I survived! Sorta... May have puked. Twice.
But all in all, a great experience. Met a couple vets who offered some kind support, and shared their stories when they finished the Workout Of The Day (WOD). I got to do the very basic movements of Crossfit, my workout looked like this:
500m run
1000m row (completed at 2:00/500m pace)
30x squats
30x pushups
30x burpees
...puke
30x jump pull-ups
30x wall ball (5lb ball)
...puke
The coach, Kat - who just happens to be 5'11'' and ripped (I watched her clean & jerk 185lbs) - was awesome. She kicked my ass, and I needed it. I'm looking forward to the next time!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Progress! (226lbs -13)
It's been about 3 weeks since I decided to try again. The detox went well, about I love that it kills all my cravings for terrible food - it really does reset your body. The sweet/salty cravings are basically gone, and I've cut back huge on the pop... It used to be a can/day, usually something caffeinated, and I've replaced it with mostly water, and green tea.
When you start eating poorly (as I did earlier this year), your body just gets used it and it becomes the norm... The same goes for eating well. It's amazing how when you're in a routine of eating right, you know exactly what the food you're eating is going to do for you. A prime example, if I'm feeling a like I need a boost of energy, an apple gives exactly the jump I'm looking for; and on the flip side, I ate 3 timbits this morning and had a stomachache until lunch - when I put some real food into me.
As far as fitness goes, I've been doing some basic body-weight exercises in the mornings (pushups, situps, etc.) and I've started running again - 3 times/week about 1.5-2kms. One thing I've learned about myself is that I struggle with self-policing in terms of my fitness, which I think is why I struggled to stay on the P90X program last year. So for now, these simple routines are perfect - quick, and not hard to motivate myself to do. Moving forward, I realize that I'm going to need to step it up a bit and I've been looking into CrossFit. I'm going on vacation for the last couple weeks of July, so I'll look at starting in August with the introductory classes and if all goes well, commit to Sept-Dec and see how it goes.
More on both the diet I've chosen, and on what I'm hoping to find at CrossFit later!
When you start eating poorly (as I did earlier this year), your body just gets used it and it becomes the norm... The same goes for eating well. It's amazing how when you're in a routine of eating right, you know exactly what the food you're eating is going to do for you. A prime example, if I'm feeling a like I need a boost of energy, an apple gives exactly the jump I'm looking for; and on the flip side, I ate 3 timbits this morning and had a stomachache until lunch - when I put some real food into me.
As far as fitness goes, I've been doing some basic body-weight exercises in the mornings (pushups, situps, etc.) and I've started running again - 3 times/week about 1.5-2kms. One thing I've learned about myself is that I struggle with self-policing in terms of my fitness, which I think is why I struggled to stay on the P90X program last year. So for now, these simple routines are perfect - quick, and not hard to motivate myself to do. Moving forward, I realize that I'm going to need to step it up a bit and I've been looking into CrossFit. I'm going on vacation for the last couple weeks of July, so I'll look at starting in August with the introductory classes and if all goes well, commit to Sept-Dec and see how it goes.
More on both the diet I've chosen, and on what I'm hoping to find at CrossFit later!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Round 2: Redemption
What's happened since Halloween 2011?
Well, I had a long stressful month of November writing exams, then the holidays came and went. 2012 has been a pretty big year of change for me so far, lots of personal turmoil that's left me feeling like I'm just trying to keep my head above water. In the last few weeks I finally feel like I'm starting to get ahead of the game, like I'm getting back in control of my life. During the last few months, all the good habits I "learned" during my first go round seemed to have fallen by the wayside...
Why, why start again? Because I want to be healthy. And I think that's gonna be my key to success... No gimmicks, no silly deadlines. I'm doing it this time, for me.
Yep, round 2. Redemption, because calling my first attempt a success would be foolish. So, here we go again!
(start weight: 239.1lbs - June 13)
Well, I had a long stressful month of November writing exams, then the holidays came and went. 2012 has been a pretty big year of change for me so far, lots of personal turmoil that's left me feeling like I'm just trying to keep my head above water. In the last few weeks I finally feel like I'm starting to get ahead of the game, like I'm getting back in control of my life. During the last few months, all the good habits I "learned" during my first go round seemed to have fallen by the wayside...
Why, why start again? Because I want to be healthy. And I think that's gonna be my key to success... No gimmicks, no silly deadlines. I'm doing it this time, for me.
Yep, round 2. Redemption, because calling my first attempt a success would be foolish. So, here we go again!
(start weight: 239.1lbs - June 13)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
The End... and a New Beginning
Wow, almost a month since my last post... With Thanksgiving, then getting sick for a week, and exams coming up soon, it was a rough month; and now with the Halloween party night over, I'm sure you're all wondering how things went.
