Interview with fat loss winner: John Rizzo

Last Thursday we announce the winners of our 4th annual 21 Day Fat Loss Challenge. As we pointed out, it was our best year ever doing this challenge.

Out of all the 50 contestants one stood apart from the crowd: John Rizzo, our 2012, 21 Day Fat Loss Challenge.

I was fortunate to sit down with John, ask him a few questions and get a few pictures of him (even though he seems camera shy)... just kidding!

Here is his story:


Me: John, what made you start coming to Fitlorenzo Training Center?
John: My wife Julie had been working out with you and I noticed changes in her. After being a sloth for 2 years and turning 41, I decided to get back in shape. It is a lot easier to perform my job as a firefighter when you are in shape.

Me: What type of challenges have you overcome before in your life or while trying to fit exercise into your daily lifestyle?
John: Challenges overcame before in life are running and completing 3 marathons including the Goofy challenge " a half one day and a full marathon the next".
While trying to fit exercise in well, It is easier to just sit there and do nothing, or sleep in instead of exercising but you do need to schedule it and make it a part of daily routine so it just feels natural. I actually look forward to the workouts now.

Me: What have you accomplished since you started training?
John: I have lost almost 20 lbs and 3% body fat. I can fit into my clothes and feel good about myself. Job is a lot easier now.

Me: What are your future goals?
John: Try to get down in weight more and it sounds crazy but maybe have some abs showing for a cruise in March. lol

Me: How do your friends and family react to your changes?
John: The fire service always busting stones whether you are overweight or trying to lose weight. Usually the first question is, Are you sick? Then they start asking how you doing it and want to know everything. So that is positive.
Family real supportive and just say that you are looking good. Have not seen brother since summer and will see him over Christmas holidays so that should be fun to see his reaction.

Me: Looking back, how do you feel now?
John: I feel great now from when I started, not as tired and have lot more energy and look forward to the workouts.

After Picture

John was kind enough to share some of his before and after pictures.

Before Picture

Once again congrats to John Rizzo for his dedication and commitment to exercising and better lifestyle.

If just like John and all other participants from our 21 Day Fat Challenge you wish to find out how YOU to can get in the best shape of your life and shed unwanted bodyfat... CALL OR E-MAIL us for more information.

2013 is just around the corner, let's start the year like champions!

21 Day Fat Loss Challenge Winners!

This year our 21 day Fat Loss challenge has been our best yet ever. Not only did we have a little over 50 people in it, but the results are amazing.

Let's start with first and second place...

1st Place Winner: John Rizzo.

John lost a staggering 17.2 lbs and 3% body fat loss with a drastic change of lean body mass of 6.22. This guy not only workout hard and intense but as his wife would say he was in the zone, followed our plan down to a T and the results show for it. Great job for your commitment, dedication and results. 

Next post I'll be interviewing John on his journey during the past 2 months, especially during the 21 day challenge.

2nd Place Winner: Jassier Paneque. 
 
Jassier lost 13.6 lbs and 2.6% body fat with a change of lean body mass of 4.38

Jassier is a quiet one (except for when Ken is around.. lol), but comes in and works hard every day.  Very proud of you and your excellent results. 


 Though this year, these guys ran away with the challenge they aren't the only one's who had great success. I would like to recognize and mention also:

Beth Meyer lost 10 pounds and 2% body fat
Jen Kellman lost 9.6 pounds and 2.7% body fat
Scott Kellman lost 6.6 pounds and 2.2% body fat
Joey Schumaker lost 9.4 pounds, 1.6% body fat
Lee Ross lost 6.2 pounds and 1.5% body fat
Barbarann Roberts lost 7.8 pounds and 1.8% body fat
Danielle Bentley lost 8 pounds, 2.2% body fat
Dale Lively lost 4.2 pounds and 1.5% body fat
Lisa Coleman lost 8 pounds
Cindie Wiggins lost 8.4 pounds
Stephanie Luker lost 10 pounds
Reyna Wright lost 10 pounds

Certainly outstanding performances, especially in just 21 days!!

On average our other contestants lost about 4 to 6 pounds and 1 to 1.5% body fat. 

