No, not Nike. More of a combination of Henry Rollins and Starsky and Hutch.

So I've lurked for a year, introduced myself on the beginner's forum, ponied up some cash to feel 'engaged', started my first challenge and now it is time to begin my journal. I'm doing so for several reasons. Encouragement, accountability, advice and motivation. Hell, even criticism.

I'm 36, 6' and 247 pounds. My initial goal is 200. After reaching that, I will see how I look and decide from their. I am going to attain this through, most importantly, clean eating. Weight training and cardio will obviously be major factors, but changing my lifestyle to eat clean is paramount. Since today is my twelfth wedding anniversary, I'm not sure how I will get a workout in. Well, I can think of one way :evil::spaz:

We are going out to dinner. Unfortunately, at a place that has the largest collection of single barrel bourbons in the area (Remember, Jay, SOBER OCTOBER!). It will deter me. I have looked at the menu, and while wanting celebrate, I will not celebrate by eating myself to the point of being uncomfortable. I'd love the blackened scallops on fried green tomatoes appetizer followed by the fish and chips or their signature 15 oz prime rib, but I really going to try and show restraint by ordering the spiced salmon on pilaf. I just hope that Pelligrino goes as well with salmon as chardonnay does!

So this where I will be rambling on about my successes and pitfalls. Feel free say hey and offer any advice or corrections on things I may doing wrong.

j.:madpimp:

Hi Jay, congrats on starting your journal and also the challenge. It really came at a good time for me.


You're right to concentrate on the dietary side of the fitness equation. Exercising has a lot of benefits, but it's really hard to overcome a poor diet. That said, have a great time tonight at dinner (and afterwards).

Looks like you have taken the plunge into uncharted waters. Keeping a journal has so many positive benefits that will be revealed in time. I often gauge my current progress by reading what I have done in the past. I hope you do well tonight and come out of it with only a few scratches, preferably from your wife. :madpimp:

I start with such good intentions... well, not that I can help this, but I had plans for 30 minutes of fasted cardio this morning followed by working my chest and back this evening and instead have been hit with a total body bug that has me in agony.

I woke up about 3:00 am with horrible abdominal cramps. I took a shot of pepto (that IS allowed in the sober october challenge) and spent the rest of the night tossing and turning in a cold sweat with body aching horribly.

I'm going to take it easy today. Maybe try some weights after my son's karate lesson. All I know is that right now, sitting in this cubicle is misery.

I start with such good intentions... well, not that I can help this, but I had plans for 30 minutes of fasted cardio this morning followed by working my chest and back this evening and instead have been hit with a total body bug that has me in agony.

I woke up about 3:00 am with horrible abdominal cramps. I took a shot of pepto (that IS allowed in the sober october challenge) and spent the rest of the night tossing and turning in a cold sweat with body aching horribly.

I'm going to take it easy today. Maybe try some weights after my son's karate lesson. All I know is that right now, sitting in this cubicle is misery.

congrats on your anniversary, starting a challenge and deciding to get into better shape :claplow: just take it easy on the working out if your getting sick... it sounds like you might have had a fever last night... if you are getting sick, try to eat clean, drink LOTS of water and rest until you start to get better and then ease into working out... if you hit the gym too hard while your getting sick you'll just get sick faster :nod: I hope you're feeling better and :gl:

congrats on your anniversary, starting a challenge and deciding to get into better shape :claplow: just take it easy on the working out if your getting sick... it sounds like you might have had a fever last night... if you are getting sick, try to eat clean, drink LOTS of water and rest until you start to get better and then ease into working out... if you hit the gym too hard while your getting sick you'll just get sick faster :nod: I hope you're feeling better and :gl:


Thanks Chameleon. Yeah, my ass is whooped. Before I began my lifestyle change, I insisted that my fuel was the fundamentally most important aspect of it (ahead of weight and cardio). While I was quite fit at one time, I know that it will take some time to get back to that point. Plus, I'm afraid that by changing too many things at once I will become overwhelmed.

My weights are light, and my cardio is only about 20-30 minutes. No HIIT yet for me. I've been doing exercises I enjoy, like military press, lat pull down, seated row, curls... stuff like that. Taking it slow and making sure my form is in check.

Now, feeding off of your advice, time to grab another liter of water, a multi-v and hopefully some soup or something.

Thanks Chameleon. Yeah, my ass is whooped. Before I began my lifestyle change, I insisted that my fuel was the fundamentally most important aspect of it (ahead of weight and cardio). While I was quite fit at one time, I know that it will take some time to get back to that point. Plus, I'm afraid that by changing too many things at once I will become overwhelmed.

My weights are light, and my cardio is only about 20-30 minutes. No HIIT yet for me. I've been doing exercises I enjoy, like military press, lat pull down, seated row, curls... stuff like that. Taking it slow and making sure my form is in check.

Now, feeding off of your advice, time to grab another liter of water, a multi-v and hopefully some soup or something.

baby steps are always the easiest to take... and right now the ones you are taking are good... starting slow is a good thing in my opinion... people who go from 0 to 60 in no time flat, usually end up, well... flat :p they fall because they don't know how to go 60 yet... you need to learn how to go 10, then 20, then 30 and so on... you'll eventually get up to 60 but by trying to get there before you're ready you'll likely hit a bump in the road and get into an accident ;) hehe.... sorry.. I think I'm getting a bit carried away with that analogy :lol: I'm pretty sure you know what I mean :D

try to work your water up to a gallon a day... your body will thank you and you'll end up losing water weight in the process ;)

Well, wasn't in too active of a mood today. I had some pretty hardcore 'intestinal issues' yesterday and today. I managed a bowl of soup yesterday, and today was able to get down another bowl of (chicken broth based) soup, a banana and a whole wheat wrap with 3 oz of ham and sauteed (in zero calorie spray). I'm not eating what I should, but my stomach's feeling better so I hope to be on a normal, 5 meal a day plan by the end of the week (with the exception of my wife's birthday party Saturday!).

No weights or cardio today. Still feverish and week from no food.

Man, this morning felt like I did a 180. I feel like $100! Yesterday I was sore, crampy, sweaty with no appetite. This morning I awoke hungry, alert and ready to go! Hopefully I can keep this momentum. After work I'm planning to hit our fitness center and thirty minutes on the elliptical and 30-45 minutes of weights :bb:. I'm thinking military press, flat bench, curls, butterfly, lat pulldowns and deadlifts.

This will sound weird, but I've never done a deadlift. :eek: Other than my curl bar at home, I only have dumbells (aside) from my Body Solid machine. I've watched some vids on Youtube, so I know that I need to start with my weight on my heels, but I am curious about grip... One palm in, one out? Both facing in? Any help is appreciated.

I can't believe how good I feel :claphigh:!!! That stone have had me feeling down for the last couple months. Plus going on day four of no firewater can't be hurting either!:tucool:

Man, this morning felt like I did a 180. I feel like $100! Yesterday I was sore, crampy, sweaty with no appetite. This morning I awoke hungry, alert and ready to go! Hopefully I can keep this momentum. After work I'm planning to hit our fitness center and thirty minutes on the elliptical and 30-45 minutes of weights :bb:. I'm thinking military press, flat bench, curls, butterfly, lat pulldowns and deadlifts.

This will sound weird, but I've never done a deadlift. :eek: Other than my curl bar at home, I only have dumbells (aside) from my Body Solid machine. I've watched some vids on Youtube, so I know that I need to start with my weight on my heels, but I am curious about grip... One palm in, one out? Both facing in? Any help is appreciated.

I can't believe how good I feel :claphigh:!!! That stone have had me feeling down for the last couple months. Plus going on day four of no firewater can't be hurting either!:tucool:
There are many deadlift grips. I prefer the mixed grip (1 under, 1 over) but you can do both over, both under etc. Some of the youtube videos are not good examples of deadlifting, so you have to be careful. Try going on to this site (http://exrx.net) for some good tips and demonstration on form.

Here is a good post on the forum about deadlifts (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=39272) Mannishboy has a great link to Eric Cressy's T-nation article on proper deadlifting. Here is another site that also gives good examples and links to various Powerlifts like Deads, Bench, and Squats (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224).

I use a hook grip until failure then a mixed grip.

Thanks for the links and advice, guys! From what I've read, deadlifts are an all around awesome exercise.

Foley, my wife grew up about an hour up the M40 from you in Leamington Spa!

Thanks for the links and advice, guys! From what I've read, deadlifts are an all around awesome exercise.

Foley, my wife grew up about an hour up the M40 from you in Leamington Spa!Interesting :) I've never been there, mind.

Interesting :) I've never been there, mind.

Not much to see...Warwickshire and Conventry were more interesting. I liked Kent a lot. We are hoping to visit the Lake District on our next trip.

Oh, you went ooop North :) South is best :lol:

Oh, you went ooop North :) South is best :lol:

My wife's Godparents live in Tunbridge Wells. I Like that area a lot. We tried to book a trip over this summer as the Tour went straight through Tunbridge, but with two kids, airfare was just a killer!

Went to the fitness center after work, and while I kept it short, it felt great! I really need to put together an organized lifting plan. I started out with 30 minutes on the elliptical and kept the weights minimal as I'll be doing a long session on my home gym tomorrow night.
so here's my first dail food exercise post:

Food
one slice of wheat toast with peanut butter and honey
two bananas
one lean cuisine fiesta chicken dinner (I know...)
two apples
one wheat tortilla with ham, mushrooms, scallions, lettuce and red peppers
one handful of almonds

Exercise
30 minutes elliptical
military press 3x10 @45, 55, 60
dumbell curls 3x10 @ 25, 30
kneeling bent row (don't know the real name, one knee and one and on the bench pulling the dumbell upwards towards me) 3x10 @ 55
lat pull down 3x10 @ 60, 65, 70

I feel good, but think I am cheating myself on the weights. I need to study the forums and put together a good three day a week weight training plan.

Feels great seeing my day on the screen. While there is much room for improvement in diet and exercise, I am so happy to be typing this instead sitting in front of the tv, grouchy and drinking a beer.

oh, duh... I also took a 6 mile bike ride with the kids when I got home from work.

oh, duh... I also took a 6 mile bike ride with the kids when I got home from work.

Nice going, I hope you had fun with the kids.

If you plan to work out only 3 times a week might I suggest a full body routine?

Nice going, I hope you had fun with the kids.

If you plan to work out only 3 times a week might I suggest a full body routine?

Full body makes sense. Especially since I will be running or cycling two days, I could probably skip the elliptical and go straight to the iron. For me, a typical week would be (ideally)

Monday - Weights
Tuesday - cardio
Wednesday - Weights
Thursday - cardio
Friday - off or weights
Saturday - off or weights (depending on Friday)
Sunday - Cardio

Cardio will be cycling 2 times a week, one ride of 30-40 miles on Tuesday and Sunday would be a long one, 50-100 miles depending on my condition (gradually ramping up). I will run as a last resort. I enjoy running up to 5k but lose interest after that. Cycling is a passion of mine.

