Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey San Antonio,

I’m only 81 days out! No worries, I’m so motivated.

I finally got a few things taken care of and now I can move forth and be focused on creating new videos and finishing my body transformation guide!

I do want to take a second to thank everyone that is supporting me and being so understanding of what I am going through. I have an amazing group of friends and loved ones, and even Peyton is excited and into it.

I’ve had some pretty amazing fat loss stories that are sure to inspire from within my clients here of late, but that’s nothing new. I’ll definitely share some of those tomorrow!

Tomorrow is only a cardio today (today was a brutal back day). Bring the pain!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Here’s my son giving fitness advice. The kid knows his stuff…

My favorite – he’s about to get pumped up and start his workout:

He is a workout beast:

Finally, in response to his “Big Arms, Big Paychecks” video, he wanted to do another:

Comments and laughs welcomed – he loves the attention ;)

That child is my whole world!!!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

This is my dinner tonight, and I wanted to share this awesome recipe:

SEARED TUNA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb tuna steak (preferably sushi
grade)
1 cup roasted red peppers (from
water-packed jar)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken
broth or water
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled
Salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over
medium heat. Season both sides
of the tuna with salt and pepper.
Add the tuna to the skillet and
cook for three minutes per side,
until almost cooked through (the
fish will be pink in the center,
so cook it longer if you want it
well done).

In a blender, combine the
roasted red peppers, chicken
broth, vinegar, ginger and
garlic. Process until the mixture
is smooth.

Spoon the sauce over the tuna
just before serving.

Makes two servings. Per serving:
402 calories, 11g carbs, 53g protein,
16g fat (3.5g sat. fat), 2g fiber

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

My massage was absolutely amazing and completely rejuvenating. I feel completely refreshed and ready to attack the week!

There are several elements that are important in body transformation and focusing on fat loss. You must have a solid plan. You must have discipline. You must be consistent. You must have knowledge or be under the guidance of someone who does. But I think one of the most overlooked, yet, most important parts of making progress is being prepared.

I have mentioned numerous times that I spend a lot of time on fitness message boards and groups. A very common story is how people are caught out and didn’t have anything to eat with them and “had to” grab something quick. OR they ran out of food and were forced to eat something not so healthy.

There’s an excellent way to combat that: Always have something available that fits your meal plan. In my home, we typically cook 2-4 days of food at a time and put the rest in ready-to-go Gladware so we can grab what we need, load it in our lunch boxes (mine is a small cooler) and go. I’ve done this for years, and always have a few meals or edible items with me, no matter what. My lunch box is already packed for tomorrow. My breakfast protein shake (oats and Pro Complete 40) are already in the blender, waiting for ice and water and power. My during workout drink powder is in a container. I have stir fry and a little pasta for my post-workout meal, a couple of ready to shake protein drinks, and JUST IN CASE, I have a Lean Body Gold Bar. Oh, I also have my cottage cheese and blueberry cheesecake blend (it’s listed in the recipes and it is delicious) ready as a meal. If something goes wrong, there are always packets of tuna at my studio for emergency situations.

My supplements are packed away as well. And most importantly? I have three workouts on my schedule for Monday, Wednesday and Friday along with another on Saturday. If I have to stay up late to do cardio, that is what I’ll have to do.

Good intentions are important and not being prepared isn’t going to get you lean. I hear people tell how they struggle with weight and don’t seem to get results, but they’re missing meals, cheating often, missing workouts and simply not doing what it takes. This isn’t a case of me tooting my own horn – it’s a case of me showing what it takes.

I have people come in and tell me “I’m not going to do this, this or this and I don’t like to do this.” This isn’t arrogance, but I have high expectations and high standards for my clients to follow. I do not ask the impossible, but I do ask what is necessary, because anything less than exceptional results is a let down. And IMO, that’s what a client deserves: not someone who will settle for marginal results.

The nutrition area is loaded with recipes – experiment. Make time, don’t try to find time, make it – your health is too important.

Training properly, following the proper nutritional strategy (not a fad diet or one not designed specifically for you, appropriate rest and the right amount of cardio will tranform your body. This isn’t a cult, and it isn’t impossible.

My training approach is based on science, experience, and results. I’ve seen it all and I think I’ve tried even more! I understand weight loss struggles. I also understand that transformation isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Trust me, the effort is a heck of a lot better than feeling tired and lethargic, buying bigger pants and not being happy with the way you look.