I fell short.
It's not even close. So costume-less I went to a buddy's house with a few other guys and watched some Rob Zombie movies last night. With the 7-week goal over, you might think I'm just quit now and fall back into some old habits. But the thing is, I'm feeling great. The workouts are going well, so I'm going to continue the blog as a bit of an outlet, and a way to show off my progress. So here's a post about my supplements:
An important part of any new fitness regime is making sure
that you’re body gets the nutrients it needs to perform at it’s best. With a bit of internet research and a
trip to Popeye’s I came home with 4 bottles of supplements.
Active Men’s
Performance Multivitamin
A multivitamin is key to any active lifestyle. As hard as you try, you’ll probably
miss your daily intake of one or more key vitamins and minerals, so they’re a
must if you’re going to really push yourself. To make a traditional, once-a-day multivitamin, the powdered
ingredients are pressed together with a small amount of bonding agent; and a
lot of heat/energy is produced when they’re manufactured this way. In the same way that nutrients are lost
when you cook vegetables, some of the vitamins and minerals are lost when the
vitamins are made this way.
I chose the Active Men’s Performance multivitamin because
it’s an uncompressed multivitamin. Instead of compressing it all together it’s
contained in a small capsule, but this also means that in comparison, you need
to take more. In this case, it’s a
3/day vitamin, so I take it with every meal.
VegeGreen
I don’t think it’s any secret that non-starchy vegetables
are supposed to make up a large part of your diet, whether you’re embarking on
a fitness plan or not. They become
even more important when everything you’re putting into your body is absolutely
necessary. They help your body to
absorb all of the nutrients that you eat in your food, or supplement with a
multivitamin.
VegeGreen is exactly what it sounds like: green
vegetables. Dried and ground into
a powder, they recommend you take it in the morning so it can help your body
absorb all it needs from the food you eat through the day. You can mix it with juice or water and
I found it in 2 flavours: blueberry or natural vegetable. I picked blueberry, but unfortunately
it still makes a pretty gross looking green drink, and I really think a more
accurate title for it’s flavour would be: Green Death. But I suffer through, every morning.
Detonator
A pre-workout drink was the supplement I was most leery
about. I’ve never been a big
believer in things that will help you “lift more, gain more, recover more
quickly, etc”… Until one of my roommates a few years ago started experimenting
with one. I definitely noticed
some quick results when he was using it, and he swore by it. After discussing it with a few friends
and the Popeye’s consultant I thought I’d give it a try.
It’s pretty simple, you mix the powder with some water and
drink it about 30 minutes before you workout. Some magic happens, like when Popeye would eat his can of
spinach, and you’re suddenly able to get a couple more reps.
*stay tuned for a more detailed review to
come*
IsoSensation
Protein. The
most complicated decision you’ll ever make about your supplements. There are HUNDREDS of different kinds
of protein out there: stuff to help you lose weight, stuff to help you gain
weight, high-cal, low-cal, whey protein, with creatine, without creatine… the
list goes on. What’s right for
you? Honestly, I have no
idea. Do some research, and talk
to the guy where you’re going to buy it.
I chose IsoSensation.
It’s a low-cal option, with just protein isolates. According to the guy that helped
me pick it (and confirmed by the label on the bucket) it’ll help boost my
protein intake without adding tons of calories: 30g of protein and 130cal per
serving. So, in theory, it’ll help
build lean muscle mass, as opposed to adding tons of mass.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Weeks 2-3
Well, it's been a while since my last post, but I've been busy... Extra-curricular activities and such.
Week 2
The first part of week 2 I finished the cleanse, and was super happy to eat some bread again (although, still only 1pc/day max). By the end of week 2, I was actually starting to SEE results. My gut seems to be shrinking, at least in my eyes, which is a huge win. I'm loving how I feel after the strength training workouts too. Something about the little bit of soreness after, but when all your muscles are still all fired up makes you feel invincible. I discovered a great cleanse-friendly meal too, albeit after I had finished. It's just around 600cals, but has almost 60g of protein and could be kicked up even higher if you use quinoa in place of part/all of the rice. Here it is:
Asian Salmon Rice Bowl
-4 salmon filets
-1tbsp sesame oil
-1tbsp soya sauce
-1tsp honey
-1tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
-1tsp fresh minced ginger
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1cup (dry) brown rice
-1cup mixed frozen veggies
-about 40mins
*Marinade the salmon in the everything except the rice and veggies for 1-4hrs.
Start by cooking the rice & veggies. Add 2 cups of water to the rice and veggies in a pot with a little butter/oil (optional) and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil uncovered, then cover and reduce heat to low/simmer for 20 mins. DO NOT REMOVE THE LID.
