F*ck. This. Elevator. I’m getting off!

On the previous episode of Showtorious Unplugged we discussed a scenario in which I had come to a conclusion on what I’m planning on doing for my long-term health.

I’d been battling my body for far too long and it was time to make drastic changes. I’ll be 38 years old in July. I feel like 58 years old. I’ve tried everything:

• Paleo
• Atkins
• Weight Watchers
• All Natural
• Starvation
• ‘Clean eating”
• No preservatives
• Organic
• Juicing

I’m been battling since the 4^th grade. I’m tired.

I’m tired of this sciatic issue; tired of limping around at work for no good reason.

I’m tired of standing in the back for group pictures; I’m tired of trying to not take side shots of myself.

I’m tired of hurting myself working out when I usually enjoy it; I’m tired of shopping in the big and tall section and wearing clothes that are uncomfortable.

I’m tired of having to alter clothes to make them fit right; I’m tired of having to MAKE my Halloween costume every year.

I’m tired of going hard and making great progress only to randomly injure a shoulder, foot or knee… but with no impact.

I’ve motivated many; helped more than a few. As much as I try to be a role model for the right way to fitness, my body’s constant betrayal has me consistently frustrated.

I guess I’m tired of being tired.

Thank goodness for modern science and medicine, right?

I gave myself hell for years about doing things the natural way. I didn’t believe in surgically altering my body when I knew what I was capable of. Shit, in 2005/2006 I lost 119 pounds on cardio, Fausto’s carne asada nachos and working three jobs.

Though I still can be mistaken for a cat in his mid-20s, the bottom line is I’m not in my mid- 20s any more. I’m in my upper 30’s and my body has changed; specifically my metabolism.

The truth is weight loss begins in the kitchen; no disputing that fact. What happens though, when your body is unique and it does not process foods, even the good ones, the way it’s supposed to?

I know people who give up sweets or carbs or meats and they take a walk every night – pounds just fly off of them. Some people don’t even take that walk but stick to the eating program and still lose weight.

What’s been proven for me though is that I not only need to watch what I eat, I have to work out… not just walking but I need to work out vigorously and consistently. It’s what made me successful in the past and what I wanted to do on my last campaign.

The bad part is despite my intentions it wasn’t working anymore, consistently. It began to feel like some kind of life elevator, only more like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney.

I’d lose 20 pounds, regain 30. I’d lose 60, regain 45. I’d lose 5 pounds, regain 8. My body has been all over the place. This is when I was NOT injured, eating right and working out.

When I was injured multiple times last year, I couldn’t work out so that elevator would just go in one direction — up. I found myself at a near all-time high weight after getting a stress fracture in my foot over the summer.

The other problem I’ve recently been diagnosed with is lower-than-normal testosterone, which is a direct result of obesity. Wish I knew this when I was 30 as opposed to 37, but it’s whatever now; forward progress.

This procedure SHOULD correct my weight-loss problem. I lose weight, I regain testosterone. I can also get testosterone treatments to help it along, should the forced weight loss not work.

I don’t have sexual health issues and I’ve no need for Viagra and shit but one has to wonder if my lack of testosterone plays into the fact that we don’t have children yet. The mere thought of that for me is unacceptable, especially when I know I’m capable (2011, RIP Aaliyah).

So excuse my language but, FUCK. THIS. ELEVATOR. I’m getting off.

THIS is my final campaign. I plan on following the book to a T. All of my friends who’ve had the surgery have been successful. Granted, I’m the first guy of the group going in for it so it’s a little different but from all accounts that I’ve researched including speaking with many doctors, I’m a prime candidate for the procedure. Not because I’m just overweight but because I have no actual problems going on with me (talking blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes – low testosterone won’t kill me) and I have crazy work ethic.

Doc told me he expects me to be good within 9 months. Normally it takes 18 months for most people to reach goal, which is the realistic timeframe for what I’m shooting for, but if I can kill 130 pounds off in 9 months, I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t happy.  THAT is a fucking win in my book.

So I got my date back in mid-January after consulting with my surgical center.  May 10^th. Set in stone.  I was happy, but so disappointed at the same time; especially after going through a yearlong process to get to this point.

Another one of my friends, whose primary doctor’s office is infinitely more efficient than mine, had blown through the process and had been scheduled already for March 14^th… I hoped to do this thing with her so we can Make America Sexy Again, together. Alas, my wishful thinking didn’t translate to reality. I was stuck nearly two months behind her. I accepted the date and let the scheduler know my desires to move up just in case somebody canceled.

The scheduler, with a sparkle in her eye and a smile went ahead and scheduled me for pre-op on February 1^st… this way I was registered with the hospital and had all the instructions just in case cancelations occurred between that day and May 10^th. I don’t know if it was my smile, my unique name or my infamous ‘Denzel Voice’ that  I gave her but I felt like I may have done something positive in my positioning for a better date. I’m a happily married man, of course but here in Vegas sometimes you have to turn the flirt game up a bit to get shit done.  When she told me she was confident something would open up sooner, I shared her confidence.

My friend and I attended pre-op the same day, which was pretty cool. We did all of our paperwork and paid for our procedures. $3250 later ($2500 for surgery, $750 hospital copay) and it was on like Donkey Kong… well in May of course; March for her.

