My story can pretty much be summed up as your general “the fat kid” kind of story. All of my life, from 2nd grade until recently, I was always the fat kid. As can be expected, I received more than my fair share of insults, crude jokes and awful treatment from mostly everyone. I had the typical attitude about all of it, pretending as though it didn’t bother me, convincing myself that I was OK with my weight and that if I wanted to change I could do so with out any problem. The reality of the situation, however, was that I wasn’t OK with my weight and I didn’t know how to change it. I would always mope around, internally disgusted with myself but never able to muster the will power to do anything about it. Well, that attitude finally changed one morning, when at the age of 24, at weight of nearly 300 lbs and with a 2-pack a day smoking habit, I decided that I no longer wanted to constantly wake up with back and knee pain, barely able to catch my breath.

Starting in the Summer of 2008, with the help of my wonderful wife (who also dieted with me and lost 60 lbs!), I stopped smoking and began a diet and exercise program that would finally rid me of the moniker of “the fat kid”. I started off with a sensible eating plan, generally sticking to the same foods on a daily basis. Wheaties and a Banana for breakfast, yogurt for a snack, turkey sandwich and apples for lunch, chicken breast and brown rice for dinner and another snack after an hour of walking. After I began noticing the weight dropping off, I added light weight training into my regimen, and this is where Designer Whey enters the story. I initially started using Designer Whey on the recommendation of my older brother, who had recently lost a good bit of weight with the help of Designer Whey and a weight training program. I purchased a container of the Chocolate flavor, skeptical of how good a protein powder could really taste, and was shocked to find it to be just as good as my brother had made it out to be! The taste alone was enough to get me to continue using it, but the results it helps me achieve are even better! From that day forward, I have always ended my workouts with 2 delicious scoops of Designer Whey mixed into 12 ounces of milk.

Two years have passed since I decided that I was going to make a change, and I am currently at 187 lbs. I have now shifted my weight training program towards the goal of adding muscle, and Designer Whey is a prime ingredient in helping me do so. I am currently one month into my new workout routine and have achieved noticeable muscle gain. I would recommend Designer Whey to anyone, whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or to increase muscle mass, Designer Whey protein powder is a wonderful choice to help you meet, and exceed, all of your expectations!  

Ryan M. McCallister

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Well, I’ve completed my “Lent” diet.  46 days without fast food, soda, alcohol, and minimal burgers and other things not so great for me.  And more exercise, mostly in the form of walking everywhere since I no longer own a car.  And where am I at now? Well, Sunday morning I surpassed the 250lb point to 249.5 pounds, which is pretty remarkable for me.  Granted, it’s just a number, but it’s a significant number, nice and round.  Also, it’s only a few pounds away from my monthly goal of 245lbs.  So I can honestly say that my diet worked, and worked way better than I expected.  I’m really proud of the weight loss I accomplished; having said that the diet is over and I’m going to begin to allow myself some fast foods and alcohol again.  However, not nearly in the capacity that I had been consuming before.  Seeing the results, and how astonishing they were, I’m going to only eat fast food and drink alcohol on weekends.  During the week it’s going to be healthy only.  I’m going to continue to walk everywhere, and in fact now that I bought new running shoes I’ve started running again, which will help out even more.  Today I ran 3 times further than yesterday (which was the first time I had run in quite some time), and I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll run even farther.  If I keep at it, I know that I’ll get back into my runner’s lungs before I know it, and then I’ll really start stripping the weight off.  Combine that with some weight training, healthy eating and good friends to keep me at it, and I’ll be nearing my goal much faster than I had planned, maybe I’ll even make my goal that I had set for myself on January 1: to be at 170 pounds by Dec 31.  I think I may be able to do it, but we’ll see.  One step at a time.

So for the rest of you, how is your “new” New Year’s resolutions going? Are you still working out? Are you still dieting?  If so, then good on ya.  I’m living proof that it’s never too late to start (or restart).  If not, then I urge you again to finally make that promise and stick to it.  It can be difficult, sure.  But nothing worth doing is ever easy.  If you put in the effort, the results will not be far behind.  I personally promise.  And if you need motivation, or advice, or have questions, by all means contact me and I’ll help you out the best I can.  Because we’re all in this together, and together we’re strong enough to succeed! Until next time, keep at it!

