What Is Formerlyme?

FormerlyMe.com presents “Victory Days”

WHAT IS FORMERLYME?

FormerlyMe is an online movement to motivate and inspire people to become the best version of themselves by showing them my journey and experience in trying a new workout and lifestyle regime every 30 days. Every post, update, and video is ‘formerly me’ as I endeavor to become the best version of myself and become FormerlyMe. Each month CP Magazine will showcase a part of my journey to becoming the best version of myself. I hope that in turn this inspires and motivates you to start your own journey as well. For this month’s story we will focus on the “Victory Days” of my journey.

Jim West

Gene Labrada had given me the word “Victory Day” to replace the words “Cheat Day” as this was a positive connection to keep in my mind as I was earning this day to eat whatever I wanted (within reason). Some days I would eat my favirite burgers at Shake Shack, and other days I would eat All You Can Eat Buffets. Yet another thing I would do is try new experiences that fit under the umbrella of wellness. Some of these experiences included floating, ultrasonic fat loss treatments, and even pole dancing fitness. Each of these experiences helped me gain a perspective of the various levels of fitness that I was either not ready for or showed me there is much more to fitness than a gym. First up was Blissful Waters Float Center and sensory deprivation therapy. On my first float my entire body immediately felt complete relaxation due mainly to the water being heated to right at body temperature. There is so much salt in the water than you just cannot sink at all. Floating relieves stress, anxiety, depression, back/neck pain, chronic pain from arthritis, jet lag, muscle/joint pain, and more. Many people utilize floating for pain management. I ended up trying three one hour floats and had a wonderful experience every time and will be going more often in the future.

Next I was told I should try cryo-freeze treatments, but during my online searches I came across Sonic Body Works. They utilize ultrasonic wave technology and heat to essentially melt fat cells away. After a initial meeting with the owners, Will and Kelsey, I signed up for ten sessions of their three primary treatment services of Ultrasonic, Lipo Sculpt, and Therma-lift. The plan was to use the Lipo Sculpt to melt/reduce the fat cell size, the ultrasonic to disrupt and destroy the cells, and finally the therma-lift would tighten the skin so I would not have sagging skin. With every session I would lose between a half to one and a half inches from my abdomen area. On my tenth and final session I had lost a total of 10 inches from my waistline area. I would notice these little dimples in my sides form the extra cavitation sessions they were giving me, and I must say this really works. I would not recommend this solely for weight loss as it is not the complete answer as you still must be working out and doing cardio after each session. You can achieve results, yet it can become very expensive if you are trying to lose a huge amount of weight. Other Victory Days involved me trying pole dancing fitness at Twisted Fitness, and that showed me I was not as strong as I thought I was. I also tried Reach Stretch Therapy which was also enlightening in regard to how flexible I wasn’t. I appreciated these sessions as it showed me although I had come a long way I still had room to improve my strength and flexibility.

These videos are on the YouTube channel under Victory Days: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLETeUyZdPdyrskw9l70XCM8OIKEVeiUi

On March 18th, 2020 I reached 299 pounds (135.6 kg) and lost a total of 77 pounds (34.92 kg)! My metabolism was finally in high gear and it was really starting to show in the videos. People were complimenting me often and I was also seeing it with my clothes and nothing in my closet really fit me anymore and that was the

best feeling ever.

Me at 299 pounds (135.6 kg) and me at 376 pounds (170.5 kg)

Follow my journey online at FormerlyMe.com and on the YouTube channel. Next month I will cover my Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training and the other fun activities I have experienced with my journey. Until next time that has been FormerlyMe!

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THE WARM HEART OF ZAMBIA

Immersing travellers in Africa’s wild beauty, The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara boasts a unique location overlooking Victoria Falls. Taking its name from the famous explorer Sir David Livingstone who named the Falls after his queen, poignant reminders of this era embrace guests in nostalgic luxury.

since 2010

The adventure begins before arrival with an exclusive water taxi transfer along the Zambezi River, and a first glimpse of Zambia’s free-roaming wildlife. Capitalising on an unmatched location overlooking Victoria Falls, The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara is a 10-minute walk away, boasts its own private entrance, and offers unlimited complimentary access to this iconic Natural Wonder.

Known to locals as “Mosi-oa-Tunya” – “The Smoke that Thunders” - the gushing waters throw a cloud-like spray across the bush and sends rainbows soaring hundreds of feet into the air. As the magnificent cascade rushes over a wide basalt cliff, the placid Zambezi River transforms into a ferocious torrent and cuts through a series of dramatic gorges. Across from The Falls, a path along the edge of a sheer basalt wall rewards walkers who are brave enough to encounter the tremendous spray with spectacular views. Those that dare can swim in the Devil’s Pool, at the edge of Victoria Falls, where the water plummets 350-feet down, providing a pulse-racing dip. The pool is also special in that it can only be visited from late August to late December before the summer rains swell the Zambezi River, after which it remains hidden under the river’s pounding flow.

4x4 safari drives through vast and unspoiled national parks explore broad plains and rugged wilderness, with seasoned guides skilled at tracking a rich eco-system of free-roaming animals, including the mighty elephant, rhino and buffalo. Quad bikes zoom along eco trails and through untamed African bush. Wildlife river safaris on the mighty Zambezi reveal excellent game and bird viewing aboard specially designed boats, which have the unique ability to traverse the rapids safely and comfortably, even in water as shallow as 200mm.

Some of the world’s most challenging gorge rapids bring the excitement of white water rafting and jet-boating. Anglers flock to test their skills against the legendary tiger fish. For more relaxing adventures, travellers can opt for a leisurely canoe trip or a mesmerising sunset boat cruise. Offering sweeping bird’s eye views, an adventure flight in a helicopter skims over the African bush, deep down into the dramatic Batoka Gorge and over Victoria Falls, while a microlight flight soars above Victoria Falls and continues upstream over Long Island, Palm Island, Kakunka and Kandahar Islands and onto Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Adrenalin junkies conquer spectacular heights with abseil, gorge swing and high wire thrills in the Bakota Gorge.

African culture and breathtaking rail journeys

The nearby town of Livingstone is a monument to historic intrigue. Reliving a pioneering era, Livingstone’s famous museum has galleries dedicated to archaeology, ethnography and art, history and natural history, and includes an interesting collection of the explorer’s belongings and descriptions of his routes.

Celebrating a heritage of colonial travel, the Railway Museum houses some of the finest examples of Zambia’s vintage steam locomotives. While there are some beautiful 19th century locomotives to clamber aboard in the Railway Museum, the Jewish Museum is also of interest, offering an insight to Livingstone's Jewish community that settled here in the 1890s via South Africa after fleeing persecution in Lithuania. The town also saw an influx of European immigrants during the next 50 years, including those fleeing WWII. Preserving Zambia’s crafts and culture, the Mukuni Park and Victoria Falls Curio Markets feature hand-carved crafts and curios.

For an authentic experience of vintage travel, The Royal Livingstone Express steam locomotive combines the luxury of The Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara with Victorian elegance and exquisite fine dining. Trundling through the picturesque Zambezi Valley, guests can relive a bygone era as they relax in lovingly restored Pullman-style coaches. Crossing the Victoria Falls Bridge, sunset beside the world’s largest waterfall is toasted with sparkling wine or a cocktail, followed by a gourmet dinner. In addition to the Bridge Route, the Mulobezi Route passes through the heart of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, providing up close wildlife encounters.