The following Monday (2.6.17), I got a phone call at work. It was the scheduler lady. She says, “I know you mentioned you wanted something in March but how about the 15^th?”

I responded, “The 15^th of March would be awesome! Thank you!”

“No,” she replied. “The 15^th of February.”

“Holy shit,” I exclaimed. “They told me I have to resubmit some tests redone though, because they expired.”

She looked through her notes and explained to me that it would have expired if I kept May 10^th for the date. Since she was purposing Feb 15^th, my EKG’s and X Rays were still good. I would just have to do a couple blood tests, which they can do on their own this week.

Happily, I accepted the new date.

This is really happening, folks. On February 15th, THIS WEDNESDAY my life is changing… and so is the world.

UPDATE:

I wrote this on night of February 7^th… my friend got called too. She’s moved up to THIS MONDAY.

Patience, Grasshopper…

My patience has been tried over the last several months while on this permanent journey of mine. I guess the fact that I gave maintained my calm is a good thing.

So here’s my progress, so far.

February: Attended the seminar. 80% sure I don’t want the surgery.

April: Nutritional Classes while losing naturally. 90% chance of no surgery.

June: Official Class #1 for educational purposes only. 100% NOT getting the surgery.

July: Class #2 injured shoulder, AGAIN. 75% NOT getting the surgery. Easy on the weights, sir.

August: Class #3 with injured shoulder. Stress fracture on left foot. FUCK. 100% sure GETTING the surgery. Sick of this injury shit.

September: Pre-op Appointment & Psyche evaluation: EKG test didn’t look quite right, next step is cardiologist appointment.

October: Waiting for the damn referral from Health Plan of Nevada. Referral obtained, like three weeks after initial request.

November 14^th: Cardiologist Appointment

December 2^nd: FINAL Approvals

January 2017: Surgery, hopefully?

I’m so ready. HMO’s suck but thankful to have good insurance either way. At least I’ll have a summer body, finally.

Health Updates (Not Today), Lists Galore & #ShamelessPlugCity

I should probably restart that blog I wrote three weeks ago, so this is a shorty. It could also be construed as a shameless plus for the season premiere of Diary of a Mad Bulls Fan.

Simulcast on my personal blog…

Hello, October!

This means a few things. Cubs Playoff Baseball – 103 wins for best in the league this year. Hockey season – Your Chicago Blackhawks look to get back to the Stanley Cup. Let’s not forget the highlight of my sports fandom, the NBA and my Chicago Bulls.

I’m just chomping at the bit to see how the new look squad turns out for us this year. From what’s being reported at the team’s training camp, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo are already making their leadership voices heard. They both say its Jimmy’s team but quite honestly I’m cool with Jimmy just shutting up, listening to the champions and playing his game. The leadership role will come naturally. His primary focus needs to be performing at a consistent level, night in and night out. In other words, I’m looking for 25 PPG out of Jimmy this year. As in, 25 PPG EVERY NIGHT. When Jimmy does that and doesn’t allow his offense to bog down his defensive efforts, he can consider himself a leader by default and not just by paycheck.

Damn shame we couldn’t have gotten Wade three years ago. Imagine the direct effect he’d have on a Rose and Butler if he got the chance. But anyway, Rose is a Knick now… this is what we have. This is what will roll with.

If the Bulls play anywhere near the way I run them on 2K17, they are going to be beastly in the East. I don’t see how they wouldn’t be in the top four conversation for the conference. I would say only Cleveland, Boston, Indianapolis and Toronto would also be up there. The rest of the East is a crap shoot.

Either way, I can’t wait. In the next few days or so I’ll have some real Showtoriously Healthy stuff up, I promise.

• Expect a “FIT LIST” – Things I plan on doing post operation.
• A “FAT LIST” – A bucket list of bad shit I plan on eating/drinking prior to my sleeve surgery. [I’m going to miss you, beer.]
• The Turmeric Soup Debacle – The reason I’ll NEVER be a Vegan. Pre OR post op.
• I’ll have an update in regard to my progress. I had my psyche evaluation this past Friday. One step closer to the big day!

All that is going down on one or more entries. I have no idea of the order in which I’ll present that material but figure the update will take priority, followed by the soup story and then the FAT LIST/FIT LIST, which may end up in the same posting.

Expect a #AllPumpkinEverything blog soon, too. I started to add the often-used hashtag content to this post but I’ve already saturated this one with enough goodness, I think.

Seriously, the Cubs start the playoffs this week as the top seed. How cool is that?

-Showtorious

Check my personal blog, by the way!  Showtorious Unplugged

#SupportSystem

Also posted on my personal page, Showtorious Unplugged

For the first time in a while I feel completely at peace with myself.

Some of it was myself finally coming to a conclusion of what to do. Most of it though, was the incredible support system that I have on my side.

My wife’s support speaks for itself. We’ve been through so much together and have risen from what could be considered hard times into the success that we are today. 4 years deep with great communication and no fights on the record speaks for itself.  We’ve conquered medical problems, financial problems and even spiritual problems that haunted our pasts. She’s always been supportive of me no matter what size I am and has been 100% with me on every surgical decision flip flop, anxiety attack or victory I’ve had in regard to my weight loss. In a nutshell, she is my heart and soul, pride and joy and the apple of my eye!

