Stick With It!

OK, as of today I am 10 weeks into a 52 week program called Strong(er) by Dave Tate. Essentially, I am in the gym weightlifting 3 days a week, with the other four days either being 2 or 3 High Intensity Interval Training Days or 2 or 3 Steady State Cardio days. I’m working out 6 to 7 days a week. The seventh day is an optional rest day. My diet is a carb cycling one based around clean foods (meat, brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole wheat pasta, some vegetables and fruit). I’m dropping weight faster than I should but the combination of the diet and the exercise regime has knocked out my appetite pretty well. I should be eating 5-10 meals and I’m usually 2-3 meals with a couple of protein shakes thrown in around workouts. There are no low carb days. There are only medium and high carb days. Energy hasn’t been too much of an issue but by the end of the day I’m usually exhausted. But the next morning I’m energetic enough to do what I have to do and make it to the gym for my workouts. Strength has not suffered, although the lifts in the phase are focused on intensity techniques. So I’m not doing my usual lifts where I would immediately notice a decrease in strength.

Now that I’ve posted my update as to what I’m doing, I’d like to speak to what I’ve learned. The further I get into this program, and consistent exercise in general, there is one main theme that keeps arising. This whole blog was started to outline my crossover from unhealthy eating and not enough exercise into a routine that emphasized good diet and lots of exercise. I’ve done that. I’ve not had any sweets, soda, cake, dessert, ice cream, etcetera, since Thanksgiving of last year. I’ve been training 5-6 days a week since January of 2009. Now I’m 6-7 days a week, consistently. And that is the thing I’ve learned. Consistency breeds consistency. Results are born from consistency. If you want to reach any goal, consistency is the way. The more consistent you are, the easier it is to remain consistent.

Out of this whole process there have been points where one part of the overall equation has been more important than the others. But to get through to the results you need willpower, determination and consistency. There is the catch phrase, “Just do it.” And that helps on the occasional day where you feel low on energy or an injury is nagging you. But the further and further I go down this path that becomes less necessary. It’s become routine to the point that nothing gets in my way of my workout for that day. If I have to go to the gym before work, I will. If I have to go after work, I will. If I’m sick with the flu, I’ll make the workouts up as soon as I can get out of bed.

I wasn’t always like this. There were points getting here that I did have to rely on the mantra of “Just do it”. You have to work through that. But there come a time when you don’t have to push yourself that hard. You’re workout becomes as necessary as breathing and eating. The same with your diet. Yes, it is hard at first declining offers of cake or ice cream. But you will reach a point where saying no is not a problem. In fact, it requires no thought…eating something like that is the furthest thing from your mind. All of this gets easier. The challenges change to things like how to train around an injured muscle or joint. Things like diet and exercise are givens.

Functional Training and Strong(er)

I’ve completed my first week in the Strong(er) program. I am incredibly sore. The program is designed to go back and pick up all those areas that have been neglected for so long. Most of us get into a routine and settle down with it for a long period of time. I had been training very hard with heavy weights 6 days a week prior to beginning the Strong(er) program. And I was debating on whether to skip the first phase which focuses on rehab work. I’m glad that I didn’t skip it. As I said, I’ve hit areas and muscles that haven’t been touched in ages. The hardest, most dreaded part for me is that each weight training session starts with calisthenics and stretching. It’s full of lunges, reverse lunges, side lunges, free squats – and then goes into extensive ab work, like planks! The actual weightlifting is a blessing when you finally get to it.

As much as I love this program, it’s not something I can recommend to most people I know. As it clearly states, the program was designed for someone who has 3-5 years of serious, consistent training under their belt. The intensity, the exercises, etc., are just too much for someone without that background. But if you have that, and are looking for an intense program to follow, I can’t recommend Strong(er) highly enough.

One day a week you are required to do a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session. I’ve been using the heavy bag and an Air-Dyne, but I’m considering a Prowler. The Prowler is mentioned as a HIIT option. Other options that have piqued my interest are the sandbag and this strongman trainer. All of these have the common element of functional training. They hit compound muscle groups and can be used in rapid set intervals with minimum rest in-between.

Prowler

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=305&pid=2294

Sandbag

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=343&pid=2014

Strongman Stone Trainer

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=305&pid=2640

5/27/2009

I forgot to mention yesterday one of the big flaws I had in my diet. I was using Muscle Milk, which I really liked. However, it has a huge amount of fat in it. 17 grams, I believe, along with the 35 grams of protein. I was drinking one of these prior to my workout and another immediately afterward. I switched to another protein shake that still has 35 grams of protein but only 1 gram of fat. It dropped from 300 calories per shake to 170 calories per shake. That’s 260 calories per day that I easily cut out.

The other thing that changed was that I was drinking 4 and 5 shakes a day. I read an article by someone I trust that mentioned a big mistake is drinking 5 shakes and having only one meal in a day. I had fallen into that trap thinking it was an easy way to keep my protein up and an easy way to track my calories. I had even said elsewhere in this blog to use protein shakes as supplements and not to rely on them too heavily. That’s why it is important for myself to re-read what I’ve written as time goes by. I make mistakes and slip into doing the wrong thing, too.

Something else I read was not to use protein bars. I was never real big on these but I would have one every couple of weeks. The article pointed out that they are nothing more than candy bars with protein added into it. Not exactly health food. Stick with a low-fat protein shake instead.

5/26/2009

I have several things to bring everything up to date. First, let me pose a question. How does one define fitness? You’ve heard of the fat fit – those that are considered healthy although they carry a high percentage of body fat. Then there are bodybuilders. Are they fit when they diet down to 4% body fat? Is someone fit if they have a resting heart rate below 60 BPM? Is a long distance runner automatically characterized as fit? Does it have to do with your VO2? What about flexibility and mobility? My point in asking this is that there are many different levels of what you might consider fit. I think it helps to outline what you deem to be fitness and how you compare to that.

What do you do when you now longer have a contest or an event to train for? What if you aren’t playing any sports or running any races? What type of fitness should you strive for? These types of questions led me to Dave Tate. Dave Tate had a successful power lifting career and then had a career ending injury. He realized that he still had the same drive to train and improve after he rehabbed his injury. He came up with a yearlong program called Strong(er). It is split into 4 phases with cycles within each phase. I am getting ready to start this program. The goal is to come through with less body fat, increased cardio health, more flexibility and mobility, rehabbed from training injuries and maintained strength.

What I like about it is that it is designed to improve your general fitness level from many aspects: diet, cardio, lifting, stretching and rehab work. This is designed for someone who has lifted for many years and has experience with exercise. It also requires some pieces of equipment, and background reading, to get the most out of the program. You will need a foam roller and “spiky balls” for some of the rehab work. It is also recommended that you read Stretch to Win by Ann and Chris Frederick. I was supposed to start this program two weeks ago but ended up having to order the book and the foam roller after reading Dave’s program…now I’m reading the book so that I know how to do the stretches properly. All of these items can be purchased through Dave Tate’s company, EliteFTS. The link is www.EliteFTS.com

Someone asked me about my weight recently. It’s been hovering around 288 to 290. The last two weeks as I’ve been reading and learning the rehab exercises in preparation of Strong(er), I took some time off from the gym and the diet. My thoughts are that it was a mistake. I was reading a few weeks back on a diet website that your body gets adapted to eating the same foods day in and day out. And that you actually develop food allergies to frequently consumed foods, especially on a strict diet. So, switch it up. I relaxed my diet by drinking some sweet tea, eating a hotdog here and there, going out to eat – once at a Mexican restaurant, once at a Chinese restaurant and once at IHOP…I had pizza one night. I didn’t go completely off, I’ve maintained the no desserts, no sweets rule, although, I did have pancakes.

