Days 48-52

I was at my parents house for our annual father/son golf weekend...it was so much fun and I beat both my brothers the last day...I will be moving and painting and packing for the next couple weeks as Esther and I move to our townhouse...I will keep up as
Much asi can and will post my next pictures and stats on Monday.

Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month.
Organized activity and maintained enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power.

Days 44, 45, 46 and 47

I know it's been forever since I posted but it hasn't been my fault...Tuesday and Wednesday I couldn't get the site to work and then Wednesday night I got another virus and my entire computer went to crap...I was son fed up with it I decided my time as a pc user had come to an end...so, yesterday I went and got myself an ipad2!!! This thing is so cool and will now be my main computer...instead of trying to remember what I ate thenlast few days I will just let you know that I've done well and am expecting very good numbers today after I'm done playing basketball...I am still planning on writing out my strength workouts this week so you can try them...they have been difficult but fun and rewarding all at the same time...once I get home from basketball I will update this and post my new pictures and stats.

196...10.6% body fat...25.8 bmi...Boom!!!

Not sure how to add photos yet with my iPad but I'll figure it out and get them posted.

Day 43

I really need to stop waiting until late at night to blog...I had a pretty good day today with a little highlight as well, but I'll get to that later...I woke up for my 6am and had my protein shake and then I had my scrambled egg-whites with salsa and cheese for my second breakfast..Then I had an 9am, 10am and I worked out with my 11am...I was excited to workout today...Until I had to do it...I still did a total body workout but it had a definite leg focus and for those of you who have done a serious leg workout you know how much fun I didn't have...I will post tomorrow what I did for that workout and then I will also have two other workouts that I am doing this week that I will post.

For lunch I had chicken, cottage cheese, greek yogurt and watermelon...I was a little hungry after my workout...Oh, and I took today's stats and I was at 200.5, 10.7% body fat (which is a new low!!!) and 26.4 BMI...The new body fat low was part of my highlight today and it gave me a lot of motivation because I am just that close to being under 10% body fat, which I have never been down that low before.

After I had lunch I went to the driving range and about turned my 9 iron into two 4.5 irons...That should tell you how much fun I had...Then I came home and had another greek yogurt and then played my guitar for a while until I needed to cut my hair and then go to an appointment with a potential new client...The meeting went well and she signed up, so I got a new client today as well (this is the other part of my highlight today)...Oh, and for dinner I had some chicken with hot sauce and a little ranch to go with my greek yogurt.

I then had to go play in a slow pitch softball game, which wasn't very fun...For one it's slow pitch softball and two our team sucks...Two thirds of the team works at Motorola so that should tell you how athletic the guys are...And now I'm home (I had some almonds when I got home) and now I am headed to bed...I get to see Esther in 5 days and by then I hope to be under 10% body fat!!!

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be
shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.
Think big anyway.
What you spend years building may
be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack if you help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have
and you might get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
       - Anonymous

Days 41 & 42

I'm very tired so this is going to be short...I played golf yesterday and today...I went out to eat last night and had some pizza, wings and beer...I ate pretty good today...I am going to weigh in tomorrow but now pictures (new pictures on Friday)...All in all I would say I did well this weekend and will be able to make some good progress this week.

Just smiling can do wonders for your attitude

Days 39 & 40

Finally some pictures and stats!!!But first I'll start with yesterday and work up to today...I had my normal shake before my 6am...After that I came home and cleaned the rest of the kitchen for about an hour and fifteen minutes and then I made my scrambled egg-whites with salsa, hot sauce and cheese...I then had a 9am and after that I came home and finished the laundry...Having to move by yourself isn't much fun...For lunch, which I had at 11:30am in order to get my food timed right for my workout and post workout meal, I had my chicken dish, cottage cheese and an apple...After lunch I went and picked out my new driver...I got a Callaway Diablo driver...It was normally $300 on sale for $150!!!And then I went to the driving range to try it out and I like it a lot!!!Then I went home and had a greek yogurt before my 2:30pm appointment so that I would have enough energy for my workout after that appointment.

For my workout I did interval sprints...1 minute at 12 mph and then 1 minute walk at 4 mph...Intervals are a great way to burn fat but they are extremely hard...I was wiped out after but I had to shower quick and get ready for my 4:30pm appointment...After that appointment I went home for an hour before I had to go back for my 6:30pm appointment...I knew I had to go meet our new land lord to finalize our lease so I ate dinner before I went to my last appointment...So, I had a piece of chicken with spices and cheese, with some spicy mustard and cottage cheese...When I got home I wanted a glass of wine so I had one and played the guitar for the rest of the night to keep me occupied.

And on to today...I felt great when I woke up and was so glad/proud for not giving into my cravings the night before...I hope I start to remember these moments that way when my cravings come up again I know that I can defeat them...I had my normal shake for breakfast but I knew I wasn't going to be able to have my normal second breakfast because I had appointments at 6am, 8am, 9am, 10am and then workout with my 11am...So, I stopped at the 7-Eleven and bought a protein shake to have after my 8am...I worked out with my 11am and I was so hungry when I started but once we got going I was fine...It was so nice to workout and not feel my belly giggling up and down as I ran on the treadmill.

The rest of today all I have is a 2:30pm and then I am going to go golfing to really test my new driver...I also won't be home for my mid-afternoon snack so I am going to get myself a protein bar to eat after my appointment...And I'm not sure what I'm going to do for dinner because I don't know when I will be done golfing and then I am going over to my friends house to watch "Fringe" with them.

And now for the stats and pictures...I weighed in at an even 200 pounds with 11.7% body fat and my BMI was 26.4!!!It took a little under two weeks to recover from my birthday extravaganza but I have and am now in position to reach my ultimate goal.

I will be going to my parents house for my dad's school's golf outing next weekend so I need to make sure I have a great weekend and week next week to give myself some leeway when I go there...And to end here are my updated pictures...I can start to see a few cuts of definition that I haven't seen in a while and seeing those helps keep my motivation up and wanting to have a good weekend, nutrition wise.

Days 37 & 38

Yesterday was a normal day...I had my protein shake, egg whites, chicken wrap with cottage cheese and fruit, two low-fat string cheese and fruit for my meals 1-4...I was planning on doing something with some friends but that ended up not being able to happen because they already had plans...So, I was thrust into my worse case scenario, which is having a plan and then getting that ruined...I stopped at Trader Joe's and got some cheese and wine...When I came home I had cheese, wine, left over prime rib (from Saturday's dinner), chips, some more wine and some more cheese...What a bad night...But I had a normal day today to recover and even though I am up from where I would have been I know I can have a good end to the week and a good weekend to get me under 200 by Monday.

I will be doing my weigh in and pictures on Friday and on Monday and then continue with the weigh ins on Monday's after that...I've had really good workouts this week and by Monday I really feel as though I will start to really see the result I am looking for...I'm stronger and more solid than I have in a while and these last few weeks as I try to lean out more and more I feel like I will get to where I want to be.

I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
       - Thomas A. Edison

Day 36

Today starts my last few weeks of this...I know I've extended it a couple times but that's okay...Again, if I was on a diet I would have given up after two weeks and gone back to my old, unhealthy habits...Friday I will be weighing in and taking pictures...Today I woke up and weighed 201, which puts me in great position to attain my original goals...This week I am expecting a big week...I am busy at night this week and I'm hoping to avoid another Thursday meltdown...Tonight I am playing softball from 8pm-9:15pm, which helps me tonight...Tomorrow night I work until 7pm and should be able to do something to keep occupied for an hour or so until I go to bed...Wednesday night I have youth group and then the bulls game after that...Friday I think I am going downtown with some friends but I'm not sure yet...Anyway, let's get started on today.