The bottom line: My wife is awesome.

This week has been full of positive signs & vibes. It’s an amazing feeling when you have assurance that you are not alone in your situation on a direct level. By direct, I mean people in your life who have gone through what you are going through.

Of course, I’ve never felt completely alone in that regard.  My friend Andrea has also been there for me for YEARS. She’s gone through the procedure a little over a year ago and she’s down over 100 pounds. (100 pounds lost would have me quite BEASTLY) She’s also been my routine go-to in regard to information about it. Always super helpful and to the point. She gives it to me without sugar coating or anything. To her credit though, she’s always like that with EVERYTHING which is why I love her so much!

This week I found out another one of my good friend ALSO had the procedure done, but just over a month ago. She’s down 24 pounds and is really happy with her decision. Her story put me at complete ease. We’d gone through the struggle a little more intimately. Since we met we’ve both had similar struggles. We’d gone up and down on weight year in, year out. We’ve done the fad diets, the gym buddy thing, the clean eating and numerous attempts at “lifestyle changes” but it’s always met with some kind of failure. She maintains a household with kids; time to work out and eat well is hard. Definitely understandable. As for me, I have no kids and make time to work out and eat well but my body outright rejects sustained physical activity.

The other thing is that both of us have the gift of superior culinary acumen. What Chef do you know that doesn’t like to eat? I tell you, food addiction is a bitch to overcome. I hadn’t talked to her in a few months before this past week but when I found out via Instagram post, I was absolutely amazed. I was happy for her making the decision and I JUST KNEW she understood where I was coming from as we’ve shared stories about out situations in the past.

That is when the 50/50 chance became 100%. As I noted in my last entry, I called the doctor and requested my psyche-evaluation yesterday, which is the last major step before scheduling. I also took the steps to secure a personal loan to complete the financial payoff portion of the deal. 0% interest rate if paid off within one year is a dope ass deal.  The first payment is also differed for 90 days. Beats dropping payments while healing up, any day.

All in all, my deal is buttoned up tight now. I have to still get a letter from my primary doctor and do routine pre-op blood tests and x-rays done but those are only formalities. Just have to wait for the call back on the evaluation date and things will fall in place shortly thereafter. I’m shooting for the third week of November as a potential timeframe for everything to go down. I’ll likely slow down on blogging for a little bit but I plan on updating everyone with my status. The juicy parts of my experience however will be going into my second book, which documents everything leading up to the event and everything following for the first full year. I fully expect to go to publishing by November in 2017.

Oh, I just can’t wait to be KING!

Follow me:

Instagram @Showtorious and @ChefChi_Official

Twitter: Showtorious & ChefChi2dope

Reblogged: Thoughts on My Health

Thoughts on My Health…

(From Showtorious Unplugged)

By Showtorious

Here I go, injured again.

The doctor told me to slow my ass down when it comes to the workout and I listened for a couple months. My knees felt stronger and my overall endurance seemed to be on the upswing. I dropped 21 pounds since June and then I got a little overzealous.

UFC Gym was running a special which came with free week of gym access, personal training and various classes. Being a boxing aficionado I made that my first choice in class.

It was phenomenal. The class was a nice cardio workout with strength training elements and the best part of it all? Throwing combination punches on the heavy bag! That’s what I signed up for, buddy: Throwing hurt bombs like Rocky Balboa!

It was an hour of pure athletic euphoria.

When we finished I spoke with the coach, a professional MMA fighter who consulted me on diet needs as well to follow up in regard to taking more classes. Happy with the product but not so much the price, I advised that I would like to speak to my doctor and insurance company to see  if I could get them to pay for the membership for me, as I am considered medically…ugh, morbidly obese. (Such an ugly term.) Needless to say, my insurance provider would rather send me for gastric sleeve surgery for $3400 out of MY pocket than assist in paying $3200 for a 12 month UFC Gym membership.

So that plan was a no go. I officially can’t afford that gym. I’ll be continuing my routines with the good people at LVAC.

For the next several days my body paid for that hour of athletic euphoria. My sciatica become inflamed due to the added effort I put in during the boxing class and it appeared as if I may have developed a stress fracture in my left ankle. I’m used to limping slightly with my spinal condition but imagine hobbling around in nearly unbearable pain on both sides of your body everywhere you went. It was a struggle even getting out of my car or lying down without severe pain. It was so bad I actually called into work on Thursday last week; a true rarity when it comes to my work ethic.

Today is actually the 11th day since I’ve been able to go to the gym. My sciatica is workable for the most part but I couldn’t risk further damaging my ankle by trying to resume my normal course of cardio. I don’t feel like I gained weight but I’m pretty sure I haven’t lost any either. Either way, I’ve become frustrated once again with the way my body is reacting to otherwise just trying to get healthy.

I haven’t spoke publicly about my other medical situation because I felt that it was none of anyone’s business. I also didn’t want to give anyone the idea that I was giving up, which is something I never do. The fact of the matter is though I’ve been exploring the option of having that gastric sleeve surgery done. Only a few of my close friends and my wife had been privy to that information before today.