Last week I only went into the gym two days instead of my regular 5 or 6. Today I went back to my regular chest work out and it was difficult. My numbers were down. No PR’s today. Also, I’ve felt like I have no energy. The straying on my diet has caused me to lose my energy and that has caused my workouts to suffer, thus the feeling of not wanting to work out. I’m feeling sore and tight all over. It’s a vicious cycle. It’s easy to scrub a month of progress in a week of poor diet and skipping workouts. I don’t feel rejuvenated and better for it. In fact, I feel the complete opposite. This week is going to require me to force myself into the gym, I will likely be sore because of the time off and my diet must be reigned back in. I hope my numbers will return shortly. BTW, I don’t buy the article about the food allergies and the need to rotate foods. Variety is good, yes. But look at Clarence Bass’ work. He’s had many staples he’s stuck with for decades. I’ve never heard him mention a food allergy because of it.

A Commitment to Eatng Right and Exercising for Life

Why I wrote this: I have two main reasons, and possibly a third, for writing this.

As I begin to lose weight and people notice, they will more than likely ask what I am doing to lose weight. I wanted to have a website to point them to, which responds to that question thoroughly. Plus, I don’t want to explain it over and over every time someone asks. And it’s a more detailed answer than probably most people are expecting or wanting.
In making this public record, I am setting myself up to practice what I preach. If I were to backslide on this, I’d be a hypocrite. So I am using it to put pressure on myself to remain accountable.

And lastly, it helped me formulate what it is I am doing. I have something to refer to and to document from where I came. As my program evolves, and it is a work in progress, I may lose or forget some of this stuff and may need it in the future for reference.

This blog is to document what changes I made in my life in order to lose the weight that I’ve always wanted to lose. For the last several decades my weight has steadily gone up, only with occasional attempts to lower it. The weight always came back. Anyone with weight to lose can relate to this. So this blog is to tell you how to fix the problem.

People like to ask someone who is successful in losing weight, “How did you do it?” “What diet did you use?” Why do we do this? It’s simple. We think that person has some secret that they can share with us and then we will be able to use that secret to lose the weight we desperately want to lose. Well, I have the answer. I know how to lose the weight and I can tell you the secret. The let down is going to be that it is something 90% of you already know. Furthermore, it’s not something that people want to hear.

There is a huge industry that depends on us thinking that there is a magic pill, a magic weight loss machine, a diet that will fix us for good. We all want to believe. And the testimonials are all right there – WITH PICTURES. The diet industry lives off of before and after shots of their clients. The truth is anybody can lose weight by doing this plan or that pill. Will power will get you through a lot of things. But, can it keep the weight off of you for more than a few weeks or months? One of the first mistakes we make is thinking that we will only have to do this or that for a short period of time – then we can go back to enjoying ourselves like we did before we started the diet. And then the weight comes back.

One of the first things you need to realize, truly connect with this fact, that as someone who needs to lose weight you are addicted to certain food-related things. You didn’t get fat by eating carrots and apples. You are addicted to sugar, salt, the wrong types of fat, processed food and eating out. Maybe a few of you eat because you get stressed or emotional. To set things right you need to:

1. Break your addictions
2. Eat for sustenance and health
3. Re-train your tastes in food

Is this easy? Actually, having just gone through this, it’s not as hard and you might think. But let me get into my story before we go much further.

Background

I would be categorized as an endomorph in bodybuilding terms. I’m big boned, 5’10” and have been lifting weights since I was introduced to them by my uncle at around the age of 10. I’ve always been active. I played Little League football and baseball up through middle school. I played soccer in high school. I started karate at age 15 and continued until I was 18. At age 16, I was competing in karate tournaments and had to be in the heavyweight men’s division because I weighed 180. At 18, I got into running and ran 8 miles a day for almost a year before recurring knee and ankle problems came along. When I was running at 18, I was up around 200. When I was 24, I decided to seriously try bodybuilding. I was up around 220 and managed to get down to 195. I picked up a part time job at the Roanoke Athletic Club as a Fitness Trainer. I learned about nutrition, physiology and hung out with body builders. My major in college was biology, so I had a good base of knowledge to build upon. I started training hard and eating hard. I shot up to 240.

I thought I looked pudgy but good. I was strong and still felt athletic. I had my body fat calculated by hydrostatic weighing at the gym. I had 29% body fat. I had no problem putting on muscle and fat. But I had trouble showing enough discipline to drop the fat to be a bodybuilder.

Then I got married and had a child and started to drift away from the gym. I would go six months away from the gym and then get back to training for six months. This pattern continued with varying lengths of time in and out of the gym for almost a decade. I hit a high of 295.

In my mid 30’s I decided to give powerlifting a try. I was strong, I was fat – sounds like a powerlifter, right? After a few years of semi-regular training I decided to stop lying. I was using the term powerlifter to disguise a fat guy who lifted weights. I never competed as a powerlifter and my best lifts were not in the powerlifter range (RAW deadlift 590, squat 540, bench 380). I hit a new all-time high of 313 at age 36.

I am now 37 and a half. I’ve maintained a steady training cycle the last year and a half and came down to 295, then back to 308, then down to 295, then back to 303. I have high cholesterol (220) and pre-hypertension (130/80) and my blood sugar was 110 – not diabetic but headed for the danger zone. I take medication for both hypertension and high cholesterol. My body fat drifts between 26% and 30%.

Three months ago my wife gave birth to twins – our 3rd and 4th children. Having 4 children requires a lot of energy and after the twins were born I decided I needed to really do something in order to get more energy. I knew losing weight would get me that energy back.

I had always been a pretty avid reader of fitness websites and magazines. I knew the latest strategies. I was a consistent reader of Dave Draper and Clarence Bass. One night I was reading a question submitted to Dave Draper and he recommended his book Your Body Revival. I thought I should give it a try, as I trust Dave, so I ordered it that night.

When I started reading Dave’s book, I have to say my feelings were a little hurt at first. He didn’t dance around the obvious. He used the F word – FAT. He didn’t sugarcoat things with terms like obese or overweight. What he had to say made sense. He was right. I realized I got myself into this situation and I can get myself out.

Dave also offers to autograph or sign his books when you order. I opted to just have him sign mine. But Dave didn’t just sign it, he wrote four words above his name – You can do this! It took a couple of weeks for me to decide I was going to really do this, to make the commitment. I started just before Thanksgiving.

The Plan

The plan was not formulated all at once, but was made as I went through the first several weeks. Initially, I tried to just “eat clean”. What I mean is that I wanted to get away from calorie dense foods, aka processed foods. Or foods that contained many different ingredients, like casseroles…those famous casseroles that come out around the holidays. So I did. I stuck to the lean meats, turkey and ham, and stuck to the vegetables – green beans, mashed potatoes (no gravy), the vegetable tray (no dip), and no desserts.

