So I’ve been doing well for the past week. I’ve been eating healthier. Watching how much I eat and not eating after 7pm. Some nights I don’t eat after 6pm. I’ve been trying to get my water in as well as some sort of exercise. I still haven’t started my dvd workout!! I’m not going to make an excuse… I just haven’t started. I’m finding it hard to do with being at home with Olivia all day. My goal for next week is to start the dvd at least 3 times. I was feeling good about myself. Trying to look pretty ( which is very hard for me) and dress up. Make-up and all! Then two days ago I woke up feeling ugly AGAIN!!!! I hated what I looked like, felt bloated, wanted to sleep all day and wished I had a pair of stretchy pants to wear. Why is it that things like this happen? Why is it when you feel like you can actually accomplish something, you get hit in the face, HARD!? So now I’m slowly trying to put myself together again. I give myself one cheat meal a week. It could be any meal and only one. I use to do a day of whatever I wanted, but that didn’t go well. I was eating everything in sight. So tonight I chose my cheat meal: Big Mac, Diet Coke, Side Salad, and some Onion rings. It was good. I almost felt guilty eating it. But I’m allowed. Food can’t be a love, hate relationship. I’ve been trying out low-fat recipes as well for my sweet tooth and let me tell you, thank God for the “Hungry Girl” cookbooks. She great recipes. Some ingredients you can only find in the States, but overall I’ve enjoyed the sweet tooth without feeling guilty. I will be posting a couple recipes in the next couple of days. Tomorrow, scones with mixed berries for breakfast. So just when it starts looking good….. I pick myself right up, learn from my mistakes and understand that my size 8 body isn’t coming back overnight.
Tip of the Week: Always have a salad or some sort of vegetable dish with your meal. I usually try to have a big salad or green beans when I have my dinner. That way my plate is mostly full of good stuff. Or if I’m having pasta I put asparagus or spinach with it. Then my plate looks fuller when in reality I’m only eating 1 cup of pasta.
Being overweight is not fun; it never has been, and yet I have always lived my life without too much regard for meeting America’s weight standards. Now, however, I have cortisol fat that has my midsection looking like an adult male’s life-preserver. Part of the reason my weight never bothered me too much is I am well-endowed. My breasts always took people’s gaze away from my stomach, which has never been flat, and put them a little higher up. My breasts also were magic: they did a fantastic job of making my bulbous stomach look much flatter. Boy, not now! My midsection is now the largest section of my torso and it is impossible to hide. I have become one of the people whose shirts never quite cover all the belly flab. All I have to do is move a bit and sure enough there it is; I piece of white flab hanging out. If cortisol fat really does come from stress I am seriously doomed. I was born anxious. My mom she was a nervous wreck during her pregnancy for me because I was her fourth and she really did not want a fourth child at the time. Is it okay if I blame my mom for my overly abundant midsection? In this day and age that would probably be acceptable since everyone seems to blame his/her parents for one thing or another but how will that help my beached whale look? Really, I have got to do something. Today my three-year old granddaughter said, “Grandma, you can’t play behind the chair because your belly is too big to fit back there.” Aren’t I lucky to have such an observant grandchild. Seriously, I need to do take control of my eating habits and lose weight. This flab makes it difficult for me to breathe at times and my snoring now matches that of my husband’s. Can someone tell me how I learn to care enough about myself to make a healthy eating plan work? I really want to watch that beautiful granddaughter of mine grow up.
So I have talked many times about the importance of and trouble with exercising when traveling.
I travel a fair amount usually once or twice a month. When you have a tight program like mine, where I have workouts and meals scheduled every day it can be very disruptive to up and leave your routine. For example, I have cardio Monday morning, and Muay Thai Monday night. Well, if I am traveling, I obviously can’t make class that night, so it becomes more important not to miss morning cardio too.
The cost of missing both workouts is devastating to my nutritional plan and metabolic rate. Also, my muscles get too relaxed and they forget that I have goals in mind for them. When I do finally return to my routine they need time to catch up. This is the equivalent of taking two steps forward and one step back.
Now some may argue that your body can often use a break to recover. The assumption there is that we all over train, and do not give our body’s enough calculated recovery during our normal routines. My rebuttal would be that after 6 months of beating the shit out of myself, and working with a number of professionals including doctors and chiropractor, I now have a sense of what is “enough” for me.
So what I am really getting at today is that over the last six months, I have really struggled with traveling, and keeping to my routine, and not paying a price when I get back. I am the first to admit how hard it is to not eat things that are easy or convenient simply because you are out of your element. You can’t go home and cook, or prepare you meals ahead of time.
With the help of Amy Henry of Venice Nutrition, I have learned to keys to my success. One is to eat something every 3-4 hours. This will help keep my blood sugar stable. ( you can learn more about why that is important on Atlantafatboytv on YOU-Tube, or at www.AmyHenrynutrition.com) The second is how to read a food label and make better choices. Believe it or not, with the right knowledge you can eat food that is made for you AND convenient.
Also, I have realized the importance of making certain declarations. Such as, ” I am going to workout every day I am traveling”. And then realigning and planning around that declaration.
This is the first time in six months, that I have stuck to my plan. But, it is SOOOOOOO worth it! I feel like I have made a huge breakthrough for myself. I am moving toward a truly healthy lifestyle, not just a diet or program. The distinction by the way is that the former is never-ending and the latter has an established time line associated with it.
This week, I have not missed a workout, and I have stuck to my”plan”, meaning I have found ways to be me wherever I am. Live my lifestyle where ever I go.
I’ve always had a problem with setting goals. While I agree with the aspect of setting and achieving goals as a way of personal achievement and fulfillment, I dislike the term ‘goal’; it’s a terminal term. When I was younger, I played a lot of soccer, and it was a blast. I was on a team with a bunch of my friends, and we had one common ‘goal’; win the game. In order to do this, our team had to successfully kick the soccer ball into the back of the opposing team’s goal, while preventing the other team from doing the same. If (after 90 minutes) we won the game, we celebrated the victory. If we lost the game, we would make sure that we were ‘better prepared’ to handle the next game in order to achieve the goal…
Question: Is the goal simply to win the game? Or, is the goal to improve the process in order to increase the probability of winning the game? Which angle would lead to more disappointment if the game was lost?
For example, if someone is looking to lose 40 pounds , should the goal simply be the number of pounds lost, or on changing behavior (process) so that the scale will eventually show X minus 40 pounds? If the focus is on the scale as opposed to the process, that person might be inclined to put too much emphasis on the numbers, which could lead to disappointment (depending on how he/she handles the scale’s news). However, if his/her goal is to improve the process (i.e. diet, exercise, etc.), the scale becomes a measure of a sustainable process improvement rather than a terminal outcome (goal) of losing a specified amount of weight.
Ultimately, weight loss goals shouldn’t even revolve around a number on a scale. It should revolve around creating positive habits, ceasing the negative ones, and having a positive attitude toward the process (this goes for other goals as well). Creating a process, measuring said process improvements, and sticking with any process that enables a happy, healthy life will undoubtedly lead to… well… a happy, healthy life. What more could anyone ask for?
Do you agree? Please share your experiences; I’m here to learn!
This week wasn’t a good week for self control and dieting. From my last post, I’ve eaten so many things I’ve already sworn off, like chocolates, pork, cheese rolls, pizza, cheesecake, noodles… you get the drift. I didn’t actually pig out on it, but it doesn’t lessen the guilt however, that I indulged when I have so vehemently preached my “Never Compromise” mantra. haha
Anyway I took a photo this morning, as will be my habit every week to check if I’m making any progress whatsoever.
I think one of the contributing factors why I didn’t blow up so much and why I think I even look kind of okay this week despite all that Marty’s Chicharon is that I workout intensely every morning and evening. Morning because it’s a ritual already and evening, when I feel so bad about all the things I stuffed my mouth with during the day. I double the workout effort before going to sleep.
As you can see my arms are one of my biggest problems aside from my thighs. haha. Anybody has tips to hack all the fat in there?
You can only find out what is possible with your body if you first conquer your mind.
The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince. ~ Vince Lombardi
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These are the thoughts that I have been struggling with lately. For the last 10 days or so I have been having such a hard time making it through my Hot Yoga class. I’ve been attending the classes for about 6 weeks. It’s a hard, hard class but I enjoyed the challenge – it was filling me with confidence that I could accomplish anything – I was feeling so proud of myself. Lately I haven’t been able to complete the class as strongly as I once was, though. The mantra circulating through my head during class it, “It’s too hot. I’m too dizzy. I’m too tired.” I think we all know how difficult it is to be successful at ANYTHING when your thoughts are so negative! I’ve tried to change this mantra. I’ve tried, “I love this. I want this.“ I’ve tried the motivating verse from The Black Eyed Peas song, I’ve Gotta a Feeling - “Let’s do it, and do it, and do it, do it, do it.” I’ve even tried “SMILE THERAPY” (where, even though you don’t feel like it, you *SMILE* anyway). It really does lift your spirits but it’s not long into the class that the negative mantra returns… I’ve been leaving the class, discouraged, frustrated, and ANGRY – so NOT the results one wants from a yoga session…
SIGH. Any suggestions? Anyone having success changing their negative thoughts into positive ones?