I didn't have to wake up until 7am this morning because I had no early morning client today but I knew my friend Zac needed help going to get his car around 8am because it got towed...I also knew I had clients at 10am and 11am...I also knew I was going to work out with my 11am...So, for breakfast I had two low-fat string cheese and some grapes...Then after getting Zac's car around 9:30am I stopped at a gas station and got a protein bar and a G2 gatorade to fuel my morning workout...After I worked out I came home and made my chicken wrap, cottage cheese and fruit for lunch...Then I cleaned the kitchen...I mean I cleaned it cleaned it...Scrubbed the cupboards, scrubbed the counters, stove fridge and sink...I cleaned it so well it smells like the all-purpose cleaner in the apartment.

I then had clients at 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30, so I stopped at 7-Eleven and got a RTD (Ready To Drink) Muscle Milk Light protein shake for my mid-afternoon snack and since I am out of chicken I am going to stop by Subway and get a six inch roasted chicken breast for dinner and have some cottage cheese with it...Then I will freeze my butt off playing softball tonight and then go to sleep in my nice warm bed!!!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
       - Philippians 4: 4-7

Days 31, 32, 33 and 34

Ok, so this time it wasn't my fault and anyone else who uses this service for a blog can back me up...The blog service has been down the last couple days so I wasn't able to post...Anyway, with as many days in there as there was I am not going to try to remember everything but just give a few highlights and then my plan from here on out.

Let's just say I didn't have the best Thursday night...I snacked a lot but got back on track yesterday, which was Friday...I also saw "Thor" last night and the actor who played Thor really motivated me to get down to my goal weight...The dude was jacked to say the least...The amount of dedication and hard work it takes to get your body in that kind of shape is inspiring to me...Of course if I was getting paid $10 million to look like that I probably would have a little more motivation.

My plan has changed a little bit...I had a stomach bug this week and that threw me off and Thursday night didn't help...Esther and I also planned a little get away when she gets back, which is four weeks away...So, I am extending this two extra weeks to really see what kind of shape I can get in...I had a great workout today and since the weather is starting to get a little nicer it will help motivate me to get outside and workout a little harder...I just need to find things to fill my time with at night...I guess I could try packing and cleaning :)

Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.
       - Anonymous

Days 28, 29 and 30

I first want to apologize to Gina for it taking me so long to get this done but it's not my fault...On Sunday night a got a computer virus and wasn't able to use my computer until late last night...With that said it's been an interesting couple days.

First, at dinner I didn't have steak and two sides of veggies...I ended up ordering a tenderloin sandwich and fries...It sounded really good and it was :)  Sunday was a tough one...Not only was it Mother's Day but we also celebrated my birthday with my in-laws...First I didn't have breakfast because I was still full from the night before...Bad #1...As soon as we got to their house I was starving so I ate candy and chips with guacamole...Bad #2...We had burgers made with an 80/20 ground beef...Bad #3...My mother-in-law also made me my favorite dessert, chocolate cheesecake...Bad #4...Esther left to go back to Indiana for her clinical...Bad #5...I had left over snacks from Friday night so I finished those with some wine...Bad #6.

Definitely not one of my best efforts...It just goes to show how quickly things can get out of control if you let them and don't follow the guidelines the previous days.

Monday morning came and needless to say I was full...But I learned my lesson and made a protein shake for breakfast...I then had my egg-white omelet for my mid-morning snack and then went to my 9am appointment...After that I worked out, which felt so good to get a good workout in, and then came home and made my normal lunch...I then had clients from 2:30-6:30...I stopped at the 7-Eleven to get a protein shake to take with me to work that way I knew I would have my mid-afternoon snack...I was still feeling pretty full so all I had for dinner was a chicken breast with salsa and some asparagus...I really like to use the veggie steamers for quick veggies that still taste good.

This morning I woke up feeling a little better...I didn't have a 6am so I slept in until 6:45am because I had an 8am and 9am appointments...But my 8am texted me at 7:20am asking if we could switch to this afternoon...This gave me some extra time so I made scrambled egg whites with some salsa and hot sauce mixed in, this is my new favorite egg-white breakfast...I then went to my 9am and was planning on running after that was over...It was about 70 degrees by that time so I ran outside...I planned on running 5 miles but only made it 3 because I hadn't eaten enough in the day and started feeling like I could pass out so I backed it down and had to walk home...It just goes to show you that it doesn't matter how much you exercise, if you don't give you body food/fuel to go off of you will have zero energy after 15-20 minutes of exercise.

When I got home I knew I needed some sugar but also didn't want to eat crap...So, I had a greek yogurt and skim milk...Plenty of good sugars in there and protein and carbs..Then I had to go to my 11:30am appointment...It was a little awkward at first because I had a little incident with this client last week.

This is what happened, she texted me at about 8am that morning asking if she could come in at 11am...Keep in mind this was only 3 days before Esther was going to leave for her clinical...Well, I go to my studio and 11am comes...11:15...11:30...No call, no text, nothing...A no show...My policy is if you don't show up and we both knew you were suppose to be there I charge you for that hour...Very standard for the industry...Well, she shows up the next Tuesday and we go through the workout...I then have her sign in for the hour and there was the line that said I was going to charge her for her no show...Well, she didn't like that and got all upset at me and then stormed out of my studio...At that point I was pretty sure I lost a client but she texted me a couple days later to apologize and all is better now...But at least she now knows I'm serious about my no show policy  :)

Anyway, after that appointment I had to come home and grill up some chicken and then I made a mexican style chicken breast with some cottage cheese and then I had a 2:30 and 3:30pm to go to...After that, since it was still 75 degrees outside, I went to the driving range, which is always an interesting time...Once I was done making craters in the earth, nothing sounded better than a six pack of beer and some pizza...But knowing where I was in my journey I decided that beer and pizza wouldn't be such a good thing...I went home and still had the craving and even got so close as to put my shoes on to go to the store...Then I had to stop and think which was more important to me, the quick satisfaction of pizza and beer or the long term satisfaction of reaching my goals...I chose wisely tonight...Thankfully.

I feel ok but I know I will feel great in a couple days...Oh yeah, I forgot to put what I had for dinner tonight...I made a chicken breast with marinara sauce and some cheese and another of my asparagus steamers and I just had some strawberries...Definitely feel full and ready to go to bed once the Bulls finish off the Hawks tonight...And I promise I will do better of staying up on this...Pictures and stats Friday!!!

Days 26 & 27

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because...Esther is home!!!She was able to come back this weekend from her clinical so we get to spend the weekend together!!!

Anyway, here is how Friday went...I was able to wake up on time and have my protein shake and coffee like I like to do...I had clients at 6am, 8am, 9am, 2:30pm and was suppose to have a 4pm but she canceled...Since I had an 8am it threw off my normal eating schedule...After I got back from my 6am I waited until about 7:50am to have some greek yogurt and a glass of skim milk...Then after I got back from my 9am client I waited until about 10:45am to have my egg-white omelet...Wait, I got that backwards...I had my egg-white omelet before my 8am and then the greek yogurt and milk after my 9am...Ooops...Anyway, then I went to go play basketball...Unfortunately only one other person showed up...So, we played a couple one-on-one games since he is about 55 years old and couldn't play much more than that...Needless to say, playing basketball against a 55 year old isn't much of a workout...Sorry to anyone who is around that age but it's the truth...When I got home I went for a two mile run in order to complete my cardio for the day.

After I ran I heated up a chicken breast and had that with some hot sauce with a little ranch and a few tortilla chips and then I headed to my 2:30pm...After that I took some kids to a skate boarding event that my friends were putting on...They run a skateboarding ministry called "Foundation Skate Ministry" (http://foundationskateministry.org/ or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foundation-Skate-Ministry/185958357397?sk=info)...It is a Christian ministry targeted toward skateboarders...It's really a cool thing what they are doing.

I was at that event from 4pm-7:30pm and then headed home to meet Esther there...I stopped and got some cheese, crackers and wine and a dozen roses to welcome her home...She got home and we just got to hang out again and start watching "24" on netflix...I had some of each of the snack I got but not too much because I wanted to enjoy our dinner the next  night...Mission accomplished!!!