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I had one of the best games in my life on March 5th, 2010. All the hard work and sacrifice for years and years chasing a dream that didn’t exist finally came to life. My team, Amp 1, took on the Mattituck high school seniors/staff. We are a group of individuals who are all amputees and have a story to tell. Stepping out on that court we knew we were the automatic underdogs just because of the way we looked, all missing a leg. But we train hard and have more heart than most people. We truly feel that use using Designer Whey products like the waters and Blitzes help us out a great deal. We as amputees that play stand up basketball have to work ten times harder than most people to just get around on the court. By us using the products it helps gives us the edge we need to push through and get to the next level of competition. With our hard work and heart, we beat an able bodied team in New York playing stand up basketball. Amputees beat able bodies! It was a big accomplishment for Amp 1 and for everything we have been fighting for for years and years. Many people told us this would never happen and it couldn’t be done, it was impossible. But we are setting out on our own to prove the impossible can be possible. With a victory like we had in New York, it’s just the beginning for us and our inspirational motivational movement that we feel will affect many in the entire country.

Next we move on to my home state Texas. We will be playing for Camp Sanguinity, a camp for kids with cancer and blood disorders. I went to this camp as a camper when I was battling my cancer and continue to go back every year as a counselor. All the proceeds raised for this game will all go to the camp. We again will be playing an all able bodied team with a combination of camp/hospital staff. This will be our biggest event yet. We all have been training hard for the past month or so getting ready for this event. We go through the protein waters very quickly while playing basketball and I myself like to drink the Blitz powders before and sometimes after my workouts. Since I have been drinking Designer Whey, I can tell and feel a huge difference in my stamina and my performance on the court. With three weeks away till our next big event, we are in focus mode and doing what we feel God kept us all alive for to help others with our gift. On May 22, 2010, Amp 1 will again make the statement that with hard work, determination, and faith you can reach your dreams and goals.

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Welcome back to my blogosphere everyone.  We are going to make this super sweet, because that’s how my weight loss is going–Super Sweet.  15 pounds since the 1st of the month.  That’s an additional 5 pounds since I talked to you last.  I’ve finally gotten down further than I started, meaning that I’m starting to get a head of my weight, by which I mean I now weigh less than I did on New Year’s Eve.  So I keep going, and I will eventually reach my goal.

So how is everything else going, you ask? Still no alcohol, fast food, or soda.  Had some burgers last night with some friends, but that’s still only 3 for the week.  Not drinking alcohol hasn’t been nearly as hard as I would have thought; a lot of my friends are very supportive of me trying to lose weight.  The big test will be this weekend at my friend’s bachelor party, but I think I’ll be ok.  Soda is real easy to not drink, especially when you have delicious Protein Water to drink instead.  And not eating fast food is really, really easy when you don’t have any money, so instead I eat Progresso soups and things of that nature, ensuring to watch how many calories and how much fat I’m taking in.  To be honest, this whole thing has been a lot easier than I thought it would be, and that has me thinking I may do it longer than the 46 days I said I would.  We’ll see when we get there though.

So, for all of you out there that are working on your new New Year’s Resolution, I say this: I am living proof that it CAN be done.  If you’re struggling, then take a good serious look at your workout regiment, your diet, and your “cheating” and see if maybe there is somewhere to improve.  There’s room for all of us to improve, perhaps a little less “cheating” and a little more exercise (I should go for a workout right now, but I have a ton of things to do), maybe a little smaller portion of steak.  Every little bit counts, and all those little bits will eventually add up to either weight lost or weight gained.  So be positive, be motivated, and let’s keep losing that weight!  Thanks for joining me, and I’ll talk to you later!

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This past Saturday was so much fun at the Biggest Loser casting call in my home town of Mesa, Arizona.  There were approximately 700 hopeful contestants that stood in line, some for hours waiting to get their opportunity to be on the Biggest Loser.  I remember being in that line over 2 years ago and I also remember how scared I was.  I new that regardless of the outcome I was going to start doing things differently.  I mean come on, typically over 200,000 people try out for the show each season and usually only 20 lucky contestants get chosen for each season.  That means that over 199,980 hopefuls are left to figure things out on their own.

