Tag: go

• 60 Days Later! Being on a Plant Based Diet!

  This is the kind of blog I thought I’d never write but alas, it’s 2018 and the lords of chaos have dictated that today is that day!

  For those whom did not read my last blog, it is my ambition to drop to 200-202 pounds with the ambition of joining the US Air Force as a means to provide a better and healthier future for my daughter as well as myself.

  It doesn’t end there though because it is also to provide a better presentation to potential clients that I long to serve as a personal trainer because let’s be real, who would you find yourself easier to go to for your fitness goals — the guy with a solid brain but his body makes him look like he just ate a boar and is dancing with chances of a heart attack (even though my vitals are actually in good standing at this moment) or the guy who has that same brain but whose physical attributes reflect health, strength and vigor? The latter, of course!

  For the first time in two years, I hit a physical roadblock. Despite having a decent omnivorous eating routine (no fast food, junk food, pork, sweets or soft drinks), something seemed off. This is all despite being on a necessary caloric deficit to achieve my goal, despite my macros set to where my body isn’t overworking kidneys (Protein 30% because more than that, your kidneys will take a beating), overflowing with fat (35% max as recommended is minimum 20-35%) or wildly jacked up on glycogen (minimum 45% and 65% being the max). Something seemed missing.

  Lo and behold, my good friend Remson Noire, the CEO and Head Coach of Tribe By Noire hit me up on The Book of Faces. We both came together and sat to discuss goals. He had goals with me and I had goals of which I had faith he would help with achieving. We talked health history, weight goal, nutrition — you name it, we spoke about it and my toilet is a witness to that.

  When I had returned from New York during the last week of January, I had ballooned up to 275 pounds. When I went up there, I was between 265-270. Yeah New York, you’re so healthy!

  Before I started the program with Remson for the Cutting Phase on February 1st, the first step I took was engaging a plant-based diet and also my struggles transitioning. As I explained to him, dairy was easy to eliminate because of my history with congestion, constipation and inflammation but it was eliminating eggs and meat from the equation because in all honesty, I was so addicted as well as conditioned.

  Things like this is why having a good fitness and health coach is important — because despite all information being at your tips, you need someone to keep you accountable and helping you keep your mind fresh at it because let’s be real — all that self-reliance and yet our sole dedication and drive, at some point, requires a push.

  Goodbye beef, chicken, eggs, fish, steak and hello beans and tofu! My macros got altered to 65% Carbs, 20% Protein and 15% Fat which is quite the change but it was also to especially curb that Saturated Fat. If I were to put my best days on this diet versus my best days on an omnivorous diet, you’d be like, “Ron, what was up with all that Cholesterol and Saturated Fat?!” because that was a big problem prior to going plant-based. Yes folks, eggs and wings aren’t that great for you.

  Having recipes involving oats with cinnamon, chia seeds, Himalayan salt and quinoa became a learning experience, as well as embracing the awesomeness that comes with rice and beans, along with combining different herbs, having a feast with sweet potato, broccoli, spinach and the list goes on. Let’s not even talk about how I embrace eating an entire kiwi whole, skin included!

  Cooking tofu though — that, in itself, is an acquired skill! You’re getting your protein and essential nutrients for sure but to make sure it doesn’t taste like seasoned sponge? That took some time and skill to learn to cook! Cooking chicken is easy, turkey shouldn’t even be considered rocket science and making a dope burger isn’t that tricky but tofu is another ball game in itself. In fact– when going to Ichicoro Ramen in Tampa with Dee last week, I had their Vegan Miso plate and realized that they made the tofu look and taste like ground beef!

  When Remson says that eating in this way requires a lot of creativity and intelligence, it is very true but the rewards have been good. As of now, I am at 254 pounds, I can comfortably wear a large sized shirt, 36 size pants feel normal again and wearing medium in underwear feels nice and comfy for my balls!

  As for energy levels and libido, look — those are two things I have never lacked and quite frankly, now there’s more of those two things than I would like to control so if you know someone on a plant-based diet who is lacking one or the other or both, chances are they are doing it wrong!

  Eventually, I will also write about implementing supplementation while on this style of eating but for now, whenever posting about my health changes and fitness accomplishments, I focus on this aspect first, simply because it is an area I would often be on the battle with on a yearly basis.

  Stay tuned as in the next exciting episode of Gunz Crew, I’ll be writing about The Making of Axl the EP!

  One love,

  Ron Gunz

  P.S. — here’s a FREE single from the Axl EP!

  04/08/2018

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• Dear White People! An Objective Review!

  It took me less than two weeks but at last, I got to quietly watch Dear White People. I will be totally sincere and say that when I first heard about it, I did have a bit of an eye rolling moment of, “Oh God, here comes more SJW, virtue-signaling, BLM propaganda that Netflix is going to bank on” because after all — if it’s a hit, trendy in pop culture and there’s profit to be made in promoting it, it will be exploited and used as bait.

  However, as I sat to watch it from the first episode on, it was time to throw the preconceived notions out the window, engage the material objectively to really make a fair verdict and deservingly so.

  As far as the acting goes, solid across the board. To the production and directing crew, you picked a pretty robust lineup of potential bigger screen actors and actresses.

  As far as pacing — the first half feels medium/slow cooked but once you get to episode 6 up to the conclusion, you can see that the creator had more emotional investment for the second half — as not only does the pace pick up to the point that the episodes just zoom by but so does character development.

  When it comes to the subject material regarding growing up as one of predominantly African ancestry, unless you knew people that can tell you what it was like for them to grow up in that kind of environment or if you’re someone of that demographic, you may feel at a sense of loss because of the difference there is. That is where I had kind of step back and ask questions to friends and loved ones of that background to see if some of this stuff is true or if it’s a little stretched out for cinematic purposes. You’d be surprised how much truth the show actually showed. Nevertheless, kudos to all the characters in the show who did not allow the cards dealt at them define them but rather let their sense of will, passion and desire set the stage for who they are and that is paramount to solid writing. Some of them grew up with bad situations but the way they handle themselves has, “my story starts pretty weak but don’t cry for me nor pity me” and that means something.

  What I did like the most about this show was the sense of humanity. Unlike some situations or even how mainstream media likes to churn up hits, it did not make the main characters or supporting cast look like picture-perfect, invincible black saviors who were totally untouchable and that only white people were guilty of hose manure-like behavior. No matter who you liked out of the main cast, they all possessed imperfection of all shades and some things don’t come to light until later even if some elements you can smell a mile away…just like I did.

  In respect to others who have been in pre-contemplative, contemplative or preparation state in regards to watching this show, out of respect to you, the show’s workers and even for friends of mine who have seen it and don’t want me to say anything or accidentally ruin anything because they themselves have not finished it, this review will not have spoilers, even of the ending itself.

  However, my reaction towards the ending is in one expression pulled out of a Pillar album — Where Do We Go From Here? We can even get all Robert Johnson on this and say that it does paint the picture of “standing at the Crossroads, down on my knees”.

  This has been written to you by a light skinned Puerto Rican born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn during a pre- and post-9/11 NYC — when it was rugged and a bit tough but still rich in culture and small local businesses that everyone enjoyed and thrived with until the suits, ties and trust fund kids came knocking and going pilgrim on us. Today, my neighborhood, which I visit every year when flying up from Tampa, Florida, is a shell of its former self. I hate to break it to you but when they turn a local popular Cafe Bustelo into an actual shop because these hipsters are too stupid to look in a bodega, dollar store, Food Bazaar or a Walgreens, while also forcing a Starbucks in a neighborhood that knows weak, overpriced coffee when they see it, you should start thinking.

  06/10/2017

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