Ship Burning 101: What's Your Excuse?

From Facebook: "REVELATION FITNESS WEEK ONE PHOTO. 5:30 AM on Monday morning, still feeling the effects of the Oxycodone. Unbelievably, Melissa was the one who pushed the issue this morning. Feeling not real good about posting this, and I apologize to all my Facebook friends for it. Not appropriate -- Sorry. Got to stay accountable. FML."

DETERMINATION 101

Meet Kareem.

Kareem is a lawyer here in Austin.

He is a public figure.

The other day I was explaining ship-burning to a prospective client. I mentioned what "my client Kareem (no last name)" was doing.


"Kareem?!" She said. "I know him! He's my real estate lawyer!"

Kareem's reputation is based on how people PERCEIVE him. He could EASILY say to me, "Can't burn my ships - it would be demeaning."



But instead Kareem decided to DO WHAT HE DOES: BE A LEADER and DO HIS CHALLENGE PUBLICLY.

And you know what that lady said to me on the phone? She said she respected Kareem MORE for doing this publicly. She said that's what she admired about Kareem: he was a genuine leader, willing to take calculated risks to get his clients results.


Allot of times I have clients say to me, "this is going to be hard," and when I suggest they burn their ships they say, "Oh no I can't do that what will my friends think?"


Not Kareem. Kareem is a 1%-er.


When I explained ship-burning to him, Kareem gritted his teeth. The fire behind his eyes said to me, "Show me the path and I'll leave everyone else in my dust."


For Kareem, the LONG-TERM GOOD is well worth any perceived SHORT-TERM SACRIFICE.

And it appears that behind closed doors, Kareem's friends respect him MORE - dare I say envy? - for his willingness to make REAL CHANGE.

In that, Kareem is a cultural trail-blazer.

This is not new. Moses did this. And he was able to part seas.


In an environment in which clients drop their voice and say to me, "I'm overweight."


In which Revelation Fitness spends allot of our profit (that I'd much rather put into the Revelation Foundation doing our "Extreme Body Makeovers" for people who can't afford to train with us) on contracts with clients PROMISING that NO ONE will find out that they worked with us to "PROTECT" their "IMAGE."

("Don't worry! Pharoah will never know that you DON'T LIKE numbing your mind, body and soul with basketball and beer! He'll think you crossed the River Jordan and LOOK like one of the Chosen with his cultural norms! I promise NOT TO TELL ANYONE that you are an Israelite!)


So I guess my question is: will you put yourself out there and become a 1%-er?

If Kareem can, what's your excuse?

Oh and ps Kareem started his 16 Week Challenge the day of a surgery on his leg (we put 4 Weeks of diet on the front end since he can't workout). And he's down 10 lbs at the end of Week 1 (about 2 weeks post-consultation when he actually started his diet).

We Have the Recipe, Part III

"So far I've seen some incredible results from ur clients. You've got the recipe"
- Brian Fitzsimmons, Revelation Fitness' new photographer, via text 7/07/2010

Sarah. Full-time business consultant, wife, and mother of 2. 22% to 9% bodyfat. 12 Weeks.
See More of Revelation Remake #124

Revelation Remakes #131 & #132

#131 (Him): 210lbs to 190lbs, 22% bodyfat to 7.5% bodyfat.

#132 (Her): 175 lbs to 152lbs, lost about 10% bodyfat

Both: Starting Challenge 2 on Monday 7/12/2010!


A word is worth 1,000 pictures....

We Have the Recipe, Part I (Part II Below)

"So far I've seen some incredible results from ur clients. You've got the recipe"
- Brian Fitzsimmons, Revelation Fitness' new photographer, via text 7/07/2010

Michael's "Before" picture, from his Vision Board

Michael, After Challenge I at about 5% Bodyfat

"My journey to single-digit body fat began sometime in the spring of 2009, when I tipped the scales at 215 pounds. I was tired of going to the store to buy new jeans every month to accommodate my ever-expanding waistline and had decided enough...was...ENOUGH. I started exercising again and I was able to lose about 18 pounds on my own in roughly five months. That would have been ok for some people, but not for me; I knew at the pace I was going, it might take me another entire year to lose the 40+ pounds I still needed to rid myself of.

They say desperate times call for desperate measures, and seeking a personal trainer was in some sense a move of desperation for me.

Enter...The...Mariah...

As someone from an engineering background I like to think in numbers, so I dug up some significant "numbers" from my training log last fall:

Michael's scale weight on August 28, 2009 (day of my two-hour consultation with Mariah): 196.6 lbs
Michaels scale weight on November 24, 2009 (day of my "after" photo shoot): 154.0 lbs

Total weight loss = 42.6 lbs in a little over 12 weeks.

Yes, you read that correctly. I was losing MORE THAN THREE POUNDS PER WEEK FOR TWELVE WEEKS.

Now, let me be candid: this was the most rigorous training program that I have ever been through. And if you are reading this right now, I'd be willing to bet money that (unless you are a former Navy Seal or a former Division-1 college athlete), this is tougher than anything YOU have ever been through. There were days (especially in the beginning) when I would start PRAYING during a workout ("Sweet Jesus, please just help me get through this next set without vomiting!"). It was not uncommon for me to say "Praise Jesus!" at the end of another torture session (er, I meant "training session"). And besides the sheer intensity of the workouts Mariah put me through, I had to make some significant personal sacrifices in terms of my eating habits. But at the end of the program, I was in the best shape of my life (at the age of 34).

I asked to Mariah to be a drill sergeant on me...and well, I got what I asked for. I also asked for single-digit body fat...and I got that too.

