Biographys

[ktinspired]

Hey there My name is Katie . I've been paying for my gym membership for about 6 months. (catch the wording?) I've been going on and off but nothing real consistant until recently. Here's my story.

I was born in Ft. Lauderdale florida to My parents who where both athletes in their younger days. My mother was an olympic swimmer and my father a football player thru H.S. and college. When they got married and had kids, (3 to be exact. Me being the middle child) They both let go of thier active lifestyle inexchange for a sedative family life. Dad went to work and mom sat on the couch and watched soaps. I wasn't raised to "get up and go" if you know what I mean. Both my brother and my sister chose sports in high school and both very successful at it. Me on the other hand decided that pot and partying were more fun that school and sports.
I remember when I was about 6 or 7 my friend made a comment that I was getting chubby. I just thought she was being mean. Well the I guess everybody that called me fat girl in high school was too. Anyway, In eight grade I tried out for cheerleading. GUESS WHAT didn't make it. So I partied even harder and before ya know it I was a pregnant high school drop out at 16. At the end of my pregnancy I weighted 180lbs. And I think my mental baggage was double that. I lost some of the weight and dropped to about 155 but not from exercise just "baby fat" leaving my body. I met my first husband when I was 18. He was 6'7" and about 250. So he didnt mind a "thick girl" He was in great shape from playing football. About this same time in my life I remember being at family reunion and looking at the women in my family. All of them had Huge butts and hips and all over weight. A couple years later I made a comment to an aunt about big butts running in our family. She wasn't happy with that remark AT ALL. When I was 20 I got pregnant with my second child. My weight went up to about 175 this time around and again my body went back to about 155. I pretty much stayed there until my divorce. I lost alot of it from stress and not eating. Even tho Id lost 25 lbs or so I look horrible and everyone thought I was using drugs or had severe health problems. But eventually I leveled back out to tht steady 155. As I got older I kinda grew into that weight and pretty much stayed there thru my 20's. I fooled myself into thinking that this "internal thermometer" was set at 155 and I wouldn't need to worry about exercise or gaining weight. THEN the big 30 hit. OMG It was almost like over night my thighs giggled more and the family butt started to take shape. Every time I visited my mother and was reminded of my genetics it was a wake up call but I just hit snooze. Then one morning I got on the scale and to my dismay there it was 180 lbs. My favorite jeans no longer fit. I signed up at gold's and gave it a half assed effort. I mean when I went to the gym I gave it all I had but I'd go for 2 weeks, start to feel good skip for 2 weeks and start to feel bad then 2 weeks feel good then 2 weeks feel bad and so on and so on and so on. But if you could imagine that made my body much worst than before I started. And I never changed my diet. Then my boyfriend and I moved in together. He had a membership as well. He is 22 years older than me and has high blood pressure. I care for him very much and couldn't stand the thought of him having a heart attack. So that was the turning point for me. I made it my business to motivate him to do his cardio and feed him good foods so that we can have a long life together. Now Im 32 and been faithfully up and in the gym by 6 for about 2 months. I have lost about 15lbs but my body fat % has dropped dramatically. My goal is to look great at the beach this summer. And make my ole' man proud to have me on the back of his harley. (not that he isn't now but lets face it there's nothin sexier than a good lookin chick on the back of the bike) All that stuff a side. I feel like the old me is gone. The making excuses and putting off till tomorrow. I just could see myself living any other way than healthy. I can't stomach the types of food I used to eat and any more than 2 days without a workout I feel it in all aspects. mentally and physically. My body has reacted great to my hard work. Im 5'7" and thanks to my parents I have a great frame and as far as genetics, they arent all bad. The athlete in them was in me this whole time, I just didn't know it. So thats it, hope you enjoyed the novel. Ill be seeing y'all around here.

[Taekwondo Guy]

i have a head ache reading that

[Taekwondo Guy]

Name: Aaron
Age: 23
Birthday: July 7th
Job: Trainee Mechanical Design Engineer
Based: Portsmouth, UK

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170 lbs
Body type: mesomorph
Strengths: legs
Weaknesses: abs
Goals: add 14lbs of muscle and lose soem of the xmas fat

Bodybuilding experiance: 10 years
Training: not bodybuilding anymore, mainly light weights and bodyweight exercises. Taekwondo and Boxing.

