Before and After

FINAL RESULTS

It's Official...Michael has done it! He has now lost 101 lbs. in 5
months!!! The weight has been lifted, both figuratively and literally, and
I know Michael feels great about it, and all of us here at Fitness Together
Delafield are extremely proud of him. It is truly an amazing
accomplishment, regardless of the time frame, and the great part about all
of it, is that Michael is not losing his motivation to continue towards his
ultimate goal.

Well, if any of you out there are dying to see the results from our most
recent assessment as much as I was, here ya go.
Now, again, this was done in 5 months. Our first assessment was on March
11, 2009, and this final assessment for the competition was done on August
5th, 2009. So, without further ado, here are the "numbers."

Starting weight: 393 lbs. Finishing Weight: 292 lbs. (101 lb. decrease)
Starting Body Fat%: 43.3% Finishing Body Fat%: 34% (An almost 10% decrease)
Starting Resting Heart Rate: 97 beats per minute Finishing Resting HR: 58 bpm.
(39 bpm decrease)
Starting 3 min. Step Test HR: 158 bpm (only completed 2 min.) Finishing HR:
96 bpm -all 3 minutes! (62 bpm decrease)
Starting Max Bench: 150 lbs. Finishing Max Bench: 204 lbs. (54 lb.
increase)
Starting Max Leg Press: 583.4 Finishing Max Leg Press: 1,008.4 (425 lb.
increase)
Starting Sit Reach Test: 3.8 inches Finishing Sit Reach Test: 10.5
inches (6.7 inch increase in flexibility)

Starting Resting Blood Pressure: 140/90 Finishing Resting BP: 119/76
Starting Exercise BP: 180/90 Finishing Exercise BP: 150/74
Starting Chest Measurement: 57.5 inches Finishing Chest Measurement: 50
inches
Starting Waist Measurement: 64 inches Finishing Waist Measurement: 47.25
Starting Hip Measurement: 68 inches Finishing Hip Measurement: 51.5
Starting Thigh Measurement: 28 inches Finishing Thigh Measurement: 24
inches
Starting Calf Measurement: 19.5 inches Finishing Calf Measurement: 17.75
inches
Starting Upper Arm Measurement: 18.13 inches Finishing Upper Arm
Measurement: 15.5 inches
Starting Forearm Measurement: 12.5 inches Finishing Forearm Measurement:
11.5 inches
Starting Neck Measurement: 18.5 inches Finishing Neck Measurement: 16.25
inches
Starting Shoulder Measurement: 58.5 inches Finishing Shoulder
Measurement: 52.5 inches

Alright, I already did the math for the measurements, and it comes to a
total of 61.38 inches lost! The other highlights, again, are 101 lbs., 10%
body fat loss, dramatic decreases in heart rates and blood pressure, and
dramatic increases in strength and flexibility. Overall, we couldn't be
happier or more proud of Michael. Thank you to everyone who supported and
followed Michael through this journey. Also, as Michael will be continuing
on his journey to losing even more weight, keep an eye out, as we will try
to post at least 1 more blog with some information on how to continue
following his progress.

Reflections

Trainer Notes

Just a couple days left and we are almost there with our "stretch goal." Final results are due to report on August 5th, so we will be doing our final re-assessment this Wednesday. So, again, not only will we be able to report our final tally of weight loss, but we will be able to report all of our final numbers, including inches lost, body fat percentage, heart rates, blood pressure, etc. The end of month two was the last time we did the complete assessment for all areas, so we are very excited to see the cumulative results and improvements.

As mentioned previously, this week brings a nice, and needed, break in Michael's workouts. We are still maintaining our workout schedule, as it is important to stay in the routine and rhythm of working out, but the volume and intensity will be lower for a couple of weeks. This means less overall sets, as well as selecting exercises and a format that will keep the intensity of the workout quite a bit lighter. These "transition," or "unloading" periods, while sometimes difficult to make ourselves do, are truly an important part of a well rounded fitness program. They give our bodies and minds an opportunity to regenerate and refresh. In fact, it's not uncommon to see noticeable strength and endurance improvements shortly after.

Trainer Notes

Goodbye 300's! HELLO 297!!! We are extremely happy today to report that Michael has officially broken the 300 mark. At weigh-in today, we thought we would have a chance...maybe 299...but as usual, Michael exceeded the expectation. So, now just 4 pounds and 9 days to go to hit the 100 lb. weight loss mark - all in 5 months!

This week we will be finishing up Michael's last workout program for this competition. Next week we'll transition out with a few workouts at a lower intensity and volume, while also focusing on Michael's plan moving forward. While Michael will still be in a fat loss mode past this competition to continue towards his ultimate goal weight, some of the focus and pressure of the contest will be off of his shoulders. The basic structure to his workouts of 3 days resistance training followed by short duration cardio, and 2 other days of just cardiovascular exercise will remain the same, as will his focus on the basic concepts of good nutrition. These are now lifestyle patterns for him, and this competition provided him with an opportunity and positive pressure to develop those habits. However, I do think there will be a positive aspect of this contest coming to an end for Michael. Now, his focus can shift to him doing this mainly for himself, and some of the more challenging pressures of being in a "contest", with the spotlight always on you will dim.

There will still be the basic challenge of keeping the same level of focus and effort through internal motivation, but the support system Michael has around him now is extensive, and should help keep him on track. I know that we are always here for him, and will do whatever we can to help him continue toward his ultimate goal. Stay tuned, as there's a good chance that our next post could be to report the "Big Number."

Micheal's Blog Update

Trainer Notes: July 20

2 Weeks to go - 87 lbs. down so far! Wow, it's coming down to the wire now and Michael is so close to achieving our first "lofty" goal of getting under 300 lbs. That also means that our 100 lb. goal is still within reach. At first, just getting under 300 lbs. was enough of a reach in the time frame we have had, but as the fat started to melt away more and more, we decided to take it a step further and go for the whole 100. Why not? Our fascination with round numbers and the fact that it was only 6 more lbs. just made us decide to go for it. I have to admit, setting a goal to lose 100 lbs. in 5 months seemed like a pretty big reach, maybe like trying to run a marathon uphill in high altitude (alright, that might be a stretch, but you get the point). Even with confidence in our abilites and Michael's dedication, I wondered if we could really attain that level of results that quickly. In realistic terms, that meant that he would have to lose 20 lbs. per month, or about 5 lbs. per week on average. For the obese population, that is the upper limit for what is considered reasonable and safe (3-5 lbs. per week).

So, the margin for error was very small from the beginning. He would have to be spot on with his nutrition, with barely any cheating or slip-ups at all, and he probably couldn't afford to miss more than 1 or 2 workouts in the entire 5 months. Was this realistic? Well, I guess I believed it was, and I believed in him, at least, and even if Micheal didn't in the beginning, I know he does now. Because with all of those challenges to meet or overcome, Michael has followed and stayed consistent with all of our nutritional recommendations, and has never missed a single one of his workouts in the last 4 and a half months. In fact, he even shortened his recent travel plans so that he wouldn't miss any workouts so close to the end of the competition. To me, that's just a testament to Michael's character and commitment. He has never shown anything but a complete appreciation for being given this opportunity. It's even more than that, like he bears it as a responsibility to prove to us, himself, family, friends, and those following and supporting him that he doesn't take a second of this experience for granted. Also, that he is a fighter who can rise to the challenge and has the dedication and will to compete and win. I've never seen Michael give anything less than 100%. I'm quite sure that he has often given us more than he even thought he could at the time.

That's the amazing thing about the human body and the human spirit, though. It's ability to adapt and improve based on the challenges we are presented is truly remarkable. Alone, we rarely reach our true potential. We often need to be pushed, challenged, and encouraged to reach new levels. Hopefully we've done that for Michael, as we try to do for all of our clients, and hopefully that opens his eyes so he can see and unlock his own potential in the future. I have no doubts that Michael and his wife have truly established new habits and have greatly improved their lifestyle. I have complete confidence that he will never see a "3" as the first number on the scale again. More than just the weight, his entire life has transformed, and I'd say in the end, that means more than any number ever could. So, while the "big number" definitely indicates we've achieved something special and hopefully gives him a better chance at winning this competition, his overall transformation shows that he has already won in one of the toughest challenges of all - living a full, fit and healthy life.

Quick Friday update

2 weeks left
Weighed in at 306 lbs, 87 lbs lost
Goal weight 299 – 7 lbs away
Losing 100 lbs – 13 lbs away (time to make a big push)

Tough challenging workouts this week, but it is paying off. We did 3 full sets of everything this week, and my cardio on Tuesday and Thursday is much more challenging with three rounds of circuit exercises to kick it off. Squats of some form, five days a week.

