So you may have noticed over the last 30 days that I have become the biggest looser. I am the king of self depreciative humor but I mean in the weight loss sense. Many have been asking what are you doing to loose weight. I have lost 21 lbs, 12 inches in 3 areas of measurement around my waist and 2 pant sizes in just 30 days. So this albeit long blog post is your answer.
This was the old me...
Ok so this is the real me. Last Summer at 310+ pounds my heaviest was 312lbs.
If you asked me if I was into running my stock answer was, if you see me running you best run too because something is chasing me!
About 2 months ago I started working out again. Then about the first of February I was approached by Melissa La Fleur from Ella Bardo Esthetics and Wellness. She wanted to introduce me to EMS or Electro Muscle Stimulation. The words are a link, if you are interested you can learn more about it.
Melissa really knew her stuff. As she explained how it worked I was intrigued so I set an appointment for my first visit. The session lasts about 45 minutes. 15 minutes to hook you up to this machine and then 30 minutes on the machine. (see pic)
I'll save you the visual of me hooked up to an EMS machine! LOL
Before I was hooked up to the machine Melissa took pics of me and my measurements. It is important to have a baseline to understand progress. She takes 3 measurements. I will call the areas she measured the top, middle and lower belly.
After the first session she retook the same measurements. I was completely shocked to be informed that I lost 3 inches over all 3 measured areas. She instructed me to try and drink a gallon of water prior to bedtime. It was 2pm in the afternoon (gulp). She stated that the water would help flush out toxins and fat from my body. I didn't question I just believed her.
The next morning I woke up, got ready for work and jumped on the scale to find I had lost 3lbs!! Seriously overnight and my jeans were loose, I took my belt up another notch. Friend I have to say I was shocked to say the least! I texted Melissa. We had agreed to what she calls a boot camp package (more details later), but this would be 6 sessions. I was so fired up to see how much weight I could loose. I wanted to maximize the result.
Before I was hooked up to the machine Melissa took pics of me and my measurements. It is important to have a baseline to understand progress. She takes 3 measurements. I will call the areas she measured the top, middle and lower belly.
After the first session she retook the same measurements. I was completely shocked to be informed that I lost 3 inches over all 3 measured areas. She instructed me to try and drink a gallon of water prior to bedtime. It was 2pm in the afternoon (gulp). She stated that the water would help flush out toxins and fat from my body. I didn't question I just believed her.
The next morning I woke up, got ready for work and jumped on the scale to find I had lost 3lbs!! Seriously overnight and my jeans were loose, I took my belt up another notch. Friend I have to say I was shocked to say the least! I texted Melissa. We had agreed to what she calls a boot camp package (more details later), but this would be 6 sessions. I was so fired up to see how much weight I could loose. I wanted to maximize the result.
I reached out to a friend of mine who is a guru of fitness / diet. She had been telling me about how I should do the Atkins diet (link to learn more) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkins_diet
The short of the Atkins Diet is that you drastically lower your intake of carbohydrates (less than 20 grams of carbs per day) for 30-60 days, prior to reintroducing limited number of good carbs. What this does is it starves the body of what it is used to burning, sugar and the body switches to burning stored fat. The key here is you have to be dead serious about it. Just one slip up and you are starting over.
Another thing I added to my program is exercise. I have done training with several fitness coaches over the years, Exercise Inc - Bo Railey and Xander Fit - Chris Xanders. Both are amazingly talented trainers. I set out to combine both strength training with a cardio program of walking, jogging and biking.
Additionally, I went on a suppliment product called ThermoFuel V9 from NurtaBio.com LINK http://www.nutrabio.com/product/21426/
ThermoFuel uses nutrients to hit multiple aspects of fat burning including appetite stabilization, improved metabolism, thermogenesis, fat blocking and insulin control, blood sugar stabilization and fat utilization. (description taken from their website)
NOTE: This blog post is not to tell anyone to do exactly what I have done. You should consult a doctor as I did prior to starting any program.
Also I did a cleanse. I highly recommend this early on in your program. This helps flush out all the bad toxic crap that is living inside of you and you will loose a couple of pounds in the process. It aides in the digestion of good nutrients afterwards as well as makes all the pipes flow. Of course I am no expert but this seems like a good idea to do once in a while. (Thanks Joe for the recommendation)
Last but not least one of the biggest components to my weight loss program is accountability. I have tried to loose weight in the past and life has kicked me in the shins. The set backs of health like catching a cold or the flu, or a major back injury has caused me to give up on me time and time again. So I knew the only way to make this work was to tell everyone via Facebook. I was inspired by my good friend Travis Sims the Executive Director for Indiana's BNI region. Watch this video of Travis' talking about how he set and achieved his personal goal of loosing 100lbs in one year. http://sparkstalk.com/travis-sims-sparks-headliner-august-2014/
Weight Loss & No Weight Loss
So I put out a post that told everyone my goal was to loose 20lbs in 19 days. What was awesome was that not one person said you can't do that. Everyone said go Chris go! The support and encouragement meant so much to me. What did that cost other people? A minute of their time? But what it did for me as invaluable. It made the goal real and it made me seriously think about every single thing I put in my body and how I prioritized my time.
