Biggest Loser Commentary

Last night's Biggest Loser shone a light on something that I think we all can identify with - denial! If you have watched the shows this year or any year, you know that if you listen and accept the help that is offered to you that you will find that results are pretty certain. I have yet to see a person come on the show and leave heavier than when they went on the show. Call it what you would like, but it is a fact that if you eat less than you take in you will lose weight in 99% of the situations.

If you watched the show last night you will recall that the red team was confronted with throwing two weigh-ins in a row. The female on the team gained a pound the first week and lost one pound the next week. Oddly enough, both weeks they had immunity and could not be sent off the show.

This female lost double digits the first week, which is a strong indicator that she does not have a metabolism issue thus taking away any thought that she needs to truly change the way she is doing things. She merely needs to do the things suggested to her by those much wiser than her on the subject of weight loss. When confronted with her efforts, she minced words by complaining that she was called a liar on national television.

What does it matter if she was called a liar? She never said she gave it her all! Many of us look for excuses and find ways to comfort ourselves by saying we are stricken with weight issues. Are you really? We find ways to justify why we eat what we eat!

In this lady's case she was complaining about being called a liar when in fact she was avoiding dealing with her addiction to food. The bottom line is that she did not give her all and got called on the carpet. This is when help kicks in. As any good trainer would do she was confronted out of care and love for the person, not from a 'I told you so' attitude.

My thought goes like this: The overweight person became overweight not because they knew what to do and did not do it. They became that way because they did not know what the best things to do or eat were, so they did the wrong thing. They gained weight and now is the time to learn. The goal for this couple should be to shut up and listen. What they did to begin with got them in the situation they are in. Time for CHANGE!

I love the excuse that she was worried about being called a liar on national television. Do you think she is embarrassed that she has been filmed weighing in wearing a sports bra? Being called a liar is of no relevance at all to the situation.

As we do not see what these people eat, it is hard to comment on her eating habits. Based on the fact that they workout 8-10 hours a day, she had to eat a crap load! Putting up the defense here seems much easier than bellying up and taking the criticism that is given in the form of help. Also, look at her weight loss this week - she lost double digits again. Huh, do you think the trainer motivated her?

Ask yourself: is God sending you help and you are not listening? Are you another former athlete (Like myself) that thinks "I understand how to do this on my own"? Have you read my blogs and thought "he has something I do not"? Are you still saying all this information is great but...? Stop the but and quit making excuses ! Whatever it is that you having been putting off, weight loss, a goal, a career, etc... go after it and seek the Lord's guidance. For me it was not until I accepted help that I had great success with my goals.

Truly Amazing! Much More Than I Can Ask or Imagine

Well after a year where I was blessed to have trained in so many places as I trained in Wyoming, Colorado, Florida, Texas, California, England, and Ohio I broke down and wrote this entry. It is so easy to say what you did to obtain such great results, however I did this before and it all came back. What is the true difference this time around? Well have a look at this entry and I think you will see my perspective. For me I guess I liked beating my head against the wall but I finally gave up and I am forever changed and grateful! Enjoy!

September 8, 2009

Seventeen miles and Matt running in the same sentence! You know God has to be at work! More than I can ask or imagine has been on my mind throughout this entire journey and I would say He is not letting me down one bit at all. This past Saturday I did 17 miles at a 9:07 pace with the first 13 done in 8:59 pace. I was hardly breathing during the first 13 so I think I could have kept a much faster pace. What will that pace be on the 26th of September? That I think will be up to the Lord! My only aim is to somehow glorify him with my meager 13.1 mile journey! I have thought about how to show my gratefulness to my King and I know one thing for sure and that is that I need to give my body as a sacrifice. I cannot make anything up or plan to glorify God I need to just be me and do what I can to make sure He is seen on that morning.

1 Cor. 9:25
“25Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither.”

What does this mean when It comes to running this 13.1 mile race? Today this came through to me and really has got my mind wandering! I think the best part of this verse is that we can all win the race and get the crown. When I run the race on the 26th will I run it for myself or will I run it to serve others? What does that mean? When I run I will be seeking the presence of God and asking Him what I need to do for His glory! Hopefully people will see me and get a glimpse of God, maybe they will see what He has done in me and ask themselves what can He do for them?