I had long ago read the books of Clarence Bass. And I knew that his diet plan consisted of wholesome foods. Whole grains, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, high-fiber bread, some low-fat dairy and eggs, nuts, fish, chicken, beans and reasonable portions of red meat. So I knew this should be the base from which to build upon.

Within two weeks of starting the diet I had come down from 303 to 300. It was around that time that I was reading Dave Draper’s website when I came across an article by Chris McClinch. He wrote a piece called The Ten Commandments of Getting Cut. I will link to it here http://www.davedraper.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/77/
because it is essential reading. This helped formulate the direction I needed to take. It explained a few things that I had done wrong in the past. For instance, the “skip breakfast, eat a light lunch and then gorge at dinner” diet. It rarely works, and it didn’t work for me. The other thing I realized was that I needed to write down and account for what I ate. It was about this same time that I heard about DietPower, again from Dave Draper’s website.

DietPower was mentioned along with other software programs that exist, some for a price, some for free. I downloaded the free trial of DietPower ( http://www.dietpower.com/ )
and loved it. I never checked out any others. I ended up purchasing the full version of DietPower ($30-40 depending on the version you choose). There may be others that work as well or better, I just happen to like the first one I tried. It allows you to track your weight, foods, water intake and exercise on a daily basis on your computer. Furthermore, you can set a goal (a weight by a certain date) and it will tell you as you go day by day how many calories you must eat to meet that goal. I started DietPower on December 5th and set the goal of going from 297 to 290 by December 31st. That was approximately a pound every 4 days. Two pounds of weight lost per week is the goal everyone should shoot for.

This two pound rule exists for a good reason. Losing anymore than 2 pounds per week means there is a high likelihood you are losing precious muscle tissue also. You want to gain muscle, or at the very least retain what muscle tissue you have. Muscle tissue burns calories by just existing. Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is how many calories your body burns on a daily basis just keeping you alive. The more muscle tissue you have on your person, the higher your BMR and the more calories you can afford to consume WITHOUT increasing your weight. So muscle tissue is a dieter’s best friend. This is where exercise comes into play.

Exercise, including weight lifting, is necessary because of two reasons:

1. It increases your metabolism and burns calories during your workout (actually the fat burning benefits of working out continues for many hours after you leave the gym)
2. Weight resistance training adds muscle tissue to your body, increasing your BMR over the long term so you burn more calories just keeping your body alive

The 2-pound per week rule doesn’t sound like a lot. In fact, it used to frustrate me because I couldn’t go faster than that. Then I realized two things:

1. If I lose 2 pounds a week for a year, I will have lost 104 pounds – more than most people need to lose. And a year, as we know when we get a little older, goes by amazingly fast.
2. Losing more than 2 pounds per week also increases your chances of gaining the weight back.

So the second part of the plan was to re-introduce exercise at regular intervals to my regimen. I already had memberships at two gyms. One is a bare bones gym a block away from where I work. The second is a family membership at the local YMCA. Now, I’m not one that dreads working out. I love to work out. But I had two easy excuses to keep from going to the gym like I should.

At the end of the day, I felt too tired for a workout
I had responsibilities at home to attend to as soon as I finished work

So, I decided to compromise. I had some spare room at home and I started gathering what equipment I had already accumulated over the years. A Bowflex I had bought a few years back, a 53 lbs kettlebell, two 20 lbs dumbbells and one 15 lbs, an old DP airdyne-knockoff stationary bike that the father-in-law pulled out of a dump, and a recently purchased heavy bag and a pair of Perfect Pushups. I bought the heavy bag because I used to love to work out on it when I was practicing karate. I thought this would help me get motivated about doing cardio.

So my exercise goal was to just be active doing something everyday. If I could get in a 20-minute walk during the day at lunch or going to the post office, I did it. In the evening, when I completed my responsibilities at home, I would go to the spare room and do whatever I felt like. 15 minutes on the bike and some pushups. Maybe the next day was 10 minutes on the heavy bag and a short shoulder workout with the dumbbells (side laterals, front laterals, shoulder presses). Anything that was exercise counted.

DietPower and Eating Out

One habit I had to break early on was eating out for lunch. I had a bad habit of skipping breakfast then going to the same restaurant everyday and ordering the special and a side of soup. The special consisted of a small salad, some rice and some type of meat dish that varied day to day. But it was all very dense calorically. When I started using DietPower I knew I would be held accountable for the food I ate – I would have to log it. So I made a commitment to start packing my breakfast and lunch.

This takes a little time. It adds about 20 minutes to my evening routine to pack for the following day. However, it saves a lot of money and calories. It is necessary. I started packing what I thought would be healthy. And going by Chris McClinch’s rules, I was shooting for 6 meals a day. Traditionally, I have a banana for breakfast. Then I started cutting up celery and putting peanut butter on the celery. I would take two cans of tuna fish packed in water, add a couple of tablespoons of mayo and take some saltine crackers to eat it on. I would split the celery and tuna into two portions for my mid-day meals. I would add an apple (whole) in the bag to eat at late afternoon. Dinner consisted of whatever the rest of the family was eating, but in controlled portions. Then my last meal was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk.

When I started logging in this food, I was incredibly high in my fat consumption. The beauty of DietPower is that it tells you the ratio of Protein/Carbs/Fat, and the nutrients you are getting from those foods. I had been shooting for Dave Draper’s recommended ratio of 40/30/30 – protein/carbs/fat. I thought I was doing great and eating clean. But DietPower showed me otherwise.

So I went out and bought Smart Balance mayo, natural peanut butter, Smart Balance butter and whole-wheat crackers. I replace the old ingredients with these improved versions. My trans fats we still high according to DietPower. Upon further investigation, it was coming from the crackers. So I ditched the crackers. I started mixing a half-cup of cooked rice with the two cans of tuna and added some low sodium soy sauce. The celery was no longer slathered in peanut butter, but was just raw. I added 2 raw carrots, ½ cup of seedless grapes, a half of a cucumber, and nuts and raisins. I wasn’t eating the apple in the afternoon. There was something about a whole apple staring at you. It would end up sitting on my desk day after day. I started to cut it up and put it in with the other fruits and vegetables. Now I was starting to eat it.

The nuts, even though I was only eating ¼ cup a day, were incredibly high in fats (good fats but fats nonetheless). It was causing me to go over my daily caloric intake. So I cut those down to occasional days, not everyday.

I’m not sure I would’ve caught ANY of these errors without the help of DietPower. I would not have been progressing like I wanted to and would not have known why.

I started making my own whole wheat bread. This is the bread I eat with peanut butter and jelly (low-sugar jelly) in the evenings. The bread contains 3 C whole-wheat flour, 3 C white flour, a tsp salt, a tsp sugar, yeast, 1 tablespoon of molasses, a ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 C skim milk and 1 ½ C water. Nothing more. I bake it on Saturday mornings and it makes two loaves, which last my family and me a week.

Scales and Measurement

Every day you log into DietPower it asks you to record your weight for that day. I try to weigh myself every morning. But sometimes I forget to. It is pretty important because DietPower adjusts your daily calories by looking at the progress you are making with your weight. So, if you don’t give it an accurate picture of your progress, it’s not going to do a very good job adjusting your calories. It’s best to weigh yourself around the same time every day. I prefer first thing in the morning before I eat or drink anything. Realize that your weight will go up and down day to day. That doesn’t mean necessarily that your diet is failing. Comparing your weight on the same day of the week from the previous week (this Monday to last Monday, for example) is a more accurate picture of what is happening. Still, DietPower adjusts from daily weighing.