The decision is yours. My passion for helping people is completely unmatched, and I realize that the task itself may seem daunting and overwhelming. It only feels that way until you take that first step!

Thank God It’s Monday!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I have 90 minutes of deep tissue massage scheduled at 5pm and I can’t wait. Deep tissue massage is an excellent way to improve recovery, as it not only loosens up kinks and knots that build up when you train intensely, but it also allows fresh blood and nutrients to be delivered to otherwise tight muscle groups and areas of the body, while improving blood flow.

I am giving a new therapist a try today, and I’ve heard good things about her, so I’m not worried. Due to my size, I require a lot of work, but since my muscle groups are well seperated and defined, most massage therapists tell me that they enjoy working on me. I guess that’s a compliment!

Today was also grocery shopping day. As I’ve mentioned, if I limit variety and don’t tempt myself, it much easier to stay on track. I loaded up on the Speed Stacks and bought a few Lean Body Gold protein bars as well, JUST in case I get a craving. I don’t eat these often, but I do have them available – I figure if I get a sweet tooth, it’s better to eat them than to eat ice cream. They aren’t bad at all, but I prefer as much real food as possible.

Right now, I am watching the Little League World Series. The concentration of these kids is absolutely amazing. The whole world is watching these twelve year olds, and to see how mentally tough they are is inspiring and motivating.

Several times per day, my son Peyton asks me “Dad, when is your muscle show?” He’s as excited as I am, and has even said “I want to eat what you eat.” No worries, baby, I won’t hold you to that. Of course, he forgot that today when they were giving away cookie samples at HEB :)

I plan on going to visit my chiropractor later this week to keep everything in line (while my muscles have released). Right now, I’m going to go soak in the sun for an hour and just relax and read – only one more weekend of party summer left, but my party summer ended about a month ago.

I say it often, but THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT. I really mean that. Every kind word does matter and does make a difference.

This week is your week… Don’t hold back.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

I woke up, and I’m sub 12 weeks!

Yesterday was a carbohydrate refeed – this is a day of planned higher carbohydrate intake designed to refeed the muscles while also restarting the metabolism and providing the body with a flood of fresh hormones that are secreted during higher carb intake – since in my case and during prep it is so rare, the body is pleasantly sensitive to these hormones (when people overeat regularly, the body becomes extremely INSENSITIVE to them, causing higher levels of fat to be stored).

Today’s agenda:
Had my breakfast
Getting hydrated
Enjoying my pre-cardio caffeine via Speed Stack
Have my branch chained amino acids ready

And now I’m ready to get in some cardio in a way that will ensure ALL fat loss and NO muscle loss. Burning calories mean nothing if your body isn’t properly partitioning nutrients and maximizing fat for fuel and preserving muscle. This isn’t automatic, and tons of cardio and starvation only lead to you going from being a big pear to a little pear.

THINK BODY TRANSFORMATION, NOT WEIGHT LOSS!

83 days until my comp!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

So today is exactly 12 weeks to my bodybuilding show on November 21 and I’m 3 weeks into preparation. Overall, I still feel really good (ok, amazing) about what I’m doing. Of course, it’s easy to get sidetracked by other events in life, but I’m putting anything that isn’t helping me and making me better out of my mind and going forth with my determination aggressively calculated (does that make sense?).

Today was leg day, and my leg days are extremely brutal. So much so that I start planning for them nutritionally and rest wise a day or so in advance, because if I don’t, I’ll feel terrible for not being able to give it my all. I’ve had a small sinus issue that has kind of slowed me a little, but I didn’t relent and I haven’t backed off my prep whatsoever.

I worked out in a new gym today (I like trying out new gyms regularly). It was the same type of gym that I did legs in last weekend with a workout partner, but since that partner isn’t able to train with me anymore, I decided to give it a go at the local version of the chain. The other one definitely suited my needs more, as this one, while very clean, quiet and easy to focus, was lacking on a lot of equipment. But I had a great workout, nonetheless.

As far as my weekly progress, it’s probably easy to just break it up in a few different categories. Remember, I am 3 weeks into my preparation.

