Progression

My diet and exercise has been going well enough. It hasn't been perfect, but who can turn down pizza? Actually, today (17th) I did take a break from my diet, because fast food appeared to be the only option for me before orientation, and then they did offer more pizza for lunch. But I did turn down doughnuts for the work on 18th, So I know I have the willpower to continue.

Aaron and I are still going strong in working out, not meeting every day we plan, but enough to where we are still sore and make progress. We use a bench press-like machine, and Aaron pointed out that we are lifting twice what we started. Used to be 45lbs on each end rather than 90lbs on each. Was a definite motivational boost to see that something was progressing, even if it wasn't my gut that was disappearing.

Jake is back from his vacation of laziness, and we jumped right back into our circuit and P90X abs. I noticed that I have definitely made progress there too, where I could only do 5-10 push ups a circuit, now I'm doing 15-25. What that also tells me is I could probably do 40 push ups straight if needed to, which makes me happy.

The P90X ab workout was a huge pain in the abs. But it was a nice thing to notice that I could do more than when I first started. It's only those "scissors" which give me trouble. The particular workout is like pilades, and I pray to every man who thinks pilades is a woman's workout. It. HURTS.
I will continue to update as best I can. I also plan on getting myself weighed here soon. Last I weighed myself I was about 277lbs I think. So we'll see. Even if there isn't a drastic change, I won't be disheartened.

Aaron is taking a vacation for a long while for the holiday season to visit family. During his hiatus, I plan on getting together with a trainer to see what I am doing right and wrong, and relaying them to Aaron via e-mail. I have a few trainers that are actual friends, and I plan on talking with one of them to see if he can show me some different moves to help me out, maybe some home workouts that I haven't thought of.

As promised in my last post, I have a few links for you. The first is a full workout using just your body, and a few basic materieals (like a couch and kitchen chair.)
Lifehacker
This second one is from the same source, only it gives basic methods on sleeping better and fighting insomnia.
Lifehacker

By the way friends and fans, I will refer to Lifehacker a lot, they have a lot of interesting articles on more than just health. I do recommend subscribing to them if you like to read, but I will try my best to include all the Lifehacker posts that have to do with overall health.

Till Later Days.

The move.

Since I have finally moved my lifestyle is changing drastically again. I like the drastic changes rather than subtle ones, because even if half the drastic changes I make fall to the wayside, half of it has stayed on course. I have missed several workouts with both Aaron and Jake due to sickness/laziness of Aaron and I, and then with the move that interfered with Tuesday. Eventually I will hit all 5 days with Jake and Aaron, I just know it.
OH, since it has been forever since I've posted on here. My workouts with Aaron are Mon/Wed/Fri. Jake is the normal Tues/Thurs. Here soon Jake and I will be running a bit more, I just need to pick the day to do it.

Anyway, lifestyle changes. Here are some things health wise that I will be changing:
More fruits and vegetables. I love bell peppers and green beans and celery. I think I am going to start making those prominent parts of meals. Sweet potatoes. They made a few top ten healthiest vegetables list on credible and not credible websites. I will need some ways to cook them, but like potatoes, I think i can just chop them up, cook them in a stir fry and serve without any real issues. More yogurt. Both flavored for a snack, and plain for smoothies (Plain is MUCH more healthier.

For weight loss, I am going to try and give up red meat for a while long while. I don't know how well that is going to work out really, but I am more concerned with fast food (burgers and tacos people. If I just cut out red meat altogether for a few weeks, I am sure that will show. More chicken and turkey and vegetables. This is my goal. I will warn anyone who's making bets on me to succeed, if I am offered a steak or some tasty ribs, I will succumb, after all, I am only human.

For a mental type of change, I am going to walk my dogs more. See, to me, walking my dogs, running around with them, is therapeutic and stress relieving. No fighting, no whining, no job, no car, just mother nature and my dogs who love me and love that I have so graciously allowed them to run around for just a couple of hours. That's a true joy that allows me to understand real happiness.

Continuing on that path of mental change, I am going to start studying for additional certifications and another language. Either Spanish or French, I haven't decided which yet. A few friends have encouraged me to learn French cause they know it.. but I have a Rosetta Stone on my desk at home for Spanish, and it would be quite useful here in Arizona. But time will tell I think. Maybe I'll learn both.


