A Week of Setbacks....but NOT Derailed!

Last Monday morning, ready to start a new week of eating clean and exercise, I wake up to a dull pain in my kidney area. Having experience my first and only kidney stone 3 years ago, I knew what this dull pain was. As I went thru the day, the pain stayed about the same with a few bouts of sharp pain here and there but nothing too bad. I went to see my doctor Monday afternoon and got confirmation that I indeed had a new kidney stone. Ugh! I was afraid to do any physical activity in fear that it might accelerate to emergency room type pain like my first kidney stone encounter. So I took one of the prescribed Vicadin's Monday night before bed, prayed I wouldn't have to take a midnight ER run, and went to sleep. (slept like a rock, btw). Tuesday morning I woke up with the same dull ache but the pain had moved a little lower. I spent part of the day searching the web for something natural I could try instead of putting chemicals in my body. I found a huge amount of posts about lemons. Fresh juiced lemons that can destroy calcium oxalate in the kidneys. So I gave it a try. Took 10 lemons, ran them thru my juicer (peel, seeds and all) and juiced up 8 oz. of the king of pucker-up juice. Said a quick prayer and slammed it back! Then over the next 10 mins or so, slammed back a bottle of water. Within 15 mins, I could feel weird things going on inside my body, like small twinges of pain, but not painful pain. After about an hour, I went to bed. Woke up Wednesday morning with ZERO pain and haven't had any since. I believe the prayers and fresh lemons did the trick! LOVE the thought of using something natural that God made to help my body rather than swallowing pills made of who-knows-what kind of chemicals if I don't have to. So, next time you feel a kidney stone coming on, try this and see if it works for you! As a matter of fact, if you have a juicer that's collecting dust, why not get it out, wipe it down and put some natural fruits and veggies thru it and drink up! Put these minerals and vitamins in your body and let them do their work. There are great benefits that come from juicing!

Now, on to the results. I still dropped another 1/2 pound and another 1 inch off my waist from last week. This was purely by eating clean during the week. I'm back at it this week and adding the workout back in with HIIT cardio tonight. :)

Update and Results

Sorry about not updating last week. I was out of town over the weekend and had limited web access. But I got up this morning and measured and here are the results after 3 weeks.

Starting weight - 164.5
Week 3 weight - 160.5

Starting waist - 37
Week 3 waist - 35

Starting hips - 36.5
Week 3 hips - 34

Starting body fat - 22.1%
Week 3 body fat - 18.5%

I said it many times through my first challenge that Body for Life WORKS. IT STILL WORKS. In 3 weeks I've already lost 4 lbs and 4.5 inches from my waist & hips. It still amazes me how when you eat healthy and exersize, your body automatically goes where it's supposed to go, health-wise, weight-wise, and shape-wise. What a concept huh? :)

Here's a small examle of some of the foods I'm eating:
- grilled or baked talipia
- grilled or baked chicken breast
- eggs (mostly whites)
- lean ground turkey (you can make a variety of meals with this)
- sweet potatoes
- regular potatoes
- low-carb whole wheat tortillas
- whole wheat english muffins
- all the different fresh veggies you can imagine
- variety of fresh fruits
- water
- decaf tea w/ splenda or stevia

Let's get it started!!

OK folks, to borrow one of the Texas Rangers slogans..."It's Time!" I'll be starting back on BFL today and am excited to get it started. As I mentioned in my blog last week, I've put on a few inches and about 10 lbs since finishing my challenge in June and it's time to get this junk off. At the end of my first challenge, I was happy with the results, but I'm not going to be satisfied with the same results this time. I'm going beyond that. I'm motivated, determined and focused. I WILL push myself to get where I want to be and I will NOT stop until I get there. :)

We all know the next 2 months are killer when it comes to not so healthy food choices. So many tasty holiday choices that will bog us down and really pack on the pounds fast. I can't think of a better time to get on track than a month before the madness begins! And hopefully we'll be more able to make healthier choices at the table as the holiday's roll around.

It will probably take a week or 2 for me to get back into the swing of preparing BFL meals but I'll be able to use what I learned in the first challenge to remind me what to eat. This is why it's important to journal as you go. I'm able to go back to my old journal and see what worked and what didn't and tweak what I need to in order to get the most effective results this time.

