Over a decade ago, I began a fat loss journey that has taken me down many different roads. I hope to use this platform to collect and share my experiences on fitness, nutrition, and general health, with my family and friends! Here is my website we created a few years ago! RippedBodyworks.com I wanted to be completely transparent on how I achieved my goal of losing 60-70 lbs of fat and the mindset that I had at that point in my life. In the “My Experiences” section of my website, I describe in detail how I transformed from picture to picture. I think much differently today! Now at 41 years old, my focus is more on mobility, tissue work, and feeling better! I am more likely to spend my free time taking walks/playing with my dog, working in the yard, and getting some breath work in while grounding! I drink coffee with maple syrup and Mexican cokes! I no longer spend countless hours stoned on a treadmill at the local 24 trying to get a picture, sticking to a strict routine, and restricting sugar. In the near future, I hope to start posting my own content and sharing other accounts on X that I have benefited from! I hope each of you is living the best life you can, getting down the crazy road that you're on! Live Ripped! Cody

RUN RICKY RUN This documentary was a major turning point in my life. It was released shortly after my second DWI. Many of the issues I had with social anxiety seemed to run parallel with this character that I cherished on the football field. I started smoking marijuana more and more. I started drinking alcohol less and less. A year later, it was obvious what was better for my life and health. Ricky Williams is the reason I am in Austin. He’s the reason I graduated from The University of Texas. If he would have chosen to play for Texas A&M, I would be in College Station. I have long thought about how Ricky, the running back, basically drove me to Austin.  I also think about his presence there again through this documentary, at the exact time in my life I needed to hear the truth about marijuana. I got stoned on the treadmill, not the couch.  I lost 60 - 70 lbs of fat.  I created my business, Ripped Bodyworks. I knew at some point, I would reach out to Ricky. Last week I was able to do so. I booked a one on one session. We caught up on my story, how he inspired it, and took a dive into my chart. He has developed an amazing platform to teach! You can book a session here! astrologic.podia.com/ I look forward to digging into future sessions on astrology with Ricky and how to use it as a tool to navigate my life. We spoke about the circle, about how it continues, and will always come back around. We also spoke of how everything is connected. I have always considered my time at the University of Texas a waste. Enough so, I had an image illustrated on my back to signify that it was behind me. I realized after my session with Ricky … At some point in the future,  I will leave Austin. I will be able to help my family and friends financially through the property I get. I will have a foundation of experiences, mentors, and relationships to carry along with me. My time at the University of Texas was not a waste.  We are all connected. So grateful for what lies ahead! Live Ripped! Hook’em!

TEXAS SAGE

Watch your kids.

That hunger feelings we get is low blood sugar, this why sipping thru juice/coke during the day can actually help you lose fat. the sugar you’ll drink won’t turn into fat, it will raise your metabolic rate, lower your hunger and stress hormones.

Yep!

Nobody regrets not getting the shot!

☀️ SUNLIGHT ☀️ She knows ….

PAPPY - 100 YEARS My grandfather passed away one year ago at 100 years old. He would’ve told you … “Gettin’ old isn’t for sissies.” At 95, he still loved life. At 99, he was ready to go. It must have been hell for a Chief Operator at the refinery, have to watch the girls that he raised into women, become his caretakers. His life goal was to provide for them, now they are providing for him. Here’s what I believe got him to 100 years! Always look for the best in people, never lose that. Even if that means getting taken advantage of. That mindset will outrun the bad in this world. Genuine - Be yourself at all costs. Don’t waste your mind pretending to be someone else. Your conscience doesn’t need to create a character.  Be the same man on Saturday night that you are on Sunday morning. Let your actions speak. Moderation - Stick to moderation with everything, this includes work Stay Active - Mow your own grass, help those around you, be useful, stay moving Purpose - Have purpose, do tasks, help others, and care for family. Marry Ann was the love of his life for most of these years. Community & Attention - Enjoy the people you encounter in your life. If spending time with friends elevates your mood, do so. If seeking healthy forms of attention does, do so. Entertainment - Be happy with the small things in life.  Enjoy food, enjoy Whataburger. Don’t stress yourself all the time with a strict diet. Don’t indulge. When the only thing to eat is hospital cafeteria food, remember,  “This is a fine little meal!”  Energy follows thought. Gamble …. But only with the cash you have in your pocket! Keep up with society just enough to be part of it.  Continue to learn and absorb information. Keep the mind active.  Use social media for socialization while confined to the house. Stay loyal to the hometown Astros! Until you’re in your 90s, then jump on the Rangers bandwagon when they’re winning!  Drink Dr. Pepper right up until the end!