Today is Saturday and I got to sleep in until 7:15am...I still can't believe that 7:15am is sleeping in for me now...Anyway, I only had two appointments today but one of them was with a new client!!!In between my two appointments I got my workout in so I could spend the whole day with Esther...She went to a baby shower while I was at work and then we went to Sam's Club to get some groceries and she needed to pick up her new glasses (yes they have an entire optometry section in Sams...They sell everything there).

We have been just lounging around all day and just enjoying being able to see each other again...We are going to dinner tonight and I already know I am getting the filet mignon with two veggies instead of potatoes...The restaurant is also a winery and Esther is getting a membership to their wine club for my birthday...It's really good wine and also you get some good discounts.

That's about it for today (sorry Gina no juicy details and no snooky/situation drama) but I have been able to right the ship a little bit and put myself in good position for reaching my goals...Pictures and weigh ins will resume next Friday!!!

Day 25

I am officially back on track!!!Yes I had a few rough days but I'm dealing with my habits and getting them under control...I am still not counting this week and will do three more weeks starting Monday but I am putting myself in good position to hit my goals...It just goes to show you how depressing having a few bad days in a row can deter you...I wanted nothing more than to quit doing this and just be okay with where I was at...But I had to take my own advice...Had I taken the rest of this week off I would have been right back to square one on Monday but I decided that in the long term I did not want that...The short term satisfaction of food is not worth the long term feelings of disgust and disdain for myself...I've really had to put things back in perspective...I've really started to think about my food decisions...I've really started to think if I really want to eat/snack at night and have wine at night...I like my normal routine...I like having my coffee, protein shake and egg-white omelet in the morning...I like waking up feeling refreshed and energized...I don't like being so full that I don't want anything to eat and don't want coffee...I don't like feeling sluggish and drained for the first half of the day.

Yesterday I had a pretty normal eating day besides my first breakfast...I woke up late and had to down a greek yogurt real quick before I left for my 6am...But after that it was the normal egg-white omelet for my  mid-morning snack, chicken, cottage cheese and fruit for lunch, greek yogurt and kashi and a glass of skim milk for my mid-afternoon snack for my mid-afternoon snack but my dinner was thrown off because of my night schedule...I was at my studio from 4:30-7:30 (I did pick up a new client though!!!) and had to go straight to a meeting from there and then to a bible study that my friends do for skateboarders...Needless to say I was hungry when I got there so I had half of a burger and about 10 potato chips...Not very good but I did the best I could for the situation.

Today I woke up and weighed myself and I was back down to 201!!!  That puts me right back on track for Monday...By then I should be right around 200 and be in position to achieve my goals...Esther comes home today for the weekend as well and I can't wait for that!!!And we are going out to dinner tomorrow night and I can't wait for that either...With these past few days I will feel as though I can have a good dinner and not feel guilty about ordering something that might not be the best for me because it will be my reward meal...We also will be celebrating my birthday and mother's day with Esther's family which means another meal that won't be great but I can do the best I can and then make sure I keep things in check the rest of the day.

I am feeling better about all this and this will give me my second wind in order to finish this thing strong!!!

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
       - Doug Larson

Day 24

I can't believe I am 24 days into this already...Yesterday was a good day because it was my birthday!!!The weather was great so I went and played nine holes of golf by myself, which was nice because nobody got to see some of the shots I hit...I got a good workout in (I am still doing the same strength workout) before I went golfing...My eating yesterday wasn't very good because of all the crap I had eaten the night before...I was still full when I woke up which means I didn't feel like eating...What a vicious cycle this is.

The cycle is when you eat a lot late at night you are not hungry the next morning...This is a double whammy because not only are you eating tons of calories and then going to bed, meaning you are not burning off any of the calories you just took in, you aren't hungry until lunch time, which means you have gone around twelve hours without eating...The cycle continues at lunch time, usually people want to feel as though they eat a healthy lunch because of what they ate the night before so they get something light, like a salad...This only continues the cycle and makes it worse...It makes it worse because by the time you finish your day at work and come home your body is craving energy and food and this is when people start the cycle all over again...It starts with eating something like chips and salsa and maybe have a couple beers or pops with it...Then you have a big dinner and some more beer or wine or pop and by the end of the meal you have taken in around 2,000 calories and thus won't feel like eating breakfast.

The correct way is to turn this around...You should be hungry when you wake up...You then will want to eat breakfast and this will get your metabolism going and make you hungrier throughout the day...You want to be hungry throughout the day!!! This means your body is revved up and working for you...It also means that your body is consistently getting food/calories/nutrients, which means you won't have the same cravings and will be able to have a better approach to dinner.

Anyway, back to the rest of my day yesterday...For lunch I had my chicken and cottage cheese and then after I played golf I came home, took a little nap and then had some grapes and greek yogurt and then went to youth group...And that was my day...I feel better today and I am going to try to get things back on track here that way I'm not starting all over again on Monday and I want to feel as though I can enjoy my birthday dinner with Esther on Saturday.

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.
       - Anonymous

day 23

Birthday weeks suck!!!  I have to make some adjustments because this week is going to kill me...My clients tonight gave me a cake, gynormous chocolate cookies, toffee, a $90 bottle of Cabernet, and a bottle of white wine and I'm sure there will be more to come...So, I am going to make an adjustment...I am going to take the rest of this week off and then add one week to my journey...So, after this week I will be doing this for four more weeks...I will still blog everyday to let you know my eating habits this week and how I'm dealing with everything but I am going to enjoy my birthday week and then continue after that...I will also blog about what I eat and exercise as well this week.

This brings me to a big point in healthy living...Just because I have a birthday week and I know I am going to gain weight doesn't mean I abandon ship...Will it be a bad week?  Yes, but that leaves me 51 other weeks during the year...I am going to enjoy my birthday but it will not derail me from my ultimate goals!

Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month.
Organized activity and maintained enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power.
       -Paul J. Meyer

Day 22

Today has been tough...I stayed up late to watch all the Osama bin Laden news and way over slept this morning...So, I had no breakfast...When I got home I was so tired I fell back asleep until about 9:30, so no mid-morning snack...I woke up and wasn't hungry because I hadn't eaten all day but I knew I had to have something so I had some almonds to get things going...I then had to eat my lunch at 11am in order to be ready to workout at 1pm...So, I worked out and then had clients at 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30...I stopped at the 7-Eleven and bought a protein shake for after my workout...I was suppose to have a 6:30pm appointment but her daughter had come home from school sick so that got canceled...This throws me off more than anything...To have a plan and then have it ruined is tough for me...I made a chicken quesadilla and had a couple beers and some chips...I always have a tough time sticking to my eating plan when I have free time...Now throw in Esther being gone and I have to deal with my bored eating tenancies which is really hard for me...I did okay but definitely not as good as I wanted to...I will have to be really disciplined for the rest of the week in order to reach my goal by Friday...I am hoping to just be back down to around 203 by Friday...Birthday weeks are tough but I think I can manage this.


Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more wisely.
       - Anonymous

Day 20 and 21

Oh boy...This is going to take some getting use to...Esther is in Fort Wayne...I have never lived alone and this is very different...Last night was definitely not good...Lots of food and fun but I took in about 2,500 calories...It is my birthday people!!!Today wasn't much better...Big breakfast and lunch...I am not looking forward to tomorrow...I am actually going to wait until Friday to do the next weigh in and pictures...It would be pointless and depressing to do it tomorrow...I will post my weigh in after my workout and then Friday is when I will do the updated pictures...It's getting really hard to continue because I am at a point where I am comfortable but I want my comfortableness at 200-205 to be feeling heavy...In order to do that I need to be very diligent these next 3 weeks...Esther is coming back next weekend and we are going out to Cooper's Hawk for dinner for my birthday and I have my birthday lunch with my in-laws on Sunday...It ought to be interesting.

