Rematch: INSANITY THOUGHT IT WOULD BEAT ME….

As most know I started the Insanity Workout program about 7 weeks ago. It is a very rigorous program that consists of a lot of intense cardio exercises with some plyometrics, resistance training mixed in just for fun. The workout consists of several DVDs and a schedule of when to use each one.

The workouts themselves are grueling and leave you out of breath and in a puddle of your on sweat. They are also quite rewarding as you feel a major sense of accomplishment for keeping up with the trainers and trainees on your screen.

The other grueling part about the workout is that it is six days per week and your body sometimes struggles to recover; especially when you are closer to 40 than you are to 20. The strength and stamina it takes to complete the workouts each day must be matched by the discipline it takes to actually do the workout EVERY day.

When I first began the program I thought there was no way I could complete some of these exercises, but gradually I got stronger and I worked very hard and I improved my performance in every workout. After the first few exercises I added a protein powder which included BCAA to my daily regimen.

My confidence was increasing daily and the little comments from my wife about the changes in my body were just that much more motivating…

Then it happened. I am not sure exactly what it was but as I was completing my last workout of my first month of Insanity I felt this very intense tingle run down my arm. I tried to keep going but with all the jumping and moving that you have to do for this program the tingle just kept getting more and more intense. I stopped and I consulted with a Chiropractor and a physical therapist and took off two weeks full weeks for rest. The 3^rd week I begin doing some light exercises and eventually worked my way back to doing the “lighter” Insanity workouts. Had I not had this set back I would be only 2 weeks away from finishing this program.

I am taking my weight loss journey very seriously and in fact I have now begun to think of it more as a quest than a journey. I am very driven to succeed in this quest and I will not be defeated by this injury or this workout.

I am committed to completing this program. I am starting over from the beginning and I will go hard for the next 60 days. I will update everyone on my progress from time to time, and you can be assured of one thing, I will not be defeated and I can not quit.

With all of that being said… Insanity I am ready for my rematch! Bring i

Two INSANE Weeks and FIT Test 2

As most everyone who reads this knows, in an effort to accelerate the loss of the last few pounds and improve my overall fitness level I began doing  the Insanity workout program.

Insanity, which is produced by BeachBody Fitness (the same company that makes p90x) is a video series that incorporates Plyometrics, Yoga, Strength & Resistance, and a lot of Cadio. The workouts are led by Shaun T and are very intense but uses no weights or equipment. The workouts are on a series of 10 dvds each with a different focus and each that will challenge you in new ways. The entire program is designed to last 60 days (well 63 actually) and is designed to be challenging no matter what your fitness level is when you begin.

I have reviewed a couple of the workouts and will review a couple more as I go along, but I wanted to focus today on my first 2 weeks as a whole. At first I was very concerned about not being able to keep up physically, but there are constant reminders from Shaun T to take things at your own pace and to know your limits. Also it helps to see the athletic people on the screen have to stop and take breaks it makes me feel a little less guilty about taking my breaks.

The exercises that you do are challenging and will challenge your flexibility, your balance, your coordination, your strength, your cardiovascular fitness level and mostly your self determination. Each day presents a new challenge and leaves you completely spent. However after a few days you begin to notice around 45 minutes after your exercise your feeling of being completely spent is replaced by a feeling of invigoration.

I am proud to say I have gotten up early every morning and completed the required routine. Some mornings have been harder than others. I have learned a few things that I would like to share.

1. Insanity is NO JOKE, It is difficult, but it can be done, and I do have what it takes to complete it.
2. It is important to judge your performance against yourself not against anyone else, and it is important not to get discouraged if you can't do everything as well as the people on your screen just keep working as hard as you can. 
3.  It is very important to make sure if you embark on an intense regimen like this that doesn't give your body a lot of time to recover that you are properly fortifying your body.

• It is important to eat the right foods loaded with the proper nutrients. 
• It is equally important to adjust your calorie intake appropriately. you are burning a lot more calories and you need to make sure you are giving your body the fuel it needs to keep going.
• A good Multi-vitamin (or vitamin pack) is essential for any nutrients you may be missing in your food.
• Your body needs help recovering and you may need to use some supplements that contain protein and essential amino acids. There are some very good powders out there that combine all the needed ingredients and they don't actually taste horrible.

Now what you really want to know, does it work?

Well that can be measured a couple of ways... Do I see a difference in the mirror, I think I do, but it has only been 2 weeks... ask me again in 2 weeks. More importantly, can my wife see a difference yet? She will have to answer that.

But for the real tangible results. On day one I did my first Fit Test and I posted the results previously. Today was my second Fit Test and I think the results are pretty extraordinary; see for yourself.

  

Insanity Fit Test
         
         
Day 1   Day 15  
Switch Kicks 52   82  
Power Jacks 47   57  
Power Knees 54   61  
Power Jump 32   34  
Globe Jump 7   10  
Suicide Jumps 9   14  
Pushup Jacks 16   31  
Low plank Obliques 34   40  





 

Counting Mile Markers

You know how when you take a long road trip and you start watching the mile signs for your destination you begin to get excited about certain significant markers. When you are only 50 Miles away you begin to get a little excited. When you get inside of 25 Miles from your destination it feels like you are almost there. IT gets to the point that you excitedly start counting every mile marker you pass knowing you are getting ever so close...

