At the 3 Month Mark

Hmmm... I don't know... I guess Beachbody products work :)

Not bad for three months! *Click on each picture for a larger version*

First Day, May 8th, 2011:

Currently, August 8th, 2011:

 

First Day, May 8th, 2011:

Currently, August 8th, 2011:

I'm getting there! What a life changing experience. 

Now, here's just a stupid fun one:

If I can do it, anyone can!

Meditation and the Art of not Knowing how to do it

*ahhhmmm
*ohhhmmmm
*mpppggg
*llsssdddd

Or whatever the heck you're supposed to chant while meditating.  I know nothing of meditation but I sure could use a bit of quiet, reflective time for myself these days.  So I started taking 10 minutes before bed every night and just breathing and shutting up. It's amazing how your brain gets sidetracked in just a few seconds.

"Did I turn off the kitchen light?  Did someone just text me?"  Your brain thinks up of all kinds of reasons to stay busy and not just chill the heck out.  It's been a pretty cool experience.  Here's what I do and I recommend it to you to try:

#1. Turn off your t.v. cell phone, etc. and grab a pen and paper
#2. Sit upright, close your eyes and start to take slow, deep breaths
#3. every minute or so, ask yourself a life question (such as, how can I make more money in 30 days?) Mine usually center around my fitness coaching.
#4. Be still, wait a few moments and then jot down anything that comes to your mind, whether it's "get a job" or "purple monkey dishwasher"

Try this for 10 minutes a night.  Take some time for yourself.  Eventually your thoughts will become more in tune with your subconscious and you may get some surprisingly good answers to your questions in life.

Randomly Unrandom Stuff

My coach, Barbie Decker, the wonderfully awesome person that got me into the world of fitness has a great article on her website front page about her recent trip to France.  Beachbody (the company we coach for) recently took 10 coaches over to test the market for expansion and bike through the countryside.

I love learning about the cultures of new places!  Barbie has some great pictures and videos of her in France.  You can visit her page at: http://getfitwithbarbie.com/
_________________________

I went to Fright Night Film Fest/Fandom Fest this weekend in beautiful Louisville Kentucky.  I am not a big horror/comic/movie guy, so you may be asking why on earth did I go to the event?

Well, if you've never been to a Dragon Con or Film Fest or some other such nerdauchery (nerd debauchery?) you are missing out on the most important experience of your life!  God created Nerd Conventions on the 3rd day so it's more important that whatever he created on days 4-6 (Ice cream cones? Traffic cones? I bet it was a cone of some sort)

These conventions are an amalgamation of actors, writers, comics, movies, video games, toys, tattoos, cos play (people who dress as their favorite character from said comic or movie, etc.  The guys who dressed as the Ghostbusters had the proton packs and everything and they lit up when fired, insane!)  on and on.  There truly is something for everyone.  Vendor areas have the most random stuff you've ever seen.  I saw everything from movie memorabilia, pocket watches, old doctors instruments, UFC fighters... holy crap the event was crazy!

You have movie screenings, concerts, workshops such as "The 20 most important things when writing a fantasy novel".  You have chances to meet celebrities up close and personal.  I particularly liked Henry Winkler and Linda Blair. 

So I can go on and on but I think the best way to describe the experience is with an experience I actually had.  This is not a joke, this is an ACTUAL DESCRIPTION of an event that I became an unnecessary part of:

I watched Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane in four Superman movies, engaged in learning a judo move from two random guys rolling around on the floor, and NOT the UFC fighters I mentioned earlier, while a little Japanese lady and a hotel employee, sprang from the shadows next to me and karate chopped my neck while yelling at me. 

Only at a nerd con!

Now, I do have to admit the food these poor people are offered is HORRIBLE!  They might as well just fry everything in the building, the actors and the everything.  Then they goop everything with gravy or sauce and that's supposed to be a great meal option.  Wow.  Maybe I can change this in the future :) 

Whole wheat Boba Fettucini, anyone?

My First Run in 14 Years

When I was playing football in high school, I really got into running and loved stepping out into the crisp winter air and running a few miles.  I was in pretty good shape so running a few miles was not a huge strain. 

