Lead by Example

In 2006, my father passed away from heart failure. He had lived a full life and his heart health was impacted by muscular dystrophy/atrophy.  Although my father knew of his condition he didnt start making dietary adjustments until after he required a pacemaker. Many memories of my dad eating donuts or chocolate chip cookies and chocolate milk for breakfast cause me to smile, but I hold knowledge of the fat and sugar content of those "dead" foods. Watching my fathers health decline really motivated me to get my heart and lungs in good shape and I started a regular running routine along with some resistance training and yoga.


I lost about 40 pounds from my heaviest point but have struggled with that bottom 20lbs of weight. I wanted to share how I did it the first time and then share the adjustments I've made and the current diet I keep along with my exercise regimen. Im the type of person who walks up to people in the gym and asks them about their workout and diet. Of course I had previous conversations with them and they become familiar with me but I will from time to time approach a stranger. I guess I dont care if they misunderstand me. However, one thing I will never understand is why people in the gym can be so grumpy! I thought it was supposed to release endorphins and create community etc.


Information sharing is something I've become a huge fan of recently as I launched my photography career and began following blogs authored by seasoned pros. They offer all of their knowledge to the community they belong and dont ask for a dime. I love that. And so, I too want to perpetuate information sharing where people can post comments and ask questions and we can all learn together. When I finally started losing weight and my muscle tone increased people noticed and asked me what I was doing. Of course they got an earful of information and I rattled off product names and supplements, names of trainers, yoga instructors, group exercise classes etc. They dont often remember all that stuff so I am going to post links and product photos and the like. I will also do this for the guest profiles I will be posting in the near future. I have a bodybuilder booked for the end of the month and am in talks with a pilates instructor who has a PHd in movement theory! I'm so excited to be building a community of health, wellness and fitness!


Okay here goes; Back in Oklahoma where I lived at the time (2005), I joined the YMCA. It was a terribly kept gym but it was all I could afford and I was determined to get fit.  My dad had recently left the hospital and I just returned from a holiday visit. My New Years Resolution was to get lean and have  a healthy heart and lungs. I didn't have health insurance so no doctor was involved for me to bounce questions off of or have blood work, hormones checked etc. I knew in my heart that sedentary living and poor eating habits were to blame anyway. I went to the library and read Men's Health Magazine and wrote down a grocery list from the recipes and supplements within.  I used that list and then started buying the magazine when i could afford it so I would learn more recipes and training tips from the articles. I now know not to believe everything I read in those magazines but it was great for motivation.    


I then decided that I was going to try fat burners. Please consult a physician here!     I tried them all and almost all of them were making me feel sick to my stomach, jittery, or just made me feel crazy! 
Im going to list them but not endorsing any of them but I will tell you the one I used that I felt fine with and got some results. I tried the following:

and all of them did not make me feel well when taking them. As soon as I stopped I was fine. I know I followed manufacturers directions and was drinking a ton of water along with the occasional sports drink after a long run. I then bought a book by Shawn Phillips brother of Bill Phillips who started the  Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength program. My sister and I actually entered the original contest from EAS supplements before he sold the company. But I liked the way Shawn wrote about being a personal trainer in ABSolution: The Practical Solution for Building Your Best Abs you can buy this book for about a buck now!  He mentioned his morning routine and supplements and I adopted his philosophy. I took 
Lean System 7-Isatori Advanced Metabolic Support Formula, 120ct (New Improved Formula) for those 3 months. It really worked for me! I went from 215-220 down to 175-180 in about 3 months of being on his schedule and supplementation regimen. I felt great, my abs were starting to pop and I was so excited running along the river in Tulsa, logging close to 30-40 miles every week.  

Soon my priorities completely shifted.  I found money for new running shoes a the New Balance store. I would recommend going to an actual store and getting fit by a specialist, but you can find a pretty sweet deal once you settle on a model number. I rotate my shoes often so the foam has time to bounce back and I stay injury free.

I went from having a cheat day on Sundays all day to a cheat meal, then to a cheat dessert or item.
My body changed, I changed. If I ate pizza I felt sick and bloated immediately and I soon found my palate wanting more pure ingredients. I would spend 15-20 bucks on a dessert from a gourmet store  and not feel guilty about the price because I wasnt spending money out in restaurants anymore. I was saving money by eating healthy at home. Food costs were quite low in Oklahoma at the time and I was not buying Organic as I do now. But I think its worth every penny.

So thats a small sample of what I did. I wont get into the diet and regimen too much. But I followed the skeleton of Shawn's diet and added my own spice to it according to the food I liked. And I used protein powder in a smoothie along with flaxseed caps and liquid minerals from Dr. Wayne Garland http://www.askdrgarland.com/who has a newsletter for wellness and supplements that I follow and often refer people to.

This is how I got started. I'll post a photo of me after I lost those first pounds but I dont have a photo of what I looked like before. Just imagine a pale, heavy and lethargic version of me that was too serious and anxious about life. I have to tell you its one of the best things I've ever done and this year as I come out of some pretty dark times I feel the foundation of those years of real fitness (2005-2007) as  great foundation. The last two years have been hard for me to find a schedule for fitness and rest. Even when I was consistently working out I was battling a irregular sleep pattern and began gaining weight again. I will have to do a post on Rest and sleep related to fitness. Maybe Arianna Huffington could be a guest blogger!