It is going to be a tough weekend to control food and get my light physical activity in, but I am going to do it, its crunch time, pun intended. Flying to Arkansas for a family reunion and to celebrate my wife’s great aunt’s 100 birthday tomorrow, where I am sure the fried chicken, bbq, potato salad, watermelon and pound cake will be plentiful.

However, I am packing some of my latest creation, spice muffins that are all whole grain, pureed fruit, sweetened with only a little honey and molasses that are around 125 calories each, cinch bars, and fat free string cheese, fresh fruit, and a couple boiled eggs in my carryon. Luckily we have a fridge in our hotel room, so I can get some lean lunchmeat and cottage cheese when I get there.

Also, tomorrow, first thing I am going to do 30 minutes of the Wii dance game to kick the weekend of with some cardio, and I hope to hit the pool for some fun and light exercise Sunday. Can’t wait to show off my new 2X swim trunks!

Have a great weekend,

Michael

Doing The Dishes

I have talked about the health benefits, the extra energy, the comfortableness I have with my body in chairs and car seats, but there are many other ways my life is transforming. A couple of ironic changes I have noticed are how much laundry I do now, and how much we have to clean the kitchen up and wash dishes. I used to wash two laundry loads a week, whites and colors, now it is 6 or 7. First, there are the workout clothes; then because I have tons of energy, there are the extra “working” around the house and extracurricular activities clothes, and of course the regular daily wear stuff. Digging out old clothes, buying new clothes, and reading the 5Xs for selling or giveaways has only compounded the laundry fiasco.

We have gone from a lifestyle that included much eating out to one where every meal is cooked at home, except maybe one every two weeks. Along with cooking every meal comes having to clean up from every meal. Dishes have tripled. One thing I don’t miss – the deciding on where to eat out. You know, the uh, I don’t want to cook, do you want to cook? Where should we eat? You pick, no you pick. What are you in the mood for? What are you in the mood for? Oh whatever, just not there again. Well, that is where I wanted to go, so you pick. I don’t want to….

The end result for us usually became pizza, Chinese food, or a fried fish dinner. Of course, it is probably blasphemy to say this in Wisconsin, but going on 5 months now, we have not indulged in our favorite Friday fish fry. But, honestly, it is so nice to be free from food. Yes, free. I was trapped by food. It was controlling my emotions and my life. With giving so much of my time and life to my career, my health and well being were given a back seat. Food was my comfort, my indulgence.

Now I live more for new experiences, exercising, and eating healthy. I just can’t get over how addicted I am getting to working out. I cannot give enough compliments to the Fitness Together staff, they have made exercise enjoyable, challenging, and rewarding. That says a lot given all my failed attempts at diet and exercise previously.

Now, quality time with my wife doesn’t have to be defined by watching TV and eating carryout. Sitting still, while somewhat necessary on Saturday morning after five tough workouts through the week, is just something I don’t do well anymore. Audrey and I had one of the best weekends of our life. We spent almost four hours walking around a farmer’s market and a museum, and didn’t get tired, didn’t have to sit down, didn’t have sore feet or knees, it was just wonderful. It is as if we are starting a whole new chapter together. Audrey, by participating on Fitness Together’s meal plan with me, has now lost over 30lbs herself.

The transition to healthier eating has been easier than I thought as I have come to crave a lot of the tasty, fresh, vibrant foods we’ve been eating that are not layered in fat, flour or sugar. Flavors have come alive. My body has come alive. My mind has come alive. And this is just the beginning.

We have had some tremendous life challenges the last two years, but this competition has been one of the biggest blessings of my life, enabling my life to have so many more chapters, chapters richer in context and vibrancy. Two and half weeks to go! Time to really work hard, and get the most out of what the competition has left for me.

Warm regards,
Michael

Trainer Notes: July 13th

Last week Michael started another new workout program. Aside from some minor tweaks we'll make through this one, it will be the last "new program"
he'll start during the Challenge. Some of the new exercises were pretty tough and we even made some small adjustments to start at the best progression levels. We also added some new elements and made more changes to his "cardio days." Overall, he made it through the week well, and also started to implement some of the small changes we had discussed during the previous week regarding his nutrition (see last "Nutrition Notes"). At weigh-in today, Michael was down to 310 lbs., which means he has now lost 83 lbs.!! Only 11 more to go to get under 300, and only 17 more to hit that magical 100 mark! 100 total lbs. will be great, but to see that scale with a 2 as the first number will fulfill one of the biggest goals we had set out to accomplish from the beginning of the competition. All of that hard work and dedication is really paying off in so many ways. We are planning our next full assessment right at the end of the competition, so we have a few more weeks to hit the "Big Goal." I'm confident Michael will make it all happen, and look forward to that assessment day, and look even more forward to reporting all the results.

Michael Video Blog

Nutritional Plan: July 8th

Finally, some new stuff to report on the nutrition front. As we head into the last phase of the competition, we're going to have Michael make a few small changes. His nutrition is pretty well established as a lifestyle and new way of eating, now, so there is nothing drastic to alter. We don't want to mess with too much, but in some ways we've been fortunate. Let me explain. Most people would look at Michael's food log and overall caloric intake and be surprised that he has lost and is losing as much weight as he is. For your average person that isn't really doing much physical activity, or even for those who are doing some, say weekend warriors or interment exercisers, the amount of calories that Michael takes in would probably be too much. There are a few reasons why he can get away with this right now, and actually why he has probably needed them. One big reason is the amount of phsyical activity he has been doing, and also the intensity that he is doing it at. It is one thing to go for a walk for 30 min. to an hour every day. This will actually burn a minimal amount of calories in relative terms. It is another to work in a structured, challenging, and progressive workout program, where trainers are pushing you to maximize your efforts for every moment of every workout. In other words, the amount of work, and the level to which Michael is doing it, means he is burning a substantially higher amount of calories every day, and his metabolic rate has gotten much higher. So, even while still consuming what would be considered by most to be a higher amount of calories than normal when in "weight loss" mode, he has simply been burning substantially more than what he is taking in. The reality is, that if his workout frequency decreases, as well as the focus and intensity, or when he goes into more of a "maintenence" stage, he will probably need to decrease his caloric intake. Maybe not by a large amount, but small changes will probably be in order.

Heading into this last month, we want to start tweaking some of the things that will help him not only see some better results through this last month, but also will be good concepts to carry through in the future. Up until this week, we had Michael focusing on intaking some extra calories very soon after his workouts to help with recovery, even on his cardio days. This month, we are going to cut the post workout recovery on his cardio days, only incorporating on the days he does resistance training. This will help cut out some additional calories by the end of the week. We are also going to start paying a little closer attention to the amount of starch in Michael's diet. It has already been regulated fairly naturally through our basic balance concept, but we're going to cut out most starches at his dinners. He can have a little extra protein or vegatables at that time if he chooses, but the starches will be limited after lunch or a mid-afternoon snack. This will also be a small way to cut back a few calories, that during one meal on one day, won't have much noticeable affect, but over the course of a week or month can mean some extra pounds lost. As we go, we may add back in, or "cycle", some starchy carbs at some dinners when it will benefit us to do so. This will be a new twist for Michael, so we are going to work on it, and we'll report back on how it is going.

Micheal Video Blog

Trainer Notes: July 6th

Well, another month and workout program came to an end last week. Michael did great on the workouts in this last routine. It was definitely a challenging routine for him in the beginning, and while it wasn't easy by the end, he was getting through the strength and cardio workouts with probably just a little more to give. This week will start another new type of workout, though, where we will change up the exercises and the format. Halfway through, we will also change the rep range to really keep his body guessing. Yes, we are in the last big push, I guess. The new workout will start by working on some muscular endurance, and will include, as usual, some new compound or combination based movements. They will challenge not just an isolated muscle group, but will also force multiple muscles and the entire body to work together, including his core muscles and involving some joint stability/mobility at the same time.

Generally, these types of movements are much more effective in helping someone reach their goals than purely just working the muscles in a stable and isolated fashion. Compound and full body movements work more muscles at once, release beneficial hormones, increase metabolic rate, and are overall a more efficient way to workout. This doesn't mean we don't do other types of movements and exercises in addition, or that those are the only types of exercises you should do. As always for us, it comes down to properly selecting and applying exercises and types of programs to each individual clients' needs and/or limitations. What we have designed for Michael will be appropriate for what he can handle, but will challenge him to work hard to do so. We're all really looking forward to what we can accomplish in this next month or so. It's been an amazing ride so far, so let's stay on it while we can.