Fast forward to 2011...

My hockey friend, Ken Hanley, is running a 10k for charity in the fall of this year.  I decided I'd gather some people and we could run with him.  Our location was Cherokee Park in Louisville Kentucky which is an awesome place to run.  It's full of scenery and other runners to motivate you, people are biking and playing sports.  It was a great location to start my first run in 14 years.

We set up a run/walk for 2.5 miles.  I figured I'd make it about 500 feet and I'd have to stop for a break.  I am in good shape now that I have been on Shakeology and doing P90X from Beachbody but I know that running is taxing and I really figured I'd wear out quickly.

Well, I made it about 1.2 miles, all jogging, without having to stop!  I was really proud of myself and happy that Ken took it easy on me.  So we then took a small break and started jogging again.  We made the 2.5 miles with minimal stops and did so well, we decided to go another .5 miles up and down a steep hill.

All in all is was a great day.  I pushed myself to go 3.0 miles instead of 2.5, Ken and I got to chat about current events in our lives and we ran in a beautiful park.  The next day, even though my legs and back tried to kill me with soreness, I got my P90X Yoga workout in and stayed dedicated to my normal routine.

It was a great time and I can't wait to run again!

(I was drained of energy but Shakeology helped me recover afterwards)

Are You Setting Specific, Detailed Goals?

What are your goals in life?  Do you have them written down?

Goals can be anything from paying a bill on time every month to making $500,000 a year starting your own business.  Anything your want in life, including those dreams you don't think you can achieve (you can, by the way!) should be written down and reviewed on a regular basis.

But... you have to make them SPECIFIC.  Here's what I mean by specific:

A non-specific goal would be this:

"I want to lose weight"

What's the problem with that goal? How can your train your brain and body to ever achieve a goal that is so vague?  Here's a better goal example:

"I want to lose 30 pounds by Thursday, September 7th at 8:00 pm and I will do it through committing to a fitness and nutrition system"

Now your brain can say "hey! I have a number and a date and a way to achieve my goal!"  It makes it much easier to reach.

Here's what I want you to do.  Send me an email at jfowlerfitness@gmail.com with five goals you would like to achieve for the rest of this year.  I will help you make them specific and we can work towards the result.

Now is the time to take time for yourself and reach your expectations!

Ken and Jason's DASH FOR DAD warm-up run! (A JFowlerFitness Fit Club Event)

Time	Saturday, July 16 · 8:30am - 10:30am
Location	Cherokee Park at Hogan's fountain
Created By	Jason Fowler
More Info	Join us for a 2.5 mile run/walk to raise money for Ken's DASH FOR DAD-The project to end prostate cancer! There is NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY, the event is FREE and anyone is encouraged to come out. We will have fun, meet new people and help Ken with a great cause! Ken will be running 13.1 miles in the fall to raise money for this great cause. PLEASE BE READY TO DONATE any amount you can spare. $1 or $100, anything helps! There is some great information on the website for the cause here: https://zerocancer.org/races/raise/?form_id=ODA Jason will have information on how you can he can coach you for FREE if you have an interest in fitness with Beachbody and we will have samples of a couple Beachbody products.

How to make P90X 'Kenpo X' a BEAST of a workout

If you have tried P90X in any capacity, you know it's a tough and rigorous workout program.  Kenpo X is one of the 12 workout DVD's that can be incredibly taxing and give you an awesome workout if you really bring the intensity.

Always looking to modify my workouts where I can, I chose to add in an off-ice agility drill for hockey into my Kenpo X routine.  I do it during the "breaks" (which are harder than the regular routine :).  I still do the 'jumping jacks' and 'X jumps' too.

Here's a link to the off ice training video (skip to 5:20 to see the drills performed)

Off Ice Agility Drills

Try it!  Give it a few times and you'll be surprised how your agility improves.

Jack Canfield's 'The Success Principles' - Part 2

Still reading and getting tons of great information out of Jack Canfield's 'The Success Principles'.  Here is part 2 in the ongoing series of entries!