How easy it is to look at what I did and claim that it was done in my power! I put in the miles, I put in the weight training, I disciplined my eating habits, I went and paid for the trainer, I bought the gym membership, I decided to go and do it, I, I, I! The issue I have is that I could not have coordinated all these things myself. I had to be put in a position to afford the gym and the trainer. I had to know that the trainer I choose was a fellow brother (worshiper at that). I had to know what food was best and how the body works! I had to know that my trainer would edge me to the goal that I wanted to accomplish over 2 years ago a ½ marathon. I had to know that I would have the support of a wonderful family and many friends keeping me motivated. Too many things had to be in line.

In reality God had to get my attention and help me understand that I needed Him! He did this through prayer and lots of it! So many times I wanted to quit, give up, cheat, fake it! Each time God said trust in me, Love me, depend on me, know that I am God and I can do more than you think! So when times got tough I would see God even more, He would send His presences.

Many of my runs were hard, even to a point that I wanted to stop and found good reasons to justify stopping but each time God would pick me up and I would feel like I was gliding! I would simply look up to the sky and see the clouds pulling me up and carrying me down the path. Then I would praise God even more.

I often think about the past years and how I lost 70+ pounds only to put it back on. What happened and why is this time different? This time I did not try and do it on my own. I got help! The Lord heard my cry for help and put people, things, objectives into place! God was all over this experience and continues to do so. As I move forward there is nothing I do not believe I can do if God puts it on my heart. This experience makes me more confident that God has a plan for me and that I am running in order to accomplish the plan. He gave me a dream of a prayer ministry and I can believe He will fulfill it. God has built up my faith in this experience, He has move my thought past what I think can be done and made me believe it is what He can do through me! I depend on Him because of what He has done for me. What can I do in order to glorify Him? The only thing I can do is give Him my body, time, and effort all of it!

A Personal Journal Entry Part 1

I was reading one of my journals the other day, it was the one I wrote when I was preparing for the Akron 1/2 marathon, and thought it was truly a sample of the emotions a person goes through when trying to accomplish a goal. In my case it was a combination of running further than I ever had before and losing a massive amount of weight. I find that writing a Journal through out a process and reading it later motivates me. Two entries in particular inspired me this past week so I thought I would share them with you all. I will post one today and the other in a few days. Keep in mind these entries are an honest and open reflection of my thoughts and is not meant to offend anyone. They are also word for word so I did not check grammar at all. I hope it encourages and inspires everyone to give all that they have to achieve your goals. Enjoy!

August 24, 2009
Wow what a month, a month that has been filled with runs in the mountains, 10+ mile runs, a blue line run of the second half of the Akron Marathon, a hill workout and a speed work out. Times have been busy but the one thing I am seeing more than ever is how God is doing more than I could have imagined.


You see I thought when I started this that it would be cool to see all God is doing and I thought I would notice everything. Well as usual I am wrong. I can’t imagine all that He is doing. I know in myself He has carried me, loved me, encouraged me, been with me, gave me strength, courage, confidence, and much, much more. What I have not been able to see and what I am only getting a glimpse of is what He is doing through me for His glory.

I am getting asked a lot lately why or what I am doing to lose this weight and progress so fast. The only response I have thus far is I do not know. The closes thing I can come up with is that I am doing it by the Power of Christ. I know this does not explain it very clearly and I am not sure I ever will be able to explain it but I see more than ever that my actions can and will reflect Christ.


Ryan Hall a US marathoner said it this way, "when I am running I am in God’s sanctuary"! I(matt) am in His presence and most of the time I can feel Him lifting my feet and setting them down on the pavement. He is ever present to me then and He is so real! My heart aches for God in my runs I realize that I need Him more than ever out there. The byproduct of this is that I do not really notice when others are taking notice. I am stumbling on clues that people are seeing and trying to replicate or trying to find encouragement in my story. I am not seeking them I am just living the life that God built for me.

For instance I see my nephew seeking to be healthier, I see Wally working so hard to be a better person, I even see Bishop moving toward lifestyle change. I have people telling me all the time that I have changed, and I assume it is for the best. I have shared some of the inspiration I have had with others and there is no telling how they are using it today. I guess the key is that although God does give us glimpses of what He is doing we do not notice everything He is doing with us. This past weekend I ran the 13.1 miles that I will do on September 26 in my goal pace time under 2 hours. This leaves me with one major question, what does God have in store for me on race day? I am not sure it will be a better time, and I am not sure it will be this great feeling, what I am sure is that it will be Glorifying Him! That excites me! Father my prayer is that you help me to use every talent I have on race day to glorify you! Help me to lay it all on the line and give everything I have. If I can be an encouragement to anyone just bring them to me or me to them. I pray that I will not forget you and will remember all that you do with me.