I posted a couple of days ago thanking every one for all their support, I would not have made it this far on my weight loss journey with out the support and accountability from all my friends. Today When I stepped on the scale I passed a very significant mile marker.

Today I feel like I am almost there... I have only 24 pounds left to lose... that's right 

I have lost 76 pounds. 

Please don't mistake this for bragging I still have a long way left to go... If I stop the journey now I will never reach my destination, but passing 75 pounds just feels so very significant to me. 24 More pounds to go... Stay with me just a little ways longer the journey is getting closer to a successful completion... just keep counting the mile markers... Only 24 more to count!!!

 

INSANITY Pure Cardio

Today I had the thrill of completing Insanity Pure Cardio.  This is one of the most Intense Cadio Workouts I have ever participated in. The first thing I noticed when I started the video was that the entire workout is only 38 minutes, that can't be too bad right? WRONG!


The workout starts with the infamous "warm up". As I have described before the warm up could be considered a workout by itself. In fact I can't think of too many workouts that you need a water break after the warm up. The "warm up" lasts 10 minutes and by the end I am already drenched with sweat and my heart is beginning to race. Thankfully, Shaun T then grants us a well needed 20 second water break.


After the water break it is time to go into about 5 minutes of stretching. I actually really enjoy the stretching even though I am nowhere near as flexible as the cardioholics on my screen, but I do like the change of pace and I do feel the results. Conversely proper stretching can help you no feel the results of a workout quite as severely. There was one very dark moment during the stretches a moment that brought fear and angst to me. As I am twisted and stretched in some funky position Shaun T asks someone " Are you as nervous about today as I am?" I thought to myself "well i wasn't, but now I am" 


Shaun T and I both had good reason to be nervous, after the stretching Shaun announces to everyone that it is time for our LAST water break. I took a glance at the clock and saw there was right about 20 minutes to go and wondered what was in store for me next. It only took about 20 seconds for me to find out. 


The next 15 Minutes were non stop cardio... 15 different exercise moves each for a solid minute and each without any rest in between. It is only 15 minutes is what someone reading this may be thinking... That's what I thought too... WRONG! AT the end of the 15 Minutes even Shaun T was laying on the ground. I will not try to lie I had to take a couple of breathers during this my cardiovascular fitness is not where it needs to be yet... but it is getting better 


Some of the moves I had to do I had njot heard of before and some were hybrids and combinations of various other moves. The 15 moves are:

• Suicide (side to side touching the floor)
• Switch kicks (saw these during the fit test they are killer)
• Wide football sprints
• Stance Jacks ( I still lack coordination and this move proves it)
• Pedal (two lunges, then sprint, followed by 2 more lunges, etc)
• Hooks and Jump rope (8 hook punches, several high jumps, 8 punches etc)
• Power jacks (like jumping jacks, but you go deep in a wide lunge)
• Level 2 drills (these are ridiculous 8 push ups followed by 8 run lunges, repeat)
• Frog Jumps (just exactly what they sound like)
• Power Knees (another repeat offender from the fit test)
• Mountain Climbers ( These were actually maybe my favorite)
• Ski Down (jump side to side as if skiing)
• Scissor Runs (darn coordination again makes these harder than they should be)
• Suicide Jumps (squat down, jump back to a push up, stand up again)
• Push up jacks (push ups mixed with Jumping jacks. as you push down you jack your feet apart, as you push back up you bring your feet back together. How to make 2 perfectly good exercises one demon of an exercise)

Finally a 1 minute water break while me and the whole cast tried to recover.

Not sure how much gusto I had left for the 4 minute cool down stretches, but I completed those as well...


I am linking another review of this same workout I hope you will check it out here.


Thanks to everyone for their support I wlill have another blog up soon about today's weigh-in... GOOD NEWS!

INSANITY day 2 (sort of)

I must first start today with a confession, I have borrowed my Insanity DVDs from my brother who has been through the series multiple times and leads a fitness class in the Air Force. I was honestly afraid I couldn't do the exercises and didn't want to spend the $ to have some disks taking up space. 


I confess that to say this, today I got up to complete Day 2 Of Insanity only to discover I did not have Disk 2 Plyometric Cardio Circuit. As much as I hate to get out of sequence I thought it would be even worse to put off the exercise so I decided to go to day 3 Cardio Power & Resistance.


I knew after Yesterday's fit test I was in for a battle this morning, but I was looking forward to it. This workout was crazy. 


You start out with a "warm up" that is harder than some exercise routines I have tried. After about 10 minutes of dripping with sweat and starting to breath hard you realize you are just getting started as you move into stretching. After the stretching Shaun is gracious enough to give us a 30 second break before beginning the first phase. Let me say this Shaun T is a great exercise leader as he is always encouraging and coaching, yet at the same time he makes you want to "dig deeper"


Phase 1 just about wiped me out. Phase 1 was 4 exercises the included Power Jumps, Hit The Floors. V-Push ups & belt Kicks. After 30 seconds of each one back to back we get a 30 second water break we repeat the process 3 times. 