Trainer Notes : June 29

Well, we did a few re-measures last week, to see where Michael is at 3 1/2 months into this. As mentioned in the previous blog, he has lost 70 lbs. up to this point! He has done this in a healthy way, too, as he has also decreased his body fat percentage by 6%. One of the biggest and most noticeable tells, though, is all of the inches he has lost. You've seen it if you've been following his video blogs. His 2XL's are starting to get a little baggy already - the XL is not too far away. So, in total so far, Michael has lost 42 inches from his body. As I was putting that number together, I really had to stop and put it in perspective. 42 inches...42!

That is 3.5 feet of size that has been burned off in the form of fat. This includes an amazing 13 inches lost around his waist and 11.5 inches lost around his waist. More than anything, I feel the best about the overall health and life improvements these results are starting to provide for Michael. His risk for diabetes and coronary artery disease is on it's road to practically disappearing, and I love the fact that he can now shop at normal departments stores and fit comfortably in a movie theatre seat. Most of us take these seemingly basic things for granted, and I'm just happy he is able to start experiencing them again. It's almost like a "reset" button on his daily lifestyle.

Finishing up Michael's last workout for the week, it also really hit me how quickly he has drastically improved his conditioning level. I mean, in realistic terms, to be where he is now compared to 3 1/2 months ago is pretty amazing. Even still at 320+ lbs., I'd put Michael's strength and conditioning level up against your average gym-goer or exerciser, and I guarantee he would win out the majority of the time. A workout that was quite a struggle for him even a couple weeks ago, was noticeably pretty manageable for him this week. His breathing was easier and he was almost "bouncing" from exercise to exercise. His increase in energy is incredible.

I love that he has so much energy that he has gone from watching hours of t.v. in a day to hardly any at all. Again, assessment numbers will show the raw data, allowing us to come to these conclusions as well - and I love analyzing the numbers - but sometimes it's the simple observations that seem to jump out at you and reinforce it from the practical side. Alright, that's a wrap for now. Under 300 here we come!

Michael Video Blog

Trainer Notes: Week 16

It's hard to believe that we are closer to the end of this competition than the beginning. I'm sure for the contestants it has seemed like a slower process than maybe it has for us fitness professionals, as they are the ones putting in so much effort day in and day out. With the time remaining, however, I know everyone is out for that last big push to see what can be accomplished by the end. While this is great, and I want to see all the great "numbers", too, I don't want it to overshadow the long term lifestyle changes that this competition is hopefully providing for everyone involved. In Michael's case, I know how much he has learned and how many changes he and his wife have incorporated into their lifestyle, both with physical activity and nutritionally. This knowledge and these changes can help him continue to be successful in furthering his weight loss and to eventually maintain it when he has reached his optimal level. I truly believe this will be the case for Michael, but approaching the end of this can definitley bring up that sense of fear and anxiety of "how am I going to do this on my own?" Understanding that it can still be a scary transition to go from so much support to being much more self sufficient with it, we will have plenty of discussion about this as we get closer to end of the contest. We'll discuss plenty of ideas and options so Michael can be as confident and motivated as possible to continue his success.

In regards to the workouts and Michael's current progress, everything continues to go great. Michael's new resistance and cardio workouts are different than he was used to and pretty challenging, but he continues to improve every week and every workout, and I'm sure he still really appreciates his weekends off. For all of his efforts, the fat just keeps melting away. I'm very happy to report that Michael has now lost 70 lbs! Getting under 300 and reaching our 100lb. goal seems more and more realistic every week. You're going to do this Michael, so just stay focused and keep up the great work! We should be getting in some measurement updates soon, and will report them as soon as we do. Thank you to everyone continuing to support Michael in and out of the studio and on the blog comments. Also, thank you to everyone voting, and let's keep charging forward

Trainer Notes: Week 13

Last week we finished up the first week on another new workout routine. The volume of the workout (number of sets and resistance levels used) was a little lower, so we could really focus on getting the exercise technique down, and allow his body to adapt to the new stimulus. This week we will progress and work in 3 sets of this challenging muscular endurance program. Michael did tell me how different this workout felt, and that it was still quite challenging, but overall doesn't feel as intense as the previous strength program. He's out of breath a little more, and his muscles burn a little more specifically, but the intensity of the set itself has a different feeling and level of intensity. At the end of the week, though, the cumulative level of fatigue was still about the same. He said he felt pretty wiped out this weekend, as he usually does after the first week of a new program.

I thought this brought up a good topic, as many people often don't know or understand how certain workouts or exercises should "feel." There are differences, as not every workout or type of workout should feel the same, or always be at the same level of intensity. We often try to educate our clients not only on the correct technique, muscles working, etc., but also on how a specific type of exercise or workout phase should feel and how intense it "should" be. Not every workout or phase always needs to be max effort or intensity, nor should it be. In fact, we peridocally incorporate what's called a "transition" program, which is generally a shorter phase (1-2 weeks) that plans specifically for a lower volume and intensity. It's usually fit in between two different, more intense phases, or after a very intense program, and allows the body to "actively" recover, helping to prevent injury or advanced breakdown, and to help avoid overtraining/burnout. Regardless of the intensity, though, we are always focused on getting the maximum amount of effectiveness from each lift and each workout. Intensity is a very important aspect to getting good results; it has to be there, but always at the appropriate level, and that varies from person to person, workout to workout depending on where each individual is currently at. As experienced professionals, our job is to know what that needs to be on any given day depending on the person and what may be going on with them at that time. In Michael's case, we will come up just short of a time where we would normally incorporate a transition program - sorry Michael :) . Even though these are often planned, we may occassionaly work in an impromptu transition workout if we identify there is need and that it would actually benefit the clients more to do that rather than go all out on that day or week. Stayed tuned later this week or early next week for Michael's updated measaurements and weigh-in.

Interview with Ben: Part 1

Interview with Ben: Part 2

Interview with Ben: Part 3

Week 13 Update

Hello everyone. Later this week, be sure to check out the 3-part trainer spotlight interview videos I did with Ben Altgilbers. If you have read any of his trainer updates here, you know he is a really smart and passionate fitness guru. I am always amazed at how well he can explain complicated body and fitness processes into understandable terms.

I lost another 6 pounds over the last week, bringing my total weight loss to 60 pounds. 33 to go to be under 300!

Got to give a shout out to a fellow Cyclone who has lost 30 lbs and has been supporting me and following my blog. Congratulations and keep up the good work! Also, I want to congratulate Sharon and Bernie on their accomplishments on their 2 month assessment accomplishments at FT. Way to go!

So, I have started a twitter account. Mainly, so I can keep abreast of the daily ongoings of ISU sports. Congrats ISU WBB and VB, Final Four is next! Speaking of sports, I am sure many guys out there know what I mean when I say football can’t start soon enough. But following some of the coaches twitters got me to thinking, some people might be curious to see what a day in my fitness transformation entails, so I am going to try and post meals for the day, workout thoughts, and related activities. So, if you are interested, check out my twitter - healthtransform.

Recipe of the Week
The sweetness of the peppers and onions plays well off the spicy seasonings.

Tri Color Pepper Pasta with Grilled Chicken Breast with a KICK
Makes two servings


Chicken 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
Marinade
1 fresh squeezed large lime or 2 small ones
2 crushed garlic cloves (minced if you crusher)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp hot sauce(the hotter the better!)
1 tbsp water

Dry Seasonings
Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime
Cavenders No Sodium seasoning mixture

1st – Marinate chicken breasts in liquid mixture. I use a gallon size freezer bag. Thoroughly coat chicken, add a little more water or lime juice if needed. Before grilling, remove breasts from bag and allow liquid to excess liquid to drip off. Coat all sides of chicken with seasonings listed.

2nd – Grill Chicken. I usually start this right about when I put the water on to boil for the pasta. Let chicken rest 3 to 5 minutes before slicing.

Pasta
1 red bell pepper
½ of 1 green bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red onion
1 yellow onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
2 to 3 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 Tbsp Mrs Dash fiesta lime seasoning
1 Tbsp Cayenne pepper
2 servings of whole wheat spaghetti pasta

1st – Boil water and prepare pasta according to al dente stage. Pasta is going to continue cooking in pepper mixture, so do not overcook.

2nd – Cut up peppers and onions into strips. Saute veggies in olive oil with sea salt. If any browning occurs on bottom of pan, add a little chicken stock to lift caramelization. Veggies should be cooked until onions are translucent but not soggy. Add remaining chicken stock. Let simmer a bit, until about a cup of the liquid remains in pan and fold in pasta. Turn off heat.

3rd – Place half of pasta on to a plate. Slice chicken and place over pasta.

4th – Eat and enjoy.

Nutrition Notes: Week 12

Nothing groundbreaking to report with Michael's nutrition plan this week.
In fact, that's why we've tried to use the last few blogs more for educational components and ideas, because Michael's nutrition has continued to be pretty spot on. He's simply stayed consistent with his frequency, balance, portion control, and quality food choices. There's really not much more we could ask from him. He has allowed himself a "throwout" meal each week, but even from our review of those, they haven't even been that bad.

