout and or eat clean and so my transformation began.

3. current fitness goals

 My goals are always changing in an attempt to stay motivated but I would say my main goals are to maintain a healthy lifestyle and motivate/inspire as many people as possible to achieve their own fitness goals.

4 your training split/program

 Monday- Chest, cardio, abs and calves

Tuesday- Back

Wednesday- Legs, calves, abs

Thursday- Shoulders

Friday- Arms and abs

Saturday- Touch up any body parts that I feel are lagging

Sunday- Off

Depending if I am in-season or not I do cardio anywhere from 4 to 6 days a week and from 30 minutes to 60 minutes at a time.

5 a typical day of eating for you & any supplements you would like to mention

 First off let me say that nutrition and supplementation is 80% of the game and I have to thank Beyond Genetics Supplements for supplying me with the proper products to achieve my goals.  Their Alpha Male stack has given me amazing results and can be viewed at http://chris.getshredz.com.  I also take the essentials like fish oil, vitamin c, and glutamine and whey protein.

A typical day of eating for me is about 6 meals every 2.5 to 3 hours with a mix of protein, carbs and good fats.

 Meal 1: Egg whites & Sweet potato

Meal 2: Chicken breast and broccoli

Meal 3:  Lean Ground turkey and green salad

Meal 4: 50 gram whey protein shake

Meal 5- Fish, chicken or steak

Meal 6- Casein protein shake before bed

Contact info:

 www.facebook.com/PhysiqueAthleteChrisWhite

http://instagram.com/christheabshow

http://instagram.com/christheabshow

 Website: http://chris.getshredz.com

Good Day/Evening/Night friends!  Finally we have had a small window of opportunity to sit down and reflect back on what was another amazing trip.   A little history here,  When we married, we did not immediately go on a honeymoon because of family in town and other obligations.  So after considering Jamaica & other potential Caribbean places, a friend suggested Aruba.  So after doing our due diligence via tripadvisor.com , we settled on Aruba & chose The Bucuti & Tara Beach resort as our residence.  

The Bucuti is primarily geared towards couples with no kids allowed, which is perfect for honeymooners and couples that dont want the typical American beach experience, which most are crowded & noisy.   The stretch of beach that Bucuti resides on has been voted by many to be among the top 10 best beaches in the world, & when you look through our photos, you will see why.   After our first trip to Aruba, we fell in love with the Island and the Bucuti & Tara Resort.

Since our first trip, we have been back every year since then.  We call this trip our Annual Anniversary/Honeymoon trip.  The quality time we spend there really helps us to focus 100% on each other without distractions in a paradise like environment &  to continually strengthen our marriage bond.  The first couple years we stayed 7 days, the 3rd year we stayed 8 days, 4th year 10 days & this year was 9 days(which seemed to go by fast).  We are considering  going back again towards the end of the year GOD willing.   To just lay on that majestic quiet beach is quite memorizing and spiritual.  To just sit there and clear your thoughts, to meditate & pray amongst  the beautiful scenery does soo much to re energize and re focus you mind, body & soul.  Enough words, one just has to experience it person:)

Without further delay, here are the pics.  Enjoy

For as long as I can remember, I have always been fat. Sad to say, I was the only fat one out of a family of ten. My brothers were all tough, built, and athletic while growing up; being in their shadows sucked.

Not to mention being poor. Growing up in rough neighborhoods while only having a mother and no father, playing outside wasn’t an option, nor was proper nutrition. Heck, my mom always told me I was healthy. Little did I know, she was wrong.

School was super tough on me, gangsters bullied me, girls teased and used me, and I just hated being fat. Times got worse. We went homeless for two years. Do you know how tough it is for people to believe you’re poor and fat? I couldn’t buy regular things – I had to wear a sheet!

So I would literally cry to my saint to make me thin. I even considered at times doing drugs just to lose weight; it got bad. That was until I met a girl who finally made me feel good about myself.