At this point I was looking for somewhere to hide, but Shaun T Kept pushing me and I know if I don't push myself I won't achieve the results I desire. So I moved on to Phase 2... not sure I really wanted to I was pretty gassed at this point...


Phase 2 of the exercises includes Hurdle Jumps, Globe Jumps, Moving Push-ups (yes Moving Push-ups!), and Floor Sprints  The people at Fitness Destination describe this phase:


 "The jump movements are as hard as they sound, Moving Push-ups make an already awesome exercise even more difficult, and by the time you get to Floor Sprints, it’s more like “floor walks,” because you can barely even hold yourself up off the floor, let alone do any actual sprinting"


I felt that was a pretty accurate description.. after repeating 3 times like we did in Phase 1 Shaun tells us we have one exercise to go, what he doesn't tell you is that the one exercise to go may kill you...we conclude our routine with 3 sets of 8 hop squats followed immediately by eight push ups... as I lumbered through the final stretches and tried to catch my breath and wait for my heart rate to return to something resembling normal I was somewhat proud I made it through this day... it was intense... but I am actually looking forward to tomorrow... maybe...




That wraps up day 2... only 58 more days!!


Does it work? Ask me in 2 weeks when i do my next fit test or let's see what the results look like as we go....

INSANITY Day 1 Fit Test

Wow, So after all the hype and all the anticipation I have done it. I have officially begun my 60 days of Insanity. When you hear that day one is a fit test you think it may be a few stretches and a few strength tests to see where you are, but it doesn't sound too intimidating... well I am completely gassed right now so, I found another link to explain what the fit test is. For the full review go here. Thanks to Fitness Destinations for this great overview.

"The purpose of the Fit Test is for you to determine your present level of fitness, and to give you a “benchmark” that you can use to gauge your progress as you go through the program. The Fit Test is done at the beginning of Insanity, and then again every 2 weeks.

This Fit Test isn’t a few stretches and a strength test as many similar tests are – quite to the contrary! Including the warm up and cool down, the Insanity Fit Test is a 25-minute workout that will leave you drenched in sweat, and wondering what you have gotten yourself into!

There are a total of 8 exercises that you do, each for 1 full minute. No equipment is required for the Fit Test, or for any Insanity workout – the entire program is all body weight exercises.

In the Fit Test, you are supposed to give a 100% effort each time you do it so that you can accurately gauge the progress that you have made by doing the Insanity workouts. The exercises are:

• Switch Kicks – standing up straight and alternately kicking each leg out in front as high as you can.
• Squat Jacks – jumping jacks, only in Squat Jacks you go down into a full squat at the end of every repetition.
• Power Knees – standing up straight with your hands interlaced overhead, and then bringing 1 knee up at an angle across your body as many times as you can.
• Power Jumps – down into a full squat and then leaping up into the air as far as you can.
• Globe Jumps – one hop back, one hop to the right, one hop forward, and one hop to the left equals 1 repetition.
• Suicide Jumps - from a standing position down into a plank position, then back to standing and then leap straight into the air.
• Push Up Jacks – regular push ups, only you spread your feet wide apart and then bring them back together on every single repetition
• Low Plank Obliques – from a plank position, keep your upper body totally still while alternatively bringing each knee up as close to your shoulders as possible.

Well as I watched the two ridiculously fit workout machines complete the fit test on the video I learned a few things.

1. I don't have a lot of coordination.

2. I have a long way to go.

3. Whoever Tanya is She is absurd!

I was actually a little little surprised with how well I did. Here are my results.

Switch Kicks- 52

Power Jacks- 47

Power Knees- 54

Power Jumps- 32

Globe Jumps- 7

Suicide Jumps 9 ( I was worn out by this time)

Push Up Jacks- 16

Low Plank Obliques- 34

My heart was absolutely racing and As I mentioned I was completely gassed. The good news is I did better than expected and completed the fit test. I will retake the fit test every 2 weeks to track progress.

Tomorrow is the first "real" workout I will update everyone... If I survive it!!

Weight Loss Revisited- Thanks

It has been almost 9 months since I began my weight loss journey and almost six months since I opened it up for the world to see. I look back now and I see how far I have come in such a short period of time and I want to celebrate, but I also want to remind everyone where I was just six short months ago. Below you will find my very first blog on this subject along with a few new comments I added as I read back over it.

It has been 6 months since I have posted on here and I have decided to rededicate my blog. There are 2 million people blogging about politics and honestly I am weary of politics right now._Yeah still frustrated with politics..and really don't feel like arguing... So I am going to spend the next few months keeping an online journal as I attempt to lose 100 pounds. I actually thought I would be more a weekly update it has turned out to be as consistent as I have done a better job of updating my facebook group

Some of the people who read this may have known me for a long time, others only a short time so I wanted to share a little history. I have not always been FAT ( I hope that word doesn't offend anyone, but it is the word that best describes what I had become) Growing up I was always a slender guy, athletic even. I was the 145lb starter on my varsity wrestling team in High School. I really should post a pick for those who want a good laugh...I ran regularly and pretty much ate whatever I wanted, and never had a problem making weight before a tournament. As I got to college, I discovered beer & pizza delivery. I also quit making time for exercise. I began to slowly pack on some pounds. Four short years after High School I graduated from College weighing somewhere around 230lbs.