I'm pumped to be back and can't wait to see where it takes me this go-around! I'll try to blog at least weekly to update and educate. I'll try to give meal ideas and workout plans as we go through the next several weeks. So who's with me?! Let's get it started today and get on the road to a healthier you!

A Quick Update - HERE WE GO!!!!

Wow, it's been a while since I've written anything. I want to start with a little confessing. After all, confession is good for the soul, right? :) After finishing the Body for Life 12-Week Corporate Challenge, I've not been as close on plan as I should've been. I've probably only exercised a handful of times during the entire summer. Before you start throwing stones at me, I want to say I'm mad at myself for not continuing. More on that in a sec...

In late August, I found out that I won the Body for Life corporate challenge! Male 18-40 yrs old Grand Champion! I'm so proud of that. It was a big accomplishment for me. Since winning, I've had a little bit of conviction inside to get it going again. (there's just a 'little' bit of pressure to perform on me now..lol) So I'm getting my plan together this week and am ready to hit the ground running! I know BFL works and I'm excited to get it going again.

Now, back to being mad at myself...(this is hard to admit this publicly) after not being on a good, clean eating plan and regular exercise the last 4-5 months, my measurements have changed a little. I finished the challenge with a 31" waist measurement (at the belly button level). Now I'm at 35" (ugh!!) I finished the challenge at 150.5 lbs. I'm now at 158.5 lbs. Not the happiest with myself but I guess it could be worse. But here's the encouraging part for me. I KNOW the BFL program works and I WILL be back where I was in no time. I did HIIT yesterday to get things going. Felt good to be moving again! (little sore today..hehe) yes!!

So, Im not sure how many, if anybody, actually reads my blog but one reason I'm writing this is for the accountability of knowing someone could read it and more importantly, the possibility of encouraging someone who might need it. More to come soon so...here we go!!!!! :))

Week of Active Rest & 5K

After hitting it hard for 12 weeks straight with Body for Life, I've enjoyed my first week of active rest. I've missed doing the weight training routines, but it's been nice to let my body rest/recover. I'm still eating 95% clean and a little cardio.

Today, Memorial Day 2010, I ran in my first 5K race. It was the American Heroes Race held in Arlington, Texas at the Ballpark in Arlington. Before the race started, the Marines performed a 21 Gun Salute, then an Apache helicopter flew over. A SUPER pre-race ceremony! Makes you very proud to be an American! And was a good reminder to be grateful to those who have fought and died defending our nation.

Once the race started, I was able to run for about the first mile before needing to slow to a fast walk. The rest of the run was a mixture of fast walking and jogging. I finished in 34:17 which isn't real good, but I'm completely happy with it since I just started running a few months ago (for the first time in my life), I just turned 40 years old, and this was my first 5K. =) The feeling of crossing the finish line is almost indescribable. Hearing the crowd cheering everybody on as we ran the last stretch, and seeing my family on the side cheering me on!! It was really cool!!

After the run, the kids got to climb inside the Apache helicopter. That was a treat for them! It was a fun day and I can't wait for my next 5K!!

Week 12 FINAL RESULTS!!! Before & After Pics!

I did it!!! My 12 week Body for LIFE challenge is done! YESSSSS!!!!! I'm sort of speechless right now because it's such a relief to be finished. It's been an awesome 12 weeks but hasn't been easy. I've worked hard at eating clean foods and hitting the weights hard.

Final results are....LOST 17.5 lbs, LOST 12.5% body fat, LOST 12 inches overall! Current stats...150.5 lbs, 11.5% body fat, 31" waist measurement, 32" hip measurement.

Body for LIFE has taught me how to eat healthy and live an active lifestyle and for that, I'm VERY thankful! And I'm in the best condition of my life! Before starting BFL, my resting heart rate was in the upper 60's to low 70's. Now it has dropped into the high 50's!!! That puts me in an athelete's RHR!! Cholesterol is 104! I'm planning to run my first 5K on Memorial Day 2010!! What an awesome feeling to be in this great of shape at 40 yrs old. =)

BFL is the real deal. If you're serious about getting in better shape, getting to a healthy weight, or just want to start living a healthy lifestyle, check out Body for Life! It has set me and my family on a whole new course in life.