Let’s talk about what kind of scale to use. Most gyms have a beam balance scale. But you might not be in the gym daily. It’s best to have something at home you can use. A bathroom scale will do. You can spend $20 or you can spend over $300 on a scale. I track my body fat level along with weight, so I invested in a good Tanita scale. I see Tanita scales in the doctors’ offices and Clarence Bass uses a Tanita, so I trust the brand.

I think it’s important to track not just bodyweight but body fat. Here’s why. What if you are cruising along losing 3 pounds a week? By bodyweight you are well on target. However, if you were tracking your body fat, you may see that you are losing more muscle than fat when your body fat percentage starts to increase week to week. Maybe it is not that you are losing weight too fast but that you aren’t eating enough protein in your diet to support and encourage your body to hold onto the muscle tissue you have. Then you would know to increase your protein, which is easily done and tracked in DietPower, and see if that corrects the problem; i.e. your body fat starts to level out and then drops again.

Measurements are also a good gauge of how well your physique is changing. You can take pictures and/or log your body measurements with a measuring tape periodically.

Scales and measurements also refer to the food you eat. It is wise, though I have been bad about not doing this, to purchase a food scale and a set of measuring cups to ensure that you are not overestimating the amount of food you “think” you are consuming. Remember DietPower can only go by the accuracy of the information you put into it. If your diet is not working, this might be a place to look for a problem.

Dairy and Egg Products

My favorite food in the world has to be cheese. I love it more than any dessert. I could easily eat half a block at one meal. I have not completely abandoned cheese, but I limit it tremendously. I never eat more than two domino-sized slices in a day and I only do that maybe twice a week. If I eat something like whole-wheat pasta, I’ll still sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, but I am careful with the amount.

I only drink skim milk now. I do drink 0.5 to 1 liter of skim milk a day. I think milk is important. DietPower also revealed that I was falling short on certain nutrients – one of them being Vitamin D. So that is why I try to add low-fat dairy to my daily intake. I also started taking a daily multi-vitamin to ensure I was getting the minimum RDA of all the vital nutrients.

I also went back to eating eggs. I had been avoiding eggs because of my cholesterol. However, I think my increase in exercise and my fat loss will assist in my cholesterol level. As Clarence Bass cites in one of his books, there is nothing more nutritious you can put in your mouth than an egg. I will often scramble 4 eggs with a tablespoon of olive oil (for years now I’ve only used olive oil to cook with). A couple of tablespoons of salsa and a little Parmesan cheese and I have dinner. Maybe add a can of spinach.

Tuna and Water

If you read Dave Draper’s website, at some point you will come across the tuna and water diet. What is it? Well, it’s a jumpstart, a test in discipline, a re-focusing, and its hell. Basically, Dave uses it when he wants to tighten up his diet and re-focus on eating correctly. It also sheds the pounds in a way that will get any dieter’s attention. The idea is to eat tuna packed in water, by the can, and nothing else except water to drink, for three days.

Anyone who has been on the Atkins’ diet, or has tried a high protein/low carb diet, knows what to expect. I did this diet on a Saturday a few weeks ago. I started that Saturday morning at 295. I started eating tuna and drinking water. By 7 PM that evening I was very irritable and angry (typical response on a low carb diet). I decided to drop out of the experiment and cooked up 6 oz. of whole-wheat pasta that night. I ate it with a little canned spaghetti sauce and a protein shake. The next day I was not very hungry at all and had to force myself to eat a few meals. Monday morning I got on the scale and was 292. And I’ve kept the weight off. In fact, by later in that same week, I hit my target of 290.

The tuna and water regimen is hard-core and not for the weak. I will use it sporadically from time to time to jump start sticking points. It’s a good tool to have in your arsenal, but don’t try it too often or too long. Three days is the max.

Water Intake and Beverages

One thing that most fitness and exercise people will tell you is to drink lots of water. This is something I took to heart and, even though studies have shown that increasing water intake does not increase or improve fat loss, there is nothing wrong with staying well hydrated. I set a goal of 3 liters a day, which sounds like a lot – it’s almost a gallon. But I decided to cut out the sweet tea that I used to drink religiously. I cut out all soda. Now I rarely miss my 3-liter quota of water each day.

The only things I drink these days are water, coffee with skim milk (no sugar), skim milk and protein shakes (mixed with skim milk if it is not already pre-made). I drink Muscle Milk (a pre-mixed protein shake bought at the gym for after workouts) and I use Bomber Blend at home to make my own shakes (a good breakfast or a before bed snack).

The easiest way to increase your water intake is to always have water within reach. I went to Target and purchased a “fancy” one-liter water bottle for $10. I know when I fill it up I have a liter of water to drink. Do that 3 times a day and I’ve met my goal for the day. Take this bottle with you when you go anywhere. Take it to lunch, take it to dinner, and take it to the gym. Drink this with your snacks, meals, and in-between meals. You can do it. And you’ll feel better for it. Being well hydrated gives you a boost of energy. Once you get into the habit, you’ll feel a difference when you don’t get enough water each day.

It’s important to find a water source that tastes good to you. Otherwise, your likelihood of drinking enough water goes down. Not all water tastes the same. If you like tap water, drink tap water. If you don’t like the chlorine taste, try getting a Brita filter or some other carbon filter to run the water through. Consider bottled water. Though, if you do this, buy it in at least a gallon jug. You pay much more for the 0.5 or 1 liter bottles. The cost is in the packaging, plus you’re using plastic that you don’t need.

Maybe you like your water cool or cold. Vary the temperature and find what appeals to you most. You goal is to find a way to enjoy drinking 3 liters (or whatever amount you decide upon) each day.

Progress

As you can tell, this is an on-going experiment. But it is working. After making the commitment to change my diet, and switching over to mainly whole foods and 3 liters of water a day, my energy level shot up even before the weight started to come off. Eating clean made me feel better, no question. This extra energy allowed me to fuel my workouts whenever I could get them in.

Since I pack my lunch now, I can eat at my desk, and I can go to my gym a block away for my lunch hour. I can get a 45-minute workout in several times a week now. I’m saving money by not eating out at lunch, where I was spending $12 everyday on lunch. $12 buys a lot of carrots, celery and cans of tuna.

If I can get a walk in somewhere, I do it. 20 minutes is ideal.

In the evenings I employ the HIIT principal (High Intensity Interval Training) for my cardio/aerobic sessions. I‘ve never minded too much getting on a treadmill for 45 minutes at a time. It was boring, yes, but I would bring along an iPod and I enjoyed the time. Now, time is precious. The HIIT works in this situation. I don’t need to devote 45 minutes to cardio, I can do it in 15 minutes and probably get a better benefit from it. Here’s how it works:

I choose an exercise, like riding the stationary bike. I warm up for five minutes. Then I go as hard as I can for 15 seconds, then go back to a moderate rate for 45 seconds. I do this for 6 to 10 periods (6-10 minutes not including the 5 minute warm-up). Once I got better at this, I increased it to 30 seconds all out, 30 seconds rest. It also works very well using the heavy bag. Punch for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, repeat 6-10 times.