The first principle talks about taking 100% responsibility for your life and all of it's outcomes.  For some reason, when something goes wrong in our lives, we blame our parents, boss, the weather, economy, etc. 

Taking 100% responsibility means you acknowledge that you create everything that happens to you.  You have to give up blaming and complaining. "You have to take the position that you have always had the power to make it different, to get it right, to produce the desired result".

(E + R = O) or (Event + Response = Outcome) is a simple formula you can use to start transforming your outcomes to events in life.  If you don't like your outcome, change your responses!

Example: 
Event : Someone gives you $500
Response:  You spend it on a night out
Outcome:  You are broke

Event:  Someone gives you $500
Response:  You invest it
Outcome:  You have increased your net worth

Every situation you enter today and onward, think about how you can or could've changed your responses to events to create the outcome you desire.

The chapter goes on about paying attention to your results, complaining to the wrong people and more.  I highly recommend picking up this book.  It will help you create a paradigm shift in your life.  I am enjoying it immensely!

Week 6 Pictures Are Here!

What a crazy six weeks! I am losing weight and gaining muscle at what seems like an accelerated pace right now.  Think about 30 years of neglect and I am erasing it in a few months.  You can click on the image for a bigger pic if you want to compare these with my week 1 pics.

Sorry for the sleepy Honey Badger look, I just woke up! Lol! It looks like a really bad mug shot in the last few. I am having fun coaching, losing weight and changing my life!

It just takes a commitment to achieve something better in your life.  It's really not hard.  You eat healthy, you exercise everyday, you get results.  All I have is a small space, some free weights and a pull up bar.  I eat right and I take Shakeology. I feel better, I have more energy and I am achieving other things in my life because this gives me confidence.

Speaking of easy:

*I am issuing a contest!*

Jason's "Eating Clean and Exercising" Contest! (best name I could come up with ;)

Here are the rules:

-The challenge lasts for 14 days starting Wednesday, June 22nd - Thursday, July 7th
-For 6 days out of every week, you have to exercise in SOME way (walking, biking, work out DVD's... something!)
-Also, you have to EAT CLEAN for 6 days out of the week (no alcohol at all for those 6 days... seriously)  choose wisely for your "cheat day" because we do have a holiday coming up
- Eating clean is NO PROCESSED FOODS and no fatty, sugary crapola and NO ALCOHOL of any kind.  If you need help with a clean eating guide, email me! I'm here to help.
- Everyday, YOU MUST send me an email with your name and what exercise you did, plus what you ate for the day TO STAY ELIGIBLE.  For your two cheat days send me an email saying "cheat day".
- At the end of the contest, I will draw a winner, unless only one brave soul can make it through alive, and they will receive a PRIZE!!! (Yes... I know what the prize will be and yes, it's a nice prize!)

*Email me by Wednesday morning (jfowlerfitness@gmail.com), June 22nd at 8:00 am if you want to participate!

The Start of a Beautiful Relationship

As many of you know, I started a Beachbody coaching business.  Everyday, I am rewarded by helping change people's lives,  people who have questions about fitness that I can answer because I have been in their position.  There is nothing I'd rather do than to help people change their expectations of themselves and realize anything is possible.

Well, I also get rewarded monetarily too!  Over time, we will watch my business center grow.  Here is the amount I made on my first sale (click on the pic for a larger version):

This $30 is what I like to call the 'first snowflake in the avalanche'.  As I continue to work at it, my business will grow, I will change people's lives and if I can do this, anyone can!  I mean, who doesn't want to earn a bit more income just from helping people reach their goals?

I'm so stoked :)

Newsflash... Soda Will Help Kill You

Not that this is a huge shock, but soda is incredibly bad for you.  Here is a quick article from Yahoo! that details a few reasons why.  This article is only accounting for one soda a day... I don't know anyone who only drinks one a day. 

I stopped drinking sodas close to a year ago and I am so glad I did.  I lost about 5 pounds in 2 weeks when I stopped and that was without exercise or a healthy diet.  There is just soooo much sugar and high fructose corn syrup in sodas.  Your body holds on to those sugars and burns them for fuel and not your body fat, because sugar burns easier and more quickly than fat.