Some pictures from the challenge:

 

I'm proud of everyone who participated with us in way or the other during this challenge. I also want to thank some of our business friends who have supported us throughout this year and contributed to our prizes and cool gifts for our clients:

North River Body Therapies
Pets Life Naturally
Shan-T Native Kayaks Tours
The Nail Nook

Many thanks to everyone once again. Looking forward to 2013 for more challenges, contest and even better training protocols to help not only our current clients but also our community to be more educated on proper exercise technique and lifestyle habits. 

Color Run Team Bonding

This past weekend we had a team with 13 of us, from Fitlorenzo Training Center, running at the St. Pete Color Run and we had a blast! In the crowd of more than 10 thousand people we bumped into other clients and friends who on that day took to the streets to get funky, to run for a cause and get splashed with colored powder..













Our team included people of all ages, and fitness levels and everyone had fun!

This race was bananas and I now understand why the call it the happiest and most fun 5K in the world.

Along the way we got splattered through several stations of colored powder that made our shirts (and face, legs, and everywhere in between) from white to a crazy mess.

I got dumped so much color on me, that I found it in places it shouldn't be. Someone from the water station even poured water all over me.

Once I got home I took a long, long bath and after one hour in the shower I still looked like blue man group. From what I heard from the others that day, I wasn't the only one finding color all over the place.

As many of you know, I hate running for distance. But this race is one that I will definitely mark on my calendar for next year.

Facts about gluten

Today I found myself training 4 clients in the morning, before lunch and then my workout, and then back to training clients.

In the process I realize all of these 4 clients had at least one thing in common: they are gluten intolerant.

One suffers from Celiac disease, one has Chrome disease and the other two, though not in chronic state, their bodies respond better to a gluten free diet; from weight loss to just feeling overall better.

Is gluten the root of all evil? Not quite. I personally eat foods that contain gluten and don't seem to be affected by them. Of course I do not abuse of these foods and I live a very active and healthy lifestyle. 

Yet with more and more people starting to look after their health and fitness, one thing that they’re starting to do is take note of what their eating each day and how the various foods that they consume influence how their body feels and functions.

It’s incredibly important that you do pay attention to the foods that you put into your diet because not only will these influence your body weight, but your health as well. One of those issues that is starting to be discussed more and more as people notice the symptoms associated with it is gluten intolerance.

While there are those who cannot tolerate gluten at all and are known as celiac’s (just like my clients from today), other people simply just don’t feel best when eating gluten rich foods.

So then, what is gluten intolerance?

Gluten is a particular type of protein that’s found in wheat and all wheat related foods that certain people struggle to digest properly.

When it’s not fully broken down by the body, that’s when it’ll start to cause symptoms to take place in your body. Some of those symptoms include:

Abdominal distention - Abdominal pain and cramping -·Constipation - Bloating - Depression, irritability, and anxiety- Fatigue - Joint pain - Among a few others

It’s important to note that everyone is different and we react differently to foods; the signs and symptoms do tend to vary from individual to individual so you don’t necessarily have to have them all present in order for a problem to be at play.  Also a few symptoms alone could mean something else is taking place in your body. Listen if you notice a few of these symptoms, get yourself checked out by your doctor. You may be gluten intolerant or you could also be struggling with other conditions.

If you find you suffer from stomach problems, gas or bloating you may want to consider your options and in case you are indeed gluten intolerant. If you want to self test (it's not rocket science) you could do so on your own. Start by cutting out all gluten rich foods from your diet.  This includes all wheat and related products such as flour, pastas, breads, cereals, and many snack foods. Read the labels of of other food sources as they may contain wheat. Do this for 14 to 21 days straight and see how you feel.

Focus on eating gluten free foods (now a days there are plenty to choose from). Your carbohydrate intake should be focused on the following foods: fruits and vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, and barley. 

I have clients who consume gluten rich foods and have no problems digesting these foods, others do. The one's that have made the switch tell me they sleep better, feel better, less bloated, have more energy and recover better from their workouts. 

Popular diets like Paleo, Zone and others are based around this concept. Again we are all different and will respond differently to food.

In the end you can't go wrong with this: eat more meat, chicken and fish. Add plenty of fruits and green vegetables. Drink plenty of water.

Monday Rant & Random Thoughts

Can't let the year go by without posting some random thoughts and a few rants along the way. Too many things going on between me, life, the things I see and hear from the folks who surround me and so.

These are in no particular order and is a healthy way for me to express ideas, twisted thoughts, my perspective on many things.