Mike

Week 11 - Results

Week 11 brought a little change in my diet. I've lowered my carbs a bit for the last 2 weeks of the challenge in attempt to drop a little more fat before the end of this thing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated with my last few weeks results. Fat % has stayed the same, now for 4 weeks in a row. (ggggrrr!!) But I've still got a goal set to be at 10% by the end of this thing so I'm not giving up!!

I am pleased with the changes I can see in my physique. Sitting at around 12% body fat and lifting weights for the past 3 months has definitely given me a more muscular shape, which I am really happy about. And I feel awesome! I just want to lose that last bit of stubborn low belly fat! That thing just won't go away. haha! But I have determined that I'm stronger than it is and I'm going to make it leave eventually!

As I start my last week of the BFL challenge, I feel focused and determined. Whether or not I reach my personal goal of 10%, I know I'm in better health today than when I started and have learned the process of how to eat clean that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life!

Now, on to WEEK 12!!!!!!! Come on 10%!!!

Week 10 - Results

As I came to the end of Week 10 and took my usual Saturday morning measurements, I discovered I was still the same as I've been the last 2 weeks. I think it's safe to say I've hit a plateau. :/ I'm stuck at 12-13% body fat and 155-157 lbs. Although I'm excited about the fat-loss results I've had, I'm disappointed in not hitting my goal of 10% by May 7. But hey, dropping from 24% to 13% isn't bad, right? =) But I'm not giving up. This is Body for LIFE and that's how I intend to continue looking at it. So onward we go!

So I have 2 weeks left in the 12-week challenge and I'm tweeking my meal plan for this last stretch. Someone (who is one of my BFL mentors & inspirations) offered to help me with my last 2 weeks meal plans and to that I am very grateful. I'm not sure she would want me to mention her by name but she knows who she is. Thank you!! I'm confident that with the new eating plan and consistently hard workouts, it will get me to my goal by the end of this thing. =)

I never realized how different you could feel by changing your eating habits and adding in regular exercise to your life. When I was eating "whatever I wanted" and not exercising, I didn't realize I was weak and tired, but when comparing to how I feel now, there's a drastic difference! It's really cool how it changes your whole outlook on things. Even our kids occasionally will look at a food label and say, "Dad...I saw this had high fructose corn syrup in it so I didn't eat it.." Haha!! That's so cool!! Our kids don't eat 100% clean (they're kids), but it's awesome to see them learning this stuff! I'm thankful for BFL and what it has taught me and would love to help anyone learn this process. Just ask!

Ok, next 2 weeks are rolling so let's DO THIS THING!! I want the rest of my low-belly fat GONE and 10%...watch out for me!!!

Mike

Week 9 Update

With week 9 behind me and now 2 days into week 10, I can't believe the BFL 12 week challenge is almost over. It really has gone by fast. I've learned SO much during the last 2 months about how to eat, what to eat, and just the basics of how to take care of myself that I can carry with me for the rest of my life. I'm healthier than I've ever been. I'm stronger. My heart/lungs are in better condition, and I feel awesome! Body for Life is such a simple plan for learning the basics on how to take care of yourself and how to live a healthier lifestyle. No pre-boxed meals to buy, no points to count, just common sense food choices and portions, and exercise. I've been able to drop over 10% body fat, 14 lbs, and several inches overall. If you're looking for a program that's not complicated, look into Body for Life. If you follow the plan, you will NOT be disappointed!

Week 8 Results

I'm at the end of Week 8 of Body for Life and am so impressed with this program. As I've mentioned before, I started messing around with a couple different fitness programs on Feb 1, 2010. At 5 ft 10, 168 lbs, a 38 inch waist measurement, and 23.8% body fat, I was an out of shape fat, skinny man. I wanted to change that. Throughout Feb, I had decent results and then in March, I decided to do BFL with 100% intensity. I'm glad I did!

When I "officially" started the BFL challenge 8 weeks ago (March 1, 2010), my waist (measured level at belly button) was 35 in. Today it's 32 in! My body fat was 18.5%. Today it's 12.4%. Starting weight was 161. Today it's 154. Not real thrilled about that, as it shows I've basically lost fat and not gained a lot of muscle, but I'm definitely more defined now and I'm happy about that. But this week I started tweeking my diet a bit in efforts to help gain muscle over the next 4 weeks of the challenge. My goal is to be back to at least 165 by the end of May, but with no more than 10% body fat, so we'll see.