Here is the article, oh and if you decide to keep drinking soda, have fun with your diabetes :P

 What happens when you drink a soda everyday

Jack Canfield's 'The Success Principles'

This is one post in a series of posts to follow in the future.  I am reading the above book and I am finding it incredibly rewarding.  It's a goal setting and affirmation book...  a self-help, change your life book... you know, one of those books people avoid reading or don't take the time to look at.

Well, since becoming a coach for Beachbody, my coach recommended it to me.  How can I say no to my own coach?  I'm glad I didn't!  Over the next few months I will post some of the exercises (mental not physical)  and goals I have set for myself and we can all follow the progress and see what happens.

The first exercise I wanted to share was one I did that will help you find what your true meaning in this crazy world is.  Here's how it's done and here is what I came up with for myself (please take the short time to do this, you might find out something incredible about yourself):

The Life Purpose Exercise:
1. List two of your unique personal qualities, such as enthusiastic and creative

2. List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others, such as to support and to inspire

3. Assume the world is perfect right now.  What does this world look like?  How is everyone interacting with everyone else?  What does it feel like? Write your answer in a statement, in the present tense, describing the ultimate condition, the perfect world as you see it and feel it.  Remember, a perfect world is a fun place to be.

Example:  Everyone is freely expressing their own unique talents.  Everyone is working in harmony.  Everyone is expressing love.

4.  Combine the three prior subdivisions of this paragraph into a single statement:

Here was my Life Purpose Statement: My purpose in life is to enthusiastically inspire and lead people to reach their goals and follow their dreams, making them happy and and realize that if they do not quit, anything is possible.

Interesting!  Now the hard part is to wake up everyday and say your Life Purpose Statement to yourself.  I keep mine written down by my bedside and read it before I go to bed. 

So my questions to all of you are this... are you following your Life Statement? If not, what's holding you back?

Does Processed Food Make You Fat?

A quick look at this article may help to answer that question for you.  I know for a fact that when I cut out all processed food from my diet, I started to lose weight and gain muscle with an exercise program.

Especially interesting is the part on carbohydrates.  It explains why when you eat processed foods, you feel hungry more quickly, which leads to eating more, which leads to weight gain.  Here is the excerpt:

Carbohydrates

Processed foods are often high in simple carbohydrates that are easily digested. These simple carbohydrates can contribute to weight gain because they are turned into sugar by your body and can make you feel more hungry. Most complex carbohydrates can regulate your blood sugar to regulate hunger and aid in weight-loss by providing plenty of fiber to your body. Fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer and also prevents constipation. Skip the white flour breads and white rice -- instead enjoy whole grain breads and oats, brown rice and beans.

Here is the link to the full article (only one page long): Does Processed Food Make You Fat?

Shakeology Review

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Shakeology product, here is a quick review to show why I have fallen in love with it!

"You eat like a 2nd grader"  was the line Carl Daikeler's wife said to him when she saw how unhealthy he was eating.  Those are strong words to tell the CEO of Beachbody, a fitness business that made $400 million in revenue in 2010.

So, Carl set out on a quest to create a product that was all inclusive and he succeeded greatly in my opinion with Shakeology, a meal replacement drink from Beachbody that includes tons of awesome ingredients.

Shakeology has 70+ ingredients in just one shake a day.  These include vitamins, minerals, whey protein, quinoa, a super-fruit blend, maca powder, wheatgrass, phytonutrients, antioxidants, prebioics... on and on and on!  All of these combined are designed to help you lose weight and increase your energy.  It's also gluten free and caffiene free.

Check out this cool video about the making of Shakeology if you get the chance:
Where do Shakeology Ingredients Come From?

My favorite part of the product though, is the fact that I know I am getting all the nutrition I need with one Shakeology shake and a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, carbs and proteins.   

I got to a point where I was frustrated with my results and I kept blaming it on not knowing if I was getting all of my nutritional needs.  Well, since being on Shakeology for close to two weeks, I have lost weight and I don't question myself about nutrition anymore.

