John Stone
Tue, November 30th, 2010, 11:54 AM
For the December 2010 TSM I've selected forum member jsalazar (Javier). Javier's transformation is further proof that desire and dedication are far more important to a successful transformation than "perfection". Javier has persevered through trial and error, and has been rewarded with more than 45 pounds of fat loss (and he is now gaining lean mass!)
Please note that Javier is multi-lingual but English is not his first language.
BEFORE - January 13, 2009
Weight: 210lbs
Waist: ??
CURRENT - November 21, 2010
Weight: 165lbs
Waist: 30.5"
PICTURES
35843
Why did you decide to make a transformation?
Back when I was a teenager I could eat whatever I wanted and still not gain one ounce of fat, then I got into my twenties and the story changed very fast. A few years later I found myself at 210lb looking like a pregnant man with two little flaccid limbs hanging to my side. I always tried to cover this with baggy clothes but I was never satisfied with the way I looked in them, nothing seemed to fit right and I would always have a hard time buying any piece of clothing.
One day I tried to improve my physique, I joined a gym and paid in advance, I had no idea what I was doing back then. I thought it was all about drinking natural juices, training 2 hours every day. I just thought it wasn't for me due to the poor results so I ended up showing only a few times.
Then, one day I was surfing the web and I found a list of interesting blogs. The author said he couldn’t stop coming back to johnstonefitness.com. (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/) I gave it a try and I was blown away. JSF gave me all the information I could ask for, the evidence, the results, the motivation, even tools to log diet and training… free for all.
What sort of planning did you do before you started?
Once I saw John's incredible transformation I couldn’t help but to wake up early the very next morning and jump into a bike for 30 minutes. Then I started to log every piece of food that touched my lips. I was aiming for 1800 calories per day, and slowly raised my protein intake to somewhere close to 40%. I had no idea what weight training was. I joined some circuit training gym at the time to start things up, then I kept coming back to improve my knowledge on training routines and nutrition.
What were your initial goals?
Fat loss. Getting ripped to shreds! :)
My initial stats where similar to John's, so I had a good example to follow.
What was your diet and supplement intake like?
I instantly saw the value of whey powder to reach my protein daily target - it soon became a staple in my diet. Every time I found myself pressed for time I could always mix some whey and water and eat some fruit.
When I started I set up a target of 1800 calories a day. These are some of the foods I enjoyed:
cereal + whey
chicken, veggies & rice
whey + banana
Tuna & beans
Keeping it simple allowed me to lose 50 pounds.
I think I could have held on to more of my muscle, but at the time I was happy and motivated. I received lots of compliments from my family and friends, so it's all good. I have seen the benefits of a sound consistent diet, so in my opinion there is no need for extra supplements for fat loss or muscle gains.
What was your training like?
At first I knew nothing about weight lifting. There was a circuit training gym on the way to my work, so I joined. After that I joined a local gym. I started using a split routine, but I neglected my legs. I regret this mistake because theres really nothing like deadlifts and squats. Once I started doing deadlifts and squats my performance increased in all other excercises.
What obstacles did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?
Well, I went through a pretty slow period during my transformation. After my initial fat loss I thought that I was above calorie counting and caloric deficits - I just wanted to know about what I considered "advanced" techniques. I wanted to know about the Glycemic index, macronutrient ratios, fasted cardio, fat profiles, the optimum post-workout shake, nitrogen balance, etc. Soon enough I started to forget about the basics of nutrition and was making decisions based on my own concept of good meals and bad meals. I spent many months on an eternal search for the magic plan that was going to take me to the next level. This actually led me to gain some unwanted fat. I just couldn't keep up with all the guidelines that you "must" follow. I got loose and undefined. It was only when I returned to the basics that I was able to continue making progress.
How has your life changed?
I feel much more in control now. Things can always get messy, but there is always something that is only up to me and that I can take to the point I want it to be: my fitness goals.
How did JSF and the JSF Forums help you?
This site opened the door to a new, healthy lifestyle. A lifestyle that had been always shadowed by deceiving media ads that want to make profit out of people's desires to improve their physiques.
I will never be able to return what this site has given to me, it literally changed my life. Many things I do now are related to fitness, health and overall improvement. The discipline that bodybuilding gave me has spread throughout many areas of my life. Discipline I always lacked of before and now is something that I'm told I'm good at.
What advice would you offer to others?
Just a handful of people seems to share this goal of being fit (people actually doing it). The vast majority of people I know are always looking for tasty/cheap food without considering its content. It is easy to say "no" once in a while, but saying it all the time is hard. I just adjust my diet for the days when I don't want to say "no". Being consistent and getting results every week has been enough for me not to crave any food other than those on my meal plans. Learning to cook and researching some good recipes sure helps on that, too. I know there are more things in life than dieting and training, but it's up to you to determine if your goal is going to be reached sooner rather than later.
What are your future plans?
Keep improving, gain lean mass and increase my strength. What I do not see is getting back to my former self - I only see improvements in my future!
Any closing thoughts?
I just want to thank all of for coming here to JSF and make this a great community. Thanks to John, who created and continues to keep this together, and also for being the great source of inspiration he is.
