Never in a MILLION years!

[paul2010]

Welcome aboard Paul.

Cheers Nate!

[Optimass]

Welcome to the forum Paul.

It takes tremendous courage to put you pics up mate.

Based on your journey, I'd say you have a lot to share and contribute.

Your transformation is both fantastic and inspirational.

[Phedder]

Amazing results Paul, congratulations on your achievements and much respect for the effort and dedication you've clearly put in. You've got the right attitude also, it's not a diet or something temporary, it's a complete change in lifestyle for the better. Welcome

[paul2010]

Welcome to the forum Paul.

It takes tremendous courage to put you pics up mate.

Based on your journey, I'd say you have a lot to share and contribute.

Your transformation is both fantastic and inspirational.

Thanks Optimass! Another Westie - whoop whoop!!!

The feedback I've received is what keeps me pushing on...definitely keep it in my motivational tool box for them occasional 'why do I do this?' days, when momentum and energy levels are low....like the scripture says, 'Like iron shapens iron, so a man shapens the countance of his friend'

Much obliged

[paul2010]

Amazing results Paul, congratulations on your achievements and much respect for the effort and dedication you've clearly put in. You've got the right attitude also, it's not a diet or something temporary, it's a complete change in lifestyle for the better. Welcome

Truly humbled Phedder. Endless thanks for your comments.

[Darwinstef]

Thats an amazing change Paul, ditto to all the positive comments made so far Very inspirational. Welcome

[paul2010]

Thats an amazing change Paul, ditto to all the positive comments made so far Very inspirational. Welcome

Thanks Darwinstef - awesome muscle def and great tan! :clap:

[morattigirl]

Thats an amazing change Paul, ditto to all the positive comments made so far Very inspirational. Welcome

Thanks Darwinstef - awesome muscle def and great tan! :clap:

Agreed :nod:

[poos_n_wees]

Whoaaa... HOT. Your before and after pics look like two totally different people!

Keep up the great work \:D/

[Growth]

Yo dude, it's already been said a million time but geeeeez, awesome work man!! Takes real dedication to pull that sort of thing off, gratz!! :grin:

[paul2010]

Whoaaa... HOT. Your before and after pics look like two totally different people!

Keep up the great work \:D/

Funny you say that...my boss is a JP, and when I gave him some documents to verify (with an old photo of me on it) he almost refused it :oops: , pff!

Thanks buddy!

[paul2010]

Yo dude, it's already been said a million time but geeeeez, awesome work man!! Takes real dedication to pull that sort of thing off, gratz!! :grin:

Thanks for your comments Growth...it can only get better!

Cheers

[geneticgod]

yeah sorry mate, dp = display pic

you'll pick the lingos up pretty quick considering the huge change you made i assume your a quick learner

got a question for you about Samoa.......

Im heading up to Apia to lifegaurd at the Oceania Swim Champs at the end of the month, you know any good gyms up there that I can/should train at?

cheers in advance

[dsmi163]

Welcome Paul!

Incredible achievement mate can't say it enough. I've been thinking a bit myself about how the growing obesity issue today, especially in New Zealand, can be fixed and you would clearly know a fair bit about it. I believe that eating unhealthily and lacking exercise becomes a habit which then becomes a lifestyle. With this in mind I feel that to reverse its effects, healthy eating and regular exercise needs to become a new habit, if not addiction! in order to solve the problem. What's your opinion on the matter? Keen to hear that's for sure!

[paul2010]

yeah sorry mate, dp = display pic

you'll pick the lingos up pretty quick considering the huge change you made i assume your a quick learner

got a question for you about Samoa.......

Im heading up to Apia to lifegaurd at the Oceania Swim Champs at the end of the month, you know any good gyms up there that I can/should train at?

cheers in advance

Yep, I was brought up to speed very quickly on the lingo - so all good!

As a matter of fact, I know just the gym! JPs Gym at Vaimea, just a minute or two out of central Apia.

Here's a little write up on it; http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?v ... &Itemid=50

I was there in March this year, and I'd say they are currently the best well equipped one at the moment, and it's nice and clean...trained there during my trip. Standard casual visit is at $10 tala. Word of caution though, drink heaps of water and make sure you have spare change of clothes for after...it'll be like training in a sauna. You'll be SOAKED! AND....there's a bar in the same building, so don't be surprised if you see people arriving at 5pm onwards dressed up, and hear people partying next door, hehehe.

Second to that would be Health Attack, but they only open from 8 to 5pm, and can get a bit packed. The other gym also mentioned in the article (Joe's gym) is where the Rock trained at through his entire stay when he was there, but it's kinda like the bronx...and I guess that's why he used it - to keep a very low profile, it's very quiet....equipments are ok, but the building is in pretty bad shape.

Hope this helps buddy!