In just 3 weeks I logged over 30 miles on the treadmill. One day the treadmills were all taken so I got on the bike and did 8.1 miles. Another time the only thing that was available was the elliptical machines (Ugh those take balance LOL). When I got my 3.1 miles (5k) in I did 2 sets of 15 reps on each machine in my apartment complexes gym. When I was at home I would do planks and other core workouts as well as use a set of dumbbells I had purchased.
The weight just flew off. Again 21 pounds down as of this writing. Am I done? HECK NO!! My goal is 50lbs down by 5/31 (I mean 30lbs on top of the 20 I have lost so far.) and 90lbs down by 12/31/2015 or my 47th birthday.
What have I gained? Energy, healthier, the support and encouragement of others, a new set of tools for managing cravings and such, I found all sorts of food that I love that are all part of my program. I am in size 38 jeans down from size 42. I have spent years bouncing back and forth from 44's and 42's. I really have been to the point of depression over my weight and didn't know how I would ever make it back. I have only lost 7% of my body weight but I am 23% close to my goal as when I started.
So back to EMS - Electro Muscle Stimulation. Is this for everyone. Maybe not but I think it can really have an amazing physical and mental effect for many as it did me. Let me list for you how this impacted me.
1 - It isn't cheap. This means I took this as an investment in me. What do we do with investments? We take them seriously. I put my skin in the game so I wanted to make sure I got the most out of it.
2 - I saw small but immediate results.
Working on a smartphone while on an EMS machine.
3 - I was committed to a package - 6 sessions, Monday and Thursday.
4 - I wasn't sore at all from EMS, my only soreness was from the strength training I was doing.
5 - We worked on my Quads and Abs (core), these are the 2 major muscle groups in the body. To build them up first causes those muscles to burn more calories which aids in weight loss.
5 - In just 30 minutes on EMS is the equivalent of doing 450-500 squats and crunches. How long would it take you to do that many? I am guessing 3-4 hours if you could make it to that number.
6 - That much exercise caused me to want to do even more. It is easy to get on the treadmill for an hour when you are that warmed up. I highly recommend scheduling your sessions when you have time to go work out right afterwards. It will blow your mind.
7 - I was able to do work while on EMS. Yes that is what I said I was able to use my iPhone while doing EMS. You can't do that while on a machine at the gym.
So that is my list of how EMS impacted me. I will save you the pics of my legs so take my word for it when I say, I have never seen my legs so ripped and defined as they are right now. My core is so strong I can do a minute plank without breathing heaving. Yes I have a long way to go but in 30 days I am almost 25% to my goal.
So here is what I want to do. I think every one of my friends who are looking to jump start their own personal weight loss journey should experience EMS. I said at the top of the list #1 it isn't cheap and I wouldn't lie to you.
First off let me list what you get. This isn't just being hooked up to a machine. You get Melissa. While she is young she has studied her industry and knows what she is doing. She works with you to ensure EMS makes the maximum impact towards your goals. She measures you and encourages you. She checks in on you and makes sure you are staying on it. Trust me when I tell you, take the before pictures. I know most will be like me and say I don't want to take them. It will be worth it.
See mine here....
THE DEAL:
EMS at Ella Bardo Esthetics and Wellness one session is $185. If you want to try EMS and you are one of the first 10 people to ask for the Chris Reed aka Captain Selfie special you will get a package of 6 sessions (boot camp) for $575. Now here is the thing. EMS is not right for everyone, it just isn't. If you take the first session and for whatever your reasons are.... I can't stand it, to harsh, uncomfortable you name it. Then you will just pay $75. If you decide you want to boot camp package then just pay the $575 and you will have 5 more treatments. If you are interested call Melissa at (317) 551-3457 or visit her website at http://ellabardo.com
Listen maybe it is a lot of money. Maybe it sounds to good to be true. I do know that I am worth it and so are you. I do know that I don't care what ever it is that causes each of us to get up off that couch and put in the time and effort to wage war against the increasing midsection or whatever area your body stores fat is worth it. I'm ok if it's a pill, or a program, a diet or a workout routine, EMS or whatever! Just do it for yourself first. Do it because you want whatever you want. For your kids and family second. Please know that you are beautiful just as you are right now, because its what is inside that counts.
For me I want the outside to match the inside. As a friend said... You are doing a makeover and you get to wear a new you on the outside. The fat man ate the slim man I used to be over 12 years ago. Well that slim guy is fighting his way back. I am super excited about the journey I am on. I receive comments, posts, messages and receive phone calls all the time from people who are being motivated. One friend who is amazing shape says I motivate her to hit the gym harder. WOW I motivate her? That is amazing!
Enclosing please know that this is a one step at a time journey. But it starts with the first step. I quit smoking when I was 33 or 34 after trying for numerous years to quit. I did it because I finally saw the truth that quitting wasn't the victory. The real glory was dying after a full life as a non smoker. This journey I am on doesn't end when I hit my goal. It ends when I die hopefully peacefully in my bed after a long full healthy life. Join me friends and lets #GetFit together! I appreciate and thank each of you for reading this and encouraging me along my journey to a #SmallerMe and a #StrongerMe.