It's pretty cool to see how your body responds to things you do to it. Feed it clean foods for 2 months, your body responds with more energy. Weight train and your body responds by enabling you to lift more weight. Cardio train, and your body responds by improving your breathing capacity, lower heart-rate and endurance. (My resting heart-rate is now averaging 60 bpm!) Such an awesome thing that our Creator designed and it's really cool to see it respond the way it does.

Week 8 Update

Week 8 is going well. Had a good LBWO on Monday (dumbbell squats, straight-leg deadlifts, calf raises and ABS! Still feeling the pain today. YESSS!! And a good HIIT yesterday! And no knee pain after running yesterday so looks like the few days of resting it worked!

Have UBWO today and I'm siked! I know I'm at the edge of where the hard work over the past 7 1/2 weeks is about to take off and really start showing and that makes me want to push it that much harder.

If you've tried other plans to get in shape and haven't found success, check out Body for Life. It is the real deal without a doubt. It's free and everything you need to know is on their website www.bodyforlife.com and in the Body for Life book. What are you waiting for? Get to it and turn your health around! ;)

Starting Week 8 - Body for Life

I can't believe I'm at Week 8 in this thing. Writing in my journal/planner last night for today's eating and workout plan and noticed it's Day 50 and I couldn't believe it! How cool.

I'm ready to hit everything full speed this week. Week 7 was a good week. I was able to get in good workouts all week with the exception of Saturday's cardio. My knee was bothering me some on Thursday night and still thru Friday and Saturday morning so I decided to skip running or cycling for HIIT and let my knee rest a few days before I hit it on Tuesday for cardio day. Should be good to go by tomorrow and I'll be ready for HIIT but today is lower body workout so hopefully I don't tweek it. (crossing my fingers) =)

One of my Week 8 goals is to hit ALL my 10's in every workout this week, both in weight training and cardio. I want to make these last 5 weeks of the challenge really count and finish out strong!!!

Yesterday was a great free day. I had velveta w/ rotel, chips, vegetarian refried beans, and choc chip cookies for lunch! That was awesome but I'm back on plan full speed today. Started off first thing this morning with a serving of dry Kashi shredded wheat cereal and a yogurt to get things headed back in the right direction! lol!

Can't wait to see what Week 8 holds. =)

Week 7 Results - Body for Life!

Here I am at the end of Week 7 and the results remain positive! I lost another 1/2 inch off my waist and body fat is now at 13%!! I can't believe how well this program works. I've now lost 11% body fat.

I worked really hard this week on my weight training and cardio. I also started doing cardio on my bike mounted to a trainer which seems to be really effective HIIT. And it's nice to change up the routine from running on the treadmill every time. Looking forward to getting back into cycling this year too!

Body for life is the real deal. It is teaching me how to eat, how much to eat, and how to exercise for maximum results.

Week 6 Results - Body for Life

Ok, did measurements this morning and wahooo!! Body fat is down to 14%! I've officially lost 10% body fat and have 4 more to go to my goal. No doubts that Body for Life will get me there. What a program!

Week 6 Update - Body for Life

Here we are, halfway through the 12-week challenge and I'm feeling great! As mentioned in previous updates, my fat loss has slowed a little over the past couple weeks to only 1/2% a week, and I'm thinking it may be due to my cardio routine I changed. I shortened it to 15 mins total (which really only gives me 7 mins of running but 8 mins of walking...not so intense when I look at it that way), so thinking this might be the problem. So....I'm tweaking my cardio workouts to see if I can get my fat loss back to where it was Week's 1-4. This is what my cardio consisted of this morning. I got up at 5 am (first time for that...lol), hopped on the treadmill and started going.

First 3 mins at 3 mph..then...
5 mph (1 min)
5.5 mph (1 min)
6 mph (1 min)
6.5 mph (1 min)
3 mph (1 min)...whew
5.5 mph (1 min)
6 mph (1 min)
6.5 mph (1 min)
3 mph (1 min)...another whew
5.5 mph (1 min)
6 mph (1 min)
6.5 mph (1 min)
3 mph (1 min)...ohhh man...
5.5 mph (1 min)
6 mph (1 min)
6.5 mph (1 min)
8 mph (1 min)...woot! woot!!
COOL DOWN 3 mph (2 mins) and DONE!!!! Total time - 22 mins, 1.8 miles.