The best way to get things changed around in the right direction is to gather knowledge, get a support team, and start where you can.  You did not gain unwanted weight overnight and you surely won’t be losing over night either.  I remember talking to a lady who came over to me at the Biggest Loser protein booth at the HiHealth store in the mall and her sharing with me how this was the 5th season she had tried out for the show.  My heart sank as she continued to share with me that she felt like this would be her last time to line up for the casting call, she felt as if the stars were aligned in her favor.  I agreed with her that this would be her last casting call and as she her eyes lit up and she asked me “really? you really believe it?”  I said “yes because no matter what happens you must choose you”.  She promised herself in front of me that no matter what the outcome of the casting selection she was going to start on her journey of a healthier lifestyle.  I shared with her some quick get started tips as well as gave her some samples of the Biggest Loser protein 2Go packs, I love them because they are easy and convenient so they prevent you from ever having an excuse that you are not prepared

I’ll will be at the LA Biggest Loser casting call encouraging those in line, signing autographs, taking pictures and handing out Biggest Loser protein samples.  So whether you are trying out for the show or just want to say hi, come on by.

See you soon,
Ali

www.alivincent.com

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I wanted to share with you today another great workout that’s a lot of fun to do.  Rock Climbing. 

This weekend I went rock climbing with my friend Jessi at an indoor rock climbing facility.  It really was a lot of fun, and it’s a great whole-body workout.  It uses a lot of your arms, since you’re holding your body up against the wall, but it requires your legs as well to push yourself up the wall and some core workouts to keep everything together.  There are a lot of places to go to do some indoor rock climbing, and for around $21 you can climb all day and have a great time. 

Here’s the skinny on getting skinny rock climbing:  they give you a harness and send you on your way to climb any and all of the walls they have in their facility.  They have shoes and chalk bags available also, which can be helpful to those of us that sweat a little when we workout.  You attach yourself to a rope and have your buddy attach themselves to the other end, which is roped up through some pulleys at the top of the facility.  Get the slack out of the rope, grab your first handhold and get started!  Scale the wall carefully and with concentration, work your way to the top, and be sure to hit the top of the wall (or at some places ring the bell) before you figure out which way to want to descend.  You can either climb back down, or you can rappel down, which is a lot easier.  Either way your partner needs to keep an eye on you and make sure not to let the rope slide out too quickly.  All in all it’s actually pretty safe, since everything is set up for first-timers.  Of course, they have some very difficult walls to scale as well, and I challenge those of you out there that think they’re in good shape to try some of the walls that are at a greater than 90 degree angle, because they’re not easy to do.  And if you can’t do it, then I know at least one girl that can show you how.  So go call a few friends, and bring a couple of protein waters with you to keep your energy levels up, and prepare for a really fun time of working out, because rock climbing isn’t easy, especially when you do it for 2 or 3 hours.  Go try it, and have some fun doing it! Until later, KEEP AT IT!

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Hey Friends!

Just got back from the gym, burned 812 calories. I had a friend ask me why I was not extremely sore for all I do. I said, “Well, after I work out I drink a bottle of Designer Whey Protein Water”. Generally when a person my size works out we are just about dying in pain the next day. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am achy but not sore. I contribute that to drinking the Protein Water and if I am out of the water I mix a 2GO pack in my water bottle. It really helps you recover.

The Biggest Loser show was a hoot this week! Some pretty thick tension on the ranch… ya think? I don’t know, I would do what ever I had to do to stay as long as possible on the ranch so GO RED! I really would not even care about the money. I would be more concerned with trying to get the most out of my time there so I could bring what I learned home to stay healthy. I get to the gym at least 5 days a week and at least 30 minutes up to 90 minutes each time. I really wished I had a home gym, then I could get in much more time when a moment was open like while dinner was cooking or after kids in bed or before they get up.

One of my faults is wanting to be too perfect. For example, I will draw up a schedule for eating, exercise, house work, my jobs etc. and when it does not go exactly the way I plan I give up. When the house is not perfectly clean (which is most of the time) I really get upset but because its not perfect I don’t do anything. I am typically an ‘all or nothing person’. So this time I am setting simple goals for my health.

