Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Adrienne Hood



Plain and simple, my unhealthy relationship with food and dislike of exercise started in my childhood. I did maybe a year or two of dance and T-ball when I was in elementary school but that’s the extent of my experience in any kind of organized sport or activity. Seriously. That’s it. The only physical activity I actually enjoyed was frisbee and badminton. Corny but true. As for food, it was terrible. If I was hungry, I’d cook something like an entire box of stuffing and eat it all by myself, straight out of the pot. In high school, I ate a soft pretzel with cheese, a bag of Cheetos, and washed it down with soda almost daily. My family, while they had good intentions of wanting to spend time together, relied on sitting down to eat to reconnect. 

Food was considered a highlight in my day with no thoughts as to what I was really putting in my body. If it tasted good, I ate it.

My weight began to reflect this lifestyle early on too. By around eight years old, I was already aware of my ballooning waistline. By the end of elementary school, I had already tried a few diets of my own design. Of course, they all failed miserably. I felt defeated each time and soothed myself with, you guessed it, food. It was a vicious cycle and one I think too many people are familiar with. In high school, I was a good 30-40 pounds above a healthy weight. I even signed up for track and field once when I discovered I enjoyed throwing shot-put and discus through a good friend. I got as far as receiving my official track and field shirt before learning that a one-mile run was a part of the daily warm-ups regardless of what event you did. I immediately dropped out.

When I was a senior in high school, I ruptured a disc in my back. A few months after that, I got married. The combination of being told to rest and adjusting to living with someone who also had bad eating habits made my weight skyrocket. I quickly put weight on and hit my all-time high of 180 pounds on my 5’4” frame within the year. Not long after, my doctor dropped a bomb on me by announcing my cholesterol was way too high. I either needed to get a grip of the situation or go on cholesterol medication at the age of 20. I was floored. We lived on Scott Air Force Base at the time since my husband was enlisted so soon after that appointment, I went to see a trainer at the base gym and ordered one of those prepackaged meal plans to try and shed the weight. I managed to get off about fifteen pounds but soon stalled because, while I was going through the motions,

I didn't fully understand the changes, so they were more of a temporary fix rather than a lifestyle change. I was on the fast-track to yo-yo dieting.

Then, in 2006, my husband got deployed. This was my turning point.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Rich Wood 8


Food is Fuel
A Journey Through Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Diabetes and Lifestyle Change

Jiu-Jitsu, and how you should never stop challenging yourself.
When I think about the way I felt and lived my life when I was 275lbs., it mainly consisted of being tired all the time and thinking of what terrible food I wanted to have at every meal.  I have trained Kenpo karate for many years.  When I got to that weight, I quit going.  I spent a lot of time falling asleep in front of the television.  The only physical activity I would get would be at work. When I lost all the weight I knew there would be new challenges that I would be capable of finally doing and interested in doing.  

As I stated previously, I have always been a huge fight fan.  I have no desire to fight, but I love learning the techniques.  I love the style of workouts that fighters do, and I love training hard.  People who know me well know that when I get an interest in something I pour myself into it a million percent.  Through my love of mixed martial arts I decided that I really wanted to learn Jiu-Jitsu.  In case you are not familiar, I have included a brief description below of what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is*.  I wanted to start studying this amazing art for myself, and to introduce my 10 year old son to a martial art.  I was familiar with Kyle Watson from the Ultimate Fighter TV show, and I would see him at local MMA fights.  I started asking around about getting my son into Jiu-Jitsu, someone who would be great with kids – and whenever I would mention Kyle’s name everyone would come back and say that Kyle is amazing.  

One evening I ran into Kyle at an event and introduced myself.  I explained to him that I was looking to start training in Jiu-Jitsu with my son.  My first impression of Kyle was how interested he was in what I had to say, and how humble he was.  We set up our first lesson and due to what a special teacher and person Kyle is, my son has smiled through every lesson since.  My son has never said to me “I don't want to go,” or “this is not fun.” That is all due to Kyle’s approach and gift.  As for me, I have become completely obsessed.  Jiu-Jitsu is an incredibly beautiful and violent art.  As I've gotten further into learning, what has impressed me the most is how eager the students at Kyle’s gym are to help you and how humble they are.  This has a tremendous amount to due with the type of person Kyle is.  From the time I started with him, he always had a positive message regarding not getting frustrated as a beginner, and how important it is not to be a bully.  He has been available to answer any questions I have at any time.  

I feel so fortunate that the different trainers and coaches that I have in my life are always so passionate about what they do.  There have been times due to my work schedule, that Kyle has met me early in the morning for a lesson.  I can see in his face that he is tired – he trains a lot of people and is very busy with his own career.  But, when it comes time for us to start, like a light switch he is able to turn on his passion for Jiu-Jitsu and it is truly genuine.  I believe it is very important for any man, woman or child to learn a martial art – not just to protect yourself, but because of the journey along the way.  You will come in contact with people who will help you learn about yourself.  I believe it is always important to remain a student of life.  I don’t know why it happens that when we reach a certain age we feel the need to stop challenging ourselves.  No matter what your age, if you have a love or passion for something – it is never too late to try it.  If it’s something you did early on, go back to it.  If there’s something you always wanted to try, there is nothing stopping you from doing it…other than yourself.  Do not worry about cost.  If you really want to do it you will find a way to make it happen.  Starting Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 46 is one of the most challenging things I have ever done.  There is no part of me that gets frustrated with where my skills are at this age, or my physical limitations.  I am motivated to improve.  I am very grateful to Kyle Watson and his students for helping me on this new challenge and journey.  I am so thankful to Kyle for being a great teacher and friend.  If I had not taken the steps to get  my health in order, I would have never tried, and shared with my son, what has become one of the greatest passions in my life.  People who practice Jiu-Jitsu understand. 