Day 18 and 19

I wasn't able to post yesterday because I was actually pretty busy...Anyway, yesterday was pretty normal...I was able to sleep in with Esther so I didn't have to have my protein shake but I had my egg-white sandwich for breakfast...I then had clients at 9am and 11am...My 11am decided not to show up so I went home and made my normal lunch around 11:45am...I did this because I had a client at 2:30pm and wanted to be able to workout before that appointment...I then did my running a battling ropes workout again...You'd think it would get easier but the better I get at the harder I can push myself which means it's always going to be hard...I even puked a little in my mouth but I just spit it out and kept going...I had greek yogurt and a glass of skim milk for my mid-afternoon snack...I had some chicken for dinner and then I had my 6:30pm appointment and then Esther and I went and looked at a townhouse we are looking at renting...I was really hungry around 9pm because all I had was the chicken (no fruit, veggies or cottage cheese)...We were at our friends house and I remembered I left some turkey sausage patties...So I heated them up and had three of those...For those of you counting at home that's only 200 calories and all protein.

Today I didn't have a 6am either so I slept in until 7:45am and made myself my egg-white omelet and then went to my 9am and 10am appointments...I knew I was playing basketball today so when I got home I had some greek yogurt and kashi cereal...I then went and played full court 2 on 3 basketball for about 75 minutes...I was on the team with 2 and needless to say I was a little tired by the end of it...I then came home and made some chicken with cottage cheese and edamame...I then went to my 2:30 and 3:30 appointments and then I came home...Esther and I are going out to a sushi restaurant with one of our friends who is leaving to go live back home in Arkansas...I am planning on having a little something but I am still planning on keeping it pretty healthy so that I can have the things I want to tomorrow night...We aren't going to the Italian restaurant anymore but are going to this little restaurant in a town by us that I don't know what type of food they serve and then we are going to a bar where they have corn hole, darts, fooseball, silver strike and golden tee...Should be a fun time...I am also back on pace for my Monday weigh in...Today after playing basketball I weighed in at 199 again, so that made me happy...I may or may not blog tomorrow but I will update everything on Sunday.

On a side note, Esther is leaving for her six week clinical Sunday after church...She is going to Fort Wayne, IN and we will only get to see each other a couple times...Not only am I sad I won't get to see her but it also presents different challenges in my weight loss journey...I will be alone and therefore be bored more and I am a bored eater...Meaning when I'm bored I tend to eat more and have wine more often...I am going to have to have a plan each and every day otherwise these next 3 weeks could ruin all my progress to this point.

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
       - Charles Reade

Day 17

Man am I tired today...I stayed up to watch the stupid blackhawks game and didn't go to bed until after midnight...I also had a 6am client...Needless to say I kind of overslept...I woke up at 5:45am and had to shower and run out the door...with no breakfast!!!I was so hungry...After I got home I was so tired I laid down in bed and feel asleep again...This time I woke up at 8:30am for my 9am appointment...I made a quick egg-white sandwich and headed out the door...I also had some grapes in there too somewhere.

After my appointment I went over to our friends house to work on youth group stuff for tonight...We did that quick and then I called Esther and she came over as well and we watched the first episode of "Fringe" together...It was pretty good...We got home around 2pm and I made myself my normal lunch...Today's eating schedule is going to be weird because of my sleeping pattern today but I'll be fine...I am going to go workout here in a couple hours and then I'll have my post-workout/mid-afternoon snack and then I'll take a protein bar with me to youth group to make sure I don't eat a bunch of candy tonight.

I am also feeling much better about my weight...This morning I weighed in at 204...Still up but I can definitely recover to get back down for my goal weight...All I can do is workout and eat right and let the numbers fall where they may...I'm not going to starve myself or go on a weird diet for a couple days...I'm going to let my body work for itself and that will be enough.

I'm very excited to go out to dinner for my birthday and it will be a reward for my hard work (minus Monday night).

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.
       - Eleanor Roosevelt

Day 16

Well last night plus this weekend has come back to bite me in the butt...Between the crappy food I ate this weekend plus not working out on two of my workout days and consuming an extra 1,000 empty calories last night the scale has reared it's ugly head...I had my protein shake for breakfast, my egg-white omelet for my mid-morning snack and my chicken, cottage cheese and fruit for lunch...I also did my running and battling ropes workout today...As of right now, with my clothes on I weigh 210...I'm not sure how it's possible to have an 11 pound swing in 24 hours but I somehow figured out how to do it...Now, have I actually gained 11 pounds in two days?  No, but I also probably didn't actually lose two pounds from the previous week...It all has to do with water weight and food weight...I would guess that by tomorrow morning I will be down into around 205 because I will be having no snacking craze tonight...I want to get back down to 200 lbs by Saturday afternoon before I go out for my birthday.

As depressed as I was to see that 210 on the scale I also have to keep things in perspective...I would love to be under 200 pounds after eating 7 bad meals within four days...And I will be able to do that at the end of this six weeks...Even yesterday when I weighed in I was 9 pounds heavier than my goal...Without clothes on I would probably weigh in around 207 right now, which means that when I am at my goal I would be 198 and I would be very happy with that.

So, I need to keep my head up, work hard and not let this little speed bump turn into a road block and if I can do that I will still reach my ultimate goal!

Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.
       - Ann Landers

Day 15

Here we are at the end of week 2 already...I am very happy with my progress so far and I really feel as though I am creating a lot of good habits and getting rid of the bad habits I was creating before I started this whole thing...I hope everyone had a great Easter!

I woke up really late today and had to run through the shower and then get to my 6am appointment without breakfast!!!  I was so hungry and the three cups of coffee I had did not sit well in my empty stomach...I had to go lay down after I got back to let my stomach settle down before I could eat...Once I felt better I went into the fridge to get out food and there wasn't much to choose from...I need to go grocery shopping in a bad way...I had eggs so I made my egg-white omelet with salsa...I also had an orange and a cinnamon and raisin bagel thin (only 110 calories)...I had to extra carbs because I knew I hadn't eaten all day and I knew I was working out this morning so I needed to properly fuel my body.

I did my workout like I have been and man could I tell I hadn't worked out in three days...I was exhausted and my legs were shaking when I was finishing my last set of abs...I weighed in after I was done and here is what I was at...199 lbs, 11.3% body fat and a 26.3 BMI!!!That's two more pounds and puts me at 9 pounds in 2 weeks!!! I am extremely happy with my results so far and I am in great shape in reaching the goals I set at the beginning of this...Of my 199 pounds, 22 pounds is body fat and 177 pounds is lean body mass...That means the two pounds I lost this week were all body fat and none from lean body mass...Those are the exact results I am looking for...That also means that seven of my nine pounds have been from body fat...Here are my updated pictures.

I am off to Sams Club for groceries and then I have clients at 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 so I will need to take my mid-afternoon snack with me (probably greek yogurt and some fruit) and then tonight will be either chicken tacos or chicken fajitas...I will finish updating this tonight.

So, these are the nights I have avoided...Until now...It hasn't been absolutely terrible but it's been bad...I really had a sense of accomplishment today after my weigh in and had the snacking urge...I have resisted it until now...Esther and I met her long time friend and her boyfriend at dinner at Portillos tonight...I had the cajun grilled chicken pita (I only ate the chicken out of it) and a water...Pretty good right?  But once I got home I opened a bottle of wine and the wheat thins...I have eaten about half the bag of wheat thins and had 3 glasses of wine...That's about 800 extra calories that I did not need tonight...This is my reward for the week...I am going to have to buckle down the rest of the week and really keep things under control...This is about the time I tend to go back the other way and now is the time where I can really create some good habits...Tomorrow will be better!