[Dyceast]

Amazing Transformation man...

Your one of the guys that Jenny craigs or what ever those other programs are, would pay to do an advert for LOL ...

Well Done :clap:

[paul2010]

Amazing Transformation man...

Your one of the guys that Jenny craigs or what ever those other programs are, would pay to do an advert for LOL ...

Well Done :clap:

hehehe - thanks Dyceast, let me know when and where you come across any takers! \:D/

[paul2010]

Welcome Paul!

Incredible achievement mate can't say it enough. I've been thinking a bit myself about how the growing obesity issue today, especially in New Zealand, can be fixed and you would clearly know a fair bit about it. I believe that eating unhealthily and lacking exercise becomes a habit which then becomes a lifestyle. With this in mind I feel that to reverse its effects, healthy eating and regular exercise needs to become a new habit, if not addiction! in order to solve the problem. What's your opinion on the matter? Keen to hear that's for sure!

Hi Dsmi163,

you've touched on a subject I am very passionate about so brace yourself, :shock:

I've achieved what I've achieved with much credit to my NLP training (neuro semantics). I am a certified life coach now and I've used some of those mental tools to achieved what I have today, simply by reprogramming my thinking/perceptions on various things, and identifying exactly what have holding me back. For example, I can still vividly recall the day I set out to finally win my battle against the bulge, because it was when I was truly 110% ready (physically and mentally) to give it my all.

I had been on several diets many times before, and failed. Failed because of the connotation (anchors) we have mentally assigned to the word 'diet'. When we think 'diet', we automatically think of negative things like starving yourself, a life of discipline, deprivation, rabbit food and so on, and so on right? Some of my friends tell me, 'Gosh you're so committed...I just don't have the time and can never stick to a routine' Within that statement alone lies defeat, before even trying. Changing/reprogramming one's thoughts and perceptions = changing one's attitude. The process of changing your mindset begins by creating new thoughts, attitudes, and habits that point you in the right direction of the results you desire.

It also helps to stop listening to those that keep saying 'i can't' and start talking to those that 'can' and have! There are also references to this in a book/dvd called 'The Secret' as Magic Thoughts, the Rules of Attraction.

A photographer for the National Geographic magazine Dwight Jones in one of his series, (Celebrate what's right) talks about the powers of perception...and that our perceptions can become our reality. So if you think you're going to fail before you even try, then guess what? As I've mentioned on my responses before, 'like iron sharpens iron'. My answer to how do I find the time was, there never seems to be the right time...we have to take the bulls by the horns and make the time, take a stand...and we will adjust our daily routine to fit this into our new routine, if we are to make our health and well being priority numero uno. It's human nature to adjust in order to survive. I must say, it was hard for the first two weeks or even to 2 months...but, it also takes that long to solidify new habits.

But wait, there's more!!! :shock:

Most people I think suffer from burnout over the first 2 weeks, because of expecting overnight results. One needs to stop focusing so much on the results, but focus on the actual steps and the process that lead to the results. The workout in the gym is just the beginning of the process. Once you leave the gym you must continue to perform and do the things that are necessary to achieve the results.

It's not enough just to have the right attitude...you have to align them with ACTION!

Here are just some of the practical stuff I had applied in terms of new habits;

* Talk to other people who've also lost weight. They may be able to offer some great tips (but what may have worked for some may not necessarily work for you, so pick and choose). This also keeps up momentum!

* Let your family know. It's important that you have this support..nothing sucks more that you having boiled chicken while everyone else has fried chicken, huh

* If you're a parent, by all means DO NOT finish off the kids leftovers

* No TAKE AWAYS - cook your own meals, that way you know exactly what's going into your meal

* Boil, bake, grill or steam your meat(s) after removing all visible fats & skins

* If you eat alot and all the time (like me), then just make sure you're nibbling on healthy alternatives like fruits, nuts, vegies, healthily snacks etc

* Slowly introduce some exercise into your daily routine. A good start is getting a pedometer, and aim to walk the 10, 000 steps a day..or, do 30 mins power-walks at least 3 times a week

It is very important to do at least 30 minutes of any form of physical activity per day. Start slow (don't burn yourself out in just a week) and gradually increase your activities.