As time progressed, I got a job and tried to love me for me. Well, that didn’t work out. The relationship went sour, my heart was broken and I felt completely stupid. I had never loved a person so much, only to be cheated on in a Burger King playground.

Yeah, it sucked. This time I knew that I needed to just focus on me. Being fat wasn’t attractive, and being nice only got me crushed; putting them together was my biggest weak spot. I had whatever money I had saved and decided that I was going to invest in me.

took what money I had and took classes on nutrition. I figured food was probably what was screwing me up. Then my logic of muscles burning fat came into play.

I needed a gym membership, but couldn’t afford it. I did what I could and learned online and from magazines about home workouts.

I started jogging (kind of), did push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups (not so much), but I was still too fat. When I was able to save enough money, I joined Pure Fitness.

Of course people were already placing bets to see how long it would take for me to fail, and some trainers can be jerks! And from what I’ve learned, most don’t have a clue sometimes. But, I didn’t have the money for one so I continued doing what I could. I ended up telling myself that as long as I was sweating and lifting, my muscles would do the rest.

A year later, and 120 pounds lost later, boy, did I laugh at that old trainer and the doctors who said it was too risky and not possible! I used to say I’d be happy at a certain weight, but once I reached it I asked myself, “Why stop here?” And I kept going. Plus, muscles were sexy in my eyes; I didn’t want to be just thin.

As time flew by, people would continue praising me for coming so far, but my reply was that I’m just getting started. Soon after, a friend had told me I could do bodybuilding with the mindset I have. I figured, who knows … maybe.

Well, maybe came. I met a man named Howie Fields who gave me great insight, tips and most of all knowledge about proper dieting. I found out he owned a company called Nobackfat Nutrition. I said, “Let’s do it!”

I wanted to be someone more than just about losing weight, or just a simple transformation. I wanted to be a person who people could look up to.

I went from obese to a beast (which isn’t too common)! I didn’t have money, support from friends, and I didn’t start in high school.

I wanted to assure people that so much can be accomplished. So I decided to shoot for a competition and dieting; cardio and lifting became my day.

Dieting isn’t hard, it’s being around those that don’t – ugh, tough times! I ended up getting competition ready. However, the day of the show I found out my brother had passed away, so I didn’t compete. I still eat clean and still have fun in the gym, but I hit buffets once in a while and can still eat like the big boys!

All I can say is I have earned a lot of respect. I took that negativity from people telling me, “You can’t do it,” “You will fail,” “What is the point,” “No one cares,” and just showed them that not only could I do it, but I met and exceeded! Motivation is tough to find and tougher to keep.

You don’t need money to better your health. You just have to want it that bad! There is no way to cheat your way to your goals; however, achieving them is very possible. Always remember that it starts with you, it’s meant for you and it ends with you!

Whenever you feel stressed, sad, hurt, happy, energetic, or bored, the gym is perfect for you. You’ll meet people like yourself, learn a lot about your body, and have fun. I’ve been there, and literally cried wanting what many take for granted.

I can say this though: being in better health as I get older, I know I am saving myself a lot of doctor visits and insuring my kids will have a daddy who can go out and play with them! If you’re not beasting, you’re just maintaining!

I owe a big thanks to Howie at Nobackfat Nutrition for his help and also to the girl who broke my heart. Without you, I would have never had the angry drive to show you what you lost. By the way, I’m not angry anymore, I feel cute now, lol.

I always say, “Let’s get beasty” because I know the ones I see trying super hard in the gym, at sports, or just jogging are on a mission! I probably won’t be a model or super sexy icon; I just hope to be a role model and look good too. A guy can dream!

Continue to follow my journey on my Facebook page here - https://www.facebook.com/GetBeastyNation

So sorry for the delay in posting these, we have been super productive in our lives outside of working out that we are now just getting around to posting these in 2 parts.  We finished up our 3rd week of the 5/3/1 last week.  This week is our Deload/Lightweight week.  We are about 2 weeks out from our holiday & have not decided if we are going to re start our 6th cycle of 5/3/1 next week or to just wait until we get back.  Anyways looking back on last weeks workouts, we really put the hammer down and every workout was heavy and intense.  So intense that we were actually looking forward to this active rest week to enjoy some good recovery lol.   Thank you for reading all.

