Cardio Here I Come

Last year I did a lot of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It was a combination of Plyo, swimming, sprints, jump roping, etc. I then read that just 45 minutes of walking while in a fasted state could do the same thing as 20 inutes of HIIT. So I stopped the HIIT and began doing the walk instead. As evidence of my increasing waist line, it didn't work.   I attribute some of that to bad diet and some to lack of cardio.

What's Next?
I have been slowly been putting cardio back into my weekly routine. After the 1st week back, I realized that I really missed it. I really do enjoy working up a great sweat and being fatigued at the end. It makes me feel like I really accomplished something. Afterwards I feel fulfilled (and skinner). Could be all in my head but I really don't care. I feel good and that is all that really matters.

My first week back to HIIT I did some hill sprints down the street from my office. I followed that up with a nice run over the weekend and another run on Tuesday. Tomorrow I hope to get in 30 minutes of intense jump roping.We shall see in a few week if putting the HIIT back into my routines has any effect on my weight and muscle tone.

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So Sleepy

I am exhausted. Another night of broken sleep habits has left me chugging coffee like its water. My wife and I have a 4 week old preemie at home that is doing what babies do. Her and I take turns getting up with him but even that doesn't allow us to get a solid 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. He is totally worth the tiredness but I still wonder what effect this sleep deprivation will have on my weight loss and fitness goals.  As of late, my motivation and willingness to go to the gym as waned. I still get my workouts in but I feel like I am not giving 100% like I should be.

Sleep Loss Appears to Do Two Things:

1. Makes you feel hungry even if you are full. Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may continue to feel hungry despite adequate food intake.


2. Increases fat storage. Sleep loss may interfere with the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates, which leads to high levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar promotes the overproduction of insulin, which can lead to the storage of body fat and insulin resistance, a critical step into the development of diabetes. Borrowed from medicinenet.com Read More

This isn't new to me and I have heard it all before. One of the Primal rules is to make sure you get adequate sleep.  Ok. I understand that. But what do others do when that is not a possibility?  I cannot be the first person to want to tone up during a time when good sleep comes at a price. Do bodybuilders take off a couple of months when their wives give birth?  Has anyone reading this actually lost weight while not getting adequate sleep?

What Do I Do?

Here is the question of the day. Do I take a break from working out until my sleep patterns get back to normal or do I push myself harder and hope that the extra effort will counteract any negative effects the lack of sleep will provide?  I could see pulling a muscle from poor form brought on by being tired but I don't want to quit working out because of a "maybe".

It's just a matter of time before his sleepless nights will pass and I wouldn't trade this time for anything. Just curious what I should do in the mean time. Take a break or push through.

Thoughts?

New Challenge

Overview

After a weekend of peanut butter popcorn balls (6), chocolate chip cookies (who knows how many), dairy, carbs, and very little sleep (about 3 hours at a time), I am ready to begin anew. Today marks day 1 of a challenge put on by members of my team at work. The rules are simple. Lose the most weight out of everyone in the 30 days and beat any one of the three managers and win $25 for each one you beat. Seems simple enough right?  There are currently about 12 people signed up for the contest so it could be a challenge. Oh yeah, this is challenge number 1 of three. The opportunity to win some money is great.  I like winning money.

In honor of this challenge and as a way to help me win this thing (to help pay for my new ipad) I have decided to start a somewhat strict paleo diet. I thought about doing the Whole30 challenge again but there are some items I just do not want to give up this time (protein shakes for one). Since I couldn't do the whole30 challenge in its entirety I decided to just call this one a Paleo challenge. It's simpler that way and I don't have to worry about copyright infringement.  Here is what I will try not to eat over the next 30 days:

Diet

• Sugar of any kind, real or artificial. (I am going to allow myself to add some sugar free coffee creamer to my morning coffee. With a newborn at home and very limited sleep, I am in need of some coffee in the morning and try as I might, I just cannot drink the crap straight up black.)


• Processed foods. (I will allow myself to drink protein shakes on this challenge. With my lack of time right now, I need to be able to grab something quick to fuel my workouts.)


• Alcohol, in any form. (I don't even know the last time I had alcohol so I don't think this one is going to be a problem.)


• Grains.(Already had some rice tonight. Whoops. It looked good and I was hungry)


• Legumes.


• Dairy. (Dairy hurts my stomach anyway so I have been trying to cut this out as much as possible.)


• White potatoes. (It's cool. I am a sweet potato fan anyway.)

I am also trying something new calorie wise this time around.  I have been doing the Leangains approach to intermittent fasting the last few months but with very limited success. I am going to attempt to do that same approach this time but may limit the capacity on it a bit. I am also going to reduce my calorie intake to around 15oo calories a day. When I try and do the recommended daily intake based on my fitness levels, I never seem to lose weight. In fact, I usually feel like I gain some. So I am hoping that by cutting my calories down, if even just for the next 30 days, I can really shed some of the fat that has built up around my midsection. I will also do carb cycling. Lifting days will see a higher amount of carbs while cardio days will see a lower amount of carbs. Today I consumed just about 150grams so I was right on track of where I want to be.