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On a better note, by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin, I’ve moved into the 2-teens (219!). Frustrating yoga sessions, or not, here I come ONEderfuls!
On a funny note, my daughter (10), who is apparently tired of my reading inspirational weight loss blogs, had this inspirational comment for me last night:
“Mom, you don’t have to lose weight. You’re almost dead anyway.”
Can I blame her? I AM 40, you know…
On an inspirational note, this week I’ve found some great blogs from other women changing their life-styles and losing weight. Check them out here:
365 Days to a New Me – Dawne’s Blog 266 Prior Fat Girl – Jen’s Blog Ramblings of a Fat Girl – Lind’s Blog Project 365 – Tiff’s Blog The Token Fat Girl – Lorrie’s Blog The Chubby Girl Diaries – Kellie’s Blog Fat Girl Dives In – Tina’s Blog
************************************
Play Along: What’s your inspirational Mantra?
~ I’m off to shower, shave, and shop! Going to Costco is usually a good work out! – Angie
So, I already posted the stats today, but I wanted to keep track of what I ate and caloric values, so I’m entering that in before I crash for the night. Also I started a YouTube VLog to help get some support and hopefully inspire. YouTube.com/DaSkinny2010
Day 1 Food Intake
Breakfast
Banana Bread Oatmeal 160 calories
1 cup of skim milk plus 110 calories
2 cups of coffee 145 calories
(1/2 cup of skim milk plus & 2 tablespoons of sugar)
(coffee has no calories it’s the stuff you add to it that gives it calories)
Lunch
Tuna on Rye sandwich 319 calories
1 cup of grapes 60 calories
Dinner
1 all beef hot dog 149 Calories
1 cup of Mixed veggies 60 Calories
1 slice of watermelon 86 calories
Stupid snack of the day
Hand full of gummy bears 140 calories
Total = 1,229 Calories
I should have eaten more, according to a calories calculator I should be eating 2,024 calories to maintain my weight. No in order to lose weight you should subtract that number by 500 so I should have had 1,524 calories yikes, hopefully tomorrow I can reach that.
We are flooded with info concerning healthy diets and losing weight however still most people fail. This text will outline a number of the vital errors people make. If you’ll bypass these problems you’ll be successful in losing weight.
1. The All Or Nothing Perspective
All or nothing dieters will often decide a complicated diet that’s nearly impossible for them to maintain. Before starting, they will search the kitchen for anything that doesn’t fit the plan and throw it in the garbage. They’re coming up with to be the perfect dieter, and so they will be, for in the future, three days, seven days or perhaps a couple of weeks. Then, inevitably, one thing happens that means they can’t keep to the diet one time. Immediately the entire factor is ruined in their eyes and the diet is over. They are going to the shop and purchase all the things that went into the garbage last week and proceed to gain back all the weight that they lost, as quick as possible.
If you are this sort of dieter you wish to ask some tough questions. Do you really wish to lose weight permanently, or just lose some pounds so that you’ll relish putting them back on once more? The way forward is to create small changes to what you eat so that you have got a slow however steady weight loss.
2. The Attitude of Sacrifice
Another common mistake is to view your diet as a period of sacrifice. You do not permit yourself the foods that you simply relish most whereas you are on your way to your target weight. You may have a nice diet plan and be very successful in losing weight, however what happens when you reach your goal? You have not learned to eat unhealthy foods in moderation so as soon as you start, you are likely to go out of control. It is better to incorporate a little of everything in your diet and learn to relish it in small quantities. Yes, even chocolate!
3. Goal Failure
Setting achievable goals is very important in any weight loss plan. Goals ought to be clear, realistic and set out in writing. While you probably do have an ideal weight in your mind, unless you are only very slightly overweight it’s probably too distant to be useful. A more helpful goal would be to lose two pounds per week for the first 5 weeks and then one pound per week after that. Some weeks you’ll lose more and some less, some weeks you’ll even gain, however if you track your progress on a graph you’ll see that ups and downs are natural and don’t stop you progressing steadily toward your major goal.
If you have made these mistakes within the past, don’t worry. It is necessary to learn from your mistakes so you’ll be successful next time. Don’t give up. You need to attempt to changing your lifestyle. Learn to relish foods in moderation and you’ll avoid these mistakes.
Check out these blogs for up to date content on healthful dieting and weight loss: Healthy Diet Plan
So lately I have been trying to mentally train myself towards healthier eating habits. I’m not morbidly obese (yet,) just a little bit over where I’d like to be, but my main motivation has been the fact that I just feel like complete crap all the time and by all the time I mean every time I eat something completely unhealthy for me.
I was unconscious of such issues in my youth, as I am sure most of you reading this were too, but somehow, all of the sudden, I can feel that grease and that high fructose corn syrup when it enters my body; I can feel that sludge. Sludge, that’s exactly what it is. There isn’t any real reason for it to exist, there is no nutritional value, it just fills up the empty space so your tummy can feel some sense of accomplishment. Now, back in the day, when I was in High School, that greasy goodness that, let’s say, a Wendy’s Double Cheeseburger provided was not only amazing, I was unfazed by it. It was exactly what I wanted.
Sadly, now it seems that my body can no longer handle such madness. Not only would it get completely steamrolled by a Wendy’s Double Cheeseburger, but even a greasy bag of chips knows how to throw a hard punch or two. It just brings me down. Slowly. Takes. Me. Down. And then, on top of that, is the whole High Fructose Corn Syrup thing.
If you don’t know what High Fructose Corn Syrup is you can wikipedia it or something, but to make it short it’s basically sugar-goop on crack. It’s what makes your soda sweet, it’s what makes your fruit juices that are not 100 percent juice still taste like juice and it’s not good for you. It’s just pure sugar. Sugar. Sugar. Sugar. Sugar. You can’t just run on sugar all day, but the problem is (if you didn’t think about it) if it’s in soda and the less than 100 percent fruit drinks than High Fructose Corn Syrup is in EVERYTHING. Just take a minute the next time you’re at your school store or Rite Aid or where you grab snacks, look at the labels; EVEN POWERADE HAS THIS STUFF!! It’s like you can’t escape it. The other problem is that this stuff is high in calories and immediately satisfying, but because there isn’t any nutritional value it leaves you really hungry shortly after you drink it, which means more calories, which is the reason for why America is so damn fat. WE HAVE BEEN INVADED BY HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!
Now, obviously with a little self-control one can easily refrain from drinking such beverages, but when it’s surrounding our culture from birth to death it might be hard for some to see the harm. I mean, I want to make a change, but I am so used to the stuff that I am having to slowly ween myself off. It’s also obviously linked to some major corporations such as Coke and Pepsi, which sponsor many schools and sports teams and that doesn’t help people from hydrating properly either.
You’re probably wondering why I am ranting and so I am going to get to the final point. Today, starting today, I am going to say no to the High Fructose. I am going to drink water and 100 percent juice and tea, but the corn sap just ain’t worth it anymore. I wish there was a wider variety of options at the college I attend and at most educational institutions. It’s odd that at a place where we are supposed to be getting an education, they allow us to stoop to completely inane ways of taking care of our bodies amidst a health care and obesity crisis in this nation. Hopefully you will join me.
Food Consumed- ? Calories
Many Footlong Chicken Breast Subs.
Workout- Did some core exercises on my exercise ball. Went to the gym and worked out tri’s and chest on Friday. Went to the gym today for back and shoulders.
Supplements taken-
Took some multivitamins in the morning. Had protein shakes with creatine after gym workouts. Did some HIIT on the elliptical at the gym (x2 10 minute sessions)
Overall thoughts-
Sorry for the lack of updates recently and pictures. I would have one up for tonight, but my photographer is asleep. Busy, busy weekend full of fun. My past 2 gym sessions were GREAT, I definitely am noticing improvement. Maybe the gap of time in pictures will make things more noticable . Despite my relative lack of updates here over the past week, I will continue my normal daily postings starting tomorrow. Everything is going wonderfully so far, I definitely feel differences physically when I touch my arms (I don’t even have to flex to notice them now), and people are telling me they notice a difference when they see me in person. I will have my first weigh in for the past 5 days tomorrow as well, maybe the HIIT have made a difference in that.