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.
       - Jim Rohn

Days 12, 13 and 14

I know, I know, I did bad the last couple days of getting this done (sorry Gina) but time wasn't really on my side...My friend Kyle and I had a great time this weekend...We got to spend some good time together and it was tough to see him go but we will get to see him sometime soon...Anyway, Friday and Saturday and today were and will be rather tough food wise...We went to "Wildberry" Friday and Saturday...It is so hard to order healthy when there are so many good choices on the menu...But I did the best I could...Friday I ordered an egg-white omelet with fruit on the side and on Saturday (for lunch), I had a turkey burger and fruit...I had a few fries and a bite of the Strawberry Cheesecake stuffed  french toast...Words cannot describe how good not only the french toast was but just the food in general.

Now that I think about the last two days I know I didn't workout yesterday and I'm pretty sure I didn't workout Friday...I will be ready to workout again tomorrow...Sometimes spending time with friends you don't see very often is more important than working out...I can get right back at it tomorrow and make up for some elost time with some extra hard workouts this week.

Friday, being crunched for time, I was only able to eat some greek yogurt with some Kashi cereal in it and then I had to go to the Good Friday church seervice...I performed a song ("Death In His Grave" by John Mark McMillan...look him up) and it went well...After church there was only desert type food and I love oatmeal raisin cookies and since those are my favorite I had one...Then we met up with our friends after and we went bowling for the night...We were only planning on being there for two hours but one of our friends (who knows everyone) knew the manager/owner and we got to bowl an extra two hours for free...We ordered pizza and I had two slices (thin crust with sausage) and we had some beer as well.

Saturday after we went to Wildberry we went over to our Kevin's house to watch the Bulls play...So close to a full comeback but we will get them in game 5...After that all of our friends went to church at "The Chapel" while Esther and I watched their son Hudson...He is the cutest little boy...Once they got back we went to Portillos for dinner...For those of you who don't know what Portillos is, it is one of the original Chicago Italian Beef restaurants...It has so much good food to order...Nothing looked as good as getting an Italian Beef sandwich, cheese fries and a chocolate cake shake...But I just couldn't do it...I knew what I had eaten the last couple days and I knew what my goal is...So, with that in mind I ordered a house salad with a grilled chicken breast on top...Was I a little jealous of my friends chowing down on italian beef?  Yes, but I felt so much better after I was done eating because I didn't have that gross over-stuffed feeling and I knew I would feel better when I woke up this morning, which I did.

Today is Easter and with it comes more opportunity to eat bad food...What is synonymous with Easter?   Candy, candy and more candy...Yes I have had some but I won't have any more because I know I have a weigh in tomorrow and seeing progress is more important to me than a few pieces of candy...I made myself an egg-white omelet this morning (there was cinnamon rolls, sausage, bacon and poppy seed bread available)...For lunch I'm going to have ham and veggies and I'm not sure what my plan is for the rest of the day because I'm not sure how long I will be at my in-laws...That was pretty much my weekend...I'm nervous for my weigh in tomorrow because of my lack of exercise and eating more this weekend but we will see and if it's a little higher then I will just need to buckle down because we are celebrating my 27th birthday this coming Saturday and we are going to Maggiano's (an Italian restaurant) and I want to be able to to have my reward meal and not feel guilty about it.

There are only two types of religion in the world...All of them say, "do, do, do, do"...but only Christianity says, "DONE"...Christ Is Risen and defeated death for us all.

End of Day 11

It is Friday morning and I was way too tired to do this last night..So, I will finish it now.

So, Kyle and I went to the cool cigar shop called "Cigars and More" and had a cigar before we went over to Kevin's to watch the Bulls game...It was a lot of fun...It's been really great seeing him again and really having a great opportunity to reconnect with him since he has been gone for about 5 months now.

After we were done with our stogies we stopped by the grocery store to get some snacks for the game...This could have been a disaster but instead of walking down the chip aisle first I went over to where I knew there were vegetable trays and I picked up one of those with a light ranch in it for dipping...I then grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds but Kyle reminded me that I had some in my truck...We then went over to watch the Bulls get beat up by the Indiana Pacers but D-Rose being the MVP that he is came through in the clutch and we got the "W"...While watching the game I ate my veggies and sunflower seeds instead of chips and dip and beer and wings (which is normal game day food) and you know what?  I survived...The game still was played and I enjoyed the game even without the crappy food...There is such a stigma that if you are watching a sporting event that you HAVE TO HAVE game day food...But you know what?  The outcome of the game doesn't hinge on what you eat and it's up to you whether you let food and drinks determine whether or not you enjoy the game.

After the game the three of us went bowling, which can be another nutritional disaster...I wasn't very hungry though so I was able to stay away from the nachos, fried chicken fingers, pizza, etc...I was able to do that because I had eaten before we left...Had I not had anything I would have been starving and been more prone to eating some of those foods...I had one beer and really enjoyed myself...Again, we still bowled and had a great time even without the food and drinks...Us bowling did not depend on having crappy food and drinks...This is something I need to become more okay with...I need to be okay watching the Cubs play without chips and salsa or I need to be okay with watching the Huskers play on Saturday without having to have pizza, wings, chips and salsa and beer...I need to stop letting my surroundings dictate what I eat and drink and take control of the situation.

Day 11

First off I need to acknowledge one of most loyal followers (and best Beyonce dancers ever) in Gina...She is to me what "Snooki" is to "The Situation" (except only in a brother/sister sort of way...and for the record I never watch that show).

Anyway, today has been an interesting one...I had my normal shake before my 6am client today and then Esther and I went to pick up our friend Kyle from the airport (thankfully O'Hare)...We then went to "Wildberry" for breakfast...For those of you who don't know what that is it is the best breakfast place around here and I encourage anyone in the area to go (http://wildberrycafe.com/)...There I had the "Los Altos Benedict"...That is your normal eggs benedict except with chorizo, salsa, cilantro and a mexican style hollandaise sauce on it...It is soooo good!!! And I had pancakes as well...Needless to say I haven't been very hungry until now and it's 4:30pm...I got a good workout in (I did my running and battling ropes again) so I feel better...I'm not sure how dinner is going to go but we'll see...We are going to watch the Bulls game with our other friend Kevin and I have no clue what dinner will be like but I am going to make the best choice I can...I'll update this tonight.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions.
       - Anonymous

Day 10

Today is going to be a little different...Esther and I are going to the Museum of Science and Industry to go see the "Body Worlds" exhibit...I've never been to this museum and I am really looking forward to seeing all the fun things...I'll take some pictures and post some of them after we get back.

I will be gone from 10am-5:30pm traveling to the museum, going to the museum and then traveling back...Then once I get back I have to go straight to our church, which is 30 minutes away, for praise band practice (I play guitar and sing) until about 8pm tonight...Needless to say my normal everyday routine will not work today.

I had my 6am client this morning and I worked out with him in order to get my strength workout in today...I came home and had a glass of fat-free chocolate milk and scrambled egg-whites with salsa for my breakfast/recovery meal...I then have a client at 8:45am and then Esther and I are leaving right from my studio to go downtown...I know I will be hungry on the way down so I am going to stop by the 7-Eleven to get a protein bar and a bottle of water to plan for my mid-morning snack...Who knows what kind of food will be offered while we are down there but I will make the best choice I can...I have no clue how I am going to do dinner but I'll figure it out (I'm thinking maybe Subway or a burrito bowl from Chipotle)...My post tonight will be pretty late but check back to see how I did.

I just got done with praise band practice and the ended a little different than I thought...I had my protein bar and zero calorie vitamin water on the train ride down...We got the museum and went straight into "Body World"...It was so cool!!!For those who don't know they are real bodies from people who donated their body just for the museum...The bodies were cut in different ways so that you could see all the muscles and intestines and nerves and arteries...Esther was there to help me identify all the different muscles and that helped a lot...I don't know how anyway can walk through that and honestly say that our bodies were put together by chance...It was obvious to me that God designed our bodies and how each nerve, muscle, ligament, etc has a specific purpose...I was even surprised that the first quote on the way in used the phrase, "divinely designed"...I thought that was cool.