I thought at that time 230 was pretty large and I begin exercising and became very active and lost about 20 pounds, before I had another life changing event. I met my wife, we got married and "WE" became pregnant. I was a good husband I ate when she ate, and I shared her cravings. She craved Chili Cheese Burgers. I gained 40 pounds while Reagan was pregnant. Over the next 7 years I kept gaining weight, and never did anything about it. I have a wife who cooks like betty crocker and as I mention in a future blog I love food... you can see that was a bad combination.. will power is a tough thing

I would hang on to clothes until I had no choice but to move up, sadly my wardrobe went from loose fitting XL to tight fitting XXL shirts. My dress shirts had gone up to a size 20. For anyone who doesn't wear dress shirts daily the average size is somewhere between 15-17. Guess what I am back in size 17 yahoo! I am also back down from 42 to 36 in pants...Worst of all I felt so lethargic all the time. When fat sneaks up on you slowly you don't always realize with one look in the mirror just how fat you are.

On December 17, 2009 I made a decision. I decided I no longer wanted to be FAT. I got on the scale that day and the scale after screaming in pain informed me I weighed 299 lbs... yes you read that correctly I was one Chili cheese burger away from 3 bills. Yes, I weigh enough to play lineman in the NFL. Do you realize if I weighed myself twice in high school it wouldn't have been 299 pounds. I am 5ft 9, I don't carry 300 pounds very well. I knew then I had to make a change. As of Sept 1 I am down to 225 and still shrinking

So, that's how I got FAT and how I realized I needed to make a change, the next question was HOW? And that is the question i get the most still today

That's the key. Everyone has a plan and there are somewhere around 4,123,654,987,books on the market each with a different approach on what to eat and on how to exercise. A person could drive themselves crazy trying to figure out where to even begin. If you cope with stress by eating, avoid the stress of trying to figure out what diet to choose or what plan to follow.

I believe there are only 3 truths to losing weight:-- There are a lot of Lies and a lot of misinformation but only 3 truths that I hold firm to

1. Set realistic goals and keep yourself accountable.

2. Do not deprive yourself or you will not endure.

3. The only rule rule about eating is to burn more calories that you take in.

These are the only rules I follow. I weigh -in every Wednesday and to this point I have lost 31 pounds. I have a long way to go and I plan to use this blog and my new Facebook site to keep track of my progress. I will go into more details on how I am following my 3 rules and I will update everyone on my weight each Wednesday.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting me. I hope you will all be happy with much less of me around.

So now it is September 4, 2010 and I am still striving for the 100 lbs but I am great strides from where I started and even though many of you don't know this I feel I owe a lot of my success to those of you who have wished me well, followed along and held me accountable along the way. With your help and by following the 3 simple rules I have come a long way, but there is more still to acheive. Most importantly there is still the matter of 26 More pounds... then there are some other personal goals I will reveal to everyone soon.

I hope everyone will follow along as I try to wrestle these last few pounds away and as I try to survive the Insanity workout Program

Thanks to everyone who is supporting me. I hope you will all be happy with much less of me around.

INSANITY

I am not sure how many of you have heard of the workout program called Insanity but it is a very intense 10 dvd set that is sold by Beach Body the same group that created p90x. Insanity is Similar to P90x but it requires no equipment and requires 60 days not 90.

The workouts are very intense, they focus on cardio and core strength, but every review I have found had absolutely raved about the program. Here is the other thing NO ONE has tried to tell me it is easy. My youngest Brother is in the Air Force and is a fitness nut, he told me Insanity is tremendously hard, but that it made a major difference in his body.

Everyone knows I have been trying to live healthier and trying to reach the 100 pound weight loss goal. Anyone who has followed along also knows I have been stuck in a bit of a rut. with the pounds sticking to me pretty stubbornly. I am hoping the introduction of Insanity into my daily regimen will help me blast the last 26 pounds and help me meet my goal... I secretly would also like to see if I really have any abs...

The way the program works is that on the first day you take a fit test which sets your bench marks for the next 60 days. After the fit test you do a specialized routine each day (six days a week). Every 2 weeks you will do another fit test to gauge your progress.

I received the DVDs in the mail yesterday, and attempted to do my first Fit test this morning. I am proud to say I completed the fit test... and survived. Unfortunately I have decided to "Officially" Start Insanity on Monday so I can more easily follow the calendar that comes with it. I will complete one of the work outs tomorrow just to familiarize myself with some of the moves and exercises.

On Monday I will retake the fitness test and post my results here. I will then begin posting regular updates on the program.

For anyone who is in the very early stages of conditioning their body or just beginning their weight loss journey be careful before you begin an intense program like Insanity.

anyone who would like a video preview of what torture I am about to put myself through can learn more by clicking Insanity or Insanity review or Insanity Video

This is going to be a very hard 60 days but I am committed to this and I hope anyone who has been following me in my journey will continue to support me and will follow along as I go Insane

Hungry & Struggling

It has been 2 and a half months since my last blog post and in that what once felt like rapid weight loss with lots of tangible results has turned into a slow arduous struggle.