This is called High Intensity Interval Training and studies have shown that it is more effective at burning fat than a steady pace for a longer period on the same piece of equipment. For further information you can read this article http://www.cbass.com/Sprintendurance.htm
Time saved at a better benefit. Now, it is harder, and your tongue will be hanging out at the end, but I like it better than 45 minutes of steady cardio.

I also purchased a TRX exercise system to go into the “home gym”. This is a unique piece of equipment (you can learn more by hitting this link http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/ ). It doesn’t replace weight lifting with free weights (neither does the Bowflex nor machines), but it certainly hits additional areas that free weights don’t hit. And, it focuses on functional movement. It also can be used effectively to stretch and improve flexibility. That was also a selling point for me.

I started Diet Power on December 5th with a goal of dropping to 290 by December 31st. I weighed 297 on December 5th. By December 17th, I hit 290. It was a little faster than ideal but the diet and exercise are working. Remember, I’m monitoring my body fat percentage to ensure I don’t lose muscle at the same time.

Cost

Maybe you don’t have money for a gym membership. But there are always ways around this.
Think about what a gym membership costs and then compare that with your health costs in 10 years if you don’t do something now?
What are you going to be paying in medication costs then?
How much money could you be saving today if you could get off of high blood pressure and cholesterol medication?
What savings can you accrue from not eating out for breakfast, lunch and occasional dinners?

The Secret

The secret lies in the first sentence of this article. Many fitness people say “eat right and exercise”. You have to go two steps further to get the actual truth. You have to make a firm commitment to live this lifestyle. If the commitment is not there, then there is no way this or anything else will work. You have to be fed up with the way you feel, the way you look, the way others view you, the limitations to what you can do physically. And you have to accept that these changes are FOR LIFE. I mean that in both contexts. It must be for the remainder of your life. And it is for LIFE itself. If you want to continue living, if you want to avoid heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, etc., you have to do this to avoid those things that put you in those risk groups.

Think about it, our ancestors weren’t fat. And they didn’t have the processed foods we have today. They had to eat whole foods. You don’t have to decide whether you should be on the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet or The Zone Diet, or whatever Oprah is on this week. It’s not a diet; it’s a change in your lifestyle. Now these changes can help you lose the weight and keep it off. Stick closely to whole foods, drink water, exercise, and repeat. Prepare your meals for tomorrow, plan ways to get in exercise here and there. It can be done and it’s all common sense.

Changing Your Tastes

“But this or that tastes so good”. “I don’t want to give X or Y up forever”. Believe me, I understand. There was nothing I liked better than going out to eat. I was a Foodie. My wife and I had our favorite restaurants. Whenever we wanted to get together with friends it was always over dinner at one of a list of places we loved to go. I loved fine dining. One thing I read really struck a chord with me. “Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.” I don’t know who came up with that but it resonated with me. After ONE WEEK of eating clean, I started to lose my taste for sweets and salty things. And I can honestly say that there has never been a time when I’ve been hungry or starving. Because I eat 5-6 meals a day, I’m never more than a couple of hours away from my next meal.

If you can stick it out for the first week, by the second week it will be easy to resist the cookies and candy laying out at work. You can easily walk by the snack machine. And because you are eating clean you will not have those cravings – that afternoon crash where you have to have a sweet snack to give your body a sugar rush. You won’t experience it. Now, I enjoy a cup of coffee as much as I ever did cheesecake for dessert. I used to eat a bowl of ice cream EVERY NIGHT before bed. Now, my PB&J sandwich is every bit as delicious. I don’t miss the ice cream. I’ve not eaten out once since I began this lifestyle change back in late November. I don’t miss it. In fact, I’m enjoying the money I’m saving more.

Diet Foods

I’ve never been a fan of low fat or low sugar this or that. I do utilize low sugar jelly with my PB&J. But I would caution the use of fat and sugar substitutes. There is a place for some of these items. For instance, I use low calorie yogurts and I know the Bomber Blend has Sucralose in it to replace the sweeteners. But, eating chips that have altered fat, or diet sodas, low-fat cookies and low-fat ice cream, etc., is really defeating the purpose. You need to change your taste for food, not try to find a way to get around the issue. Plus, there are those that say these “substitutes” are harmful to your health. I think the jury is still out on that, but the fact remains, why continue to court a taste for those type foods when you are trying to re-train your taste buds to enjoy things like raw celery, raw carrots, nuts and berries, tuna and rice? It’s only going to make it harder. Why tempt yourself and possibly backslide? Read this article http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081215111431.htm

Diet Pills

I don’t know where diet pills will fit into all of this. I can tell you that I don’t believe HydroxyCuts or Alli is the answer to the problem. I think they can be of assistance, possibly, when one has already changed his or her eating habits and hits a sticking point. In that regard, I think they may serve a purpose for me down the road, but they are assistance only. They can’t replace eating right nor can they fix eating poorly.

Goals

Any motivational talk mentions that goals are a necessary part of any achievement. I have set two goals with regard to weight, a long-term and a short-term goal. I think too often we set the long term goal and forget we have to reach that point in increments. Short-term goals are victories won; and they reinforce that we are moving in the right direction.

A short-term goal might be how much weight you can reasonably expect to lose, with an effort, in a period of time such as a week or a month. My short-term goal was originally to lose 7 pounds in 26 days (297 to 290 starting on the 5th and ending on the 31st). I hit that goal early and then made a revision. I feel good and don’t want to lose the momentum. So the revision of the short-term goal is to lose 2 more pounds between the 17th and the 31st. A reasonable goal and one I can likely achieve. If you achieve a goal early, evaluate where you are. Maybe you just want to maintain your “goal weight” for the remainder of the time period. If you’re on a roll, perhaps you want to venture on with a new short-term goal.

My long-term goal is where I eventually want to plane out, where I will have a moderate to low body fat (10-15%). I can’t say right now at what weight that will occur. I intend to add lean muscle tissue as I lose the fat. Maybe it’ll be 225 lbs. Maybe it will be 215. My long-term goal is somewhat loose. Maybe I get to 15% body fat and decide I can get lower and would look better at 10%. The end goal will become clearer the closer I get to it. The long-term goal right now is just a direction to head for, a course to plot by using my short-term goals to head in that direction.

Injuries and Disabilities

It would be easy to use an injury or a disability to excuse yourself from exercise. Any weightlifter that has been lifting awhile can tell you that injuries are part of the sport. Any exercise program puts you at risk of an injury. The key is to train around it. That is where variety in exercise can assist. There is always something you can do to keep the calories burning. Injuries will happen, setbacks will occur, but discipline will keep you moving forward. Remind yourself of your goals.

It would also be easy to claim a disability as an excuse. I’d like to tell you about my old karate instructor, Clay Johnson. Google his name sometime, as his story is pretty remarkable. Clay was born with cerebral palsy and has limited use of his legs. He can shuffle short distances on crutches but is in a wheelchair the majority of the time. Clay wanted nothing more than to learn karate and become a black belt. He found a teacher, eventually, who was willing to try to teach Clay what he could. Clay was tenacious and eventually did get his black belt and continues to teach karate to this day. He also expanded his knowledge into other martial arts systems and has studied under Sifu Dan Inosanto, a lead student of Bruce Lee’s. See Clay in action http://www.roanoke.com/multimedia/video/wb/63613

So unless you’re a quadriplegic, you have no excuse for not being active in whatever way you can be. Chances are you’re not as physically challenged as Clay. Be inspired by his example.

