Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey San Antonio,

I get to spend a lot of time with people in all stages of the fitness spectrum. Day to day in my personal life, conversations often turn to health, and when people first meet me and find out that I am a fitness professional, they are often very intrigued about what I offer and are interested in client progress stories from my personal training career.

It’s amazing how attitudes toward individual progress and success vary. Yesterday, a gentleman walked into my personal training studio and introduced himself to one of my personal trainers as the husband of one of my trainer’s clients (get that?). He then proceeded to tell my personal trainer (Dan) how he appreciates all he has done, thanked him and told Dan how proud he was of his wife and how she seems so motivated and full of energy, and, in my words, well, better. I’ve received many of those praises from friends, family and significant other, and I know exactly the amount of pride Dan was feeling and how much that meant to him. That man believes in his wife and supports her, and his comments show as much.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are significant others that tell people “eat less, workout harder and don’t waste your money” and try to hold them back. Saying things like “wow, you’re down to a size 12, half way to a size 6″ (this was actually a comment to a client from their spouse). Does that sound like support?

I am telling everyone that knows me I am preparing for a bodybuilding show on November 21, and the support and kind comments have been overwhelming. People routinely say things like “You’d win today” or “it’s about time” or “I’ll be there rooting you on” and compliment my obvious plan, program and progress. I appreciate it. But I’m the type of person that welcomes constructive criticism. If there’s a flaw, let me know so I can work on it! However, there’s the occasional barb about losing too much weight, not having enough muscle, not being able to compete against roided up guys, and other comments of the like.

In life just as in fitness, there are well rounded people that when they see someone succeed, they give credit where it is due and issue praise when needed. They say things like “They deserve it” or “They must’ve worked so hard and they should be proud.” There are haters. There are losers. There are people who want to see YOU fail and not lose an ounce or an inch to feel better about themselves. Trust me, they are everywhere.

I remember when I came up with the idea several years ago to open my studio. I had a plan, but didn’t know where to start. I still remember the polarizing points of view – people telling me why it would never work and the people that had their stuff together telling me how amazing of an idea it was and that I WOULD find a way. I DID – I spent a LONG time in Baghdad as a civilian as a way to make money to follow my dream. I was willing to do whatever it takes to get where I’m at. Now that I am less than 8 weeks away from my show, I have the same attitude. I’ve given up things that I thought I would miss. I’ve broken behavioral patterns that were only detrimental. I have a goal and I am going to reach it, no matter the feedback I receive from naysayers.

If you have a dream body, why is it still a dream? At some point, you need to test your resolve and put that goal at the forefront. See it, and take it – it’s YOUR body, make it how you want it. For the people that don’t have the discipline or self-esteem to make their own changes, make them jealous…

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,

Easy and quick high protein chicken recipe, perfect for dinner in your body transformation and fat loss endeavor!

Ingredients
1 small chicken, quartered
salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 teaspoons fruity olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Directions
1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2 In a shallow dish filled with a mixture of garlic, lemon juice, oil, and parsley, roll the chicken quarters to coat them.
3 Allow to marinate at least 1 hour.
4 Preheat the broiler.
5 Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade.
6 Set the broiling rack about 7 inches from the heat.
7 Place the quarters, skin side down on the broiling rack, and broil 10 minutes, basting often with the cooking juices and a little of the marinade.
8 Turn the quarters over and broil the chicken 10 minutes longer.
9 Turn and brush twice more with remaining oil mixture until both sides are golden brown and crusty.
10 Serve at once.

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 believe in giving credit where credit is due, and that is exactly what I want to do with this post.

I’ve mentioned Courtney L numerous times over the last few months, but that’s with good reason: her progress has been simply amazing. Had I taken a video of her when she first came in and during her first workout, and then took one today, nobody would believe it was the same person. If you talked to her daily before she started working out and speak to her now, she’s a different person – leaner, full of confidence and motivated. I’m extremely proud of her and her amazing progress (she lost nine full inches off of her abdominal circumference in her first round of sessions with me).

Earlier today, I sent a text to my clients Chade and Andy telling them thank you for being “walking billboards” for my business. No, they don’t wear Boyd Myers Personal Training or Personal Fitness Revolution Shirts to work (haha) – they just epitomize what hard work, discipline and consistency can do. Neither guy was clinically obese or what most would consider fat. They just came in and wanted to get their bodies under control and to get back to being more fit and lean. Andy has dropped over 30 pounds and has gone from a 38 pant size (fitting snugly) to a 32 (fitting comfortably). Both have lost several inches. Andy couldn’t do ONE push up during his first week, and can now churn them out like a Marine. Pullups? Forget it at first. Now? Well, they were doing pull ups on a TREE during their vacation 2 weeks ago in Yellowstone National Park. Yesterday, Chade decline bench pressed 315lbs. In the beginning? I’m guessing 155 would’ve been a serious struggle. Both are MUCH leaner, WAY stronger, and they motivate ME to push forward.