I started bodybuilding when i was 13, my dad gave me my first set of dumbells as he thought i could improve my Judo training if i could lift more. I remember doing dumbbell curls in one looong set that would last for my favourite track on my tape player lol... 7 minutes of DB curls!!!!
I quit Judo when i was 15 and i was blue belt 3 Mon, i should of stuck at it as i was very good but school + girls = other things to do

Stuck with weight training and soon i started using my dads multi-gym that he never used. Soon i got a reputation for being a well built kid and the school sports coaches used to make comments. I used to buy Flex magazine religously every month and read every article at least twice.

In college i carried on the weight training but it was mainly off and on due to studies taking more of my time. When i reached 18 i wanted to start doing bodybuilding seriously so i joined a good gym and started going as many times as my studies would allow.

At 20 years old i cranked the level up and started doing 5 day splits, eating 7 meals a day and spending endless amounts of cash on supplements. I reached 230lbs and i was build like a mini man mountain but my bf% was also high due to the bulking stage i was in.

Quit bodybuilding as it is a real lifestyle change, you never realise how much you spend ensuring maximum growth!

My weight lingered around 200-190lbs and when i got bitten by the martial arts bug again, i started Taekwondo (APR 2005)... soon the weight dropping off and i then decided to take up boxing (OCT 2005) to fill in a few grey areas of my martial arts training.

I lost alot of weight and went down to 160lbs for the first time in years!

Future goals: Achieve black belt status in TKD and reputable fight record in boxing

Future plans: Start Wing Chun and Ninjitsu

[ktinspired]

That wasn't very nice dude

[Taekwondo Guy]

Originally Posted by ktinspired

That wasn't very nice dude

sorry, you just needed paragraphs to make it easier on the eye!

[TRAZ]

I agree...I didn't make it through such a long post w/o paragraphs.....

[lowrideriggi]

Name: iggi
Age: 52
DOB: 7/31/53
Height: 5' 11"
Weight as of 2/11/06: 250 lbs.
Starting weight 12/20/05: 278 lbs.
so far so good...
Occupation: Run the Operations Dept. at an electric cooperative.

Brief History:
Began pumping iron in my late twenties, moved to power-lifting in my mid thirties. Injured my back in 93 and quit. Mistake!
Quit climbing poles and moved to supervision in 99 and became a serious lard butt.
During the Holidays of 05 I knew if I didn't take control of my life it wouldn't be long before I would have no life to take control of.
My real goal is to get as physical fit as possible and stay that way. I've created a two year plan divided by eight week cycles. My first cycle will be over 2/24/06. We will see what we will see.
iggi

[Hawkwind]

Good for you iggi!

[T_R_R]

Howdy Everybody,

Background:
Name: Terrell
Age: 21 years old
Location: Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, (I'm actually from Texas).
Nationality: American.
Marital Status: Married for 1 year
Job: USAF


Workout History:

I've been working out pretty much everyday since I was in High School. I played baseball, rugby, and wrestled. I went to university at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, Texas and played rugby there. I am now in the Air Force and since it's a pretty easy service this is the first time I've ever really worked out without a team. I just started working out again for the first time in six months. I injured my back playing rugby and had to take some time off. I'm 5'6 and before I hurt myself I was at 150 lbs and since have gained approx 20 lb. . I was benching 270 before my injury and now am at a measly 180. Squat was at 300 but now am at 215. I really like coming onto forums because like I said this is the first time I have not worked out with a group and I find that it has been easier to slack off without people there supporting you. Hope that my past experience will help some of ya'll and I am really looking forward to learning some new stuff from all of you. People call me T.O. like Terrell Owens (Even though I'm short and white ha-ha), so feel free just to call me T.O.
Cheers,
Terrell

[Perfect Practice makes Perfect, anything else is useless]