I want to also thank Aram (Mastover (http://www.mastover.com)). He helped me get my feet on the ground again when I was buried below tons of fitness practices that I was trying to follow at the same time. His experience, knowledge and work ethic are just invaluable.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks very much for your time, Javier. Congratulations on the many positive changes you've made!
Please note that Javier is multi-lingual but English is not his first language.
BEFORE - January 13, 2009
Weight: 210lbs
Waist: ??
CURRENT - November 21, 2010
Weight: 165lbs
Waist: 30.5"
PICTURES
35843
Why did you decide to make a transformation?
Back when I was a teenager I could eat whatever I wanted and still not gain one ounce of fat, then I got into my twenties and the story changed very fast. A few years later I found myself at 210lb looking like a pregnant man with two little flaccid limbs hanging to my side. I always tried to cover this with baggy clothes but I was never satisfied with the way I looked in them, nothing seemed to fit right and I would always have a hard time buying any piece of clothing.
One day I tried to improve my physique, I joined a gym and paid in advance, I had no idea what I was doing back then. I thought it was all about drinking natural juices, training 2 hours every day. I just thought it wasn't for me due to the poor results so I ended up showing only a few times.
Then, one day I was surfing the web and I found a list of interesting blogs. The author said he couldn’t stop coming back to johnstonefitness.com. (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/) I gave it a try and I was blown away. JSF gave me all the information I could ask for, the evidence, the results, the motivation, even tools to log diet and training… free for all.
What sort of planning did you do before you started?
Once I saw John's incredible transformation I couldn’t help but to wake up early the very next morning and jump into a bike for 30 minutes. Then I started to log every piece of food that touched my lips. I was aiming for 1800 calories per day, and slowly raised my protein intake to somewhere close to 40%. I had no idea what weight training was. I joined some circuit training gym at the time to start things up, then I kept coming back to improve my knowledge on training routines and nutrition.
What were your initial goals?
Fat loss. Getting ripped to shreds! :)
My initial stats where similar to John's, so I had a good example to follow.
What was your diet and supplement intake like?
I instantly saw the value of whey powder to reach my protein daily target - it soon became a staple in my diet. Every time I found myself pressed for time I could always mix some whey and water and eat some fruit.
When I started I set up a target of 1800 calories a day. These are some of the foods I enjoyed:
cereal + whey
chicken, veggies & rice
whey + banana
Tuna & beans
Keeping it simple allowed me to lose 50 pounds.
I think I could have held on to more of my muscle, but at the time I was happy and motivated. I received lots of compliments from my family and friends, so it's all good. I have seen the benefits of a sound consistent diet, so in my opinion there is no need for extra supplements for fat loss or muscle gains.
What was your training like?
At first I knew nothing about weight lifting. There was a circuit training gym on the way to my work, so I joined. After that I joined a local gym. I started using a split routine, but I neglected my legs. I regret this mistake because theres really nothing like deadlifts and squats. Once I started doing deadlifts and squats my performance increased in all other excercises.
What obstacles did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?
Well, I went through a pretty slow period during my transformation. After my initial fat loss I thought that I was above calorie counting and caloric deficits - I just wanted to know about what I considered "advanced" techniques. I wanted to know about the Glycemic index, macronutrient ratios, fasted cardio, fat profiles, the optimum post-workout shake, nitrogen balance, etc. Soon enough I started to forget about the basics of nutrition and was making decisions based on my own concept of good meals and bad meals. I spent many months on an eternal search for the magic plan that was going to take me to the next level. This actually led me to gain some unwanted fat. I just couldn't keep up with all the guidelines that you "must" follow. I got loose and undefined. It was only when I returned to the basics that I was able to continue making progress.
How has your life changed?
I feel much more in control now. Things can always get messy, but there is always something that is only up to me and that I can take to the point I want it to be: my fitness goals.
How did JSF and the JSF Forums help you?
This site opened the door to a new, healthy lifestyle. A lifestyle that had been always shadowed by deceiving media ads that want to make profit out of people's desires to improve their physiques.
I will never be able to return what this site has given to me, it literally changed my life. Many things I do now are related to fitness, health and overall improvement. The discipline that bodybuilding gave me has spread throughout many areas of my life. Discipline I always lacked of before and now is something that I'm told I'm good at.
What advice would you offer to others?
Just a handful of people seems to share this goal of being fit (people actually doing it). The vast majority of people I know are always looking for tasty/cheap food without considering its content. It is easy to say "no" once in a while, but saying it all the time is hard. I just adjust my diet for the days when I don't want to say "no". Being consistent and getting results every week has been enough for me not to crave any food other than those on my meal plans. Learning to cook and researching some good recipes sure helps on that, too. I know there are more things in life than dieting and training, but it's up to you to determine if your goal is going to be reached sooner rather than later.
What are your future plans?
Keep improving, gain lean mass and increase my strength. What I do not see is getting back to my former self - I only see improvements in my future!
Any closing thoughts?
I just want to thank all of for coming here to JSF and make this a great community. Thanks to John, who created and continues to keep this together, and also for being the great source of inspiration he is.
I want to also thank Aram (Mastover (http://www.mastover.com)). He helped me get my feet on the ground again when I was buried below tons of fitness practices that I was trying to follow at the same time. His experience, knowledge and work ethic are just invaluable.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks very much for your time, Javier. Congratulations on the many positive changes you've made!