His quick progress with that part of his program has been just as, if not more, impressive as his weight loss and overall physical improvements. I know it's been mentioned before, but making good, and consistent, nutritional changes that actually become part of a lifestyle can be sooo difficult. In review of some of the other contestants blogs it is easy to see that a common challenge is that aspect, and it often is for the majority of our clients. Sure, getting workouts in and pushing through them on certain days is hard, but changing nutritional habits often goes so much deeper into our psyche and our physiology. It's a process of changing habits that may have been ingrained from childhood, battling the emotional connections and responses we often have and get from food, as well as struggling through various social and environmental influences.

Physiologically, food can be an addictive substance for people, just as any other drug. The food we eat and how we eat it affects us at our core, releasing or inhibiting hormones. It has the power to make us feel terrible or it can act in many ways like a drug to make us feel great, only to force a crash and make us feel bad again. Research has shown how various forms of carbohydrates, and things like chocolate actually release chemicals in our body similar to opiates.

Therefore we get used to connecting with food as a source of pleasure and comfort, often without ever realizing it. When you look at all of these aspects, it's easy to see how multifaceted and complicated it can be to finally "solve" the nutritional problems in your own life. It doesn't have to be that way, though. For us, it starts at the beginning. Identify the source(s) of those nutritional problems as best as possible, breakdown all of the nutritional habits, challenges, and limitations, and then look to fill in the gaps and fix the issues where we can in a step by step fashion.

Our approach with Michael was no different, he just happened to take those steps and get to the top of the mountain faster than most. Not everyone will, or should, move through those steps at the same rate, and that's perfectly fine. We don't expect it to be that way, and we don't expect perfection through that process. What we will do is work with each person at the rate they're most comfortable with and capable of, coaching, supporting, educating, and sometimes challenging (in a good way) them to their own level of success, whatever that may be. As fitness professionals we know that good nutritional changes will accellerate results dramatically, but we also know that as much as we would like to, we can't force those changes to occur for somebody else. We've seen it so many times, that once a client makes that decision and truly commits to improving their nutrition, then we can help them even more, and the accelaration in results will follow.

Trainer Notes: Week 12

Wow! Week 12 has officially come to an end, and it was NO Joke, my friends. We really pushed it hard this week, to complete our strength phase on a high note. Weights increased, we added additional sets for some exercises, and we continued to push the limits on what Michael could accomplish during both his resistance and cardio workouts.

Michael actually finished his chest press on the exercise ball this week by pushing up 70 pound Dumbells! His strength improvements all around in just 12 weeks have been absolutely amazing! He's worked extremely hard for every ounce of it, though, as it surely didn't happen just because we willed it to. All of his hard work has paid off in leaps and bounds so far, though, which hopefully continues to give him the drive and motivation to soldier on through these last couple months of challenging workouts.

Next week we will switch gears and work in more of an endurance phase. His new found strength and his drastically improved cardiovascular endurance and recovery should help him tackle it head on, and allow him to really excel in it. He will be breathing hard, sweating bullets, and his muscles will probably burn like never before, but his body is now prepared for it, and he will be burning off vast amounts of calories in the process as a reward. Michael, if you're reading this, don't get too scared, there has to be some liscense for adding dramatic effect, right? :) Really, though, it will be fine - it's just that anytime we change our phase or approach to the workout, it's challenging at first because it keeps our body guessing and working hard to adapt to the new stimulus.

That's why we do it, though, because it keeps us always progressing, improving, and avoiding hitting a plateau. Early next week will be a good time to remeasure Michael's inches and body fat percentage, too, so stay tuned for those results. I have a sneaking suspicion that we'll be pretty happy with the changes again.

Michael Video Blog: Week 11

Nutrition Notes: Week 11

Well, this week I'll attempt to finish up on our recent running topic of supplementation. If you walk into any GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or even the supplement section in your local grocery store, you will step into the middle of a spinning, swirling maze of meal replacements, workout supplements, vitamins, and weight loss products. Where do you turn, what products should you look at - I mean, they all look like they should provide some benefit, right? The packaging catches your eye, the marketing slogans all claim that their product is the best, so how do you cut through all the clutter?

Well, as I mentioned last week, the first step is to seek out a truly qualified fitness and/or nutrition expert. The short answer,though, to which supplements are better and which ones to potentially use, really boils down to a couple things- Need and Quality. I would first ask yourself if this is a product you really "need", especially when it comes to all of the weight loss, workout and energy supplements. Whole, natural food, and simply eating the "right way", in addition to exercising regularly, should provide us with all the energy we need and should allow us to lose weight naturally at the proper rate. In cases of metabolic disorders (diabetes, thyroid and hormone imbalances), where doing it the "natural" way just isn't working, then a doctor should oversee and prescribe any necessary medication anyway. For the purposes of safety, most people are better off only focusing on the basics of purely nutrition based supplements.

Last week I mentioned how the first thing we did with Michael was identify his potential "need" for any nutritional supplementation. Again, for him it was to help him fill in the gaps between his main meals with healthy snacks, support his recovery with a post workout protein and carbohydrate supplement, and multivitamin and mineral supplement to ensure he is getting all the nutrients he needs on a daily basis. Other people have a difficult time getting enough overall protein in each day, so additional protein can then be supplemented. Once you've identified the need, it is important to ensure that any products you get are made with as high of quality ingredients as possible. They should also have the right percentage of those ingredients. For example, if I'm looking for a meal or "snack" replacement, I want it to have a good balance in its percentage of carbohydrates and proteins, just like a well balanced meal should have.

Unfortunately it would take too long to go into the depth needed for explaining which ingredients are better in each category. Just as with food choices, though, look to keep the sugar and fat content very low. Many bars and shakes are loaded with either sugar, fat, or both, as well as lots of fillers and low quality sources of proteins and carbohydrates. They may have the amounts of protein and carbs that you are looking for, but to make their product taste better than the next guys, they load it up with the sugar and fat. In many cases, they end up being about as bad as a candy bar or milkshake, just with some added protein.

As our owner Pete has stated in previous discussions we've had on the topic, not all proteins and carbohydrate sources are created equal. Again, a qualified professional can help steer you to some of the better quality products. After years of researching and testing various products, we have narrowed our recommendations down to mainly one product line. It doesn't mean that there aren't any other products out there containing the right balance of nutrients and high qaulity ingredients, but these products have loads of scientifically reviewed peer research proving that it meets the highest of quality standards and actually delivers on its claims. I guess the bottom line is, talk to professionals, do your own research, and NEVER believe the "hype" of fancy packaging, slogans, and marketing campaigns. Don't get caught up in the hope or belief that supplements will "solve" your problem and be the ultimate answer (the same goes for gimmicky exercise equipment, too, by the way). They should merely supplement an already good nutrition and exercise program. Having the right plan, and commiting to working hard and staying consistent with that plan, however, WILL solve the problem just about every single time. So, with supplements, be smart and be safe, and ask a true professional if you need help, not the person next to you at the gym.

I thought I'd finish with a couple nice updates. Since our last weigh-in 2 weeks ago, Michael has lost an additional 11 lbs, bringing the running total to 54 lbs.!!! Also, since I talked about calorie expenditure in the last blog, I wanted to throw in that in his last cardio workout, he burned 610 calories in only 30 minutes! Nice job, Michael. Keep up the great work and
we WILL hit our 100 pound weight loss goal by the end of this competition!

Trainer Notes: Week 11

Week eleven brought continued strength and cardio improvements. I know, it's starting to sound like a broken record...but, what else can we say, Michael just hasn't stopped seeing improvements and changes. His current resistance training program has been focused on continuing to build functional strength, and it has been doing just that. One example of this is Michael's Dumbbell chest presses on the exercise ball (seen at the end of this last video blog). He began this program using 35-40 lb db's on this exercise, and by the time we finish this final week on the program, he will be pressing at least 65 lb Dumbbells. His legs and his core have also continued to progress at equally impressive rates. Next week we will shift gears and move to more of an endurance based resistance training program.
We will be increasing the rep range and working into more of a circuit based program (4 or more different exercises done consecutively with minimal to no rest in between). This type of program will be designed to keep his heart rate up more consistently through the workout, maximizing caloric expenditure. O.k., I can already hear the questions...Why wouldn't you always want to do this type of program? Wouldn't you always want to maximize caloric expenditure? Well, there's a few reasons we are just moving to this type of program now with Michael.

