Well I thought I'd share my success story with you folks.

Last Feb. I tried to close my kids door past my body and my gut hit it and stopped it dead and I proceeded to slam my nose into the end of the door.  

I decided to start working out right then and there.

I was at 228lbs, 5'11", wore a pair of 38" waist pants that were really tight, had a 53 inch chest that had a big layer of fat that ran all the way around my back, and my abdomen was about 54 inches around at the belly button.

I hit my year end goal today and am now 198 lbs.  My gut measured at the belly button is down to 39 inches.  My chest is down to 45 1/2" and I only have a little fat on my lats and in the nipple area.

My pants size is now a 34 and in about another 7lbs I'll probably drop to a 32.

I've taken no supplements, been on no programs and when I started out I was just going to the gym and doing whatever.  The Whatever basically consisted of some cardio on the treadmill or at the track, pushups, situps and then weights.  3 or 4 days a week.

About 3 months ago I went to a more structured (read working out specific areas with weights on diffferent days) system because I peaked and it got me through that time (about the 218 level).

I have just recently organized my workouts even more, using a diary type setup with 3x5 cards and am going 5 days a week.

I bought one of those books with the really stupid names.  You know the type.  It has a name along the lines of "The Super Duper, Slam Your Pooper Awesome Navy Seal Workout".

It's not that bad but anything that has Navy Seal in the title just sounds cheesy to me.

The contents are very good though as the book is a crosstraining book that runs four 13 week excercise programs that transition from one to the other.

First 13 weeks is Calisthenics then they transition through the "Hardcore PT" with running, swimming, biking period," Weights, Pt Cardio mix" cycle, and then the "Loading Phase" which is heavy weight lifting and cardio stuff.

Anyhow I've gotten through the first 3 weeks of this new program and I started it at just the right time because I had hit another peak and was getting stuck at that level.

I'm going to try to get to about 180-185lbs by the end of the next year.  It's an attainable goal since I not only lost 30 lbs of body weight I probably gained about 5-8 lbs of muscle this last year.  So I most likely lost at least 35lbs of fat.

The next 15 will be tougher I'm sure but this new workout regimen is more intense and the swimming( some of the swims are 1500 and 2000 meters!) will really kick my butt.  I started swimming a little each week to try and make the transition easier when the next 13 week phase starts.


Anyhow that's what has been working for me so far.  It just took motivation.  The working out part is easy.  I get up and go to the gym at 4:30 am which is the only way I can fit it in my schedule.

Congrats on your success...stories, like your's, are really motivating.  Keep it up!

Thanks.  I think I'll have to change my screename now.

Thanks Mr. Avila.