In SpecialK (or anyone's opinion), how many exercises should chest, legs, back, shoulders, arms get in a full body work out? wow, my noobness with weights is really shining through! I know enough to work the large muscles of the group first (for instance, squats first on leg routines), but I"m pretty clueless after that.

Well, 10:00. Going to grab 7.5 hours of sleep and hopefully get in a 3 mile run before work.

A typical day would be:
Breakfast 6:30- one whole grain english muffin w/ one egg (cooked w/ zero calorie spray), one slice of cheese, one slice of ham

9:30 - two clementine oranges and a handful of almonds

12:30 - Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meal (I know...)

2:30 - 4 oz cottage cheese

4:00 - Clif bar if running/cycling/weightlifting @ 5:00

7:00 - chicken breast, salad, cooked green

This is my new plan (about 3 weeks in) before I was eating a granola bar and a piece of fruit for breakfast, then lunch (same, Lean Cuisine), no afternoon snack and then dinner, which would usually be pizza or something. Also, I was more sedentary than I am now.

I've cleaned it up, but admit that it needs refinement. I just can't understand the weight gain over the last week. Makes me want:

Upon first glance I would bring up your protein way up. Also to much sodium. (deli ham, cottage cheese, american cheese, and Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice)

I entered your macros into Fit-day :doh:

Total Calories: 1385
Fat grams: 47
Carb grams: 139
Protein: 102

32%F, 37%C, 31%P

You're way below your maintenance calories. And you're probably right about your metabolism stalling because of this.

Here's a better outline for your meals w/o changing a lot:

6:30: one whole grain english muffin w/ one egg (cooked w/ zero calorie spray), one slice of cheese, one slice of ham

6:30: 5 egg whites & one whole egg omelet (cooked w/ zero calorie spray), one slice of cheese, one slice of ham (use in omelet) drop the english muffin
(22 grams PROTEIN+15 grams FAT)

9:30: two clementine oranges and a handful of almonds

9:30: 1 scoop Protein Powder or 4 oz low-fat cottage cheese & 1 oz almonds (about 22 non salted/dry roasted)
(20-25 grams PROTEIN+15 grams FAT)

12:30: Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice meal (I know...) :rolleyes:

12:30: 6 oz Chicken breast or water packed tuna w/ green veggie. If you can't warm this meal than make it a salad w/ cold chicken
(30 grams PROTEIN + 15-20 grams CARBS)

2:30: 4 oz cottage cheese

2:30: 4 oz cottage cheese & 1 tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter
(20 grams PROTEIN+15 grams FAT)

4:00: Clif bar if running/cycling/weightlifting @ 5:00

4:00: This is the time to eat those two clementine oranges
(pre workout fructose=SIMPLE CARB)

7:00: chicken breast, salad, cooked green
(30 grams PROTEIN + 15-20 grams CARBS) *(30 grams Starchy CARBS)

Leave it alone. *On weight lifting days add a starchy carb like brown rice

This should get you closer to: 2,000-2,500 calories and macros closer to: 35%F, 25%C, 40%P

how many exercises should chest, legs, back, shoulders, arms get in a full body work out? wow, my noobness with weights is really shining through! I know enough to work the large muscles of the group first (for instance, squats first on leg routines)

15 to 30 reps per body part X 3 times a week (10X3 or 5X5 or 3X8 (you get the picture ;))

Monday
BB Back Squat (legs) 10X3
Flat BB Bench (chest/arms) 10X3
Bent over BB Rows (back) 10X3
BB Military Press (shoulder/arms) 10X3

Wednesday
BB Deads (legs/back) 10X3
Close grip Lat Pulldowns (back/biceps) 10X3
Assisted dips (chest/shoulders/arms) 10X3
BB Close Grip Bench (chest/triceps) 10X3

Friday
BB Back Squat (legs) 10X3
DB Incline Bench (chest/arms) 10X3
Seated Rows (back) 10X3
Seated DB Press (shoulder/arms) 10X3

son of a bitch am I weak. eating clean, 5k yesterday felt great, 75 minutes of weights this morning, took care of business (kids to karate, grocery store, made them a healthy lunch, yada yada yada) and had planned on a pretty healthy dinner... roasted sweet potatoes, salad and pork tenderloin. :tu: Well, my wife is still feeling the effects of walking pneumonia and laid down for a nap while I set up halloween/fall stuff in the yard with the kids. Then we decided to go on a bike ride. Nice little four mile loop. Anyway, we get home and it is 5:30. too late to roast, bake, whatever... so the inevitable happens.... we get in the car... and drive... to a restaurant. I am not good in restaurants. Despite the best of intentions, As soon as I sit down, it is almost as if I purposely look for the most expensive and fattening items on the menu. Tonight was no exception. Fried green bean appetizer, and Ribs and FRIED shrimp with FRENCH FRIES.:nono: what the hell was I thinking? :bang: Jesus, not even 12 hours earlier I was having chicken breast for breakfast to get a protein headstart on my macros! :mad:

I'm down, but now out. I felt great after my full body workout today (flat bench, curls, butterflies, lat pull down, tri push down, leg curls, leg extensions, seated row, shrugs, crunches), and I can't wait to run tomorrow morning. Eventually I will catch onto this elusive thing called a healthy lifestyle and stop sabotaging myself. I've only got one back, but so many monkeys and so little time!

son of a bitch am I weak. eating clean, 5k yesterday felt great, 75 minutes of weights this morning, took care of business (kids to karate, grocery store, made them a healthy lunch, yada yada yada) and had planned on a pretty healthy dinner... roasted sweet potatoes, salad and pork tenderloin. :tu: Well, my wife is still feeling the effects of walking pneumonia and laid down for a nap while I set up halloween/fall stuff in the yard with the kids. Then we decided to go on a bike ride. Nice little four mile loop. Anyway, we get home and it is 5:30. too late to roast, bake, whatever... so the inevitable happens.... we get in the car... and drive... to a restaurant. I am not good in restaurants. Despite the best of intentions, As soon as I sit down, it is almost as if I purposely look for the most expensive and fattening items on the menu. Tonight was no exception. Fried green bean appetizer, and Ribs and FRIED shrimp with FRENCH FRIES.:nono: what the hell was I thinking? :bang: Jesus, not even 12 hours earlier I was having chicken breast for breakfast to get a protein headstart on my macros! :mad:

I'm down, but now out. I felt great after my full body workout today (flat bench, curls, butterflies, lat pull down, tri push down, leg curls, leg extensions, seated row, shrugs, crunches), and I can't wait to run tomorrow morning. Eventually I will catch onto this elusive thing called a healthy lifestyle and stop sabotaging myself. I've only got one back, but so many monkeys and so little time!


It's over and done with. Were they good decisions? You already know the answer. And you already know that they can't be undone. What can be done is to make the right decisons today.

I don't know if you're already doing it, but one exercise that I find to be very beneficial is to keep track of what I'm eating. It can be a PIA, especially in the beginnng, but I've always found it to be effective. It forces me to be more conscious of what I'm eating and can be a deterrant to making poor choices because I don't want to have to record them.

Here's some comfort you can take away from this whole experience. You purposely knew that these choices were not good. Imagine someone who doesn't know any better, would think the meal you described was perfectly fine.

It's done and over with, now move on and try to better next time your out at a restaurant. Remember the all or nothing approach is destined to fail in the long run.

Here's some comfort you can take away from this whole experience. You purposely knew that these choices were not good. Imagine someone who doesn't know any better, would think the meal you described was perfectly fine.

It's done and over with, now move on and try to better next time your out at a restaurant. Remember the all or nothing approach is destined to fail in the long run.

It's over and done with. Were they good decisions? You already know the answer. And you already know that they can't be undone. What can be done is to make the right decisons today.

I don't know if you're already doing it, but one exercise that I find to be very beneficial is to keep track of what I'm eating. It can be a PIA, especially in the beginnng, but I've always found it to be effective. It forces me to be more conscious of what I'm eating and can be a deterrant to making poor choices because I don't want to have to record them.

Yep, I guess it was just a bad weekend all around, but you both are right... I recognize that they were poor decisions and that in itself is positive.

SK steered me toward Fitday.com and it is awesome! Seeing the graphical representation of your macros really puts things into perspective. It's also handy for making sure your sodium intake doesn't creep up on you. That shit is everywhere!

We have identified artificial colors and preservatives as factors in some issues that my son has been having. Because of that, the whole family is taking a cleaner approach to diet, so a lot of temptation will be removed from the equation. I am taking the perimeter approach to the grocery store. The only middle aisles I went into this weekend were for black beans and canned tuna.

Also, I cooked up a mess of chicken in the slow cooker (just chicken and water) and made a full load of brown rice in the steamer. I've already got half of my meals for the week ready to go!

After 20 years of treating my body like shit, I didn't expect my lifestyle change to come easily or quickly, but it's happening. What is amazing is how (physically) bad I felt after my crap meal Saturday night. My body is definately happier when I am feeding it fuel and not funk!

SK and Paul - thank you so much for your input and support!:bow:
are there any fitness periodicals that you guys regularly read?

Forgive me if you wrote about it and I missed it, but I wasn't aware of any issues with your son. One of the things that I find so wonderful about this site is that although the primary theme is about fitness whenever a subject that's not directly related to it comes up there are so many knowledgeable people who are willing to chime in with advice and support. I know that I've been a huge beneficiary of the support of the JSF community about issues that do not directly relate to fitness since I've started posting and I've written about such diverse subjects as health issues with my son as well as chronicling my emotions as my father suddenly became seriously ill about a year ago and eventually died.


Specialk gave you good advice about Fitday. I use it also and find it to be an effective tool. For a short period I moved over to TheDailyPlate, and while it had some useful features that Fitday didn't offer the site was down too often for my tastes. Subsequently I've replicated on Fitday one of the time saving features that I found most useful on TDP and plan on staying with it. Since I use the site so often I guess I should pony up $$, but to date I've only used the free version.


As for periodical reading, my answer is no, there isn't anything I regularly read or subscribe to garner heatlth information. I doubt I could find a better resource than JSF.

Forgive me if you wrote about it and I missed it, but I wasn't aware of any issues with your son. One of the things that I find so wonderful about this site is that although the primary theme is about fitness whenever a subject that's not directly related to it comes up there are so many knowledgeable people who are willing to chime in with advice and support. I know that I've been a huge beneficiary of the support of the JSF community about issues that do not directly relate to fitness since I've started posting and I've written about such diverse subjects as health issues with my son as well as chronicling my emotions as my father suddenly became seriously ill about a year ago and eventually died.


Specialk gave you good advice about Fitday. I use it also and find it to be an effective tool. For a short period I moved over to TheDailyPlate, and while it had some useful features that Fitday didn't offer the site was down too often for my tastes. Subsequently I've replicated on Fitday one of the time saving features that I found most useful on TDP and plan on staying with it. Since I use the site so often I guess I should pony up $$, but to date I've only used the free version.


