I wrote yesterday to tell you about the incredible deal you can get on my 6 Week Body BELLY Transformations Program as my way of saying “THANK YOU” for reading my newsletter (which by the way comes out Saturday, with some awesome free stuff for you).

…And I wanted to make sure that you were able to read the email.

Until midnight on Friday (or until all the spots are taken) you can get my 6 Week Body BELLY Transformations Program for HALF OFF and get you ready for summer.

One client told me she was taking advantage of this amazing opportunity because she wanted “Last summer to be the LAST summer spent in hiding…” (LOVE THAT!)

Here’s where you can grab your spot for half off ==>> http://6weekbellytransformation.com
(plus there’s a cool video explaining all the cool BONUSES and PRIZES)

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When you register for 50% Off You Get 
The FIVE Keys to Ultimate Success

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If the 50% discount isn’t enough to have you register to change your life, these 5 systems will quite literally TRANSFORM your body (and your BELLY, just in time for summer.) and your life.

THE 5 KEYS:

Strength Training:
There are multiple problems when dieting, metabolic decrease is one of the biggest. We completely conquer this phenomenon with our state-of-the-art metabolic strength training program. It involves circuit / interval style training geared towards maximum fat loss and strengthening.
Value: $657

Cardio Training:
Most cardio training just sucks. Not only is it boring but it is ineffective. Not any more. By changing variables such as intensity, duration and workout timing we have enhanced the fat burring capabilities of cardio training by 234%.
Value: $247

Nutrition:
If you eat like crap you will look like crap. And I cannot “out train” bad nutrition. Bottom line is your nutrition has to be in order for the rest to work. By manipulating macro nutrient rations (fat, carbs and protein) and by limiting the calories consumed we have created a detailed fat loss nutrition plan that will keep the fat falling off you for 6 weeks straight.
Value: $247

Supplementation:
No matter how well we eat, we just can’t get optimal nutrient intake. We take care of that in our program. I’m not talking fat burners, but real life whole food supplements like vitamins, minerals and fish oils that have been proven to enhance metabolic rate by up to 400 calories per day. Oh yeah, you’ll be healthier too.
Value: $97

Motivational Success Coaching:
Ah yes, our secret ingredient. This is no BS “atta boy” motivation. I have hired top executive coach Linda Dominguez to keep your head in the game. Weekly coaching sessions will ensure you stay on track for the long haul. 
Value: $967 

That it’s a total value of $2115.00 but you will get it for a FRACTION of that when your register for 50% OFF.

HOLY CRAP!

That’s a lot of serious goodies …and you get it all when you try my entire transformation system for 50% off.  (Plus I’m giving away over $3000 in prizes – did I forget to mention that?)

Go here right now and claim your spot before they’re all gone!
http://6weekbellytransformation.com

Talk soon,

Joshua Carter, CPT  The Body Transformation Expert  Carter Fitness http://carterfitness.com / http://thefitbodybootcamp.com  818-337-6175

P.S. This special half off sale ends at midnight on Friday. If you’d like to get the revolutionary transformation training system so many clients are raving about (see what they say in the video – it’s insane) …and save 50%, then go here now: http://6weekbellytransformation.com

P.P.S:  The Online version is ALSO 50% OFF – All the nutrition, coaching and everything plus the FULL workouts emailed directly to you with exclusive videos. Email me for details…

Well yesterday was the exact OPPOSITE of that.

But let me start at what SHOULD have been the beginning of Gabe’s operation ordeal, last Friday.

(NOTE:  For those who missed the original posts, catch up by first reading Gabriel’s Heart, and then Put On Hold.)

Worst. Friday. Ever.

Historically Fridays rock.  The weekend is approaching and even though I do work some Saturdays there is a definite sense of calm and serenity that envelops me (well, as serene as I get anyway) as I know a few days of doing not much (plus my cheat day) is right around the corner.

Gabe’s operation was scheduled for Friday, December 4th. It had been that way for 4 or 5 weeks. Our lives revolved around December 4th.

Always in my head was…

December 4th
December 4th
December 4th

Our mental calendars were set to Pre-D4 and Post-D4.

Everything in our lives was a function of that date. Then the day came, and everything went to crap.

We had planned on leaving our house around 8:45am to check in at UCLA at 10am.  A good plan  so far.  I had time for a quick workout and I knew that would allow me time to clear my head and focus on the day. I headed to the gym at 7am and planned on being out of there no later than 8am.

