Crossing The First Hurdles

Last week we were heading into my oldest daughters’ high school graduation – which entailed having a big party at the house afterward. Between getting some needed home improvements done prior to the party and prepping for the party – this presented some serious challenges to eating right and working out.

I work long hours at my full-time job and then had to come home and do several hours of work on the house, or party prep, almost daily. Even on my Free Day (Sunday) I worked for 6.5 straight hours. All of this left me pretty tired and there were gaps in my workouts. With all the demands on my time eating 6 meals a day went out the window.

For the most part I did eat cleanly (during the week), but only managed about 3 meals a day. During the graduation party on Friday and the family gathering on Saturday, I didn’t do horribly, but I could’ve done better. I did okay on Father’s day too, but still didn’t get 6 meals in.

I had a really good upper body workout on Monday, and I’m still sore. My son finished Jr. High yesterday, and a bunch of his friends and their families got together at an Asian buffet. Staying on track was easy here as the food SUCKED! After a tasting a couple of things I decided to just stick with water – lots of water.

My next big hurdle will be 4th of July. It’s my daughter’s birthday; there’ll be family and friends, BBQ, cake and beer. I’ll have to make it my Free Day – but still keep MODERATION in the forefront of my mind.

Day 1 of 84 – Done

Great leg/abs workout yesterday. I’m still getting used to the new machines. I especially like the Linear Leg press. Just pushing up on the 45-degree sled starts you out at 80lbs. and with two sets of weight racks on the sled allows you to really crank it up. I maxed out at 450lbs.x6 – far below my high of 720lbs., but I’m working back up to it.

I was able to squeeze in my 6th meal in the form of a Myoplex shake w/ Phosphagen. I had concerns about adding creatine to my supplementation. I know it’s great for building muscle, but I’ve read that it can also make you gain/retain weight. With so much weight to lose – I was a little reluctant to use it. I posed this question on the Tracker forum, and one post suggested I was okay to use the creatine – so I did.

I have to say I’m feeling pretty good – feeling like I’m getting stronger. I know my official start date was only yesterday, but I began working out BFL style, when I got back from vacation on May 29th.

Today is D-Day

The die is cast, I’ve thrown down the gauntlet – I’m in. What better day to make an Official Start on a new BFL Challenge but on the anniversary of D-Day.

“Do, or do not. There is no try”
~ Jedi Master, Yoda ~

The quote may come from a muppet in a sci-fi movie, but the words could not be more true.

I’ve been doing pretty good so far. I’ve been going to the gym – only missed 1 day since my last entry. I have been making the workouts intense and feel it. Keeping up with the 6-meals a day has been an issue. I’ve been getting at least 4 – but have been catching a fruit, or yogurt snack pretty regularly. I really do need to get more protein in my meals – time to get a new container of whey protein.

I had to use Sunday (6/3) as my free-day as we had a large family gathering to celebrate a bunch of birthdays, anniversaries and a graduation. I didn’t do too badly with the food, but definitely not BFL challenge level.

The gym finally has all of its equipment, weight plates and dumbbells. I’m still feeling my upper body workout from Monday. I’ve actually missed this sort of soreness – it means I’m making real progress. I like going to the gym, but I’m not one of those people that like to spend two hours there. I like following my BFL worksheet, and getting my workout done in the time goal set on the worksheet. I especially like the HIIT cardio training. It’s only 20 minutes, but I really feel like I got a great workout when I’m done.

I’m a history buff and D-Day has a lot of meaning for me. It’s the day the Allies turned the tide and saved the world from unimaginable tyranny. I am proud to have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know many fine men, who in their youth, landed on those beaches on that historic day to defeat the Axis powers. Most of them are gone now, but their deeds live on for an eternity.

Taking Action

Action Results:

1. Pull my copy of ‘Body-for-Life’ off the shelf and begin to re-read it – Done and On it
2. Prepare a series of 6 meals for tomorrow – Done and Ongoing
3. Print out the work out sheets and the shopping list – Done
4. Join Tracker – Done
5. Let Steve Yu (Inspired: The Movie) know about this blog – as I have been very lax in keeping him informed of what I am doing and what I am going through. – Done

I completed my upper body workout last night – strictly following the BFL guidelines. Over the past month, I have made only a couple of appearances in the gym, and this session felt good – strong.

