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Beware the Mad Irish
Location: Wish I was on the N17...
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Body for Life
The Body for Life is a great beginners guide to getting in shape and making life changes in nutrition. Check it out... and in 12 weeks come back and tell us how great you feel!
Here is a success story:
Quote:
Carolyn Culverhouse: A Desire to Change
After years of feeling trapped in losing a battle with her weight—and hitting over the 200-pound mark—Carolyn Culverhouse, a pediatric nurse from Wilmington, North Carolina, knew a change was needed. “I knew I desired to be healthy,” she says. “That desire burned inside me and motivated me to make all the changes necessary to succeed.”
She started by entering the Body-for-LIFE Challenge, a 12-week nutrition, training and supplementation program. But she didn’t stop there. After completing three consecutive Challenges, she became the 2001 Grand Champion (women age 51+). But that still wasn’t the end of it for Carolyn; she went on to complete two more Challenges.
“I stayed in the Challenges until my body was where I wanted it to be,” Carolyn says. “I wanted to see the muscles in my legs and wear a swimsuit; something I had not worn in eight years.”
In her quest to wear a size 8, Carolyn surpassed her expectations. She went from 41.5 percent body fat to 18 percent; 223 pounds to 137 pounds; and a size 20 to a size 4. “My confidence level is through the roof, and that smile in my after pictures says that without a word.”
The will to succeed
Once deciding to transform her body, Carolyn became ill. “My body swelled to the point where I couldn’t wear my size 20 clothing, and my blood pressure was 190/109.” Her doctor said she had a rare disease from earlier cases of bronchitis and pneumonia. Though shocked and frightened, Carolyn was determined to accomplish her fitness goals. “I changed from being scared to saying, ‘I’m going to be OK. I’m going to win the Challenge. I’m going to live,’” Carolyn says.
On a mission
The beginning of Carolyn’s training was a struggle—she was scared she would hurt herself and embarrassed to look at herself in the mirror. “I was a sweaty, red-faced, 223-pound woman in an extra large T-shirt that wouldn’t fit over my 51-inch hips.” Leaving puddles of sweat on the floor, Carolyn thought she should apologize to everyone at the gym. Then one day she realized, “I was on a mission—sorry everyone, you’ll just have to get over the view or turn your heads—I’m going to do this with all I have.”
Taking control
At first, Carolyn did not give up any food, but on her free day she binged on junk food; food she craved all week. “One day I did a calorie count on my free day of 8,000!,” she admits. “It took me two to three days to recover from days like that.” The momentary enjoyment was not worth the suffering, and Carolyn knew enough was enough. “I began to eat more protein and vegetables, drank a gallon of water a day, and I limited my salt intake. Now I enjoy my free day, but I don’t live for it.” She also started taking protein bars, nutrition shakes and food on her nutrition plan to work, the movies and friend’s homes. Carolyn kept telling herself that eating healthy and working out was like climbing a mountain, “the closer I get to the peak, the harder it is. Give up now, and I’ll miss the panoramic view from the top. The top is the thrill you can’t know until you get there.”
To motivate herself through each workout, Carolyn relied on positive self-talk. “When I would do my cardio I would visualize climbing a mountain and reaching the peak, or running in marathon and winning,” Carolyn says. “I always told myself I was having fun exercising.”
Rewards for life
Completing five Challenges successfully has brought many rewards to Carolyn. Before, she would get winded bringing groceries up two flights of stairs or running for the phone. She’s now bursting with more energy, and she’s stronger at work. “My attitude has become more positive, I continue to live a healthy lifestyle, I have more confidence, and I’m more outgoing.” Carolyn’s biggest reward was having her spirit of adventure return and having enough energy to act on it. “I’ve returned back to horseback riding, kayaking, biking and roller blading,” she says. “I have spent some time learning how to apply make-up, restyling my hair and shopping for new clothes. It’s like coming to life again only with a healthier body than before. My friends say I’m 51 going on 15.”
Carolyn’s workout schedule
Carolyn does upper body on Monday and Friday, and lower body on Wednesday and then rotates each week. She does reps of 12, 10, eight, six and 12. She then does one set of 12 reps of a different exercise for the same muscle group. Her cardio and ab days are on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Upper body
Dumbbell incline presses: 15, 20, 25, 30 and 25 pounds per hand
Dumbbell flyes: 25 pounds with a spotter
Assisted pull-ups: 140, 130, 120, 110 and 120 pounds
Wide-grip lat pulldowns: 75 pounds
Bent over front raises: 8, 10, 12, 15 and 12 pounds per hand
Lateral raises: 12 pounds per hand with assistance
Concentrated biceps curls: 15, 15, 20, 25 and 20 pounds per hand
Preacher curls: 20 pounds per hand with assistance
Cable extensions: 50, 55, 60, 65, 60 and 12 pound per hand
Lying triceps: 12 pound per hand
Lower body
Leg presses: 275, 295, 315, 335 and 315 pounds
Leg extensions: 105 pounds
Straight leg deadlifts: 30, 35, 40, 45, 40 and 20 pounds
Dumbbell lunges: 20 pounds each hand
Standing calf raises: 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 pounds
Seated calf raises: 90 pounds
Cardio:
30 minutes of cardio on an elliptical cross-trainer, treadmill or she climb stairs
Abs:
Reps of 12, 10, eight, six and 12 for declined sit-ups, hanging knee raises, ball crunches and floor crunches
Carolyn’s nutrition plan
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
Egg-white omelet with fat-free cheese, tomato
1 teaspoon jelly on whole-wheat toast
10:00 a.m. Snack
Low-carb ready-to-drink shake
Raw carrots
12:30 p.m. Lunch
Low-fat cottage cheese
Fresh fruit
Salad with fat-free dressing
2:30 p.m. Snack
Low-carb ready-to-drink shake
1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter on whole-wheat toast
4:30 p.m. Snack
Low-carb ready-to-drink shake
6:30 p.m. Dinner
Chicken or steak
Vegetable
Sweet potato
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__________________
What are you willing to give up in order to get what you want?
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