Andy also provides me with one of the greatest (and funniest) stories of willpower that I can think of. He had a moment of weakness… He was craving “Skittles”. I’ve been there (wanting a totally off-limits food) and many people will lose it and eat uncontrollably. Andy? He ate a Skittle. ONE SKITTLE, and was ok. In my opinion, eating ONE and not eating another is harder than saying NO! haha I had to share that story for a good laugh.

Seriously, the three of you remind me of why I love this job. I’ll admit that every day is at least GOOD. But on the days when I work with any of you, it’s rewarding for me and I’m lucky to have you three as clients.

I’m proud of ALL of my clients (I have a high level of accountability and I will not let people go in any direction EXCEPT in the direction that they need and want to go in). These three are simply amazing, and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to assist you in your fitness goals!

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’m a seared Ahi Tuna freak (I hate packaged tuna). This is one of the best and easiest recipes I’ve seen – a definite body transformation favorite food.

Super Easy Seared Ahi Tuna

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 5 Min
READY IN 15 Min

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
-1 pound sashimi grade yellowfin tuna
-kosher salt to taste
-fresh ground black pepper to taste
-1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
-3 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS
With a sharp knife, cut the tuna into 4 large pieces for appetizer portion, 2 large pieces for dinner portion. Use your judgment on what shape you want to cut your tuna because not all tuna is the same size or shape. However, the shape should somewhat resemble a miniature brick.
Season the tuna pieces with salt and pepper. Coat lightly on all sides with bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. The pan should be as hot as you can get it. Place the tuna in the pan, and sear on each side for about 45 seconds for small portions, or 1 minute for large. Remove from pan. The tuna will be very rare.
Slice each ‘brick’ into 1/4 inch thick slices, and fan out on a serving plate. Enjoy plain, or with the condiments of your choice.

Tips
When you purchase your ahi or yellowfin tuna, make sure your tuna is bright red or dark pink. If it is maroon or brown, it is not sashimi or grill grade, so it will not be a good candidate for this recipe.
Do NOT substitute with albacore tuna! It will not taste good!

Thanks to reader Sara from Baltimore for this awesome recipe!

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 was invited to go workout at Spectrum on Saturday with a close friend of mine, and he took me to the one near his house. I’m not going to name the location, but I do like trying out different gyms and mixing it up. As a personal trainer, I especially enjoy seeing the comedy that these huge fitness centers call “personal training”, and I was not disappointed.

The premise behind personal training at huge gyms like Spectrum, Lifetime, or Gold’s isn’t client progress, but advertising by doing things that look “fun” to attract more clients. There really is no reason or rhyme behind their training methods, because almost every client is doing the same thing. Programs are NOT designed from scratch and altered as the client develops and adapts.

In short, it’s “look busy, look interesting, and let’s hope other people sign up…”

Bottom line is that these gyms don’t understand something: you start really changing bodies and making people go from “Ok” to phenomenal, and people will come. But then again, qualifications and experience are very secondary to these gyms – they only need people who can sell and walk people through their cookie cutter workouts. If a personal trainer can do more, they usually end up working on their own.

I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve always been able to do things MY way. I’ve never been forced to sell things I don’t believe in and I can train clients the way they need to be trained – not waste their time, effort, money or my time.

Great facility, of course. But if you want to become proficient at standing on one leg and catching a ball, go workout with a Spectrum, Gold’s or Lifetime personal trainer (or join the circus) – if you want to drastically change the way you look and feel, call us…

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,

While dieting, tuna is about at the bottom of my list, but here’s a decent tuna recipe sent in from Tasha in Quebec – enjoy!

Ingredients
6 Ounce can of tuna
1 Egg white (stirred beaten)
2 Tablespoons of oatmeal
2 Ts of diced onion
1/4 Tsp of garlic powder
2 Tsp of mozzarella
Some salt and pepper

Directions

Throw all the ingredients (except the mozzarella) into a bowl.

Heat the pan, spray with non stick spray.
(you can use olive oil if you want)

Make 2 patties by just dumping half the mixture into each pile and sort of shape it much as you want to

Cook one side until brown (not long) then turn, when the second side is nearly done, sprinkle cheese over it. (I have used plain old cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella and it still works fine, but mozzarella seems better.

Place under grill for about 1 minute tops to melt the cheese.

You can serve with choive of carbs, potatoes, or it can be a great salad!

Nutritional Information
Calories (Per Serving): 145
Protein (g): 25.5
Carbohydrates (g): 4.5
Fat (g): 2

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

San Antonio,

I am now under 8 weeks. Obviously, since yesterday was “8 weeks”. It dominates my mind.

No matter where I go now, people ask me “are you a bodybuilder” or “do you compete” – before, they’d ask me if I was a professional wrestler or a cage fighter or NFL football player. haha I’ll be honest, I like the former better, as it reminds me the long cardio sessions, the intense training, the strict meals and the extra attention to everything in my life is paying dividends.