* Reduce sugar intake, and slowly eliminate ALCOHOL from your diet...or drink in moderation, i.e. 1 glass of wine per day is actually supposed to be good for you..but don't save all your 6 days worth for 1 day in the week..hehehe

* Don't eat in front of the tv :naughty: - eat at the table and get it over and done with. If you eat in front of the tv, you tend to eat more and for a longer period of time. If you sit there with a whole pan of pizza, by the end of the movie you'd most probably have finished the whole thing :oops:

* Get use to using a small plate - it's psychological, usually your eyes are bigger than your stomach. If you use a big plate, then off course you're gonna fill it up..it's the same concept when using a smaller plate/dish

I could offer so much more, but I may have bored you to death by now :oops: > I also think it's enough to paint the picture, huh.

cheers,

Paul

[Darwinstef]

Nice post Paul :clap:

[paul2010]

Nice post Paul :clap:

Cheers Darwinstef

[Ronin]

Great stuff Paul. I'm undergoing a similar transformation, although not of quite the same magnitude as yours lol, that is truly impressive. I found that a lot of the points you raised were common to the changes I had to make in my life. Good to see your before and after, I have sufficient internal motivation to keep on going, but a little external motivation can't hurt either lol.

You could turn this into a career now, hell it worked for that Jared fella from Subway, and you're in much better shape than he is. I'm sure some company out there would love to pay you for the use of your before-and-afters

[Darwinstef]

Oh yeah, I had the same forearm pain as well (like shin splints in your arms). Uunfortunately the only way I could get it to go away was by resting them. As I recall the seated preacher curl used to be the real killer.

They haven't come back, touch wood .

[paul2010]

Great stuff Paul. I'm undergoing a similar transformation, although not of quite the same magnitude as yours lol, that is truly impressive. I found that a lot of the points you raised were common to the changes I had to make in my life. Good to see your before and after, I have sufficient internal motivation to keep on going, but a little external motivation can't hurt either lol.

You could turn this into a career now, hell it worked for that Jared fella from Subway, and you're in much better shape than he is. I'm sure some company out there would love to pay you for the use of your before-and-afters

Thanks Ronin, please feel free to ask anytime you have any questions through your journey - I'm only happy to help. It's great to hear you have lots of internal motivation, I found that it was the only thing I could draw on when it seemed like my body's taken a beating...not many people are that fortunate, so whatever your internal drivers are - hang on to them and keep reflecting on it! My main reasons were to make my wife proud of me, and for my kids...so I could be around to meet theirs, see their achievements etc. At the size I was, it wasn't looking good. I remember watching the recent US Gladiators programme hosted by Hulk Hogan and I said to myself, damn he still looks GOOD! I want to look THAT GOOD when I'm that age. I'm a big Hulkster fan. Now, the kids at my kid's school refer to my daughter as Batista's daughter (the wrestler)...and my sons love it whenever I can pick them up from school. They love to show off their dad....and quite a few moms take a peek too, and that's ok too - ain't nothing wrong with getting some appreciation for all the hard work, eh :wink: . That's the added bonus! \:D/

My friend, I encourage you to keep at it. If you're doing the hard yards putting in the hard work, then results are inevitable.

You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance.

Lee Iacocca

I kept an excel spreadsheet of my weekly progress, and it was motivating to see the kilos drop off week by week. I was averaging a loss of 2.5 kgs per week, a bit too extreme. This also included measurements. It's a bit ironic that with bodybuilding, it's all about putting kilos on, but in muscle of course, lol. I also took fortnightly photos of myself, and often compared the very first pic to the more recent one...and the changes became more and more obvious as the months go by. I'm a visual person, so these were some of the ways I created some external motivators for myself.

I did not depend on or expected people who saw me everyday to notice any changes, as it'll be the same with you. In fact, you will probably be the last one to notice any changes/transformation progress, because you look in the mirror every day - for work, shower, gym etc. The first people to notice would be those that may not have seen you in a while, and they would be like - 'hey, you've lost some weight!/put on some muscles' etc. Sometimes I make it a point to go see old friends and families I haven't seen for a while, to see if they notice...if they don't oh well - see ya next month! :pfft: And if they do, then I just secretly smile to myself on the inside, hehehe.

Phew, I better stop or I'll just go on and on and on! :shifty:

Thanks again Ronin, and would love a periodic update on how you're getting on. And yes - wouldn't that be a great makeover for Subway, eh \:D/

I would love to do this full time...fancy that - never in a MILLION years! I saw a girl at the gym one day with a t-shirt that read, 'Impossible = I'm possible' Kewl, aye!

regards,

Paul

[morattigirl]

I've also seen "The Secret" Paul and it's an incredible dvd, I found myself nodding and saying Yup almost all the way through it.

It definately makes you look at life alot differently! The mind is a powerful tool and it sure is all about positive thinking and believing in yourself!

What do they say... Anything is possible when you put your mind to it

Too right!!!!

[paul2010]

I've also seen "The Secret" Paul and it's an incredible dvd, I found myself nodding and saying Yup almost all the way through it.

It definately makes you look at life alot differently! The mind is a powerful tool and it sure is all about positive thinking and believing in yourself!

What do they say... Anything is possible when you put your mind to it

Too right!!!!

Thanks Morattigirl, it certainly is!

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.”Good ol' Willie Nelson