FASCIA TISSUE After losing the use of the extensors in my left hand in 2019, I have gone down a road with the fascia tissue in my body. There was an enormous amount of tightened tissue and stored tension that I am still working out to this day.   Repetitive Use - This was all a result of dealing poker, mechanically wrong, 20-50 hrs per week, for over a decade.  Doing the same movements in the gym for 20 years, without fascia work or stretching, couldn’t have helped. “Motion is Lotion” - Hydrate the fascia tissue by movement.  I should have never stopped resistance training.  I should have focused on the right movements while working through the damaged fascia tissue.   Restricted fascia tissue shows up on a Dexa scan as adipose tissue. My “love handles” were not just adipose tissue.  For years, the tissue overlapped the band on my jeans/pants.  This disrupted the fascia. I’ve used a number of fascia tools.  I’ve made things around the house into tools.  I’m always looking for an effective way to progress through tissue. If you are certified in NASM, the corrective exercise certification is a great intro into the fascia. Jules Horn (juleshorn01) and Oscar Patel (OscarPatel) are absolutely your best follows for the fascia tissue. If you’re in the Austin area, check out my post on Lonestar Manual Therapy. The video shows some clips I have taken along the way! The visual has really opened my mind to the layers of the skin!

MACY MARIE

BIDET I’ve had this thing since Black Friday and it is great! Nothing special. Changes the game! a.co/d/08S0HlQt Don’t knock it til you try it!

ACCOMPLISH TASKS My friend’s family owned The Indian Motorcycle dealership in Austin, Tx. They went into restoration side of the business after the shop closed. I was able to collect all of the Polaroids around the house and compile them into a digital scrapbook. It’s fulfilling to know these pictures would have been lost if it was not for my hard work. I thought my creativity and layout turned out well! Proud to bring a topic I knew nothing about together with my friend!

FIRST STEP If I had to do this journey all over again, here would be my first steps out of obesity until my body mass index reached the mid to low 20s. Find a treadmill, it is great for setting boundaries if you’re working out at a local gym. Walk at a controlled pace. Increase the intensity and length of time. Add a weighted vest. Walk on a small incline. Use a hoodie to warm the body. Walk for hour to two hour long sessions five times per week. Incorporate resistance training on each muscle one time per week just to keep things moving. Establish just showing up. Before even thinking about intensity, think about showing up consistently. Once there, work out details within the workouts. Focus on tight fascia tissue during this time. Check out my document on how to count macro nutrients. 2 - 3 meals of eggs, ground beef, steak, butter, yogurt eaten three hours apart. Separate the above proteins and fats, from the sugars below.  Orange juice, honey, fruit, maple syrup. Eat these every hour needed for energy/mood/focus. Broth and raw carrots at some point. Pull back on the sugars until they are no longer needed for energy levels or focus. Control the mood. Use clean coffee Once the body learns to run on fat as fuel, take advantage of that, and incorporate the sugars back only when needed. Incorporate fasting, take it slow. Start with 12 hrs and build from there, usually 72 hours. Personally, I may feel comfortable for longer periods depending on my body at that time. Use Aura minerals with water. Incorporate breathwork, sunlight, and grounding. Focus on moving and accomplishing tasks during your fast. Know that you are burning fat and cleaning out the cells in your body. Cut the fast on fat free yogurt. A couple hours later, bring back ground beef and eggs. Add natural sugars back to the diet, but separate them as stated previously. Once the BMI is low 20s, incorporate more focus on resistance training and back off on the treadmill. Continue to do cardiovascular work once a week. At this point, the impact on the joints will be nothing like it was before.  Then maybe hire that trainer 🤷🏼‍♂️ Now build muscle or continue working on tissue that inhibits muscle!