First, we really needed to get both Michael's strength and his conditioning level up during these first few months so he could handle the different type of intensity that these circuit programs provide. Second, we needed to increase his lean mass to increase his metabolism, as well as it's contributions to long term caloric expenditure. Additionally, while we do burn a good amount of calories during resistance training workouts, the metabolic increase we get as we recover for the following day or two allows us to burn 2 to 3 times the amount of calories we burn during the workout itself. Therefore, no matter how we approach it, if the right intensity, volume and proper rate of progression is followed, we will be burning plenty of calories whether it's during or after. Finally, many of our circuit programs involve some total body conditioning exercises that help increase the rate and keep it up during the workout. To do these safely and effectively, we needed some good weight loss to occur first. At a lower body weight there is less impact and stress on the joints. Also, now he is much better conditioned, coordinated and functionally strong enough to be able to do new exercises well, while maintaining good form and technique even as he fatigues - helping to prevent/avoid injury. Ultimately, it is just another way to create the change and variations we need to the workouts so we are keeping his muscles and body confused enough that they are continuosly forced to adapt to a new stimulus, thus preventing hitting the dreaded "plateau."

To finish, speaking of caloric expenditure, I thought I'd share a cool thing we started following during this past week. We started tracking Michael's "calories burned" during his coached cardio workouts on the elliptical machine. These cardio workouts are generally 25 minutes long, and are designed to be as effective as possible within this time frame. So, during the first cardio day last week he burned 511 calories, and during the second one he burned 540 calories! To provide a general reference, it would take the average person 45 - 60 minutes of jogging to burn this many calories, and it would take nearly 2 hours of brisk walking to do the same. Not to mention, while also being more time efficient, shorter duration, higher intensity cardio also helps your body retain its lean muscle tissue better, which again is key to maintaining a high metabolism and long term calorie
expenditure.

Michael Video Blog: Week 10

Nutrition Notes: Week 10

Last week we finished up by talking about supplementation. Over the years we have fielded so many questions about what supplements are good or bad, which ones work the best, which ones are o.k. to take, when to use them, if they should be used at all, and on and on. The correct answer to most of these questions is...that there isn't always just one correct answer. In consulting with our clients, including Michael, we first need to evaluate where they are at nutritionally, understanding their personal situation, before we can make sound recommendations. While many people do fall into similar traps and poor nutritional habits, each person's needs and limitations will vary (vegetarians/vegans, lactose intolerance, etc.). This is also why we don't generally provide generic meal plans or an exact amount of calories to follow. When it comes to nutritional supplements, most of our recommendations follow this same level of specificity. There are some basic guidelines, however, that just about everyone can take into consideration, and for the purpose of still keeping this focused on Michael's situation, we can discuss how we evaluated his needs. First of all, we focus only on the nutritional supplements that have true nutritional value to our clients, specifically supplements that provide proteins, carboydrates, vitamins, and minerals, either stand alone or combined in the product itself. The amount of products out there is staggering, and for just about anything you can think of. Unfortunately, most of what's out there is either poor quality, completely unnecessary, provides little to no actual benefit, or all of the above. Despite this fact, the supplement industry is a vastly growing, multi-billion dollar industry. Also, there are limited to no regulations by the FDA on most supplements, so when it comes to them...Buyer Beware!

It doesn't mean they are all bad or useless, it just means it is important to either educate and arm yourself with the knowledge, or seek out a qualified and experienced professional to guide you in the right direction - and no, the guy behind the counter at your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe is NOT that person. They are paid and have incentive to sell you as much as they can and steer you to the products that give them the most profit, regardless of whether you really NEED them or not. The right fitness professional will ONLY recommend the right products that you can truly benefit from, and actually discourage you from buying or using the ones you don't need or that could harm you. This is what we did with Michael. We evaluated that most of his need was in ensuring that he was keeping his food frequency up by getting good snacks in. He had the ability to take care of his main meals well, but would struggle with getting healthy and balanced snacks in at the correct portions. He also was in need of a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement from years of eating processed and high fat foods that provided him with little to no nutrients. Finally, with the intensity and effort he is putting into his workouts, we knew he would need a high quality recovery product to ensure that his body was getting the right balance of quality carbohydrates and protein post workout. That's it, though - no products specifically designed for "weight loss", pre-workout energy, or anything outside of what he needed to fill the gaps in his nutritional plan. Eating right and getting all the nutrients you need will provide you with all the energy you need and will support your metabolism, allowing you to lose weight naturally. Also, the plan is to eventually taper the use of some of these off as he progresses. He may decide eventually to always use them in some capacity, which is completely fine - if you polled all fitness professionals, I would be willing to bet that the vast majority use nutritional supplements in some capacity on a daily basis. The overall idea, however, is to use them for convenience and to "fill in the gaps," an insurance policy as we always like to say. Without taking up too much more time or space (I didn't realize how quickly it can add up), next time we can go into a little more information about quality and what can potentially distinguish a "good" supplement from a "bad" one. Until next time...

Trainer Notes: Week 10

Wow! The weeks just keep flying by, and Michael continues to see great, steady results. His workouts also continue to progress well each week. This week we will decrease our rep range and increase some resistances to help challenge his body to get even a little bit stronger. We will do this for two weeks and then change up the entire routine again. As you see in his previous post, Michael lost another 12 pounds two weeks from the last assessment. To me, the consistent rate at which he has continued to lose weight has been one the coolest things to watch. See, this isn't always the norm, and even as trainers, we expect that there may be an occasional week or several week period where the scale doesn't always reflect the effort, or show the weight loss we would like to see. It doesn't mean things aren't changing and improving (inches, decreased body fat), and often it can lead to better returns the following week or period. It's almost as if the body decides that it just needs to play catch-up before it kicks into a higher gear again with the changes (to put it not so scientifically). The point is, it can happen, but it shouldn't discourage you or throw you off course. Michael's consistent results have, in part, come as a result of him being so consistent with his workouts and nutrition. While his weight loss has been steady and consistent, it doesn't mean that it will be for every weigh-in. It might, but if it isn't, it doesn't necessarily mean that he, or we, did anything wrong. If you stay on track, get good workouts in and eat well on a consistent basis, the end result will come your way. Just keep the focus on that one key word - Consistency - and the body will find a way to take care of itself and be the best it can be in the end, both internally and externally.

A Lonely TV 10 Weeks Later

After my eight week weigh in at 361 and 32 lbs. lost two weeks ago, Ben and I set a goal that I would be able to weigh on the Fitness Together scale which maxes out at 350 for the next bi-weekly weigh in at 10 weeks. Up to now, we have been weighing next door at Dr. Dall’s office – Thank you Dr. Dall. The verdict is in, and I beat it by 1 pound at 349 lbs., which means I lost 12 lbs. the last two weeks for a running total of 44 lbs. Woohoo!

Thank you Ben, Phil, Brian, Tracy, Marie, and Nicole. I can’t say it enough.

Reasons why this transformation is so important to me:

1. My health was headed down a deadly path. At 37 I am pre-diabetic, have high blood pressure, and testing showed my cardiac disease risk was over 3 times the high level of normal.

2. I couldn’t sleep, and would rotate from the couch to the bed, to the chair, back to the bed. Often watching TV at 3AM.

3. I was tired of being tired.

4. I was emotionally drained by frequent embarrassing moments.

5. I was worn out by everyone I know telling me I needed to lose weight. Let’s be truthful folks, it doesn’t make smokers quit either.

6. I had lost almost my entire sense of self-worth and self-confidence.

Changes already:

1. I have energy to do things like gardening which I enjoy more than putting my Netflix subscription to maximum usage.

2. I can sleep now. I have added the ritual of reading in bed for a few minutes, and have been sleeping straight through the night now with consistency. Something I haven’t done in years.

3. My heart rate is way down, my cholesterol down, and my diabetes risk is decreasing.

4. We are eating more meals together as a family at the table, instead of on the coach basking in the blue light glow.

Things I am looking forward to:

1. Being able to fit into a booth at a restaurant.

2. Not having to ask for a chair without arms in any public situation.

3. Not getting bruises on my legs from airplane seats.

4. Not having to ask for a seat belt extension from a flight attendant when flying.

5. Not having people make ugly faces and sigh when they realize the big sweaty guy(me) has an airplane seat next to them.