Who doesn’t need to lose weight? I fully admit I need to, especially after I made a cinnamon roll and cream cheese frosting bundt cake that was swimming in butter at 10:00 pm this evening. (I know, shame on me.) I’ve never ate a healthy diet in my life and my best attempts at nutrition are drinking water, taking fish oil pills and eating whipped yogurt. The Mayo Clinic Diet is a book I was more than happy to review for this blog, especially since I was a patient of Mayo Clinic last year and was blown away by their campus and the doctors I met who finally diagnosed me with Dysautonomia.
The Mayo Clinic Diet starts off with a quick introduction by Dr. Donald Hensrud, reminding readers that this book and it’s recommendations isn’t a fad diet and it was written due to the various bogus “Mayo Clinic Diets” that have been around for years. The book starts off with a two-week plan to get you on track and losing up to 6 – 10 pounds right away. And then it gets down to the nitty-gritty, and tells the reader the five simple habits they need to help them take off the weight, as well as gives them five habits to break so that you can keep it from coming back. When I came across their healthy weight pyramid, I was thrilled to see they had added in “fats” and “sweets,” two very important food groups close to my heart. I personally think this is why most other diets don’t work, because they usually keep fats and sweets away from you, when we all know this is impossible.
The book is very cool, it is extremely visual and easy to read, and it includes everything from recipes to visual clues on serving sizes (page 88, you were my favorite, as you were filled with beautiful images of steak) to many strategies for all of the behavior obstacles every emotional eater and junk food junkie faces. If you are nutritionally challenged like I am, you will find a solution to every challenge you face, especially important ones, such as “I can’t afford healthy foods,” “I don’t have time to exercise,” and “I’m not good at menu planning.” I like the scare tactics section, where the book tells you why you are overweight and what this can do to your health. Mayo scared me straight after learning that people who have gained over 10 pounds from young adulthood are at risk for weight-related conditions. One of my worst fears is getting diabetes, and having a foot or leg cut off like my step-uncle. When I was a young adult, I weight between 116 – 125 pounds. (I was 5′10, so this was pretty skinny for a tall chick.) I can assure all of you that I am most definitely at least ten pounds over that weight today, partly my thyroid’s fault. I’ve always abused food my entire life and I know this book can cure me from that. Because when I am hitting cinnamon and butter late at night and alone because I’m not feeling good, I know I have a problem and I’m close to hitting rock bottom. If you are anything like me, then this book needs to be in your hands asap.
Buy your copy of The Mayo Clinic Diet here.
Mayo Clinic is the first not-for-profit integrated group practice in the world. Doctors from every specialty work together to diagnose and treat patients. Mayo is the largest integrated hospital in the world and they treat over a half a million patients every year. When you buy a copy of this book, the proceeds will fund medical education and research at Mayo Clinic. So, by helping yourself, you are also helping out people like me.
Voilà un WOD complexe et très exigeant pour le haut du corps en particulier. Félicitations à tous les athlètes présents qui ont su garder un rythme élevé durant ces 2 x 8 minutes !
You know, I will admit that I’m a very proud person. As far as sins go, that’s probably my biggest one…pride. And when someone wounds my pride, well…that’s just about the deepest cut you can make with me. For the most part, I can brush off a lot of things. But, as with most people, I have my sensitive areas…my size/weight happens to be one of them.
Now, I’m not saying I’m grossly large or anything. But, I grew up skinny…like, REALLY skinny. And when puberty hit, I “bloomed” quite quickly. I was not really ready for the attention I received at that point. So, I allowed myself to gain weight in order to “kill off” some of that attention. Unfortunately, it never worked. To this day, most of the men I run into tend to treat me as some sexual object. (I’m qualifying this with “most” b/c there are a few that actually like me for myself AND happen to find me sexually attractive…I know, shocking, right? haha) And it doesn’t matter how big my ass is, whether I have a tummy or not…they still make it plain that they just want to fuck me. Ok, fine…you think I’m the cat’s pajamas? Great…but don’t knock me for my size AFTER you’ve had a taste, ok? Because that’s just fucked up…
The reason I bring this up is, I took some pics to show a few friends the results of my recent weight loss. One of those friends happened to be the guy I went to England to visit last year. A few of you may remember that whole debacle. Anyway…what really got me was his response…
He wrote to me, “Nice pics. For me, you definitely look better now that you’ve lost weight. Keep going is what I say. I would love to see you having lost more.” Um…really? Wow…So…*shakes head*
I can’t even begin to describe to you what I feel when I read those words. Indignation? Check. Outrage? Check. Disappointment? Check. Sadness? Check. Fury? Check!!! *sigh* This is a man I thought I loved at one point. Someone I was so willing to give my heart to…and he just went and…UGH!!!! Why?!
Why tell me something so utterly stupid! He could’ve just said, “hey, you look great!” and I never would’ve thought twice about it. But no…I look better, huh? You want to see me lose more, eh? Well, guess what? You can eat the peanuts outta my shit, motherfucker…Because I’m going to lose more weight. And when I’m done, and I look fiiiiiiine as fuck, good enough to make you drool? I’m going to tell you to go fuck yourself! Asshole…
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NATIONAL HEART MONTH – Look After YOURS!
OK, so it’s February and if you’re like most people, guess what has happened to your well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions?
They’ve disappeared into the dark valley of shame, regret, and discouragement.
Hey, I’m not any pinnacle of virtue either, that’s for sure.
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She clearly explains the four steps, and it’s super
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Actually, I’m still shocked that she’s giving this away, but
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I watched this video twice, just to make sure I could jot
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I finally got some decent sleep yesterday but it meant I had to wake up at 8pm. This is fine, I spent all the quiet hours getting articles prepared for my contribution to Driving on the Sidewalk. I’m starting an Oscar Watch segment which will lead up to the big night in March. The idea is to do one a day if possible. That, plus the Idol Chatter (which I found out is already being used by USA Today so I might have to rename), plus the more snarky political/social “Douchebag of the Day” blog is keeping me busy… and this is a good thing.
Between that and my fiction writing/screenwriting, I seem busier now than I was when I was working outside the home.
Now the trick is to make them sustain me so I don’t have to go back to working a 9-5.
Hubby was gracious enough to make dinner for me, just a simple spaghetti meal. It’s pretty economical too because it makes at least 6-8 servings and costs about $6.50-8.50 for the ingredients. Say you use all the ingredients and split it up six ways, then you are paying less than $1.50 per meal.
I like to put artichoke hearts and black olives in mine, along with the sauce and the noodles. If I make it myself then I sautee onions and mushrooms as well – it’s very substantial.
If you’re a bread lover the good news is it can be a source of protein for your meal too. Take a loaf of whole wheat bread, rub a fresh garlic clove into the nooks and crannies and then bake until browned. I haven’t tried it yet (I was a butter gal), but I saw Rachael Ray do it once so I think I might give it a try.
The bread, artichokes and spaghetti are sources of protein, and you can also cook up some garlicky greens (either kale or spinach) to get even more.
The only problem is if it makes a ton then you’ll get tired of the meal really fast if you like a lot of variety in your diet. I find I run out of steam on a recipe by the third day. Thankfully I have a couple of black holes (aka teenage boys) I can give it to so it doesn’t go to waste.
This did not happen with my tacos, which tasted even better the second day than they did the first:
(and once again I must do a virtual jig of glee I’m able to have my beloved Tex Mex again without all the fat or calories)
If you live alone you may want to buy smaller quantities. It drives the cost up a tad but still keeps it fairly reasonable (especially when you figure what the cost of a frozen entree or a fast food meal typically runs).
If you want to use those veggie crumbles in your recipe, it’s going to be a little more pricey. But I highly recommend it if you’re having a hard time finding the right mix of vegan foods to keep you satisfied. Once you realize you can have the same food without all the health risk you won’t want to go back.
And next week, I’m makin’ WAFFLES!
I haven’t slept. I should be SO much fun in the chat for today’s Hot & Sxe Cam Show with Hal Sparks.
Join me, won’t you?
(Oh, and I did weigh in since I got a good stretch of sleep. Only lost a pound but glad to see the momentum hasn’t been sidelined by my inactivity. I’ve now hit 8 pounds lost for the month, I’m hoping for a total of 10 by next Thursday. Fingers crossed…)
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1800 calories a day – 90% success on this. Weekends, if i am lounging around the house, I seem to slack on the tracking but not necessarily on the eating. Just too lazy to go find my book. The of course there is the random crazy day, like today, where I was so busy at work all day long that although I was supposed to leave at 6:15, I didn’t leave until 7:30 and at that point I realized 2 things. 1. I was starving, having had lunch at 11 AM and nothing since and 2. I have only had 840 calories for the day and I was NOT going straight home. In fact, I was 45 minutes late to a seminar on Raw Food. (more on that later, my brain needs to absorb some info). Ultimately the bigger struggle remains in actually getting all my calories in this week.