Hoping this routine gets the fat shredding off again. It was intense for sure. That last 2 mins and especially the last minute at 8 mph was tough but I pushed myself through it. I feel awesome now!

Week 5 - Results

Got up this morning and took my week 5 measurements. The Body for Life plan mixed with weight training from Muscle Hack dot com just keeps working week after week! I'm now down to 15.1% body fat now, that's down from 15.6% last week. My fat loss has definitely slowed down the last few weeks to about 1/2% loss a week. I'd like it to go back to losing 1% a week, but I guess it's still progessing; just slower than I want.

Had another great cardio workout on the treadmill this morning. I try to push myself a little harder in every workout than the last one to keep my body from getting used to the same routine. So I've been trying to up my speed of the intervals a little with each workout. If my intervals were 7.0mph, 7.2, 7.4, etc, next time I'll do 7.1, 7.3, 7.5, 7.7, etc. I'm up to running my last minute high point interval at 9.0 mph now. That's huge for me since I started at 6 mph being my high point 2 months ago. It's awesome to see how the human body reacts and responds to what you put it through...how it gets a little stronger and a little faster every day. 2 months ago, it was hard to run 2 mins straight at 5 mph. Today I ran 2 mins at 7 mph with no problem. 2 months ago, my intervals were in the 4.5 to 6 mph range. Now they're in the 7 to 9 mph range. I'm happy with the progress. I've also noticed I'm able to run around a lot more in the yard with the kids than before without getting tired. THAT makes the hard work and effort well worth it!

Week 5 - Update

Week 5 seems to be going well. I decided to tweek my weight training routine this week and today, I can tell it was time to tweek! Wednesday was lower body day and today my legs are killer sore. Quads, hams, and glutes are screaming. I need a massage. =)

Yesterday was cardio day. Had probably the best HIIT session so far. This is what I did, minute by minute:

2 min warm-up @ 3 mph then started my intervals.

6.5 mph (1 min)
3 mph (30 sec)
7 mph (1 min)
3 mph (30 sec)
7.2 mph (1 min)
3 mph (30 sec)
7.4 mph (1 min)
3 mph (30 sec)
7.6 mph (1 min)
3 mph (30 sec)
7.8 mph (1 min)
3 mph (30 sec)
8.0 mph (1 min)
3 mph (30 sec)
9.0 mph (1 min)
3 mph for 2 min cooldown and DONE!

Tonight is weight training day so I'll work shoulders, biceps, and abs. Will take week 5 measurements on Saturday morning as usual and hopefully will see more changes!

Starting Week 5 - Body for Life

I'm finally over my week and a half battle with my sinuses so I'm back on hitting the weight training and cardio full speed today. Even though I've had to miss several workouts over the last 2 weeks, I've continued eating consistently healthy and working out as I felt up to it, my results were STILL positive. Here they are...

I'm now down to 15.6% body fat and have lost 14 lbs total. I can't say enough about the Body for Life program and how well it works if you just follow the plan. WOW! 5 more percent down and I should be able to start seeing abs under there!

Today's workout is upper body and I plan on hitting the weight hard tonight. I feel like I have some making up to do since missing so many workouts lately, but I know today is a new day and I'll be back on track as far as exercise goes now.

Some may wonder what type of cardio I'm doing so I'll give you a layout of how it normally goes step by step. I use a treadmill as my cardio equipment. My cardio is what's referred to as High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT. For the first 2 mins, I'm walking at 3.0 mph. Then I start my intervals. 1 minute at 6.5 mph, then 30 seconds back at 3.0 mph. Next min at 7.0 mph, then 30 seconds at 3.0 mph. I continue this cycle 6 more times, then the last min, I run at 8.0 mph for a min, then I'm done. Cool off for a couple of mins back at 3.0 mph and my HIIT is complete. Total time is about 15 mins. Good stuff!