1. The 21 Day Fat Loss Challenge is in full effect. Looking forward to seeing some great results from many of the participants.

2. If you find yourself struggling through the holidays make sure to read this article on Getting Back On Track.

3. I hate being sick and I'm glad I'm over it. I'm done with the Nyquil, cough drops, anti-inflammatory and antibiotics. Tonsils seems to be the problem but surgery is not an option for me right now and if possible I will do what I must to avoid it. So then, I need to double up on my effort to keep myself healthy.

4. &$%^&##$@%@ My laptop overheated and died, my warranty is over and there is not much I can do. It would cost me about the same to get a new one.

5. Some people want the equivalent result of 55 years in 55 minutes. I understand why, but to be real that's never gonna happen. Hard work, dedication and consistency is the key to "progressive" results. Which bring me to this point:

  

6. Still mad? Many people complain about weight loss without realizing how far they've come. How much they have progressed. No matter how it is explained to them, they seem just not to understand or care. Maybe the scale didn't move a bit, yet you fit into a pair of jeans you couldn't one year ago... Do you get the picture? You have changed, you have dropped body fat and for that your are better, stronger and healthier.

7. Many people quit without realizing how close they where to reaching their goals. Listen everyone's path to success if different. But in the end the view is the same at the top. 

8. I can tell which person commits to effort, is consistent, heck I can easily tell their life habits just by looking at people - how they carry themselves, the things that occupy their conversations, they way they train, etc. 

9. Some people are just sell outs...

10. The Walking Dead is over till Feb 2013... 

11. I don't need a BMW or Mercedes car, I like my H3 just the way it is. What do I need to do to get one of the cars or earn $5,000 a month is beyond me. Even though I could make tons of money, pyramid selling has never been my interest nor do I want it to be. Honestly I don't wish to sell this to my clients. I hope you are successful in your way, I'll try my luck getting rich differently.

12. Every week a car or truck from my competitors drives by my facility (sometimes the same people), which is located in a low traffic, dead end street. I have no beef with no one in particular but it is very annoying to see you every week. If you are so interested in what we are doing, man up and effing stop one day and walk in. We got nothing to hide, but mind you if you are spending all this time concerned on what we are doing who is taking care of your clients? Please do us all a favor and be a better coach.

13. That last point makes me miss my good old training buddies, my coaching mentor and fellow trainers from back in the day. Maybe it's me but in 5 years I have come to the conclusion that this area (for the most part) is just full of meat-heads, idiots, lazy trainers, and people who don't know how to work together, improve the name of our industry, improve economy and most importantly improve our community. 

14. There are different styles of coaching and training modalities. But if you call yourself a "trainer" by profession make sure you know your shit. As a fitness person you are in a position to greatly impact the lives of those who surround you. Do what you say you are going to do, do it right, do more of it and do it with passion.

15. “One of the major keys to success is to keep moving forward on the journey, making the best of the detours and interruptions, turning adversity into advantage.”  

16. My LA Lakers team is miserably underachieving. They'll regret the coaching change and going with Phil. I'm still a fan and I don't quit on my team.

17. Stop comparing yourself or your food to what other people do or have. We are all different and will respond differently to certain foods. That being said if your attitude is always negative, that is what will dominate your thoughts and soon your body will follow. 

18. Why do parents continue to let their kids dictate what they eat? Who's the parent?

19. Everyone has their own demons to fight with. Sometimes you keep them under control and sometimes it seems like a losing battle. Whatever it is that you find yourself fighting through, keep the fight, never give in. There may be difficult days when you get up and don't like what you see, heck might not even stand to look or recognize the person in the mirror. You keep fighting, you dig deep, and crawl your way back up.

20. A great video to watch:

Getting back on track

It's Monday...

Getting back into full swing after a long weekend can be hard. If you are still carrying some of the weight or bloatness from the holiday eating frenzy; or lack of sleep from black Friday shopping and perhaps even today surfing the web for cyber Monday deals and having to deal with the work week... I understand.

But listen we've got only 36 days left in the year, and so it's time to get back into full action.

It's important you schedule a workout for today. There's no other way around it. Even if it's not your best performance ever, you need to get that workout in; in order to get yourself back on track.

Also make sure to start the day by eating better or doing a post-turkey weekend type detox. And by detox I don't mean drinking pills, laxatives nor anything weird.

