My Story
I'm going to use this site to
document my journey into fitness and hopefully help some of you to get to some
of answers I have now finally figured out. The journey is not over, in fact it never
ends but here is how I started in fitness and some of the problems I faced.
I've battled issues with my weight
all of my adult life and really even in my teens. I came to America in 1975 from
Northern Ireland and believe it or not one of the biggest changes for me was the
food and the flavors you had here in America. I was only 14 and so fast food was
a major part of my new diet (all kids love burgers, fries and shakes) and it had
a fast and severe impact on my body. I was 6'2 and weighed 175 lbs (all gluts).
Within the first year I had already crossed the 200 pound mark and was having
blood pressure and lower back pain Issues at 15!
The biggest issue here was that this occurred at such a young age and at an age
when our bodies are setting many of the systems that will be used in the rest of
our lives. Muscle development, metabolism and mental approach to our bodies are
heavily influenced during these years
Losing weight to quickly was my first long term mistake on the road to good health.
My mother saw the problems
developing and took me to our new family doctor. His solution was rapid weight
loss on a drastic diet (not the exercise I really needed) which had a long term
impact on my metabolism. The diet did reduce my weight this then created another
even bigger problem in my head. I was now convinced that starving myself was the
answer to my weight issues. We all know where that leads right? When the doctor
was satisfied with my blood pressure and my weight he took me off the rapid
weight loss diet. Now my body only needed the 1,000 calories or so he had me on
and it stored anything I ate over that amount as fat. My solution (after a
period of time) was to starve again and low and behold I would get thin again
until I started to eat normal portions again and a yoyo dieter had been created.
My lower back issues seemed to worsen every time I put the weight back on. I got
into the never ending cycle of chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons, physical
therapists and even was being sent for MRIs to try and find the problem. The
problem was obvious and right in front of all of us - rapid weight loss is was
not the answer.
My weight affected every part of life and my happiness. My wife had suggested
getting a trainer and so I joined a gym here in South Florida (Bally's) and got
signed up with a personal trainer. The trainer I was assigned to had been a
professional body builder. She really knew what she was doing and the first
thing she insisted on was a drastic change in diet. The change was both in
quality and amazingly also in quantity ... she made me eat more ! The results
with her ...incredible. She strengthened my legs and my abdominals and though it
sounds unbelievable, my back problems completely disappeared. She showed me the
only real solution I ever needed and I'll always be grateful to her.
After a short period with my trainer I began to feel invincible. The compliments
I was getting on my new appearance went right to my head and I decided I could
do it myself. It worked for almost a year and then work intensified and I began
to travel extensively. Soon exercise took a back seat to career and once again I
slid back into the cycle of gaining weight.
My wife again pushed for the
trainer (she was tired of my attitude and depression) and so I hooked up with
another trainer who this time came to the house to work with me. I had a bowflex
in the garage and some free weights and she felt we had enough equipment to get
the job done. Again we got great results in a very short period of time. She had
an intense approach to the problem and after a few months in the garage in the
South Florida summer I was back on track. It did not last though in large part
due to the fact that we did it at my house. The schedule was tough for her to
maintain and she was young and let frequent interruptions (on the phone)
interfere with the quality of the sessions. I guess as time went by we became
more familiar with each other and she became more comfortable with taking calls
during the sessions. Eventually I ended the sessions with her and went back to
working on my own and gradually putting the weight back on.
As time passed and my body
slipped into obesity and my focus became more and more wrapped around my
stressful career (I'm a vice president at a private company) my health became an
issue. Not eating healthy foods, almost never drinking water (the true
foundation to a healthy body) and finding more and more solace and escape in the
bottom of a bottle ... even though it was usually a fine wine is a recipe for
disaster. I mean a true disaster.
I was eventually diagnosed with cancer and it changed my life for ever. The fear
and loneliness of facing your own death is indescribable. I have a wife and four
great kids and a wonderful group of friends but I have never felt so alone... To
have to rely on the doctors so completely made me feel so powerless and the
despair of contemplating the possibility that I may only have a few sunsets left
was crushing.
I was so very lucky and the cancer had not spread. When the surgeon removed the
tumor he told me that if I didn't make a change in my lifestyle I had many more
visits to his offices in my future. Nothing anyone has ever said to me has had
so much of an impact. I had to undergo a series of 19 radiation treatments to
ensure the cancer was completely removed but I began my planning for a new life
while I was going through the process.
I knew that what I needed to do
was make fitness a habit. I'm a compulsive type of person and tend to do
everything to extremes and then move on to something else. I knew that if I
didn't make fitness a regular part of my life that the yoyo was in my future for
ever and that was unacceptable. To make anything a habit and have it last the
key is for it to be something you really enjoy. If you can workout long enough
you will come to thoroughly enjoy it. Your body will crave it and won't let you
stop. The element you have to focus on is not letting it become a rut. One of my
favorite quotes ever is "the only difference between a rut and a grave is the
size of the hole". That's awesome and profound and for me it really hits home in
every aspect of my life. You have to find a way to get to the point where your
body is driving and letting you know it needs another hit of exercise, yes
...it's like a drug.
For me the answer was 5 minutes from my house. My wife got me a gift certificate
to our local gym which had a little bit different approach to training. The gym
is a franchise called
Fitness Together
and they have more of a fitness studio type setup. This is
optimal for both the personal trainer and client. You are in a private room with
your trainer which right off the bat eliminates the possibility of
interruptions. All the equipment you need is in that room so the efficiency of
the workouts is unbeatable. Almost no time is lost going from a machine to
another machine on the other side of the gym. The biggest part of this being my
answer was the trainer they assigned me. She is a Brazilian with an extensive
background in functional training. I hadn't heard of this approach but I would
say its closer to a P90x type program than rational weight lifting.
The workouts with her were focused, relentless and intense. No time was ever
wasted and my fitness levels hit incredible new heights. My energy levels and
enthusiasm for training soared and it changed my attitude towards everything I
do. We worked out three days a week at 6 AM. As I mentioned I have 4 kids and
trying to train after work means sacrificing some activities with them at some
point. That wasn't an option for me so 6 AM was my only consistent free time and
I have to thank my Trainer Fabiola Lima for always being there for me and never
letting me slack off. I explained to her that a quick drastic weight loss was
not what I wanted this time. I told her that for me it had to become a habit and
something I could maintain and she delivered. I trained with her for almost 4
years and lost over 100 lbs most of which was true fat and not the muscle I
needed to build and keep. I have put some of the weight back on but I felt I
needed to. I actually got a little too thin and at my age it really shows your
age so a little balance was needed between ripped and looking healthy.
|
|
|