[angy7680]

my mini Bio:
Born in Russia. Lived in Ecuador until i was 9. Moved to NY until i turned 25, now i am in Atlanta.
I studied International Relations@ Manhattan College, go Jaspers!
I speak Russian, spanish, english and french.
My Health Bio:
Mom is a health nut. Dad is a soccer nut, always in a soccer team...ran marathons and jogged for miles by the age of 6. Track team until i came to america. (healthy and thin)
tennis team for about a year. then i began to become "normal" weight. Swimming at the YMCA; classes and swim team.
By 15 i was "normal" but had a bit of baby fat. took some Karate.
Joined a volleyball team dropped a few. gained a few. dropped a few. etc.
Started college joined the v-ball team and did atkins combined with carot juice diet. Dropped about 18lbs. I was thin looked amazing but no flat tummy (135lbs).
Turned 22 began to gain weight... diet. jog. diet. diet. nothing. energy down. napping ALL the time. depressed. diet. nothing..@25yrs. 203 lbs. Diagnosed with Hypothyroid....take meds ....no weight loss. MD keeps upping my dosage. Very unhappy i HATE being FAT. i move in with my mom, like i said she is a health NUT, does marathons eats super healthy. think Energizer Bunny. i moved in w her on October '05...all whole wheat, veggies, lean meats etc. and gym, i have never really done the "gym" always in a team or hiking, camping, beach. since Oct i have only lost 12 lbs. i am more toned and no longer bloated and my face looks better ..BUT i am still at 193 lbs and need to drop to 145 lb. which would put me at 18% body fat. I am ready to jump off a roof, but before i do that i decided to start taking Hydroxycut Hardcore and see if that will give my body the kick it needs. i posted on weightloss under hydroxycut hardcore-march. Please any help...support..ideas would be sooooo welcome. i posted a pic...maybe that will help someone hep me help myself. we will see. THANKS!!!!!

[MaggioMuscle]

Name: David
Age: 31
Birthday: Aug 19th
Job: Graduate Student and Self Empolyed
Based: Atlanta, GA

Height: 6'
Weight: 230 lbs
Body type: mesomorph
Strengths: cardio
Weaknesses: abs
Goals: run marathons in June and Nov 2006. Get bodyfat down to 12-15% by end of year.

Bodybuilding experience: 20 years
Training: running, lifting, swimming, biking

I was born and grew up in a rural farm town 38miles West of Chicago. I have one sister. She's a lawyer.

I have always been an atheletic person. High school distance runner and lots of biking and bodybuilding and tae kwon do up to a brown belt. I was interested in art and science and math. I started lifting at age 12 or so. Puberty started early for me, at age 10. It was not easy growing up gay in a rural town. My dad hated me. My mom and I were close. Now it has reversed. My dad and I are best friends and my mom and my sister do not speak to me. All thanks to their divorce after 35 years of marriage. These things can really mess up your grades when you are in college!

I had my own company in Chicago from the ages of 18-20. I did odd jobs in the neighborhood and had one employee. Unfortunately, I did not know how to manage money. I ran it into the red and skipped town! I later fulfilled my obligations with the help of my parents.

I moved to Atlanta in 1994, two years before the Olympics. It was a great time. I lived and later managed a youth hostel for a total of 3 years. I started college with the intent to become a science high school teacher. But I found so many other possible career opportunities that after graduating I went on to graduate school.

While in college I worked at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. I had two jobs. My first was optimizing an assay to aid in the development of a better pneumococcal vaccine. My second was with the hospital infections branch in the staphylococcal identification lab. Those were great times and I learned a lot.

After college I got a job at Emory at the Yerkes Primate Research Center. Cool place! They do research on monkeys, apes and mice, mostly. My first position was as a laboratory scientist working on the Anthrax Vaccine Research Project. I developed all the protocols for running the assays and quality control. I also ran the assays, created a database, maintained the database and coordinated with CDC on a number of issues related to the project including reporting the data. The project started as a result of vets complaining of Gulf War syndrome and blaming it on the antrhax vaccine. Congress alocated money to NIH which made its way to CDC and eventually to Emory. Were were contracted to run some of the assays and conduct a vaccine project on macaque monkeys. I did this for 3.5 years.

My second position was in an HIV lab were I got the ball rolling for a clincal trial to test the Emory HIV vaccine. It is a promising vaccine! I worked for 8months on that project and resigned to complete my masters thesis on malnutrition in Pakistani children affected by the 2005 earthquake. I will be accepting a position as a senior researcher in biochemistry and nutrition at Emory this June.

Do a google search for "David Maggio" and either of the following: EMORY VACCINE CENTER or EMORY UNIVERSITY or HIV or ANTHRAX and you will see what I have been up to. Or a pubmed search "David Maggio"

I opened a Wellness Center in January. We are doing massage thereapy, and plan to have comprehensive holistic wellness and weight loss programs as well.