The Bottom Line

This is a common sense lifestyle change. There is no secret combination of foods that will miraculously speed up your metabolism. It’s not a 300-page book of recipes or details explaining metabolic pathways. It doesn’t wait on science to find the magic fat gene and a medication to turn it off. It requires discipline and commitment to do what you already know you should be doing.

Your story will be different from mine. You’ll have different tastes in food, different schedule challenges, and different equipment options. Loosely use these ideas to guide you:
Pack your meals that must be eaten away from home
Build your diet around fruits and vegetables as they sell them in the store. Don’t go for the fruit cup packed in light syrup.
Buy fresh over frozen and frozen over canned.
Eat tuna fish packed in water. (Worried about mercury? Read this article http://www.davedraper.com/mercury-in-tuna.html )
I use fish as my main source of protein, followed by poultry. Try turkey burger.
One to three times a week I will eat a modest amount of lean red meat. Emphasis on lean and modest amount.
I eat eggs a few times a week. Egg whites and egg substitute might be something to look into. Right now I use whole eggs.
Eat whole-wheat pasta and whole-wheat bread over semolina pasta and white “fluffy” bread.
Try making your own bread and control what goes into it.
Bake or broil fish and other meats.
Microwave or steam vegetables.
Use olive oil.
Get away from sauces, dips, and salad dressings.
Watch out for healthy, but calorie dense, foods like dried fruits and nuts.
Watch your liquid intake. Make water your primary beverage and supplement from there with coffee, unsweetened tea or skim milk.
Don’t rely heavily on protein shakes. Get the majority of your nutrition from real food.
Write everything you eat down or use a computer program to track food, exercise and your weight.
Weigh yourself. Try to make it a routine. Some people place a calendar in the bathroom and write down their weight each day. Consider tracking your body fat.
Make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need. Take a multi-vitamin, if necessary.
Exercise whenever you can, doing whatever you can
Walk, jog, run, do pushups, calisthenics, wind sprints – no equipment needed, no fees involved
Use variety in your exercise to keep motivation high and monotony low
If you belong to a gym, utilize all of the opportunities: swim one day, play basketball the next, weight lift, bike, walk on the track, take a yoga class, etc. Variety keeps it interesting and the chances are higher that you’ll continue your exercise program.
Have fun. Celebrate your improvements. Have pride in your achievements.

The Process as it Occurred

I became fed up with being tired, achy and having limited mobility
I purchased and began reading Your Body Revival by Dave Draper
I continued to read Dave’s website and Clarence Bass’ website
I came across The Ten Commandments of Getting Cut by Chris McClinch via Dave’s website. It connected with me and spoke to what I wanted to achieve.
I began a wholehearted effort to eat right just before Thanksgiving.
I heard about DietPower from Dave’s website. I downloaded it and began the trial version on December 5th. I started at 297 with the goal of reaching 290 by December 31st. I liked the program and purchased the full version.
I got back to exercising by piecing together a home gym, in addition to utilizing my existing gym memberships.
I started packing my breakfast and lunch with whole foods. I ate at my desk and used my lunch hour for exercising either by going for walks or going to the gym a block away and lifting weights.
I increased my water intake to 3 liters per day. I cut out all sweetened drinks and didn’t fall for the fallacy of diet drinks, either. Water is best.
I ate 5 to 6 meals a day.
I exercised again, as I could, in the evening at home. I incorporated the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) method to boost fat burning and to reduce time spent on cardio.
I heard about the TRX system on Dave’s website (Thanks, Laree) and purchased one to include in my home gym.
Variety in my exercise program keeps me motivated and flexible enough to get in some type of exercise no matter how busy the schedule or how badly the day is going.
I made a commitment to exercise in some way, everyday.
My energy increased as I began to eat whole foods and 5-6 meals a day. No sugar crashes. Just steady energy throughout the day.
I learned from DietPower I was not getting enough of certain nutrients. I began supplementing with a daily multi-vitamin and Metamucil to boost my fiber intake.
After a week of eating clean I had broken my addiction to sweets and was able to pass up all the processed foods around me.
I am never, and never have been, hungry or starving.
I hit 290 on December 17th. My revised goal is to reach 288 by December 31st.

Resources

Clarence Bass – Clarence is something you have to see to believe. A lifelong fitness addict and incredible weightlifter, he laid the groundwork, in my mind, for sensible eating and exercise. He has many books out, but Ripped 3 is my favorite and an invaluable resource for recipes and exercise routines. You can order his books from his website – in addition to finding tons of important information on the site itself. www.cbass.com

Dave Draper – a Bodybuilding legend. Dave’s website is one of the most thorough and well-respected sites when it comes to fitness. And his partner, Laree, is every bit a legend in her own right. I’ve learned as much or more from reading her articles on everything from new equipment to hip flexibility. www.davedraper.com

Tanita Scales - http://www.tanita.com/IndexUS.shtml I use the BC549 ®

12/17/08

Oh, NO! I Ran Off and Forgot My Breakfast/Lunch This Morning

I was busy this morning and ran out the door forgetting that my food was still in the refrigerator. I didn’t realize until it was too late to turn around and go back. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome! I took 15 minutes at lunch, ran by the grocery store and grabbed a small vegetable tray and an apple. There was a Christmas Luncheon at work going on so I added a few small pieces of cheese and some lean cuts of turkey and ham. The day was saved.

12/18/08

Why I Decided Against the 100 Day Fitness Challenge

The fitness challenge is a “contest” held in several states where “teams” of people sign up and compete in their local region against one another. The two ways to score points are to lose pounds and to log time spent exercising. All the while, information about health and fitness is provided and the ultimate goal is to create healthy habits that will last beyond the contest. Many teams are associated through their employers, so it also promotes teamwork within the workplace.

When the fitness challenge came up last year at work I was very much enthusiastic about it. And until I got into this program, I was pretty excited about doing the challenge again this year. But I’ve realized there are two aspects of the challenge that I now wholly disagree with.

First, it has a duration of 100 days. Now, I’m sure the organizers would jump in and say that it is meant to start us on a healthy road to continual improvement. But most, not all, participants revert back to old habits as soon as the 100 days are up. Many have gained back the weight that they intend to lose again for this year’s challenge. As I’ve tried to drive home, healthy changes must be undertaken for life, not a defined period.

The second thing is that it is contest driven. Points are scored by team members dropping the most pounds and/or racking up the most minutes doing physical exercise. This breaks the 2-pound per week rule and pays no mind to muscle mass lost. And, pushing oneself too far and too fast in an exercise regimen just to score more points will set you up for a good chance at injury. Thus back firing on your chance to continue your overall progress towards a healthy lifestyle.

12/19/08

End of the Year Talk

People are starting to talk about the diets they will go on after the holidays. I’d like to use an example of one very dear friend, who I will not mention by name because I do not wish to excoriate them, but to discuss what was said. The person said, “I will have to go back on a low carb diet after the first of the year to lose the weight I’ve put on. My problem is backsliding.”

I think low carb diets have “backsliding” written all over them. I was on the Aitkins’ diet before. I lost 40 lbs in about 7 weeks. Then put about 60 lbs back on in less time, once I went off of it. I was miserable while I was on it.