Exercise daily, yes 7 days a week. 2 days can be really light, like an easy walk. The focus for this next 10 weeks is the half marathon training.-Half marathon training is going great. So far, I have not missed a run, although Thursday run did get cut a bit short due to black ice on my route, and while I intended to go back and finish in the evening, it just didn’t happen.(By the way, I managed to run one day this week before work! Woot!…So not gonna do this every day, but I will support Esquire in his Nashville training and run “with” him one day a week in the morning. On the other side, 7 days a week is not happening. Soon though, I am still working on finding a trainer!
Burn 600 calories a day from exercise, based on the HRM readouts- On my scheduled run days, not a problem! Quite easy, in fact! Still gotta work up to 7 days!
Drink 150 oz of water a day-Doing awful with this, this week. I am lucky if I get 96 oz in.
Acknowledge God and His place in my life in some deliberate fashion daily. i.e pray, praise, worship, testify!- I really like this part of my goals! It seems to be easier to stay focused on my tasks, when I have this going right! Woot. Woot.
Log my calories daily- see goal #1
Random facts. I realized after I posted my update last week that I skipped this random new knowledge of me the prior two weeks so I now owe you 3 previously unknown factoids about me. So, after consulting my “25 things you don’t know about me” list off Facebook, here they are.
1. Ironically enough, I was born weighing 4 lbs. I find it somewhat comical given my size today. I am certain my mom never thought that her daughter who practically fell out of her cuz she was so small and wanted out into this world so quickly would one day be 300 lbs!
2. I make really yummy chicken noodle soup. My friends like me to make it for them when they are sick. However, I never eat it myself. When I am sick and want it, I am too sick to make it and I don’t want soup any other time. Just not a soup eater.
3. On the same note, when I cook, I don’t know how to cook small. For example, when I make the above mentioned soup…I might be making soup for one, but it turns out to be enough for a family of 8! I don’t measure my soup, I just add things until it tastes right and well, it keeps growing. Plenty of people have been recipients of my soup in mass quantities. One time I made so much I split it between 3 different sickos and they each got ALOT of soup! This was the bonus of living in GR near Adam and Aaron. When I made too much of anything, I could take extras over to them! HAHA! Not anymore…now I freeze it and eat it for weeks on end!
I am a foodie,and my eating habits aren’t the best. I love everything that isn’t good for me, especially candy. In my past efforts to lose weight I would just cut out fast food and put frozen dinners in its place. I lost some weight, but it was just the weight you lose from cutting out fast food. I was still eating processed food, and very little fruits and veggies. Honestly, the only time I saw a vegatable was when my mom cooked Sunday dinner, and that was usually collard greens cooked with some type of meat in it. Usually sausage. I managed to lose some weight this way because I cut my calories, but I was still eating junk and I never reached my weight loss goal.
I know now that this isn’t the way to go, so I’m going to try something different. I’ve been researching eat clean, and the Clean Eating Diet for a while. Never thought I could do it though. I thought it would be too hard, too time consuming, and too expensive. However, after extensive research, I’ve realized that its not really that hard, expensive, or time consuming. It’s all about planning.
I have the ability to cut out processed food, but I always thought that it meant buying all this food and making all these random meals, which added up to an expensive shopping list. However, that is not the case. If you plan your meals ahead it ends up not being expensive. For example, you can make chicken dishes one week, turkey dishes another, and fish dishes another. Find enough recipes for the week, and shop for the ingredients in the recipes. It’s actually quite easy.
So this is my new endeavor. Eating clean. I believe I can do it. My only issue would be my mom, who I think tries as hard as she can to stay away from anything healthy. I don’t want to hurt her feeling , but if what she cooks doesn’t fit my guidelines I can’t eat it. I do believe I can get around that and maybe even convince her to make healthier choices.
We will see how this will work out for me. Hopefully eating clean and exercise will get me to my goal on schedule.
To say I’m impressed with Dr Al Sears new book would be an understatement.
In this post I want to mention only one point from his book but this one is profound. And may encourage you to look further into his works.
On page 55, he gives a table which I will try a reproduce
WHAT DOES YOUR BODY USE FOR FUEL WHEN WE EXERCISE?
ACTIVITY LEVEL Protein Carbs Fat
Resting 1-5% 35% 60%
Low intensity 5-8% 70% 15%
Moderate Intensity 2-5% 40% 55%
High Intensity 2% 95% 3%
From the table above you would think that resting would be the best way to burn fat. But unfortunately the body is a self correcting system and the obvious answer is not always right.
What happens is; if you create a debt by using up fat stores, the body immediately replaces them as it thinks you need them. So sitting on the couch won’t help much.
What we should be looking at is the High Intensity line which shows only 3% fat use and 95 % carb use. What this means is that as we exercise at high intensity for only a minute or two the body is burning carbs for fuel. When we stop the body takes stores from fat and converts them to carbs in case we need them again. So if we constantly train at high intensity for short burts we teach the body to convert fat to fuel.
So we can work with the bodies self correcting mechanism and teach it a new way to operate by how we exercise.
And the beauty of the PACE system is we can all start where we are and progressively build up to only 12 minutes a day.
I have been working hard at keeping my weight in check for many years and I always like to do things in the best possible way. So that’s why I have given away the weight lifting, the 45 minute cardio walks and the 45 minutes out of my days when I can achieve so much more in so much less time.
In only 12 minutes a day I can do much more to set up the fat burning process that will work for me all day, even up to 2 days, so I only need to exercise 12 minutes a day 3 or 4 times a week instead of the 270 minutes a week as I do now!
Isn’t it amazing waht a new idea do to improve our lives. So now I have my eating being helped along with BIOS Life SLIM and my exercise program being done correctly. I am on my way to super success in this body of mine.
It is exciting to know that the answers are here and I really believe in them both.
I binge and I go down .2lbs? This is with the understanding that I didn’t manage to take a shit (sorry for the language/TMI… though I’m sure if you have an ED, you deal with that stuff all the time anyway) in the past 24 hours. Normal, considering I shit like once every 2-4 days. Probably not healthy (especially considering all the fiber-y stuff I consume… seriously, body, WHAT THE FUCK?), but… hey I’m still alive!
300 cals and horseback riding tomorrow. This will be fun. =) I’m thinking 100 cals (an apple? a banana? something like that) after school (before horseback riding) and 200 cals – bell pepper, ice cream – after horseback riding since my parents will be watching me to make sure I eat normally. Normal… yeah, right, whatever.
The thing I have against eating the food my mom makes is that I never know how many calories it is. *Sigh* I love prepackaged food. It’s like… orgasmic. XD Just knowing that it’s that EXACT number of calories. It’s nice. Saves a lot of worry and anxiety and fear.
Today was amazingly easy. =) Though I don’t expect my weight to have gone down tomorrow morning. Stupid lack of shit-taking skills. XD
Deb walked into basic step class for the first time one Monday night nearly five years ago when I taught in Minnesota. She had never been to a gym, and she had never taken a group fitness class. I greeted her when she introduced herself and told me that her doctor had cleared her for exercise. She explained that she needed to lose 100 pounds, and she would start by taking my class. When I gave Deb a quick overview of class, she nodded and looked around the studio nervously. I pointed to where the step benches were stacked, and she said, “Well, I don’t think I can use a bench yet, but I can do the moves just with my feet—in the back of the room. And I don’t know if I’ll make it the whole hour.”
No one had ever taken my step class without actually using the step, so I had no idea what to expect. All I knew is that Deb’s revelation about not being able to lift her legs onto that bench made me realize the long journey she had ahead of her. I realized Deb’s incredible bravery and her determination to make a serious change in her life. Deb’s first class was scary for me as an instructor because I worried when her face turned bright pink and when she stopped frequently to wipe her brow with the sweat towel. But she kept her feet moving the whole time. She completed the entire class. I was ever so proud of someone I just met. All she said was, “I’ll be back!”
When Deb showed up again the next week, I was thrilled. So often, women take that first step of entering the gym, a place that can feel intimidating or awkward, and they’ve already crossed an enormous hurdle, but then something painful or embarrassing happens which prevents them from returning. Difficult as it must have been for Deb, she kept coming back. She kept doing step class without a bench, and she always smiled on her way out the door. Funny enough, my mom was the instructor who took over teaching my basic step class when I moved to Boston. Every so often, I would ask her about Deb, waiting for the day my mom would tell me she used that step bench for the very first time.