I am completing an MPH in infectious disease epidemiology. I expect to graduate by May or December, all up to my thesis advisor. Then I plan to persue a PhD in nutrition and biochemistry and a doctorate in medicine. I wish to be a sports doctor and develop wellness programs for my community.

Throughout my life I have been skinny, muscular and fat. I started out lean in high school, skinny in Atlanta (I was poor), muscular in college, fat while working after college and now back to muscular. I workout with my personal trainer at LA FITNESS twice a week. I do the rest on my own. I am bodybuilding and training for a marathon this June in Alaska. Next year, I will train for multisport races.

I am in this forum to teach what I know about biochemistry and nutrition. I also have a background in immunology and microbiology, so I am hoping that helps too. I hope to learn about how to be a better bodybuilder from the rest of you and hope to stay motivated by being involved in this community.

Thanks!

[coolkewell]

Name: Dale
Age:25
Born: Tamworth, Australia
height: 5ft 8
weight: 90kg
Goal: To lose bodyfat and become lean.

Hi, I grew up in a number of small country towns and always was involved in football teams and the like.
Since living in Canberra and completing high school I have mainly concentrated on my work and working out and sports has taken a back seat.
For the last few years now my weight has balooned to over 90kgs, I have quite a solid muscly build but i have noticed my strength is pretty terrible and obviously now carrying a lot of weight.
I have lot of size 32 inch jeans in my cupboard that shows to me how quickly I have put on the fat, as now I am a size 38.
I pretty much found this site a few weeks ago and come here to get tips and motivation, I have been working out now for about a month and I am seeing positive results, especially in mood.
Its harder to take the weight off then put it on so this will be something Ill stay committed to, I see it as a chance to change my lifestyle, I want to get back into those 32inch jeans.
When i am at work ill come into the forum and i paticurly like reading peoples stories on there successes as it keeps me motivated day to day.
Cheers.

[naturally323]

(Confidential)

[sundaygirl]

Hi all, I just found the bio section, and had a good read through.
so i thought i would write a little about myself.

I'm Welsh, 41 last month, married with a large extended step family six children of varieing ages 20 down to 5.


Been married twice this time its nearly seven years, and up till now been unable to accept that i had eating problems.

I was probably anorexic looking back if it hadnt been a phobia about vomiting i would probably be dead by now. its awful thinking that you are fat and over weight when you are not, and constantly watching what you are eating but when you are stuck in that situation you dont see it.

I was always obsessed with my weight and making sure that i didnt eat more than i should worrying over the size of food portions and nearly always giving mine away to my oldest son who could eat for wales Lol.

then back in november i realized that i had to do something about it, and started eating breakfast, god it was hard, also i started to take vitamims and cod liver oil each day and soon began to feel a bit better.

then two months ago i got the urge to go to the gym,god i was scared and nervous, thinking everyone would be prefect and i would be the only old flabby one there. ( yes even at 104 pounds i have some flab) but i discovered something amazing I liked doing it even when it ached and made me out of breath i loved it.

Since then i have gone three times a week having the weekends off but i do n eed the time to recover, and i am looking forward to going again and again,

I found this site and learned many many things that have helped me and hopefully i will achieve my goals in a few more months.

I still only use dumbells and the fixed weight machines in the gym but hope i am starting to look a little better than i did. I can do a few sets of sit-ups now and hope in time that i will have the core strength to lift heavier weights.

sunday

[cwcollins]

Hey Everyone,

I’m Monica; my screen name is cwcollins (that’s my sons name Chase Walker Collins). I’m 30, I’m married, still somewhat newly, about a 1-½ years & my son is the same age as my marriage. We currently live in Little Rock, Arkansas; my husband is an E4, about to be Staff, the US Air force. I am originally from Hilton Head, SC & I am a true East Coast gal with southern roots I am very proud of.