As for periodical reading, my answer is no, there isn't anything I regularly read or subscribe to garner heatlth information. I doubt I could find a better resource than JSF.

Thanks Seltzer. He's got some sensory integration issues that OT is really helping him to cope with. It's all good, but it was a challenge finding what was up.

Speaking of Seltzer, just sliced a lime and getting ready to crack open a..... nice, cold.... bottle of.... Gerolsteiner. At least it sounds like beer;)

Food intake wasn't super good today, had egg whites for breakfast, a protein bar at 10, leftover sausage casserole (English sausages with peppers, onions and mushrooms with a Coleman's mix) Tastes good, but not the most nutritious. Two oranges at 3:30 then 40 minutes on the elliptical and then worked my back and shoulders. Dinner was pork tenderloin (nothing on it) and a small plate of whole wheat spaghetti with a little sauce. I'll probably have a small salad in an hour or so.

Tomorrow is stacked. Into work by 6:00 so I can leave at 2:00 to take my son to OT, then he goes to karate while my wife takes our daughter to dance class. I'm planning on an after dark 3-4 mile run to end the day. My inlaws leave for Africa tomorrow so I'll have to adjust my schedule to get in workouts and watch their cats. Dad inlaw is lucky that I am recomitted to the SO challenge, so I'll be leaving his single malt alone when I am there!

So I'm beginning to think about supplements, but I'm kind of on the fence. I was just looking at At Large Nutrition's Fat Loss Stack. It appears to be mostly protein, creatine and a thermogenic supplement. I'm assuming that the protein (Nitrean) is a meal replacement, the creating is for lean mass and the thermogenic is for a metabolic boost.

Part of me says to go ahead do it, and the other part is saying that I am initiating a lifestyle change, and the supplements (other than a multivitamin) don't have a place in a permanent change. THEN, there is another part of me (let's three personalities = :neener:) that is thinking it good give me a kickstart to higher self esteem and a more intense focus on maintaining my life changes. I dunno. Maybe I'll steal my daughter's magic 8 ball tonight and do best two of three.....

Before you go out and spend $$ get your diet in check. Supplements are basically the icing on the cake. I use protein powder strictly as a convenient source of protein. I could easily eat whole foods to get the same benefit.

You might want to take a look at this post (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=535962#post535962)to see what others have used. I'm sure there will be an underlying theme i.e. most used supplements with the best results.

You asked if there are any periodicals I could recommend. "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (http://www.burnthefat.com/) by Tom Venuto has by far has been the best $40 I've ever spent.

Before you go out and spend $$ get your diet in check. Supplements are basically the icing on the cake. I use protein powder strictly as a convenient source of protein. I could easily eat whole foods to get the same benefit.

You might want to take a look at this post (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=535962#post535962)to see what others have used. I'm sure there will be an underlying theme i.e. most used supplements with the best results.

You asked if there are any periodicals I could recommend. "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle" (http://www.burnthefat.com/) by Tom Venuto has by far has been the best $40 I've ever spent.

I have to agree with SpecialK; get your diet in order before spending money on supplements. Without a relatively clean diet the supps won't have any noticeable effect.

Before you go out and spend $$ get your diet in check. Supplements are basically the icing on the cake. I use protein powder strictly as a convenient source of protein. I could easily eat whole foods to get the same benefit.



I have to agree with SpecialK; get your diet in order before spending money on supplements. Without a relatively clean diet the supps won't have any noticeable effect.

I guess that is why they call them supplements.. .you have to have something in place to supplement! Thanks guys!

Today was a good day.... went in a hole on the belt :tucool:, ate pretty well and ran 3 miles. I wanted to lift weights after I ran, but 1. I was knackered and 2. Had to start dinner before the wife and kids got back from their Brownie meeting (it was a hike, so my son went).

Fitday is turning out to be really cool. I was just about at 40/40/20. I think it was 45/37/18. I'm still getting too much sodium, which I am really going to dial in on. Not sure if I will be able to lift tomorrow... the grass is really beginning to need cut. I haven't cut it since the first week of July, but is still only ankle high, and that is just in spots that get shade! If so, I plan on running at 5:15 am Friday and then lifting after work. PLAN is the key word there.

I didn't even think about straying from the SO Challenge, so I'm also feeling good about that.

Fitday is turning out to be really cool. I was just about at 40/40/20. I think it was 45/37/18. I'm still getting too much sodium, which I am really going to dial in on. Not sure if I will be able to lift tomorrow... the grass is really beginning to need cut. I haven't cut it since the first week of July, but is still only ankle high, and that is just in spots that get shade! If so, I plan on running at 5:15 am Friday and then lifting after work. PLAN is the key word there.

I didn't even think about straying from the SO Challenge, so I'm also feeling good about that.

I'm glad to hear that Fitday is working out for you. BTW, I am a self proclaimed sodium junkie. Sweets, I take it or leave it. Anything salty (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showpost.php?p=510407&postcount=1280)and my mouth waters just thinking about it. Aside from water bloat, restricting sodium is not as big a deal as you might think. What I mean is it's not inhibiting your fat loss. Sugar is.

Had a decent day, although my boss tried to sabotage it by taking us out to (GASP) Cheesecake Factory for lunch. It should be called the Lard Ass Factory. I had never been there, but a friend told me they have fish tacos, which I love, so I was cool with it. They were awesome! I left the black beans alone, because they looked very 'prepared'. The tacos were great, but I should have eaten them without the tortilla. I ordered the Godiva cheesecake but got it to go. I gave it to my wife (hey, I'm looking to buy a $6,000 bicycle next year so I need all the points I can get!). Food was great, but it induced a coma.

However...

I pushed myself to go to the gym after work and had a great weight and cardio session. I was proud of myself. :tucool:

someday I will start recording what I actually do when I work out. Today it was the elliptical, military press (love it), butterfly, flat BB press, bent rows, lat pull down and tri push downs.

Tomorrow will be a three mile run with no weights. I still can't figure out why I am eating clean, not drinking, lifting and doing cardio, yet the weight is not moving south. I'm still going to do what I do, because it makes me feel good. The clothes are getting a little looser, so I guess that is what is important.

Getting ready to eat a chicken breast, watch some more of the 98 Giro and hit the hay. See you guys tomorrow.

I recognize how infuriatingly frustrating it can be to not see the scale move despite doing the right thing, but as you noticed your clothes are looser this indicates that you most likely are increasing your lean body mass and decreasing your body fat.

Jay, be patient because as long as you continue what you've been doing and accurately track your food to make sure that you arent' ingesting those hidden calories the scale will start moving south.

Lastly, what bicycle are you thinking of buying?

Long time, no update. I've kind of been slacking. By slacking, I mean two days of weights and one to two days of cardio a week. Still trying to get a handle on my diet, which fitday is really helping with. Granted, my diet is immensely better than it was eight weeks ago, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

I ran a 5K today to benefit the humane society in a neighboring county. It was hard! All of my running the last couple months has been on pretty flat terrain. This one was one mile of brutal uphill, one mile of rolling and then a punishing downhil to the finish. My quads will be screaming tomorrow! I was aghast at my time (35 minutes!), but I was out more to have fun than die. I participated with a friend and we walked maybe 3/5 of a mile of it. The uphil just knocked me down and it was very hard to recover.

Tomorrow I am going to do a full body weight session (maybe a little light on the legs!) and cardio monday.

Food today has been good so far, a banana, egg on whole grain english muffin and a wrap with turkey, low carb tortilla, tomato, banana peppers, lettuce, a little feta.

Long time, no update. I've kind of been slacking. By slacking, I mean two days of weights and one to two days of cardio a week. Still trying to get a handle on my diet, which fitday is really helping with. Granted, my diet is immensely better than it was eight weeks ago, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

I ran a 5K today to benefit the humane society in a neighboring county. It was hard! All of my running the last couple months has been on pretty flat terrain. This one was one mile of brutal uphill, one mile of rolling and then a punishing downhil to the finish. My quads will be screaming tomorrow! I was aghast at my time (35 minutes!), but I was out more to have fun than die. I participated with a friend and we walked maybe 3/5 of a mile of it. The uphil just knocked me down and it was very hard to recover.

Tomorrow I am going to do a full body weight session (maybe a little light on the legs!) and cardio monday.

Food today has been good so far, a banana, egg on whole grain english muffin and a wrap with turkey, low carb tortilla, tomato, banana peppers, lettuce, a little feta.

Hey bud...just wanted to drop in and let you know I got your back as well. Keep up the good fight and lots of great suggestions from specialk and seltzer!

One of the things that really helped me with the diet is to think about food as a fuel for my body, got to eat to have that energy to make it up those hills!:D Stick with all real foods and don't waste you money on supps, trust me I've wasted lots of money on protein powder, just stick to real food.

Like Paul said patience my brotha...the scale will start to move and lastly like BMAC has quoted in his journal....never ever give up!

Hey bud...just wanted to drop in and let you know I got your back as well. Keep up the good fight and lots of great suggestions from specialk and seltzer!

One of the things that really helped me with the diet is to think about food as a fuel for my body, got to eat to have that energy to make it up those hills!:D Stick with all real foods and don't waste you money on supps, trust me I've wasted lots of money on protein powder, just stick to real food.

Like Paul said patience my brotha...the scale will start to move and lastly like BMAC has quoted in his journal....never ever give up!

thanks Jason! I look forward to tracking your process and being inspired by it!

I had an ok week. three workouts and some cardio, but yesterday, I started having a pain 'down there' :eek:. Today brought more concern because the pain is isolated to one of 'them' and it's swelling. Feel free to stop reading at anytime :blank:

Needless to say, I'm kind of worried (especially having been a huge fan of Lance Armstrong since he won the World Championships back in 1993). I'm going to take it easy and call my doctor first thing Monday morning. Tomorrow I'm going to take it easy, take the kids to a cyclocross race and cook some buffalo burgers on the grill for myself and the inlaws.

Have a great weekend.

oh... A neighbor and I have set a goal for running the Flying Pig Half Marathon in May, so I have an awesome goal to begin training for! Hell, with nearly seven months until the race, I may decide to do the whole if my training goes well.

I had an ok week. three workouts and some cardio, but yesterday, I started having a pain 'down there' :eek:. Today brought more concern because the pain is isolated to one of 'them' and it's swelling. Feel free to stop reading at anytime :blank:

Needless to say, I'm kind of worried (especially having been a huge fan of Lance Armstrong since he won the World Championships back in 1993). I'm going to take it easy and call my doctor first thing Monday morning. Tomorrow I'm going to take it easy, take the kids to a cyclocross race and cook some buffalo burgers on the grill for myself and the inlaws.

Have a great weekend.

oh... A neighbor and I have set a goal for running the Flying Pig Half Marathon in May, so I have an awesome goal to begin training for! Hell, with nearly seven months until the race, I may decide to do the whole if my training goes well.

I hope that it's nothing serious, but you're right to get it checked out.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Hope all is ok! Keep us posted.