I’ve lost track of Deb since my mom retired from teaching. But I will not forget her—how great her goal was and how much heart she put into achieving it. Sometimes as I open the front door to the gym, I remember her and how inspired I am by the fact that she isn’t afraid to keep opening that door.
The first key to getting the body of your dreams or at least a body that isn’t a nightmare is INTENSITY. The biggest waste of time you can do is to just go through the motions with your workouts. Go into the gym and give a half hearted weak sauce effort and you will accomplish absolutely nothing. I don’t care how old or young you are, how out of shape or in shape you are, what medical or injury concerns you have, you need to figure out where your limit or comfort zone ends, and go slightly beyond it. Intensity should be scaled for each individual. Obviously I don’t expect a middle aged or elderly man or woman, or someone with bad knees to workout exactly like a healthy athletic 25 year old, but everyone has that threshold that they can meet and exceed. Figure out what 5th gear is for you, and get in gear and drive fast. Don’t sit their idling in 1st or 2nd gear or you’ll never get anywhere. Watch the video below to see some men and women of different ages and abilities demonstrating the intensity levels that are right for them to improve themselves and reach their goals.
I have to laugh when people say things like, “I run so I can eat pizza,” because oh, how I get it. If I didn’t have 35 pounds to lose, I’d be all over that. But for now, healthy it is. And because I am only down .5lbs from last week (booooo)–and because those blank spots on the Nike+ weekly graph are maddening–I’m going to try to do something physical every day. This is particularly important because my job means sitting on my ass, all day long.
I took advantage of the lovely day and went for a walk, which Nike+ seems to think was a run, because 492 calories seems like an unreasonable burn for a leisurely 4 mile walk. Interestingly enough, my pace varies more when walking than it does when running:
Hunger is definitely becoming an issue, though. The day is fine but come nightfall, I’m starving…and craving the junkiest of junk food. What foods do you eat to fuel your runs without piling on empty calories?
This ebook lets anyone including YOU to easily learn Tai Chi with: -Animated graphic of Tai Chi movement with exact timing : Simply follow the animation to get started doing your first Tai Chi movement right away. -Simple and clear step by step Tai Chi instruction: – Learn hand, leg and waist movement for smooth co-ordination. – Learn how to distribute body weight “very important ” for energy flow. – Covers other important elements not seen in animation. -Master Chan Yang Tai Chi secrets : Makes your Tai Chi movement better than 70% of all practitioners.
This Tai Chi eBook covers the first 14 forms of Authentic Yang Tai Chi. Now you can learn Tai Chi movement at the convenience of your home. Just follow the animation movement while taking note of the annotation to get started in a few minutes time.
It can be said that the quality of your life is influenced and directed by the quality of questions you ask. What types of questions you ask other people is not nearly important as the type of questions you ask yourself.
Imagine for a moment that nothing, and I mean nothing, is impossible. If that was your belief, the only logical question went confronted with a challenge would be:
“How can I accomplish this?”
You want a new car?
Instead of believing you can’t afford it, ask yourself what you need to do to be able to afford it. Do you need to take on a second job? Do you need to budget the money you currently make better?
You want to lose weight?
Instead of believing that you’ve tried everything, only to repeatedly fail, ask yourself what you need to do to lose weight. (The answer to this question is simpler than most people are willing to accept). What books can I read? What people do I need to speak to or work with? What habits do I need to change? What can I eat instead of this cookie? Where is the nearest health club I can join?
Don’t have time for your kids?
Instead of believing that, ask yourself how you can manage your other responsibilities to free up time to spend with your loved ones. Ask your kids what is valuable to them to make every moment you do share more valuable.
Any challenege you have can be managed simply by asking better questions. Ask yourself questions that empower you. Ask questions that put you in control of your destiny. Here’s the two best question of all:
So, I am back on board, not as fully locked and loaded as I’d like to be and I have concerns about tomorrow food-wise and I am eating a beanless, riceless fajita bowl, but I’m here.
Went to a reception/basketball game at our nearby college. It was good. Nice. I got a new jacket about which I’m having a weird palpitation since financially, obviously, we’re not supposed to be doing right now and there was a weird issue with the card and then, palpitations. Alright. So, at any rate, I suddenly realized whilst in the store – not shopping, once the coat that I’ve eyed for ages was thrust upon me that I totally fucking hate the coat I currently own. It has giant puffy white hairballs at the ends of it and it’s slightly too big in that its arms are about six inches longer than mine. And it makes me feel like a retarded snow bunny all the time. So this black peacoat felt like the opposite of everything I hate about that coat that I never realized I hated until I saw this new coat, and I wigged and bought it.
So. That happened. And I wore it to this function and felt cute and small and I ate a few of the hors d’oeurves and tried to steer clear of all of the little carbs hidden about. Imperfect, but tolerable. Then, I felt hungry as I’d only had a wee lunch of egg and bacon and pepper and a wee little shake for breakfast so I got some food. And I’m feeling alright about it. Timing was off for me to get in much exercising, though I did try – started the DVD and everything before I was hauled off. I will do better on that tomorrow.
They’re painting my room at home since my aunt is going to stay with us. 6…seven…eight years and my bare white walls are going to see some color. It’s like a cinnamon, chocolate color. I don’t want to associate it with food, but that’s the color it is. My other aunt is coming in from Chicago and we’ll all be together next weekend. I don’t know how it’ll be, or even how the funeral will be, but I hope I can lend her some support and not use the emotionality to excuse bad eating or not exercising or what. But…if that happens, it happens. Life is too short for guilt and regret short-circuiting plans. I know that now.
Driving home, I’m thinking about this coffee meeting. That’s what it is, really, just a meeting. A getting together and seeing how one another is in real life. It’s not Cupid writing Enochian sigils in our hearts. It’s not fate or destiny or white knights or the failure of any of the above if it doesn’t click magically. And it’s not a name signed in the Devil’s book if there’s fun in it or pleasure in it. I don’t have to have a terrible time to say, okay, you know what, I’m not ready or interested in being your one and only person.
And now, I’m just chatting with friends, feeling relatively normal. Funny how the day is all these pieces of events half-happened, and you end up, somehow, with something.
Back in 2008 I needed to make some serious changes in my life in order to become a healthy person again. The prior year was by far the most challenging year of my life as I went through a very difficult divorce, my Dad broke the news he had cancer and found out my grandfather (who was like a father to me) had cancer that we would not be able to beat. I basically gave up on myself and my health ballooning to 258 lbs.
At the turn of 2008 I decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and create an amazing life. It wasn’t until I met Shannon in the summer of ’08 that I realized it was time to get my health back. She inspired me to get into shape so I could snowboard more effectively and for the simple fact that I needed to be in better health. Well, I took her advice and went on to lose 32 lbs. The amazing part about this is I only worked out 1-2x/week for about 2.5 months. I stopped working out as my grandfather passed away and was in the middle of a huge merger with my mortgage company. Something had to give and it was working out.
Learning how to eat properly allowed me to continue to lose weight and keep it off. I didn’t work out for most of 2009. I then decided to tackle the 24 Day Challenge and lost an additional 11 lbs. bringing me within 3 lbs. of my weight (210 lbs.) when I was a senior in college. During the 24 Day Challenge (Jan. 2010) I didn’t work out, but after feeling so amazing on the inside and having my body look so much better I made the commitment to workout 3x/week at SQUEEZE at 6am in group training. So today I have lost 43 pounds!!!
I am now rebuilding my muscle and adding on good weight. I haven’t felt this good since college. I no longer crave junk food. I look forward to clean and healthy meals. I have more energy than ever. I am more focused and efficient in my businesses. It has been an amazing blessing in my life and I truly thank God for bringing Shannon into my life as she saved me from serious health and stress issues that were inevitable. Oh by the way, I also fell in love with her. We have been dating for over a year, have an adorable dog named “Red” as we live a great life together now in Muskego. My life is truly amazing.
I hope my story can inspire someone to take back their life and realize it isn’t about working out 5 days/week. It is just the opposite. If you take back total control of your life you can achieve similar results by eating well, being involved at SQUEEZE at least 1 day/week and allowing Shannon and her trainers help you love yourself again and realize that you can achieve anything you put your mind to with the help of a trusted coach for your fitness and nutrition.
Thank you Shannon, David and Kelly for giving back my life!
Food Consumed- ? Calories
x4 Footlong Chicken Breast Subs.
Workout- Did some core exercises on my exercise ball.
Supplements taken-
Took some multivitamins in the morning.
Overall thoughts-
Sorry about the missed post yesterday, went out clubbing Thursday night. Most interesting workout related stuff, is that my biceps aren’t very sore at all, and I worked them out Wednesday. I improved upon my sets too, so I find this strange (this is the first time my muscles haven’t been fairly sore after a workout). Not sure why, but whatever. Today was supposed to be chest and triceps at the gym, but the person I work out with was out playing some laser tag. A little disapointed, but I know I will make up for it next week .