Like so many others am I am survivor of Bulimia & Anorexia – for about 3 years of my life, maybe more. I worked for Outback Steakhouse for 8 years in Management – in that time, along with being in a physically & emotionally abusive relationship I learned to hate food & it became the only thing I control. Don’t get me wrong, Outback is great, but I was working 60+ hour workweeks, my soul job was training & maintaining quality within the restaurant, I suddenly found myself hating the smells & anything remotely associated with food. It was my defense against a man was & is a piece of ****. My life took a drastic change 3 ½ years ago while in a fight with my ex, I took about a bottle of Tylenol PM, not wanting to die, but wanting to go to sleep, in hopes when I would awake I would not have to fight anymore & was scared for my life – what I didn’t know was I was about 30 minutes from losing my life, as taking the Tylenol caused an overdose & it could of killed my liver, which in turn would of killed me. I was finally treated for my eating disorder, finally, because I had reached out so many times, but no one thought it was real – my mom even told me “eating disorders don’t run in our family” – like that meant something?

I know, looking back, I have always battled my weight, throughout high school I was the big boned girl, funny, because I am so far from being big boned, but I knew no difference, however, I did run track & I was a lot of muscle. My mom is & always will be a binge dieter, trying to get the quick fix & hope for lasting results – crazy, she’s a lost cause when it comes to diets. Unfortunately, she was my mentor with food, so maybe that’s where it all began.

Now, I am healthy, I’m in a better relationship, my husband has many faults, but he’d never hit me or belittle me. Becoming pregnant, even though he was not planned, was a sure blessing in disguise; it saved my life & allowed me to find Monica & who she really is. From my eating disorder I have learned so much about fitness & good eating habits so, in some ways it gave me something great – something I am thankful for. I truly do not live my life through mistakes & with regrets, I was given a true second chance, so I learn, become stronger & move on.

Since having Chase I lost more weight than many new moms, because of my breastfeeding for so long, in fact I am smaller in weight than before I was pregnant, but I am not as tone. I am getting there. Since joining the board I have seen improvements, I have gotten some great workout advise & seeing the results is a fabulous feeling. I’m in a good place with my workout I like it, it feels good & I hope to return to the gym soon, but for now I am content. I really enjoy the board & look forward to gaining more insight & making more board buddies!

Monica

[Cammo]

Wow Monica, that's some intense life experience you've had.
All the wiser for it no doubt.

Name: Cameron
Age:30
Born: Auckland, New Zealand
height: 6ft 2
weight: 101kg
Goal: To gain muscle size & lose body fat by summer (November)
Occupation: Freelance Graphic Designer

I was a skinny kid at school, never really interested in sports, smoked a heap of pot in my teens and 'experimented' with alsorts of other cr@p until I was around 23.
I smoked tobacco from the age of about 15 till only about 2 and a half years ago.
I found I had more energy for giving it up so started going to the gym.
So many different instructors gave me a lot of conflicting advice so I decided to qualify myself as a gym instructor. That was nearly 2 years ago now and I've learn't so much more in forums such as this & actually just working out (the instructing gave me a great base of info to work on tho).
I lived in the UK for a couple of years (as many Kiwis & Aussies do) and got back in 2003. Had a ball over there, did a volkswagon kombi trip around western Europe for about 4 months and had many a wild experience.
Once I got back to NZ I got slightly depressed (back to the real world (and the family.....gawd)). I was put on paxil and as they kept me awake, I was also put on Clonazepam to help me sleep.
I gave up the paxil last year with no problems but had real issues with the Clonazepam.
I had to go back on the Clon. and am now in the middle of a very slow withdrawal (monitered by my Dr).
I expect to run into difficulties in the last few stages of the withdrawal but as I know what the symptoms are, I can prepare myself (and I know it's the drugs causing the symptoms so that kind of reasures me that there's light at the end of the tunnel).
I am eating as clean as I possibly can and trying to get my body in the best shape I can so that it's totally prepared for anything, Healthy body - Healthy mind!
I haven't touched alcohol since January and to be honest I haven't missed it that much (I never drank that often but when I did I'd get mothered!!).
I think I'll start to miss it when the NZ All Blacks start playing international rugby (our national game) in a couple of weeks (nothing like watching the All Blacks cream the Aussies, South Africans, English, French .....etc etc especialy with a few good mates and a skinful of beer!!)
I've been married to my wife now for nearly 3 years (we started seeing each other 10 years ago). We have our ups & downs as most married couples do - we'll look into having kids soon I think (I don't want to be an 'old' dad when they're at high school).
I have a somewhat kirky, sometimes slightly perverted sense of humour (if I've missed good sleep it stoops to the immature but that doesn't bother me greatly).
I call a spade a spade & an idiot an idiot!
That's about it!
Cameron.