It sucks because I didn’t want to go out like that or give up drinking beer but I’m starting to feel like every time I get into a fitness groove and progress is being made my body breaks down somehow. This may be my ultimate way out. I know it’s a viable option and it’s worked for many people including a few of my best friends. I guess deep down I always felt like having the surgery was me giving up. I’m happy for everyone I know who’s had it but I always wanted to be THAT GUY to defy the odds, lose weight naturally, drop a book on the subject, get paid and live happily every after.

My body feels a car that’s paid off and out of warranty. You don’t have a monthly payment but every other month something breaks on it. The transmission is slipping, so you fix that. The alternator needs replacing, so you fix that, etc. In reality that mofo needs to be gutted out and the entire engine replaced to get more life out of it, but you just can’t pull that trigger. You just keep on dealing with the parts until eventually it breaks for good and you’re forced to replace the entire vehicle and PROBABLY pay a damn care note.

Thing is, if my body breaks for good it means that I’m dead.

There is no replacement for my body; this is it. As I approach my 40’s this classic rod just may need a system overhaul. In my case, my fuel intake system would be upgraded into a more sleek, sleeve-like system. I’d have to permanently change the type of fuel I use and never go back to regular level octane ever again.

Get in the zone! Auto Zone. (I had to go there!)

My insurance requires a series of educational courses to be completed before they can grant the proper referral to the surgical center.

• Three bariatric nutritional courses within a three month period;
• A psyche-evaluation with a shrink before scheduling the procedure.

I’ve been to the required three bariatric nutrition courses and if I wanted to right now I could drop a $250 copay (eventually paying $3400) and let them cut me by December. I only say December because I have travel plans in October/November and would likely set things up a few days after Christmas.

With the postoperative diet plan and my work ethic in the gym, even at half pace, I would become a beast likely within 6-8 months. I have friends who’ve also had the surgery and they look and feel great after a year and no disrespect to my people but my gym flow is probably 80% stronger than theirs would be currently; and that’s without the help. Imagine if my body was leaning out naturally as is and then I went Super Sayian like I usually do in the gym.

The weight loss would likely eliminate of my sciatic issues as I could finally strengthen my back properly. Though there is no cure for flat feet, not being 300 pounds would decrease the odds of  developing more stress fractures from just going hard in the gym from time to time.

At my last bariatric course I told the nutritionist that I was about 95% certain that I would continue losing weight naturally and skip the surgery. Maybe it’s the frustration of getting hurt again talking but at the moment I’m about 50/50 on the decision. If I don’t do it this year, I would have to start the process over in January, only my insurance requirements would be 6 months of preparation instead of three.

I also no longer feel like if I have the surgery, it’s not me giving up, it’s me calling an audible to improve my way of living. I mean, you can’t live happily every after if I’m dead. So no, it’s NOT giving up. Its accepting a new challenge and moving forward!

The money is there. Like I said, I’m still 50/50. I’m going to lose this weight one way or another… I just have some thinking to do.

In the meantime, I’m scheduling the pre-surgery psyche evaluation for sometime in September.

Smoothies Sooner than Later!

Oh, they are coming soon. 🙂

Hello, Paleo!

I’ve become obsessed with the weightlifting portion of my journey. Up until April of this year, I had been training using almost exclusively with cardio to get by. Since I established a relationship with a local trainer however, I have been enlightened to the land of lifting; dare I even say bodybuilding?

By body building, I’m not speaking on the sport but rather the literal approach. I’m not trying to become Stan Efferding, after all. Weightlifting efficiently, in addition to the cardio routine is key to dropping inches and building strength throughout the body. Therefore, by creating an all around workout I am in fact, building my body up… body building.

I’ve seen an increase in definition on my shoulders, neck and arms. Not so much in the belly, though. It’s gone down a few inches since during my journey began but it’s still there. Overall things were looking like a winner UNTIL about a month ago.

I experienced a sharp pain in my left shoulder while working my lats. I ignored it and kept working out; kept lifting. I figured it was just soreness because I had never used weights like that before. A month later with similar pain though alerted me that perhaps I need to have it looked at.

I have bad knees and nasty sciatica but none of my ailments have ever been consistently painful for longer than a few days.  I called my doctor last week. After showing her what I did and what my range of motion to pain ratio was, I wasn’t diagnosed with some kind of Derrick Rose type injury, just a case of tendinitis. 

While the pain could last a few days, the healing process may take weeks. In my case, Doc told me to stay away from upper body lifting for 2-3 weeks and then slowly work my way back into it. The news was relieving to an extent because I didn’t need any kind of surgery but it was also disappointing, as I had just reached a personal record in weightlifting. See, the ‘breaking blue’ Instagram picture.

Bummed but not broken.

I’ve been successful before with mostly cardio plans but I had conditioned myself for the last several months to eat as if I’m lifting on the regular. After all, the majority of any healthy lifestyle is about nutrition, not the workout.

That lifestyle is also all about modification. Doing the same thing over and over in the gym isn’t as productive as mixing things up and trying new things to keep your body guessing; and by guessing, I mean burning. This goes for your diet as well. One can live by the chicken breast and bottle of water if one wants to… but not me.  For me, eating the exact same foods all the time is a recipe for food boredom. You should LOVE the food you eat, not eat it just because it’s good for you.