Workouts

This week my workouts are going to be a bit different. Next week I might start my Visual Impact workout again or I may try to find something new. For this week though, I am doing some density training. Basically I work a set of muscles in a push/pull fashion for 7 minutes straight with limited rest. This weeks workouts are as follows.

• Monday - Biceps/Triceps/Abs


• Tuesday - Cardio (5k combined with some hill sprints)


• Wednesday - Legs/Shoulders/Abs


• Thursday - Cardio (not sure what its going to be yet)


• Friday - Chest/Back


• Saturday - Cardio (again, not sure)

I like this format for now. It works for me, doesn't take a lot of my lunch break and I don't feel the burnout from going everyday that I was feeling a few months back. I am hoping the next workout program that I find will allow me to weight train on 3 days a week with light to no cardio on the other days. Any suggestions out there on what I could do?  I have heard great things about the Adonis Index and I listen to their pod-casts quite a bit. If anyone knows them and would be willing to put a good word in for me so I could obtain some free training or be a case study on new programs, that would be swell!

That is all I have for now. Later.

It is 3am and I Am Not Perfect

Here is a picture of me from the other night (or early morning, however you look at it) at around 3 am. My wife and I had just got done with a feeding of our 3 week old son and I decided to snap a picture of how tired I am sure I looked. Why post that picture online for everyone to see? I will get to that in a moment.

I started this website almost 4 years ago. In its infancy, it wasn't even a blog. It was an informational website that included articles on health and fitness, a personal trainer listing, and even a store. It didn't do so well so I decided to go with a different approach. That was when the blog format was born.

Why a Blog?

I wanted to do a blog because I wanted to tell about my story of becoming fit and healthy. I was hoping to inspire people to ask me questions and seek me out for advice. It has always been a goal of mine to become a trainer and help people with their fitness and dietary needs. I felt that in order for people to trust me and what I had to say, I had to make myself seem perfect.  Trying to make everyone think you are perfect can be very exhausting.

I'm Tired

I am tired of putting up a front. Losing weight is not easy for me and it never has been. There are times when I go off my diet. There are times when I just don't want to work out. There are times when I obsess over every pound.  There are times when I just want to give up. Luckily for me, those feelings never last and I continue on my journey of healthy living. But overall I am struggling just like most everyone else.

Why Am I Telling You This?

I have decided to blog about my day-to-day struggles of being an obsessive fitness fanatic.  I want to show what it's really like to live my life. I want to show everyone that my life isn't easy and I have had to and continue to work hard to achieve what I have. I am hoping that my struggles will bring others peace of mind that they are not alone. The journey wont be easy and I may stray from the path from time to time.  But I am human and I am not perfect.  The picture above is not one of me at my best. I am not posing.  I am not showing off any muscles or a great summer tan. It's me at my most vulnerable. It's showing me for me.

Take the Paleo Survey

David over at naturallyengineered.com has put together a great Paleo survey. It only takes a few minutes to complete so please head over there and do so.  I, for one, cannot wait to see the final results. I am sure there will be lots of good information to come from this survey.

Take the Paleo Survey

Reader Help

I have been doing this blog for a few years now but with only mediocre success. I get on average 100 or so hits a day with most of them coming from people searching for P90x.  Once in a while I will get some feedback or comments but not very often. Then I see blogs pop up and within days their traffic seems to soar, even with only a few posts. Their content doesn't seem to be any better but their reader feedback on the posts they do have is amazing.

So this is the part where I ask my readers for help on making my blog better. What type of content is missing from this site that would really draw you as a reader in?  Do I need to add more pictures to make this blog more personal, etc?  My goal is to really be able to interact with people on here. I want this site to be a place that people want to visit. What do you think it would take to make it that destination?

I am looking for constructive feedback here: good or bad. I really do want to know. I want to make this site better.

 

Failing

Some of you may have noticed that I did not do a post yesterday. The reason it didn't happen was because our son finally came home from the hospital after being there for 2 1/2 weeks. After we got settled in, I was just too exhausted to try to get a post up. The good news is that he continues to do very well and is adapting very well to the new environment.

So why did I call this post "Failing"?  I don't often get on this blog and post all the times I have failed in my diet and exercise programs. I guess it's because I want everyone to think I am perfect in everything I do. I don't ever want to admit failure and therefore, I never post any of it. The truth is though, I do fail at times. As much as a hate to admit it, I am human. The last few weeks have been a mix of emotions for me and my diet and fitness have felt the consequences of that. I have gone from worry for my wife and son to excitement to have them home. The mix of emotions have caused me to deviate big time from my usual diet and workout routines.

I have shoveled food down my throat that I haven't eaten in well over a year. I downed soda's one after the other for the caffeine and sugar rush as I desperately tried to stay awake and alert to what was happening around me.  I have spent probably a total of 15 minutes in the gym during the last 3 weeks and none of the workouts were anything to applaud.

The time has now come to put all of that behind me. My son has come home and he is very healthy and doing great. My wife is doing awesome and we are very excited to start this new chapter in our lives.  My diet and workouts may fluctuate a bit as I learn to juggle a newborn and the sleepless nights but I am not going to let it get to me. I am going to learn to adapt and good things will come of it. Failing will happen at times but I am ok with that.