Thing is, it doesn’t matter that I’m getting on stage on November 21. It does not matter that I have to paint myself up with Pro Tan, pick a song to pose to for 90 minutes wearing next to nothing. It doesn’t matter if I win, I get a big trophy. None of those things mean anything. The trophy I love is the compliments. The increased wellness. The reminder that I CAN accomplish whatever I put my mind to. I tell clients the same thing every single day, but I’m human, and this has served as a reminder. I feel like I did the first time I drastically changed my body 13 years ago (going from a skinny-chubby kid to ripped :D). I couldn’t stop checking out my abs, the “cuts” in my shoulders, chest, arms and legs.

The reward is the empowerment. Bottom line is this is something anyone can acquire. The compliments? My clients tell me about them all day. It takes self belief. It takes knowledge. It takes discipline. Desire. Motivation. Hard work. Consistency. These aren’t things that you only hear in a locker room or on a Marine Corps commercial. These are things that every single human is capable of. I hear people talk about how they hate cardio, but then shopping at HEB I see a special needs child in a wheel chair and I know what he’d give to be able to run, get on a bike or swim. Most of us have no such afflictions, yet we constantly hide behind time, family, work, “not feeling so hot” or whatever else we can come up with.

You can be amazing. You can be above average. Par for the course isn’t acceptable. You only live once, so live well. Get the body you want. Have the energy to live BETTER. To be a better parent, better worker, better friend and a better significant other.

There are many things that are out of our control. Our bodies are perfectly within our realm of power, and you can make of it what you want…

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,

If you have been reading my blog over the last few weeks, you know I’m preparing for the Lackland Bodybuilding Classic and tonight is the eight week out point. Eight weeks from right now, the show will be wrapping up and I know I will be elated.

Of course, that’s what this post is about, right? Not exactly. It’s more about what YOU can do in eight weeks – if you’re serious, dedicated, and you’re ready to really kick start your fitness, you can make a drastic change in eight weeks. I’m also more than 7 weeks into my hardcore dieting and training, and for someone that wasn’t in “bad” shape by any means, the changes have been incredible. There really is no limit to what the body can do.

It IS called WORKING out – it isn’t easy. If it were easy, everyone would do it and everyone would look great. But not everyone does. Who wants to just be a part of the crowd? Personally, I want to excel in everything I do, and I know when my training and nutrition are completely dialed in, everything else follows it. More importantly, my clients say the same thing about their lives: when they are training well, nothing else matters.

I’ve had a few people say things like “it must be nice to have the time to be in the gym all day”. Ok, first and foremost, I train up to 14 hours per day. I am a father. I am responsible for every aspect of my business. I have no more extra time to workout than anyone else. Truth is, it’s what I want, and I MAKE time for it. I am not any luckier than anyone else.

It’s quite simple: you make time or you make excuses. Excuses lead to more excuses and failure.

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,

Another great high protein and body transformation friendly recipe submitted by reader Donald V. from Tahoe! Enjoy!

Bourbon Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions
1 Heat oil in a large skillet.
2 Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
3 Remove chicken.
4 Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.
5 Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
6 Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
7 Serve over hot whole grain rice and ENJOY.

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 written extensively on my hatred for NBC’s hit show “The Biggest Loser”. Today, I read an excellent blog post about the show here: Biggest Loser Criticism Continues

Why do I hate the show so bad?

1. Unreal expectations. People see contestant A lose 24lbs in 2 days and assume that is reasonable and that it has actually changed their body. First and foremost, the body doesn’t change overnight. I’ve actually lost 25lbs in two days – I had salmonella… The body is NOT capable of metabolizing fat faster than about 2lbs per week, and that is aggressive… They begin drastic restriction from day 1 and that’s NOT the way to go… Progression and reduction are both better done gradually.

2. Real life. They’re locked away in a camp with nothing to do and have chefs preparing healthy food. Of course, they CAN choose whatever, but the healthy options are there. I call that BOOT CAMP. Go to Paris Island, SC and see the changes the Marines make in 12-15 weeks.

3. Unhealthy. Sure, being obese is unhealthy, but stimulus must be gradual, and those people have no business going through what they APPEAR to go through.

4. The personal trainers. I don’t know them, per se, but in a nutshell, the personal trainers featured on The Biggest Loser are a) B-Rated actors and b) Atrocious personal trainers with the knowledge of any $8/hour Gold’s Gym personal trainer.

Look, changing is about a lifestyle change. Not doing something for an amount of time and then falling back into the same rut, or in many cases, falling into a grave. These people may need that kind of restriction and discipline, but if it doesn’t carry on once they leave, why does it matter? I am not criticising anyone who needs guidance or motivation – we all can use a helping hand. Losing weight and changing the body is one of the most difficult tasks known to us as humans – it is physically, emotionally and mentally daunting. I’m just NOT a fan of the show, period. I’m all for inspiration and something motivating individuals to make body transformations, but if it isn’t sustained, consistent and if it doesn’t become a part of their life, it means NOTHING.

Do it right! You didn’t get out of shape overnight, so don’t think you can obtain the body of your dreams in a week. Effort + Consistency + Discipline will lead to results.

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