Jab|Max|.com

UPDATE: 1ST PLACE ON GYMJUNKIES.COM FAT LOSS CHALLENGE!! <— Click Here For Post

If this isnt your first time here, just go straight to Entries by clicking here or the page above. ‘Entries’.

This is a no B.S. no fluff, tell it like it is, type of online fitness training blog.

BE WARNED, THERE WILL BE CURSE WORDS.

I am not here to sell some pill or video to you.  I am simply discussing random things about fitness, losing weight, gym rats, philosophy, rants and raves, some videos, pictures and will give you all the knowledge and tips I have!  You just gotta read it!

Here is a little more about me…..

So who am I? Why should you listen to me? And why in the he** would you do anything I say???

Here’s 10 random things about me:

• I will be a  Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) very soon, but that really doesn’t mean much these days.
• I live in Anaheim, California, but was born in Texas.
• I do have a cat.
• I hate ‘dieting’ and counting calories.
• I love Starbucks Iced coffee.  I’ve been known to have 3 or 4 ventis on some days.
• I’ve lost over 50 pounds personally and have kept it off for over 5 years now. (and counting)
• I played football, and play rugby.
• I’ve never won anything worth mentioning, but I enjoy poker and blackjack.
• I dont believe in fate, we are all in charge of our destiny thru choices,  thoughts, and actions.
• I hate politics.  Arguing never accomplishes anything.

Anyhow, enough randomness.  You’re here because you have goals, and want to accomplish them.  Well, everything I teach, I practice.  I practice what I preach! I was always heavy, I mean fat.

Let’s just get straight to the point and not sugar coat the terms and make everyone feel ‘good’ about eating that double cheeseburger, large fries, and a diet coke..I know, it’s silly.

Look around, Mickey Dees, Jack in the crack, Taco Hell, fast food this, lunch combo that.  Wow! It’s such a deal too!  And I just drive up and it’s good to go, nice!  What a great idea for lunch.  I just described at least 6 out of 10 Americans on their ‘lunch break’ at work.  Fast forward 5 years and they blame the belly on ‘getting old’. Except, the belly is adding about an extra 25 pounds but they havent seen a scale in years…or the doctor.

I remember I was just in junior high I think and I was already 185 pounds.  School lunches were horrible, and I made it even worse by frequenting the ‘microwaved jumbo burrito’ carts almost daily.  Then something fast, like a chili dog place next to the school and off home for dinner.  Of course sodas were a regular thing as well. Water? Ehh, there’s plenty of water in soda.  In other words, I was a fat kid.  I had no nutritional knowledge, inactive and my food choices were horrible to say the least.

It continued on, and I remember another key weigh in during my life.  I hit 225 in high school.  No, not a 225 linebacker on the varsity squad…a 225, out of shape, pudgy, non-athlete.  Im sure I got bigger, but can’t remember any more weigh ins.  Those were regular doctor visits, in which I wasn’t told anything about it at all.

Not trying to make excuses here, but it is really easy to become fat….and stay fat.

Fast forward a few years and I’m still hanging around, fat.  I’ve lost some weight, but I am still well over where I should be weighing over 200 pounds still.  Now, more about sugar coating. I don’t want to hear the ‘Well, who is such and such to say how much we should weigh?’

I completely agree that the general BMI chart is out of whack and cannot be trusted.  But look, there is no denying fat…and that’s what were talking about here. F-A-T!

I was a ‘good American’ and joined the local (but extremely well known) gym, but I should say gyms.  The first one lasted about a month, prepaid a year.  The second one a little longer.  I did the ‘kick ass for a week, quit for a year method’ a couple times.  I did the curls, the treadmill, the ellipticals and thousands of crunches.  Wow, I’m still fat.  All these people must be on steroids, this is stupid now.   So, I decided one last hurrah to see what I could do…and this time the gym was right across the street.  Honestly, I was really, really tired of being fat.  I set a goal, and reluctantly weighed in again…this time around 209.  I am sure the BMI chart at that point was pretty accurate, I was technically obese.

I got involved.  I did research, set goals and tracked progress.  The first 15 pounds flew off of course.  (this always happens when your fat) I stayed motivated, then hit a plateau.  The magazine workouts, curls, treadmill, and the plethora of other crap wasn’t doing anything anymore.  So for the next few years I battled the scale up and down, hovering between 190-200…since I always tried to keep it under 200.  The whole time reading food labels all day, charting calories, being hungry and eating cardboard like food that I microwaved at lunch.  Eating was not fun at all. And the gym sessions seemed meaningless to me.  Sitting on a stationary bike or riding an elliptical machine for 45 minutes or so seemed like hell on earth to me.  I actually started hating the music in my ipod, but the music they play isn’t even close to being bearable.

Fast forward some research and booya- I hit it.  Real facts.  Nutritional facts.  No not the ‘eat 30% of your daily calories from dairy’ facts either.

A good portion of that RDA junk is driven to sell.  Another story, another time, but it is designed to sell product.

I made changes to everything again.  I stopped the normal ‘Im on a diet’ routine and just ate good foods.  I understood what the body burned as fuel and what it couldnt, and usually stored as fat.  I researched the body, what exercises burned fat.  I understood how the body was functioning, and what the stuff I put into it did.  Im no scientist, infact science was my worst subject in school.  But, it is actually very simple once the lies are broken and you understand what you’re supposed to do- not what someone else thinks you should do.  If your already a gym member, just close your eyes and picture a scenario for a minute; How many times have you seen personal trainers just seem like all they do is balance people on balls and boards that wiggle?

How many people have you seen that have had the same trainer and they just gab for 40 minutes or so and 3 months later there is no results?

I use to be very active in my gym, sometimes upwards of 8-10 times a week! Of course just doing pointless routines though. But, I did and can recall, vividly, at least 3 or 4 examples of each one I described.  Some of the stuff they have them do is almost comical!  Do the math; 2 sessions per week at $65 for 40 minutes times 4 weeks a month for 6 months.  That is over $3,000 down the drain!  Or maybe $1,500 if you’re lucky enough to catch on to the scam after month 3.

Listen, it’s not that hard.  It is simple, but of course it’s not easy.  I did it, and I am sure you can too.

By changing the lies, and practicing the truth- I am down to 170 now and its a solid 170.   I have more energy, and haven’t touched any energy drinks in months.  I use to live and swear by them.  Loved the monster…

Trust me, it was the most important decision in my life.  Your health is you.  If you’re not healthy it also affects everyone you love.  You can do this too.  I can help.

Thanks again for stopping by.  Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions at all.

-Mike