The first six months of my weight loss journey I was shedding pounds like crazy I lost over 60 pounds in just six months. The scale was my friend and I was truly excited every week to see and report my results to everyone.

I am not sure what changed but since the middle of June I have only lost about 10 pounds and I feel like I stay HUNGRY. The same results that once motivated me are noe disappointing me. I have grown somewhat frustrated with the process and I truly only weighed in this last week out of some sense of obligation to anyone who may be following along...

I am way too close to meeting my goal to give up now... I only have 28 pounds to go.. but to be brutally honest I would really love to Pile a plate a foot high at the closest buffet and eat until I can't move...

There is a reason why I have made this journey so public.. I want accountability and I NEED support.

In some of my earlier Blog posts I put out some plans and some answers... But right now I don't have the answers.. why has my journey become such a struggle and How can I overcome both my current physical and mental states... and why am I SO Hungry...

I have come this far without any shortcuts or drugs... I am up for any suggestions, but I prefer to stay away from shortcuts and drugs...

Pushing Through a Plateau

I have had some very good success so far. It is June and I have already lost 61 pounds in just under 6 months that is something to be proud of. But the last few weeks have been very hard. I have felt exceptionally hungry, I haven't exercised as consistently as I should and my reults have been rather lackluster.

I don't want to sound like I am feeling sorry for myself nor do I want to put out the wrong impression I have still lost 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks, and that is good, but the pace has certainly slowed.

I have not blogged in a few weeks b/c I have not really known what to say, I have not found any solid answers in my research on what to do when the momentum slows. In any weight loss journey people will hit a very rough patch where the results won't come easily and where frustration can sit in. Many call this rough patch a plateau. It is called a plateau for one primary reason... things level out.

There seems to be wide consensus that the plateau effect is real, but there is very little literature available on what causes the plateau and even less available on what to do about it. I will share a few of the suggestions I have found for anyone else who may struggle with the plateau:

Keep doing what has gotten you this far your body needs time to adapt.

Zig Zag your calories eat more one day than another day but try to havethe same weekly average

Take a week off then get started again.

Take one day and eat everything you can and let your metabolism adjust

I don't want to focus on these points too long as I am not sure how valid any of them are. They all seem to focus on giving your body some time to adapt, but I have not seen the evidence that this is the right approach.

I have a different approach I am going to take. I feel like my body has adjusted the weight I have lost and to my current diet and physical activity and therefore I feel like it is time to push my body through this plateau.

For the next 7 days I am going to reduce my caloric intake from 1900 to between 1600-1700 per day and I am going to increase my exercise to 5 days in the next 7 days then I am going to reevaluate.

I have a goal I have not shared out load before now, I want to achieve my 100 lb challenge by October 22 (this is my 36th birthday). I only need to lose 39 more pounds to get there, but I have reached the point where I feel I need an extra jolt.

For the next 7 days I will be keeping a journal of exactly what I eat and exactly what I do and I will report back here next Tuesday night.

I have come to far to let this plateau frustrate me.

I have too many people who believe in me to let this slow time stop me.

I don't know if this plan will work, but we will all find out together.

Tomorrow is Weigh-in Wednesday and I don't expect great results, b/c I know how my body feels. But tomorrow also begins my Push through the Plateau.

Thank you for anyone who may be following I hope you will continue to support me and I hope next week I will be reinvigorated and back on the right track... this is a goal I can realize with the support from all of you.

3 Big FAT Lies

When you are on your weight loss journey there are so many obstacles in your way the last thing you need is to add to these obstacles by telling yourselves some very big FAT ugly lies that will only cause you more problems. These are not the lies that come from the media these are the self sabotaging lies that I tell myself that if I actually believed I would only continue to be FAT. I am going to discuss and debunk three of the biggest fattest and ugliest.

1. Lie #1: "I Can eat this dessert, I will just work it off later."

This particular FAT ugly lie comes in a couple of different variations but they all center around eating something bad or excessive now and not having to worry about the consequences because you plan to exercise later. It is true that exercise burns calories and it is true exercise is an essential part of any weight loss program but exercising does not give us a get out of jail free card. As I have discussed the key to losing weight is to burn off more calories than we take in, so with that in mind let's take a closer look at this lie.

One Brownie Sundae from Chili's has 1340 calories One hour on the elliptical machine burns 1032 calories. Well I am not great at math, but this means that this one indulgence has counteracted an entire hour of working out.

There may come days when you exceed your calorie goal for the day, but those should be rare and few. Exercise should aid in the overall weight loss journey it is not an excuse to hide behind to make bad food decisions. Remember, in a previous blog I discussed the goal to burn 500 more calories per day than you take if you hope to lose weight.

My question then becomes, is that brownie sundae really worth and hour and 20 minutes on the elliptical?

2. Lie #2: "I can't eat that. it's not on my DIET"

This is an ugly FAT lie from a couple of different standpoints. First this FAT lie is designed to make you deprive yourself. It is designed to put you on food restriction and as we discussed in the first truth of weight loss if you deprive yourself, you are going to have cravings and those cravings lead many of us to binge and therefore fail in our quest. I know what you are thinking isn't this contradicting the thoughts about the previous lie. The key is to maintain a good average calorie intake, not to binge. My point above is it is not Ok to binge with the excuse you will exercise later, and exploiting this lie is not permission to binge either. If you are trying to maintain an 1800 calorie per day intake and want a brownie, eat it... just account for those calories and try to maintain your regular average intake. This is where the discussion turns to smart choices and i will not get sidetracked into that discussion as I covered it extensively in previous entries.