Tomorrow starts a new day and renewed energy. I have a new diet plan that I am going to unveil soon so come to make sure you keep an eye out for that.

Keeping My Obligation

I told myself I was going to post everyday during Lent. The time is now 11:00pm and I am exhausted, my son is set to come home from the hospital in the morning, my daughter has a 101 degree temp,  but yet here I sit trying to type something out. It's going to be short and sweet. Just go with it.

I went to a place called Smash Burger tonight. It was my first time and I didnt know what to expect. I walked out of there with 2 1/2lb burgers (no bun) and a side order of vegetable sticks.  It was one of the best "fast" food burger meals I have had. If you have a Smash Burger in your neighborhood, I suggest you check it out.

Goodnight!

Stand to Work

It's been a long day and I am back at the hospital with my wife and newborn son but in keeping with my promise to post everyday during Lent, I wanted to get something out here really quick. Below is a picture I took of my current cubicle. I decided to grab a box to elevate my laptop up a bit allowing me to stand to work. I am hoping by standing, I can work on my core and not slouch so much in my chair.  I managed to stand for about 2 hours straight before I sat down for the last hour.

My Benefits of Being Healthy

Earlier I was discussing with a friend the benefits of being healthy. He was trying to convince me that there were no real benefits to working out and being healthy besides looking good. Of course, I disagreed with him and gave him some of my personal reasons for staying healthy.

Here are my Top Nine Reasons

1. I can go outside and play with my kids rather than sitting on a chair and watching.


2. I can go for walks and bike rides with my family.


3. We can go to the park and walk the trails.


4. I can take my family to the pool and be in the water with them.


5. We can play ball or tag.


6. My health wont prevent me from seeing my kids go to Prom, graduate from high school/college and get married.


7. My health wont prevent me from holding my grandchildren and watching them grow.


8. I know that my wife can count on me when she needs me most.


9. My health wont prevent me from continuing to support my wife and family.

These are just but a few of the reasons why I want to maintain a healthy and vibrant lifestyle. In summary, I keep myself healthy so that I can continue to care for my family and provide them all of life's greatest treasures.

Time For Lent

It's that time of year again when Catholics all over the world give up something for 40 days in honor of the all mighty Creator. Sometimes the item given up is a favorite food and sometimes it's a vice that really needs to be given up and people use Lent as that reason.  Last year I didn't give up anything but instead took on a challenge. But for the life of me, I cannot remember what that challenge was. It must not have been the life fulfilling experience that I had hoped it would be.  I hope this year can be different.

 

What I Am Going to Do

This year I am going to give up a few things, but I am going to keep the specifics of exactly what, to myself.  I am also going to take on a personal challenge. That challenge is going to be to post something everyday on this blog. It's my hope that something I write will help to inspire others to improve their lives in a healthy way. Even if I can help one person, that will be a great accomplishment in my mind.

 

What About You?

Are you giving up anything for lent? Are you taking on any new challenges or possibilities? I would love to hear about it.

 

p.s. I am definitely going to give up my newly acquired diet soda addiction that came back after some very late and stressful nights these last few weeks. I am also going back on a strict paleo diet. There...I have said enough!

Dangers of Soy Based Infant Formula

As many of you know, my wife and I recently became the proud parents of a little boy. Since he was born a little early, he has had to spend his time in the NICU at our hospital.  A conversation came up a few days back about soy infant formula and being the health fanatic that I am, I immediately was up in arms regarding the topic. Many people do not know or understand the dangers of soy in infant formula so I thought I would link to a very interesting site on the subject.

And for the record, my son does not need formula let alone soy formula. It was mentioned in passing by a nurse only. Just wanted to clarify that.

Possible Effects of Soy Infant Formula
by Sally Fallon, Mary Enig, PhD, & Michael Fitzptrck

POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF PHYTOESTROGENS IN SOY INFANT FORMULASoy formula, which contains phytoestrogens, genistein and daidzein (also called isoflavones) is given to approximately 25% of those US children fed formula. It is estimated that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. By contrast, almost no phytoestrogens have been detected in dairy-based infant formula or in human milk, even when the mother consumes soy products. A recent study found that babies fed soy-based formula had 13,000 to 22,000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Scientists have known for years that isoflavones in soy products can depress thyroid function, causing autoimmune thyroid disease and even cancer of the thyroid. But what are the effects of soy products on the hormonal development of the infant, both male and female?

You can read the rest of the article here.

Tough Sleep

I know I am breaking a very important Primal rule with my sleeping habits lately. As you can see from the picture below, I have been sleeping on a hospital pull out bed. It’s cold, short, and makes a horrible squeaking noise every time.  The one thing it does give me though is the ability to stay at the hospital with my wife and newborn son. Heck, I would sleep on the floor if it meant that I was at the hospital with them.

I am looking forward to the day that we can all go home together and enjoy our own beds.

Paleo Diet Discussed on Nightline

I thought this video was pretty good at explaining the Paleo diet in a very generic sense. It didn't go into specifics as much as some would probably like but in the time allowed, I think it could really help people get interested in it.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoE2X1_Kd0U