Anyway, we got to lunch and there was pasta, pizza, burgers, chicken fingers, fries, etc for me to choose from...We found a sandwich type shop and Esther and I shared a chicken panini and a small pork burrito thing...As well as a fruit cup and a desert...Not bad considering all the other choices I could have made.

We ended up getting done an hour earlier so we got home earlier, which allowed me to have my own dinner...It had to be quick so I just heated up a chicken breast and had some hot sauce with a little ranch dressing to it and some cottage cheese on the side...This is where having chicken breast already cooked comes in very handy...If I hadn't had those pre-cooked I would have had to stop and spend money on food that wasn't nearly as healthy for me...Make healthy eating convenient!!!

That's it for today...One of my friends is coming in this weekend and it's Easter weekend so my eating will not be normal but I will do my best and I will make good choices!!!

Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
       -Joshua J. Marine

Day 9

Today has not been very interesting...Pretty crappy weather outside and that means I can't run outside today...But I did get my new training ropes so that made me happy and I intend to use them in my workout today...For my workout I'm going to run on the treadmill for one minute at 10 mph and then do 30 seconds of the training rope and then recover for 30 seconds and then repeat that for 30 minutes.

My food today has been normal...Blueberry protein shake for meal 1, fruit and an egg-white omelet for meal 2, chicken, cottage cheese and fruit for meal 3...I'm going to have greek yogurt and a glass of skim milk for my recovery meal/meal 4, baked chicken Parmesan and asparagus for meal 5 (and maybe a glass of wine)...I get home later tonight so that will probably be it for food today...I will also probably have a Reese's peanut butter egg as a treat somewhere during the day.

I'm getting pretty set into my routine now...I still have cravings for certain things (chips and salsa, etc) but that's all they are, cravings...They go away and I feel so much more confident when I can get through those times...During those cravings I try to find something else to do (play guitar, watch a movie, and if I'm really desperate I'll read)...I am getting closer to being able to slide by those cravings without stumbling...Choose to do something life promoting and not something destructive.

I cannot wait until the weather gets nicer!!!This cold/rain is killing me!!! 

I just got back from my workout and man was that intense!!!The ropes were extremely challenging, as was the running in between (about 6 times I had to take an extra 15 second break)...And in case some of you were wondering what training ropes are here is a link on youtube to a video of what it looks like...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrd0o6EZM_4&feature=related

People often say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves.
       - Salma Hayek

Day 8

Well, the results are in and I am very happy!!!Now, keep in mind that I weighed in and took my stats after my workout today, so today's numbers will be a little skewed compared to last week but here on after I will be taking my weight and stats after my Monday workout so it will be more consistent from here on out.

First I'll let you know what I ate today because that won't take very long...For my first breakfast I had my protein shake with blueberries and for my second breakfast I had my three egg-white omelet with cheese, hot sauce and salsa...For lunch I will have my chicken wrap, cottage cheese and fruit...For my mid-afternoon snack I am going to take a greek yogurt and orange to work with me because there is a good chance I will be at my studio from 2:30-6:30 and I need to make sure I have some food with me...For dinner tonight I am going to have a piece of chicken with some sort of spices, edamame, grapes and maybe a glass of wine.

I also did the same workout I did last week, with a few minor adjustments, and will follow the same workout schedule the rest of the week.

So here are my stats and pictures for today after only one week...I weighed in at 201 today...My body fat was 12.1% and my BMI was 26.5...That means I lost 7 pounds, 2% off of my body fat and .9 points off my BMI...Again, I took my stats after my workout this week and before my workout last week so the numbers are skewed...But I am still very happy with my results after the first week...So, here are what my numbers mean now...Of my 201 pounds 24 pounds of that is body fat and 177 pounds is lean body mass...As I said my goal weight is 190 pounds and I am hoping to keep my lean body mass pounds right where they are now...That tends to be a hard thing to do when you are trying to lose weight but we will see what happens.

Here are my updated pictures...

Day 7

First off, how good is Derrick Rose?  I mean that guy is unbelievable...If anyone doesn't think he's the MVP this year they are crazy...And how about the Cubs actually winning a game against a tough team...Now for today's plan.

We have church today and I have to go in early for band practice so there won't be much time to eat today...So, I am going to have my 3 egg white omelet for breakfast and then for lunch who knows...We are having a buffet after church today so who knows what kind of food will be there...While the food may not be the healthiest I can always control my portions and what types of food I eat...I can make sure to have veggies and salad and the leanest meat I can find.

Then tonight we have small group tonight (we are going over Timothy Keller's "Counterfeit God's", it's really good and definitely recommend it) and I will again not be able to control the type of food being served...But, again, I can control how much food I put in my mouth and then go from there.

Today is my day off from working out...Your body needs time to recover otherwise you will never feel good...You will always feel tired and sore...Everything happens in recovery and if you don't actively recover (eat after workouts, get good sleep, take a day off, don't work out twice per day, etc) you will fail to reach your goals...The idea is to tear your body down as much as you can and then help it recover as well as you can...If you can get that concept down you will be ahead of a vast majority of people.

This has been a good week and one I think is repeatable...Tomorrow starts week 2 and I am very excited to see the results I've had this first week.

I just got back home and here is how everything went...At the buffet, like I expected, there were a lot of choices and lots of chances to make some not so good food choices...Things like pasta salad, potato salad, lasagna, hot dogs, italian sausage, pulled pork, meatballs, and the list goes on...So, I walked around the tables to survey what I had as my options...And I created a game plan from there...I made myself a salad with a light balsamic vinegerate,  about 5 ounces of pulled pork (no bbq sauce or bun), two small meatballs, a piece of cheese, two of those little wiener things and some vegetables...there was also desert table and Esther and I split a small piece of chocolate cake.

Then I went to my brother and sister-in-law's house to watch the cubs lose, watch cars drive around and take a nice hour or so nap...Then during small group my sister-in-law, Amy, brought out some chips and salsa and cheese dip...I had a few of each as well as some carrots...We just got home and I had some grapes, greek yogurt and one glass of wine...That is it for today and I think I did about as well as I could have for a weekend with all the opportunities to make some bad food choices.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is 
our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most...We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people 
permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

           - Marianne Williamson, American author and lecturer

Day 6

So I wake up today around 7am and I was still full from last night!!!I definitely did not feel like eating but I knew I needed to in order to get my metabolism up and running...You will not always be hungry when it's time to eat but you need to anyway...Why you ask?  Because your body needs to be able to know it is going to get food on a regular basis...If not your body will hold onto the stored energy it has in order to make sure you will have enough...Let me go off onto a little tangent here and then I'll get back to my day.

What is fat?  Fat is unused energy and when you don't eat regularly or on a regular schedule your body has no idea when it will get energy (food) next so it will continue to store body fat for energy in the future...However, if you can eat regularly (every 3-4 hours) your body can count on getting more energy later and therefore will be better at burning your stored energy (body fat) for fuel...The more regularly you eat and workout the more efficient your body will be at helping you get rid of your body fat.

With that said I didn't feel like eating so I left my apartment without eating but I knew I needed to in order to be able to workout later in the morning...So I stopped at the 7-Eleven and bought two protein bars (one for breakfast and one for a mid-morning snack) and two bottles of water...I then had my two morning appointments and then I worked out with one of my clients and then had my last appointment at noon...So I got home around 1pm and Esther had made some home made salsa (which oh so very good) and I wanted some so I had 5 chips and salsa and then I made my lunch, which was a piece of chicken sauteed with onions and spices and hot sauce and then I had a side of cottage cheese and some grapes as well.