Fat Loss
This has been amazing thus far, and I feel that I am 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule. Basically, this is where I wanted to be 8-9 weeks out, so I’m very pleased. Once again, I haven’t as much looked at a cheat food. Ok, Peyton had pizza today, but I stuck to the same ol’ same post-workout. Remember my focus is to lose ONLY 1-1.5lbs per week, and I was dead in that range. The slower I lose, the more fat and less lean body mass I will sacrifice.

Muscle Preservation
Perfect. I have been taking skinfold measurements every week, and I haven’t lost an ounce of muscle yet.

Energy Levels
My energy expenditure is high, but so are my energy levels. Lots of rest, well calculated recovery between workouts, and the right nutrients at the right time.

This week was a bit more of a test than the first two, because I allowed myself to at least see other foods, but I really didn’t want them. Every week, something is modified to make progress (or added).

Training
Brutal, but that’s how I choose to train. If I want my body to look like nobody else’s, I have to be willing to put it through things that nobody else is willing to do. I guess it builds character. ;) I know a lot of people switch from heavy training to lighter, lower intensity during contest prep, and this makes no sense whatsoever.

Nutrition
I actually moved my carb cut-off to a bit later for one more carb meal. My food sources are still limited and simple. I mentioned the supplements I’ve added this week, and they’ll keep insulin under control and eliminate the chance of gaining any body fat. For the record, during dieting, I eat 8-10 times per day… I’ve written extensively about my nutritional program, so feel free to browse back and check it out.

Other
My vascularity is as visible as it has ever been throughout my body, including the backs of my legs and in my lower abdomen. Seperation is visible all over, and my ribs, abs, and obliques are all visible even in a completely relaxed position.

I have company this weekend, and my friend Greg was shocked at the difference, as he was at my house the day my preparation started 3 weeks ago. Greg isn’t one to bite his tongue, and he’d tell me “You look terrible”. While he’s not a fitness professional, he understands physical progress and is very objective and is brutally honest.

I’m still doing cardio daily, but I have slightly reduced the volume to avoid any muscle loss. Something that is just a side effect of the fat loss training, I’m very pleased with my actual cardio conditioning, and am able to absolutely slam my cardio workouts, and keep my heart rate low.

I’m still very pleased with my strategy and the amazing results it has rendered thus far. For me, it’s the ultimate test of MY knowledge and understanding of my body, willpower, discipline and life distractions aside.

Every single day, I feel stronger, better and fulfilled. As I mentioned, I’m working on so many different things and can say that I’m proud of the progress I am not only making as a personal trainer and a bodybuilder, but also as a father, friend and a person.

My rise must continue! :)

Questions, comments, criticism ALWAYS welcomed!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Sitting here in peace and quiet, relaxing, watching the Redskins-Patriots game (Landry just got an interception and Washington is threatening – I really hate New England…) Ahhhh, football season is amongst us.

I am lucky that I have a great support staff. I am receiving emails every single day from strangers and long time friends that are reading this blog and other places on the internet that I frequent and it’s awesome to hear the nice words and the encouragement. It’s ALWAYS welcomed and it always helps. I’ve been in situations in my life where someone may say something like “Let me know if you need anything, anything at all“, but when you ask for the smallest of favors, that person may not be anywhere around. Maybe you just need a kind word or to hear a friendly voice, yet, they are nowhere to be found!

People aren’t perfect. I do, honestly in my heart, believe that people are good and that they mean the best. I don’t think people sabotage you intentionally. I have mentioned removing negatives from your life. I hear stories often of less than supportive significant others, and it saddens me. In most cases, I don’t think that person consciously means to impede progress, but their actions aren’t supporting it.

First things first, all you can do is tell people how you feel and hope they understand and get the message. If they don’t, it’s important to turn any negative into a positive and seek motivation. Whether it’s a significant other, or the loss of a great friend over simply not getting along or seeing eye to eye, if you let some things bend you, they will break you.

I’m writing about this because I hear more and more stories from regular people asking me how to deal with it. Changing the body isn’t easy. Losing body fat and transforming the body is psychologically one of the most absolute difficult things that one can do. If it were easy, everyone would look great. Sadly, they don’t. And even worse, FEW people ever actually do make a drastic change.

Bottom line is simple: you make the decision to be strong. Not to be sidetracked. Not to be unnerved. Things will come each day, big and small – enemies disguised as allies will hurt, and encouragement from someone who admires you that you had NO idea even knew you existed will lift you and keep you going for days.