Try this for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday:

• Fast from the time you wake up till noon (assuming you wake up any time between 6 and 9) If not adjust the timing of your meal accordingly.
• From noon time till like 8pm or dinner time just eat meals that contain lean sources of protein (such as eggs, chicken breast, turkey, fish) with veggies/greens only
• After that don't eat anything else till the next day, following the above suggestion through Wednesday.

Fasting for a short period of time like this, will help you cut some calories, drop some water weight and allow you to get back on track into your routine.

If you are local and train at Fitlorenzo and you are participating in the 21 Day Fat Loss Challenge then just follow the plan. If you noticed the first few days use a similar concept.

Add this quick AB workout to your routine today:

3 Rounds of the following exercises
Mountain climbers x 40 reps (20 per side)
Wheel rollouts x 20 reps
Situps x 20 reps

“Life WILL knock you to the curb, but you can’t let it rob you of your NESS! Now, what’s ness? It’s your name plus ness.” – Dupree

Dedicated to your success!

ed

BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

IT'S OFFICIAL: FITLORENZO BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL IS ON!

FITLORENZO will feature an "Extreme Black Friday" special discount on our personal training and bootcamp services.

It's the only time of the year we come up with these insane deals!!!

We feel blessed to be surrounded by people like you who put your trust and health in our training programs. We hope through the year you have found our content, products, services and tips useful and that they have help to impact your training and life.

For you guys we have come up with these Black Friday deals. These specials can only be recieved through this special website link, here in this blog. And these offers will only be available from November 21 at 12:00 am through November 24 at 11:59pm. After that the links will be taken down, no exceptions!

SORRY ALL DEALS EXPIRED SATURDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2012 AT 11:59PM

These training programs will not be available at this price at any other time!!! This is your chance to either get yourself started on a training program, give the gift of health and fitness to a friend, spouse, co-worker or to stock up for 2013. The idea is that you get to purchase at this incredible price NOW!!! and you we can start immediately or set yourself for a great 2013. 

Thank you again for your trust and support in our training programs. 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these deals please contact us.

3 Questions...

Did you know?...

As we head towards the end of 2012, there are (as of today) 118 days left in our calendar. This is big. And let explain the significance of these next 118 days .

What you do in the next 118 days will determine not only how well you end this year, but also how successful you will be once Jan 2013 starts.

You know as I do... That every year on January there's a flood of people who join different gyms, exercise or diet programs, with the intention of looking good or improving their health. Because motivation is high they make plenty of New Year's resolutions, it is possible that you are one of those people... I know that I have used the start of a new year as motivating factor before as well.

The problem is that most people, tend to gain 5 - 10 pounds during the holidays on top of what you weigh right now. Come Jan 2013 they will try to knock it off and once they see it's not that easy most end up giving up. That's why they find themselves in the same spot every year in January, May and September.

Question #1 - will YOU be prepare to not let this happen to you?

Are you working on making yourself better and having everything in place NOW to look, feel and be your best? Or are you letting time pass by you? Most people like to sit around and wait for the perfect moment to jump right in.

FACT: the time to do it is RIGHT NOW! NOW is the time to dedicate to training, to cleaning up your diet, to get everything ready and in order in your life.

Question #2 - what can you do TODAY to get things in order?

The first thing that comes to mind is PLANNING. This is crucial to your success. You have to plan everything from your workouts, cardio sessions, meals for the day, etc. I know it can be overwhelming, but if you treat it with the same importance you do with your work schedule, kids and other important things in your life you will be successful.

For this to become a reality, you need to get a PASS:

- Plan (everything ahead of time) 

- Accountability (find a partner or coach) 

- Sacrifice (time from other things) 

- Support (going at it alone is difficult. Find or create a system at home, work or the gym... it works)

Question #3 - what is KEEPING you from you GOALS?

What is stopping you from taking that step? Is it because getting healthy seems to require monetary investment? You think you don't have time? Is it because you have tried in the past and it didn't work or you feel you got burned by someone? 

I really want to know, and if you allow me I would like to know what can I do to help you out. Reach out to me and let's talk.

Remember what you do in the next 118 days will position you towards the body you know you can achieve - leaner, stronger and better; astonishing yourself by the things you are capable of accomplishing... or if you do nothing get the same ol' same ol'...

Dedicated to your success!