I'm always using the phrase "Pain in the Balls", whenever things become difficult. You have my permission to borrow that phrase anytime considering the kind of week you had.

I'm always using the phrase "Pain in the Balls", whenever things become difficult. You have my permission to borrow that phrase anytime considering the kind of week you had.


Hey. Sorry. Crazy week. It really has been a pain in the balls on several levels!

Doc said it's ok. Then again, my doc is pastey faced and weighs about 300. Maybe 275. Taking it easy and ibuprofen has helped. I lifted today and felt good, so I think I am back on track.

35 minutes elliptical
3x10 flat bb bench press
3x10 lat pull down
3x10 military press
3x10 hammer curls

Doing legs and triceps tomorrow:
squats
leg curl
leg extension
tri push down
any suggestions?

I know my routine sucks, just trying to do exercises that feel good and natural and will begin refinement when I'm comfortable. Planning on a three mile run Sunday and then chest and arms monday.

diet has been a little sketchy (got a slab of ribs cooking at 225 right now. They should be good to go in about two hours) but not too bad. Other than tonight's dinner, I've been eating whole grains, fruits, brown rice, chicken breast and veggies. none fried. all baked. feeling good, taking my supplements daily (fish oil, glucosamine, mega men, milk thistle). I can always do better, but I'm miles ahead of where I was last year.

I felt guilty drinking after the SOC, but I find a beer enjoyable. A beer, not eight beers. Well, maybe tomorrow for Ohio State/Illinois. We'll see.

jay.

I don't know if you were rooting for OS or Illinois, but if it was the former then I expect you've had a couple additional beers. What a whacky season for so many of the big dogs.

Jay, the big picture is that you're doing better today than you were last year and probably even six months ago and that's a good thing. We can all do better than we are, but I think one of the secrets to long term success is finding the proper balance between our desire to get healthier, enjoying ourselves, working, and family. From what I know from your writings you've come a long way healthwise and if you make as much progress in the next few months as you have in the past few then you'll be on your way!

Oh, and good luck with the bicycle repairs you mentioned in my journal.

I don't know if you were rooting for OS or Illinois, but if it was the former then I expect you've had a couple additional beers. What a whacky season for so many of the big dogs.

Jay, the big picture is that you're doing better today than you were last year and probably even six months ago and that's a good thing. We can all do better than we are, but I think one of the secrets to long term success is finding the proper balance between our desire to get healthier, enjoying ourselves, working, and family. From what I know from your writings you've come a long way healthwise and if you make as much progress in the next few months as you have in the past few then you'll be on your way!

Oh, and good luck with the bicycle repairs you mentioned in my journal.

Spot on, Seltzer. I'm not expecting miracles, and given the fact that I have treated my mind and body like a landfill since I was teenager, I was not expecting my habit changes to occur all at once or with strict adherence. I do feel better about my self and that is key. When my muscles are quivering and shaking after a particularly hard set. About ten years ago, I was actually in much better shape, but that was when I was putting about 150 miles a week on the road bike (bicycle). Unfortunately, I was also drinking 6-10 beers a day. My body can't do that any more. I realized that a couple years ago when I would start cramping on rides. Funny thing about the150 mile a week era was that I was smoking around 3/4 of a pack of cigarettes and stuff daily, While still averaging 18 mph on 50 mile rides. Those days are gone. I'm not a 16 mph avg for 40 miles.

Better get going... It's family clean house day, I need to get my bottom bracket and headset on my frame and need to get the squats, leg extensions, tri pushdowns and leg curls that I promised myself.

I'm not a huge OSU fan, more of a homer than anything else. I always like to see the underdog win anyway!

Spot on, Seltzer. I'm not expecting miracles, and given the fact that I have treated my mind and body like a landfill since I was teenager, I was not expecting my habit changes to occur all at once or with strict adherence. I do feel better about my self and that is key. When my muscles are quivering and shaking after a particularly hard set. About ten years ago, I was actually in much better shape, but that was when I was putting about 150 miles a week on the road bike (bicycle). Unfortunately, I was also drinking 6-10 beers a day. My body can't do that any more. I realized that a couple years ago when I would start cramping on rides. Funny thing about the150 mile a week era was that I was smoking around 3/4 of a pack of cigarettes and stuff daily, While still averaging 18 mph on 50 mile rides. Those days are gone. I'm not a 16 mph avg for 40 miles.

I look back in amazement about how resilient my body was when I was younger. If nothing else, the changes over the years have helped me to make better decisions.

Better get going... It's family clean house day, I need to get my bottom bracket and headset on my frame and need to get the squats, leg extensions, tri pushdowns and leg curls that I promised myself.

I have a list of chores that I want to accomplish today also. Have a good workout.

I'm not a huge OSU fan, more of a homer than anything else. I always like to see the underdog win anyway!

After I posted about the game I remembered that you lived in Cincy and that probably made you an OSU fan. Well, the underdog certainly came out on top yesterday.

Have a great Sunday!

Well, there is a blood drive at work today. I have never donated, so I decided to sign up. My blood pressure was too high to donate. 158/106 and 178/112. I'm not sure I want to take BP meds, I'd rather try to lower it through exercise and diet. I'm kind of scratching my head, since I went to the Dr. last week and he took my bp but didn't say anything. I think I'll give him a call....

Well, there is a blood drive at work today. I have never donated, so I decided to sign up. My blood pressure was too high to donate. 158/106 and 178/112. I'm not sure I want to take BP meds, I'd rather try to lower it through exercise and diet. I'm kind of scratching my head, since I went to the Dr. last week and he took my bp but didn't say anything. I think I'll give him a call....

:confused: Hmmm. Those reading are definitely in the territory of the doctor needing to say something, so I'd be interested to learn what's going on. Hopefully the disparity is due to operator error at the blood drive and there is no issue.

Wow... that hurt :doh:. Did squats for the first time in like two years this evening. Wasn't sure how much weight to push so I put on 150. I did a set of ten, walked it off, started my second set, and like a bolt of fucking lightning, a pain shot up both thighs. Kind of like from my hammy's, but more inner leg, and straight up to my perenium. Damn. That hurt.

Luckily, before that, I got in:

BB Curls 3X10 (60lb)
Leg Extension 3x10 (70lb)
leg curl 3x10 (45lb)
lat pull down 3x15 (70, 80, 85)
butterfly 3X15 (45, 55, 60 lb)

My legs hurt. Hope it doesn't screw up my cardio tomorrow. Going to go stretch some more and put the chicken and brown rice on.

I'm enjoying a Sierra Nevada, but I feel that I am falling back into my old habits. I know that I will probably have a couple more before the night is over, and that is counterproductive. With sky high blood pressure, maybe I should focus a little more on mind and body health than pseudo rewards.

Wow... that hurt :doh:. Did squats for the first time in like two years this evening. Wasn't sure how much weight to push so I put on 150. I did a set of ten, walked it off, started my second set, and like a bolt of fucking lightning, a pain shot up both thighs. Kind of like from my hammy's, but more inner leg, and straight up to my perenium. Damn. That hurt.

Luckily, before that, I got in:

BB Curls 3X10 (60lb)
Leg Extension 3x10 (70lb)
leg curl 3x10 (45lb)
lat pull down 3x15 (70, 80, 85)
butterfly 3X15 (45, 55, 60 lb)

My legs hurt. Hope it doesn't screw up my cardio tomorrow. Going to go stretch some more and put the chicken and brown rice on.

I'm enjoying a Sierra Nevada, but I feel that I am falling back into my old habits. I know that I will probably have a couple more before the night is over, and that is counterproductive. With sky high blood pressure, maybe I should focus a little more on mind and body health than pseudo rewards.

I hope you're not feeling any ill effects from yesterday's squatting and that you'll be able to get your cardio done today.

Did you ever hear back from your doctor about the bp readings?

The doctor's nurse just called me. They are putting me on Norvasc. It's a calcium channel blocker, whatever that means. I am to take one when I get home, so I don't think I am going to do cardio or anything tonight. I want to see how my body reacts to it before I do anything.

well, car is in the shop today...$775... ouch! Guess that carbon fiber frame will have to wait a little while longer. So, I'm working from home. Kind of. Just worked out and it felt great:

Squats 3x10
lat pull down 3x12
tri push down 1x12, 2x10
flat bench press 3x10
seated row 3x12
bb curl 3x10
leg extension 3x12
shrugs 3x12

I'll be feeling it tomorrow, but tomorrow will be easier... cardio and a couple exercises that I prefer to do at the gym at work rather than at home (military press, bent row, lat raises)

blood pressure was 155/93 yesterday. Food was good, no alcohol.

Today's food has been almost completely clean... whole grain english muffin, two eggs, meal 2 - brown rice, baked chicken, edemame and black beans.

Days like this motivate me to continue to well. I love how I feel right now. sweating, arms twitching and happy.

:tucool:

The doctor's nurse just called me. They are putting me on Norvasc. It's a calcium channel blocker, whatever that means. I am to take one when I get home, so I don't think I am going to do cardio or anything tonight. I want to see how my body reacts to it before I do anything.


Oh yeah, I researched Norvasc, and after having read people's experiences with it, I called the Dr. and told them no way. I said that I will focus on diet and exercise for two months, monitoring bp daily and see if I can take care of it that way. If not, and it turns out I am just predisposed to high blood pressure, than I will talk to them about controlling it through medication.

After going through so much to keep my son off of medication and being successful, I want to do the same for myself. I refuse to live a life of pharmacological necessity due to my own laziness. Is pharmacological even a word?

well, car is in the shop today...$775... ouch! Guess that carbon fiber frame will have to wait a little while longer. So, I'm working from home. Kind of. Just worked out and it felt great:

Squats 3x10
lat pull down 3x12
tri push down 1x12, 2x10
flat bench press 3x10
seated row 3x12
bb curl 3x10
leg extension 3x12
shrugs 3x12

I'll be feeling it tomorrow, but tomorrow will be easier... cardio and a couple exercises that I prefer to do at the gym at work rather than at home (military press, bent row, lat raises)

blood pressure was 155/93 yesterday. Food was good, no alcohol.

Today's food has been almost completely clean... whole grain english muffin, two eggs, meal 2 - brown rice, baked chicken, edemame and black beans.

Days like this motivate me to continue to well. I love how I feel right now. sweating, arms twitching and happy.

:tucool:

Good afternoon Jay. I'm feeling pretty much the same way you are right now and I'm hoping to use it also as motivation to continue to make decent decisions.

That's too bad about the car, but with what mechanics charge it's almost impossible to come out with a small bill.

Have a great day.

Oh yeah, I researched Norvasc, and after having read people's experiences with it, I called the Dr. and told them no way. I said that I will focus on diet and exercise for two months, monitoring bp daily and see if I can take care of it that way. If not, and it turns out I am just predisposed to high blood pressure, than I will talk to them about controlling it through medication.