At about 7:30am I got a call from my mother who was at our house getting prepped to leave for UCLA. She informed me Gabe had snuck some chocolate and my wife, Denyse, was losing it.  (Gabe was supposed to go without food or liquid since midnight.) With that news I figured I should head home.

I took a drink of water, wiped myself down and drove the 30 second commute to my house. In that short time Denyse was informed by the anesthesiologist that 1 ounce of chocolate was enough to force us to reschedule Gabe’s operation. That was it, operation cancelled and re-scheduled for Monday.

Suddenly and instantly December 4th was just another day.

I took a few minutes to figure out what was happening.  I was still in relative shock. Then it occurred to Denyse thought “I guess we send him to school.” We shoveled some cereal down his throat, packed him a lunch and sent him off to school.

Gabe was gone, most of the house was crying and I was mostly angry.  At everyone and everything.  It wasn’t long before the anger faded and I turned into an emotional muscle lump. I too, checked out for a few minutes.

Eventually I pulled my sh^t together and then tried to figure out what was next.  We had invested so much mental energy into that day being THE day, I really did not know what to do with myself.

I mean really, WTF do we do know?  I was at a loss.

Out of the Darkness…

I sent out an email blast notifying everyone about our postponement.  The very first email I got back was from our friend Jen Levinson, the custodian of the amazing Jen’s List.  She told me that everything happens for a reason, and there would be a reason for this too.

Simple words, but true words.

Not 5 minutes after Jen’s email we got a call from a pediatric cardio uber specialist who specializes in plugging kids’ heart holes.  He was not available Friday, but Monday he was.  Look no further, we had our reason. 

Tears.

I was still pissed though, but much less pissed.  So I went to Fry’s and bought a new monitor.  A little retail therapy really did the trick and  I started to regain my sanity.

Now What?

Now we had a weekend to contend with. What to do….

Denyse and I decided that we should go out Friday and see a movie and have dinner. Get our minds off of things for a few hours and just try to chill.

I channeled my inner 13 year old girl and we settled on seeing “New Moon.”  Two hours of Bella whining about how she could not live without Edward while rubbing Jacobs six pack. Boo hoo.

I proceeded to kick the crap out of my inner 13 year old girl.  I told her she could watch Glee and that’s it – no more Twilight BS.

As annoying as that movie was here is my biggest beef: Vampires do not glimmer in the sun like they just returned from a West Hollywood  glitter party.  They burst into flames and die. Period.

Sorry, slight tangent.

Dinner at BJ’s was awesome, and after dining we returned to home and returned to reality.  What were we going to do with the boys during this “extra” weekend we suddenly had on our hands?  Having my plans altered so suddenly,  I was still not quite connected with the revised situation.

Up, Up and Away

This weekend was more about keeping us occupied then it was the boys.  They were happy and normal.  We were the ones who were a mess.

So what did we decide?  Indoor skydiving of course. Duh.

On Saturday we headed to Universal City Walk.  They have a place called iFly, where there is a giant vertical plexiglass tube with a humongous fan that blows up at you, simulating a sky dive.

After a short mission briefing the boys took flight (Denyse and I were merely spectators.)  We of course snapped pix and took video.

 
Gabe, flying

They absolutely loved it. And for me, seeing them both so happy was simply awesome.  Truly just what I needed.

Sunday was more chill.  Video games and movies at home.

Learning from our past mistakes, we decided to stay at a hotel near UCLA Sunday night. No chocolate anywhere.  It was just us and Gabe, and he was ecstatic.  A special night at a special hotel, just for him.

Monday, the New Friday

From beginning to end yesterday day was great.

Gabe woke up happy and excited.  It was pouring outside, but the sun was shining around Gabe. In the dark we got in the car and headed from our hotel to UCLA.

Gabe and his favorite blanket

We checked in at 7am and Gabe was told to change into one of those hideous child sized hospital gowns.  He hated it, but in a few minutes he wouldn’t care.

First the anesthesiologist came in and explained his part of the procedure.  He also gave Gabe some happy juice.

  
Happy Juice

Within moments Gabe was high as a kite.  He was babbling and laughing, and in one hilarious instant turned and pointed to me shouting, “ALIEN!”.  I damn near pissed my pants.

Apparently I had two heads and four eyes.  We explained to him what was happening to which he replied “Double vision is AWESOME!”

 
“Daddy is an Alien!”