Remember we’re eating to live and what’s life if it’s healthy… but boring? I don’t roll like that; boring food doesn’t exist in Chef Chi’s Kitchen!

That’s why you’ll see that when I meal prep I keep my proteins, vegetables, seasonings and fruits diverse. I never like to have the same thing twice in a row if I can help it.  So I am constantly looking for ways to modify my menu, while maintaining the principles of my lifestyle.

Being forced to stop lifting for a while has given me a new challenge to undertake; reconditioning my body to sustain, absolutely no matter the levels of physicality I endure. I needed something conducive to both weightlifting and cardio-centered gym flow.

I cleaned my diet up substantially since the beginning of my current campaign. I’ve added organic and less processed foods to my plate while cutting down on the fried stuff, bread items and heavy drinking.

There’s also my tagline- no gimmicks. I’m no hypocrite, so whatever I plan on doing must be sustainable for the long term and not a fad diet. I’m not saying I won’t indulge on occasion; indulgence is a necessary evil in life after all, but anything I do needs to remain a consistent for say, at least 90% of the time. In monthly terms, I need to be 100% on point 27 out of every 30 days going forward.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to truly eat clean. I’ve had concerns about what I eat and what I can do to better myself in regard to cleaning up my insides. How would it positively affect my digestive health, my mentality or my energy levels?

What if I eliminated ALL processed foods? What if I eliminated ALL unnatural or added sugars? What if I eliminated stuff that needs to be created with chemicals as opposed to just blending actual foods and spices? What if I stopped drinking alcohol?

When you really think about it, you don’t really NEED any of that stuff. Sure, it tastes good and is usually easy and cheap to come by but what’s the point if it brings a negative reaction to your body in the long term?

Ever see that internet meme that says something to the effect of “The less people you chill with, the less bullshit you deal with?”

Let’s apply that same logic to food. A lower amount of unnatural ingredients (bullshit) in your food, the less bullshit going into your body. I can totally get behind that logic!

That’s not thinking like a gimmick, folks. That’s thinking healthy and clean; that’s thinking properly and absolutely. I got to use my OTHER tag line, ha!

… and I’m totally down.

Hello, Paleo!

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In My Mother’s Honor

My Mom, Rhonda Drake

Today is my first Mother’s Day without her.  Feels weird not heading to the house before work to deliver flowers or a card or heading over to convince her to let me take her and dad out to breakfast on payday to celebrate. It’s an adjustment. Words really can’t describe how much I miss my mom.

As much as I miss her physical self being here though, her spirit watches me and encourages me to keep on pushing, motivating, working, learning and being the best person I can be. Not just in her honor but for myself, my family and her future grandbabies.

May I share a short story?

On her last week with us she called me that Monday morning. I had just got done with the gym and was getting my work clothes ready for the day. She told me that she was hungry and that she was ready. I asked her, ready for what? She said that she was proud of me for getting myself together and losing this weight and that she wanted to start eating better because she was looking forward to helping with my engagement party and wedding plans. She was one of the few people who actually knew the date at that time.

She asked me to go get her a Nutribullet. She didn’t really like the smoothie format of eating, as I tried a few recipes for her a few times previously, but she understood that it was a good way to start getting more nutrients into her system.

I had no idea that would be the last errand that she would have me run for her.

The next day I went to drop off the appliance before work and my brother called to let me know that she wasn’t home. She had already gone to the hospital. I kept the machine in my car all week.

That Thursday night, she passed away.

Sometimes I blame myself for not starting my SERIOUS journey earlier. I mean perhaps if I got ahold of myself earlier my mom would have saw before she got really sick and got motivated before it was too late. I also thought that maybe I shouldn’t have taken this stupid night position which would have enabled me to go over their house more and help them cook better. I remember telling my friend Amy that I wish I would have just quit my job and became my parents’ personal chef and trainer.

It would have been a hardship for us financially but perhaps she would still be with us.

Or not. The Lord makes the decisions around here. When it’s time to go home, it’s time to go home. My mom is no longer in pain. She’s in a good place with other family members, celebrities and the Lord himself.

I battled with the would have, could have and should have for quite some time after her death and then I made a decision. Like a man with a calling I decided to become someone else; to become something else.  (I know, that came straight from Arrow.)

Not to sound super-hero-ish or anything though, I buried myself into my health. I tightened up the calories a bit more and educated myself further on natural products, organics and GMOs.  I began sharing my recipes more and talking more openly about health and weight management. I had already started a blog but I felt something needed to change.

A few weeks ago I began researching starting my own non-profit organization. My mission would be to motivate, educate and assist people directly in becoming healthier versions on themselves. I have a lot of work to do myself; so rather than try to make a buck on my journey, my payment will be my client’s success.

I would also make efforts to help folks find work, secure more successful relationships and motivate them to pursue whatever dreams they desire through realistic planning and making small moves that build towards the ultimate goal. I want to make this world a healthier, happier place.

Mom, I love you. In your honor, today I make this public: I’m closing my blog Showtoriously Healthy and starting a new chapter. Showtoriously Healthy: A Non-Profit Organization.

I plan on making you proud. Happy Mother’s Day!