The second thing that makes me absolutely sick about this particular lie is the use of the word diet. If you are a regular reader you will note that I have never once said I was on a diet. it is my opinion that the term diet has a negative connotation. first it implies a temporary action and second it implies deprivation. I am not on a diet, I have changed my eating habits. I am not on a diet because when I reach my goals, i do not want to declare my diet over and suddenly begin eating like I did before. I am not on a diet, I will not deprive myself of the things I enjoy. I am on a weight loss journey that includes making smarter food choices and exercising. When I reach my weight loss destination I will not forget the path I followed and I will continue to practice the things I have learned so that I never get close to 300 pounds again.

My thoughts on this are simple if you are making a long term change, don't call it a diet, and don't base your decisions on deprivation.

My question would be, how many calories are in that brownie and do I really want to spend that many calories on one brownie, or is there some other option?

Lie # 3: “I don’t feel like exercising this morning, I will do it tonight instead”

To me this is perhaps the dirtiest, nastiest ugliest weight loss lie I could ever tell myself. This lie plays on my tendencies to procrastinate and also plays on my good intentions. Everyone must find the best time for them to exercise, my best time is in the morning. Exercising in the morning allows me to get my day started with a positive attitude and helps me feel invigorated, the other thing that makes exercising in the morning a better fit for me is that after I leave my house for work at 7:30 am I don’t usually get home until after 6:00 pm and that is the time I like to spend with my little girls before they go to bed, that is also time I like to spend with the woman I am lucky enough to call my wife. For those who have talked to me on the phone, you have probably heard “Hey I am walking in my door, let me talk to you later.” This is my family time.

The reason why this is a dirty lie is because I know me, and if I don’t do my exercise in the morning I won’t do it. And once I miss a day, it becomes much easier to miss another day. So, whatever time is best for you to get in your exercise groove, make sure you hold yourself accountable to that time, unless you have more self-discipline than I do.

Of the 3 big FAT lies this is the one I tell myself the most, and the one I must overcome. I have found there are 3 types of people when it comes to exercise. The first type loves exercise and does it almost obsessively; the second type hates exercise and tries to avoid it at all costs. I have been in the second group for a long time I am trying to push myself to be a member of the Third group. This group knows the benefits and necessity of exercise and even though they don’t love it they do it regularly. Because I tend towards avoiding exercise I am more susceptible to this lie than to most others.

The only question I can possibly ask myself to help me when I start telling this lie is “Do I really trust myself to be accountable tonight?” If I can’t answer no it is time to get moving! I can’t explain why we try to sabotage ourselves, but I know we do, and I know that if we want to continue to have success in this process we must have the discipline.

As always, Thanks to anyone who may be reading and remember all the standard disclaimers still apply. I want to end this week’s entry a little differently, you have read my ramblings now I would like to hear from you. These are my top 3 big FAT lies that I tell myself when I am trying to sabotage my own weight loss journey. What are some of yours?

A Week in The Life

One of my friends, Ron Aultman suggested that there may be some interest in seeing exactly what I am eating and how I am exercising on a daily basis. It was with this suggestion that I decided this week's blog entry would be just that. I have chronicled what I have eaten and what exercises I have done.

Monday April 19, 2010

5:30 AM- I made it up on time and I begin my day with a pretty intense workout. I currently follow a circuit training routine. For those not familiar circuit training is a combination of cardio and strength training. It is a program designed to move quickly from one exercise to another with very limited rest. This is an ideal fat burning routine because of the elements of both cardio and strength training. There are many variations of circuit training, the one I follow is listed below.

1. Pushups 12-15 reps

2. Shoulder Press (using light weight dumbbells) 12-15 reps

3. Body weight squats 12-15 reps

4. Bicep curls (using light weight dumbbells) 12-15 reps

5. Body weight squats 12-15 reps

6. Walking Lunges (these bad boys are tough) about 5 minutes

7. Chair dips (these are great for toning the backs of your arms) 12-15 reps

8. Standard Lunges 12-15 reps with each leg

9. Crunches as many reps as possible (40 reps on Monday)

The key is to go through this routine with very limited rest. After completing the circuit you then take about 5 minutes to cool down and then do it again. In about 2 weeks I hope to be ready to complete 3 full circuits right now I am doing 2. The 2 circuits I did burned about 320 calories.

After completing my workout I settled in for a bowl of Lucky Charms (150 Calories)

About 10:00 I get a little hungry and decide on a snack size Snicker Bar (90 Calories)

12:00 time for lunch, I walk about .25 a mile (burning about 40 calories) to my Kiwanis Club meeting and I enjoyed:

grilled chicken breast (about 175 Calories)

vegetable rice medley (about 200 calories)

steamed cabbage (25)

Green Peas & carrots (135)

Total for Lunch 535 Calories

Had a good friend in town and we enjoyed an excellent dinner from The Shed

½ Rack BBQ Ribs (about 650)

BBQ Baked Beans (150)

Southern Gold Draft Beer (about 150)

Total for dinner About (950)

Total for the day 1725 Calories Not bad when my goal is to stay below 2000.

