Powell - Choose to lose: the 7-day carb cycle solution

CHOOSE TO LOSE:
THE 7-DAY CARB CYCLE SOLUTION

By Chris Powell

The recommendations in this book are not intended to replace or conflict with the advice given to you by your physician or other health professionals. All matters regarding your health should be discussed with your doctor. Consult your physician before adopting the suggestions in this book. Following these dietary suggestions may impact the effect of certain types of medication. Any changes in your dosage should be made only in cooperation with your prescribing physician. Before using any herbal remedies or vitamins mentioned in this book be sure to consult with the appropriate health professionals and check the products label for any warnings or cautionary notes. Keep in mind that herbal remedies and supplements are not as strictly regulated as drugs.

This program is not recommended to women who are pregnant or nursing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability directly or indirectly from the use of the material in this book by any person.

Copyright 2012 by Chris Powell

Cover design by GTC Art & Design

Cover photograph Nicolle Clemetson

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

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First ebook edition: December 2011

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ISBN 978-1-4013-0400-3

E3

To my best friend and wife, Heidi: You are the love of my life, my soul mate, and my ultimate life coach. Your compassion for others has shown me a side of love that I didnt think existed. Every moment I get to spend with you is a gift. The hours, days, weeks, and years of collaboration on our vision to help others have been the most rewarding of my life. You are the hardest worker I have ever met. I wish the world could see the time, effort, insight, and sacrifice you have devoted to our vision. Simply put, without you, none of this would be a reality.

Heidi, I cashed in all of my karma chips for you. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and inspiring me daily to reach for the heavens. With you by my side, we will reach them.

It is advisable to consult a physician before starting any weight-loss plan.

This program is not recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing.

The moment I started to grow into who I am todaya fitness expert and transformation coachwas the day I came home from school to find that my parents had taken the couches and chairs out of the living room and replaced them with a full weight-bench set. I was 14. The weight set was for me.

My family had just moved from Salinas, California, to Portland, Oregon, primarily because of my dads job, but also because we could enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities there. Currently the oldest captain at Delta Airlines, my dad had been a navy fighter pilot and was really into physical fitness. My mom had always taken a holistic and organic approach to health and wellness. So clearing out their furniture and putting in a weight set was certainly new, but not an odd way to solve a family problem.

You see, I had always been the smallest kid in school. As a little kid, I was picked on by bullies. Its pretty easy to pick on the smallest kid. I realized that if I could get everyone in school to like me, my chances of being picked on were greatly reduced... so I compensated for my size with my personality. But that wasnt the problem.

The problem was that I wanted nothing more than to play football. A huge football fan, I used to go to San Francisco 49ers games with my grandpa. My old high school in Salinas didnt have a team, but my new school in Portland had one of the best in the state. Even though I was terrified by the prospect of being the new kid in school, I was thrilled that I was finally going to have an opportunity to play football.

Football practice started a week before classes and just two weeks after wed moved to the area. I went out for football that week full of dreams and expectationsand quickly realized I was no match for the other kids. Drill after drill I found myself overpowered by the bigger, stronger guys. I dropped passes. I fumbled the ball every carry. I got laid out every rush. Players would push me aside at the drinking fountains and mock me in the huddle. It was devastating. On one hand, I loved having the chance to play. On the other hand, I was the smallest kid on the field by 40 or 50 pounds, and in no time flat the other kids let me know I was never going to be a part of their team. I quit after just one week.

My body was bruised, but my spirit was crushed.

Fortunately, Ive been blessed to have parents whose philosophy is to provide opportunities, allow me to choose what I want to do, and encourage me to follow my passion. They saw how devastated I was after that week. Although I had always been small, for the first time ever I felt weak and powerless. They decided that the only way to turn this football disaster around was to help me to empower myself. Within a week, the weight set appeared in our living room.

For a week, I did nothing but sit on the bench press and watch the television, which was the only other thing left in the room. My daily pattern was to come home from school, drop my backpack on the floor, and sit down in front of the TV. When not watching TV, I spent the rest of my days moping around, uninspired to try anything new, especially working out. Even if I had been inspired, I really had no idea what to do with this huge contraption! It came with instructions, but at that point I wasnt interested in bridging the gap between seeing and doing.

One day, out of sheer boredom and a fleeting flash of curiosity, I sat down on the bench, lay down under the bar, and went through the motions of a bench press with just the bar, no weights. It felt heavy, but I did it. I wondered if I could do more by loading on some of the plates. I put weights on the bar, brought it down to my chest, and pushed it back up. I remember thinking, Im stronger than I thought I was! For the first time since Id been so destroyed on the football field, I felt good about myself because of what I could accomplish physically. I felt strong again.

That was the beginning. I realized that even though I was small, I could gain an edge if I was stronger and better developed. So I lifted, and lifted, and lifted. As the weeks went by, I was rapidly able to handle increasingly heavy weights. Seeing a tenfold increase in performance over the course of just a month made it easy for me to get hooked. I began to see a change in the size of my muscles as well and developed an identity among my peers as the smallest but strongest.

As much as I loved football, I became even more fascinated with how the human body can change. I became obsessed with pursuing my maximum potential. From my sophomore year on, I could always be found in the gym, either training myself or coaching someone else. I read all the bodybuilding magazines in a constant quest for bigger arms, a bigger chest, a higher vertical jump, a faster 40-yard dash.