The big thing after a meal like I had last night was to get right back to healthy eating working out in order to get back on track...You cannot let one meal turn into 4 bad meals...Have your reward and then let that be it...Get right back on track with your goals and do the things you need to do in order to achieve them...I'll check back in later tonight and let you all know how the rest of my eating day goes...It's still a long weekend!

Day 5

I actually had to get up at 5am today and I even had a client at 6am...So, I got up and made my protein shake for my first meal of the day...1 cup of water, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and frozen blueberries...It was so good...I hadn't had one in a while and I forgot how good it was...Then I went to my appointment with my 2 cups of coffee (a must for me at 5am) and then came home and my wife was actually still home!!!Esther got done with her finals yesterday so she was home when I got home which was nice...Around 8:30am I made myself a three egg white omelet with a little cheese and some salsa, as well as some strawberries...I had an appointment at 9am and I knew I had basketball at noon so I had some grapes around 11am to give me some energy for that.

I got home from basketball around 1:30pm and needed some lunch...So I made a hamburger...It was 96/4 lean ground beef and I topped it was a little garlic, onion and cheese...I had the burger on an 80 calorie whole wheat bun with a little BBQ sauce and had some edamame for my side...I have a client at 3pm and then Esther and I are going to go to out to dinner at 6pm tonight...I can't wait for this meal...This truly feels like a reward and not just another meal to chow down at...And this is how this should feel...Had I ate badly, like I wanted to last night, I would not feel as though I could have a few extra things tonight...But I held back last night so I could fully enjoy tonight...And I will enjoy tonight!!!  I will try to post some pictures of our meal after we get back...Now I get to tackle my first weekend on this journey...That ought to be interesting because weekends are a totally different beast than the week...Talk to you all later!!!

We just got back from our dinner at one of our favorite restaurants called Cooper's Hawk...Great food and they have their own winery too...Anyway, below is a picture of what I had...Blue Cheese crusted filet, maple, mustard and pretzel crusted filet and a crusted lamb chop with asparagus and mashed potatoes...So good and so worth the wait!!!  We are now going to watch the movie "Salt" and I hope it's better than I think it's going to be.

 

No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted.
       - Aesop, Greek fabulist

Day 4

I woke up at 6am again today, but this time just because I couldn't sleep anymore...Next week my clients will be back and I get to wake up at 5am again!!!Yeah!!!Anyway, I needed a few more calories in my shake this morning because my weight is dropping a little too fast...Yes, you heard me right a little too fast...I am already down to 203...That's 5 pounds in three days...That's not good...I want this weight loss to be a lasting change and when you lose weight too fast it tends to be a higher mix of fat and muscle and I want it to mostly be fat...So, in order to make that happen I need to take in more calories in order to give my muscles some food/fuel to keep them happy...With that said, I made myself another shake but this time instead of water I used fat free chocolate milk and instead of fruit I used all-natural peanut butter and I added four ice cubes...Still healthy but just more calories...Then for my mid morning snack I had my three egg whites with some shredded cheese and hot sauce again and a bowl of grapes...For lunch I made a chicken taco with fat free sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese and a little lettuce...I had my cottage cheese and orange as well...Then I had another single peanut butter egg for my "desert"...Notice how I added more calories but it was all healthy (except for the peanut butter egg)...I didn't add calories by eating chips and salsa or going and having a chipotle burrito for lunch.

Now I'm about to go to my 2:30pm client and then do interval cardio on my treadmill (it's a little cold outside) and then I will come home and have my mid-afternoon snack (greek yogurt and fruit), shower and then I have clients from 5:30pm-7:30pm...I am going to have leftovers from Monday for dinner...I cannot wait until my reward dinner tomorrow night!!!

I just got back from my workout and I feel so much better than I did on Monday and Tuesday!!!I wasn't able to do the intervals I wanted because I got side stitches but I did some good cardio anyway...I ran for 5 minutes at 8.5 mph and then walked at 4 mph at a 15 degree in incline for 5 minutes...I repeated that twice (a total of 30 minutes on the treadmill) and I was drenched with sweat when I was done...I also knew that I am going to go play basketball tomorrow (that I count as my Friday exercise...again FUN EXERCISE!!!) so I didn't feel so bad not doing my intervals...Once it gets warm enough outside I do interval sprints up this big sled hill...I would much rather do those than run 5 miles so I can't wait until I get to do that regularly.

Food edit...I also had a glass and a half of wine with my leftover chicken dinner tonight  :)


Today's Quote

Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.
   The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.
       - Charles Swindoll

Day 3

So I got up at 6am today thinking I had a client at 7am...But once I got to my studio I realized that we had discussed meeting at a different time...So, I woke up for nothing...Oh well...Once I got up I made myself a shake right away...I use the EAS Whey Protein mix...It has around 23 grams of protein per scoop...I usually make it with water and about a half cup of frozen blueberries but I was out of blueberries...So, I cut up some strawberries and added some ice...It was pretty good but I like it with the blueberries a lot better...Oh, and I use vanilla flavored protein powder that way I can put in it whatever I want.

Then I met with my friend Zac to go over youth group stuff for tonight...It was about 8:45am by the time we had breakfast and we had an 3 egg white omelet with a little cheese and a little hot sauce...We also had two turkey sausage breakfast patties that were only 120 calories and tasted just like regular breakfast sausage...After hanging out there for a while we decided that we would all go outside to workout together since it is so nice outside...Not what I had planned but going outside is a great way to break up the monotony of working out inside...There is a little trail with stations of "equipment" along it that we will use to do our strength exercises and then our cardio will be the running in between.

Since the workout wasn't what I had planned it didn't really fit in with my eating schedule I was thrown for a little loop...But I always have a backup plan...In order to make sure I had enough energy for our workout I knew I needed to eat something before my 11am client to be ready to workout at 12:30 (remember food is energy)...So, I had a glass of skim milk and a 100% whole wheat bagel thin (110 calories) with a little peanut butter...After I got to my studio I didn't think that would be quite enough calories to get me through the workout so I had a handful of sunflower seeds that I keep at my studio to make sure I am always prepared...Making healthy eating convenient is a big key...You can't eat what isn't there so always have some sort of healthy snack on hand, whether it be protein bar/shake or almonds or whatever you like in order to knock down those cravings to help you stay away from the chips/chocolate/etc.

Well, we are heading out now...I will finish this later tonight.

I just got back and had my lunch...Man was that fun!!!We ran around the lake, did push ups, sit ups, jumped, climbed, sprint and more all in 65 degree sunny weather!!!So much better than being inside and so much more interesting than working out by myself...Try to find a workout partner and realize it's okay to ditch the tradition workout and do something else...Get outside and run and jump and act like a kid again...We took a Frisbee with us and threw that around as we ran from station to station...I am hoping we turn this into an every Wednesday thing because it is such a great way to break up the monotony of working out inside.

I had a chicken wrap, cottage cheese, an orange and some grapes for lunch...You may notice that I eat a lot of fruit...I want to dispel the myth that you can't eat too much fruit because of the sugar that's in it...I have never had someone come up to me and say that they are 100 pounds overweight because they ate too many grapes...Does fruit have sugar in it?  Yes, but it's natural and you know what else is in fruit?  Vitamins and minerals and fiber...I get almost 100% of my daily carbohydrate intake from fruits and vegetables...I do have 1-2 servings of 100% whole wheat but that's it.

I have youth group tonight at 6:15pm so I will be eating some chicken, veggie (edamame) and greek yogurt for dinner and that will be it for today...I am really starting to enjoy eating healthy and being healthy again...I feel so much more energized and don't feel like crap...I can't wait until Monday to see the results from this week!!!