Here's a look at what you get with your order of Shakeology:

1. You can get the product in a plastic tub or individual packets.  I enjoy the individual packets.  I can take them to work and share them with friends.  You can get a chocolate flavor or a berry flavor. I like the chocolate!

2. You get a handy calendar with recipes for everyday of the month.  One side is for the chocolate flavor, the other is for the berry flavor.

3.  You get some handy brochures with the ingredients and benefits listed on it.  This is a great tool if you want to share information with a friend.

4.  And...you get two workout DVD's!  One is a 30 minute workout and one is a 50 minute workout.  If you aren't already on a fitness program you get one with it.  Great idea!

My only gripe with the product is that everything with wheatgrass in it seems to have a bad aftertaste.  Shakeology does as well.  Now, the chocolate flavor is incredibly good and the wheatgrass aftertaste is minimal, but I can still taste it.  It's a bitter taste that I am not a fan of.  My wife, on the other hand, never notices it and never complains about it.

So what I did is add a scoop of vanilla protein powder with it, mix it with water and boom!  The aftertaste was completely gone :)

I have heard some complaints about the price. At $120 for a month's supply, it is not exactly cheap.  Considering, however, that it is a meal replacement shake and it would cost you about $40 a day if you were to just eat all the stuff in the shake, it is more than worth the price per month. For $4 a day you can get all of your nutrition and more in one shake.  That's less than a crappy burger and fries at a fast food joint.

Overall, I am losing weight with Shakeology, gaining energy, not questioning my nutrition and am very satisfied with the product.  I would give it 4.5 dumbbells out of 5!  It's definitely worth the money and I know it will help anyone looking to lose weight and fix their nutrition.

If you have any additional questions about Shakeology please email me at: jfowlerfitness@gmail.com

If you'd like to purchase it (with a 30 day money back guarantee you'll dig it) follow my Beachbody site here:
http://myshakeology.com/jfowlerfitness

Week 4 of P90X Pictures!

Here they are! As promised!  Week 4 of my P90X pictures.

Compare these to week 1:

Wow I can see some great changes so far.  My belly is down quite a bit! That makes me really happy. I actually have some bicep action going on and I've never had a very strong upper body.  Plus, it's hard to see in the pics but I do have the beginnings of some abs!

It's crazy that in 30 days you can change so much.  I mean, 30 years of neglect will be erased in just a matter of months.

What do you think?

I Hope This Motivates Him

Recently I was scouring the Beachbody website for information when a post from the forums popped up on the front of the homepage.  I read the gentleman's post and felt compelled to try and help.  I really hope it does.  Here is what he wrote and my response... I hope maybe someone will read this one day and although it is a short response, I feel like it has a good message.


Here is his message:
I started the p90x doubles program on April 14. I have been very diligent, eating only healthy foods and protein drinks(doing 2400 calories and 200g protein) and I found myself a trainer to help me with the program. Today is day 45, the halfway point and the results are disappointing. My body fat is only slightly lower. My shoulder size has barely gone up from 48 to 48.5 in 45 days. And visually it seems like a marginal improvement.
I am ready, determined and willing to make whatever changes that I would need to. But am not sure what I am doing wrong at the moment

Here is my response:
Yo! I sent you a buddy invite and I hope you accept

Man, I know how the frustration can get to you. I am the same way. I am an athletic person and I want to see results NOW, lol! Here's the deal, you can get frustrated, quit and go back to being out of shape and not fit. Or you can keep going, trying, pushing play and i know you can reach your goals!

Here's what I did to keep me motivated. I became a coach! Even though I am just starting. I wanted to tell myself "I have to keep working because people depend on me". Maybe that's an idea for you?

Are you on Shakeology? I started noticing results quickly after getting on it. It's got all of the things your body needs to recover quickly from intense exercise and gives you all the nutrition you need.

Quicker muscle recovery + better nutrition = stronger muscles!

Man, I hope this helps you and I DON'T WANT YOU TO QUIT!!! 