Not long after that our cardiologist who who be performing the ablation came in to give us the run down.  Gabe was still putting on quite a show.  A few minutes later they wheeled him off with us in tow, to the “Cath Lab” where the procedure was to take place.

Gabe drove his gurney like a X Wing fighter, blasting all Stormtroopers in sight.

  
Stormtroopers Beware

I doubt he will remember any of it, but of course I have pictures.

They covered him in stickers which I assume had various medical applications (pun) but Gabe was thrilled and told me to take a picture of his back.

 
Gabe, the human sticker book

The Gabe Show continued as they transferred him to the procedure table.  He was absolutely hilarious and enjoying every second.  They gave him some gas, and he laughed himself off to sleep.

We then kissed our son Gabriel Thomas Carter goodbye.

 
Gabe, in there somewhere…

These were the first and only sad tears of the day.  The sadness only coming from the uncertainty.

I was glad this transition was so relatively easy, for both him and us.  He was so happy (being hopped up on drugs can do that) that it made it easy for us too.  He was full of love and gave us repeated hugs.  There was no sadness at all until that very last moment.

More Waiting Anyone?

“Maddie’s Room” is the name of the surgical waiting room.  Like everything else at UCLA’s Ronald Regan Hospital it was gorgeous and awesome – decked out just like a Starbucks lounge. It made the waiting LESS painful.  They also give you pagers like at a restaurant so if you are needed for any reason you get paged.

Gabe went in at 9am on the dot.  One of the awesome nurses said she would call us at 11am to give us an update.  And I kid you not at 11am on the dot we got a call.  All was well and Gabe’s procedure was going flawlessly. The first positively good news of the day.  News that would become trend.

Right after that call the Heart-Hole specialist came walking to Maddie’s Room to tell us about what he was going to do when the other doc finished up the ablation.  He was calm and confident, feelings that he easily transferred to us.

We were told that the procedure could take as long as 6 hours.  At the 2.5 hour mark we saw the surgeon walking towards us.

I quickly asked “Are you sure you are done?”

He assured me he was, that he fried the extra connection (the ablation) and that it could not have gone better. No problems at all.

He said he would be checking back, but Heart-Hole doc was up next.

He came walking up to us about 45 minutes later…

When is a Hole Not a Hole?

Gabe is quite a kid.  “Normal” is not a term I would use with him.  He just does things… differently. The hole in his heart is no exception.

I asked Heart-Hole doc the same question I had asked the previous doc, “Are you sure you are done?”

He too assured me he was, and further informed me there was no hole.

He said while there was a minor space, it did not warrant a device (plug) and that the previous heart echo was misleading. So while it appeared to be there a few weeks ago, it was not there now.  And yes, he was sure.

Every time we saw a doc there was more good and truly heart warming news. Because there was no hole, there would be no synthetic material in Gabe’s heart, and no need for the six months of aspirin we were prepared to administer.

I mean, Holy sh^t.

Wakey Wakey

Gabe was going to be awake soon, and we needed to be there.  It wasn’t long before we were escorted up to his room.  He was just coming out as we walked up.  Aside from be VERY thirsty, he was fine and relatively happy.  I even got a slight and groggy smile from him.

 
Happy, Groggy Gabe

Now guess what we got to do? Yup, wait.

They needed to keep an eye on him for a few hours to make sure it was “all good”, then we could go home.

The most exciting thing to happen during our 3 hour wait was Gabe peed in a plastic jar (sorry, no pic).  Other than that we were all pretty bored.

At about 4:30pm Gabe had to prove he could walk.  Which he happily did. The two large bandages on each hip/groin area (catheter insertion sites) made it awkward, but it he was glad to be on his feet again.

 
“Which way is out?”

But what he really wanted was a ride in a wheelchair.  More waiting….

 
Tail end of a long (but good) day

He got his wish as we were eventually escorted to our car. 

He cautiously got into his seat and fell asleep for the 45 minute ride home.  I sat beside him, content and relieved – truly happy for the first time in weeks.

Back to Normal

As I write this, Gabe is patiently waiting for me to finish so I can go play Xbox with him, which will be how he *should* spend his next few days.  I say should because I can’t see him sitting still for that long.  He has been put on “restricted activity”  whatever that means when you are 7 and possess unlimited energy.

A full recovery is expected.  We were even told that if this extra connection ever comes back, the doc would hesitate to bother to fix it again. While normal heart check-ups are in his future, he can expect a long, full and heart issue free life.