One more note about meal planning...My wife, Esther, has finals this week (only one more set of finals in August!!!) and we are going to go out on Friday to celebrate her being done...So, I am making sure I eat healthy and keep my nutrition on point that way when I get to that dinner I can feel as though I can have a meal that I want to have...Having a reward meal or two each week is what is going to keep you going...However, these meals need to be your reward and not the norm...Celebrate, but don't let it be an entire day or the entire weekend...You can ruin an entire week on the weekend so keep it under control but feel free to have a free reign a little bit...I let you know what I get and take some pictures so you can see it as well...Yes I am one of those people who likes to take pictures of what I eat and let everyone see it...Sorry  :)

I am also a big proponent of having a LITTLE something each day to keep you sane...Yesterday I had three little pieces of chocolate from a party favor that one of my clients gave me and today after lunch I had one of those Reeses peanut butter eggs...You have to keep it small though...I can't let one peanut butter egg turn into three eggs and a bowl of chips and salsa.

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
       - Edmund Burke

Day 2

Before I start on my day so far I want to make clear what my goals and reasons are for doing this blog.

1.  I want to achieve a level of fitness that I have never had before
2.  I needed some accountability in order to achieve those results
3.  I want to get to 190 lbs and under 10% body fat
4.  I want other people to join me in getting fit
5.  I want to create more healthy habits and get rid of some of the unhealthy habits I was creating
6.  This may be the most important one to me...I want to show people that you don't need some crazy diet and/or crazy workout plan in order to achieve great results...I want to show that you don't need "P90X" or "Insanity" type workout programs to achieve extraordinary results...I want to show that all you need is to consistently exercise and eat healthy consistently...I want to show that you can have some of the things you want to have and not have to kill yourself everyday in your workouts.

Day 2
Today started exactly like yesterday schedule wise...I woke up a little earlier but so far (it is 10:15 am) I have followed the same routine as yesterday...One big difference is that I already feel better...I don't feel bloated and full...I'm not sore from my workout yesterday either (even though it looked like I was dead from my after workout pictures)...That is one of the great benefits of doing a total body workout focused on movements as opposed to working certain muscles...When you do a total body workout there isn't a certain muscle that gets over used and therefore the soreness the next is not as much as it would be if you did an entire workout designated to working your chest and biceps...This helps me feel good for my workout today.

I am planning on having my same lunch today and then going for a 5 mile run early this afternoon...I then have clients at 2:30pm, 4:30pm and 5:30pm...Then I am going to a youth group meeting tonight where I cannot control what is being served...So, I am going to plan ahead and bring a protein bar to eat on my way there so that I am not overly hungry and therefore won't over eat...I plan on having a little desert and a little of something else...When I get home tonight I will update today's entry to give you how everything went.

So I just got back from my youth group meeting and here is the update from the rest of the day...I felt like dying again after my workout today...I ran the entire 5 miles and in not too bad of a time (37:30) but I felt like donkey doo doo when I got back...I again made sure to stretch and have my recovery/mid-afternoon meal to help my body recover so I can work out hard again tomorrow.

I had my protein bar and zero calorie vitamin water before I got to the meeting and I'm glad I did because there was a lot of good food there...slow roasted pulled pork, sausage bread, pasta, salad, etc...Since I had my bar before I got there I was able to keep my food intake to a small portion of pork and a little salad that had chicken in it...Had I not had my bar I would have had a lot of food...Now it's time for bed...Here is today's quote...

"Always do what you are afraid to do."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 1

Here we go...Day 1 starts with a sense of excitement along with some despair...I am very excited to start my journey but also upset at where I let myself get to...I got to sleep in today because I didn't have a client until 9:00am, which was nice.

I started my day by making myself some coffee and having a big glass of water...right after I finish my coffee and water (about 10 minutes) I made my breakfast...I made myself an egg sandwich...I heated 3 egg-whites in the microwave (don't worry mom, I used a glass container and not plastic) and toasted a 100% whole wheat sandwich thin in the toaster...After the egg-whites were done I added a little shredded cheese, hot sauce and one piece of thinly slice ham and then heat it again...I also had 7 strawberries as well...I made myself another cup of coffee and another 20 ounces of water...Breakfast done.

For lunch I shredded a chicken breast that I had already grilled (I grill about 12 at a time to last me through the week that way I just have to heat it up and not cook a chicken breast at each meal) and added some spices, a little cheese and some hot sauce...I heated that up all together in a bowl and then I also had some cottage cheese on the side as well as an orange.

This is where I got a little depressed...Here are my starting weights, pictures and statistics...My starting weight is 208, my starting BMI is 27.4, and my starting body fat percentage is 14.1%...That means of my 208 pounds right now 29 pounds of that is body fat and 179 pounds is lean body mass...And here are my starting pictures.

As a personal trainer I am suppose to inspire people with my level of fitness...Is anyone inspired by what they see here?  I doubt it because I am just disgusted...Now this makes me want to go have a great workout...which I am going to do right now.

Here is what I have planned for today:

-10 Minute dynamic warm-up including high knees, butt kickers, straight leg kicks, lunges, leg swings, iron cross, scorpion, push ups, sit ups and pull ups.
-I am doing a combination of cardio and strength...this allows me to maximize my time and burn more calories during after exercise...For my strength I will be doing 2 sets of 20 reps and for my cardio in between each strength exercise I will be running on the treadmill at 9 mph for 1 minute each time.
          Group 1
          -Staggered Chest Press

          -Staggered Row

          -Standing Leg Extension

          -TRX Oblique Side Knee Drives

         Group 2
          -2 MB Push Ups

          -Pull Ups

          -Step Ups

          -TRX Suspended Crunches

I just got back from my workout and man did that suck...I felt so out of shape for the last 15 minutes...I wanted to quit but I didn't...Here are a few pictures to prove how bad I felt...I made sure to stretch and have my post workout meal (20 ounces of skim milk) that also counted as my mid-afternoon snack.

And now I'm off to the store to get food for dinner tonight...Here is what we are having...http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Braised-Balsamic-Chicken/Detail.aspx...We are also having asparagus cooked in balsamic vinegar with mushrooms and onions...My late evening snack (about 90 minutes before I go to bed) is going to be a Brown Cow, Fruit On The Bottom, Greek Yogurt.

In conclusion, today was a real eye opening day...I know where I want to be and I know it's going to take a lot of hard work and determination but I know I can do it...If you are joining me on this journey please feel free to leave your questions in the comment section and I will answer them.

I also will try to give an inspirational phrase to end each day...Today's is an Aaron Manes original...It's been true of me a lot in my life when I have been trying to change something about me...Whether that was spiritual, emotional, physical or mental it's something that kept me going and I hope it is useful to you as well.

"Who you were doesn't have to be who you are and who you are doesn't have to be who you are going to be" 

And So It Begins

So it begins...I am so sick of being unsatisfied with my body...I want to be proud of what I see in the mirror and not disgusted...I have the unique opportunity to do something about it...Most of you know that I own my own personal training business and with that comes the time and opportunity to make this happen...I am not some "weirdo" who loves to exercise and only eats tofu and veggies...I love to eat pizza and wings have beer and wine just like many of you...However, it is time to show all of you how to incorporate all of these things and still see the results you want...I am going to be your guinea pig and all you have to do is follow.

So this is my plan...I am going to blog every day for six weeks about my struggles and insights during my quest for not only the body but also the level of fitness and health I want to be able to achieve...Each Monday I will take and post new pictures of myself...Also each day I will post what I ate and what I did for my workout.

My hopes in doing this is to inspire people to get real and to take control of their lives...This is something you can do...As the saying goes, "If I can do it then you can do it"...This is something my family can attest  to...I love food...I use to eat an entire plate of nachos and three frozen burritos at a time...I hold the record at a Lincoln, NE pizza buffet (Valentino's on 70th and Van Dorne) for number of pieces of pizza eaten in one sitting at 24.

I hope you follow this and incorporate these things into your lives...I want to show you that this can be done and that you can achieve the body and fitness level that you didn't think were possible.

Tomorrow starts my journey...wish me luck and I can't wait to see where we are in six weeks!!!