That's the goal! Keep pushing play... keep pushing play!

Sharing With Others

One of my friends recently asked some questions about eating healthy and what foods they could buy at the local grocer that would help get them started on the right path.  I wanted to share that information on my blog because when I read back through the email I thought there was some very good information that others might want to know.

That's one of my goals with this road I am travelling down. I want to share my knowledge, struggles and successes with everyone so it makes it easier for them to reach their own fitness goals.

It really gives my joy when I share something with someone and it benefits them in a positive way.  So here is what was in the email we shared.  I hope maybe someone reads it and it gets them started on the right path:

 *First question was about caloric intake.  They thought they were "cutting enough calories out" to lose weight, but that is far from the goal when losing weight and building a healthy body.  Second question was about buying better foods in the local grocery chains*

Here is an idea of what I eat on a daily basis.  I shoot for a mix of protein, fruit and veg everyday and mix it up.  If you go to http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/  you can log what you eat everyday (very easily, too) and see what you are or are not getting enough of.

Whey you see "Shakeology",  that is Beachbody's meal replacement shake that I have been talking about.  It's incredible!  Great thing about Shakeology, it takes the guesswork out of your nutrition.  One shake a day and BOOM you've got all of the vitamins and stuff you need. Then you don't second guess your nutrition.

Daily idea of what I eat (this was last Tuesday):

Breakfast (6:30 am):
Shakeology (70 vitamins, minerals and super foods) with a scoop of protein powder

*Work Out:

Snack (9:15 ish):
Orange

Lunch (11:45 ish):
Naanwich (love the name!) It's a frozen meal. A flat bread with shredded chicken from wholefoods with Indian spices.

*Then throughout the afternoon I snack on almonds, raisins, maybe a protein bar, etc.

Snack (2:00 ish):
Handful of almonds

Snack again (more like an early meal at 4:00 ish):
Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with a piece of provolone.

Then another snack, lol!

Then dinner around 7. I think we had spaghetti (whole wheat, unbleached pasta... sauce with no preservatives).  Then I try not to eat 3 hours before bed so my body burns fat and not the sugars and carbs from a meal I just ate when I sleep.

NOW here's the light bulb... I ate a little over 2,400 calories!  I am losing weight and gaining muscle... wait till you see my week 4 pics, the weight loss is impressive! I am posting them soon :)

So make sure to eat enough calories if you are on an intense fitness program

It's easy to calculate your daily calorie needs on the website I gave you above, or I can do it for you with some info!

________________

OK on to things at the grocery you can start buying that will help you shift your eating.

1. If you can, buy organic. Non-organic products have a lot of additives and preservatives.  The problem with fruit and veggies is that the non-organic ones have a lot of pesticides and stuff on them (yuck!)

2. Look for bread and bakery items without "high fructose corn syrup" in the ingredients... it's easy to spot cause it's usually the first or second ingredient. A lot of breads now are moving to all natural and will put "NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!" Right on the front.  Also, buy wheat or even better whole grain breads. DON'T BUY WHITE BREAD!!! What makes it white is on the ingredients: BLEACH! It says "enriched bleached flour" right in the ingredients Yuck. might as well drink some bleach while you do laundry :(

3. cut out cokes and soft drinks. Again, it has high fructose corn syrup.  If you don't know what high fructose corn syrup is, it's corn that they heat at 1,000 degrees until it's some gelatinous gooey syrup crap and then they put it into EVERY DARN PRODUCT they can think of... instead of just putting sugar in it. Just plain old sugar. Sugar's not bad for you in certain amounts, but high fructose corn syrup is terrible. The reason they use it is because it's a preservative and they can put a product on the shelf for 5 years instead of 6 months with simple, naturally occurring in nature, sugar.

4. meats: Cut out red meat (you won't miss it) eat turkey and chicken and fish.  When you shop just read the packages.  There's a brand now at local grocery stores (think it's Perdue) that is making the shift to chicken and turkey with no preservatives and no hormones. Yes, chicken companies give chickens steroids and hormones to grow them bigger, then they feed that crap to us. So just look on the package for "No preservatives" and "No HMO" or "Not fed hormones" etc. Fish usually reads "farmed using sustainable methods" or something like that.  That way it doesn't have a ton of mercury in it.