6. Being able to get into our shower without scrapping my stomach on the shower door frame.

7. Not breaking office chairs when I sit in them, including those at Fitness Together (sorry Ben).

8. Being able to buy clothes at Kohls and retire our King Size Direct credit account.

9. Being able to fit into a sports car comfortably and take a nice drive.

10. Being able to live longer and happier life.

11. Being able to take my dog on a 3-mile hike.

12. Being able to do a fundraising run, and run, and finish.

13. And much more….

Until next time,

Michael

Nutrition Notes: Week 9

Last week we discussed how Michael is still losing weight at a steady and consistent pace, and doing it without the help of a nasty four letter word... D I E T. I still nearly shudder at the mention of "dieting" when people tell me they are trying this to lose weight. Dieting generally means two things to me; deprivation, and...temporary. Neither benefit anyone in the end. Our bodies need adequate calories and a balance of all nutrients to function at their peak, and we want good nutritional changes to last for a lifetime. We truly believe that the changes Michael has been making will stick with him, allowing him to maintain a healthy way of eating for the long haul. One of the main reasons for his weight loss nutritionally, is that by changing many of his daily eating habits (more frequent and balanced meals with good portion control), which is almost equally important as his improvements in food choices (higher quality, healthy choices), he has trained his body to use food as the fuel and energy source it was meant to be. He can still enjoy the taste of healthy and nutritious foods (it doesn't happen immediately, but our palate does change), and even an occassional "cheat" meal, but ultimately he is teaching his mind and body to view food differently. In addition, the proper frequency and correct balance of nutrients allows his metabolism to skyrocket by normalizing hormones, and helping to improve or avoid insulin resistance. It also means he can get the most out of his workouts so they can be as effective as possible on their end.

One of the things we have helped Michael with in the beginning stages of changing his nutrition, is introducing and recommending a small amount of supplementation to his daily food intake. We focused on three areas; ensuring he is getting all of the vitamins and minerals he needs through a high quality multivitamin and mineral supplement that also includes probiotics; providing the proper ratio of quality carboydrates and protein intake for workout recovery through a post workout shake; and helping to keep his frequency up by providing him with another high quality and balanced option for his snacks in the form of a bar or shake mix. I'll discuss these items a little more next time and also explain how using nutritional supplements can and often should vary from person to person depening on their individuals needs and limitations. There are pros and cons and all supplements are definitely NOT created equal.

Michael Video Blog: Week 8

Trainer Notes: Week 9

Week 9 brought some tough new challenges for Michael. His new workout routine is definitely challenging him to step up his game another notch. While our basic structure of balancing resistance training with cardiovascular exercise remains the same, we have brought the intestity up another level. We have progressed on the exercises and lowered the rep range, which allows us to make those exercises a little more difficult during each set he performs. In some cases, this means increasing the resistance, and in others it means continuing to challenge him with harder progressions and positions that are tougher to control. As he has proven since the beginning of this competition, however, he has the drive and the fight to push through every challenge we have put in front of him. While he has definitely been very fatiqued before, the end of week 9 had Michael more physically and maybe even mentally fatigued than at any point so far in this challenge. He has worked through it like a champ, though, and that's what also makes adequate recovery, even through tough competitions like this, so important.

We still have Michael taking the weekends off from structured exercise. Monday through Friday he is going all out, giving it everything he has through 5 days of challenging and intense workouts. We structure and design the plan during the week to allow adequate muscle recovery, but by the end of the week his body, and we feel even more importantly, his mind, need a break. We encourage active recovery, like walks with the dog, working around the house and in the yard, a nice bikeride, etc., but not stuctured and intense exercise. These activities still burn calories and help support the metabolism, but are supposed to be fun and very low in intensity. Even though this is a competition, it's a journey, not a sprint, and we want to avoid physical breakdown and injury, as well as psychological burnout. The body also makes most of its progress through the recovery process, and Michael even reports that he feels his body changing the most over the course of his "weekends off." Keep up the good fight everyone, and thank you to all of our current clients who have directly or indirectly provided Michael with support. We are hearing more and more how Michael's efforts and results so far are an inspiration and providing motivation to many of you out there. We pass this along to Michael, and he tells us all the time how appreciative he is and how much it motivates and inspires him in return. We have our next weigh-in this Wednesday, so stay tuned for the results...

Meal Plan: Week 8

Michael continues to do very well with his nutrition, and there are numerous reasons why we feel he's done so well. As mentioned previously, changing nutritional habits can be one of the most difficult things to do when trying to lose weight and get in shape. Often, people are trying to change deeply rooted, life-long habits, and sometimes breaking psychological and/or physiological addictions to food. That's what makes the changes he has made even more impressive, because when Michael came to us, his body was definitely addicted to sugar, fat, processed and fried foods. Michael's love for food, as many of us have, actually provided us with a positive approach, however. How? Well, prepare yourself as I let you in on a little secret, but... it's o.k. to enjoy food. No, really, it's O.K. Shocking, right? I know what you're thinking, but no, eating healthy doesn't have to doom you to a life of foods that taste like bark. In working with Michael and his wife, Audrey, we discovered that they both love to cook and create. This helped us work with them and challenge them to not only find and create new, healthy recipes, but to also find ways to modify some of their favorite recipes to choose better ingredients and make them healthier. They've done a great job of following through on this, and in the long run, it will help these changes stick more permanently, because they are the ones taking part in this process of change. We try to provide them with the education and tools they will need to be successful, but then help support and coach them through the process of actually making these changes stick as new habits and as part of a new lifestyle. We also believe strongly in the philosophy that good nutrition is about eating enough of the right nutrients, in the proper balance. Deprivation is not a word that fits into our nutritional vocabulary very well. In fact, Michael still tells us that he feels strange eating the amount of food we have him focusing on every day, and yet, he still continues to lose weight. We'll discuss next time some of the reasons why, and touch upon another key nutritional topic - Nutritional Supplements.

Trainer Notes: Week 8

We finished up week 8, and wow, does time fly. It's been so fun and really amazing to see what Michael's been able to accomplish in this short period of time. As you can see from the last entry, the results are speaking for themselves. What the numbers don't tell you, however, is how much he has improved and benefited in less "measurable" ways. One thing that was really noticeable to us this week was how much Michael's confidence with himself and with performing his exercises has improved and really started to shine through. I'm not sure if it's something he has even recognized, but is very apparent to those of us who saw where he started. While the improved confidence seems to be actually helping him progress and excel in his workouts, we're more excited for how it can affect and improve his life in various ways outside of our studio. Also hearing how much better he is feeling overall and how much more active he's been able to be at home is a great feeling. Outstanding job, Michael. These real "life" improvents are just as important as the other great results you have gotten so far.

Next week we will start another new workout program. Michael's body has responded so well to the gradual increases we've made so far, that we will continue to focus on building good functional strength. Again, exercises will get more challenging, we will decrease our rep range a little, and challenge him in new ways. We are going to continue with 3 resistance training sessions followed by short duration cardio and two coached cardio sessions each week, as it has been working so well for him. His cardio sessions will of course get more challenging, continuing to keep up with his new found cardiovascular improvements. Well, that's about it for this week, but I did want to give some recognition to the other contestants, as everyone appears to be working very hard and starting to see the payoff. Nice job everyone! This has been a fun and rewarding experience all around so far.

Michael Video Blog

Meal Plan: Week 7

Well, I'm not going to talk much about nutrition today because I'm just too excited to report the results of Michael's first 8 week assessment. Do check out his next video blog, though, as he gives a nice cooking demonstration and recipe for a healthy and tasty breakfast idea (trainer approved, too). So, we did Michael's first "full" re-assessment today, 8 weeks from our original one. In short, the changes are...outstanding! While we do pride ourselves on seeing very good, consistent, and predictable results with our clients, Michael's focus and his workout plan have only reinforced to us (and many of our current clients) what can be accomplished in a short period of time with hard work, dedication, and a "full" commitment to working toward the end result. By doing a great job focusing on all three "essentials" of our program (resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, and nutrition) in the proper balance, Michael has been able to achieve the following results in just 8 weeks:

Weight Loss - 32 lbs.

Body Fat % Decrease: 3%

Total Inches Lost: 23 inches (7.5 inches lost around his waist, and 8 inches lost around his hips alone!)

Resting Heart Rate: Went from 97 beats per minute to 68 bpm. (This means his heart and complete cardiorespiratory system isn't being taxed nearly as much and is much more efficient)

Heart Rate Recovery from a 3 minute step test: 158 bpm down to 115 bpm (During the first assessment, he could only complete 2 minutes of the test, and couldn't follow the designated cadence. This time he completed all 3 mintues at the correct cadence, and still had a dramatic improvement in his recovery from cardiovascular exercise.)

Resting Blood Pressure: Went from 140/90 down to 126/78 (Again, another great "health" improvement)

Post Cardio Recovery Blood Pressure: Went from 180/90 down to 180/80 The improvement in the diastolic (second number) is the key here.

Upper Body Strength: His predicted max on our bench press went from 150 up to 208. This was a 38% improvement in his test strength, but as we've seen in his workouts, his "functional" strength has already doubled.

Lower Body Strength: His predicted max on our leg press went from 583 to 864 (This guy has some strong legs!) :) Again, a 48% improvement here, but even more important is the improvements we've seen in the leg exercises he has done in his actual workouts.

