Mission SLIMpossible #3

Last night I had a minor breakthrough. I was training with Justin and my last set of exercises was "the plank". He had me perform this one a couple of weeks ago and I noticed that this time it was easier than before! It dawned on me, more clearly than anything before, that I'm becoming stronger and my weight loss is making a huge difference.


I randomly notice changes in the shape of my body. This morning while putting on anti-perspirant I could actually see a bulge where my deltoid and tricep muscles are supposed to be located. I couldn't believe it and had to stop to touch them! It's like buying a new car and constantly discovering something new.

I can't wear a pair of my favorite pants anymore because they now look like clown pants due to their bagg-i-tude (very damn baggy). On the bright side, I was able to wear a pair of shorts I couldn't even button all of last year. I think that's a fair trade!

Do I have cravings? Sometimes I do, but they're far and few between. Do I get hungry? Oh hell yes I do because I went from eating ~3200 calories to 1800/day. That doesn't mean I give in to my wants, especially now that I've seen some results. I don't think I could have accomplished as much as I have without the guidance of Justin and Scott at Village Fitness. That may sound like a plug, but I'm sure I would have given in to wanting a Reese's or thinking, "I can go to the gym tomorrow." These guys know what they're doing, they're great motivators, and they actually give a shit about my health.
 
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Mission SLIMpossible #2

I've been at this for two weeks and I haven't dropped dead! I'm sticking with the 1800 calorie diet that Justin set for me, and it's now rare for me to whimper about cravings. I'm very proud to say that I have gone from 290lbs down to 280lbs in two weeks! I cannot remember the last time I was this size. My shirts are getting baggy, my pants are loose and I definitely have to wear a belt, and I can feel muscle tone I've never felt before!


My girlfriend pointed out that my attitude since I began eating better has drastically improved. We were both worried I would be grumpy due to not getting to eat what I want, but it's the exact opposite of that. I know it's partially due to losing weight, but I also think it's because I'm not feeding myself crap anymore. If I can't pronounce it, I doubt I'm going to eat it.

Both Justin and Scott at Village Fitness have run me ragged on the outside obstacle course at Village Fitness. From flipping big rig tires to running with bags of sand and even playing "plow horse" dragging a weighted sled behind me. It's been that and indoor weight circuits with cardio mixed in. This past Friday I was so sore from my lower body workout I could hardly walk. A couple of days later and I was fine, but I had to swing my legs in order to move forward!

I've been eating a lot more fruit and vegetables in the last two weeks. For dinner, Anna suggested a "green" dinner. We cut up granny smith apples, celery, green onions, green peppers, and a little cheese on the side. I've been eating bananas daily (because they're delicious and the potassium is good for aching muscles) along with apples - something I rarely ever ate before.

I use the Village Fitness online diet journal to keep track of my food intake and fitness to make sure I'm burning a lot more calories than I'm taking in. It's simple to use and if it doesn't have the food I'm eating I can easily enter it and save it for future use.

My progress has me excited and I can't wait to get back in the gym! If you see me there, please feel free to say hello and tell me your story. If it's a long one, maybe we can talk while walking on the treadmills...

http://www.villagefitness247.com/

Mission SLIMPossible #1

Hello, my name is Reverend Andy Hawley and I'm obese. I have been for most of my life. Sure, I've tried a lot of the diets you hear about – South Beach, Atkins, The Grapefruit Diet, but none of them did anything for me. I’ve spent time in gyms, I’m no stranger to squats, lifts, and sit-ups, but I haven’t stayed focused on it long enough to show improvement in my health.


I've been called every derogatory name related to “fat” in the book. When I was younger, I used comedy and humor to defend myself and blow the words off. Even people I consider friends end up, at some point or another, calling me “fatso” or singing the “fatty fatty two-by-four” song. What do you do? You either join in and laugh or you call them every name that comes to mind.

This definitely isn’t easy for me. I’ll be posting weekly updates here regarding my training at Village Fitness in East Atlanta and my diet. I run out of breath going up a flight of stairs. Lifting heavy weight usually isn’t a problem, but I run out of energy quickly. I’m 37, so I don’t bounce back as quickly. I ran the Peachtree Road Race, but I didn’t do it smartly and could have done serious damage to my body if I didn’t have friends running it with me.

With the help of Village Fitness, I plan to change my entire life and I’m opening up to document every step of the process to show you it can be done. The guys at Village Fitness are setting a restriction of 1800 calories for my diet - until now the only restriction I’ve given myself is to not eat an entire bag of Reese’s in one sitting. Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand, so I’ve been told.

I'm doing this for myself, my loving girlfriend, my family, for Garage 71, and for those of you reading this who understand what I've gone through. I want to get in shape, wear smaller clothing, and live a healthier (and hopefully longer) life. Oh, and if the zombie apocalypse does happen I don’t want to be the slowest of the pack!

http://www.villagefitness247.com/