Hope this helps!  So... eat enough calories (email me if you want me to calculate it for you, I have a guide in the P90X book.  and remember these things when shopping (and yes it will frustrate you because at first it seems like everything has high fructose corn syrup in it, hence, obese America):

1. Buy organic
2. no High Fructose Corn Syrup
3. No soft drinks (we will work on beer later)
4. Cut out red meat. Buy turkey and chicken with no hormones or preservatives.

And if you need quick meals for work, go to the "Nature" section at your grocer and look for Kashi brand meals (or Amy's). Kashi meals are good and are all natural with no preservatives or anything added. You can usually find them for $3.77-$4.50
Hope this helps and hope to hear from you soon!

Jason Fowler
Independent Beachbody Coach
www.beachbodycoach.com/JFOWLERFITNESS
http://myshakeology.com/jfowlerfitness

"Before" Pictures are Evil!

Hello everyone,

Well... the day has come. I am going to post my "before" pictures.  This is where I started out at. I am taking pictures every two weeks so you can see the progress and to help me stay motivated.  

It's amazing how much better I feel now compared to the pictures you see below.  It's a process.  It's not slow, but it doesn't happen overnight either.

Let's get it over with!  This first set of pictures is from my first day, 5/8/2011.  This is the day of starting my clean eating and P90X... look how happy I am :(

 

Had enough yet? Is it like a horror movie?

OK, the next set is from two weeks later.  I am STILL unhappy because I felt like I should've seen some more improvements.  But I keep going and when I take my four week pictures at the end of this week, I think you'll notice quite a difference!


So here's my two week pictures:

You can see my moobs (man boobies) are a bit reduced and my biceps are changing a little.  But I didn't let it frustrate me for long. I picked myself up and kept going!

Remember, like Tony Horton says in p90X "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was your body."

That's it for now! I can't wait to take my four week pictures here in a couple days.  I have been on Shakeology for a few days now and I think it's really helping to give me all of my daily nutrients and a bunch of extra awesome stuff and it's contributing to my quick weight loss.

Remember... keep pushing play!

Taking the Leap of Faith! (Looked harder in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade')

Hey everyone!

I took the leap of faith and became an independent Team Beachbody coach!  I am enjoying my success up to this point so much that I wanted to start helping others reach their goals as well.  It will also keep me accountable for my own fitness.

There's lots of work involved and I am enjoying it a little too much so far, I think :)

You get so many cool tools to use to help you succeed.  I am in the process of starting up my own websites (all provided) and getting an email accountability thread going with for people who would like a little motivation or just some tips with their own fitness routines and meal planning.  Now, back to work!

Good Article on Tuna and its Health Factor

This is a great article on the health factor of tuna.  If you have a Whole Foods store near you, that might be your best option as their 365 Private Label Brand seems to be harvested as naturally as possible with little mercury:

"The latest tests for 365 Everyday Value Tongol Tuna came in at 0.073ppm, and 365 Everyday Value Albacore Tuna came in at 0.056ppm — both well under established safety limits."

Here is the article and the Whole Foods Tuna FAQ:


The Truth About Canned Tuna


Whole Foods Market Tuna FAQ

Having a 'Bleh' Day

Not really feeling my fittest today.  Took some two week photos and I have to admit, I was a little bummed at not seeing much results.

But I have to keep chugging away.  I know that if I stick with it, I will get the results I want.  It's a long and difficult process and it certainly isn't easy. 

I think I have done a good job up to this point so I hope in a couple more weeks I start to see the foundations of change happening.

I may not feel great, but I will NEVER give up!

Others Are Starting To Notice

Last night I rushed to my weekly hockey game and when I got to the parking lot of the ice complex, I saw a good friend and teammate getting ready to walk up to the building as well.

I caught up to him and we started talking and he mentioned to me "you've lost some weight".  This is only after 12 days of working hard to eat clean and exercise everyday.