After going through so much to keep my son off of medication and being successful, I want to do the same for myself. I refuse to live a life of pharmacological necessity due to my own laziness. Is pharmacological even a word?

I'm glad to see you taking a different approach to your high blood pressure. Most people would take the medicine without addressing the root cause of the problem. I hope diet and exercise is all it takes to lower your BP. My cholesterol was very high before I started to make basic improvements in my diet. Now its lower than ever and I did it without having to go on any drugs.

Oh yeah, I researched Norvasc, and after having read people's experiences with it, I called the Dr. and told them no way. I said that I will focus on diet and exercise for two months, monitoring bp daily and see if I can take care of it that way. If not, and it turns out I am just predisposed to high blood pressure, than I will talk to them about controlling it through medication.

After going through so much to keep my son off of medication and being successful, I want to do the same for myself. I refuse to live a life of pharmacological necessity due to my own laziness. Is pharmacological even a word?

Good decision!

As for your post ending question, yes it is. At least according to Merriam-Webster. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmacological)

Today's BP was 165/93. Still high, but an improvement. I realize that readings can fluctuate greatly within even short time spans, but it's still nice to see it lower.

My quads feel like they have been seared in a George Forman grill after leg day yesterday, so I took it easy and did 20 minutes on the elliptical, military press, hammer curls, bent db rows and seated push downs.

diet was a little salty, which I have thoroughly admonished myself for. Salt is a bitch to avoid unless you are eating totally clean. I NEVER add salt to my food, an I am eliminating frozen dinners (lean cuisine, etc...) from my diet. I love soup in the winter, so will probably start making my own in the crock pot and freezing it.

We are going to Atlanta for Thanksgiving, but this weekend I am cooking a thanksgiving meal for a very good friend and her daughter whose husband/dad works in China and will not be here when we are in the ATL. I am going to do my best to stay clean, food AND drink wise. I am allowing myself some wine, which I selected earlier this week, but there will be no excess. My wife is demanding green bean casserole (bad word!), so I am saving some of the green beans and steaming them for myself. I am going to be successful. Everyday that I do well fulfills my promise to myself and motivates me to continue.

Have a great day everyone.

Jay.

BP - 157/81 better!

I didn't workout today, but that's ok. I am cooking a 'pre-Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving meal' on Sunday. The inlaws are coming, but it is especially for my mom and a good friend and her daughter. Our friend's husband works in China, and my brother is kind of a flake, and if he gets a deer on Thanksgiving day, he won't come and won't bother calling. Since we are going to Atlanta for Thanksgiving, I wanted to make sure that everyone got to spend some quality family time together. I went to the grocery after work and picked up nice sized young bird, some wonderful zinfadel, cabernet and merlot, sweet potatoes, parsnips, etc.....

you lot in the UK will appreciate this... Bisto and Paxo! YUM!:drool:

Tomorrow, after my son's karate class, I have about 3 hours before he needs to be at the allergist. My goal is to have a quality workout, revisiting squats, which have given me THREE days of DOMS, but I love them, and check/change the spark plugs in our lovely 17 year old Mazda (hoping to upgrade to an Outback, Mazda 6 or possible a Rav 4 in the spring).

After my son's appt, I'm taking him to this neat place on the (Ohio) River called Newport on the Levee to see A Bee Movie. From there we will go to Great American Ballpark and pay our respects to Joe Nuxhall. He was an incredible individual who passed away last night at 79. He was the youngest player in the modern major leagues at 15 years, 10 months, 11 days. Along with Marty Brenneman, he was the voice of hte Reds for thirty years. He had a way of putting you in the ballpark as you listened on the radio. I think he was in 13 all star games and was just a wonderful ambassador to baseball and the community. He was born in my hometown, Hamilton, and I had the honor of meeting him several times throughout my youth. Truly a class guy. He will be greatly missed.

I will close out this post as Joe closed his broadcasts (even though I am a righty)

"This is the ol' left hander, rounding third and heading for home...."

Good night Joe. We'll miss you.:(

That's very thoughtful to have an early Thanksgiving and to accommodate your family and friend like that. We are going away for Thanksgiving and my family won't be getting together until Christmas.

Let me know what you think about Bee Movie. I'll be hanging Christmas lights, wrapping bushes, and putting outdoor furniture away for the winter.

Gotta love the doms especially from squats. I still have some residual from last Tuesday but I intend to hit them hard again today. 20 rep breathing squats. :evil:

Thanks K. I love having people over and I love cooking. This also will be a good opportunity to play with my newish GE Profile Convection oven.

NEWSFLASH!!!!!

I signed up for karate today! The wife and kids are taking it and I figured it would be excellent conditioning, excellent family time and a good opportunity to 'connect' with the wife, if you know what I mean ;)

I'm excited about it. It's Okinawan style. Anyone else out there involved in martial arts? Oh, I guess I'd better buy a cup before Tuesday!

Bee Movie was good. Parts of it were a little too much for my five year old to digest. No questionable content, just some 'courtroom' stuff that went on a little too long for him to put together and retain. He enjoyed it though. Also, we had just come from an appointment with a homeopathic allergist and he was a bit tired from the treatment. As we were crossing the Ohio River, I kept trying to wake him up to look and he would not budge, so he was a little dazed for the movie.

It's not Cars, Toy Story or Finding Nemo, but it's cute.

oh, this post was for Special K ;)

and now for something completely different,

Greater Cincinnati needs your vote to get Joe Nuxhall into the Baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasters (the Ford C. Frick award). Hamilton Joe died Thursday and the whole community is rallying to get him posthumously inducted. If interested, follow the link below and vote away! The Ol' Left Hander Rounded Third and Headed For Home.....

http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/awards/frick_2007/vote.jsp

Bee Movie was good. Parts of it were a little too much for my five year old to digest. No questionable content, just some 'courtroom' stuff that went on a little too long for him to put together and retain. He enjoyed it though. Also, we had just come from an appointment with a homeopathic allergist and he was a bit tired from the treatment. As we were crossing the Ohio River, I kept trying to wake him up to look and he would not budge, so he was a little dazed for the movie.

It's not Cars, Toy Story or Finding Nemo, but it's cute.

oh, this post was for Special K ;)

Thanks for the tip I really appreciate it. My girls have seen the commercials and have some interest in going to see it. I would much rather see "The Golden Compass".

I signed up for karate today! The wife and kids are taking it and I figured it would be excellent conditioning, excellent family time and a good opportunity to 'connect' with the wife, if you know what I mean ;)

I'm excited about it. It's Okinawan style. Anyone else out there involved in martial arts? Oh, I guess I'd better buy a cup before Tuesday!

In my early twenties i studied Okinawan Gojo Ru for a couple of years and more recently, ending just about the time I joined here, I studied MMA for slightly less than a year.

In my early twenties i studied Okinawan Gojo Ru for a couple of years and more recently, ending just about the time I joined here, I studied MMA for slightly less than a year.

This form is Shoren-Ru. I think I will enjoy it. More than anything because the entire family is involved. My expectations are that it will help me to form discipline (along with self control and assertiveness, both professionally and personally), total body conditioning and some kind of inner peace stuff that David Caradine talks about in Kung Fu ;) Just kidding. I am really looking forward to it!

I'll be out until Sunday, so everyone reading this (Paul and Special K...), have a great holiday/weekend.

This form is Shoren-Ru. I think I will enjoy it. More than anything because the entire family is involved. My expectations are that it will help me to form discipline (along with self control and assertiveness, both professionally and personally), total body conditioning and some kind of inner peace stuff that David Caradine talks about in Kung Fu ;) Just kidding. I am really looking forward to it!

I'll be out until Sunday, so everyone reading this (Paul and Special K...), have a great holiday/weekend.

The first time around I was doing it for myself and the second time was more aligned with your motivation. Both of my children were studying and I felt that it would be a good bonding experience for me to be going through the same training. My wife, on the other hand, thought I was nuts and I can understand the basis of her concern.

My biggest problem, and I think her's also, with it was what I call the big 20/20. Almost everyone in my class was at least 20 years younger than me and more than 20 pounds heavier. To be fair the owner of the school let me know this before I joined and I "audited" a class before making my decison to sign up.

Jay, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, it served its purpose as a bonding agent between me and the kids, and I would have continued with my training, but I badly injured my shoulder while practicing moves with a fellow student. So have a great time!

Have a safe trip and enjoy your time in Atlanta.

Well, we are down here in the ATL and I am sick. woke up yesterday with a sore throat and chalked it up to sleeping with my mouth open since my sinuses (allergies) have been acting up. By last night I felt slightly feverish and was coughing, still having the annoying scratch in my throat. Today is the same. Took a medicinal dose of Jagermeister. More may be required ;) The Sam Smith Cranberry Lambic for breakfast was also purely medicinal. That's kind of how it is when we come down here. Lush for a weekend... On the bright side, I'm committing to no alcohol until xmas eve once we return to Cincinnati.

My bro in law has a decent home gym, so I am hoping to get in a good full body workout tomorrow. I'd better go. Starting to smell good downstairs!

Time to dust this off and pick up my accountability.

I've been avoiding weighing myself, but I've been improving my diet and increasing my exercise, so I am feeling good and the pants are a bit looser.

Karate started slowly, but I'm now up to 3 45 minute sessions a week. It is a really, really good workout, plus it's great family time (my son is in the 'mighty mites' class before us and me, my wife and my daughter are in the same beginner's class)

So....

Tuesday - Karate - 45 minutes
food: meal 1: 2 eggs, two morningstar sausage links, coffee, water
meal 2: cottage cheese, banana
meal 3: red potatoes, tuna, orange
meal 4: banana, turkey on whole wheat
meal 5: turkey, yogurt

Not the best, but a huge improvement.

Wednesday:
Meal 1: two eggs, two morningstar sausage links
Meal 2: banana, cottage cheese
Meal 3 (about to have): salmon, brown rice, edemame

workout - not structured, but fun.
Squats 3x10 (Smith... see all caps sentence below)
dumbell flys on exercise ball 3x10
military press 3x10
lat pull down 3x10
rope pull down 3x10
seated row 3x10

I forgot to take my note pad down and I'm fuzzy on the weights. We got our gym equipment here at work and it's great. But...

WHY AM I INTIMIDATED BY SQAUTS WITH FREE WEIGHTS?????:bang::bang:



Rest of the day's food will be baked chicken, brown rice and steamed brocoli and then probably some peanut butter or almonds and a pear later on.

WHY AM I INTIMIDATED BY SQAUTS WITH FREE WEIGHTS?????:bang::bang:


I am also, but much less so than before. For me, the hesitancy stemmed from the perceived higher than normal chance for injury were my form to not be right coupled with an aversion to getting stuck in the hole.


My work aorund to the above is to warm up sufficiently, be uber strict with my form, don't lift quite as much as I ideally should, and stop when in doubt of being able to complete an additional rep. The first two are just my usual protocol, but I approach every other exercise with much more gusto and willingness to go heavy and to failure so it's a change in attitude. It's clearly a compromise and while I may not be maximizing the utility of the lift, it's better than not doing them or doing machine versions, IMHO.