Starting Week 4 - Body for Life

Today is the first day of week 4 of the challenge. My results over the past few weeks have been positively consistent, which is fueling my motivation even more. I took pics on Saturday and compared them to my first set of pics and you can see a significant difference starting to happen in the re-shaping of my body. I believe taking progress photos is vitally important because the mirror might deceive you into thinking not much is happening, since you see yourself in it daily, but pictures don't lie. So take pics!

Week 3 Results - Body For Life

I'm so pumped at how well this program is working. The results I'm getting are really amazing to me. I didn't think I'd do well this week because I missed a cardio and a weight training session in the middle of the week due to sinus and allergy issues. Not fun and was kind of discouraging. But I hit the weights hard Friday night and was able to have a really good HIIT cardio session Saturday morning. Hopefully I'll be back 100% by Monday. Enough about that...now to Week 3 results!

Lost another 1/2 inch off my waist and 1 1/2 lbs.

Here are my totals.
Total weight loss - 11.5 lbs
Total Body Fat % loss - 7.3% (23.8% to 16.5%)
Waist - 4.5 inches off my waist

I'm totally sold on the Body for Life program!! Check it out. www.bodyforlife.com

Want to know what to eat?

Ok, this has been my issue with so many so-called diet plans, healthy eating plans, etc. is what do I eat. Most plans either use pre-packaged meals, or there are so many ingredients involved to make the meals, prep time becomes way too long for me. This is one thing I absolutely love about the Body for Life plan. The eating plan is easy and simple. Here are some things I may eat on any given day, either as a meal, or a snack.

- whole wheat english muffin w/ 1 tbls natural peanut butter or fat free cream cheese
- tuna (sandwich ready) Starkist makes a sandwich ready tuna spread that's awesome.
I either spread it on whole wheat bread, or whole wheat tortilla as a tuna wrap. I also use low-carb tortillas (whole wheat), to keep the carbs down.
- Kashi cereal
- fat free yogurts
- fresh raw broccoli and spinach for salads. Sam's has a huge tub of ready to eat raw spinach for less than $4 and a big bag of raw broccoli for about $3. This will last Tina and I an entire week.
- pork loin, chicken breasts, and salmon are mostly what we eat for meat proteins. Throw a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a crock pot with fat free, low sodium chicken broth and fat free italian dressing and by dinner time, you have chicken ready that will last several days. Eat it on salad, wrap it in a low carb whole wheat tortilla, or with brown rice, sweet potato, or baked potato. Throw in a serving of veggie and your dinner is complete!
- We also use Myoplex protein shakes and Myoplex bars for snacks or meal replacements.
- WASA brand whole wheat crackers with a low fat laughing cow cheese spread on it makes an awesome snack.
- grab a handful of almonds for an on-the-go snack.

As you can see, none of these are difficult meals or foods to prepare, which is one reason I love the Body for Life plan so much. It basically teaches how to make healthy choices but keeps it simple at the same time.

Hopefully this will help someone who might stuggle with knowing what to eat to get fit and healthy.

Take care of your body. It's the only one you've got. (and don't forget to exercise!)

Mike

Week 3 - Body for Life

Today was the start of Week 3 and I've figured out what foods I need to eat to hit my goals everyday. I think I've come to the place where eating healthy food is really taking effect on how my body feels. I'm starting to have a lot more energy and just feel really good all the time. It's cool to see your body changing by what you put into your mouth.
Today's workout was upper body. I worked my chest, shoulders, back, triceps and biceps. Another good workout.
Now to results - I lost another full percentage of fat, putting me at 17% now. (that's down from 23.8%). Lost another 1/2 inch off my waist but gained 1/4 inch on my chest and arms. I'm excited to see myself losing fat but gaining muscle.
Can't wait to see what Week 3 brings!!

Week 2 update

So Monday was lower body workout day and it was a good one. My workout consisted of Dumbbell Squats, Leg Extension, Deadlifts, Dumbbell Lunges, Dumbbell Calf Raises, and my abs routine. Workout took about 35 mins.

Just to give some ideas as to what I'm eating throughout the day, I'll list everything I ate yesterday.

