I decided to take on another round of the Transformation Contest. During my first entry, I lost 23 pounds and ended my 12 weeks on my 35th birthday in the spring. It was a great experience, and I have had a number of people ask me how I managed to get my weight down. Of course, I was quick to tell them about Turbulence Training and how well it worked for me.
Over the course of the summer, I allowed myself to slow down my activity and thought that I had built up enough metabolism to eat whatever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to. Overconfidence allowed me to gain back about 10 of the 23 pounds that I had lost. But thankfully, after the loss, I had gone and bought some new, smaller pants, and I had donated some of my bigger pants. I was determined not to lose the gains that I had made.
My friend Mel from church approached me about trying to get his weight down, and I told him that we should both enter the next round of the transformation contest. I had never done the original Turbulence Training workout, so I thought that he and I should both go through that program, beginning with 4 weeks of the intermediate workout; and, at the midway point we had completed 2 weeks of the advanced workout. We agreed to check in with each other on our eating and our workouts. We started an accountability message stream on Facebook, and when we didn’t log into that, we would send text updates. Craig always stressed the importance of support, and having a good friend involved helped keep me motivated. Since I had done so well before, I was determined to set a good example here. And seeing his progress pushes me even harder. I was glad to see him make it to the finish line.
During this first 6 weeks, I returned to a cleaner eating profile. Eat Stop Eat had worked well for me the first time, so I added it in during 2 of the 6 weeks. My primary concern in the first half was making better choices on a consistent basis and keeping my activity levels where they were supposed to be. I also completed the Intermediate and ½ of the Advanced rounds of the Original Turbulence Training.
During the second 6 weeks, I was more restrictive in my eating. I finished the Advanced round of the original Turbulence Training, and then I undertook the Bodyweight Cardio 400. I knew that Thanksgiving was in the last 2 weeks of my 12-week combo, so I had to balance it out with a tough eating regimen. I decided to step up to Joel Marion’s Xtreme Fat Loss Diet, with the plan of having Thanksgiving fall on a cheat day. Glad to see that I was able to make good progress.
Now I’m back to a weight that I’ve only seen once since those first years out of college. My pants are all loose. My belt is pulled up to the last hole, and it’s time to go get some smaller jeans and dress pants so I don’t look like I’m trying to sag like the younger folks. I’m excited to be in this position heading into holiday season and the New Year. I’m so excited about the progress in 2011 that I’ve decided to pursue another interest and go enroll in a class to learn Thai boxing for fun. Finishing the contest and accomplishing that goal only gives me more motivation to set new goals and accomplish them, too! Bring on 2012 and new challenges!
At the beginning of the contest, my stats were:
Age: 35
Weight: 186 lbs
Belly (Navel): 36”
Thigh: 24 ½ “
At the end of 12 weeks, my stats were:
Age: 35
Weight: 168 lbs
Belly (Navel): 32”
Thigh: 22“
I used the following programs:
Weeks 1-4: Turbulence Training Original (Intermediate)
Weeks 5-8: Turbulence Training Original (Advanced)
Weeks 9-12: Turbulence Training Bodyweight Cardio 4-Hundred
I used Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat during the first 6 weeks and Joel Marion’s Xtreme Fat Loss Diet during the last 4 weeks.