When the Going Gets Tough, What Will You Do?

Yesterday and today have been frustrating to say the least. You see, for the past 10+ weeks I have been on a mission to lose as much body fat as I possibly can. I have had a strict diet which has consisted of eating every 2-3 hours and is very bland as well. I eat chicken breast, tuna, brown rice, plain sweet potato, oatmeal, oranges, grapes, spinach, and protein shakes. Let's just say that I have learned in this time that I do not live to eat but I eat to live!

On the other end I have been doing about somewhere between 7-9 workouts a week. My workouts consist of lifting weights in the morning followed by a short 10-15 minutes of light cardio. In the afternoon I have been doing intense cardio, mainly interval running for 30 minutes. One of the workouts has had me running an 8 minute mile followed by some chest and ab exercises, then another 8-9 minute mile with the treadmill on a 10% grade, followed by more chest and ab excercises with one final 8-9 minute mile with the treadmill on 15% grade, followed by more chest and ab excercises. You can see I have put in the time and effort.

Now to the frustration. In the beginning I saw a few really good drops in my body fat lost. However, for the past 3 weeks I have seen about 0.4% decrease. Monday I had a 0.1% change for the last week. To top it all off, I have not lost 1 pound in that time either. Let's just say that I am tired, confused, and dissatisfied!

I tell you all this not to ask for sympathy or for encouragement but to share some of my thoughts when it comes to results that I am not happy with. Note: I did not and will not say failure here. I have not failed! The results I have gotten this far have been ok, I have lost about 3.5% of body fat in the first 10 weeks. I am just aiming for more and I know that I have more to be lost. I see this a lot like a person that is trying to lose the weight but is not seeing any results.

When adversity hits I could look in two directions. I could first decide I have done my best and quit trying to lose body fat and thus be satisfied where I am. Or I could look at my plan, make a change, and try even harder.

I think this is where many of us take the easy way out of things. Many of us are aware of what we need to do but are unwilling to do it. Let me explain further.

A close confidant went through a 12 week course at Akron General Lifestyles that went over nutrition and training. It was an incredible program that shared so much information and according to this person it made a lot of sense. This friend also trained with a certified trainer a couple days a week for that period to learn how to workout the body. In the end this person decided that they were not ready or willing to give up their current nutritional plan in favor of the one that was talked about in the class.

Giving up their nutritional plan would be a sacrifice and today we all want results without giving anything or only what we want to give. Some are willing to workout extremely hard and sweat a ton, others are willing to give up some foods but not all the ones they should, still others want the most up-to-date gimmick that is sure to give them results with as little effort as possible on their end.

Are you truly happy with where you are phsically or mentally? Can you look in the mirror and say to yourself that you have given your best shot? I know for me I hated that person in the mirror. Not because I was a bad person, but becasue that person was ruled by food and was not able to do many normal everyday things. Things as simple as taking my kids for a walk or going to the park, how about being able to go on rollercoasters at parks! I was too big or over the weight limit! I know for me I could not take my daughter on a horseback ride and that depressed me. Are you missing out?

Back to my frustration. I am choosing to make a change or tweak in my diet in order to get to my goal. I pray that it will work but one thing is for sure, I am not going to give up without exhausting the possiblities because that would be the easy way out!

Human Intellect, the Great Discourager

I was at the gym and I recognized something that stops many of us right in our tracks when it comes to success in weight loss. We see success through the culture's eyes instead of through God's eyes. Wow, that is a perspective changer! You mean to tell me it doesn't matter what others think, all that matters is what God thinks?

On my journey in weight loss one thing kept me down forever and that was my BMI or Body Mass Index. I was reminded today on the Wii fit that my BMI was over 30 and that according to it I am obese. Oddly enough, I have around 21% body fat and weigh to date somewhere in the 219-220 range. I would challenge any doctor to consider me obese at this point! You see BMI is an intelligent formula devised by man to determine when a person is not fit. The problem is that man has to be able to quantify things, and as science has proven over and over, we cannot figure everything out. We can only understand so much, which is why He is God and we are not.

