ter•mi•nater  |ˈtərməˌnātər|

noun:  a person or thing that terminates something.

First of all, thanks Cy and Griff for the "Termi-NATER" call sign, its now the title of my new blog adventure!!  Here at the Termi-NATER Blog I plan to share my thoughts and tips on fitness and nutrition!  More specifically, loads of tips and tricks to drop weight and tone up, my favorite exercises, good healthily meal options and recipes that do not taste like sh*t, supplement advise, how to de-stress to better love your life, and the entire process broken down simplistically to blow our goals out of the water, from the perspective of someone who has seen both sides of the gym... and the scale.  

I could insert some cheesy one liners like "telling fat hasta la vista, baby!" or "leave the gym with the attitude - I'll be back!" but I just can't bring myself to do it.

I have many passions, one of them being a passion for great food, indulging in delectably palatable cultural cuisine ;)  As a result there was an expansion of my borders.  No longer in college, my activity level dropped and my stress level raised as I was stuck behind a desk 50 hours a week, working hard to pay a mortgage and two car payments.  I ate out 6 nights a week and it began to take its toll.  In addition to always eating out, I definitely have a mouth full of sweet tooths, or sweet teeth... that sounds weird, sweet teets?  Well no, that's something else entirely.  Regardless, I love me some sweets.  As a result over the last few years I have gained a passion for fitness and exercise, drunk on endorphins and feeling great as a result of diet and exercise.

I do have a reservations of posting my before photo, but I have to remember that it's not where we've been - it's where we are now and where we are headed that matters!  And if I'm able to help someone, then its all worth it.  I refuse to use the word 'After' as I am always work in progress.  To me 'After' implies, "Hey, I hit me goal!  Now I can slack off."  

Not only have I lost the weight once, but this Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, and it took all the kings men and all the kings horses, two ER surgeons, and a plastic surgeon to put me back together again.  During a stint in the ICU, weeks of bed rest, and months of physical therapy - I had gained weight as I laid like broccoli in chronic pain, as doctors wouldn't clear me to go back to the gym for several months.  But I did it again, loosing the weight and gaining back more muscle than I initially had.

The majority of all my best friends are personal trainers with advanced certifications and degrees, collegiate strength & conditioning coaches, fitness models, college athletes, and at the very least some very committed gym rats.  Some even posing as double and triple threats.  So along the way I've learned more tricks than a platinum blonde in a rabbit fur coat and fish nets down by the tracks.  I have an arsenal of knowledge, a plethora of great tips, and can relay it from the 'average joe' perspective.  Although my name isn't Joe, and I'm anything but average... but I'm sure you get the point.