So what did Mariah do for me, you might ask? Well let me tell you.

Mariah educated me on metabolic conditioning exercises (excruciating, but fantastic for burning away unwanted fat).

Mariah introduced some tweaks to my diet which were simple but effective in helping me reach my fitness goals.

Mariah taught me how I can get a quality workout at home with a minimal set of equipment (although I still like going to the gym).

Mariah taught me a few dozen other tips or tricks along the way which have become "habits" for me.

Mariah gave me an education which has continued to yield a return on investment six months AFTER I completed the original twelve-week program (I now write my own programs and make diet tweaks as needed along the way...something I lacked confidence in before).

Mariah helped ignite a passion for fitness that I didn't realize I had (pushing myself to my limits and achieving new milestones is more "fun" than I had ever imagined).

But the best thing Mariah ever did for me was helping me to BELIEVE. Once Mariah helped dismantle some mental barriers in my mind, the physical barriers became easier to break through. As someone who has struggled for years with unhealthy food addictions (and the accompanying struggles with the scale), I used to think that the dream of ever having visible abs was a little "unrealistic". I guess the world needs to get used to having one more person who is starting to set more "unrealistic" goals (not just in fitness, but in all aspects of life).

One last thought: as of this writing (July 2010) I'm about to turn 35 and currently training for a fitness model search competition. While leaning out for this competition I was worried I was losing weight a little too quickly, so I made a note in my food journal to try to increase my caloric intake the next day and to do less cardio. It didn't hit me until later in the day that I had just had a historic milestone: eating healthy food had become such a habit that I reached a point where I HAD TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO KEEP FROM LOSING WEIGHT TOO QUICKLY. I've never, ever had that type of "problem" before...but I think I'll somehow manage to get used to it."

For more on Revelation Remake #85, visit our Revelation Nation Stories of Transformation Galleries on Facebook by clicking here

We Have the Recipe, Part II

"So far I've seen some incredible results from ur clients. You've got the recipe"
- Brian Fitzsimmons, Revelation Fitness' new photographer, via text 7/07/2010

Revelation Remake #76, 3 Weeks Prior to her July 5th photoshoot

Meet Revelation Remake #76!
37% bodyfat to 12% bodyfat

189 to 125 lbs

for more on Revelation Remake #76 click here

Revelation Remake #76 - BELIEVE!

Revelation Remake #76 - BELIEVE!

Revelation Remake #76 went into photo shoot this morning. I'll post pics as we get them.

For now, check out Revelation Remake #76 in the Revelation Nation Galleries on Facebook by clicking here.

While you're there be sure to 'like' us. Also sign up for our updates on Twitter:

Revelation Fitness - Daily Gift Card's & Promotions!
Revelation Nation - Daily Before & After's and Stories of Transformation!
Jim Nettles - Tip of the Day!
Mariah MacDonald - Raw daily motivation!

Goal Setting 101

Courtesy of our new Client Kareem's FB Status Update this morning:

I am starting Revelation Fitness. I am setting a goal to reach 6% body fat by 10/31/2010. My reasons:
(1) Lean muscle and definition. I am 23% body fat. Yes -- 23%. I am fat.
(2) I want a 6 pack again.
(3) To look my best for my photoshoot for Revelation Fitness.
(4) To prove to my wife that I can do it.
...(5) To win my bet with her so I don't have to change our cats' litter for a year.



Watch this one kids I'll bet any of you $100 that he will hit his goal based on this status update - and THIS STATUS UPDATE ALONE. Email me if you want to take me up on my offer I could use some extra cash: mariah@revelationfit.com.

Coach Keith hits 8% Bodyfat - Only 3% More to Go!!

Oh snap just a few weeks into his Challenge and Coach Keith Outlaw hits his goal weight. Now we just gotta get him from 8% bodyfat to 5%. Good problem to have!

Read more about Coach Keith's journey at keithoutlaw.blogspot.com

Field of Dreams: If You Build It...

**Neither this pic of Dawn McDaniel nor the shot we used a few days ago have been retouched. They are all straight-out-of-camera.

"You are going to make the world a healthier, slimmer place with all of the photos you share! It's hard to see them and not want to change!" - Facebook Friend, via email. revelationfit.com

The Status of the Before and After Galleries

Revelation Remake #124

Full-time business consultant, wife, and mother of 2.

Fitness Model?

22% to 9% bodyfat. 12 Weeks

A Question from a Friend on Facebook: "Where can I find all the before and after photos of your awesome makeovers?!"

Answer: Thank you for asking that question girl!!

Our tagline is, "Reveal Yourself."

Well we are in the process of "Reveal"-ing OURselves as a young company.

SO much has gone on in the past year - bodyfat reduced, prozac dependence eliminated, marriages bettered, lives changed - that we are trying to get caught up with the amaaaaaaazing results and catalogue them for y'all to see.

Chris Weaver is our first step in that. Chris finished his challenge on Thanksgiving Day! Which means he started LAST SUMMER! And he is one of many. I literally have 1,500 images on my computer that are not up on the site yet - not to mention clients' stories of goals met and conquered. I am happy to say we have the 'tile' of a masterpeice: Topkapi's stones are at our feet. We just have to lay them.

Thank you for your patience.

I am going to spend the next month or two focused on going back and cataloguing all the stories - as well as getting the new ones. Based on some of the smack-talking I'm geting from some clients who haven't even started yet (you know who you are).

In the meantime, if there's a particular person you identify with / want to see "before's" of - ping me and I'll put you in touch with them directly!

Oh and side note, Nicole Anderson shoots Tuesday! 37% to 12% bodyfat (so far...) 189 to 125 lbs! See her here!