I was talking to a fellow Christian brother and noticed that we are stuck in a culture that judges weight loss by the number of pounds we lose. No doubt many of us can afford to lose some pounds, but what are we losing? Are we losing lean muscle or are we losing body fat? Muscle weighs more than fat, therefore when we gain muscle and lose fat many times our body weight does not change. For me, if I stayed in the 210-220 range I would be happy. What I want to do is reduce my body fat. For a male my age (38), a healthy body fat range is 15-21%.

I have discovered this principle has held me back in my spiritual life as well. Many of you have seen the hypocrisy of religion, especially in the Christian faith. For some this may be the reason you are avoiding a relationship with Christ. People are all trying to breakdown Christianity to an understandable level. The thought is that we must understand everything, the theology, how things work, and so on. The issue is that we spend so much time figuring this stuff out (which I might add never happens) and too little time living the life that God calls us to.

You have all heard the saying that words are cheap and actions speak a thousand words. Well, Jesus told us all that we will be identified by the fruits that we bear. Are we bearing fruit? I guess I am saying this because the concept that it only matters what God thinks should apply here. Are we taking our walk with Jesus lightly because others are not walking and bearing fruit? Are you not working on being healthier because some man-made formula or a twisted concept in your mind discourages you? Are you not pouring yourself out for God because others who are preceived as cool or popular are not pouring themselves out? Are you not taking a relationship with Christ to the next level because you need to quantify your theological point of view?

It might sound like a slogan from a famous shoe company but I will say it. JUST DO IT! Do not worry about what others think! Accept the encouragement from them but reject any discouragement! The only thing that matters is what God thinks, and according to the Bible in Psalm 139 it says that you were beautifully and wonderfully made, that God knit you together in a secret place, that you have never been hidden from God and that in fact He has written every day of your life in His book before one came to be. He cares about you fiercely, will you pursue Him fearlessly?

Lack Motivation? Goal Setting!

After a few months I started to question my plan and whether I could really hang on. It became harder to control my diet and to maintain a high intensity level when working out. About that time, I happened to mention to Jason that I needed a goal! Up until now all my goals had been weight and body fat driven. My first goal was to get below 300 lbs, my second was to get my percentage of body fat below 30% (which reduces the chance for heart disease greatly). What would be the next goal?

As many of you know, I am a former athlete and I have a strong competitive side to me. What I was seeking was direction on a goal out of the athletic world. To this point I had done cardio but it was only three days a week for 30 minutes. I reluctantly asked Jason if he felt my body would hold up through a running race. I expressed that I had dreamed of running a half marathon or a full marathon but that commitment was my strongest adversary.

Oddly enough, one of the quickest ways to burn muscle over fat is through extended periods of cardio. (More about that later) With this thought in Jason's mind, he did not answer what would be the best challenge for me right away. Without anyone pushing me I did not commit to anything myself. This left me in a bit of flux with no goal in mind; my passion for getting to the finish line did not burn thus I stumbled a bit. I did not quit working out or trying to eat right, I was merely not as strict or tense in what I was doing. Thus my results week to week were not as impressive.

Then the day came when I went in for my weekly training and Jason said, how about we run the Akron 1/2 marathon. I thought, who is this we? He said that he would run it with me to keep me motivated! Well, that sealed the deal - a week later I was registered and I had put together a training book and started a journal on the journey. I will share some of the tidbits from that journal from time to time.

I mention this because a goal or a dream will greatly enhance your motivation toward something. For me a full marathon is next - hopefully the Chicago Marathon in October 2010. What is it for you? Do you want to play competitively in some sport? Something like soccer, baseball, softball? Do you get motivated by training for a body-building show? Do you want to run a 1 mile fun run? How about a 5K race? Perhaps you want to be a marathoner or a triathlete. Other goals may be to be fit to go on a long sailing trip, hike the mountains out west, swim in a swim meet, or wrestle in a match. How about coaching? Do you want to coach? Do you want to set a great example for your players?

All of these events are still open for adults. To this day I still play hardball baseball, soccer, and run. Others I know have wrestled in matches on weekends and swam in meets for adults. You just need to search the internet and reach out to your local community. They all exist!

Setting a goal that you are passionate about is a huge key to success in changing your lifestyle. For me my goal was set because I had a dream and I also knew that my family could come on the journey with me. My oldest daughter has run 3 one mile fun runs with me and one with my wife. They (My family) all were there at the finish of the Columbus 1/2 Marathon, which I might add was a real tear jerker! I can even say that I have inspired each of my family members in a different way. Hopefully they will all be with me when I finish the 2010 Chicago Marathon!