Jay, glad to see you posting again and look forward to reading along.

I see you're eating much healthier these days. I'm also glad to see you posting again.

With respect to BB squats, you've read Riptoe. :tu: Start with warm ups and increase 10 lbs each set. Don't fatigue to early and you'll be lifting respectable numbers in no time. You might want to look into doing goblet squats or front squats to develop good form.

I am also, but much less so than before. For me, the hesitancy stemmed from the perceived higher than normal chance for injury were my form to not be right coupled with an aversion to getting stuck in the hole.


My work aorund to the above is to warm up sufficiently, be uber strict with my form, don't lift quite as much as I ideally should, and stop when in doubt of being able to complete an additional rep. The first two are just my usual protocol, but I approach every other exercise with much more gusto and willingness to go heavy and to failure so it's a change in attitude. It's clearly a compromise and while I may not be maximizing the utility of the lift, it's better than not doing them or doing machine versions, IMHO.

Jay, glad to see you posting again and look forward to reading along.



I see you're eating much healthier these days. I'm also glad to see you posting again.

With respect to BB squats, you've read Riptoe. :tu: Start with warm ups and increase 10 lbs each set. Don't fatigue to early and you'll be lifting respectable numbers in no time. You might want to look into doing goblet squats or front squats to develop good form.

Hi guys!

I'm glad that I am posting again too. It's like a combination brain dump/therapy session/activity tracker...

For doing what I do professionally, it's amazing that I do not schedule and track every movement and moment of my life in MS Project. On top of that, I should probably be analyzing my processes and look to standardize everything I possibly can.

Shit. :eek:

Typing that out and seeing makes me realize that is exactly what I need to do! If you have a process, there is no need to think! Save thought for more important things!

Shit. :eek:

Epiphany!:spaz:

I'm going to standardize and be predictable. That is the key to stress reduction, as long as you retain the flexability to deal with a 5 year old that insists on changing clothes ten minutes before you need to leave for work (choose those battles)!

My life just got easier!

Anyway... I think I am going to hit the gym when I know that no one is there and begin my journey into BB squats.

Jay, Bar, Squat

Add small weight, repeat.

On the Smith squat today, I started light and only added ten pounds per set. that felt good. Like you said, SK, warm up is key. Last week I had some adductor issues immediately after my first set, so I'm thinking I pushed it. I felt great after my sets today, so I'm set to go and grow slow.

Karate Thursday, easy/moderate cardio Friday, Karate Saturday, full body circuit Sunday.

Tomorrow will be a challenge as we are having a 'town hall' style meeting at work in the afternoon and lunch contains (one of my) downfalls... lasagna. Luckily, they also have a marinated chicken and tossed salad, so I'm looking to double up on salad, throw some chicken breast on it and pray that my will holds up! :drool::mad::nope:


:sleepy:

Having aroutine that you enjoy will be paramount to your success. If I don't enjoy the process than no matter how much planning and stratigising I do I will become complacent and not succeed.

Having aroutine that you enjoy will be paramount to your success. If I don't enjoy the process than no matter how much planning and stratigising I do I will become complacent and not succeed.


:nod:

I'm able to lift three times a week (+/-1), so I'm kind of developing a routine around movements I enjoy. On top of lifting, I'm also doing karate 2-3 times a week, so thinks are pretty balanced right now. Not sure what I will do when I can resume riding outside 2-3 times a week.

Yesterday:

Food was good until dinner (pizza :o)
No exercise to speak of. Kids and wife were tired and did not want to go to karate and I was at the office late, so I took my sober ass home and played hot wheels with my son.

Today:

What I have eaten has been good, but I have not eaten enough. I felt queazy this morning so I skipped eating at home and had a banana and some cottage cheese about 9:30, then a handful of nuts and a pear about 11:30. I guess that's not too bad. Didn't plan too well for work, so I will be having one of my emergency lean cusine meals for lunch. I've already hit the gallon mark on water, so that's all good.

Workout:

I've kind of been in a fog all day (I think weeks are longer in January), so started out with some stretching and then hopped on the elliptical for 20 minutes at 10 mph. Weights were:

Deadlifts: 10@145#, 10@165# and 6@a85#.
I am new to these and think I went too heavy and had incorrect form. My lower back is quite painful now. Need to take some advil and re-read rippetoe this weekend.

Preacher Curls: 3x10 at 50, 60 and 70 lbs
Lat pull downs 3x10 at 70, 80 and 90 lbs
seated cable rows 3x10 at 10, 80 and 90 lbs
Tricep pushdowns 3x10 at 40, 50 and 50 lbs

I wanted to bench press as well, but was running late and did not want to go to my 12:30 meeting still dripping with sweat.

I'm not sure where I should be as far as the weight I am moving, and frankly, I don't really care because I am going at paces and rates that my body is comfortable with. I understand that if I maintain consistency, lifting weight will go up and body weight will go down. Until then, I will keep my head up and my eyes forward.

Tomorrow is karate and Sunday I hope to workout at home and get the bike closer to being put back together. I'll be running the cables, hopefully getting brakes and derailleurs finished up.

:nod:

... so I took my sober ass home and played hot wheels with my son.

Sounds like a fine way to spend an evening!

Today:

What I have eaten has been good, but I have not eaten enough. I felt queazy this morning so I skipped eating at home and had a banana and some cottage cheese about 9:30, then a handful of nuts and a pear about 11:30. I guess that's not too bad. Didn't plan too well for work, so I will be having one of my emergency lean cusine meals for lunch. I've already hit the gallon mark on water, so that's all good.

Workout:

I've kind of been in a fog all day (I think weeks are longer in January), so started out with some stretching and then hopped on the elliptical for 20 minutes at 10 mph. Weights were:

Deadlifts: 10@145#, 10@165# and 6@a85#.
I am new to these and think I went too heavy and had incorrect form. My lower back is quite painful now. Need to take some advil and re-read rippetoe this weekend.

Preacher Curls: 3x10 at 50, 60 and 70 lbs
Lat pull downs 3x10 at 70, 80 and 90 lbs
seated cable rows 3x10 at 10, 80 and 90 lbs
Tricep pushdowns 3x10 at 40, 50 and 50 lbs

I wanted to bench press as well, but was running late and did not want to go to my 12:30 meeting still dripping with sweat.

I'm not sure where I should be as far as the weight I am moving, and frankly, I don't really care because I am going at paces and rates that my body is comfortable with. I understand that if I maintain consistency, lifting weight will go up and body weight will go down. Until then, I will keep my head up and my eyes forward.

Tomorrow is karate and Sunday I hope to workout at home and get the bike closer to being put back together. I'll be running the cables, hopefully getting brakes and derailleurs finished up.

Nice going on the hydration; I hope you don't stray too far from a bathroom. :lol:

You have the right attitude about the weights; getting your form correct is more important than moving mucho pounds and until your body gets acclimated to the various exercises you should err to the light side to prevent injury. I hope that your back feels better.

I've been meaning to ask you about your bike; thanks for the update. With the winter weather, at least you're not missing any road time.

Sounds like a fine way to spend an evening!



Nice going on the hydration; I hope you don't stray too far from a bathroom. :lol:

You have the right attitude about the weights; getting your form correct is more important than moving mucho pounds and until your body gets acclimated to the various exercises you should err to the light side to prevent injury. I hope that your back feels better.

I've been meaning to ask you about your bike; thanks for the update. With the winter weather, at least you're not missing any road time.

I love playing cars/planes/rockets with Ian. Just getting down on the floor and making the sounds, spinning out, crashing, making eye contact with him and seeing him smile, realizing that I'm playing on his level and on his terms.

I've been pretty lazy regarding my bike. Needed some cable housing (my rear brake cable runs through my top tube, so I need extra) and I put that off for like a month. Holidays pretty much threw me off everything.

Speaking of my back, pardon my French, but it is fucked. if I move the wrong way the wind is taken out of me. I have a heat pad on it now and have taken a vicodin. I'm good with pain and normally hate to take things like that, but with it feeling like this, it is the only way I'll be able to sleep. I'm doubtful for karate tomorrow, but I'm going to spend about 20 minutes with the shower head on jet and very hot tomorrow morning to see if it loosens up.

I did this when I started doing squats. Wasn't sure how much to do my first time and really torked my adductors. Live and learn and limp, I guess.

Paul - do you follow pro cycling at all? Rumor mill says Astana will be snubbed when Tour selection is announced. I bet Johan wishes he had stayed retired! If that happens, I'll really feel for the Discovery guys that followed Johan to Astana.:(

I've been thinking about this, especially after reading about SK doing HST and reading about Waterbury and all that... How badly am I cheating myself by looking around the gym and choosing exercises that I want to do and will enjoy rather than following a strict regimen? I try to mix it up so back, arms, legs and chest are incorporated, and try to do as many compound movements as possible....

Back is a lot better today. Kind of embarrassed that I medicated the pain last night, but it helped me sleep. I've had heat on it for the last 22 hours and I think that has really helped. Gets stiff when I sit for a while but loosens up to near pain free status after moving about for awhile.

Not going to address diet or exercise. No exercise, but I have eaten pretty well today.

Glad to read that your back is feeling better today and your decision to rest it sounds like a good one, as frutrating as that must be.


Taking nothing away from workouts designed by others, I usually put my own together and try to switch up the routines and philosophies every couple of months. I find the the predetermined structure to be beneficial because it allows me to see my progress and it also ensures that I'm not skipping a particular exercise on any given day because I “don't feel like it” or overly concentrating on a body part if the opposite is true. That's just me, of course, and I guess if you're disciplined enough to achieve the same with a less structured approach, then there's nothing wrong with it.

Glad to read that your back is feeling better today and your decision to rest it sounds like a good one, as frutrating as that must be.


Taking nothing away from workouts designed by others, I usually put my own together and try to switch up the routines and philosophies every couple of months. I find the the predetermined structure to be beneficial because it allows me to see my progress and it also ensures that I'm not skipping a particular exercise on any given day because I “don't feel like it” or overly concentrating on a body part if the opposite is true. That's just me, of course, and I guess if you're disciplined enough to achieve the same with a less structured approach, then there's nothing wrong with it.

Today was another day where I new I had to get down to the gym (not doing karate tonight), but wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Ended doing the mainstays, so it was good.

20 minutes (2.4 miles) elliptical
squats - 10X95 pounds 10x125 pounds 10x145 pounds
dumbbell chest flies (on exercise ball) 10X25 pounds 10x25 pounds 10x30 pounds
seated rows - 10X70 pounds 10x90 pounds 10x100 pounds
lat pull down 10x90 pounds 10x100 pounds 10x110 pounds
leg extensions 10x60 pounds 10x85 pounds 10x95 pounds.