Flexibility: Michael improved his Sit & Reach test from 3.8 to 6 inches - a 60% improvement! Better flexibility can often equate to less risk of injury during many physical activities.

Overall, excellent results and improvements. At this point, Michael's metabolism is even more "fired" up than it was during his first few weeks, so I still expect to see great changes over these remaining months. We'll still keep everyone updated with our bi-weekly weigh-ins and monthly re-measures. Thanks to all who have been supporting and encouraging Michael. We are extremely proud of him, and can't wait to continue seeing what he can accomplish in the near future.

Trainer Notes Week 7

Week 7 was another good week for Michael overall. This week started the second half of his current workout routine, which made it time to pick things up even a bit more. The first week was more about learning the new exercises and progressions, and really getting a feel for the changes in flow and intensity. His second week on it helped us work on fine tuning technique and gradually increasing the volume and intensity. With solid technique and a good feel for the program dialed in by week 3, we could really focus on challenging him more during the workouts by increasing resistance levels and decreasing his rest and recovery periods. Next week will already be the last week on this program, and we'll really try to maximize the benefits of it before we switch gears. Michael continues to adapt quickly and respond very well, although that doesn't mean that it's been easy for him. We keep doing our best to encourage, coach and support him through the tough physical and mental challenges that an intense program (The FT Transformation Challenge) like this can present. This current routine was meant to continue furthering a balance of strength, conditioning, and functional development for Michael. So far, so good. His strength keeps going up in leaps and bounds, he's going faster and harder in his cardio workouts, and his neuromuscular control and joint stability are noticeably improved from even a few weeks ago. Just one more week before we do a full remeasurement of his weight, inches, body fat, strength levels, and cardiovascular levels. I can't wait to report the changes!

Meal Plan: Week 6

Michael's nutrition continues to be a big contributor toward the results he is still seeing. As you see in his previous post, he lost another 8.5 lbs in the last 2 weeks! So, he's lost almost 30 lbs. in 6 weeks. It's really incredible! As mentioned before, the nutritional part of the program can often be at least 50% of the formula in seeing good initial, and in particular, lasting results. Michael has already done what most people struggle with the most, and that's to fully change his nutritional habits. We started by teaching him the right concepts, helping him make some simple changes and setting small goals week to week. Taking this step by step approach really helps to reinforce the changes as habit, as well as helping to prevent the usually overwhelming feeling that more drastic measures create. He put so much focus and dedication into following all of our recommendations, that we were able to help him continue to make more changes and set more and more new goals every single week. At this point, the changes he has made are becoming more and more of a true lifestyle change, and that is where I believe Michael's greatest "transformation" has occured so far. If you saw where Michael's diet was at before he started, to where it is now, you would truly understand how amazing the change is. It's a complete 180. So, while all of the weight loss, inches lost, and body fat lost is fantastic so far, the improvements he has made nutritionally and the knowledge he has gained will also improve his health and will carry with him for life - not to mention how it will continue to help him burn off body fat at a steady rate!

27 Down 140 to go

6 week weigh in – another 8 lbs lost! YES! Almost 30 pounds in 6 weeks! The next two weeks I will be working really hard to do well because the training staff will be doing a full body measurements and fitness assessments to evaluate my progress of the first 2 months. Also, my doctor is pleased (imagine that), and although having thoughts of increasing my medication for blood sugar and cholesterol, is going to keep them at current levels for now as long as I am losing weight, and will do some retesting in a couple weeks. So, no new meds for now!

My transformation thought of the week:
Crunch (krunch)
BEFORE – to chew with a noisy crackling sound on potato chips, snack crackers, caramel nut popcorn, pecans, and the occasional celery stick smeared with pimento cheese.

AFTER – A modified sit-up having a smaller range of motion that reduces back strain and strengthens the abdominal muscles making me produce weird loud grunting noises and produces exhausted.

Watch for a fun and exciting video blog coming later this week!

Thank you everyone for your support and comments. It means more to me than words can express to know I have people that care about my health.

Trainer Notes: Week 6

Michael had a great week. Although last week felt like week one all over again with the exercise progressions in the resistance training workouts; he has begun to adapt quickly to the changes in his program. The first four weeks of his workouts we focused on anatomical adaptation. We helped him connect with the muscle groups we were going to be working. Laying out the foundation during the first four weeks has helped him adapt quicker to the progressions put in place for the next four weeks. We want him to be able to push harder and begin to reach "momentary muscle failure" in the last set of each exercise. I know this can sound scary, but it simply means that he uses a resistance heavy enough that he can only lift it the recommended repatitions on the last set. He has already been able to do this while maintaining proper form with some of the exercises this week. He has also been able to push harder with the cardiovascular workouts.

Michael Video Blog: Week Five

Meal Plan: Week Five

This past week we only needed to make minor adjustments, and we discussed some additional concepts to aid in maintaining the changes Michael, and his wife Audrey have made as true lifestyle changes. Audrey, by the way, has also lost 15 pounds this past month changing her nutritional habits in support of Michael. On a side note, it's hard to even express how beneficial it is to have a support system at home - a friend, family member, or coworker to provide encouragement and maybe even do it at the same time.

We worked on eating Breakfast a little sooner in the day, ideally within the first half hour to hour after waking up, as it will kickstart the metabolism for the day sooner. We also worked on eating Dinner a little sooner, so it is not as close to bedtime. As our bodies are winding down for the day, they don't need the same amount of calories to operate, so eating too much, close to bedtime will potentially be giving us calories we don't need or won't have the opportunity to burn off. We also worked on what we like to call "conscious eating." This simply means paying closer attention to the actual process of eating when we sit down for meals. Social distractions (lots of conversation, watching television, etc.) tend to make us eat faster and in larger quantities because we are not really aware of what, or how much, we are shoveling into our mouths. By slowing down, thinking about how much food we have in front of us, and paying more attention to each bite, we can tap more into our bodies instinctive need for food. So, when we don't need anymore, which is before the point of actually "feeling" full, we can put that fork down and say, that's enough for now - I don't "need" anymore. Try this at dinner for one week - the difference in quanitity and choices may be surprising.

Trainer Notes: Week Five

It's the end of week 5 and the end of the first week on Michael's new workout program. Everything continues to go very well. Some new exercises and progressions were thrown at him this week, many of them challenging his balance and core strength, along with some that push him to higher intensities. As Michael put it, it felt like week one all over again...but, his body continues to get stronger, and his conditioning level has dramatically improved - he can really go after it in his cardio sessions now! We're all still very impressed with his commitment to this program, and excited to keep seeing the changes that are happening right in front of our eyes. We remeasured today, 4 weeks from our last measurements, and in the first month Michael has lost:

20 pounds
3% Body Fat
18 Total Inches!!! - this includes 5 inches lost around his waist and 8 inches lost around his hips!!

Great stuff and Excellent job, Michael! Keep up the great work!

Video Blog: Week Four

Meal Plan: Week Four

Well, nothing groundbreaking to report on the nutrition front. In this case, that can be a good thing, though, as it means consistency. Michael's nutrition has been looking great, and his focus and dedication to it since he started is really paying off. When we started, he told us how intense many of his food cravings were. By eating portion controlled, well balanced meals frequently enough, those cravings have almost enitrely disappeared. In particular, he no longer craves sugar, which is a great accomplishment by itself. Generally, when people focus on eating better, especially in an effort to lose weight, the focus often gets put mainly on cutting out fat, or staying very low fat. While cutting out the wrong fats is critical, and maintaining an overall low fat diet is important to lose weight and keep it off, limiting sugar intake is just as, if not more important. This is because, while sugar doesn't contain fat, it is entirely empty calories (no nutritional value) that trigger hormones inside your body to store more of the calories you do eat as fat. In other words, the fat content in food alone does not make us fat, the foods we eat and the way we eat them trigger and release hormones that "train" our body to store more calories as fat - even if some of those calories are from "healthy" foods. In addition, processed foods and white flour cause much of the same effect. Therefore, it is absolutely critical to cut out as much refined and processed sugars as possible. The sugars you do get should come from natural sources, like fruit. Be very careful even with fruit juices, as many of them are loaded with additional sugars, or have a much higher sugar content than whole fruit.

By eating the way he has, Michael has been "retraining" his body to use the food (calories) he is eating as fuel, instead of wanting to store it. This is rapidly increasing his metabolism, which is also allowing him to oxidize (burn off) fat for energy when he is exercising, and allowing him to burn more calories even when he is at rest and recovering from his workouts. All of these improvements have been a big contributor in allowing Michael to lose 20 lbs. so far!! The results he is seeing already just wouldn't be as good as they have been if he didn't start making improvements to his nutrition early on. It can easily be at least 50% of the weight loss formula, and is a very important of our program here at FT. In fact, we consider it one of our "essentials", and truly feel it's what allows us to get consistently good and "predictable" results with our clients. We have another nutrition session with Michael at the end of this week, where we'll check in again, and see what we can teach him next. Stay tuned, as Monday we will post the full updates on Michael's weight and measurement losses. Exciting stuff!