Preheat the oven to 400F. When the rice has cooked for 20 mins, remove form heat and put the salmon in the oven on a baking tray. Bake the salmon for 14-18mins, depending on thickness.
Just before serving, stir in a bit of soya and Sriracha into the rice.
Makes 4 servings of 1 filet and 1.5 cup rice & veggie mix.
Week 2
The first part of week 2 I finished the cleanse, and was super happy to eat some bread again (although, still only 1pc/day max). By the end of week 2, I was actually starting to SEE results. My gut seems to be shrinking, at least in my eyes, which is a huge win. I'm loving how I feel after the strength training workouts too. Something about the little bit of soreness after, but when all your muscles are still all fired up makes you feel invincible. I discovered a great cleanse-friendly meal too, albeit after I had finished. It's just around 600cals, but has almost 60g of protein and could be kicked up even higher if you use quinoa in place of part/all of the rice. Here it is:
Asian Salmon Rice Bowl
-4 salmon filets
-1tbsp sesame oil
-1tbsp soya sauce
-1tsp honey
-1tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
-1tsp fresh minced ginger
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1cup (dry) brown rice
-1cup mixed frozen veggies
-about 40mins
*Marinade the salmon in the everything except the rice and veggies for 1-4hrs.
Start by cooking the rice & veggies. Add 2 cups of water to the rice and veggies in a pot with a little butter/oil (optional) and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil uncovered, then cover and reduce heat to low/simmer for 20 mins. DO NOT REMOVE THE LID.
Preheat the oven to 400F. When the rice has cooked for 20 mins, remove form heat and put the salmon in the oven on a baking tray. Bake the salmon for 14-18mins, depending on thickness.
Just before serving, stir in a bit of soya and Sriracha into the rice.
Makes 4 servings of 1 filet and 1.5 cup rice & veggie mix.
Week 3
Week 3 was a bit more of the same, although I noticed that I was only getting more and more sore after my workouts. So I did a bit of reading and decided that my protein needs weren't being met for what I was putting my body through so took a trip down to Popeye's to get some supplement (more on that to come). The end of week 3, as you'll recall, ends the first "stage" of my fitness regime, where I was trying to revolutionize my diet and shed the excess before building. I'd say I've done ok, I'm hovering around 203-204lbs, which is about 12lbs lost in 3 weeks. My body's starting to adapt to the new diet, and cravings for the garbage I ate before are all but gone. So here's a photo after 3 weeks:
Still lots more to come in the next month, as this is where the real work starts. Thanks to everyone who's helped/supported so far!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Days 5-7
Days 5 & 6
The weekends are always tough, even without trying to cut weight... They always seem to be empty on Friday morning, but by Friday night I've made plans that have me running across the GTA all weekend. Trying to get the balanced meals, getting them at decent hours, getting workouts in, and avoiding temptation all have to become priorities.
I did ok this weekend, I ended up basically turning breakfast and lunch into a slightly larger brunch because of how late I slept both days, had my afternoon snack and then ate dinner. I even managed to stay dry, watching the UFC, and avoid the food at a close friends' business' 1 year anniversary BBQ. The downfall was definitely dinner on Saturday night; I was craving steak, but I went a bit overboard:
22oz T-Bone, with a "side" salad, homemade sweet potato fries, and sauteed onions and asparagus. It was damn good!
I also started my 2/day workouts now, AM and PM.
Day 7
Well, despite the new 2/day workouts, I seem to have plateau'd at 209.7-210... I'm not sure if it's the "cheating" I've been doing or the size of my afternoon snack, which have been about 2 cups of salad everyday. I think I'm going to try cutting back the snack size and see what happens. I'm definitely noticing a difference already, my pants are fitting looser and my shirts are a bit more snug across the shoulders/chest/back, and a bit looser on my gut.
1 week down, 6 to go...
The weekends are always tough, even without trying to cut weight... They always seem to be empty on Friday morning, but by Friday night I've made plans that have me running across the GTA all weekend. Trying to get the balanced meals, getting them at decent hours, getting workouts in, and avoiding temptation all have to become priorities.
I did ok this weekend, I ended up basically turning breakfast and lunch into a slightly larger brunch because of how late I slept both days, had my afternoon snack and then ate dinner. I even managed to stay dry, watching the UFC, and avoid the food at a close friends' business' 1 year anniversary BBQ. The downfall was definitely dinner on Saturday night; I was craving steak, but I went a bit overboard:
I also started my 2/day workouts now, AM and PM.
Day 7
Well, despite the new 2/day workouts, I seem to have plateau'd at 209.7-210... I'm not sure if it's the "cheating" I've been doing or the size of my afternoon snack, which have been about 2 cups of salad everyday. I think I'm going to try cutting back the snack size and see what happens. I'm definitely noticing a difference already, my pants are fitting looser and my shirts are a bit more snug across the shoulders/chest/back, and a bit looser on my gut.
