Is that really me in that before Picture?

Building a better life through choice and Turbulence Training.

Man, I tell you the years can be cruel...and the camera is an impartial judge.

The photo you see is a shot of me at Christmas 2002 with my two beautiful daughters. I was 33 at the time. Wow, can you believe those cheeks?

Based on my height (5'9"), I was already clinically obese. I don't remember right off hand, but I will hazard a guess I was packing around between 225 - 230 pounds, although I would actually get up to 240 before too much longer.

Healthy? Well, lets just say that I didn't have any diagnosed medical conditions. But come on, who am I trying to kid? No I wasn't. Not by any means. I was, quite literally, "fat, dumb and happy".

So what takes a relatively young person by the perverbial "scruff" and shakes some sense into them? It was as simple as it was shocking.

The company where I was working at the time also employed a great gentleman who happened to be a retired Medical Doctor. For someone like him, working with and meeting new people all the time was a necessity so outside sales filled the bill very well. He was a wonderful guy to spend time with and always, upon always had something to share with you regarding all aspects of life. He was quick with a joke and kept a smile on everyone's face. A true joy to be around.

One day, however, he walked in my office with a very serious look on his face. Without a smile...without so much as a grin, he pointed at my gut and told me point blank, "Tom...that is going to kill you!" I tried to laugh it off and make light of the situation. But he wasn't buying what I was selling. No jokes, no smiles, no pats on the back. He was dead serious.

That particular "session" lasted about 30 minutes. And others, just a serious, would follow over the course of the next few days/weeks forcing me to really put things into perspective. This wasn't some made up stuff off the internet. These were cold, hard facts. Obesity goes hand in hand with heart disease, cancers of several types, impotence, diabetes...the list goes on and on. Not to mention the general the lack of energy...feeling tired all the time.

When a medical doctor sits down in front of you and tells you that you've set yourself up for a very short trip...you pay attention. My "choices" were leading me to destruction. Notice how I phrased that...."My Choices". Nobody held a gun to my head and made me eat the way I did, or stay on the couch when I could be moving around. No one to blame but me.

And what about my family? Who was going to play with these kids? Who was going to be there for them, strong, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Living this way is selfish.

At 33 years old life was just really beginning; a young family at home depending on me and I was very quickly "killing" myself.

Man what a wakeup call.

---

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."
- Leonardo da Vinci

Until next time...Work Hard.

The 6 Steps to Fat Loss Success for Beginners

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Turbulence Training

For beginners, getting into fitness can be intimidating and confusing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, getting fit is one of the most straightforward tasks you’ll attempt in the New Year. Fortunately, reaching your fitness goals requires only two things; discipline (that’s up to you) and a set of simple guidelines (which I’m happy to provide).

First, you should arrange for a full physical examination from your physician. This is mandatory for people that have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or are obese. Once you have your doctor’s approval to begin a fitness program, you should schedule a fitness assessment with a health professional at your gym.

While both of these are incredibly annoying, they are essential to your success and well-being. The benefits of a doctor’s visit are obvious, particularly if you have one or more of the previously mentioned conditions but it also allows you and your doctor to discuss your lifestyle. Preventative medicine is far better than reactive medicine. Make your doctor part of your fat loss and health-building team along with the health professionals at your gym.

The real benefits of the fitness assessment aren’t finding out how much body fat you have or how many minutes you can last on the treadmill, but rather getting a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. If you want to avoid injury and actually achieve your goals this year, get to know your strengths and weaknesses.

The next secret is to walk, don’t run, to fitness success. If you want to pick up your University running workouts where you left them 10 years ago, that’s fine. But I guarantee you won’t last 10 days. And then it’ll be a dreary 355 days until you’re ready to try exercise again.

The hidden benefit of a good fitness assessment is that it will actually serve as a nice introductory workout to your return to fitness. It will buffer your delusions of fitness grandeur from the reality of what your body actually can do. After the fitness assessment teaches your body a lesson and awakens your muscles from their winter slumber, only then will you realize your limits that you must respect in subsequent workouts.

Goal-setting is the fourth secret to success (and not just in fitness, but in any area of life). It is much more effective to commit to a set of specific short-term and long-term goals than it is to routinely hope for weight loss each year.

Set realistic goals and remember to train within your limits. If you are currently sedentary and haven’t exercised in months (or years), don’t begin an advanced training program. Start with a conservative beginner program. Your belly wasn’t built in a day, and neither will be lost overnight.

Limit your initial workouts to 1 set per muscle group. In week 2, you should be ready to add another set. And if you want to build up to 3 sets, then do so in week 3. Slowly increase the weight and stay within your desired repetition range. At no time should you be too sore to function. And runners should also heed this advice. Too much running will guarantee shin splints in the early going. Avoid running on back to back days for the first two weeks and keep the distance short. Sore muscles are guaranteed when you lift. So keep the volume low.

And now for 2 super secrets that will help keep you committed and consistent with your workouts and will finally help you lose fat for good.

First, build your social support team. Social support is the #1 factor for success for women in fitness programs, and is important for men as well. Support can come from your spouse, brother or sister, child, mom or dad, friend, neighbor, co-worker, personal trainer, or lifestyle coach. Don’t try to go it alone. People respond better when they report to a person instead of a machine.

You also need to know that nutrition is the second most important factor for success in fat loss programs. That’s why you don’t need to train like a world-class athlete when you are starting to lose fat. Most of the fat you’ll lose in the early going is because you have chosen to make better nutritional choices. And if you don’t make better nutritional choices, even the best exercise program in the world isn’t going to help you achieve your fat loss goals.

Nutrition is a lot simpler than you think. Don't over think things. See a nutritionist or listen to what your mother told you as a kid. Food choices should contain a large nutrient-to-calorie ratio. Dr. Phil (yes that Dr. Phil) calls this “High-Response Cost, High-Yield Nutrition”. And follow this rule: Don't eat foods with added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, but make sure to log your nutritional intake. This is a free website that allows you to track your calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

The consistent use of these 6 secrets will help you achieve your fat loss goals this year. Make this year’s fitness plan a strategic investment in your future health. The most efficient and effective way to lose fat in 2005 is with my Turbulence Training workouts - the choice of fitness professionals.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training

Don't be fooled...you can succeed!!!

I am absolute proof that you can succeed with changing your life and getting back into good physical condition...even ~BETTER~ than in your entire life with a few simple tools:

• A desire to change
• Focus and Determination: to make your goals a reality
• Social support (family, friends, co-workers)
• Good nutrition
• A well balanced exercise program tailored to the needs of a busy world

All of that in one simple package? Nah, that can't be...it's impossible.

But it's true. Nope, it's not a pill...and it's not sold on late night or weekend infomercials.

It's you. Yes, you! ~All you need is the motivation.

Over the last two years, I have completely...and I mean ~COMPLETELY~ transformed myself from a soft, quickly approaching middle aged man ... with graying hair and all. To a fit, rock hard, energetic busy husband and father of 3 girls....who is quickly running away from middle age doing things I have never done before.

Things like running in local 5k events, lifting weights regularly, even riding in mountain bike races! Wow! A complete change for the absolute better. Sure, I can't stop the hands of time...but they will have to catch me.

Anyone can do it, all you need is desire to take that step....I hope I can inspire you do that.