Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Hey San Antonio,

There’s a show Saturday here in San Antonio, so I’m going to go and check it out. May see some of my competition. Of course, my show is 9 weeks from Saturday. Wow, already 9 weeks out. I’m using it as a chance to become even more motivated and go into the Lackland Bodybuilding Classic even more over the top. I’m so pumped up, excited and ready!

Maybe I’ll run into you if you make it out Saturday!

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,

What one does in the confines of their own home means very little to me, but I am absolutely baffled by the fact that San Antonio has failed to pass public smoking laws.

First and foremost, I am all for raising taxes on cigarettes until they are $50 per pack. I can pretty much guarantee it won’t break most people’s addiction, but it can fund several government programs (and of course, I can dream of a lower income tax). However, I don’t care if there are smokers overall and if smoking is LEGAL.

My problem is that I can do nothing to avoid it having imposed on me or my family. I’m not whining – I understand the smoker’s argument that if you don’t like a smoking restaurant, don’t go there, and I don’t – I only frequent non-smoking restaurants. But what if I’m riding down the road with my windows down or the top off my car, get stopped at a redlight and am getting hit in the face with smoke? Is that fair? Should it be ok?

Smoking is the ONE habit that completely imposes harm upon people other than the person committing the act. If I pulled up in my car beside someone, dipped my hands in water and flipped water on that person, although I’m not an attorney, I’m pretty sure that I would be charged with assault, although water isn’t hurting anyone. If someone blows smoke and I inhale it? I have no recourse. Is it harmful? Of course it is!

We all know the effects of smoking and second-hand smoke. If you choose to smoke, by all means, enjoy it. But when it’s imposed on others and children in the home, there’s something to be said about it. Our goverment worries about so many ridiculous things that really doesn’t affect anyone, but they’ve turned a blind eye to this.

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 reader sent in a great recipe for your fat loss and body transformation goals. Easy and loaded with protein.

SESAME-GINGER SHRIMP
What you need:
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp fresh minced ginger
1 1/4 lb large shrimp, peeled
and de-veined
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 cups sliced zucchini

What you get:
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the
garlic and ginger and cook for
two minutes. Add the shrimp
and zucchini and cook for
another five minutes, until the
shrimp is bright pink and cooked
through and the zucchini is
crisp and tender.

Stir in the soy sauce. Serve hot.

Makes two servings. Per serving:
289 calories, 7g carbs, 49g protein,
7g fat (1g sat. fat), 2g fiber

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,

First and foremost for me, personal training and fitness is a passion. It began as a hobby, and then quickly turned into a huge part of my life, and how I provide for my family. What could be better?

While I love everyday of my job and have had few “bad days at work”, I am often reminded that this business is, well, still business. I’ve mentioned before that I do not pay for advertising. I only take clients who are serious, because their bodies carry my reputation. If they aren’t doing what I ask of them and being consistent, they aren’t going to make the exceptional results that I expect.

Today a lady came in during my break and started asking me about my “programs” and my “diet”. First and foremost, I’m not a cookie cutter – I design what will get you results as an individual. She then went on to tell me what she “would not do” (cardio in the morning, eat 5-6 meals per day, etc) and what she wanted. She also mentioned that there’s no reason to start now with the holidays right around the corner, but wanted to secure a spot in January (yes, it is mid-September). I politely declined her business and let her know that there are numerous personal trainers in San Antonio that will give her what she wants (no kick in the ass to make her change).

My business has taken years to build, and to be at a point where I can be selective is something I cherish. You don’t get something for nothing. I am demanding. I push hard. I hold clients accountable. Just paying me isn’t enough to shut me up and keep me happy – I’m only happy when you’re making progress.

I do not settle, and neither should you. For those of you who are serious about changing and becoming what you want to be and looking how you want to look, you can appreciate this. For those who want to put it off, wait until after the holidays to get started, and look for excuses, there’s a reason why the sub-par trainers at Spectrum and Gold’s are always busy – they’ll tell you exactly what you WANT to hear for as long as you’ll write that check. But they won’t risk telling you what you need to hear: it takes hard work, effort, sacrifice, and what you do OUTSIDE of the gym is just as important as what you do inside it…

Those things scare the heck out of most people: what about YOU?