The Power of Positive Thinking

The original blog post was seen by literally thousands of people around the world.  We were flooded with comments on the blog as well as emails and phone calls from friends, family and strangers alike.  We had yogis, monks, shamans, rabbis, priests and pastors (and every other kind of spiritual dudes you can think of)  all pulling for us and praying for us.

At the very least *all* this did was make us feel better (not an insignificant effect).  At the very best it helped to heal Gabe’s heart (there was a hole, now….). Whatever – it rocked.

I’m not sure how to quantify all the love, support and prayers we received, but this experience would not have been the same without it.

My family and I, Gabe included, cannot thank you all enough.

Due in no small part to all of you, beginning to end, yesterday was a great day.

Joshua Gabriel Carter
Gabe’s Grateful Father

Not, me.  It takes more than a magazine cover to freak me out.  Like a man I resisted the urge to freak, and decided to read the article. 

But first I looked at the pictures….

Mmmm….. doughnuts…..

The title of the article is“ Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin”, obviously meant to get people all riled up.  And boy did it.  Do a Google search and you will see a bevy of experts from trainers to doctors saying the article full of crap.

And it is, kinda.

The article is full of sentences and words blah blah blah, but the bottom line of the entire thing is nothing sensational or shocking:  Exercise alone sucks when it comes to weight loss.

My colleague Alwyn Cosgrove once put it very succinctly:  You can’t out-train  bad nutrition.

And there it is, you can’t.  If your diet sucks it does not matter how you workout.  Eating right for your goal is an absolute must.  Without it you are wasting your time working out – Literally.

Now I might have issues with the points of the article, but big deal.  The take home point is the same thing I have to hammer into my clients heads:  Eat right (like I tell you) or stay the way you are.

Saying exercise will not make you thin is not necessarily incorrect, but it is incomplete.  It must be part of a larger plan for success.

Plus, working out without paying attention to what you put in your pie hole is just plain dumb.

And you are smarter than that – right?

Joshua Carter, CPT The Body Transformation Expert Carter Fitness http://carterfitness.com 818-337-6175

I ate all that crap. I cheated big time. And I’ll do it again.

 
Actually that’s pretty close…

All that junk food found its way down my pie hole and yet somehow I still lost 5 lbs this week.

How? Easy.  It’s all in the timing.

I have a single cheat day: Saturday.  I  eat whatever I want, however much I want.  When Sunday rolls around I am done with the binge buffet (kidding) and I’m back on the plan. It is really that simple.

I am not stupid, I do not eat like a *complete* pig, so I have what  I want but do not stuff myself to the point of explosion.

The cheat actually up-regulates specific hormones making fat loss easier during the week. 

Plus it is damn fun.

This doesn’t work at all if the diet during the week looks even remotely similar to the above crap fest.  But when you intelligently use a low carb, high protein, high smart-fat diet it is extremely effective.

Want specifics?  Email me.

Joshua Carter, CPT The Body Transformation Expert Carter Fitness http://carterfitness.com 818-337-6175

  
Looks about how I felt

One of the worst parts about being sick for me is the fact that the only time I feel un-craptastic is when I am eating.  So I tend to over eat. Ah who am I kidding – there’s no tend about it – I overeat.

So even when I start to feel better I start feel worse because I feel fat.  Whether I have actually put on any weight or not, the fact the I have felt like ass, eaten like crap and not moved for days and days make me feel like a massive blob.

   
Maybe not that bad, but close

And then there’s this:  On May 1st I have to stand and speak at a Fitness Summit in front of a room full of a few hundred trainers.

So I set a goal for myself.  In two weeks I was going to tighten up and and look like a bad ass.  So I got my ass in gear hit the gym hard and stuck to my nutrition plan.

Tomorrow is May 1st, and I think I look pretty damn good (although not where I want to be yet).

That was my short term goal.  Now I have set a long term goal. In 2 months (sometime in July, I do not have the exact date) is my 20 year high school reunion.  First I need to say holy shit I can’t believe I am that old.  So here is my goal – to be rock solid 225lbs and be rockin the 6 pack abs (which for me is not easy.)

I have been heavy my whole life, and trying to stay lean has always ( and I mean always) been a struggle.  So this is kinda a big deal.

Plus I would like to prove my fashion sense has improved. The last time most of these people saw me I looked like this:

   
Me circa 1989, Lost Boys meets doofus

Setting goals is imperative.  Don’t have a goal? – Make one.  It does not have to be a real event – just set a date.  Make it real and make it known.  Hold yourself accountable.