1 week down, 6 to go...
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Day 1-4
Sorry I'm writing this late, but I had some "technical difficulties" with the internet at home this week.
Days 1 and 2 are, in my opinion, the hardest of the 12 day Wild Rose D-Tox. These are the days when I'm craving EVERYTHING I can't eat, especially the junk food: chips, chocolate, fast food. These are also the days during which you feel exhausted, run down, like the first few days of a cold.
Day 1
Day 1 was ok, I had made sure that I removed all of the things I wasn't allowed to eat from my house; all the junk food anyway. The one thing I forgot was the small bag of Lays BBQ chips I had in my desk at work. After I struggled with that all day, I ended up crushing them all and throwing them out... Will power FTW! When I got home from work I made supper, and had planned on doing the Cardio-X DVD from P90X, but I wasn't quite feeling up to it, so I went for a 2km run instead and finished up with pushups, wall sits, calf raises, and a bunch of different styles of crunches.
My starting weight is 216.5lbs, on my 6'1'' frame, and I took the dreaded before photo, so here it is:
Day 2
Day 2 is much the same as Day 1, just with less cravings. I cooked some extra food so I'd have easy lunches for the rest of the week, but the highlight of today was definitely the chinoa-jumbalaya (recipe coming later) that I made for supper. I wanted a workout today, but just couldn't... After supper I laid on the couch to let it settle for 30mins before a workout, then woke up 4hrs later.
Day 3
I'm starting to feel more like myself again, not so run down, more energy. Today, I decided cheating was ok... Not a big cheat, just a little one: balsamic vinegar. I made a spinach salad and wanted some dressing, so I made a simple balsamic vinaigrette with about 2tsp of vinegar. I'm ok with that. I also weighed myself today, and I'm down about 4lbs since starting! After supper I finally got around to that Cardio-X DVD I've been trying to do since day 1.
Day 4
My energy levels are back to normal, and I'm feeling the benefits of the detox already. No more snooze button 5 times, when my alarm goes off I'm ready to get up. I had another small cheat today: Sriracha hot sauce on some leftover chinoa-jumbalaya. Today I did the same workout as I did on Day 1, 2km run and a bodyweight workout at home.
Overall, so far, I'm feeling pretty good about everything so far, but I'm just getting started. I really love this detox as a starting point because you see results in the first few days, which just motivates you to keep going. Lot's more to come, follow along!
Days 1 and 2 are, in my opinion, the hardest of the 12 day Wild Rose D-Tox. These are the days when I'm craving EVERYTHING I can't eat, especially the junk food: chips, chocolate, fast food. These are also the days during which you feel exhausted, run down, like the first few days of a cold.
Day 1
Day 1 was ok, I had made sure that I removed all of the things I wasn't allowed to eat from my house; all the junk food anyway. The one thing I forgot was the small bag of Lays BBQ chips I had in my desk at work. After I struggled with that all day, I ended up crushing them all and throwing them out... Will power FTW! When I got home from work I made supper, and had planned on doing the Cardio-X DVD from P90X, but I wasn't quite feeling up to it, so I went for a 2km run instead and finished up with pushups, wall sits, calf raises, and a bunch of different styles of crunches.
My starting weight is 216.5lbs, on my 6'1'' frame, and I took the dreaded before photo, so here it is:
Day 2
Day 2 is much the same as Day 1, just with less cravings. I cooked some extra food so I'd have easy lunches for the rest of the week, but the highlight of today was definitely the chinoa-jumbalaya (recipe coming later) that I made for supper. I wanted a workout today, but just couldn't... After supper I laid on the couch to let it settle for 30mins before a workout, then woke up 4hrs later.
Day 3
I'm starting to feel more like myself again, not so run down, more energy. Today, I decided cheating was ok... Not a big cheat, just a little one: balsamic vinegar. I made a spinach salad and wanted some dressing, so I made a simple balsamic vinaigrette with about 2tsp of vinegar. I'm ok with that. I also weighed myself today, and I'm down about 4lbs since starting! After supper I finally got around to that Cardio-X DVD I've been trying to do since day 1.
Day 4
My energy levels are back to normal, and I'm feeling the benefits of the detox already. No more snooze button 5 times, when my alarm goes off I'm ready to get up. I had another small cheat today: Sriracha hot sauce on some leftover chinoa-jumbalaya. Today I did the same workout as I did on Day 1, 2km run and a bodyweight workout at home.
Overall, so far, I'm feeling pretty good about everything so far, but I'm just getting started. I really love this detox as a starting point because you see results in the first few days, which just motivates you to keep going. Lot's more to come, follow along!
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