A simple goal… eating enough calories at breakfast.

In Bob Harper’s book “Are you ready”, he says your breakfast calories should be between 400-600 calories. All meals should have protein, carbs and good fats. He also says to eat every four hours… have to work on that one!

My 17 year old daughter, Sue and I are really trying to get to the gym as often as possible. She has a goal. We bought her prom dress purposely a size too small. Her goal is to lose 15 pounds to fit in the dress. I as her mom have to encourage her and be a good example.

Take Care friends, remember to bring your Designer Whey Protein Water to the gym with you and when some one asks where you get it from…you say from the best protein makers in the world…Designer Whey!

Camille

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Well, today is a great day.  Even though it rained mostly all day, and has been raining for several days now, it’s a great day because my roommates and I are finally getting settled in to our new apartment.  Yeah, we spent all last weekend moving.  Which is quite the workout, let me tell you.  6am-10pm on Friday, followed by a couple of hours on Saturday and Sunday and about 10 hours on Monday left me feeling completely exhausted.  To be completely honest, the only thing that kept me going in those long hours of heavy lifting and continuous movement was Protein Water. With everything up in the air between the 3 apartments (my roommate’s girlfriend moved in with us into the new apartment) I never really knew where to get a great thirst-quencher.  So I would grab the one thing I knew would both cool me down and make me feel like a million bucks: Protein Water.  You know, moving can be a great excuse to not follow your diet.  It’s so much easier to just stop at some fast food joint and grab a couple of $1 double-cheeseburgers then to worry about something decent to eat.  But just because you’re really busy with something is no excuse to throw your diet and all your hard work away.  If your pots and pans are packed away, at least hit up Subway and grab a healthy 6″ sandwich.  That’s what I did, and they kept me energized until I could finally go to sleep.

So think about that the next time you’re moving, or your friend asks for help moving.  Moving is a LOT of exercise and is great for your whole body, utilizing a lot of different muscles as well as a very decent cardio routine.  So don’t waste the money on expensive movers, call up a couple of friends, make sure you have a case of Protein Water to keep you hydrated and energized the whole day, and do it yourself! In the end you’ll feel so much better because you accomplished everything all by yourself, you didn’t pay someone else to do your work for you, and you got a really great workout out of it too.  Just keep at it, even when it’s physically and mentally draining.  You CAN finish that project, you just have to keep pushing yourself.  That really goes for everything in life.  That extra mile you want to walk or run? YOU CAN DO IT! Just push yourself a little harder, and when you succeed (yes, WHEN you succeed) you’ll be so proud of yourself, even through the pain.  Thanks for joining me again, and until next time, keep at it!

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I wanted to say a couple quick things while it was on my mind, so I figured I’d send you a quick blog.

So today I had my best workout to date.  I wanted to share this with everyone because if even my workouts are getting better and easier, then yours can too.  First of all, let me share the workout routine I do (now for all you hardcore athletes/gym fanatics, this workout isn’t for you, it’s for me!).

I start every workout with a quick stretch, mostly of the legs since my primary exercise is running.  I run 1 mile at 6 miles per hour with a 0% incline, which is a 10-minute mile.  Not terribly fast, but fast enough that if your 260+ lbs and haven’t ran in a year you’ll be out of breath in the first 1/10 of a mile. I power through that mile and slow it down typically to 3 mph, where I briskly walk to catch my breath while still burning some calories.  Now lately I’ve been adding an incline to this, at 3%.  It’s not much, but it works your calves more and it hurts just a little bit more, burning a few more calories.  I usually walk for about 5-6 minutes.  If you have the time, feel free to walk longer, because you’re still exercising.  After my walk I’ll take a breather and drink some Protein Water, then I’ll get on the Swiss Ball and do some crunches, right now I’m at 50 straight through.  After that I’ll pump out 20 push-ups.