6am - 1/2 whole wheat english muffin w/ 1 tbls natural peanut butter
8am - Myoplex Carb Control chocolate shake (multi-vitamin)
10am - apple
12pm - Starkist Tuna Sandwich Ready pouch on low-carb whole wheat tortilla (wrapped)
Fresh spinach salad w/ 2 boiled egg whites & balsamic vinegrette dressing
2pm - Myoplex bar
4:30pm - 1/2 cup Kashi cereal (dry)
7:30pm - Grilled pork tenderloin (4 oz)
Steamed broccoli
Sweet potato w/ tsp of Splenda
8:30pm - Workout
9:00pm - Whey protein shake (small)

I also try to drink 5 bottles of water daily. (85 oz)

Today's workout is CARDIO!! I enjoy doing HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training) on the treadmill. 20 mins and done!

Body for Life - Week 2

Ok, week 1 down. I don't remember without going back and reading my last blog if I mentioned this, so I'll do that now. I started toying with the Body for Life program at the beginning of February and since then I've had pretty good results. In these 5 weeks, I've lost a total of 10 lbs, 4 inches off my waist, and 5% body fat. Not bad for just toying around with this. I've been experimenting with different food choices along with weight training and cardio. I'll try to start going into more detail as to what exactly I'm doing food wise as well as exercise.

As I mentioned, last Monday was my official Body for Life Challange start day. My week consists of Monday, Wed, & Friday performing resistance training, and Tuesday, Thursday & Sat doing cardio. Monday was upper body, Wednesday was lower body, and Friday was upper body again. Cardio consisted of what is called HIIT (high intensity interval training). I did this on a treadmill. The entire workout last about 20 mins, but it's an intense 20 mins for sure! And the latest research shows that short, intense interval-type cardio is the most effective for burning fat efficiently and quickly.

Now, you may be wondering what I'm eating. The eating plan is probably the easiest I've ever tried. Basically you make healthy choices. Lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats.

Lean proteins consist of skinless chicken (baked, broiled, grilled, crock-pot, etc.), salmon, tuna, lean ground turkey, and pork loin (pork chop...just don't eat any fat around the edges).

Complex Carbs are things like baked potatos, sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat products such as bread, english muffins, pasta, etc.

Healthy fats include nuts such as almonds, walnuts, olive oil, canola oil, natural or organic peanut butter (just be sure it has no hydrogenated oils). Smucker's Natural PB is what I buy. Also make sure you're not getting "too" much of these fats in your daily plan, but you do need some.

Ok, now to portion size. This is EASY!! Proteins need to be the size of the palm of your hand. For instance, if you have a piece of grilled chicken on your plate, imagine it being the size of your palm (fingers and thumb not included), and that's a correct portion size for you. Your complex carb can be the size of your balled up fist. The other food you'll need in at least 2 of your daily meals is vegetables. Portion size is not limited on veggies. Fruits, however, need to be watched a little closer since they have sugar.

A couple of examples of meals I had last week are a palm-size piece of grilled chicken, fist-size sweet potato (with a spoon of Splenda), and steamed broccoli. YUMMM~ Another meal was grilled lean pork loin, steamed asparagus, and fist-size baked potato. (no butter though...sorry folks!). But I put things like low-fat or fat-free cheese, salsa, jalapenos, etc. to spice it up.

I eat every 2 to 3 hours during the day so this is definitely not a starvation plan! It's awesome. But eating small meals or snacks every 2-3 hours keeps your metabolism running faster so you continue burning fat.

Post comments of any questions you may have. I'll try to help as much as I can. I'm going to enjoy this 12 week journey and can't wait to see my results at the end of it! Anyone else who wants to do this with me, I say BRING IT ON and let's do this thing!!

Mike

Body for Life - Week 1

So I decided to do the Body for Life Challenge this year. Official starting date was Monday, March 1, 2010. This is my first time to do the Challenge and I know it's going to work. Funny thing is, I've said that before when I've started other programs, but this time...it's different. I have drive...I have confidence...I have what it takes to use this program to completely transform my body. The Challenge is 12 weeks long.

I started playing around with the principles taught by Body for Life 4 weeks ago and during that time, I've already lost 3 1/2 inches off my waist, 4% body fat, and 7 lbs. But...I've gained in muscle measurements during this time as well. So I'm losing fat, but building muscle at the same time, which is my goal.

I'll try to update my blog regularly. This will be fun!