The Thanksgiving Thursday Post: My Thanksgiving 2014 & 1st Day of Year 3
Let me give you some context on how I got to here.
November 26, 2012
This is the day that I started on my journey in DDP Yoga. I was at hovering between 265-270 pounds. For the few months up to that point, I was feeling my health & my life spiral away from me. I was completely inactive for 3 years, having moved to a new city due to my job with the local Cable & Internet Service Provder.
I was trying to get it back by joining a dojo and actively training with my 11 year-old son. I had purchased the DDP Yoga DVDs, but was a little apprehensive on launching into them. After two months of trying to do stuff in the dojo that I did in my 20s (and failing miserably), I decided that it was time for a change. I committed myself to start walking this DDP Yoga path, during what would normally be the hardest time of year to make any changes to how you eat and how you move…. The Holidays.
Bear in mind, I did not just jump into this full bore. I started slowly, doing the Diamond Dozen & Energy 3 to 4 times a week and easing my way into Phase 1 & Phase 2. My goal at the time was to get down to 185lbs and get rid of this spare tire around my waist once & for all in 1 year.
To try to stay accountable, I started putting up Vlogs on my YouTube Channel (ZenTwister) named Project KTA6P (Keg To A 6 Pack). I didn’t know if anyone was watching and at that point, it didn’t matter! I was keeping myself accountable and could start to see things happen. I was also calling in to DDP Radio, helmed by Eric “Sparky” Callier, Robert McClerran & Stacey Morris. I was nervous &r rambled a bit, but it was all for the cause of keeping me engaged and moving forward.
Wouldn’t you know it, as time moved forward, I started to see more & more improvement!. Clothes were fitting looser. The scale wasn’t groaning when I stepped on it. I could start doing more of the things in the dojo that had been difficult for me even before I had moved to Sioux Falls. I was achieving this by completely being in Phase 2, expanding my workouts to 7 days a week, often times twice a day.
August 18th, 2012
Almost 9 months after 8 had started DDP Yoga, I had officially gotten down to 185lbs! Now, the spare tire was still there, but it was definitely smaller than what it had been. I had dropped from a size 42 waist for pants down to a size 36. I still had 3 months of my year left to go. So, I wanted to see how far I could take this. I also put up new goals; to be able to do Psycho Push-Up & to become a Certified DDP Yoga Instructor.
November 23rd, 2013
The whole Month of November had been very difficult! We ran into some financial problems, compounded by having 1 car that a deer ran into while my wife was trying to avoid it & the other car’s engine lock up due to a bad oil pump. To top it all off, my 92 ½ year old Grandma died after hitting her head on a nightstand. Ironically, she passed away on the same day my other Grandma died 6 years earlier. It was to the point where I questioned being able to feed my family.
Through all of this, I still kept getting the workouts in, although not the Two-Fers that I had been a few months earlier. I also kept up with my Nutrition Plan, but not eating as much. In the interest of being upfront & showing the Down Times as well as the Up ones, I put up a couple of videos up on it. Two members of Team DDP Yoga reached out to me; Matt Own & Liz Collins. Both of them took the time to listen and gave of themselves generously to someone that they barely knew.
I already knew that I wanted to become a Certified DDP Yoga Instructor, but Matt & Liz just what kind of DDP Yoga Instructor I wanted to be! One that inspired and didn’t give a second thought to putting a hand out to help people to where they needed to be!
April 3rd, 2014
I had received a message earlier in the week from a DDP Yoga Instructor-In-Training in Sioux City named Mike Stroeh. He was in the process of doing his Certification Videos and need someone that could do some of the tougher modifications. Naturally, I said I’d be happy to. I was able to arrange it so that we could record this at the Dakota Budokan Dojo (the dojo were my son & I train). Mike & his wife, Kim, drove up that Sunday & we knocked out a great Level 1 workout! As it turned out, it became the first of many trips Mike & Kim would make up here to help me in return with my Certification Videos.
May 2nd, 2014
I officially take the plunge and submit the form & money I saved up to do the DDP Yoga Instructor Certification. By this point, I have gotten down to a Size 32 pants and at least get to a Forearm Stand. I plunge right into starting to learn the Level 1 workout over the next few months. I started by alternating a Level 1 workout with a Diamond Cutter or Double Black Diamond workout, then using Mixed Tape, Strength Builder or Red Hot Core on my “rest” days.