My hope is to inspire you to take care of your body! It was given to you by God to bring Him glory. I have put up the inspirational videos on the side. When I am feeling down, I pop on the Ryan Hall videos and I see that I can pour myself out more for God. My favorite quote from this series is, "He gave up His life on a cross, poured out His blood for my sin, what can I do for two hours to pour it all out for Him?"

For those that do not know, Ryan Hall is the fastest American born marathoner ever. He recently announced he will be running in Boston again this year, last year he finished in third place but led the majority of the race.

If you are reading this you have to know that I can understand a bit about the battle that you are fighting. Each situation is different but many of the issues come down to the same things: Faith, Trust, Belief, Motivation, and most importantly EXCUSES! Stop making the excuses and come along the journey. In the end you will be glad you did.

It Not So Much What You Eat But When You Eat It

So some of you may say I have tried eating right before and after workouts but I have not seen any or little results. You may have even ate 3 meals a day and not snacked at all but still little to no change. See it is not about what you eat as much as when you eat it. I am not saying that you can eat what you want. If you still eat junk all the time you will get junk results. Kind of like a computer crap in crap out!

Lets take a moment to look at God's design of the body and how the body burns fat. The body responds to foods through insulin production as insulin is a transporter moving food through the body. Once the food is consumed insulin is produced to wrap around that food and move it to the proper destination. The type of food consumed dictates the amount of insulin needed starting with sugar which requires the most and ending with fibrous carbs that require the least. ( sugar, fat, complex carbs, lean protein, fibrous carbs).

So the type of food you eat dictates the amount of insulin production. As the body spikes in insulin it has to react, in the high levels of insulin ,fat stores remain stored and are not utilized until levels return to normal. Essentially it takes 2-3 hours for this to occur and at that time fat stores are used. Fat stores are only used for a short time, in waiting to long your body starts to go into survival mode and will ounce again store the fat and burn your muscle instead. So the key here is to eat every 3-3.5 hours with small meals in order to burn through fat stores long enough without dipping into muscle.

So your probably asking yourself, Why does insulin have such an effect on my body loosing body fat? Well your pancreas has two hormones that come and go through it (insulin and glucagon). Glucagon is often referred to as the fat release hormone, as it releases fat from your fat cells and allows the body to burn them. Insulin and the fat release hormone have a direct effect on one another. If insulin is high than the fat release hormone will be low and if the insulin is low than the fat release hormone will be high. (you want the fat release hormone to be high :).

So if you think of the pancreas as a triangle you have on one end of the pancreas glucagon and on the other insulin. The trick is to get the glucagon up and keep the insulin down. See the picture below.The question of calories is always a means of frustration within body fat loss. The way your body works is that the food you consume is partially burned up through your metabolism and the rest of it is stored for later use. If the body doesn't use the needed food in that day it will then store it as fat. The best way to understand this concept it to know that the average man may burn 1500-1700 calories at rest during a day, so any calorie amount above that must be burned off through daily activities. For myself, eating 2500 calories a day would allow me to maintain my current body type without growing any muscle or loosing any muscle. If I wanted to gain muscle I would eat 500 calories more each day and lift a lot of weights. To loose body fat I would eat 500 less calories per day (while eating all good foods) and continue my same exercise routine.

With all this in mind lets look at how the body metabolizes different types of foods.

Your metabolism processes what you put in it........if you ate 100 calories of each of these foods listed below your bodies metabolism would only use between 3 and 70 of those calories depending on the food you ingest.
•sugar 3 cals burned in a day
•Fat 5 cals burned in a day
•Complex carbs 15 cals burned in a day
•Lean Protein 25 cals burned in a day
•Fibrous Carbs 70 cals burned in a day
•The best foods to consume are: complex carbs (up until dinner), lean protein (all day), and fibrous carbs (eating mostly veggies and one fruit)

Now if you understand the design you may understand where your frustration comes from. For me I would go to the gym workout extremely hard and go home and eat a 100 calorie pack or two (which are typically filled with sugary carbs) and this would elevate my insulin level thus making it impossible for my body to burn fat. Once I realized how my body worked I no longer worried about calories as much as the foods that I choose to eat. I also did not worry about starving myself, to the contrary I worried I was not eating enough.

Where are you at? Have you made the commitment and are you willing to make a change? I will be blogging on some of the set backs I faced in the next week so stay tuned. As always if you have questions send me a message and we can discuss them. To Him who is able, To Him be all the glory!