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,

The food prep and menu order form is up and running. Right now, I have a few options for meats and an option to make requests. You can order one day at a time or mix and match.

If you have been looking for a nutritional program to fit your body transformation, fat loss, and/or muscle gain needs, look no further. Our state certified chef will prepare meals specifically designed to fit your dietary needs based on your goals and fitness objectives, nutrient timing needs and nutrient requirements.

Meals (four to six per day) will be delivered to either our personal training studio (free of charge) or your location (for a small fee) on every Monday and Thursday. You simply pick the meats, carbs and vegetables below, and our chef will season them to get the most taste and variety, while not sacrificing proper nutrient ratios.

These are not pre-packaged meals like NutriSystems or Weight Watchers. Freshly cooked and prepared, sealed until you are ready to heat and eat!

When you order, please feel free to make any special requests (spices, heat, etc) or let our chef decide for you.

Cost:
-Food and Prep: $100 weekly plus cost of groceries per person
-Delivery: $25 to your location each deliivery. Rates may vary depending on distance.

Check out the menu/order form by clicking here: Food Preparation and Menu – Order form

For more information on how to set up a nutritional or training consultation, contact us here: Personal Fitness Revolution – Contact 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,

This is the type of meal I’ve been having post-workout over the last few weeks. Easy, Spicy Chicken – Enjoy!

SERVES 4

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 stalks celery
1 onion
ground red pepper
garlic powder
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1) Chop of onion and celery.

2) Add 1tbs EVOO to large frying pan on medium heat and add onion and celery to pan.

3) Pound the chicken to about 1/2 in thickness with a flat mallet or a rolling pin.

4)Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast with an even coating of ground red pepper and garlic powder.

5) When onion is more clear than white take it and the celery out of the frying pan and put them aside in a bowl.

6) Add the rest of the EVOO to pan along with the chicken.

7) Cook two minutes on each side.

8) When all of the chicken has been cooked add everything back into the pan and cover and let sit with the heat on simmer for 10minutes.

9) I usually serve this over whole grain rice or whole grain pasta.

This is great with the carbs mixed in step 9 (when needed) or alone piled with vegetables as a meal later in the day.

Feel free to submit your fat loss, muscle gain friendly recipes! Hope you 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’ve had a lot of email questions about my prep, so I thought I’d answer a few of those now. Understand that the key to getting ready for a bodybuilding show is maximizing time and effort. It’s tough and there’s no one size fits all. I’m basically taking everything I’ve learned about my body over the last 15 years and am applying it.

Q. Hey Boyd, how much weight have you lost thus far? How much do you plan to lose?
A. I started at 244 and this morning, I was down to 224. But I am not paying close attention to the scale as much as the skinfold measurements and the mirror. My goal is simply 1 to 1.5lbs per week from here on out, but I also want to gain a TINY bit more of muscle. But it’s important to remember in any body transformation that weight is very secondary to other measurements. The primary goal is to maintain ALL muscle mass and then burn ALL body fat.

Q. Which diet are you following?
A. I do not believe in cookie cutter diets. I am following a diet similar to what I’d put a client on that was looking for a drastic change. My carbs are all low glycemic. Every meal is centered around protein. My carb cut off for the day changes depending on many factors. My carb meals are typically breakfast, pre, during, and post-workout. Other than that, it’s protein and healthy fats. Oh, and I eat roughly 9-11 times per day. It is extreme, and usually just have clients on 5-7 meals per day.

Q. How many days per week are you lifting?
A. 4. The muscles grow at rest. I want to spell something out here: training is to stimulate muscle growth. Cardio is to stimulate fat burning. Diet is the base of BOTH. I may reduce it to 3 days per week as depletion becomes more of an issue.