May 25th, 2014
By this point, I had a few students that I would work on Level 1 with at the Dojo. In an effort to get as much Teaching Time as I could, I started doing Online Workouts. It was here that I met Cat & Ava Arnett, who joined me on several Online Workouts after that. They eventually became known as “The Midwest Strong Sliver Bullet Express” , due to Cat saying that my workouts roared through like a freight train. It was at time same time that my wife left her job to start working on her Wire-Wrap Jewelry Business (Wynter Creations) full time. While I supported her decision to do this, this made finances pretty tight for months to come.
Word of the Midwest Strong SBX spread. I got to meet more great people that wanted to get in on this workout, such as Joshua McAdoo, Ross Raymond, Kristin Pasquill, Christine Bussman, Pam Bilton, Roger Sararas and Angee Vinzant, along with many others. Every workout provided a new learning opportunity & a great way to reach out to other people!
There was an Inspiration Meets Perspiration DDP Yoga Event scheduled for August 9th in LaSalle, IL (home to DDP Yoga Instructor Pioneer & Over-Achiever Matt Hancock). Since the DDP Yoga Retreat Extravaganza was out of reach for me, this was the closest I would come to get to work out with Diamond Dallas Page and meet some of the other Rock Stars of DDP Yoga at the same time. However, finances didn’t make that look possible, until Cat stepped in. She liked my workouts so much, she offered to pay for my ticket to the even and threw in some extra for gas money. Again, another example of the heart & generosity of Team DDP Yoga!
August 9th, 2014
I went to LaSalle, IL, where I got to meet Liz Collins, Matt Hancock, David Orth, Don Schmelhaus, and most importantly The Man Himself, Diamond Dallas Page. The Event was everything I could have imagined & more! The stories & interactions were inspirational, the workout kicked ass & then some, and Dallas was extremely personable and generous with his time! I was even able to shoot a video with him for my Channel.
Over the next few months, I would finish my Teaching Requirement and submit my Level 1 & Diamond Dozen Intro Video Workouts. Unfortunately, the finances weren’t getting any easier, Wynter Creations was bringing in some money, but not a lot. So, when the dreaded November came along, we fell back into Struggling Mode. However, no matter how difficult the journey, the only way out is forward & through, which is what we have been doing.
November 26th,. 2014
This day marked my 2 Year Anniversary of doing DDP Yoga. My wife & son left for Des Moines, IA for Thanksgiving to be with her parents. I was not able to go because I had to work on Thursday & Friday. I also have recently picked up a 2nd job, cleaning the showroom at a car dealership. But, it was slow enough at my day job where I was able to complete & submit my DDP Yoga Written Exam.
November 27th, 2014 (ThanksGiving)
I’ve had all of 1 ½ hours of sleep because I didn’t get done cleaning the car dealership until 4am, then had to be at my office at7am. Fortunately, it was very slow for me, being most businesses are closed today. What lifted me up today was the message from the Yoga-Doc (Dr. Craig Aaron) and the call from Diamond Dallas Page, congratulating me for becoming the newest DDP Yoga Certified Instructor!. I wasn’t able to talk to Dallas for long (being at work & all). However, the fact that Dallas took the time out of his Thanksgiving to call me in person with this… once again, speaks volumes to what kind of generous, down-to-earth person that he is. The same can be said for Yoga-Doc, again taking time out of his Thanksgiving to do this.
What will Year 3 of DDP Yoga bring for me?
Well, for starters, Midwest Strong Fitness (Powered by DDP Yoga) is now going to be my big thing in Year 3. I want to reach out to people and help & inspire them in the same way Team DDP Yoga has helped me! I also want to work on my Super Hero Push-ups, emulating Matt "The Hammer" Hancock.
We at least have the same haircut. That's a start, right?
My Pie In The Sky Goal is to make the DDP Yoga Retreat in Mexico. With finances the way they are now, its going to take a lot of working, scrimping & saving. But, it WILL happen, someday!
Good Things are on deck! Stay Tuned, and as always....
#OwnThisDay
Travis "Certified Midwest Strong" Roberts