Not Just Working Hard, Work Smart!

Have you ever walked into the gym and seen the same people working out day after day and you notice they are working so hard but in the end you never see a change in their body? Better yet have you ever gone into the gym and worked out so hard and at the end of the week you weigh in and nothing has changed? Perhaps you may have worked out extremely hard and even watched what you ate. You may have eaten 100 calorie packs, low fat items, drank diet drinks, etc... but in the end nothing or so little weight has come off that you are demotivated. You think, "Why am I doing this at all?" If it is this hard to lose a pound, how am I ever going to lose the 10, 20, or even 50 pounds I need to lose?

As I blogged about yesterday, as God provided Jason in answer to my prayers He gave me the knowledge and wisdom that I needed to really make a lifestyle change. First let me say that as God answered my prayer by providing this person to help and guide me, our relationship has become a two way street. Jason is where I was 15 years ago in life. Just graduating and getting ready to get married. Jason just got engaged and just finished his Master's degree this past December. Also Jason is one of the Worship leaders at his church so we are constantly having great spritual conversation about our faith and who we belong to. One other important thing to bring up here is that the information you are about to see is from Jason and he has told me to share it with everyone I can. His only hope is that he may be able to help as many people as possible with this information.

That all being said ,the first things Jason spoke to me about was how the body worked. So I want to take a few moments and give some information here that may help some of you in keeping your New Year's Resolutions to lose and keep off weight.

What is a calorie?

Answer: It is a unit of measure that equals heat energy. In other words it is energy for the body.

How do we use this (calorie) energy?

Answer: Through our daily activity and through our resting metabolic rate.

What is metabolism?

Answer: Metabolism is how fast you burn through the fuel you put in your body. This is made up of both genetics and muscle mass so, in other words, your muscle equals your metabolism.

As I wrote yesterday your body is made up lean muscle mass and body fat. If metabolism equals muscle then you can clearly see that you want to protect the muscle that your body currently has when losing weight. If your weight lose only burns the muscle off your body your metabolism will slow down and once you stop working out you will gain back the weight faster than you can shake a stick at. And what is worse you will not gain back the muscle you lost but instead will gain more body fat.

So how do you protect yourself from this not so good circumstance? How do you keep yourself from losing muscle and instead maintain or gain muscle and lose body fat? Well this is a process much too long to share in one blog, but I will give you some of my thoughts:

Nutrition plays the key role here. The body requires three types of calories to operate. These are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Proteins help the body restore and build muscle. Carbohydrates provide energy for the body. Fat is used to provide some storage of energy for use when you may not have time to eat and still need energy (typical breakdown: 30% of your total calories should come from proteins, 40% from carbohydrates, and 30% from fat).

A lot of people when they workout go in on an empty stomach and then leave and do not eat anything out of fear that they will reduce the effects of what the workout just did. Perhaps a person will go to a workout eating a 100 calorie pack ,and when they are done they will do the same (eating another 100 calorie pack). You can see that the body is starved for nutrition to build back up the body.

How should a person eat pre and post workout?

Answer: Prior to the workout a person should have either small amount of protein with some complex carbohydrates or just some carbohydrates. (I have a protein shake or some Gatorade) It makes sense that your body is needing energy at that point and thus you should give it some fuel to get through the workout.

After the workout your body is broken down and needs to repair itself. So a post workout meal should include protein within 30 minutes of finishing the workout. I use a post workout protein shake. You can get it in various flavors, and when mixed with water the chocolate tastes like chocolate milk (see link for more details on the brand I use http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_on402.htm) Once you have had your post workout shake you should plan on having a meal within the next 1-2 hours that is made up of a lean protein and complex carbohydrates.

How do you eat the rest of the day?

Well every 3-4 hours you should eat. At first, I promise you, you will tell me that you cannot eat that much as you will be constantly full. However, over time your body will adjust and this will become normal. What you should eat should be 300-400 calories at a time made up of some lean protein (chicken breast, tuna, turkey) and some carbohydrates (brown rice, sweet potato, oranges, grean vegetables).

I always think about my car when I am processing the food I am eating. Would I put mud in my car in place of oil? So why should I put all kinds of fat in place of the fuel that my body needs to run proficiently? IMPORTANT: This does not mean you cannot have the desserts you love, it just means you need to cut back on them and have them as a reward and not as an everyday thing.