Three words ring out days or weeks after January 1st – I blew it.
Blew what?
The resolution. The diet. The promise. The exercise plan. The quest for health. The pursuit of fitness.
The words aren’t limited to the onset of a new year. They arrive after commitments to betterment run into an acceptance of a failed attempt. They arrive after a promise to change is followed by abandonment of the promised journey.
Here’s my take on blowing it. You’ve only blown it if you stop, and fail to start with a new attempt or a modifcation in the approach. You’ve only blown it if you stop learning and acting. I’m not going to give you the “Thomas Edison failed umpteen thousand times before he invented the lightbulb” story, or the “Sylvester Stallone was rejected for Rocky again and again and again” saga. Instead I’ll put it on you with a simple question.
Do you really want it?
If “it” is better health, better fitness, better confidence, better well-being, better muscularity, better sexuality, better performance, or better all around sense of power, you know you really want it.
Most people blow it. You don’t want to be most people. You may, however, find comfort among the masses. You’re certainly not alone if you resign yourself to “I tried.”
Oh, there are lots of excuses, and many of them are “good ones.” You might have been diagnosed with a “condition.” Perhaps you blame your thyroid, your parents, your hormones, or your spouse. Perhaps your family doesn’t enjoy “healthy foods” or your job requires that you eat donuts.
Excuses support the non-phenomenon of “blowing it.” They are thoughts that may, in the moment, make you OK with what would have otherwise been a blatant sense of failure. If you want to wallow in those excuses, if you want to coddle those thoughts and allow them to recirculate, and if you want to rationalize by deciding there are others worse off than you so what’s the big deal if you find comfort in Edy’s Grand . . . every night . . . far be it from me to challenge you. All I ask is that you accept that you’re making a choice.
I’ll make a promise. You can be better. I’ll make another promise. If you want to be better, it’s in your court. I know you can, only because I understnad the human machine. I understand metabolism. I understand the process of positive physical change. If you want to gain some new momentum, if you want to kick the excuses to another universe, then a few forward steps can ensure that you never blow it again.
There are three massive mistakes that are so common almost everyone I consult with has made them:
1. They fail to eat enough
2. They exercise more than they have to and typically fail to adequately recuperate
3. They have absurd expectations, accept absurd beliefs that something’s supposed to change in the blink of an eye, and if they do, in fact, find a valid and supportive program, they fail to recognize the milestones and decide it didn’t work way before visible results could manifest.
Any of those ring true for you? Let’s try a few things.
First, consider that a 150 pound man lying in a hammock would burn about 1500 calories in a 24 hour period. If he’s going to sustain his metabolic need, he has to consume at least 1500 calories in a day. If he gets up and moves, he’s going to require significantly more than the 1500 calories he requires to lay still. Now, let’s suppose this 150 pounder dcides he’s going to consume 800 calories a day. He’ll survive. His body will opt to create fuel from amino acids, and after a short while, it will consume muscle tissue as fuel. That’s a win if his only goal is survival, especially because the reduction in muscle reduces his caloric need. In addition, his endocrine system will work to avoid starvation by adjusting production of thyroid hormones and slowing metabolism. Eventually, he’ll have reset his metabolic thermostat so in a modified body, with a slower metabolism, he survives on 800 calories. I said that’s good . . . if survival is the goal . . . but if the 150 pound man doesn’t want to get fat . . . the muscle loss and endocrine shift is anything but good. Eventually, he’ll go back to eating more, and the 1500 calories that once sustained him in a state of extended rest, will now lead to the accumulation of fat. With repetitive bouts of dieting, he’ll gradually turn himself into a fat guy who says, “I’m going to start my diet new years,” and winds up “blowing it.”
But Phil, I’m not a 150 pound man!
The illustration using the 150 pound man becomes even more disheartening when we apply it to someone who begins the process in an overweight condition. The reduction in calories slows an already compromised metabolism and as muscle diminishes, the body programs itself to become quite efficient at adding fat.
What does all of this mean? It simply means a calorie restrictive diet is NOT going to be a solution if long term healthful fat loss is a goal . . . thus . . . failing to eat enough is an element leading to perceived failure.
Ideally, someone seeking fat loss will consume frequent meals made up of delicious (yes, I said delicious) combinations of lean proteins, natural slow-release carbohydrates, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Frequent meals throughout the day help to supply fuel and materail for building new healthy cells. Most people who come to understand the “synergy” that combines supportive eating with the right type of exercise are initially shocked by the volume of food they consume as they lose fat.
Maybe you’ve been with me for some time. Maybe you attended one of my seminars. Maybe you’ve heard this before. Good. If it didn’t sink in yet, and you “blew it,” unblow it! Apply it now, and know that supportive eating is only one of three pieces of the synergy. That leads to further exploration of mistake #2, too much exercise, too little recuperative downtime.
This will shock you. I am having the best success in boosting endurance and in burning fat by taking my clients through 12-minute aerobic sessions. Yes, 12 minutes. I know it flies in the face of convention. I know it goes against everything you’ve heard about “burning glucose first and not releasing fat until you’ve spend 15-20 minutes in your target zone.” Here’s what I say. It’s working! It’s backed by science . . . and . . . look at our population before you assume convention is working.
The 12 minute sessions including metabolic “pumps,” short duration all-out efforts where the clients kick the energy output to their perceived max for 12-15 second bursts. This seems to activate the “fight or flight” systems and amplify the production of catecholamines. It sparks a release of “fuel” and allows for enhanced fat burning. It also, over an 8-week period, has been consistent in increasing VO2 Max, a measure of aerobic endurance. The short sessions allow for individuals with active lives and fair amounts of stress to recuperate adequately. Long duration frequent intense workout may require a full 8 hours of sleep and a sufficient management of stress to allow for an optimal internal environment for fat release and health.
I said there are three pieces to the Synergistic process that “works,” the first piece being supportive eating, the second piece being moderate aerobic exercise, and the third part I’ve always called A Concern for Muscle. Here too, most of those who try and fail do far too much. The resistance portion of the ALIVE protocol, the protocol I’m using to help people find movement toward their physical best, typically incorporates 6 – 8 movmeents and workouts that rarely exceed 20 minutes. Conventional? No. Effective? You bet.
That leaves us with one more mistake to explore . . . false expectations and failure to follow through.
The explosion of diets over the past decade and the emergence of fitness magazines, websites, infomercials, and supplement ads have contributed to the blaring repetition of an all-too-familiar theme. “It’s quick.” Stimulants, appetite suppressants, drugs, and extremes have reinforced the illusion, and the tricks that lead to rapid loss of pounds are the same hazards that lead to a sense that the program “stopped working.” Quick weight loss is always going to be water loss, and continued quick weight loss is going to almost always include loss of muscle. Quick muscle gain using prohormones or anabolic drugs are almost always going to be short-lived or, reliance upon hormone and drugs may cause lasting compromise of the endocrine system. Because people “see” quick results, they believe they too should achieve dramatic changein unreasonably shor ttime periods.
21 days is enough time to note improvement if you have a fair gauge for progress. 8 weeks is enough to show dramatic change. 16 weeks is enough for most people to recognize that they are not only better, but far better than they anticipated. Of course, the time period only leads to thrilling results if the approach is sound, if the synergy of positive physical change is respected and employed.
If you made it this far, I know you’re in touch with your sense of want, and now you have a bit of new information. If you’ve been plagued by one of more of the mistakes, you need only to make some shifts to move toward the betterment you want for.
I’m here to help. The Synergy you’ll rely upon is outlined completely in all of my programs. Whether you opt for ALIVE, the ANSWER, Transform, the remote 21 Day Journey, or one of my live programs, I’ll make you one more promise. Betterment begins when you accept new possibility and take a step forward with a true technology of physical change. I’ve been sharing that technology now for over 25 years. Put excuses to bed, allow the past to be the road that led you here, and get started on a program that can take you to true excellence.
Water, water, and more water. I can’t stress enough the importance of drinking enough water. Even still, I have to remind myself, and force myself, to drink enough. Sad, but true. After everything I have read over the years about how important water is for our bodies, you would think I would be chomping at the bit to get enough. But, like all of us, I have to consciously remind myself “oh, it’s time to make my water”. I fill a 20 oz. glass with ice and clean water. I drink 5 of those a day. Yup, five. That’s 100 ounces of water per day – or just under a gallon. I just recently read somewhere that to find the amount of water we need to drink per day, you take your weight (207), cut it in half (103.5), and that’s how many ounces of water you should drink per day. So I don’t get that 3.5 ounces… hey, I’m drinking water aren’t I?
