Day 45 Monday

My workouts this week were NOT on the inside of a gym but in everday life. I was mostly a weekend warrior with my workout but I didn't seem to suffer much in the weight department. Didn't do a bodyfat test though so we'll see.

Sat morning I did interval training at www.baylands.org. In the last few years (since i went beyond 220 lbs) my three mile run became a three mile walk. Well this saturday I intervalled a 1min run with a 4 min walk, repeating for 44.20 min. it felt very doable. Next week i'm going to increase it to 1min 15sec.

Sat afternoon my chorus had a bowling tournament fundraiser. I don't bowl... but it was good exercise and my daughter and I shared a salad with chicken breast instead of cheese fries.

Sunday afternoon at 1:30 we had a 5 hour choreography rehearsal. I was tired by the end but I was thinking how fortunate it was for me to do this at 240lbs rather than 265lbs. Imagine what it will be like at 200 lbs.

Day 38 Monday

Wow... that was a really hard week. Traveling to Miami and then Montreal. The french really know how to eat. Good news is, the portions weren't American Supersized. I actually did pretty well considering the very hectic schedule. When I got home Friday Night at 9:00pm I had a wendy's grilled chicken wrap and a frosty. Saturday morning 9am i had my friends come over to help me move. I brought them coffee and donuts and I (get this) only had 1/2 a donut.

I went to the doctor this morning for a physical. The blood work numbers show I'm in great shape.I was worried about my cholesterol and it was fine. He's very supportive of my diet and exercise plan.

Tonight - it's roast a turkey night. In my new kitchen. Woo hoo.

Day 32 Tuesday

Okay,

So traveling with this plan is a bitch... but I did it by planning ahead. I brought protein bars which were a good way to get some protein in although the corn syrup for the 40% carbs isn't the best choice. I DID find a dare I say fabulous Au bon Pain restaurant in DFW terminal D which served Maya chicken on - get this - brown rice and salad. about 450 calories but super good for me. That with a banana tied me over. When I got to Miami I settled for a Tuna wrap at the same restaurant but when I looked it up later it had 25g of fat. Pretty much tuna in a bowl of mayo I guess. Still, the day ended well with 65-25-25 ratio which is pretty good considering the very few protein choices I had.

Another learning was that Minute made Cran/Apple cocktail is only 15% real juice, the other 'Natural' piece was high fructose Corn Syrup. So where do you find the High Fructose Corn Syrup plant anyway? In MinuteMaid land? Next time, it's OJ for me if I need some carbs.

The biggest thing I found this morning after traveling was that I had plenty of energy all day, on the tradeshow floor, in my presentation and even in the evening as I type this at a Cuban restaurant in Miami.

I met a nice (read handsome) guy in the hotel gym this morning finishing up his treadmill workout. We ended up attending the same Salesforce.com trade show 3 blocks away. It's great to bond over fitness. Inspiring actually. He's been working out daily for 25 years and he looks great.

Lastly - my Old Navy shorts I bought just 2months ago now need a belt just to hold them up.

little steps....

Day 30 Sunday Pack Day

Yesterday, my daughter and I had a great 3mile walk with Baylands Frontrunners. The first thing I noticed is I wasn't winded. Today I'm going to squeeze in a workout before packing for my trip to Miami.

Day 26 Wednesday

I again did a late evening weight workout. I was determined to finish my Phase I men's fitness strong. I had a plank exercise.
1st wk 20sec x2
2nd wk 30sec x 2
3rd wk 45sec x 2
Yesterday: 60sec x 2
(I thought I was going to die). I was listening to "Proud" on my iPhone at the time and channeling me getting up quadbuster on strength and drive. I almost broke into tears after the second set having completed 61 seconds. I was shaking during the last 50 seconds... really pushing my body to its edge. It was one of those brief "great moments" where I knew it was mind over muscle.

No energy for cardio after that... we'll save that for Thursday.

Day 25 Tuesday

I had a great cardio workout tonight. I talked to a really nice guy in the gym who had a terrific body and we got to talking. Turns out he read the BFFM manual and we talked about the problem with supplementation. He's back in the gym because he's getting over a breakup with a girl. We talked about what we had in common. Nice guy.

It's good to join with others in the quest to improve.

Day 24 Tuesday

Yesterday I didn't get to my workout until 10:30pm and I did both weights and cardio. It's was a good workout and I'm finishing up phase I of the Men's Fitness year long workout and moving onto Phase two which is more strength building. It focuses a little more on chest which excites me. I can really feel my heart strengthening on the cardio. I have cardio coach to thank for that.

Regards,

Dan

Day 22 Sunday

It's been a few days since I've posted. My packing and moving have taken some of my time and I missed a workout on Wednesday and on Friday. Well - on Thursday and Saturday I did both Weights and Cardio so I wouldn't fall behind. I think now I'm going to start adding Cardio at the end of my weight workout. and do Cardio 6x a week.

Yesterday was a crappy eating day because I got up late and had chorus rehearal retreat all day. Today I'm going to plan for it better by getting up earlier (It's 8:30am on Sunday morning) and squeeze in a few good meals.

I celebrate the little things I'm accomplishing at the gym. When I started my current workout in March, I could only do 12 pushups. I can now do 27. I don't know if my body looks all that different but I feel stronger, that's for sure. I have been working on my visualization.

Regards,

Dan

Day 17 Tuesday

had a great 30min cardio. I've noticed that my heart rate takes awhile to recover after I push it. I hope that will come down in time as I get in better shape. My clothes are starting to feel a bit looser. Feels great.

Regards,

Dan

Day 16 Mon

Yesterday was a a very interesting fitness day for me. I've switched over to a 40-30-30 diet and it's a little hard to get that much protein in my diet. I'm making my sandwhiches a little bigger. I picked up a nice tip at the gym yesterday. Don't eat carbs after 5pm. I think this will be easier to manage. I don't need that much energy at night as during the day.

Speaking of gym, I ended up working until about 7:30pm last night. I was really tired and didn't feel like going to the gym. I got some sushi and went anyway. The result? I had one of the most productive workouts I've ever had. My plank grew from 35-35sec to 45-45 sec. My legs are getting stronger and leaner.

Lesson learned: When you don't feel like going to the gym. that's when you need to go to the gym. Make it a routine.

Regards,

Dan