2. Background – how u got started

I realized I had gotten to be quite over weight… I knew I was probably over 250lbs but couldn’t be certain by how much because normal scales would only display “EE” as in “error” or it took a special doctor’s scale to reveal that I had ballooned to 350lbs. Even knowing that… honestly, I just didn’t care. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to do anything about it.

Until one day a coworker asked me if I would be interested in walking with her for the local March of Dimes 5K. I’ve always had a big heart and am especially fond of babies… and puppies… and pretty much anything fury or full of innocence and love. J She had me hook line and sinker… I was going to do this 5K even though the thought of exercise to me seemed as alien as driving a Boeing 747 … as far as I was concerned exercise was for the crazy or the really bored with too much nervous energy!

I knew after committing to the walk that I really should get some practice in… after all, it’s just a walk… I’ve been doing that since I was a year old! I could surely handle walking! So with great pride I started a gym membership at Planet Fitness. I started going to the gym 5 days a week only walking on the treadmill. After about 2 weeks of doing this for about 30-45mins each time, I figured I was doing pretty good and would have no trouble on the walk.

I show up for the walk raring to go with my coworkers… there’s about 15 of us and I figure that I am going to try to keep up with the ‘fit crowd’… that lasted about 10mins and I was soon dragging up the rear of the pack huffing and puffing. Then a great thing happened, another coworker fell into stride with me and we had great conversation throughout the walk till the very end. If it wasn’t for him I think I probably would have given in and turned back. I was happy that I finished but I wasn’t feeling good… it was a hot day but I had goose bumps and felt really sick to my stomach. I decided to go straight home and lay down on the couch for some TV time.

After getting home, kicking off my shoes and laying down on the couch to finish off my evening I decided I was thirsty and got up to go into the kitchen for a drink. I remember walking across the threshold into the kitchen and saying “ohhhh… my head feels funny” to my husband a few feet behind me and then nothing…. darkness… game over.

About 10 mins later I woke up to my sons face in mine asking “Mommy are you ok” and seeing my husband on the phone w/911 saying “she wasn’t breathing but she just now came to and she’s trying to sit up!” Next 10mins is pretty fuzzy… I was completely out of it… couldn’t communicate anything really to my husband or my son… within a few mins I was in an ambulance and on the way to the ER.

Long story short… the doctors called it a ‘cardiac incident’… they say it wasn’t a heart attack or stroke but they were very concerned and I wore a heart monitor 24 hours a day for a month to check for issues.

This was the turning point for me… my 10 year old son thought his mommy was going to die. Seeing the worry on his face made me realize how selfish I had become. No child should have to worry about their parent’s health… especially self-imposed over eating.

I started off slow by walking 45mins to an hour 5 days a week on a treadmill. After dropping about 50lbs I started doing Zumba classes once a week. (on top of the normal walking routine at the gym) After another 30lbs dropped I changed gyms to one that offered fitness classes. Now almost 3 years later I’m happy to say that I’m a Gym rat, skydiver, whitewater rafter, kayaker, 5K runner, Kickboxer and CrossFitter! Gettin it done! One day at a time!

5) Typical day of eating for you & any supplements you would like to mention

I’m currently following a paleo nutritional meal plan. I absolutely *love* how whole foods make my body feel! Highly recommend! I am shocked that I’m enjoying black coffee Number one thing I’ve learned is that you truly CANNOT out exercise a bad diet. Fuel your body with whole nutritious foods and you will go far!!!

Facebook Fitness Page: https://www.facebook.com/carriedavisfitnessfreak
Personal Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/carrie.davis.77.ME

Blog on MyFitnessPal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/carriedavis77?month=201301
Blog on FitApproach #Sweatpink Ambassador: http://www.fitapproach.com/author/carriedavis77/