Q. How much cardio are you doing?
A. I’m just listening to my body here. I typically do 30-45 minutes 4-6 times per week. I know when I need a rest and I know when to push it. As I get closer to the show, this may or may not increase.

Q. What is the worst part about getting ready?
A. Seriously? The posing trunks! I am more than 5 weeks into prep without as much a bite of cheat food and I haven’t missed one workout. It’s easy now. But those trunks hide nothing, and there’ll be hundreds of people there. LOL

Q. Any cheat days lined up?
A. No. I mean, I could probably get away with it. But I have to assume that my competition won’t do it.

Q. How do you see yourself doing it?
A. I expect to win. I expect to make the job of judging VERY easy. If I lose, it’s because someone is just clearly better. It will not be because they worked harder than me.

Q. Are you nervous?
A. I’m terribly EXCITED! Not nervous at all. I’m sure nerves will kick in the night before, but as of now, I’m just HUNGRY.

Q. What will be your first meal after?
A. Haha, I was eating an egg white omelette at IHOP one night and saw the amazing pics of pancakes. Ok, I’m not a big pancake eater, but I promised myself. But to be honest, I am going to show some restraint right after. I don’t want to blow up!

I have to take a little nap, but I have several more questions that I will be answering soon! 68 days!

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,

The website is almost ready – it is what it says: we will provide tasty meals designed for your body transformation and fat loss goals at a very affordable price. If you’re interested, email me at boyd@the-personal-trainer.com and I’ll get you set up.

I’ve had an insane last 24 hours and I’m lucky I have such an awesome group to support me and help me reach my goals. Nothing on this earth can stop me!

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,

One third down, 10 weeks to go (I started my prep at 15 weeks). As I mentioned yesterday, the fat loss has been completely awesome. All abs are visible, ribs are popped, and I’m getting very vascular. So I have 10 weeks to fine tune down to the perfect definition and be where I want to be.

I want to take a second and give specific thanks to a few people that have been very supportive to me thus far.

Darren at ACSN – whatever I’ve want, he has it. If he doesn’t have it, he gets it in quickly. Awesome customer service.

My massage therapists at Oak Haven (Tina, Jessica, etc) – you just make all the knots go away. Thank you!

Dr. O and his staff at Advantage Chiropractic – my mother lives so far away, but I know where to go when I hurt. You guys are incredible and thank you for being so patient with me!

Jeff H – a great friend always ready to offer me good advice no matter what he has going on. Thanks man, you’ve been great and I appreciate it. You’ve gone through this and you are my brain when the carbs are too low.

Dan – you make work easy every day brother!

Courtney – you’re my motivation girl, I mean that! Don’t know what I’d do without the early Speed Stacks and water!

Lisa – girl, you’ve offered more than I could ever ask anyone for and have managed to diet with me from the start without me even asking and I appreciate it – I have noticed everything you have done and sacrificed.

Most importantly, my little boy, my world, Peyton: you make me so proud and I get weeks worth of motivation when you ask me about my “muscle show”. I want to hold you in one arm and that trophy in the other.

There are others that have helped and supported me and I appreciate every kind word, every “I’ll have the chicken breast” when you’re at dinner with me, the Speed Stacks and Lean Body’s, and the workout partners, impromptu or otherwise.

Simply put, when you put yourself through something like this, you find out who really “has your back” and it makes you value them that much more!

Thanks to all, you have all played a role!

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,

Well, my Vols lost. Of course, I didn’t expect them to win more than 7-9 games this year, but I definitely expected to win this one… What a way to celebrate my 5 weeks of dieting benchmark and 10 weeks to go until my show! hahaha

Not the end of the world. I still have a great support system of loved ones, friends, family and clients who are supporting me. Last night, I spoke to a long time friend that I haven’t spoken to in a while and it was nice to clear the air of a simple misunderstanding, and get past a dumb issue, and I had the chance to congratulate her and her husband on the upcoming birth of their child, and I’m very glad for that chance.

