Day 7

Well, it's Sunday night and I can honestly say, I MADE IT.  I know it's ONLY 7 days, but to some, this can mean over 160 hours of sacrifice. For me, these days have been hard but at the same time very rewarding.  Here are some results:

Weight Loss: 6lbs
Clothing: Noticed at least a 1-2" size difference
Energy: Up at least 60%
Body: Feels refreshed and am sleeping better
Mind: Confidence is up, felt better interacting with others this weekend

Workouts:

Yesterday I had a great afternoon Bicep/Tricep session at the Gym and ended it with a brisk 5 mile jog.  My energy was through the roof and I felt very good afterwards.  The only thing I did notice was that I was feeling some soreness in my shoulders which prevented me from going too heavy on the curls.  Therefore, this week I am breaking up my weight training days with rest/cardio.

Today, I completed a great P90X cardio session in the morning and some much needed stretches.  I felt that after a long week of weights and cardio, my body needed some rest so that the muscle fibers heal and my body gets ready for the week ahead.

Food:


As expected, the weekend was a test as there was plenty of good junk food to access as well as alcohol. I'm happy to say I abstained from from both.  Any time I can say no to a Guinness, some deep dish pizza and a snicker-doodle, I know I'm in a good place.  I still loaded my day with protein, vegetables and organic fruits with my only cheat being a chocolate chip cookie and a shot of Patron (day 7 is cheat day).  This week, I'm increasing my good carb intake & veggies as I plan on doing some circuit training and Yoga so I'll need energy to burn.

Overall, things are looking good. I noticed a change already and the rush you get from that pushes you to the next phase.  Week two is on the horizon, let's see what I can accomplish by next Sunday.

Until next time,

J

Day 5

Well, I made it through the week.  I'm feeling great, my workouts are well under way and I'm fitting into some clothing I found hard to fit into two weeks ago.  The biggest challenge is ahead of me. Can I really remain faithful to both my eating habits and my workouts?  Well, I don't have a lot planned other than house projects so that should keep me busy and out of the fast food arena.  However, I do need to plan some work outs so that my metabolism can remain active.

Highlights for this week include:

- 5 Mile continuous treadmill jog
- 3 P90X workouts
- A 400lb Freemotion Machine Squat session
- 20 mile stationary bike ride

This weekend I'm going to focus on some bicep workouts (Saturday) and some outdoor cardio (Sunday) weather permitting.

I will check back in on Sunday night and let you all know how I feel going into the week.  Until then, eat well and work hard!

-J

Day 1 & 2

Things are going well so far.  Everyone knows their body well enough to notice changes and in day 2, I already can see a change in my face which is the first place all my fat goes to!  This is what I've done so far:

Eating Habits


I've gone back to my low Glycemic Index (low sugar, low carb) eating habits so I'm eating lots of veggies, protein and cutting back my sugar to diabetic levels.  A sample of my meals include:

Pre Breakfast - 2oz of organic grape juice
Breakfast - 2 egg whites with vegetables and 3 slices of turkey bacon or turkey slices and 2oz of fruit
Snack 1 - assorted nuts or trail mix
Lunch - simple salad, no dressing w/ 3oz diced grilled chicken
Snack  2 - Turkey Jerkey or Fruit
Dinner - 3 oz lean meat or chicken, salad, steamed jasmine rice or veggies
Late Snack - 1cup of cheerios with skim milk or 2 sugar free popsicles

If you are not used to eating this kind of food, your body might feel off for a day or two, but eating this often keeps your stomach full and you avoid over eating at core meals.

Workouts


As soon as I woke up, I did a 20 minute cardio workout such as what I posted yesterday from youtube.  Here is what I did the rest of the day:

Mid morning: Office pushups and tricep extensions on my chair
Lunch: 30 minute stationary bike
After work: Resistance Band full body
Late night: Dumbbell chest workout

Every day I intend to do a morning cardio session as well as a lunch time cardio session while training different body parts every day with home weights.  I'm also incorporating 3 gym sessions to the week where I'll focus on Circuit Training to get my body moving and my metabolism up.