Woohoo!

4 weeks in, 19 pounds lost, 5 inches at the waist gone.

Thank you Ben, Phil and Brian.

This is just the beginning.

Michael

Trainer Notes: Week Four

It's the end of our first month, and all I can say is, Wow!! It still amazes me what can be accomplished with great commitment, effort, attitude, the right plan, and the right people to support, motivate, and coach you through it. What a difference this first 4 weeks has made for Michael. He is changing and progressing at such a quick rate, I'm not sure people who haven't seen him in a while will even recognize him a few months from now. He is working so hard and has followed through on every single recommendation we've made. In this first month, he has improved his strength and conditioning level tremendously, and has already lost close to 15 lbs. and 4 inches around his waist! We'll do our next "official" weigh in next week, as well as the measurements again for more details on that. Overall, it's amazing how much stronger his legs and core muscles have gotten, and he has actually doubled, that's right - doubled, his upper body strength already from where he started.

So, next week we will start his new workout routine. New programs are all about progression for us. We want to create that variable change in an effective, but safe way to help Michael reach his ultimate goal. Everything we do, every exercise we select for Michael, has a purpose, and is designed to take him to the next step. It's not enough to just throw a bunch of challenging exercises together and make him sweat and burn calories. It takes educated planning and solid rationale to obtain "predictable" results. The better and more safely we "progress" him, the more we can do moving forward. This will mean that exercises can be more advanced and challenging in the future without risk of injury, and the higher the intensity of sets and the overall workout can be. In the next few months Michael will surprise himself by doing things and accomplishing things he may have never thought possible. Now that he's gotten past the initial adaptation and has already starting progressing, we will be going into month 2 with more challenging progressions and exercises. We are also going to decrease his rep range from 15 to 12 so he can handle some of the new exercises better and so we can increase some resistance levels where appropriate to continue to increase strength and build lean muscle. We will be combining the exercises differently as well to challenge his conditiong level more. We're excited to start this next step with Michael, and stay tuned for the updates on his measurements.

Video Blog: Week Three

The Holiday Spread

Hello everyone!
Audrey and I have settled into some good routines for our meal planning, cooking, portion control and food selection. One challenge to portion control was that we had to adjust to is keeping ourselves from overbuying food at the store, especially perishables. So planning and thinking ahead on what meals we are going to cook really helps with that. The next big challenge coming our way is the spread on the table at Easter Sunday.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think I should be able to control my intake, but there is just something culturally imbedded in me that screams “PIG OUT” at holiday meals. Of course, having people who love to cook and eat among all sides of our families probably compounds this phenomenon. I mean, no one makes mashed potatoes and turkey gravy as good as my Aunt Mary. No one. So, come Thanksgiving, must have lots of Aunt Mary’s mashed potatoes and gravy. Then there is my mother’s pineapple sour cream pie, and my mom’s cousin Sandy’s infamous strawberry pretzel cream cheese Jello dessert.

Even the conversations at holiday times turn to favorite dishes we miss made by family members no longer with us. Aunt Juanita’s chicken and noodles are legendary, and I would pay a fortune to taste my Grandma Long’s pea salad or Grandma Crumly’s Waldorf salad again.

In two days, Audrey and I go to her parents for Easter dinner. Boy, can she cook. First, Ann makes this wonderful pineapple peach raisin sauce for the ham. Then there is her ghoulishly delicious macaroni and cheese next to the best stuffing I have ever eaten. I am still hoping one day Ann will let Audrey know how to make her greens. And then, of course, there is Ann’s homemade pound cake with lemon glaze. It is so good; dozens of people have been after her to start a cake business.

So, come Sunday, I realize two or three towering plates of food probably aren’t in my best interest, especially after I met with the doctor yesterday and reviewed my blood sugar and cholesterol test results. However, I am learning how to eat sustainably for life and I do get a “throw away” day once a week as part of my meal plan, so a spoonful of mac and cheese, a spoonful of dressing, and a sliver of pound cake may come my way. After all, holiday time with family is special.

Thanks for your support everyone,

God bless,

Michael

Meal Plan: Week Three

This past week or so was mainly focused on building consistency with everything we've worked on up to this point. As Michael also mentioned in his video blog, he's been working on buying products with higher quality ingredients. Again, just because a product's label makes it sound great and healthy, doesn't mean that it is. As Michael mentioned, plenty of healthy sounding wheat breads are actually made from "enriched" flour, which essentially means processed, and can be just as bad as white flour. Any of these will wreak havoc inside your body, triggering your hormones to store more fat. Michael's done a nice job working on this, and the difference we see in his journal with better protein and carbohydrate selections is outstanding in comparison to where he started. Michael was already very good with his water intake and limiting high calorie, high sugar liquids, but we have him tracking this as well. He is drinking water with every meal and snack time, as well as throughout his workouts. Overall, Michael had another very good week. Even his "cheat meal" was pretty good: A cheeseburger made with 90% lean ground beef, on a whole grain bun, with ketchup, pickles, onion, and homemade baked french fries as his side - oh, and water to drink. Since he's been doing so well, I thought I'd share some examples of good meals in a day of Michael's nutrition, taken directly from his Food Log:
Breakfast - 1 cup 1% cottage cheese, 3/4 cup fresh pineapple, and 1 slice of whole grain bread. Water.

Snack 1 - Shaklee "Cinch" shake. Water

Post Workout - Shaklee "Physique" (an excellent post-workout recovery shake with high quality protein and carbs).

Lunch - Stew made of chicken breasts, cannelli beans, tomatoes, onions, and celery, 1 slice of whole grain bread. Water.

Snack 2 - Shaklee Cinch Meal Bar. Water.

Dinner - Talapia in skillet w/olive oil, brown rice risotto, arugala w/dijon/lemon juice/olive oil. Water.

Hopefully, everyone can see again that you don't need to starve yourself to lose weight. In fact, by eating like he has in this journal example, Michael is already significantly losing weight, inches, and bodyfat. Michael and his wife are excellent cooks, which has helped them still create good variety while staying healthy at the same time. It definitely has required planning, and better discipline in choosing good foods and portion control, but in no way does it leave Michael "deprived" of anything. Plus, the significant increase in his activity level does require enough of the "right" calories to fuel and support it properly in order for it to be effective. All in all, another great week. Keep up the good work!

Trainer Notes: Week Three

Well, week 3 was all about blood, sweat, and tears. Alright, maybe just the sweat, but the rest sure makes it sound "tougher."

It was a week focused more on intensity, however. As mentioned previously, the first week or two are much more focused on adaptation and increasing the volume of the workouts. This was the first week where we were able to increase the intensity more during each workout. Exercise technique was fine tuned and tweaked even more and resistances increased on almost every exercise again. While Michael definitely felt the cumulative fatigue setting in from the week by Friday, he also showed the amazing resilience and adaptive ability that our bodies have. He's already doing things now that would not have been possible for him even a couple weeks ago. As crazy it will seem to him, though, next week will be the last week on his current workout program. Adaptations start to occur a little quicker now, and to avoid any plateaus along the way, we need to stay ahead of the curve. This will mean progressing and changing key workout variable like reps, sets, resistance levels and types, tempos, rest periods, and many more to ensure that the body is always trying to meet the challenge of a new stimulus. It will also help Michael from getting bored and worn out from the same exercises and routine over and over again.

We also had our first 2 week "weigh-in" at the beginning of the week, and after 2 weeks, Michael had lost 9 lbs.!! Great job, Michael! As we've already discussed with Michael, the scale weight actually isn't his or our ultimate barometer for his success in this program. Yes, it is important for him to get his weight into a healthy range, but it will come along with our focus on some other very important factors. Our main focus right now is to actually decrease his body fat percentage, which tells us the balance of lean weight and fat weight he has. The other is to decrease his overall inches, but this will also come along with decreasing his body fat percentage, as well helping him maintain good strength and muscular tone as the fat burns off. Right now, we want Michael to maintain or build upon his lean mass for its contributions to calorie expenditure and increased metabolism, and then focus solely on decreasing the fat weight. This will be a lot healthier for him in the end and also make it easier for him to maintain the weight loss long term. So, while the 9 lbs. he has lost already is great, it may be even more in fat weight if he has gained some lean weight. In a couple more weeks we'll do another weigh-in, but will also re-measure his body fat percentage, which will be even more exciting to see how much true fat weight he has lost.