The Hard Part is the Start

The Hard Part is the Start

So, you’ve stocked your fridge with lean meats, fruits and vegetables, light snacks, supplements and water for days. The fatty foods, bad oils, most preservatives and excess sugars are out of your reach and you’ve nutritionally committed to a healthier lifestyle. Groovy, baby!

The commitment to a healthy lifestyle is only as strong as the acts that follow. By taking the steps to renovate your shopping list and start eating better you’ve already engaged in the hardest part of the battle. Now that you’ve already begun to fuel your engine appropriately the next step is to see how that baby runs.

Today’s topic is getting started at the gym.

I’m a 34 year old man that has struggled with weight issues all my life. It’s taken me a very long time but I figured out what works, for me. Every individual’s body is different, so every gym regimen should be different. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa which is exactly why I will not give you a comprehensive workout plan in this blog. I will however, provide tips to prepare for taking your first steps into the final frontier, so to speak – joining and getting comfortable with the gym flow.

First off, you’re going to need to select the appropriate facility. There are several out there.

I’ve tested and toured nearly all of the franchise gyms in the city. Not to say that you have to do all of that research but this commitment is very important, especially when you consider the financial investment, should a membership require a contract.

Contract is a scary word, I know. Personally, I don’t have a problem with one mostly due to the fact that when I committed to mine, I was set on making this a part of my lifestyle going forward. I have the same confidence when signing a cell phone contract. I need a cell phone in life; I don’t need a lot of adjustments to my plan, what’s the harm in a two year deal when I’m going to need it for an absolute amount of time anyway?

I’m also blessed with a crazy good resume; so if my bread maker decides to ‘future endeavor’ me, I can find work faster than the average bear–  so I’m not afraid of not being able to afford my fees, which is a concern for many people considering the economy.

Again though, that’s just me.

There are several gyms out there that don’t require contracts though. Planet Fitness and Gold’s Gym, for example do not require a long term commitment and you can use their facilities for as low as $10 a month. That’s a great deal, right?

So why do I pay $22 a month to go to the Las Vegas Athletic Clubs? Frankly, they work for me. I’m not going to blanket the other gyms as bad places by any means, but there are things about certain places that I just can’t let slide when it comes to my personal needs.

For example, I’m going to pick on my old gym, Planet Fitness. I was with them for about a year, mainly due to the fact it was within minutes from my house and that it was cheap. The no-commitment feature had no bearing on my patronage.

Planet Fitness has great cardio and weight machines and promotes a friendly, happy go lucky culture. They also provide pizza and bagels, respectively once a month to their members.

I can let the pizza and bagels thing pass because I know how important the planned cheat meal is to a lifestyle change and I can even let their obnoxious ‘Lunk Alarm’ that sounds when someone (allegedly) accidentally drops a stack of weights pass. What I can’t let pass though is the lack of a swimming pool in favor or massage chairs and tanning beds.

Not to say those are bad items to have in a gym because they really go hand in hand but I like to switch things up from time to time and swimming is a low impact but highly powerful way of burning calories and fat. I don’t swim every day, but when I do, it’s normally to take some pressure off my bad knees and sciatica stricken spinal cord.  So it’s imperative to have a pool/spa facility for me to use when needed.

I also like to join dance, yoga or weight training class from time to time. Planet Fitness does not offer this service either. Planet’s grandest offense however, is their ridiculous 24/5 hours. (My location specifically – I don’t know if other locations have this policy.) What kind of gym in LAS VEGAS, a 24 hour town is open from 7am-7pm on weekends and open 24 hours from Monday at 7am-Friday at 10pm? I work in a hotel, swing shift. Sometimes I like a morning workout and sometimes I like to burn the midnight oil…  A 24/5 gym with a 24/7 job is the drizzling sh*ts when it comes to schedule diversity.

7am-7pm on the weekends?  Not everybody in Vegas is clubbing on a Saturday night, I’m just saying.

I don’t want to sound like I’m advertising for the Las Vegas Athletic Clubs but they are just the superior gym franchise in Las Vegas… 24 hours, large, well kept facilities and properly equipped to my liking. Though I don’t mess with racquetball, they have that feature too.

So there; first step is to find a place that YOU will be happy with and that will suit your workout desires. That is paramount when beginning your physical plan.

The next step is to properly prepare your equipment/workout gear.

I’m not going to lie; the gym can be a fashion show. You don’t have to participate but I can tell you why some people choose to and believe it or not in SOME CASES it has nothing to do with competition, having a sanctimonious attitude or even trying to find a date.

Showtoriously Smooth!

Take me for instance; I feel better when I look better so I gear up with a little flair. That’s not for you to envy though, I just like to look presentable wherever I go. It’s just a personal standard.  I also like to be comfortable and my clothes to be functional. My usual gym gear consists of a sleeveless or lightweight t shirt, basketball shorts, headband and running shoes. My shirt/shorts/socks/headband usually matches. Sometimes my towel matches too. I only keep one active pair of gym shoes, so that’s usually a tossup.  By simple styling (matching), I make my gym gear feel like a uniform that I can conduct (gym) business in.  I don’t look like a hot mess by any means; but that’s just me. I also have 4000 pictures of myself on Facebook in all my overweight lover glory. *chuckle*

Some people may go too far with trying to be fashionable at the gym but again, to each his or her own. You’re at the gym to work on your own confidence and fitness… how you perceive others or how you think they perceive you are not important factors. What is important is how YOU feel in your own workout gear and your own skin.