I've been going really light on squats since I have just started doing them and first experience going too heavy hurt kinda bad :doh:

Food has not been very plentiful today... two eggs and a morningstar sausage at 6:30, then a banana about two hours ago. About to heat up some black beans, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and kashi. Thinking about stopping on the way home for a salmon filet to have with brocoli and cous cous (and Chardonnay... just kidding).

Nothing much today. 20 minutes on stationary bike. 6.5 miles.

Down today. Actually sickened with myself today. I was working on something and I glanced up at my calendar. I immediately realized that i had forgotten something important. Very important. Monday was the anniversary of my Grandpa's death. I was closer to him than I was anyone else in my immediate family, living with him for nearly all of my high school years. How do I honor his memory? By forgetting on the day that he left earth. :bang::bang::bang::bang:

The man helped me through so much, taught me so much and I disrespect him like that. I am thoroughly disgusted with myself. I'm going to try and leave work a little early to visit his grave in Hamilton. I can't believe I forgot.

At least I remembered to bake chicken last night so I won't be feeling sorry/pissed over a large pizza or something.

Try not to be so hard on yourself. I'm sure he'd understand if you had a temporary mental lapse. At the very least you are making efforts to rectify it by going to his grave site. Now missing your wedding anniversary or wife's/children b-day's is another story all together.

Try not to be so hard on yourself. I'm sure he'd understand if you had a temporary mental lapse. At the very least you are making efforts to rectify it by going to his grave site. Now missing your wedding anniversary or wife's/children b-day's is another story all together.


Thanks SK. It has been a pretty hectic couple of weeks, and I think I partially blocked it out because of other losses... In the last 30 days, I have seen one good, long time friend die, one close former co-worker die, one friend put in hospice and the father of a good friend placed in hospice. I think that while processing all of that, I have blocked out anything else that may cause sadness. I dunno.

I'm out of here... Going to the cemetary to pay respects in this 30 degree heat wave.

Jay, I can understand you feeling the way that you do as I would feel the same, but as I type you're doing what needs to be done and that is to visit his grave. I hope that you find some solace and comfort while there.

Jay, I can understand you feeling the way that you do as I would feel the same, but as I type you're doing what needs to be done and that is to visit his grave. I hope that you find some solace and comfort while there.


Thanks Paul. You're correct. It was the right thing to do. I don't get to my hometown very often (even though it is only 30 minutes away), so that was nice as well.

Afterwards, I stopped by a friend's tattoo shop and hung out for a while. He gave me a couple cd's and wanted me to hang out longer, even offering up some free ink (I've been thinking about it....), but I was more looking forward to hanging out with the wife and kids. I guess I am finally beginning to act like I am 36. I've spent too long being 20 and have too many responsibilities to continue acting like I am 20.

No weights today. Karate in the evening, which I am looking forward to. All I need to focus on today is eating well and drinking a ton of water.

[EDIT] - Great... somebody brought in bagels.

I was hoping to work from home tomorrow since the kids do not have school (and I am not too thrilled with their daycare) and I need to replace the leaking radiator in the minivan. Just checked my schedule and I have my review tomorrow, so it shoots that in the head. Hopefully Friday night I'll have time to pull the old radiator out, hook up the trans cooler to the new radiator and have it ready to drop in on Saturday. Bummer too... The in-laws are taking the kids to Playhouse in the Park Saturday. Cathy and I were hoping to go see Juno. Instead it looks like I'll be working in the garage listening to NPR.

I'm in a pit.

A complete funk and I'm getting sick to boot. mental state is shit. read a post on another thread regarding seasonal affective disorder. That be me. It comes and goes but winter hits me like a ton of bricks. January and Febrauary are absolute hell. Been like that since I was teenager...just before/as teenage depression was beginning to be looked at more seriously... unfortunately the people I saw were old regarding their ages AND practice and did not adopt some of the emerging treatments that were developing.

anyway, I'm realizing that is part of my funk and the poster i mentioned above hit it on the head... be active, eat right, think straight. It's hard as hell. I get to points where it takes all of my strength to get out of bed. After working out yesterday, the fog was knocked out and I had a pretty awesome afternoon and evening.

Got derailed today. Boss took us out for an impromptu lunch. Chinese Buffet. Great. I was good, but not saintly. THEN.. there was cake and Graeter's Ice Cream three cubes down from me at 3:00 for someone's birthday. I was able to avoid it. Stayed away from the bagels this morning too.

No karate. son is sick, at the pediatricians. It will be a right ear infection. Kid's had four sets of tubes. :(

weights/cardio tomorrow. Got a bunch of chiken breast, greens and brocoli to eat.

Gonna go climb back into my pit.

A little more upbeat today. :dance: Kind of.

Got a good night's sleep. Slept in, actually, since the kids did not have school and my wife was working from home today. Skipped my morning eggs, but I had turkey breast on whole wheat when I got to work (no mayo and no cheese...I have tamed those beasts), and a banana a couple hours later.

Just got back from my workout. Had to abbreviate it a little but it felt good.

20 min on elliptical @ 8-10 mph
DB Bench Rows - 10x35 ,10x40, 10x40
bB Flat Bench Press - 10x95, 10x105, 8x115 (Just started doing these with BB instead of a machine. Weight went down but the movement felt awesome. Felt like going from an automatic to a stick... and I mean that in a good way)
Military Press (machine) 10x65, 8x65, 8x65. I can usually hit 10 at 70, so I don't know what the deal was today.
Preacher Curl - 10x40, 10x50, 8x50
Tri-push Down - 10x50, 10x60, 10x60
DB Flies on exercise ball - 10x25, 10x30, 10x30

Felt good. Need to eat my chicken and veggies before the meeting next to me lets out and the surplus pizza is set out for the vultures. DAMN THIS PLACE... EVERYTHING CENTERS AROUND FOOD! Guess I can't complain... they do offer a gym and showers onsite.

Hang in there Jay and focus on making decisions that you feel good about. Getting to the gym was a real good one and I hope it has the same effect on you today as the workout two days ago did.


Don't sweat those military presses. Just kick their ass next time you go. I had a similar situation last week with some chest exercises that I was inexplicably weak on, but I was back to normal the next time I performed the exercises and was able to set a new high for reps two sessions later.


I hope your son's feeling better.

Hang in there Jay and focus on making decisions that you feel good about. Getting to the gym was a real good one and I hope it has the same effect on you today as the workout two days ago did.


Don't sweat those military presses. Just kick their ass next time you go. I had a similar situation last week with some chest exercises that I was inexplicably weak on, but I was back to normal the next time I performed the exercises and was able to set a new high for reps two sessions later.


I hope your son's feeling better.

OH... My son... I think he was bullshitting us to leave daycare early. He may only be five, but he can work the system! He knows that if he says that his ears hurt we will drop what we are doing (He's had four sets of tubes). Doc found nothing wrong, but given his history, it's still worth the co-pay.

Thanks for the encouragement; on both my mood and military press. As far as the press goes, it was at the end of my workout and I think it was just fatigue. I really don't sweat stuff like that, since pressing 60 is a hell of a lot better than sitting in my cube eating Combos or something. It's something I've learned from riding the bike. The same route can be tortuous one day and tame the next.

Sometimes you're the bug, sometimes you're the windshield.

karate was great today. pre class fuel was two eggs, hot sauce and one veggie sausage pattie. Class wasn't too brutal... A new term and a ton of new students, so I was able to catch my breath between drills. Got popped hard by a new student with a jab reverse jab combo. Nice bruise on my chestplate to show for it :doh:

Went grocery shopping today. Bought myself a nice filet mignon. about to fire up the grill. going to have that with microwaved sweet potato.

Feels like 50 even though it is probably 40. The sun rocks.

Well, other than playing basketball with my son and badmiton (with racquetball racquets) with my daughter, I haven't done any physical activity since Saturday :blank:

I was going to hit the gym at work today AND karate tonight, but forgot my gym bag at home. :doh:

At least I know that I will getting a good workout at karate. I'm beginning to worry bit, though. Since I began taking classes, I am experiencing what I think to be tendonitis in my wrist and the second joint of my thumb. It's quite painful and does not seem to be getting any better.

Tomorrow will be wieghts/cardio. Contrary to what a lot of people here do, I tend to do 25 minutes cardio before lifiting. I like to have a good sweat going before I start lifting, and at only 25 minutes (cardio), I'm not fatigued at all.

Food has been ok. I had 5 quality meals clocking in at about 2000 calories yesterday. I had too much sodium, however (can of soup and 4 oz cottage cheese). Today will be good out of necessity (going to karate straight from work):

Meal 1 - two eggs, veggie sausage patty.
Meal 2 - banana, cottage cheese
Meal 3 - 4 oz salmon filet, steamed veggies.
Meal 4 - almonds, yogurt, fruit, banana (pre-karate)
Meal 5 - not sure. Probably a can of soup (I know... I need start using the crockpot and making my own!). This will be eaten in between getting home from class and getting the kids to bed.

I am very proud of my will power from yesterday, however. It was about 8:00 pm and I found myself MADLY craving a cheese sandwich on a kaiser roll. :drool: Big, fat, fluffy roll made with bleached flour and about three slices of processed American cheese. Not even sure why we have those things in the house, but my radar picked them up. Instead, I had a can of chicken noodle soup, but ate only about 1/4 of the noodles. I could have been better, but I could have been a lot worse.

I'm trying to pick up on the trend that drives my evening cravings. I can eat super clean all day, but come evening after the kids are in bed, it's almost like I try to think of things to sabotage myself. I guess I just need to surround myself with healthy alternatives. Wait, I'm doing that. Maybe I just need to keep my eye on the prize and thing about long term goals vs. short term satisfaction followed by remorse and self loathing.

I'm trying to pick up on the trend that drives my evening cravings. I can eat super clean all day, but come evening after the kids are in bed, it's almost like I try to think of things to sabotage myself. I guess I just need to surround myself with healthy alternatives. Wait, I'm doing that. Maybe I just need to keep my eye on the prize and thing about long term goals vs. short term satisfaction followed by remorse and self loathing.


I've found that the most effective tool for not giving into the beast of unhealthy cravings is to do exactly what you described in your last sentence. Is ______ (fill in the blank) going to help me get closer or further away from my goals?

I know that it's difficult to fight off the evening cravings and almost counter productive when you've been eating right all day. Keep focused and try not to give in when they do strike.

I've found that the most effective tool for not giving into the beast of unhealthy cravings is to do exactly what you described in your last sentence. Is ______ (fill in the blank) going to help me get closer or further away from my goals?

I know that it's difficult to fight off the evening cravings and almost counter productive when you've been eating right all day. Keep focused and try not to give in when they do strike.


A couple things are really beginning to help me out. Like Paul said, keeping the eye on the prize is paramount to shaking the monkey off your back. That also ties into SK's mention of focus. If your dedication is unwavering, even a slip up will not deter you from jumping back into the commitment and leaving the transgressions behind.

That being said, I'm sick. I've been throwing up since about 3:00 am. Not sure why. It was about 90 degrees in the dojo last night, and I felt a little dizzy and queazy after class so I replaced my last meal with a couple glasses of Accelerade and additional water.