I read Dr. Aitkins’ book. And it mentions that the Eskimos were a prime example of how this diet worked. Research done in the 1950’s was cited. There is no question the diet works. The issue is staying on the diet. In order to stay on a diet for any length of time, we have to enjoy what we are eating. Let’s think about those Eskimos. Back in the 50’s they were still using their traditional ways. They hunted and fished in an extremely cold environment, which utilized a huge amount of calories. Furthermore, they had no access to any other foods. They didn’t have carbs lying around up there. All they had to keep from starving was fat and protein. Now, look at the same Eskimo population today. Look at those that have introduced our cultural diet into theirs, and still partially follow their ancestors eating habits. Notice anything? Are they skinny or do they look like most of us down in the lower 48? When you start introducing simple carbs and processed food on top of a high fat and protein diet, you get us.

Most people don’t have the discipline to stay on a low carb diet. You throw one cookie into the mix around an Aitkins’ dieter, that person will think they’ve died and gone to heaven. People aren’t happy on a low carb diet. Yes, it does work (see Tuna and Water diet). But once you come off of it after being on it any length of time, your body will suck those carbs right back around your hips. The Tuna and Water diet is just long enough to jolt the system. It’s not long enough for your body to miss the carbs like it does on a long-term low carb diet.

Why not stop looking at carbs as the enemy and just realize that simple sugars and highly processed foods are where the problem lies. Don’t eliminate carbs just eat smart carbs. You’ll be much happier.

12/22/08

Three things occurred this weekend that I wanted to note.

First, I hit my lowest weight yet on Saturday. I weighted in at 289.6. However, the next day I was up to almost 294. Weight will fluctuate and you just have to keep your faith and focus on what you are doing. I’ll admit I was disappointed to see my weight jump back up so quickly. But losing weight is not a straight, linear process.

Secondly, I struggled with my appetite on Saturday. For some reason I felt like I just couldn’t get enough to eat. Things I’ve not had a craving for started to look really good. However, I stuck to my guns and, although I ate more than I should have on Saturday, it was all wholesome food. What I normally eat on my diet, just more of it. It’s better to eat more wholesome food than you should, than to eat the wrong foods. My point in mentioning this is that I will experience moments of weakness from time to time. It’s not very often but I guess the challenges never completely go away.

And lastly, I started using Tabata protocol on Sunday during my cardio. I had mentioned the HIIT principal before (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training ). Tabata is using an interval where the recovery time is shorter than the time expending energy – for instance, 20 seconds of all out exercise followed by 10 seconds rest, then repeats immediately. In the HIIT scenario I had been using I was doing 15 seconds all out followed by 45 seconds of rest. Then I increased it to 30 seconds all out followed by 30 seconds of rest. Apparently, Tabata works even better in that your body does not have enough time to adequately recover. So you tire yourself out more and more with each subsequent interval. I use 8 intervals on both my heavy bag and the stationary bike. It is a big difference from what I was doing before.

12/23/08

Processed Foods

I’ve announced my concern for processed foods and, as part of the evolutionary process of this plan; I’ve had to back track a little. DietFoods has been showing me that I’ve not been getting enough fiber in my diet – an essential part of staying healthy. I’ve tried supplementing with Metamucil, but, actually it has a very small amount of fiber compared to what you need in your diet. A part of DietPower that is extremely helpful is a section called Power Foods. You can go into it and search for what nutrient, vitamin or mineral you need, and it will tell you in order of potency which foods are highest in that category. For fiber, one of the top three is the cereal All Bran. All Bran is a processed food, and something I had spoken against. Now, I am eating All Bran for breakfast in an attempt to boost my fiber intake.

I know that Clarence Bass has a recipe for his “Big Breakfast”. I’m pretty sure it is in his book Ripped 3. It consists of several whole grains cooked up with fruit on top. He cooks the grains once a week, I believe, and stores it in the refrigerator. This is probably the way to go. But for now, I’m taking the easy way out and using the All Bran.

My opposition to processed foods is twofold. One, it is full of preservatives and fillers, and often more sugar and salt than you need. Two, all this adds up to make a calorie dense food item that usually causes us to eat more calories in a serving than we should. This helps to blow our diet. So, I’m relaxing a little on the processed food verdict and saying for now, be careful. Know what you are eating and track it closely.

12/29/08

I have several things to write about. The topics I want to cover are Indiscriminate Eating, Processed Foods, the Importance of Routines and Muscle Weight Versus Actual Weight. Some of these topics will dovetail into another.

Because I’m watching what I eat, I’ve become acutely aware of others’ eating habits. And since we are in the middle of the holidays, I see a lot of what I refer to as indiscriminate eating. With food laid out everywhere, it is common to see people walk by and pick up a cookie here, a cracker with cheese the next time, a carrot next and then a piece of fudge, a handful of nuts, etc. And on and on it goes. It happens at work a lot. And I think to myself, “How many of these people can actually name what they ate today at the end of the day?” All of these items are incredibly dense in calories. A handful of nuts might be a couple hundred calories. And are people eating because they are hungry? No, it’s like they are on cruise control. It’s like they are not aware of what they are doing. I wonder if they would still do it if they stopped, took a step back and thought about what they are doing. So, I guess my point is that it is incredibly important to track your eating, keep track of what you eat and the calories you are consuming. Most people don’t know. To lose weight, you must become aware of what calories are in different foods. How many calories do you add to that cracker when you spread a cheese ball on it? How many calories are in that handful of nuts? Do you know how much of what you ate at the end of the day? You should.

Routine – There is no question that the easiest way to diet and exercise is to get into a routine. Life runs smoothly when you know what you are doing and when you are going to do it. But what happens when that schedule gets interrupted? It becomes hard to wade through those instances. This weekend I had family to visit on Saturday; and Church on Sunday followed by a visit from a friend. Being off from work also interrupts my routine. Being at home frequently results in staying up late and sleeping in. So if I wake up at 10 am, I’m already a meal behind schedule.

I tend to eat larger but less frequent meals when I am at home during the day. Because of my obligations this weekend I did not get in any exercise either day. Because I was around a lot of calorie dense food on Saturday, I ended up eating less than I should have. The result was that I didn’t eat as frequently as I should, nor did I eat as healthy as I normally do when I’m at work. My energy levels dipped and I found myself overly tired. This contributed to me not squeezing in a workout when I could find the time to do so on Saturday or Sunday. So, it’s a big snowball effect.

Breaking you’re routine will happen occasionally. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. My advice is to stay diligent and don’t completely fall off the horse. And get back on as soon as you can. For me, it was a return to work that helped get me refocused on eating 6 times a day, eating the right amount of veggies, getting enough fluids, getting enough sleep and getting in a workout on my lunch break. I know in a day or two I’ll feel great again. It just re-emphasizes to me the importance of eating frequently and eating the right foods. That provides me with the energy and stamina to get to the gym. One sets up the other.