Doing the Math for Monday I burned approximately 2860 calories and ate 1725 this is a calorie deficit of 1135 calories.

Tuesday April 20, 2010

No workout to start Tuesday

Breakfast:

1 Bowl of Pops Cereal (150)

Mid Morning Snack:

FiberOne Bar (140)

Vitamin Water (50)

Lunch:

Marie Calendar’s Frozen Pasta Dinner (450)

Dinner:

Zataran’s Jambalaya with Conecuh Sausage 400

Garlic Bread (about 200)

32oz Sweet Tea (200)

Total for Tuesday 1590

Walked 1 mile Tuesday afternoon Burning about 120 Calories

Total Burned for Tuesday 2620 total consumed 1590 Total deficit 1030.

Wednesday April 21, 2010

5:45 SO I wasn’t as quick to get out of bed today but I did complete my 2 circuits About 320 Calories Burned.

Breakfast

Quaker Instant Oatmeal maple & Brown Sugar (160)

2 Slices Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Toast (140)

Mid Morning Snack

FiberOne Bar (140)

Lunch:

Smoothie King Caribbean Way Smoothie (395)

Afternoon snack:

Apple (70)

Dinner:

Nachos with beef cheese & Salsa (460)

32oz Sweet Tea (200)

Total For Wednesday 1810

Total Burned for Tuesday 2820 total consumed 1810 total deficit 1010.

Thursday April 22, 2010

No Workout on Thursday

Breakfast:

Lucky Charms (150)

Midmorning Snack:

FiberOne Bar (140)

Lunch:

Smoothie King Muscle Punch Smoothie (365)

Dinner:

Open faced BBQ Sandwich (360 Calories) (this was wheat toast with BBQ pork and shredded chese)

Green Beans (40)

20 oz Sweet Tea (150)

After dinner snack:

Kashi TLC Bar (110)

Total for Wednesday 1275

Total Burned for Thursday 2500 Total Consumed 1275 Total deficit 1225

Friday April 23, 2010

6:00am Yes I am even later getting started but I did get in both circuits and increased my crunches to 45.

Breakfast:

Turkey Bacon & Cheese Omelet (300)

Lunch:

Char grilled Chicken Sandwich from Chick Fil-A (300)

Chick Fil-A Waffle Fries (380)

Afternoon Snack:

Chili & Lime Almonds (150)

Dinner

Hunt Brothers Loaded Pizza (735)

Total for Friday 1865

Total Burned 2820 Total consumed 1865 Total deficit 955

Saturday April 24, 2010

Had a little bit of a stomach bug and didn’t eat much

Breakfast:

Subway Steak egg white and cheese muffin melt (170)

Lunch

Granola Bar (100)

Snack

Granola Bar (100)

Dinner:

2 Slices of toast with butter & Jelly (240)

Total for Saturday (610)

Did a lot of laying around so not sure I burned a lot of calories but didn’t consume many either.

Sunday April 25, 2010

Normally I do some walking on Sunday, but I am still recovering a little bit from Saturday’s Bug

Breakfast

Cereal (150)

Banana (100)

Morning Snack

Fiber One Bar (140)

Lunch:

Grilled Cheese Sandwich (250)

20 oz sweet tea (150)

Afternoon Snack:

Pizza Rolls (200)

Dinner:

Chicken Alfredo with Bow tie pasta (about 500)

Total for Sunday 1490

Total burned for Sunday around 2500 Total consumed 1490 total deficit 1010

As you have already read from what I have written I am not on a restrictive diet. What I am doing is making sure I keep my daily calorie deficit at least at 500. Look back to the 3^rd truth of weight loss for further explanation of how this all works.

I am drinking several glasses and bottles of water daily I just did not include this since water has no calories. I also want to mention that my Saturday calorie intake is not typical nor recommended, i was sick and didn't want to put too much on my stomach.

I hope Ron was right, I hope someone out there found this interesting. As always thanks so much for anyone who might be reading I appreciate your support. Don’t forget all the standard disclaimers apply.

Exercise

Exercise-

What image comes to mind with the mere mention of the word exercise?

Does your mind immediately revert back to videos featuring leg warmers and dance music? Or do you think of images of the former linebacker hanging out in the gym grunting and telling stories of his former glory. Maybe you think of the guy who walks around the office in the shirt that is too tight trying to show off that barbed wire tattoo wrapped around his bicep.

Perhaps it is none of those images you think of when you think of exercise, perhaps like me the first thing you think about when you think of exercise is the long list of excuses you can take shelter in to avoid the struggle. Let's see how many I can think of without trying:

• Don't have time to exercise
• Can't afford the equipment
• Don't know what exercises to do
• Don't know which exercises really work
• Exercise is HARD
• Soreness after exercise
• Exercise is boring

I am sure there are many many more.

C'mon it is no secret exercise has so many benefits for your life, it is not a new revelation that through exercise we can not only look better, but feel better and live longer; but it is not easy, and it takes consistency.

Anyone who tells you how fun and easy it is to work hard and swim in a pool of your own sweat is either lying or delusional.