Today was my best workout because I didn’t have to grab at the handrails to help catch my breath during my run, my run was a little easier than it has been, I walked at 3.2 mph with an incline of 3.5%, and my crunches and push-ups were easier, even with a chest workout yesterday with my personal trainer/roommate Sergio Sobrino.  And with all the work I’ve been putting in and the help of Designer Whey Protein Water and The Biggest Loser Protein Powder Chocolate Deluxe I’ve managed to shed 4 pounds, bringing me down to 259! Yeah for me! So for everyone out that that’s getting discouraged because the workouts hurt, just keep at it, because it’s GOING to get better!

Also, I’d love to plug Protein Water just one more time.  I drink one of these during/after every workout.  They’re absolutely delicious (today I had Cranapple, which tastes like a juicy, delicious Fuji Apple), and with only 60 calories to a bottle (YES, the entire 16-oz bottle has only 60 calories) and 12 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 1 gram of sugar, they blow Gatorade and Vitamin Water out of the competition for your daily thirst quencher!  My favorite is Pomegranate Fruit.  I could drink these all day.  Literally, they’re good for you!  So pick some up, take it with you on your next workout, and enjoy the fruity goodness while you get healthy.  Take care, until next time!

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Hey everyone, thanks for joining me again.  Today I would love to talk about motivation and the pitfalls we face.  If there is one thing I’ve learned about losing weight, it is that it’s really hard to keep going, especially in the long run.  Sure, you finally buy the running shoes and the workout clothes and you hit the gym with the vigor of a young buck, but after a few days and exhausting workouts, you look in the mirror and realize that it’s going to take a lot more than 2 workouts to get that six-pack and it starts to weigh down the soul.  You might go one or two more times, telling yourself “I bought all this stuff, and I’m going to use it” but after that it’s just easier to sit in front of the TV and watch your favorite episode of whatever than it is to hit the gym and embarrass yourself to the really pretty girl that lives down the hall from you.  This is that moment, when you look back 6 months from now, that you realize you should have kept going because you would look awesome if you hadn’t quit way back when.  Trust me, I was there.  I went from 250 down to 209 in 6 months while forward deployed, only to start eating fast food again and not working out, whereas had I kept at it I would have been at that svelte 175 I’m dying for.  But such is life.  I was always told “Hindsight is 20/20, but your screwed now”.

You know what I say? I say that in the end the best you can do is push yourself.  You HAVE to think, everyday, about WHY you want to lose weight.  Is it to look attractive to the fairer sex in order to find a girlfriend? Is it just because you feel that you’re not healthy enough and you want to lead a better life? Did you look into your future and realize you want to live to 110 years old, and that triple whopper with cheese isn’t helping?  THAT’S your motivation, right there.  The very reason you decided to lose weight in the first place still exists.  Think about that reason every single day, even if you don’t work out that day.  When you go to get a bite to eat, or are about to make dinner, think about that reason before you hit up Burger King instead of Subway.  And speaking of Subway, thank you for you.  Those sandwiches are delicious, and much lower fat than the burgers I typically would eat.  Not a cheap plug (I’m not paid by them!), but it is the truth.  They have me eating a little better, which is great for me.

Next, when it comes to motivation, you have to have something to pump you up.  For me, I have several playlists on my iPod to exercise to.  I have my “Running Mix” which consists of songs that help me push myself while I’m running my one mile a day (or my 11 miles a day, like I did during that famed deployment).  I have my “Workout Mix” which is geared more for lifting weights, consisting of a ton of great adrenaline-rushing songs that force me to put that bar up just one more time.  And, most important of all, is my “Motivational Mix.” Nine songs that truly speak to my core, that make me want to be the better person I know I can be.  I listen to this playlist and it’s almost a guilt trip to be better at everything I do.  If I haven’t been a good boy that day, I’ll know it when I listen to this playlist.  But beyond that, it makes me strive to be better.  A little to lazy to hit the gym? By the end of the first song I’ve got my running shoes out of the closet, headband on my head, and I’m out the door.

So, the next time you feel just a little too tired, or “you’ll hit the gym in a few hours, right now I just want to play some video games”, think about that reason you wanted to better yourself, think hard on it, then put down the controller, grab a Protein Water, and go hit the gym.  Then do what I do and play video games AFTER THE GYM!

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