Food For Thought:  The first rule to perfect your Jiu-Jitsu is to never be deaf to other peoples knowledge – Renzo Gracie


*Brazilian Jiu Jitsu  - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art based on grappling and ground fighting techniques.  The aim of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is to control and subdue a larger and stronger opponent through the use of superior techniques, leverage, and body mechanics.   With an emphasis on grappling rather than striking, students are able to practice with varying levels of intensity, without the threat of serious injuries which can occur more often in martial arts focused on punching and kicking.

Traditionally, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu student practices in a gi or kimono, a martial arts uniform similar to a judo outfit.  In recent years, many schools and academies have incorporated no-gi BJJ, commonly referred to as submission wrestling, to their teaching curriculum.  In no-gi BJJ, students typically wear t-shirts and shorts, instead of the typical gi. 

Friday, October 5, 2012

Rich Wood 7


Food is Fuel
A Journey Through Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Diabetes and Lifestyle Change

Many people have asked me what my diet is and what my workouts consist of. My goals are to have the physique of a fighter.  I want to be lean, fast, and have definition throughout my body.  I don't want to be bulked up like a bodybuilder.   I am a huge mixed martial arts fan, and I am inspired by the type of workouts that MMA athletes do.  Because I train in Jiu Jitsu and Kenpo Karate, I had specific ideas on how I wanted my workouts to be. When I first met with Debbie Portell, my nutritionist and one of my trainers, those were my goals – to eat and train like a fighter.  I love having the knowledge about fighting, but have no desire to fight anyone.  My workouts with Debbie are designed to keep my body toned, and to keep my cardio level very high.  My time on the treadmill is 20 minutes, 4x a week.  Is there any reason why you couldn’t get on a treadmill for 20 minutes a few times a week?  I workout with Debbie 2-3x a week and those sessions consist of leg training, upper body, and overall conditioning. 

My diet starts every morning with 8oz of water, 3-4 handfuls of kale, 2-3 handfuls of spinach, 7 frozen unsweetened strawberries, and a splash of lemon.  These ingredients are blended up into a green drink.  I drink that while I am cooking one whole omega 3 egg, with one egg white.  Those are cooked in grape seed oil, or coconut oil.  That is how I have started every morning for the past 10 months.  I have never felt better, and it’s one of the steps in how I lost almost 100lbs.  Three hours later I will have a protein shake.  More on my diet later.

Debbie’s job is to help me maintain my weight through diet and weight training. 

I also have a strength and conditioning coach, Wes Richards.  Wes is an amazing athlete and trainer.  He is a wrestler and jiu jitsu practitioner, and we do MMA style workouts that are a straight 30 minutes that focus on speed, power, and agility.  Honestly, look at your life and tell me you can’t get yourself to the gym for 30 minutes?   Wes has me doing things in my workout that I physically couldn't do when I was 21, but am able to do now at 46.  This is not a commercial for Powerhouse Gym, but the place is very unique because they have put together a staff that no matter what your fitness interest is, they have someone that can help you.  If you want to become a better soccer player, hockey player, baseball player, a serious bodybuilder – or just want to lose the last 15 lbs that you're having trouble taking off, they have someone on staff that is well suited for your specific goals.  Wes and I share the same passion for MMA, so he caters my workouts to exactly what I want.  My workouts are very tough, but that is what I asked for.  Debbie and Wes deliver it every time we get together. 

The rest of my diet is very simple.  It consists of chicken, turkey, fish, and an occasional steak.  The rest of what I eat is vegetables.  That is it.  Those five things and that is it.  I am very dedicated and determined when it comes to my health and fitness.  I don't believe in cheat days.  Everyone’s diet is different because your goals may be different, and meeting with a nutritionist will help you accomplish those goals.  The things that Debbie Portell has taught me about nutrition have had more impact on me than any workout I have ever done.  My energy level and my sleep patterns have never been better due to my diet.  Debbie has helped save my life, and made it better.  By my own choice I eat no dairy – which ended up being one of the most beneficial things I have ever done.  I eat no sugar.  I only grill or bake my food.  There are many different recipes to make all this stuff interesting.  I never ate salads or vegetables.  Now they are part of my everyday life. 

Your goals may be very different than mine.  You have to find the right people that will set up the proper nutrition and workouts for you.  I am so fortunate that I found the ones that work for me all under the same roof.  Debbie, Wes, and Sid Gee have all improved my life.   Don't be afraid to reach out and get the help you want. 

Food for Thought:
"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work." ~Vince Lombardi

Rich Wood