Derek Murphy is the January 2009 Turbulence Training Success Story of the Month, and wins a 1-Year Platinum Turbulence Training Membership. Congrats Derek! Here's his inspiring story...
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"I am now beginning week 6 of the 12 week TT contest. I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for the progress you've made in the way I look and feel in just 6 weeks!
As I start this week, the half-way point, it amazes me that I've already lost almost 10 lbs. in just 5 full weeks.
I started at 215 lbs. and now I'm about to break a plateau that I thought was previously unbreakable: I'm approaching 200 lbs! The little needle on the scale is hovering just above 205 right now! Come on!
My initial TT goal was to see a "1" in front of my weight number at the end of the 12 weeks. I've cinched my belt tighter by one notch, and I'm probably going to have to drop my waist size down the next time I buy some pants.
I went from being a guy who never considered trying on anything other than an XL shirt to wearing L and even a couple of (very) old Mediums that were still tucked back in my closet. But even more important than my outside (and I'm not going to lie...it's important!) is what's happening inside my body.
One year ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (which runs in my family) and put on medication. I weighed in at around 235 lbs.
I've struggled with my weight at around the 220 lb. mark my whole adult life. I always thought this was my natural plateau.
What I didn't realize until last year is that I was killing myself slowly. I gave myself high blood pressure because I was choosing to deal with everyday stress by eating fried, greasy food, washing it down with lots of beer and soda, and typing on my computer keyboard was pretty much the extent of my daily exercise.
I read Men's Health, I studied exercise and nutrition in my spare time. I had no excuses. The information is out there and you can choose to use it or not. I was choosing not to use it at the expense of my weight and my health.
Well, over the course of this last year it's been a great journey back to healthy living and eating. Back at the beginning of the summer, I went through Men's Health's Belly Off program, and I had some success with that: dropping from around 225 to about 215.
But it was that 215-220 range that I kept hovering in. I realized this was due to two things: I wasn't using intervals training effectively and I still wasn't eating right. I'd given up the fried, fatty foods but I was still going overboard on starchy carbs.
Then, I found you and TT, and through you I found Isabel De Los Rios and a different way to eat. I still enjoy some whole grain cereal and bread, but now I don't eat any starchy carbs after lunchtime and no eating after 7pm!
Combine that with adding intervals training to the TT Bodyweight Program, and I've lost as much weight in 5 weeks as I did in 5 months doing it the "old way" of long, slow boring cardio.
Oh, and I did all of this without going to a gym, without lifting a single weight, and without using one piece of machinery! I take my workouts outside when I can and use things around me as a makeshift gym (like jumping up to grab the edge of my back deck to knock out my chinups).
By using my own bodyweight for resistance and combining that with smart intervals training, the fat is melting off. My blood pressure is back to normal and I've kicked the meds to the curb...don't need them anymore!
Thanks for Turbulence Training and for putting all of this info out there, Craig. I can't wait to see what happens in the next 6 weeks. Looking forward to sending in my final picture and essay to you then!"
Derek Murphy
Charlotte, NC
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