OTHERS Like it or not, other people will be part of your transformation if you make a drastic change in your life, regarding health, nutrition, and fitness. I believe everybody should live their life as they choose. We are all up against a different sets of circumstances. In this life, we are all connected! Run alongside those people that better you! Learn from those that don’t, keep moving, and leave them behind! If you’re going to be different from society, you must live differently. At 28, I fit in.  At 42, I don’t. Remember, everyone is working their own issues out on each other!

Do one thing before you sleep tonight... Write down everything that is on your mind. Unfinished tasks, worries, tomorrow's to-do list. Get it all out of your head and onto paper. Your brain treats unresolved items like open tabs. It keeps returning to them during the night, fragmenting your sleep and preventing deep rest. Closing those tabs before bed by externalizing them is one of the most effective sleep interventions in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Two minutes. Pen and paper. Then sleep.

BY THE LOOKS OF IT When I set out to write a song, I could never have imagined I would be part of this! A good friend and I brought this together. Without him, I would have a collection of word and thought. Thank God for good friends and family!

My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci

PRE, INTRA, POST Pre-workout - Buttered Dates Intra-workout - Orange Juice Post-workout -Shake- eggs/syrup/collagen

MUSIC It changes my mood and takes me to another place in time. There are numerous studies that show how music plays a major role in dopamine release and happiness. For me, creating concepts, lines, and simple songs just fuels more dopamine! It’s therapy. I wrote “Come On, Karen!” with my friend Bob Rose. This came together after a run in with an entitled lady at HEB, my ex neighbor that counseled youth, and an old lady running her mouth on social media to Graycie York. This song will help me with future situations that I encounter. Trying to write my own songs, took the place of betting sports. Hearing my own words, thoughts, and sound all come together was a lot cooler than winning $5000 on the football games. On a big losing weekend I came up with the concept of one of my best songs. I knew this was now what I was going to do for fun. Good or bad, I am creating my own art. Instead of watching someone else create their own. Playing guitar creates discipline, especially at the beginning, it can be work! There’s a time for UGK and there’s a time for Sturgill Simpson. Energy follows thought - Willie Nelson Working out takes discipline. Incorporating music to my workouts adds motivation, takes my mind to another place, and passes time. It’s a tool to fill and ease my mind when needed! I wrote a very good line waiting outside of H-E-B during Covid. I lowered my mask and recorded a video. I collect a lot of thoughts on lyrics and melodies on my phone throughout the day doing housework. “Tuning” someone out is very easy to do since learning guitar. “Biting my tongue” allows me to set back and refine my thoughts without action … until it goes into a song. Coordination - It’s hilarious. The old man I care for says I can only do one thing at a time. I can sing, play, watch baseball, and ignore him for sure! The body is 70% water. You can physically see the effects of sound and vibration through water. Imagine the benefit humming and singing does for the body. I’ve never had any ambition to learn Spanish and did everything to avoid it through college. Yet, eight year-old me learned the bilingual version to Rick Trevino’s just enough rope that I still know to this day. The melody locks into memory as Eric Church would say. That’s how I knew the melody lived inside my mind and bringing it out through an instrument was possible. My future goals for music are just to enjoy it, play with family, and pass it along to the next generation. Playing instruments by the masses will soon be a lost art. What a wonderful part of this ride through life that the future generations will be missing!