I know for me it is easier to make something work if I understand how it was designed to work. Understanding the grand design of how God made us to work should be helpful in getting the most out of your workouts. I will try to add a section to my blog of tips and lists to aid all of you in your journey. Have you made the decision to be healthier? What is stopping you? Make the decision and pray for God to provide the help and encouragement you need today!

Faith and Trust the Formula for Weight Loss

311 Pounds, blood pressure 154/108, feeling like a failure, 35.5% body fat, and praying in desperation for some motivation and help to save my life! That is where it all began December 4, 2008. This was my life and this was a picture from November of 2008.

2009 started off with God answering a huge prayer of mine over the 3 years prior to 2009. In desperation I had been praying for my health. I had lost 65 pounds in the past but I did it all the wrong way. In fact I gained it all back and then some. So when I prayed this time I asked God for wisdom, knowledge, strength, perseverance, and most of all help! Well as December of 2008 rolled in God provided for me an opportunity and the motivation to give the opportunity a shot. About mid-November of 2008 I had an impression that God was telling me to be faithful and trust Him and He would give me everything I needed to get my health back.

In Decmeber of 2008 I joined a local gym, AGMC Lifestyles. Some day I may blog on the background details but for now let's just say that this was the beginning of my LIFESTYLE change. The numbers you see above came from my opening assessment. I was HUGE and that was an understatement. I began my journey determined to lose the weight in the same way I lost it the first time (Working dumb!) It wasn't long before my perspective was changed.

I met a young man (Jason) that worked in the training department; he helped me put together my first workout. I immediately noticed that this guy knew what he was doing. Just the way he designed the first workout showed me that he understood how the body worked and functioned. As I excercised for the next month I felt strongly that I should solicit him to train me. PROBLEM! I did not have the money to pay him for 3 workouts a week so I asked him to train me one day a week (most trainers do not train a client in this manner). As he watched me workout during the time before I asked, he recognized that I was serious about getting help so he agreed to a one day a week arrangement.

The very first week I trained with Jason my idea of losing weight was turned upside down. I was used to looking at BMI (Body Mass Index) and seeing that my healthy weight was supposed to be between 155-170 pounds. This to me was completely unrealistic and not even achievable. Jason shared with me how the body worked and showed me that my percent of body fat should be what I should be concerned with. Why, you may ask?

Your body is made up of lean body mass and body fat. Every body needs some body fat (for males 10-20% and for women 15-25%). Obviously lean body mass is made up of muscle, bones, and water; all three are things you want to keep. When you overeat your body takes the extra calories and stores them as fat and this is how you gain weight.

With the obvious out of the way and fully buying into the fact that I should target losing body fat, the next logical question was how do I do that? I will be blogging on this over the next few months(if you want to talk sooner e-mail me and we can get together). The basic concept is nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. Does this mean you eat nothing? Absolutely not! In fact I eat every 3-4 hours each day. The difference is what I eat and when I eat what I eat. No magic formula existed, I did not need the Atkins diet, South Beach diet, cookie diet, or any other formulated plan. All I needed was to understand how my body uses the fuel I put in it. Once I understood how my body operated, my workouts became much more productive and my body fat dropped drastically.

Well I will blog more on this experience, but what started off as God making me a deal to keep my faith and trust in Him has resulted in (2) 1/2 Marathons, (2) 5K races, a 4 mile race for the homeless and plans for a Marathon and an Iron Man Triathlon in the future. As I sit here today I have lost 90 lbs and 13.5% body fat. Below is a picture of me now!

I would like to end by saying that I will blog tips and experiences from time to time. However the first decision is yours if you need to get control of your health. You have to be willing to give up the excuses and make a decision to be healthier. Do it for your quality of life, do it for your family's quality of life, but most of all do it because God entrusted you with your body and He even sent His spirit to take up residence in your body. Be a good steward of the body He gave you.

To Him who is able!

Watching God at Work

About 4 years ago I began a journey to see God in a whole new light. I wanted to find out as much as possible about who He is and how I can give back to Him in response to all that He has done for me. I am still on that journey today and thus far it has been anything but ordinary. I have seen people be healed from cancer, migraines, and other health issues. I have also witnessed many people coming to a saving knowledge of Christ, and I have watched God birth and sustain ministries plus much, much more. In all, the experience has been jaw dropping and worth every step on the journey. I have started this blog to share with others some of these stories and also to share what God has done in my life through His power that lives within me!