Be ruthless and relentless in your pursuit of your goal.

Track it down and kill it. (too much?)

Stay tuned to see how I do.

This year as I visit my brother and his family in El Dorado Hills Ca, (outside of Sacramento) I was thinking of the article I would write:  eat protein first, load up on veggies and go sparingly on the desserts.

F that.

Not this year.

This year has been a serious crap fest for a lot of people out there. There is enough for people to worry about without having to worry about what to (or not to) eat this Thanksgiving Holiday.

So here you go- I am giving you license to eat like a pig. Have at it.  No more eating in moderation.  Thanksgiving is a good day to say screw it all and go completely overboard.

Am I kidding? Nope, not this time.

Let’s face it: This holiday is centered around eating. Hell,  it is *all* about eating (oh yeah, and giving thanks- let’s not forget about that.)

And not it’s not just normal eating, it’s eating awesome stuff. Yeah, we should all give thanks about what we have, but how about we give thanks that Thanksgiving dinner usually rocks?

This year take a day off and eat whatever you want.  My plan centers around pie.  I am all about pumpkin pie. If there is room after pie I might have some turkey, we’ll have to see. (I do want to leave my options open).

 
Mmmm.. pie…

But here is where I need to reel you back in: DO NOT do this every day. Or even every week.  That is just plain stupid.

This type of culinary overdose should be reserved for rare and special occasions.  And the good news is that occasional over eating can actually increase fat burning during the "normal" days.  That is why I am an advocate of "cheat" days.

And this Thanksgiving more than ever is a great day for a cheat.

Friday, go have some turkey leftovers, maybe some other stuff left in the fridge.  But by then end of the long weekend the leftovers should be more or less depleted, and by Monday you should be back on track.

Thursday go nuts, really and truly monkey butts nuts.

Tell anyone who asks, Josh said it was cool.  If they have a problem with it they can email me, and when I wake up from my pie coma I will respond.

Mmmm…pie….

Happy Thanksgiving.

Joshua Carter, CPT The Body Transformation Expert Carter Fitness http://carterfitness.com 818-337-6175

I am sick to death of these wussy ass ab exercising and programs I have been seeing all over the place.

The new wave of poofy crunches here, fluffy flutters there.  They’re all crap. None of them do a damn thing to lean out your midsection and create a set of bad ass abs.

To that end I am beta testing a brand new ab / fat loss program called

“Operation: Old School.”

He’s definitely Old School

It will involve utilizing old school methods combined with cutting edge protocols to deliver superior results.

Think you can’t have abs – think again.

Here’s the deal – I need 9 people to lose as many inches of their midsection as possible in 28 days, with no crazy dieting.

I am looking for 9 (and only 9) highly motivated people willing to commit to a brand new 28 day Old School program.

Yes 28 days.

The goal is to jump start your fat loss and create an unmatched program that is so mind blowing in the first 28 days that you will be motivated to continue at an accelerated rate.

She’s definitely Old School

This program is for anyone who:

• Is Short on time but high on desire
• Wants Rapid fat loss with minimal time investment
• Is stuck on their current routine
• Needs a jumpstart to get back in shape
• Needs to augment their current routine with fat burning
• Needs a Stepping stone to an on-going fitness plan

You will receive training and nutritional guidance by me personally .

How much ? One dollar. Yes I am serious, one dollar.

Is there a catch?  Well duh.

The catch is you are required to comply with the fitness program 100% (consequences apply). And that you provide a before and after picture so I can use it in my marketing once I release this system to the public at a ‘regular’ price

I have created similar programs to this in the past that have yielded 15-25 lbs or more pounds lost in one month, I expect nothing less with this one.

Now That’s Old School

Because these fat loss methods are so unique  you will be sworn to secrecy.

So… You want in?

***MANDATORY***
Send an email that includes:

• Current “before” photo
• Body stats (age, height, weight, waist measurement & bodyfat percentage if you know)
• Why I should choose you
• The city where you live and work

For the first time this beta test is open for both local residents and online clients.

I will be making final decisions by the end of this week so email me now.

OPERATION: OLD SCHOOL
starts Monday October 27th.

That’s it come and get it.

Email me at oldschool@carterfitness.com

Joshua Carter, CPT The Body Transformation Expert Carter Fitness http://carterfitness.com 818-337-6175