I haven't been able to eat yet today. When I do, I think it will be something bland, like a vegetable broth based soup. I have some chicken breasts thawed in the freezer, so I will bake them tonight regardless if I eat them or not, but will give them a shot.

I'm going to go pick out a good bike race to watch and hang out on the couch with a duvet and a couple cats. 1994 Paris-Roubaix sounds good for this rainy day.

I will probably do a double tomorrow if I am up to it. weights in the afternoon and karate at night. This tendonitis is still nagging me, so I think I am going to begin wrapping my wrist before class.

I hope you're feeling better very soon. Thinkin of doing a double the day after being sick, now you're starting to think like me. Which isn't necessarily a good thing for you. Seriously, take care not to wear yourself out so much you negatively impact your recovery.

Just wondering, is there anything specific in you martial arts class that is firing up your tendonitis?

Feel better man! And like Paul said, be careful not to overdue it! I've often ended up back in the hole after pushing myself too hard when I was still recovering... A couple of days of rest can be good for you anyway.

I hope you're feeling better very soon. Thinkin of doing a double the day after being sick, now you're starting to think like me. Which isn't necessarily a good thing for you. Seriously, take care not to wear yourself out so much you negatively impact your recovery.

Just wondering, is there anything specific in you martial arts class that is firing up your tendonitis?

Feel better man! And like Paul said, be careful not to overdue it! I've often ended up back in the hole after pushing myself too hard when I was still recovering... A couple of days of rest can be good for you anyway.


Thanks guys. I'm about 85% today, and kind of fortunately, it looks like I will just be lifiting today. Consensus amongst the family is that they want to blow off karate tonight. That's fine with me. I've been itching to move weight anyway. I am comfortable in 'the zone' that lifting puts me in. Karate requires a lot of concentration on the actions and words of others. With lifting, I'm able to close myself off to the outside world, crank up some Black Flag or Rage Against the Machine and do my own thing. I like karate, but I also like the ability to dictate pace and intensity, which weightlifting affords me.

As far as the tendonitis goes, I think it is a combination of punching and push ups that are hurting my wrist. During warm ups in class, push ups are used, so I have been using my fists instead of hands flat. There are also drills where we start on our backs and get up and sprint (or lunge, or duck walk) across the room. I feel the pain when I am pushing up to a standing position.

I am hitting the gym at 3:30 today rather than lunch time. I want to lift until I am seething and blind with the sense of power that a good workout gives. Yeah... squat day. I bounce off the walls a little too hard to be going back to my cube after that!

Great... the woman I work with is on the phone crying again. That means she will leave early to deal with yet another one of her personal problems (the woman is like a walking soap opera and it is all self originating) and I will be here to pick up her slack. Sorry... had to get that off of my chest.

Edit: She just split. Go figure.

Use some of your anger at your co-worker to fuel your workout. Punish those weights!


I'm glad to read that you're on the mend.

Use some of your anger at your co-worker to fuel your workout. Punish those weights!


I'm glad to read that you're on the mend.


Unfortunately, you have to really poop on me for me to feel anger. She's not pooping on me, she's just having A TON of personal issues that she was instrumental in bringing upon herself. I don't mind the work, and she is not quite my peer, so it has about as much impact on me as watching Seinfeld. Some of the stories she has told me leave me :eek: and then :confused: and then :nono: and then :o. I know that her 2.5 hour lunches do not go unnoticed by my mgr or our director.
Bonus for me. I would feel bad for her if her situation was not brought on by herself.

Workout today SUCKED. Little aches and pains all over. What I suspect to be tendonitis in my thumb and opposing wrist were bothering me.

DB Bench Rows: 10x30, 10x35, 10x35
Flat BB Bench: 10x9, 10x105, 10x115
rope pull downs: 10x40, 10x40, 10x50
back extensions - unweighted (note: tried this one for the first time and loved it. Need to try it cradling weight) 3 sets of 10
lat pull downs: 10x80, 10x90, 10x110
DB Flyes on exercise ball: 25x10, 30x10, 30x10

I stopped after that. The best part of the workout was discovering back extensions. I like those and think that they will help work parts of my back that I neglect. I had planned on squats, but after the bench press, I knew that I just didn't have it in me today. Tomorrow is a different story....

Well, today's workout was the yin to yesterday's yang. I had an awesome workout today. Today was the first time that I wrote down what I was going to do and I think it's going to work for me. I thought about exercises that I did and didn't do yesterday, mixed it up a little and had a blast. I also had a (small) personal breakthrough... I got over my 'fear' of squats with freeweights! I loved it! The feeling of power you get when you are pushing up is indescribable! I got the exercise buzz going, so I'll just record what I did and shut up.

leg extension: 10X45, 10X70, 10x70
leg curl: 10x35, 10x40, 8x35
DB shrugs: 10x50, 10x50, 10x50
SQUATS: 10x95, 10x105, 10x115 (weight was light so I could concentrate on balance and form. I really, really enjoyed it, even though it was hard. I am aiming to do squats twice a week. May be my new favorite exercise.
Military Press: 10x60, 10x65, 8x65
Preacher Curl: 10x50, 10x55, 10x55
back extensions: 2 sets of 10 unweighted, 1 set of 10 holding 25 pound plate.
Seated cable row: 10x90, 10x100, 10x100


Man, that was awesome. Food has been good, but a little light...

M1: cereal (kashi Go-Lean and skim milk)
m2: banana (not really a meal)
m3: fruit leather (not really a meal)
M4: 1 cup brown rice, half baked chicken breast, steamed zuchini, green beans, carrots with feta cheese :drool::drool::drool::drool:

Not sure what is on the horizon. I will probably have an apple and some cottage cheese around 3:30. Something tells me that my wife will ask me to pick up food on the way home. :scared:

Karate tomorrow!

Karate was awesome as usual. I wasn't, but karate was. I'm four tests away from my tip test, but I don't really think about that.

Sparring is surreal. I've never been in a fight (well, in a very long time) and it seems so awkward to go kicking and punching someone. I kinda like it (I need to buy Fight Club :tucool:). What is even weirder is sparring with my wife. Speaking of which, I'm going to go hangout with her. I will edit this with my food later. What the hell... good breakfast. eggs and black beans, then after class took the kids to my mom's. We hit the Chinese Buffet. Too much sodium, but not too much damage.

I think we are going watch Joe Dirt tonight. Why not.

I was sorting out our deep freezer and found 3 pounds of ground venison from last season :spaz:

CHILI TIME!:drool: I mix some 80% ground beef in because venison is almost too lean for chili, but the two meets provide a good balance in taste. Plus, I put in four cans of beans, two cans diced tomatoes, tomato paste, one whole onion, two red peppers and a can of corn, so it is loaded with veggies as well.

Not working out today. Friends coming over. I will be slipping today on the SFC, but I'm not too stressed about. Bought a Ace bandage supporter for my wrist today. i'm wearing it now and it feels much better. I think I am damaging it in karate from blocking kicks and punches.

Time to drink beer and make chili. I'll be back on the SFC tomorrow. Tomorrow is cardio. 45 minutes on bike.

Good stuff happening! Keep it going.

How'd the cable project on your bicycle go?

The Chili sounds delish! I already slipped this month while watching the Super Bowl. I haven't had any since so it can be done w/o making it a daily habit. :nod:

Good stuff happening! Keep it going.

How'd the cable project on your bicycle go?

Uh.. I have a bike? ;) So many little things come up that cumulatively take up hours. I don't like being a grown up. We are supposed to get a whole four inches of snow overnight, which amazingly, will paralyze the townships and justify my working from home. :tu:

If that happens, I will put on Flushed Away for the kids and secret away for an hour in the workshop. I'm gonna post a pic of the bike tomorrow!

The Chili sounds delish! I already slipped this month while watching the Super Bowl. I haven't had any since so it can be done w/o making it a daily habit. :nod:

it was and is! you have to add some sirloin, because venison is so lean, but it adds wonderful flavor. It was a very good batch of chili. Mine differs from batch to batch because I tend not to use recipes. It makes things interesting... and sometimes gives us an excuse to pick up Chinese. Most of the time I do pretty well, though.


Not much to speak of otherwise. 30 minutes on the elliptical at work. I need to work on my cardio and I do not think that the elliptical is doing it. We spar at the end of class (karate), and by the end of my second sixty second round, I am seriously sucking wind. I am not yet at a comfortable weight to run, so I think I will start doing my cardio on the stationary bike, throwing in one minute, all out anaerobic efforts followed by two minute recovery periods.

Food has been ok. I think the chili for lunch had some excessive sugars, but I had five ounces of salmon filet for dinner (even though I am not Catholic, I LOVE LENT! Salmon for $3.99 a pound!!!) with green veggies. I have also had four pieces of fruit, 6 ounces of cottage cheese and 28 almonds. AND A GALLON OF WATER.

Tomorrow is weights and maybe karate. I almost hope that I am not working at home so I can use the gym at work. So much better than my Body Solid setup...

Sounds as if you've been eating some tasty and healthy food.

I can empathize with the karate session. When I was studying MMA there were times in the beginning where either I would have to tap out or pass out and it wasn't because of a choking hold. There just wasn't enough oxygen. Somehow there was for my opponent who was 20 years my junior. :lol: Well, I can laugh now.

Looking forward to the bike pics.

AND A GALLON OF WATER.
I'm going to guess... 10 trips to the bathroom today? :lol:

I'm going to guess... 10 trips to the bathroom today? :lol:

At least! That's ok! I'd rather walk into the bathroom ten times to stand up rather than to have to sit down! :moon:

Sounds as if you've been eating some tasty and healthy food.

I can empathize with the karate session. When I was studying MMA there were times in the beginning where either I would have to tap out or pass out and it wasn't because of a choking hold. There just wasn't enough oxygen. Somehow there was for my opponent who was 20 years my junior. :lol: Well, I can laugh now.

Looking forward to the bike pics.


It's sad, but I'm 36 and saying the same thing. My 70 year old mother in law, one of the wisest people I know, has a saying... "Energy is wasted on the young." This website has shown me that is not necessarily true (George and Chico!), but in a large number of people (including myself circa 1989), I would agree that SMART use of energy is wasted on the young.

At any rate, I've found what makes me happy and I have developed meaningful goals to work towards. I thank whoever every day that I have been allowed to discover that.

At least! That's ok! I'd rather walk into the bathroom ten times to stand up rather than to have to sit down! :moon:

i LOL'd. and yeah, I take it you aren't bulking in that case :lol:

Nothing happened yesterday. Snow day, so I worked from home so the kids were not subject to the purgatory of daycare all day. Don't mind it too much when it just before and after school, but all day is a bit much. Especially with what my boy has going on.

today was good food, but low on calories. I'm going to eat something now, but I'm leary of what to eat, given that it is 9:00 est.

m1: cereal, cottage cheese
m2: almonds and a banana
m3: turkey breast on whole wheat with mustard, yogu