The list of benefits of proper hydration are endless. Considering our bodies are made mostly of water, it’s a no-brainer. With proper hydration; your hair, skin and nails will be stronger, healthier and more vibrant. Your digestive system will function at its optimum level so you will be an optimum pooper (very important!). Provided you are getting enough fiber in your diet (also very important), water is even more important to keep things moving. Water is key in removing waste products from our bodies, including fat. Getting enough water keeps our joints lubed, our muscles from getting as sore after a workout, and helps us get better sleep. Water plays a part in the proper function of every single cell in your body, and when you think about that, since our entire bodies are made up of nothing but cells, then our entire bodies will function better in every single aspect. And for the women – the reason we bloat during that time of the month is because our bodies are storing water. Drink more water and experience less bloat!
One of my excuses when I was young and dumb was “But it makes me pee more!” First off, that’s kind of the point. Secondly, at first yes, drinking a bunch of water will make you pee more, but it’s because your body is adjusting, and it’s removing all the toxins and sludge that have built up in your system from being dehydrated for so long. Oh, and ya, water helps the lining of your bladder regenerate more frequently causing less frequent urges and a healthier elimination system.
I could ramble on all day about the benefits of water, but I won’t. Water removes excess sodium. Just keep in mind that with anything we do with our bodies, water is the most important thing we can put into them. We can only live a few days without water. You can’t get enough hydration from the water that is in your beer, soda, tea, coffee, or juice. Water is good. In fact, these things will dehydrate you, not hydrate you. Water is great. You have to drink pure, clean, filtered water. Water rules! And you have to drink plenty, and every single day.
Every athlete wakes up in the morning thinking that he/she should be faster, better, fitter today than yesterday. Or else his dreams of winning in his game would remain just that – Dream. Any serious athlete wants to improve his performance.
Every morning an executive wakes up thinking that he/should be productive, highly energetic with a Go-getter attitude. He too wants to improve his performance.
That wish puts breakfast as the most important thing you will feed your body every day! You better not go wrong with that…
High Performance Diet and why Breakfast is Important:
We recommend that you always try to get a solid 6-8 hours sleep every day. During your sleep cycle, after the first 3-4 (halfway) hours, your body start its breakdown. There is no easy way to say it. We Performance Nutritionist call it – Catabolism (Muscle Loss). Your body has depleted its fuel after its last meal and begins to target the fat stored in your body for energy and muscles for amino acids.
Note: You need to know that your muscles are made of 6 types of Amino Acids – Glutamine (60%), BCAA (35%) and the rest being Arginine – these you will find in our products MUSCLEMAX ( to build well defined muscles), FITNEZ ( for aerobics, dance and other low intense workouts and PWRSPORTS ( Endurance and stamina for athletes)
Basically, your body is into a fasting state for 6-8 hours. You must stop this catabolism of your body. You must break this state. That is why we call it Breakfast, which comes from “Break the Fast”
In order to break the fast, jump start your metabolism and get your body into anabolic state you have to supply yourself with high quality protein, complex carbs and some good fats. Add a small dosage of Vitamins to the diet and you have an awesome breakfast.
Your body is made of Protein. So it is vital that you give your body muscle building amino acids. Sports Athletes can get it from egg whites ( and we recommend egg whites for its bio value and easy to digest format) but for working executives who have no time a good thing would be to have low fat milk & sprouts with fruits like banana .
One of the best ways to get the right nutrition after your workout/exercises is taking MUSCLEMAX or FITNEZ. Since this pure form amino nutrition requires less digestion than other sources of protein, muscle-building amino acids reaches the blood and muscles quicker, spontaneously starting growth and repair.
This is Nutrition convenience at its best. Just rip open a sachet, pop it in your mouth and wash it down with water.
At BODYFUELZ we offer customized Nutrition and Diet plans with next generation amino nutrition. Get in touch with us at pmt@bodyfuelz.com or call 1800-200-4500 to see how we can help you become better high performance sports athletes, a fitter and productive professional or wanna plan your weight management program. We have solutions for you.
Well I did it! I hit 70lbs lost on Monday night at my Weight Watchers meeting. That means I’m really only about 1.5lbs away on my home scale to hitting 75, this is pleasing. Last week went fine, I managed to avoid all Super Bowl garbage by going to see a movie (I don’t even care about sports, I only attend Super Bowl parties FOR the FOOD!) so that was good.
The weather here is still pretty crap-tastic. Snow upon freezing wind followed by sun, oh Colorado you are so crazy. The days have DEFINITELY gotten longer which Thrills me! I saw this Post Secret last week and I just feel like it was calling to me:
My meeting actually went really well, there are a lot of new members right now so every week I see people I have never seen before. When I weighed in there was a new woman at the desk, and of course as soon as she saw my achievement of 70lbs she got all excited and said…can you guess…”OH MY GOD YOU MUST FEEL LIKE A DIFFERENT PERSON!” Yeah I get this a LOT. That night though I just smiled and said “you know, not really” which my WW leader over heard and she came over to chat. We started talking about how it takes a while for you brain to catch up with your body. She told me about some study they did with like 100 woman of varying sizes that they put in a room and told them to stand in a long line from biggest to smallest. The women had to silently without help from each other find their spot in the line. In the end only a very small percentage of the women actually understood what size they were, some guessed too small, some to large. The women that were the most off were the ones who had lost a significant amount of weight, these women were blind to their own size. I feel like that right now.
This week we talked about “Putting Yourself First” which is something I have mastered! LOL! Seriously though I have 100% made me (and Mr. Gaunt)’s health my main priority, and I’m cool with that! I could never have gotten this far if I hadn’t put ME first! Anyways, after we talked about that we did “Celebrations” which I was pretty excited about because I had a new number! When my leader announced my accomplishment everyone clapped for me, and then my leader asked me to talk about what was my key to success. This is always kind of a hard one, but I told them about how I have learned to cook healthy meals, and how I have made this my life style and how I put myself first. I’ve thought about sharing about my blog (which I do attribute a lot of my success too) but I havent yet. After that we all started getting ready to go and this little old man (who comes with his wife, I bet they are in their late 70’s) came up to me and shook my hand and said “I am just so proud of you.” It melted my heart, he doesn’t even know me and he is proud of me. It made me think how much I am looking forward to seeing my own grandparent this summer so they can say the same thing. As I was leaving a few other people came up and asked me questions and said sweet things about my weight loss, I really felt on top of the world. If nothing else, it’s THAT community that keeps me going back to Weight Watchers.
So I dont have a 70lb picture because I took one not too long ago, but I will leave you with this…it made me laugh.
An event recap and preview by Event Manager Sydney Weaver-Bey
So, the fitness festival is over and we’re all breathing a sigh of relief, happy we all made it through alive. As a line of approxiamately 30 people waited outside the door to the exhibit hall on the morning of the 30th at about 8:30am, I briefly thought to myself, “what have I gotten myself into?” At the same time, adreneline was pumping and excitement rushed through my veins. I smiled, and realized, “Hey I played a part in this.” What a great feeling that was!
Then it was time to return to reality and realize these people are waiting for me to tell them something, do something, look and act like I knew what I was doing. I pulled it together, just in time to hear organizer Felina Martin say over the stage speakers, “Welcome to the 3rd Annual Tallahassee Fitness Festival, the doors are now open.” And it began.
Over 50 exhibitors were at the one day event and more than 800 people came through the doors that day. The Army made its first appearance at the event with its rock-climbing wall, a huge hit. And they also performed an Army-style work-out on the Fit Floor, NOT such a huge hit! Other Fit Floor presenters included FIT Awards winner for Best New Instructor Margie Milan and presenting sponsor HUMANA’s Silver Sneakers workout for seniors. Speaking of HUMANA, we were proud and honored to have them as the presenting sponsor for the 3rd Annual Tallahassee Fitness Festival.
Kids had a ball in the Kids Korner with Sparky the Firedog, Batman and Spiderman. They played on the inflatable obstacle course, boxing ring and bounce house. FSU athletes joined the children in the Kids Korner to take photos and sign autographs.
The day was a complete rush and flew by in a flash. We got some wonderful coverage of the event from both news channels as well as Florida A&M University’s news channel.
See the ABC27 story here
See the WCTV6 story here
See the FAMU TV20 story here
After the 3rd Annual Tallahassee Fitness Festival there was no rest for the weary, sleepy and sore (from standing on concrete all day). Nope, instead the folks here at Eventions barrelled through to the next event. And that event would be…
…none other than Cupid’s House Party! Now, at this point you may be saying to yourself, “huh?” Let me explain, Cupid’s House Party, affectionately referred to as CHP around Eventions, is a fun evening of singles which includes 3 events in one night.
