Hello everyone out there in the blogosphere (do people still use that term?!). I want to welcome everyone to TransforMATTion. At the core, this site is about my journey of fitness. The story begins a long time ago, in a world where I was encroaching upon morbid obesity and through many trials and tribulations ended up losing over 100 lbs. About halfway through that journey, I started a Tumblr to chronicle what was happening so other people going through similar experiences could learn from my successes and failures. TransforMATTion (a play on words as my name is Matt, and I could not think of what else to call this site), is the next iteration of that. Getting a domain and putting everything in a place where I can manage it better will hopefully reach a wider audience than just Tumblr.
So, what will you find here.
A lot of this blog is just about my reflections of where I am in the moment, inspiration I find, things I eat, and all the little surrounding nuggets of losing weight, getting fit, and getting strong. I found that other personal stories were what helped me most when I was losing weight, and that is the hope with this site.
Below are a lot of links and information, take what you need and leave the rest, I am just here to provide my own story with my own experiences!
Personal: This link will have any and all personal related journey items, hopefully motivating, somewhere for me to keep myself in check and also to show one version of a fitness story.
- My Story: This is where I have tried to generalize my experience with some before and after photos as well as reasons I feel I was obese and what helped me lose the weight.
- Workouts: About a year and a half ago, I joined Fitocracy, which is basically an online achievement system for participating in physcial activity. I have been neglecting it lately, but I am going to start using it again and be more descriptive with my entires so that others can see what I am doing. Also, this keeps me accountable of what I am doing.
LEVEL UP: Inspired by NERD Fitness where author Steve Kamb levels up his life like an RPG by doing things in the real world, I stole the idea and this is my own goal list of things I want to do with my life. I try to blog about accomplished goals as well and update this page because the #1 piece of advice I can give you is to set goals (achievable ones) and conquer them. Nothing else, no one else will give you the feeling of overcoming your own fears, doubts, and internal naysayer. More goal related posts: “2013, Here I come, Beach” ,
CrossFit: The CrossFit link consists of CrossFit posts in general as well as WODS. CrossFit is a lifestyle of working out that involves functional movement that help with everyday life but also help you get fit with intensity and variability. WOD means Workout of the Day. When I go to CrossFit class, I try to snap a photo of the board (everything in CF is measurable, so you can see improvement over time). This is to keep track of all of my workouts but also those interested in CF can do the workouts as well at home! CrossFit is a big part of my life now so it will CROSSOVER into other sections. For example, this “personal” post about CF : “Connectivity: A CrossFit Story”
Nutrition: 80% of this journey is about nutrition. I eat paleo (meats, veggies, fruit, seeds, nuts) from time to time and this link will be access to recipes, what I am eating, and other info about the most important part of changing your life!
Motivation: It is what allows us to succeed and the lack of it can set us up for failure. Different things that motivate me (and hopefully you) will be here from images, stories, videos and more.
Social: When I started losing weight, that is the only thing that was on my mind. “Okay, get to the next digits”. The process is a lot greater than that in a lot of ways, and as we make personal changes, I think a lot of people start to see the breakdown and societal changes that contribute whether it be social eating, obesity in America, family economic status, or fitness education – these topics are linked in the foundation of how we got where we are, and I like to talk about those things from time to time!
So, I hope you will go on this journey with me. If you are just coming to this site, there is a lot of reading material in each of these categories that can get you started. PLEASE – feel free to e-mail me (matt@wavinghand.com) if you are looking for advice or need anything (or comment on a specific post). I know firsthand the journey is arduous and lengthy, physical, psychological, and emotional. Support systems are nice, information is key, so hopefully through my experiences, you can find some valuable information.
Here are a few posts that are particular highlights:
I started my journey in January of 2011, and started blogging in January of 2012.
- Nothing is impossible – 4.13.13
This post is really about my first military course run, but really details getting through a long winter struggle. Even after being at this thing for two years, it is not always easy and discouragement can come in at anytime. - 4 Weeks of Weight Training and 4 Weeks of Fighting – 2.21.13
This post is important because it shows that even after losing 100 lbs. the eating and fitness can slow. Injuries happen, demotivation and winter blahs occur, and this is a reflection of harder times. Related posts about struggle : “Weak of Defeat” , “Back on the on Ramp“, “48 Hours of Triumph and Failure“, “The Dismal Side of the Journey” — Okay, you get the point – where there is success there must be failure, it is the contrast and motivation to push forth and we all experience it, so do not let it derail you completely and hopefully my failures will help you work through yours. - 2 Years: A Timeline of my life – 1.28.13
- 1 Year of Progress – 7.19.12
2 Posts showing a timeline of progress. - Sinking In – 12.16.12
It won’t happen right away, but happiness is in the future - * Who you were 100 lbs. ago – 12.06.12
This is the post I wrote after I hit 100 lbs. lost. A truly incredible moment in my life and one that will never be forgot. Losing this weight has allowed me to live my life the way I should have always been living it. Alive and awake. - Below 200 lbs. for the first time
- Goodbye, Sick Kid – 10.02.12
A chronicle of my past health versus my health at the time of the blog post - * My Weight Loss – 9.27.12
Everyone loves a progress photo , Old Cltohes - You Need to Find Inspiration on a daily basis – 5.26.12
Some sources of motivation for me and some tips on staying motivated. - Opening for Business: A New Life – 5.5.12
A history and background of why I was obese - Life Bound and Down – 1.23.12
My very first post talking about the journey from the time I started til the time I started blogging.
