Look Like A King, Feel Like A King

Hey everyone,

Many of the Cypher Avenue members that I am constantly communicating with off the website know that since the start of February 2014 that I lost 30 to 40 pounds by the time May 2014 came around. I lost weight but I also had lean muscle gains. Then came graduate school... Lord have mercy! I know that many of us can get off track when we are enrolled in school, working one (or two or more) job(s), active in our community, and so on. A few of my Cypher Avenue brothers as I like to call them ask me how on earth I stay on track with eating right and exercising at least three times a week in graduate school. I can't say it is easy but when I see my progress I have made and how strong I feel then I know that it is worth it. I feel like I got my swag back and I walk everywhere with a pep in my step because I know I am doing the damn thing! I was the only one in my cohort (43 students) that did not have a lick of coffee all semester long. I always slept by no later than 11:30pm (almost) every night and woke up by 5:30am in order to go to the gym 6 am in the morning to do my weight lifting and/or high intensity interval training. I make sure to cook for the week on Sunday mornings. I make my breakfast and lunch/dinner so that I can have everything packed up in my fridge and the freezer. I feel that it makes things easier when you are an "on-the-go" type of guy like many of us are on Cypher Avenue. When you're on your grind and tryna get it, you don't have the time to sit there and make breakfast every single morning and the same goes for lunch! I think that if you are willing to set aside time to cook for the week you are going to find that you are living a healthy lifestyle by working smart and not working so hard at it.

I would say to anyone that wants to work out and become the best version of yourself that you have to find a reason. What's your why? If it is to impress someone or for some other superficial reason, then your motivation will wane very quickly. Many of us men do not like to delve into our emotions but trust and believe that we all have to do our own emotional work and see what "emotional weight" we have that is blocking us from losing the physical weight. When you have a purpose and a reason then the process will be easier. Trust and believe that you will have to work your @$$ off but best believe that when you see the man you become----you are going to have to do a double take when you walk across a mirror everywhere you go! And.... you are going to have gay men (and chicks too if you like them) everywhere doing a double take!

For those of you in good shape now, what is your motivation that keeps you going? For those of you out of shape, what keeps you from working out? Sound off below!

 

Yeah I feel you when you don't have a set schedule. I am on break from graduate school and I put on maybe 5 pounds but I do know that I am disciplined enough to hop back into my eating and exercise regimen. No one is perfect but yeah once my schedule is set for school, then I will definitely work my time in to go to the gym and always keep making my healthy (but also great tasting) meals!