The certifications will be self-taught at work with this crazy cool thing we have available to us called CBTnuggets.com. And while I am here (at work) I can look up to see what my administrators are looking for. They give us all the information available to us, I just need to use it to my advantage.


I like to give quotes on my other blog, and here I am going to do something similar. I think I am going to post music I like to listen to while working out, websites I utilize to help me with my success in lifestyle change, and any tips/tricks given to me from elsewhere.
Here is the first few of many:
Fit2Fat2Fit- An INCREDIBLE story of a fit man going fat to help out overweight people.
Healthy food list.

Just another day in paradise.

So, in case one of you had decided to just read this blog instead of my other one *cough* justathought-shepsus.blogspot.com, I haven't been doing great on my diet. I ate fast food once with a friend which I feel is justified, but my fresh food has been spoiling since I bought it in bulk and don't eat from it every day. My fruit intake has been through the roof, but the few vegetables I had have gone bad. Good news, though, is my workout has been consistent, and about to get better.

I hit both Tuesday and Thursday this week for working out with Jake. Tuesday was the normal abs/arms/chest workout. Thursday, however, is a morning run. Now, I am not a runner. I don't like running. The only time I have enjoyed running is with Linux and Joey at the park. But today with Jake wasn't bad. I held him back, I know I did, but he didn't seem to mind, "Any running is better than none," He said. We ran about a mile, my arms and legs were sore by the end, my shoulder was irritated and really bothered me.

We also did a small early 90s ab workout that someone put on Youtube. Though we laughed throughout the trainers presentation, it still kicked our ass. I left extremely tired and somewhat dizzy, but very happy that I made it and am actually looking forward to it next week.

It gets better.

I took a shower and passed out for ~6 hours. Woke up, sore, but not terribly so, I let my pups out of my room and sent a few texts to a couple people. I got on the computer to check my daily checks (Gmail, Facebook, Gizmodo, Lifehacker, and comics.) and in my Gmail I had an e-mail from my buddy Aaron, it worried me a little at first cause he has my cell number and we text semi-frequently. This is what it read:

Alright, so my buddy in maine has been running, says he's lost 20 pounds already.  I've been doing the bike since monday, and I woke up and weighed myself this morning, and I was 243.6 on monday, and this morning I was at 240.2...which is very encouraging, but I can't let that butthole think he's winning.  So, come payday (15th or 16th), we're joining LA Fitness, and don't you dare let me back out of it.

 

Let's DO THIS!

I replied with "F*CK YES". I am gonna try to get a two-a-day workout with him too, some more power lifting since we'll have a partner. And on his Tue/Thur I'll encourage him to do his biking.

Furthermore, I took another quick shower after I woke up, in the side mirror of my bathroom I saw me without my gut for just a minute. The mirror's reflection only showed my side, but I could see my muscles underneath the fat that still resides there. It's sorta self-inspiring to know that they are there, just covered up.

Anyway, more to come later. Come on readers, in the words of Aaron..

Let's DO THIS!

FINISH IT!

After napping, I ran late to working out with Jake. I have made it my priority to always be at Jake's on Tuesday's for workout. We're supposed to do Tues and Thurs, but have yet to hit both days in one week.

Anyway, I ran late, he forgave me, and we started working out. He got some new workout gear that we're currently in love with. Our workouts are independent, but follow the same structure. I like it this way, because I am NOT as strong as he is yet, and so it doesn't slow him down any when I choose to take a break.

It is something like this:

He does ten push ups while I do ten curls and ten bench press. We switch and I do ten push ups and he does something like twenty curls and ten bench press. Then he turns to punching his punching bag and I go back to bench press.
And we rotate, I don't do the punching bag because I am intimidated by Jake. I know HOW to punch, but I'd be terribly embarrassed if he watched me or something.. I'll get over it. I'm going to have to.. (I'll get to the reason why in a bit.)

After going through a couple sets of each, we lay out a mat and start up P90X.. For those who haven't done that.. It's the quickest, hardest 15minute ab workout of your life. They say multiple times that this isn't for every day use, and breaks are definitely acceptable when going through this the first several times. We don't take breaks.

Again, Jake is in better shape than I am, but we struggle together and curse at the TV throughout the workout, its just crazy difficult to keep up. However, even within these couple of weeks working out with him, I do see progress in both of us and it feels good knowing its getting me somewhere.