It was a great way to end the night!  I could also tell my hockey performance was elevated as well.  I just felt stronger and I felt like I had more stamina.  I didn't get tired as quickly and I could push my body to do more on the ice.

When others start to notice your weight loss, it's a huge confidence boost!

A Typical Dinner When Eating Clean

Hey there!

First off... I plan to post my "before" pictures on here soon... ugh, they're just hard to look at and I wish no one would ever see them BUT if you're going to stay accountable, you have to face every issue and deal with it.

Second (and more fun)!  Here is an awesomely good tasting, healthy and quick to make meal:

Angel Hair Pasta with Chile Shrimp (omit the chilies if you are not a spice fan)

This is a Gordon Ramsay recipe.  Here is the link: Angel Hair Pasta with Chile Shrimp

I am not a good cook and I HATE to prep food because of this.  It takes too long!  So I search for quick and easy meals to prepare and this is one of the easiest.  I used DeBoles Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta (with Jerusalem Artichoke Flour. Fancy!) and fresh ingredients purchased from Whole Foods Market.  That means no preservatives or additives. 

It literally took about 7 minutes to cook the pasta and the shrimp and maybe 15 to prep it (once again, I am very slow at prepping). 

Don't think you have to sacrifice great tasting food when you change your eating habits.  This is one radically delicious dish!

My Workout Set-Up

Hey everyone!

I just finished week one of P90X! Hooray for me :)

I thought I'd give you all an insight into my workout set-up at home.  Now, one of the reasons I want to do this is to prove you do not need a ton of space or a lot of fancy gadgets and weights to work out in the privacy of your own home.

*Keep in mind I have a VERY small apartment... 550 square feet for the whole place*

The first pic is my weights, yoga mat and yoga block (yes, it's pink :) I only have a set of 10 pound weights, 15 pounds and 25 pounds:

The next picture is of my pull-up bar.  It's simple and cheap (like $15 bucks!) and most of all, it works in my limited space:

That is my hallway ^ The door on the left is my closet, the door in front is my bathroom and the bedroom is on the right.  I am standing in my living room.

The last picture is of my living room and the small amount of space I have to work out in.  Doing Plyometrics in P90X is a bit cramped but I make it work:

So don't be discouraged by thinking you have to have tons of open space and lots of weights and equipment to work out with!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday (Tuesday, May 10th, 2011) I was feeling so FAT!  I had been eating super clean and I was going into day 4 of P90X.  For some reason I just felt plain ol' fat. 

Today, however, I feel much better and even after only four days I can tell I've lost a little weight.  I was walking through the locker room at work when I caught a glance of myself in the mirror.  I stopped and went back to look again and I could tell that I had lost a little bit in my face and neck.  That made my day!

So don't get discouraged!  I doubt myself all the time... whether I am eating right or working out hard enough.  But if you just trust in the program and give it some time you will see results. Doubting yourself is just a normal part of the process, but I really think it makes you stronger mentally down the road.

You Get As Many Chances As You Want...

I've been overweight my whole life. Now, at the age of 30, I plan to start a new life.

I grew up in a household that never ate a healthy meal and probably had never heard of the word 'exercise'. It's a shame too, because I am a decent athlete. I played high school football and all kinds of sports. I currently play ice hockey three times a week and my career is as an Assistant Golf Professional at a private golf course. I am tired of looking in the mirror and seeing “me”. Because it's NOT me. Underneath all the excess weight is the real me and I am going to find him. I don't want to be overweight anymore and I plan on doing something about it!

I hope that this blog, which will follow my progress, will inspire you in some way. Maybe you want to change your life too and you just need a friend to go through it with. Or maybe you are doing the right things but recently just need a little bit of extra motivation. 

Oh, and the title of this entry, "You Get As Many Chances As You Want..."  is one of the most important lessons I have learned in life.  If you fail at something, you can stand up, dust yourself off and try again.  So don't give up!

I plan to have numerous updates with pictures, videos, food logs and just my silly thoughts along the way. So, come join me and let's reach our expectations! (Yeah, I know that's a bit corny! :P )