It is entertaining however to watch a female sweat off a shit pile of makeup on the elliptical. Seriously, the makeup shit is going a wee bit too far in my opinion.

In addition to dressing ready for the gym you also need a short shopping list of essentials that you want to make part of your equipment before your workout.

Music: An iPod, MP3 player or a handy playlist or online streaming service on your mobile is a MUST for me. Like most things in life, music makes working out so much more fun. I’ve never been to a gym with good music in the background. Combine that with their desire to be ‘hip and now’ and it’s an aural disaster. Do you really want to lift weights to Justin Beiber?

A decent padlock: Most commercial gyms provide locker facilities. They have the coin-operated mini-lockers in most cases but those things are usually too small and inconvenient. You’d likely much rather prefer a regular sized locker that you lock using your own device. LVAC recommends a key operated lock for security reasons but I don’t see a problem with a combination lock. The majority of people at the gym aren’t trying to break into your locker like a high school bully. Plus, you probably shouldn’t be taking anything of extreme value and leaving it in there in the first place.

A gym bag: Your gym bag should be large enough to carry all your stuff in.  My gym bag can fit my sneakers/dress shoes, flip flops (for swimming and showering) a change of clothes, large beach towel, small hand towel, soap, lotion, deodorant, iPod armband, lock and a bottle of water. The only thing my bag is missing is that it’s not waterproof but that is a luxury I can live without. Ziploc bags go a long way in regard to keeping soap away from everything, should it become loosened. It sounds like a lot of stuff, but your gym bag is essentially an overnight bag. If you plan on a session before heading to work that bag should also be large enough to stash your work clothes in without wrinkling them all up.

A good buddy (optional): A support system by way of a friend or family member is a great way to stay consistent. They should encourage you to go when you don’t want to and not promote negative aspects to your lifestyle. Both (or all) of you should hold each other accountable and be open to sharing best practices, recipes and experiences. A good workout buddy also knows when to shut the hell up and work. It’s cool to talk when you’re cooling down on the treadmill during a brisk walk or in between sets on the weights, but if you’re able to talk on a damn elliptical or something heavy, you’re likely not putting enough effort into the task at hand. Your partner(s) should be an asset to your regimen, not a liability.

Medical clearance: Honestly this should have been the first step. NEVER begin a fitness regimen without being physically able to do so. Make sure your blood work is in order; make sure you don’t have an injury or pre-existing condition that can cause further harm. I would rather have you as a fat friend than a dead friend, real talk.

Now that you’ve equipped yourself the next step is to actually DO WORK.

The first week at the gym is going to be a GRIND. It’s likely going to be a painful, grueling experience but you cannot let that defeat you.

Be sure to stretch a bit before beginning and then ease your way into your cardio session. What’s simpler than taking a walk on the treadmill? Did you know that walking is the number one exercise in the world and one of the most effective fat burners? Cardio doesn’t have to be rocket science.

Your objective is to just get in there and do something for at least 30 minutes to get your heart going. You know, cardio is short for cardio vascular. When your heart rate is up, your body begins to burn. For those who are larger, I recommend at least 45 minutes of cardio. Personally, I put in 60 minutes of it. At the moment I’m not trying to gain muscle, I’m only trying to lose fat. Though lifting is also effective to burn fat that cardio is going to help you lose mass more efficiently. Plus, as a larger individual your body is already using muscles to move that mass around, so something as simple as moving naturally is going to work those muscles a bit.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I lift bro! I just don’t make my workout lifting oriented because that’s not where I need to be at this point of my life. Most of my lifting is upper body. I lift to strengthen my arms, shoulders and back, which are my weak spots; especially my back. Plus, I know that most of my cardio doesn’t do much in regard to my upper body.

Make sure you diversify your cardio as well. I try not to do the same routine two days in a row. It’s rare that I spend the entire session on one machine as well. Every so often I get a little hardcore on the lateral machine or the total body cross ramp and rock a 60 minute session, but I try to split my cardio up into at least two devices to keep my body guessing as well as burning in different ways. This is where my love of LVAC comes in handy. It’s HUGE and has enough machines in there to really mix the cardio game up on a daily basis. Plus when I don’t feel like machine work, I can go swimming or I can walk right into a Zumba or Hip Hop dance class and effectively get that workout in using the wonderful piece of equipment known as my own body.

Once you got a grip on doing cardio for a few days, introduce yourself to some light weightlifting and gradually build to heavier stuff. Remember, this is a blog for beginners… we won’t become Triple H overnight so don’t go out there and hurt yourself trying to be. Just be consistent and I promise those results will come.

I hope this advice helps you in your journey. I’m not a bodybuilder – shoot, I’m not even classified as in shape yet; I’m just a cat who’s finally obtained a little success and have a desire to share because I truly love to help people out… like yourself, I have a long way to go before I reach my goal. Just think of me as that good buddy and support system and we’ll make it happen together!

Until next time, I can be reached at showtorious@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Showtorious. Happy Health, people!