The final workout (after 340 different crunches) is a 40+10 bonus of ab curls. It's extremely difficult to do, especially after the other ab work outs. Today, Jake turned to me, wipes sweat off his brow and goes, "We're doing this, all 50, no breaks, you ready?" I laugh and say, "Sounds good."
And it begins.. It's the loudest I've ever heard my abs scream. I did take a break, but I kept my feet up so my abs had to stay flexed, then continued after a small rest. I did the 40, Jake completed the extra 10 the host puts at the end.

It's fifty seconds into this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIpSoMgTsaw

I do recommend the ab workout P90X for those who need a sweat. Well worth it.

Flawless Victory.

I went out and purchased the pineapple, frozen greenbeans and broccoli, and yogurt. I chose not to purchase the eggs, because I want to hard boil them, but I dunno how to do that yet. I am told its as easy as setting them in boiling water... Time will tell.

For my meal! Today I sprinkled the lemon-pepper seasoning all over my chicken breast, chopped up a red and green bell pepper, a little onion and pineapple and wrapped it all in tinfoil like you use in shish-kabobs (sp?). Then I put lemon juice in their little tinfoil pouch for them to soak up. I also threw some greenbeans in another tinfoil wrap.



Lemme tell you, one of the BEST smelling foods I've ever made. First time using the grill too. I made enough for 2 and a half meals. The taste is JUST as good and its healthy.. LOTS of green, a little red, and chicken. Top it off with my tea and O.M.G. Best meal I have ever cooked without feeling guilty.



Do you see that above? It's OK to be jealous :)
It took about 2 hours total, and that's partially cause I had no idea what I was really doing, just seeing what other people did.

OM NOM NOM NOM!

Very happy with this meal and I will continue to try and make more like it

Till Later Dayz
-_Brandon_-

Out with the old, in with the new.

So, I headed to Sprouts on Monday.

I purchased blueberries, strawberries, bananas, cherries, green grapes, apples, kiwis, bell peppers (green and red), and some chicken breasts. Total cost? $50.

I am gonna purchase some pineapple, mangoes, yogurt, frozen broccoli, eggs and some green beans.

The yogurt and assorted fruits are for smoothies. It's healthy and with my schedule I can have it right before going to bed without too much worry. Furthermore, a note from my friend Amy, you can throw in a vegetable (like spinach) and have a serving of vegetables without the taste.

For meals, (so far), I'm going to stick with anything I can cook at home. I know it seems like a slippery slope, but I have an issue right now with cooking ANY food, so right now it'll be this kabob-ish meal I plan to make along with lots of PBJ's. If the kabob goes well then I'm going to try and make other meals with it. I recently had a chicken-burger that was AMAZING that I'll probably try to recreate.. Which allows me reason to purchase vegetables, such as avocados. (Which were REALLY good on that burger.)

I don't have time right now for my workout that will be posted later.

Till Later Dayz
-_Brandon_-

Project: Me

Welcome to Project: Me 2.0.

I tried starting a Youtube project with my good friend Aaron a while back about me getting back in shape and showing the world that all you really need is diet, exercise, and will. I created some script, threw together some photoshop images, aaand then I didn't do any video. I needed a second person, I needed a good camera, I needed more script and ways to keep it interesting. So, it fell apart.

Well, this is the smaller version of Project: Me. I am gonna find some healthy foods and start cooking for myself again. Eat healthy and be healthy.

I also feel this will help me keep tabs on myself, because I DO want to work out and I just need motivation. The other blog seems to be successful to me, and I'm hoping this one will be the same.

My workout will be posted later, I'm still working out the kinks.

The whole point of this blog is to post the workout I will be doing, the work outs I do throughout the week, if I miss a work out the reason WHY. I will also post foods I've given up, foods I'm craving, and foods I've cooked.

My big goal down the road is a 5k I've signed up for to run.. It's in November. That is 3.5 months to get myself in shape to where I don't die there. Let's hope I can get enough cardio throughout these next few months to be able to run that without falling over.

PLEASE, if you know any healthy cook websites for beginners, e-mail me or comment below for some ideas.

I need to find a way to cook and enjoy vegetables (that aren't covered in CHEESE) and have it be something that I enjoy eating.