Things are going great for me physically and mentally in my preparation. I admittedly didn’t sleep well last night, but I think I’ve been able to finally remove every distraction in my life, and completely surround myself with what I need to be successful. Bad nights of rest will come, but it doesn’t lessen my resolve and I am still as motivated as ever!

My fat loss (although I didn’t begin with a LOT of fat) has been on perfect track. I actually put my posing trunks on and took a few pics, and I was very pleased on where I’m at.

Tomorrow will be a punishing leg day, but tonight, I’m going to relax here at home and just be thankful for where I am at in preparation and in life. Every once in a while we just need to take a step back, let the sun hit our faces, smile, and enjoy the ride. That’s what I am doing.

I’ll give an in-depth update on progress tomorrow or Monday, but wanted to take a second to update the San Antonio Personal Trainer blog while our flank steak and spinach warmed up!

Stay strong!

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,

A little silly humor, once again.

Peyton says “Come See My Daddy and Get In Shape”:

Ironman stopped by my personal training studio for a little personal training, and decided to leave a message for everyone here on the blog – “No more excuses, get in shape!”:

Thanks to Peyton AND Ironman :)

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,

First and foremost, it is September 11. Never forget how you felt that day as the nation came together as one to mourn the tragedies in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC.

On a higher note, today, one of, if not the greatest basketball players in the history of the game will be inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame today: the great Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

ESPN had a tribute program yesterday, and I was reminded of not only how amazing Jordan was on the court, but the killer instinct, passion and desire he had for winning. He didn’t hope to win, he expected it.

That is the attitude you must take when deciding to transform your body. If you take care of all facets (nutrition, rest, cardio and training) you will change your body – you will firm up, lose fat, look and feel better. Jordan’s intensity in practice is legendary – never settling for almost good enough. He could always find a way to work harder, and that is what it takes to be a winner.

That’s also the mindset I am taking for my bodybuilding show. I’m putting forth everything, and I expect to win. Good isn’t good enough – I am pushing myself to levels I’ve never before strived for. Hell, if you’ve seen posing trunks, then you know there’s no where to hide.

Make today great!

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 do not pay for advertising. Yes, I have advertising and PR firms call me several times per week offering their services. I am well versed in search engine pay per click ads. I have been offered to become WOAI’s “Ask the Expert” (for a nominal fee of roughly $3000 per month). I’ve been asked to write in magazines to be placed as their fitness expert (for a fee). While I do write in many publications and on many websites, I’m definitely not going to PAY for the privilege. When those people contact me, I simply, respectfully DECLINE.

My advertisement is word of mouth and my clients. If you have a friend that has or is training with me, you are evaluating me as well as them. You want to see what I can do for them. Whether they do exactly what I say or not, my reputation rides on that person’s progress, and I take that seriously. If they don’t change, then I look like hell, period.

I take this extremely serious – I hold my clients very accountable because as a professional, I need people to have the expectation that their bodies will change rapidly if they acquire my services. I’m not easy. I’ve had people come to me many years after I trained a friend or loved one and tell me “I’ve always wanted to come see you because of how you helped _______, but I just wasn’t ready for the intensity.” I’m not ashamed of that. I’m not into the business of wasting your time with fun little games, close to what you’d see in a child’s daycare playground. We do what works. I give clients exact directions on what to do when they aren’t in this studio with me designed from scratch for them with their goals in mind. There’s no cookie-cutter nonsense.

Bottom line is simple: when a client comes to train with me, they can rest assured that at least one person shares their goals with them. This isn’t a passive hobby for me: it is my profession, and I’m not bragging about being damn good at what I do. There’s a reason why I have been in numerous magazines and have received recognition and accolades as being one of the top personal trainers in the United States.

I want clients to have high expectations of what they’re going to achieve. I expect them to ask questions and learn what, how, when, and why. I have very high expectations as well. Accountability is a must. I guess you can say that I micro-manage, but this isn’t corporate America, this is becoming each and every client’s full time fitness consultant, advisor and trainer and making sure that each client walks out of here looking the way they want to look.