Our gym recently had a major overhaul, and added a whole bunch of new equipment. For some reason the most common item in any gym, weight plates, is lacking in ours. I don’t understand why the least technical item is in such short supply. There were so few plates last night, I did most of my workout on the new ‘Life Fitness’ machines. For the most part they were good, but one or two had some range-of-motion issues. I used dumbbells and E-Z bars for my bicep/triceps’ workouts.

Meal 1: Yogurt and banana
Coffee (w/ skim & ½ tsp sugar)/20 oz Water
Meal 2: Chicken breast and ½ cup cooked brown rice w/ sliced Portobello mushrooms
Coffee (w/ skim & ½ tsp sugar)
Meal 3: Chicken Tandoori wrap
20 oz Water

Mind Games

I’ve long known that in order to change anything in life, you first have to change what’s going on in your head. You have to change the dialogue, the programming and even the how, way and why you think the thoughts that you do. My quest, my journey is to Change My Mind in order to Change My Body and Change My Life.

There are three instances from the cruise that have stuck with me for these past several days since the cruise. The first was with our new friends from Oregon, Tania and her mom Carolyn. Tanya explained how she succeeded with BFL – stating that she printed out the shopping lists, made and ate 6 healthy meals per day and exercised following the guidelines in the BFL – book. Essentially implementing the strategy exactly as it is presented in the book.

A couple of days later, our other new friend Mary Jane described how she too realized success with BFL, by using all that the book had to offer. She then created a group in Tracker to help people, just getting started, to embrace and adhere to the basics.

Lastly was Dave, a 50+ BFL winner. He shared his before and after pictures with me and to say that his transformation results were stunning – is an understatement. He didn’t even look like the same person – at all!

Where I am now is getting back-to-basics like MJ suggested. I learned about BFL many years ago and had some decent (but limited) success. My problem is I always fell off track and took long whiles to get back on. Each time I did, I moved further and further away from the basics. I’m one of those people that think that they can do this on their own and succeed on their own. The fact is, like any person in any endeavor, I need help in order to become successful.

This time I am going to reach out for help and support. You have no idea how hard this is for me to do. I am a fairly reserved and private person – an introvert. I am more open with the printed word than I am in personal conversation. However, if you do get to know me and I am comfortable with you – you’ll have a hard time shuttin’ me up.

Things to do – Taking Action:
1. Pull my copy of ‘Body-for-Life’ off the shelf and begin to re-read it
2. Prepare a series of 6 meals for tomorrow
3. Print out the work out sheets and the shopping list
4. Join Tracker
5. Let Steve Yu (Inspired: The Movie) know about this blog – as I have been very lax in keeping him informed of what I am doing and what I am going through.

I will get all of this done over the next 48 hours.

Meal 1: Oatmeal w/ cinnamon
Coffee (w/ skim & ½ tsp sugar)/20 oz Water
Meal 2: Yogurt and banana
½ fat cheese stick – snack
Meal 3: Chicken wrap w/ lettuce and tomato
20 oz Water
Meal 4: Sliced chicken on bed of mixed salad greens w/ red wine vinaigrette
20 oz Water
Meal 5: Chicken breast seasoned with Mrs. Dash
20 oz Water
Meal 6: Cajun marinated Salmon with mixed veggies
WW low fat ice cream bar – snack

Body-for-Life

I just returned from the 7-day, 2007 Champions-for-Life Caribbean Cruise this past weekend, and enjoyed the cruise more than I thought I would.

I met many great and wonderful people, and found new friends. At first, I didn’t think I got much out of it in regards of it inspiring and motivating me to make the changes I know I need to make.

Begrudgingly, I now admit that I actually did get inspired and am motivated to make changes. I say begrudgingly because I know how tough the road is going to be, and I know that in the end it will be worth it. As usual, I am anxious about making changes because it takes me way out of my comfort zone, and require me to learn a whole new life-routine.

I know creating a new routine and new life will do nothing but benefit me. It makes me realize that I am for more resistant to change than I had allowed myself to believe.

I now gotta get myself organized and get going – and there’s no time like the present.

Meal 1: Oatmeal w/ cinnamon and ½ tsp. brown sugar
Coffee (w/ skim & ½ tsp sugar)/20 oz Water
Meal 2: Roast Beef on tomato wrap loaded w/ veggies
20 oz Water
Meal 3: Teriyaki chicken w/ broccoli
20 oz Water
Meal 4: Chicken breast seasoned with Mrs. Dash

Notes: Gotta fit in those last two meals and cut the sugar out in the oatmeal