-Showtorious

The Wait Until Monday Syndrome and How it Can be a Positive Aspect

Procrastination is a vice that many people have. I am notorious for it myself but only when it comes to something I’m not going to enjoy. For instance, I have a good feeling that I’m going to owe the IRS money this year. As I type this blog, it’s April 13^th and I haven’t filed my taxes yet. In fact, I plan on working on that piece of business as soon as I finish typing this out… or maybe after dinner. See what I mean?

Truthfully, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t procrastinate in some way, so don’t feel bad about it if you do. Rather than shame you on your bad habits though, I’m here to encourage you to NOT procrastinate… at least when it comes to your health, as maintaining your health is something that even through the occasional lapse in discipline carries an ongoing importance.

Today’s topic is the Wait until Monday Syndrome and how it can be a positive aspect of your journey.

It usually starts at the top of the year with a resolution to lose weight or get back into the shape. Those resolutions are usually made over a hefty Christmas dinner, sometimes half drunken and not serious but at the same time they say that drunken people tend to tell the truth more often than one who is sober. So there is jest in that joke of getting back in shape while cave manning a turkey leg. “On January 1^st it’s on like Donkey Kong;” they may exclaim, “But wait, January 1^st is on a Wednesday. I’ll just wait until Monday,” and there you have it.

What usually follows this claim is a string of irresponsibility that can be of epic proportions, because well, we’re going to lose it anyway starting on Monday, right?

Story Time

A few years ago, I made the promise to wait until Monday to start my latest weight loss campaign. After my proclamation, I went to Target for their New Year’s Day sale and took advantage of their then-annual BOGO offer on Xbox 360 games. In addition to picking up my games, a brand new cool touch deep fryer made its way into my plastic red shopping cart. With the latter purchase, a plan formulated – a 40’s and Blunts Party where we would FTW: FRY THE WORLD before giving it all up on Monday.

January 2^nd was a Friday that year.  The Justice League came through for the gathering and we had a grand time. We played games and drank 40’s, some of the League smoked out and everyone participated in this massive deep frying session. We deep fried shrimp, chicken, French fries, Twinkies, Snickers bars, Strawberries, Broccoli, and Cauliflower. I’m pretty sure there was a banana tossed in there at one point too. Between the fried food, sweets and liquor consumed that night, I can safely say that I packed away 6000+ calories that night. An elite athlete can handle that kind of intake and be cool the next day; I mean have you seen Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s quarterly cheat meals? Freaking legendary! For the average Joe however, that kind of practice could be dangerous. Plus, it digs you into an even deeper hole than you planned on starting with.

Credit: Muscle and Fitness Magazine Online

Why would anyone want to start off worse than they already are?

Mind you, at that time I had already begun my journey. It was the year of my 30^th birthday and I had big plans. So going into the New Year, I had already lost 9 pounds. I made it to the gym that Monday as promised and I kid you not, when I did my preliminary weigh in, I regained every single freaking pound back.

How the in the world does one gain 9 pounds over a weekend? 6000 calories on Friday night, 4000 calories in leftovers on Saturday and Sunday, respectively and besides the great drunken sex I had that weekend NO significant physical activity.

It’s so much easier to gain unwanted weight than it is to lose it. Since that time, I’ve been on a couple other unsuccessful weight loss campaigns and though I remembered what happened in 2009 I kept making the same mistake. It’s so hard to get started on your journey to good health.

This year, I made a few promises. Again, I promised to wait until Monday to recommit to gym consistency but I also I made a promise to myself to make this my FINAL campaign; no more dieting. It was time to start living properly, and absolutely.

I did this in a few ways. First of all, I detached my lifestyle change from the New Year. This wasn’t about 2014; it was about the rest of my life. So my final campaign officially started on December 30^th, 2013, the final Monday of last year.

When I made the promise to myself to start on Monday however, I changed my mentality on how I would go into my regimen. I knew that to legitimately prepare for a lifestyle change as significant as this one, I had to change my fueling methods before heading into the race. There’s more to a healthy lifestyle than getting into a gym, after all. That lifestyle starts on your plate, not in a gym.

The week before my official start, I ordered my NutriBullet system. I also re-educated myself on nutrition in general. I took what worked for me back in the day, optimized it and developed a routine that I was confident would work with my life. Also, instead of binging on my favorite junk foods before going hardcore on the workouts, I opted to cleanse myself of the bad foods and begin to train my body, nutritionally. I began clean eating a week before I started my 5 days a week workout plan. I sped up my metabolism, discarded the garbage from my diet (white flour, most breads, any oil except coconut) stopped eating after 8pm(or less than three hours before bedtime), committed myself to 7 hours of good sleep a night and got ready to hit the ground running, literally come Monday.

By making those adjustments during my workout procrastination period (waiting until Monday), I made the syndrome work for me, positively and when I made it to that Monday, not only did I not gain any extra weight (on top of the 15 I gained between Halloween and Christmas, that is.) I had a hell of a workout.

Usually after a few days off I have issues getting my strength in order not so on this day. I went for a solid 60 minutes on the Total Body Crossramp, followed by a light weight lifting session for about 15 minutes; it felt wonderful and I never looked back. Today I’m 30 pounds lighter and counting.

So, waiting until Monday to start your workout? Cool. Just remember your buddy Showtorious and his healthy living blog-o-rama. Until next time, happy health, people!