Event #1 is a divorce party for the recently divorced and broken hearted. This event will feature ‘bash your ex’ games such as a dart board and a special divorce toast.
Event #2 is a bid for bachelors/bachelorettes charity auction. Tallahassee’s sexiest singles and fun date packages will be up for sale. Bidding will start at $20 and bachelors and bachelorettes have chosen the charity they would like to donate their proceeds towards. Charities chosen include the March of Dimes and the American Diabetes Association, among many others. Check out the bachelors and bachelorettes here.
Event #3 is the ’ultimate icebreaker for singles’ you got it, Lock and Key. This event, which is gaining noteriety in the Tallahassee area as the premier event for singles, will cap off this fun singles evening.
This valentine’s day singles don’t have to succumb to a solemn mood, instead they can come out and enjoy a Single-tine’s day celebration!
For more information about this event or to RSVP please visit www.cupidshouseparty.com or call 222-0200
Food Consumed- ? Calories
x2 Footlong Chicken Breast Subs.
Workout- Did some core exercises on my exercise ball. Today was Back/Shoulders at the gym.
Supplements taken-
Took some multivitamins in the morning, had a protein shake with creatine after workout.
Overall thoughts-
Feels good to be back in the gym again, another great workout. Feel like I am going to be really sore after this one. On workouts that I have done before, I improved upon them again. We also tried some new stuff, so we are getting some variation (although it is making keeping track of it all very difficult). Good stuff.
Well, here I am, all settled into the guest bedroom of my friend. I got my overnight bag and my plan for tomorrow. I will get up at 7p, jog around the block for a half hour (cool new neighborhood), and then go back to the condo to eat breakfast. I totally forgot to pack my food, both for tonight and for breakfast (I found a can of tuna and a can of refried beans that gave my my final 400 calories…not perfect, but I’m proud of myself anyway.)
I’m off to a bar that’s up the street to hang out with another friend of mine, so I can vent and beat the wall, and feel a little bit better. It’s been a rough night, but also a very freeing night.
I HOPE that Hubby got the message. He seemed to. He was sad and well, maybe this break is just what we need to be nicer to one another. It’s hard enough being my own cheerleader, but when others try to tear you down too….it’s just not gonna work.
If I had any second thoughts about moving out for a few days, they were all dashed when Hubby came home tonight. I was exercising my brains out in the living room to my EA Active, and doing a really good job…I mean, I was proud of myself!
He comes in, and the only two things he says are “Your Mii (virtual character) is really thin.”
“Thanks for noticing that Hubby,” I said, “He’s not fat enough to represent me. Gotcha. Thanks for the note.”
And then later when I was doing these KILLER jumping squats, he says, “We have downstairs neighbors.” Mind you, it’s only 630p.
I said, “Another negative thing to say? Okay Hubby, whatever!” He says “What?”, so I repeat it much louder, with an extra emphasis on the WhatEVER part….it felt good.
Like water off a duck. Like water off a duck.
All right ya’ll….if anyone in your life is putting you down, or trying to make you feel less than…if you have more energy than you know what to do with, and want to be validated for it; then go find those people who will do that. I have some great friends, and I”m very fortunate.
I write about this, because when your primary support system isn’t there for you, it affects everything. I couldn’t write an honest blog and NOT talk about Hubby. I’m not trying to blame, just to document. You know that writing actually clears the mind a bit. And besides, I have nothing to hide, and I’m not ashamed.
Like I said, Hubby isn’t a bad person, he’s just stressed. I know that. And I love him very much. I also know what I need to be successful, and I’m putting myself first when it comes to my health.
I’m starting early today on this post in case of a deteriorating mood that happens to me when I’m faced with having to go out in falling snow. For someone who lives where we have snow relatively frequently, I’ve never adjusted to driving in it and even a ten minute drive fills me with great sorrow and concern, nausea, perhaps. So, I don’t know how today will look and I want to post and feel the doneness of having posted all day long. Might cheer me up.
Sunday means stats.
Started January 2nd at 164.5
Goal: 130
Currently: 152
That is, mes amis, 12.5 pounds of my 34.5 goal.
However, I do want to put a little caveat next to that 152 lest next week it goes back up and everyone tears their hair out in dismay and disappointment. When I did my usual weigh in time of 7ish am, it had not moved, much as I stomped on it and reset it and made sure my feet were settled. I was feeling in a word: shitty, as a result. Because I have been, on the whole, damn good. I have not been writing exactly what I eat because for me, at this stage, I know it will do more harm than good because I can handle making sure I get enough calories and enough carbs in a general sense right now and I think it will make me incredibly more neurotic to spend more time berating myself for too much, too little. Perhaps it’ll get to that point if I have future (or current) plateaus, but as of now, I’d like to rely a lot more on the way I feel and recognizing my hunger and just reading labels than documenting every bite.
So, anyway, back to the story, it is cold here. Icy cold and being frustrated with the world, I went back to bed. It’s a couple hours later and feeling like 154.5 is the ugliest number ever and an impossible number since I was 153 yesterday in the weigh-ins that don’t count….I tried again and stomping, resetting, checking my feet weren’t on the carpet, it said 152.
So I don’t really know. I’m going with the 152 and leaving the damn box alone. 152 feels much more right, after weeks of no weight change – though I am confident that inches have been lost and my legs are becoming taut and hungry to run or at least walk hard just about every day. But, it kind of proves that it doesn’t really matter.
Because if it was 154.5 all day long today, does that mean I should stop if my body feels better doing this? I can figure out what adjustments to make and have done, starting with those protein bars that delicious as they were, I’m not at all ready for. I know that 152-149 is where I waver. It starts to become real, and I start to feel dangerous now. I start to feel undeserving of a body I feel decent in and like I might make a mistake with it. I feel like I start to become visible and I shake my own wall of faith down so that I can revert back to a more physical, tangible defense.
Not this time, though, you irascible temple of the soul, you cowardly shrine to the spirit. The decision can’t just be made by one part of the self and as scared as I might be of actual change and success and the power that might result: more confidence, more risk-taking, more dream-following, more love, more responsibility, more joy, more change….there are parts of me that are yearning, starving, gagging for just that and it’s time we at least got a chance to see how bad it could possibly be to be honestly satisfied with who we are.
So, I have a tendency of using song lyrics for titles and such. This particular one if from “The Chain” by Ingrid Michaelson. Ah, I suppose it’s now time to explain this particular title, isn’t it? Well, you see, I have this friend, we’ll call him Demitri, and he and I dated for two years, which is a long time to know someone. So now that I’m at college, and he’s living at home and commuting to another local college, we don’t see each other a lot. Mind you, he lives about twenty minutes from where I go to college anyways, so it’s not that hard to see each other. Well, every Saturday he’s on my campus with his friends, and every Saturday I ask him if he can take some time and come see me while he’s here, and every Saturday he doesn’t. Mind you, he comes down to see them, but won’t make trips to see me. He promises that he’ll come see me, and then he doesn’t (hence the title of this lovely post, obviously). I don’t know what he expects. He says he misses me and wants to see me and he says all these things and never does anything about it. It was a problem while we were dating, and I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less now that we’re not. Sometimes I feel like I should just let this all go, but I really don’t want to lose him… I think I already might have. Oh depressing, isn’t it? I don’t like thinking about this, but once I start it just won’t go away. Then come the problems… emotional eating!
The infamous cause-> effect. Problem -> FOOD!!! reactions.
I really don’t want to eat my feelings, it sucks a lot, because you feel bad, eat a pint of Ben and Jerrys and then feel insanely guilty for putting that many calories and all that sugar and fat into your system, right? I mean, how are you supposed to feel beautiful when every time you get really emotional, good or bad, you just reach for the nearest piece of unhealthy junk you can cram into your system?
Alas, this is a problem I’ve always dealt with. I really wish I could change this behavior, and I’m trying so hard. Tips? Comments? Questions? Post them!
. Despite my relative lack of updates here over the past week, I will continue my normal daily postings starting tomorrow. Everything is going wonderfully so far, I definitely feel differences physically when I touch my arms (I don’t even have to flex to notice them now), and people are telling me they notice a difference when they see me in person. I will have my first weigh in for the past 5 days tomorrow as well, maybe the HIIT have made a difference in that.
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So, I am back on board, not as fully locked and loaded as I’d like to be and I have concerns about tomorrow food-wise and I am eating a beanless, riceless fajita bowl, but I’m here.
I’m starting early today on this post in case of a deteriorating mood that happens to me when I’m faced with having to go out in falling snow. For someone who lives where we have snow relatively frequently, I’ve never adjusted to driving in it and even a ten minute drive fills me with great sorrow and concern, nausea, perhaps. So, I don’t know how today will look and I want to post and feel the doneness of having posted all day long. Might cheer me up.