There are no excuses. I’ve trained single mothers of 4 that worked full time and went to school with more than full-time responsibilities. If you want it, you can make it happen. Excuses aren’t going to get you lean.

If you’re honestly ready, then I am. If you’re still in the passive stages and just want a chat buddy while you hardly break a sweat or, even worse, sweat while you do things that have no purpose, you may be better off wasting money at Spectrum, Lifetime or with another trainer.

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,

With the health care debate raging on in Washington DC, I have to seriously wonder why there isn’t more emphasis put on self-responsibility, exercise, better nutritional choices and healthier living overall?

Of course, there are some things that are completely out of our control, and we cannot anticipate. One cannot sit around wondering which cancer they are going to end up with or what major organ is going to stop working. But it has been scientifically proven that the risks for many conditions can be drastically reduced by healthier nutritional choices and exercise, including many cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Weight loss also improves the functionality of most joints, especially the hips, knees and ankles (not to mention reducing the strain on the heart, lungs, etc).

There are a lot of health issues in our lives we cannot control, but we can definitely reduce our dependency on the medical system in this country, no matter what resolution is decided upon in Washington. It simply comes down to self responsibility – don’t wait for someone else to take care of you. YOU control what goes in your mouth. You control what activites you participate in. And finally, you control how much fat you lose and how lean you become…

Live smarter, live healthier, live BETTER.

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,

Here’s a simple recipe that a reader sent to the blog and I recently tried. Have to say it was quite tasty and definitely a recipe that supports body transformation.

Grilled Fish With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 red bell pepper, roasted (see note)
2 small yellow onions, grilled
handful of fresh parsley, washed and dried (use napkin or cleantowel}
1 Tbls brown sugar1/2 tsp chilli powder1 tsp salt
freshly ground peopper, 6-7 grindings or 1 pinch1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp celery seed1 tsp dry mustard1/4 tsp dried thyme1/4 tsp coriander
2-4 Tbls exra virgin olive oil (has the most flavor for yourcalories)
1 c. evaporated skim milk (instead of cream)

Combine all ingredients except olive oil and evaporated milk.Puree in food processor or blender. With motor running, add olive oil inthin stream. Scrape contents into heavy bottomed sauce pot and bringto a simmer over medium heat. Add evaporated milk and stir. Addsalt and pepper to taste, adjusting other seasonings as needed. Bringsauce up to a simmer, serve over fish or anything else you like. Might begood to pour over chicken breast and bake @ 350* for 45-60 minutes,until done. IF YOU DON’T HAVE ALL OF THE SPICES, DON’T WORRY. Taste thepuree with the spices you could find and adjust from that base. Remember: it’s ok to improvise.

TO ROAST RED PEPPER:

Remind yourself not to be intimidated, as this is reallyeasy. Turn on flame of gas stove. Place pepper directly onburner, burning the outer skin evenly. Use two forks to turn pepper. Don’t usefingers. Place pepper in plastic bag, tie tightly, leave for ten minutes. Have ready a bowl of water to rinse your fingers. as pepperis messy. Shuck blackened skin off of pepper with fingers, rinsing fingers. Do not just rinse pepper, as you will lose lots ofgreatflavor. When mostly clean, pull into sections along the ribs. De-seed, rinsing fingers again. Discard green top of pepper.

TO GRILL ONION:

Peel outer skin off of onion. Cut each onion in half, cutting fromroot to tip. Place on grill of hot coals (not flames) or low setting ofgas grill. Grill, turning, until softer and lightly singed onedges. Remove, let cool slightly. Cut out root section of onion.

TO GRILL FISH:

Chose 1/2# nice whitfish fillet for each serving. (Whitefish, catfish, whatever). Brush fish with a little plain olive oil. Season withsalt, pepper. (Add Old Bay if you live on the Eastern Shore ofMaryland). Grill over coals and turn once only or fish will fallapart. Fish is done when flesh has firmed to the touch, about 10 minutes. Serve dinner with boiled baby new potatoes and freshly choppedparsley, with a side of steamed green beans and yellow wax beans.

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