Always remember that no matter where you are physically, there’s someone who wants to be where you are and they ARE inspired by you. You may not even realize who is motivated or inspired by you, so be an example…

It’s your journey – only you can decide where you want to be and where you want to go. The difference between people who succeed and those who fail is how they handled adversity. Everyone faces it, but responses vary greatly.

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Ok, who says it has to be going out, drinking and being crazy, sleeping all day Saturday, feeling like hell and not getting anything done? It’s roughly 6:40p. I took a nice nap earlier recovering from a strenuous week, and now I’m drinking my Branch Chained Amino Acids, getting ready to go do cardio. For me, it’s living – I’ll be in bed early and will wake up nice and refreshed in the morning. My date is nothing more than the Precor Elliptical, and then I’ll be hanging out enjoying time with my entire world, Peyton as he enjoys his Cheetos and me, my chicken breast and veggies. :)

The last two Saturdays, I’ve worked out in a gym I typically don’t workout in. Tomorrow, I’m back to my norm and will be for the duration – the next twelve weeks. I will admit that training with someone else is a nice push, but I’m plenty self-motivated and will still be relentless. Tomorrow is leg day, and my leg days are absolutely brutal.

I feel amazing. Focused. No aches or pains. No cravings. Staying occupied to keep my mind off of things I would normally crave and miss, but I have to keep those things out of my mind. It will make the next time I get to experience what I’m doing without all the more special and enjoyable. I control my mind, my heart and my will – those things will not control me…

I’ll give my weekly update tonight or tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454

Hey San Antonio,

Daily, I receive emails or questions by random people at line in HEB (no kidding) about what supplements I would recommend or what supplements do I use. As you know, I tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. I have no motivation to sell or make a profit from supplements, so I can be honest.

I totally understand the desire to make the body change as easily as possible. I WISH there was an easy way, but sadly, there isn’t. I’m guessing that half of my readers will be gone after that sentence. Nah, my readers already know this and are much more dedicated than that!

As my nutritional strategy for my show becomes more and more specific, more dialed in and, well, more prolonged, I am adding more things. Of course, the word supplement, as mentioned numerous times here, means “In addition to a whole part.” You SUPPLEMENT your income with extra money – the way you supplement doesn’t become the centerpiece of how you provide for your family. Your supplement program should be centered around your nutritional and training program, not vice versa.

Fact is, the more your training program and nutritional strategy are dialed in, the more you will be able to get from supplements. And while you are in a dieting phase such as that I am in now, your micronutrient needs may change due to a more restrictive selection from food.

When a supplement claims weight loss, it means absolutely nothing. Without the proper stimulus (nutritional and training-wise) nothing is going to force that weight to be from the proper source: BODY FAT. Plus, making the necessary changes ANYWAY will lead to MUCH better progress than any supplement that has ever been created.

I have had hundreds of people tell me “I’m eating perfectly and training hard and nothing has happened” and it’s usually a case of one or two things: either they haven’t given the new stimulus time to take effect (you don’t get out of shape in a week, changes aren’t going to happen overnight) or they have absolutely NO idea what they’re doing and their training/nutrition is in NO way supporting the goals they are wanting to achieve. The latter is often the case (we are impatient though), because if you search for “How To” on the internet, you are overwhelmed with conflicting information.

Everything I do and recommend is based on science, trial and error, and years of experience. It’s by no means one size fits all – everything is designed and adjusted based on the individual and their goals. Of course, my goal is to have no body fat come November 21, and my nutritional program is on the extreme end of the spectrum. However, most people aren’t looking at such extreme goals and such extreme measures aren’t necessary. Discipline is still required, regardless, and if you want to look amazing, your motivation is definitely a cut above the ladies at the office that are always talking about a new diet or losing a pound here or there (just to gain 5 on the weekend).

I’ve said it numerous times: there is no such thing as a magic pill. Once you get the nutrition and training to where they need to be to get you to where you want to be, then there are things you can do to improve your progress. But understand, results from supplementation is marginal, and varies from individual to individual.

If you aren’t taking care of the training, nutritrion and rest portions of the puzzle, throwing different pills and powders down your throat will only produce expensive urine…

To the TRUTH!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454