So far, I feel great. I woke up this morning feeling lighter and was able to sleep better last night.  I know 2 days isn't a lot of time to shout victory, but as I mentioned, everyone knows their own body best.  You will know when things are working and as of today, this is working for me.  One of my biggest challenge was my work from home day today when I usually enjoy a happy hour with wings at the end of the work day.  Today, I was able to push through that and instead incorporate a solid workout and a nice wholesome meal.  Next two challenges will be a day off on Friday and of course, the dreaded weekend (see: Weekend Weakness)

I'll keep you all posted in a few days and let you know how things progress.

Until Then,

J

New daily routine

Starting tomorrow, I will be incorporating this workout every morning before work.  If you notice, it takes about 25-30 minutes and can really lift your metabolism for the day.  I find it's best to do workouts like this on an empty stomach so that your body can start to burn calories early on.  Enjoy!

ATHLEAN-X Black Friday Workout

Forgive me for I have sinned...

I feel like one of those televangelists who gets caught with their pants down at a cheap motel with a one legged lady of the night.  Except my pants are bursting at the seam and my one legged lady is a beer and a hot slice of pizza.  Yes, forgive me, for I have sinned and have fallen off the wagon.

I've realized one thing about myself. I LOVE FOOD. And the fat guy I once was is itching to get out and give me a hard time.  Well, sad to say that he has half way succeeded and I'm starting to get really irritated.  A friend once told me to hold on to the fat clothes I used to fit into, because I might need them one day.  Little did I know that he was right.  Even after I swore that I would NEVER go back and threw away most of them, I still held on to a few pants and shirts that I once wore "just in case".  Well old friend, you were right.  I'm not saying I'm fitting into the size 42's and XL's, but I'm now wearing my in between clothing that I bought during my transition. Long gone are the days of my size 31 pants and Small sized shirts.

How did I get here and how can I stop?

Well, I have to admit...a big part of it has been the suds.  Oh how a nice cold draft can really soothe me after a long day of dealing with idiots at work.  But with that comfort comes hundreds of empty calories that I never used to put into my body.  On top of this, I'm no longer staying away from processed foods, sugars and carbs.  I'm not eating anything compared to before (4 items at Taco Bell and a slurpee) but I'm also not controlling my eating habits or staying away from high calorie foods.  Do I work out? Sure I do. I lift weights just about every day, but what good does weight lifting do when you don't have a cardio regimen to shed off the weight so you can see the results.  When I flex, I see what's underneath.  I can definitely feel the muscles and the density of them, but the beer and sandwiches are clouding their definition.

It's not often someone who has a blog dedicated to weight loss and fitness can sit here and type this, but I've come to terms that I will never be someone who can sit back and stop fighting.  I will forever battle obesity, it's in my genes.  Like a diabetic who once diagnosed always needs his insulin, I as a "fat man" will forever need to deal with weight gain.  Which means that I will need to eat better and workout until the day I die.

Sometimes I talk to people that are 120lbs and tell me "i WISH i could gain weight". Part of me wants to sock them right in the eye, but another part of me realizes that we fight the same battles.  We all want our body to look and feel different than it is.  Whether we are 100lbs or 300lbs, we strive to feel and look our best whether it be for others or for ourselves.  However, the obstacles are always present. Whether it be a metabolism that works too fast and burns all our mass and muscle, or one that works very slow and does not produce any results towards our fitness goals.  But whatever the obstacles are, we must stop making excuses.

My excuses have been everything from "I'll get on it next week", "I have a trip coming up", "It's too cold to go to the gym", "My back hurts", "I worked too hard to not have this beer and cheesy treat".  Well, it's time to go back to the old me and see what I can regain.  So tonight, for you followers out there who have read my blog in the past, I am going to make a pact:

Starting on Monday, December 5th, 2010, I will start back on my healthy eating regimen and constant workouts.  My goal is to lose 40lbs by March 25th, 2010.  That is roughly 10lbs a month and about 2-3lbs a week.  Hey, I've done it before and I can do it again. I will blog my progress as often as I can and will post some pictures and workouts.

I'm sorry that I have failed all of you, but mostly, I'm sorry that I have failed my self and my body.  However, here's to a new start and another journey in weight loss and healthy living!!

Yours,
J