Processed Food – I previously mentioned introducing All Bran, a processed food, into my diet. Now, because of the holiday/time constraint issue, I’ve gotten away from my weekly baking of bread. So I went to the store and picked up a low-calorie “fluffy” wheat bread. It tastes good, it’s convenient and it’s much lower in calories than the bread I make. In fact, when shopping for this bread I looked at loaves that had “extra fiber” or “multi-grain” breads that looked similar to the bread I make. Those loaves averaged 100 calories a slice versus the 40 calories per slice of the low calorie bread… two and a half times the calories. So, the question is, do I stick with the low calorie “processed” bread or the high calorie bread that I know is wholesome. I don’t know that I have an answer, other than to say that I’m once again loosening my restrictions on processed foods. I think either is OK as long as you are aware of what you are eating. And, maybe it depends on what your goals are. If you are health conscious, maybe it makes more sense to make your own bread where you control what goes into it. If you are trying to lose weight, maybe a lower calorie alternative is more important.

Muscle Weight versus Actual Weight – My current short-term weight goal was set at reaching 288 by December 31st. I was at 288.4 yesterday and 289.2 today. Good weights. But, remember, I ate fewer calories than I should have this weekend and got no exercise. It’s very tempting see ourselves start to lose weight and to want to rush the process. It’s tempting when I see a number close to my goal to want to rush it by going very low on calories the next day, or skipping meals.

Another effect is weight increase due to weight lifting. I have noticed that the evening of a workout day, and the next day, my weight will increase by several pounds. This only stands to reason because when you lift weights strenuously, you use up all of the glycogen in your muscles. You muscle cells respond by taking up more water and nutrients (proteins and glycogen) to repair and rebuild your muscle. You are creating a situation in which your body will retain fluid. Plus your appetite may increase.

I’ve already espoused how important muscle tissue is to the dieter and to long-term goals. You need to keep this in mind. Even as someone who knows this incredibly well, I’ll still have an urge to want to speed up the process of losing weight sometimes. Furthermore, it’s counterintuitive to go do something that you know is going to cause you to weigh more the next day. But, for the greater good of the long-term goal, it’s necessary. Fight the urge to speed things up too quickly. Don’t sacrifice precious muscle mass just to lower your overall weight.

That brings up a current health standard that I absolutely hate – the Body Mass Index (BMI). No doubt, you’ve had a nurse or your doctor look at your weight, look at a chart and then declare you are obese or morbidly obese. This calculation does not take into account your muscle mass. In fact, body builders who are down to 5% body fat or less, may weigh 275 lbs. By the BMI they are morbidly obese, but they are ripped to the bone. So, don’t always believe it when a doctor tells you that you should weight 180 lbs for your height, when you are a weightlifter who carries 10% body fat and weighs 225 lbs. Percentage body fat should be the health indicator not just pure weight and height.

So, when you have a certain weight in the back of you mind for a long-term goal, think about that closely. Let your body stabilize where it will at a point where you are eating moderately, eating clean and healthy, and are getting plenty of rest and exercise. That should be the criteria used to set your long-term goal.

12/30/08

Well, what I thought would happen, did happen. I had a weight of 289.2 yesterday morning and I had a hard back workout yesterday at lunch. I stayed on target with my daily calories and today I weighed in a 291.2. I will not make my weight of 288.0 by January 1st. There are a couple of lessons to learn from this. I can be happy in the fact that I understand my body enough, and how it responds, to predict what will happen. I talked yesterday about hard workouts, water retention and weight increase.

I also have to keep in mind that even though I did not hit 288 by the target date, this is not a failure. I’ve not blown my diet; I’ve not gone off my diet. I’ve not abandoned my exercise program. This has all been consistent. So, I need to take solace in the fact that I am progressing; and I need to not become attached to a certain “weight”. Forward momentum is the goal as much as anything. I have another hard training session in the gym planned today at lunch – shoulders and arms. So, chances are high that I will not drop much, if any, weight by tomorrow morning.

I’ve readjusted my goal to now be 280.0 by January 31st. We’ll see how that goes. Until then, I’ll keep my head down and keep doing what I’m doing with no significant changes. I should also start taking body measurements because I’m sure they are changing (clothes are fitting better) and that would help reinforce to my ego that I am making progress. But, it’s not a smooth, linear drop. Even though I know this, my ego wants to jump in and do something drastic. Maybe I should try a diet pill, maybe I should cut back my weight training and increase my Tabata protocol, and maybe I should try the Tuna and Water diet again for a day or two. No, I should ride this out and not do anything drastic. I have to keep reminding myself that this is for life. I have time to drop the weight sensibly. I have to keep the faith that I have a sound nutrition and exercise program that is supporting me.

4/22/09

Update to where I am now. At the end of January I was down to about 283. I realized I was not going to make the goal of 280. I decided to try giving DietPower a break and let my diet float. I have etched a pretty consistent diet out that I follow religiously. The type of food and the quality don’t change, although the quantity may go up occasionally. Here is a typical day for me.

0700 - Protein Shake (2 scoops of Bomber Blend in 20 oz Skim Milk)
0900 - Fruit (2 apples, 1 banana, 1 cup grapes, ½ cup baby carrots, sometimes add strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, or cashews but the first 4 ingredients are staples)
1100 - Pump Fuel (Creatine/NO2 booster) 30 minutes before workout
1130 - Muscle Milk Pre-Made (Drink at the gym right before hitting the weights)
1230 - Muscle Milk Pre-Made (Immediately after finishing the workout)
1530 - Optional Meal (Canned Tuna Roasted Garlic in Olive Oil/ Minute Rice Microwavable 1 cup, 1 low-fat CremeSaver yogurt sometimes)
1900 - Most common dinner meal (broiled tuna steak in olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, 1 bag of microwavable steam browned rice, Beans with a Twist)
2100 - Either another Bomber Blend Shake or 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with natural peanut butter on 35 calorie wheat bread and a glass of skim milk

If I were to eat every meal I’d be bringing in around 200 grams of protein.

My bodyweight drifts between 283 and 290. I am working out 5-6 days a week with 45 minutes of high intensity training followed by 15-20 minutes of treadmill work, including some jogging. I walk several times a week. My physique has improved greatly, veins are coming out, shoulders arms, upper chest and legs are popping out, clothes are fitting better. My strength is through the roof. Here are some PRs:


Flat bench - 315 x 4, DB’s 145’s X 2
Incline flyes - 80lbs dbs x 6
Incline barbell press - 225 x10
Squats - 495 x 2
Leg Press - 1050 x 3
Seated Barbell Military Press - 225 x1
Barbell Shrugs - 495 x 5
Romanian DL - 590 x 1
T-bar rows - 225 x 4
Motorcycles – 270 X 4
Bent Over Rows – 315 X 4

4/28/09

I was reading up on different diets and I came across one that looked at first like an honest website. It kept talking about commitment, which I agree with. Once it got into the diet itself, it switched to a commercial for specific supplements. That’s a red flag for me. But reading the website and deciding that I’m not making the progress I’d like to see, has forced me to reaffirm my commitment. Today I woke at 5 AM and left the house by 5:15 to get to the gym by 6. At the gym I did my 30 minutes of cardio before eating breakfast. At noon I was back in the gym for my scheduled leg workout. I’m going to try to maintain this routine for awhile to see if I can get my bodyfat down more. I’m also tightening up on the carbs. So far today I had:

7:30 – Bomber Blend in Skim Milk
8:30 – Grapefruit
9:30 – Protein bar
11:30 – Pump Fuel (creatine/NO2 booster)
12:00 – Muscle Milk
1300 – Muscle Milk
1500 – Steak and grapes