Here is a little secret, you CAN lose weight without exercise. However, if you want to be healthy and look your best you SHOULD mix exercise with your smarter food choices. There are many reasons why to mix in some exercise but one of the simplest and most fundamental is that exercise burns calories. As we discussed in previous blogs to lose weight you must burn more calories than you take in, therefore exercise is a very important component to any weight loss plan.

There is so much information available on the topic of exercise that it would be silly for me to try to cover it all here. I do have a couple of ideas in mind for future blogs on various exercise related topics but I want to spend some time discussing my own struggle with exercise and how I am dealing with some of the excuses listed above.

The only way to gain the health and life changing benefits of exercise is to exercise. This is a fact I have known for a very long time. When I was in high school not only was I on the wrestling team, but I also lifted weights on a daily basis and even belonged to a gym, but I was never one of those guys who lived at the gym or loved to exercise. As soon as wrestling season ended my senior year I pretty much quit exercising and began finding other things to do with my time.

Some people truly love to exercise, they practically live for it, I have never been one of those guys. I probably understand how exercise affects the body and which exercise works which muscles better than a lot of people, but I still don’t really enjoy the process. My dislike for exercise may be just as responsible for my immense weight gain as my love for food.

Sometimes like paying bills or scrubbing toilets, we have to do things we just really don’t enjoy. I knew this was true in December when I made this commitment but I wasn’t looking forward to it.

A few years back, I took up running in the mornings, this lasted for about 3 days until I developed shin splits, if you have ever had shin splits you know they are very painful, but if you get shin splits and you already don’t like exercise it makes it even easier to not continue.

Last year in a fluke accident at work, I fell and broke my ankle, this made for an exhausting few months of hobbling around on crutches and going through physical therapy to regain full use of my ankle.

For the first few couple of months I was not very consistent with my exercising and I can almost go down the list of excuses listed above. I live too far from a health club or gym. Financially I can’t afford to join a gym or buy any fancy equipment. I didn’t want to do anything that would cause any more damage to my ankle. The excuses could go on and on.

I did have a plan, I set my alarm clock every morning to get up at 5:30 and began exercising. I picked a few different exercise routines to try. I mentioned consistent earlier, I was very consistent with hitting the snooze button and curling up under the covers and simply not getting up in time for exercise. Have you ever noticed how comfortable your bed is at 5:30 and how much more enjoyable it seems to stay in bed than to get up and work out.

I was making myself do some small things, like park a little farther away from the office and take the stairs instead of the elevator, but small things have only small benefits and I knew to achieve the results I wanted I needed to find a way to exercise that I truly enjoyed and make myself accountable like I had with food.

There are some great programs available. Most gyms will help you get started on a good program for your goals. If you can afford it a personal trainer can be a wonderful advisor to make sure you are doing the right things. If you can’t afford a gym membership or a personal trainer there are still some excellent options available to you Couch to 5k is a great running program that is designed to help beginners be able to run a 5k in just 9weeks for more information here is a link http://www.c25k.com/

If you don’t really want to go to the gym and you are not really into running the key is to find something you enjoy doing. Kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking and many other fun activities are excellent forms of exercise that will improve heart health and burn calories. The important key is to find something you like to do so you don’t get bored.

Another thing that has really helped me is to find a partner to exercise with. This not only helps keep me accountable to make sure I am doing what I am supposed to do, but also keeps my routine from getting too boring because I have someone to share it with, thank you Reagan.

One last point, exercise is not easy. You will be sore the next day after you exercise for the first time, this is normal. Your body is reacting to the new challenge you have issued to it, this soreness will not persist with each workout. Give it a couple of days, and keep moving and the soreness will ease up. Make sure each time before you engage in any exercise routine you stretching well and doing a light intensity warm up.

One of the worst things a beginner can do is to pick something too hard you will tire out too fast and you won’t want to do it again. Keeping this in mind when finding your niche. If you enjoy cycling don’t try to be Lance Armstrong the first time out. The same thing is true with running, if you have not made a habit of running on a regular basis don’t sign up for a 5k and think it will be a breeze. Work your way slowly into your routine but keep pushing yourself to get better.

Exercise is just like any other aspect of weight loss first we must make a commitment then we must hold our self accountable and finally we must set realistic short term goals. The other thing in my opinion is just like when making smarter choices regarding food making smarter choices regarding exercise can make all the difference in the world when it comes to whether or not we can succeed.

Exercise can be the accelerant that ignites the fat burning fire or it can be the road block that completely shuts down the weight loss journey. If we pick the right exercise for us and select a good path that we can follow the results will be remarkable.

For the past month I have made the additional commitment and improved my consistency with my workouts and I believe the scale has recognized this.

If you needed further proof that I don’t really enjoy exercise and that it is something I tend to put off just look at the date on this blog and keep in mind I usually have these up Monday morning.

Thanks to anyone who may be reading and possibly enjoying. I appreciate all of your support as I continue along the weight loss journey and I truly hope some of my experiences are helping some of you.

Next MONDAY by special request the blog will focus on a week in my life, we will discuss exactly what I am eating and what exercises I am doing.

Tomorrow is Weigh–in Wednesday getting close to the half way point!