My Fytness Journal

High levels of sodium lurk in many of the foods we eat. Anything processed like meats and cheese, snacky snacks, beef jerky, soy sauce, canned soup, and pickled foods are just some of the culprits. Sports drinks, V8, and many canned teas are bad as well. Nothing like good ol' water folks...

I try to keep my sodium levels under 2500mg. People who don't track their sodium have no idea how hard this is. That cuts out all fast foods, processed meats, most juices, my favorite cheeses, and many restaurants. Places like Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's load their food with sodium. Even the "Guiltless Grill" choices are so high in sodium, I get thirsty just thinking about it.

One of the main reasons for avoiding sodium is the water retention. I feel bloated and tired when I consume too much salt. And the 3 to 4 extra pounds of water does not help during those weigh-ins. In addition, high blood pressure risks are very real when you maintain a healthy regime of high sodium foods.

The only people who should consume high amounts of sodium are ultra-endurance athletes. I don't know any of those and if you are reading this you most likely are not one either. Always check the sodium content of food. If you can't find it, don't eat it!

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It is the boys last weekend in OC before he heads back to Canada for the summer. He requested a trip to In n' Out and I couldn't refuse him. If there is one thing he likes it is beef. He had a 3x3 and I had a double "protein style" of course. Was not too bad actually. I make waaayyy better burgers but it is hard to beat the ambiance. Missing those tomatoes. Well, just me because the boy hates them. It is a texture thing.

Arm day went great today. Did three exercises for both biceps and triceps. Actually did a decent amount of weight and my stamina was respectable. Nowhere near where I want it to be but I can live with it for my second week back. Also, cardio was good this morning. I pushed myself a little harder than normal and really got a nice sweat.

Went with Amanda and the boy to see a movie tonight. I forced em' to see The Strangers. It stared some guy I have never seen before and the elf princess from LOTR, Liv Tyler. I am not a big fan of hers and the movie was kinda lame. It reminded me of why I am not a horror movie fan. The boy was not happy with me for making him go. Oh well, now he has another little tidbit to tell his therapist in 20 years. :o)

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When working your delts, it is important to think of them as three separate muscles. You have the front, side, and rear delts. Each requires attention in order to fully work this muscle group.

For front delts, I like seated presses on the Smith machine where I increment the weight by 25's and do 12 reps. I keep adding a 25 until I get to five a side. I then start taking them off one 25 at a time until I have just the bar. Another exercise I will do is standard shoulder dumb bell presses seated on a bench, with back support.

For side delts, I like side dumb bell raises utilizing a drop set where I do a set of 12 reps and then cut the weight in half and immediately do 12 more. I do three sets of these. Also, another good exercise for side delts are cable side raises to get a nice slow burn.

Finally, for rear delts (see picture above) I will sit on a flat bench and lean over until my chest is almost touching my quads. I then do dumb bell raises with a 90 degree bent arm to really attack those rear delts. A bent over lateral it is called. This is how you get that separation of tricep and shoulder. A good superset for this exercise is to use the cable crossover to mimic this exercise but concentrate on the flex at the top.

Now, keep in mind that these are just a few of the exercises I like to do. I have found them to work very well for me in the past. To get maximum results you should mix it up and keep shocking your body into new growth. I will detail more exercises coming up soon.

It is important to remember, that for delts it is not how much weight you do, but how good you do the exercise. Lots of weight when you can't handle is a great way to injure your shoulder. And, that is one joint you do not want to mess up. Slow, controlled motion with lots of drop sets or supersets to really get a good burn. In my opinion, that is the best way to get results.

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It is tough to find tasty low carb/high protein snacks, but here are few I like to eat:

• Roasted edamame - Very high in fiber, try the raw as well
  
• Cottage cheese - Throw in some fruit or yogurt for a twist
  
• Protein shake - I use Optimum Nutrition and Muscle Milk
  
• Hard boiled egg - Great quick and easy food that you can buy at any grocer if you are in a rush
  
• String cheese sticks - High in protein and virtually no carbs, which is nice
  
• Jerky - High in protein but watch the sodium
  

Be conscious of the carbs and sodium people!!! And always remember, everything in moderation...

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In case you haven't heard, the FDA is warning of a salmonella outbreak linked to certain kinds of raw tomatoes and raw-tomato products (such as salsa, pico de gallo, gazpacho, salads and garnishes). Salmonella from raw tomatoes has been reported in 17 states so far. As a precaution, many grocery chains and restaurants are taking tomatoes off the menu until the exact source is found.

According to the FDA, we should avoid Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and round red tomatoes from affected states. The following kinds of tomatoes are deemed safe: homegrown tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, grape and cherry tomatoes.

Symptoms of Salmonella include stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, which can appear 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated foods.

For updates and more details about which states are affected, check the FDA's website here.

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There are many arguments as to whether doing cardio on an empty stomach in the morning is beneficial (just do a Google search on it and you will see). It is hard to say what is right or wrong in this respect. If you simply look at the studies you will never come up with a valid conclusion.

I go by my experience. I have found that doing cardio in the morning helps me tighten up and gives me a great start to the day. I think that if your nutrition is good and your are healthy, morning cardio is of great benefit.

I typically start with 5 minutes of warm up and jump right into 30 minutes of intense cardio followed by a 5 minute cool down. I change my exercises every time I do it. I use the elliptical, bike, inclined walking, or whatever the gym has. For those 30 minutes, I like to get my heart rate up to between 120 and 130 (this will vary depending on your age and health). I do this on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. However, on Saturday I like to do a full hour where I increase and decrease the level of difficulty. Kind of like circuit training. It is good to mix things and keep shocking your body into new growth (this is another whole separate topic that I will get into soon).

As in my previous post dealing with muscle or fat burning, there are methods to determine what effect the morning cardio on an empty stomach is having on your body. Remember, you only want to burn fat. If you find you aren't burning fat, change your eating plan and workout routine.

One of the biggest positives I get from morning cardio, other than fat burning, is that it wakes me up and gets me going for the rest of the day. I find, for my body anyways, that some good intense exercise in the AM really gets my motor running and actually makes me more energetic for my work day. I am firm believer in getting a good sweat on at least 3 times a week.

So get up and get that AM cardio going! As with anything, plan well. If you get your gym clothes ready the night before and place them beside the bed, it will make it easier on you to do cardio. Don't take the easy way out, but make things easier on yourself. Preparation is key when comes to a lifestyle change. If you have to fumble around for your gym shoes and clothes in the morning, you will make excuses not to do it. Don't do that to yourself! If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

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My second week back on the workout wagon and I am feeling good. I already feel so much better than last week and my stamina has gone up drastically. Muscle memory is a great thing!

Eating is going very well. I have followed my plan perfectly so far and I swear my gut feels tighter already. My meal for lunch today will be lean roast beef, a glass of milk, and an apple. I have been snacking on the roasted edamame almost exclusively between meals. It is good stuff.

I plan on doing another weigh-in this coming Monday. No real reason, I just like to do it in two week intervals. It can get discouraging if you are constantly living on the scale. Patience young grasshopper...

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Amanda bought a Wigglin" Water Snake by Wham-O. Sounds exciting doesn't it! Like something from a Ren & Stimpy episode.

There is no shortage of crap at that place. But, there is actually some cool things as well. You can buy everything from used tools to a Ferrari. Only in Orange County...

That was it for purchases. We ate beef brisket and I drank water. Amanda is hooked on soda. She is a tough nut to crack.

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We are off to the swap meet in Orange County today. I have never actually been there before but I heard it is a great place to pick up things you really have no use for. I am all about buying useless stuff...

It is always a little challenging when going to an outing like this to try and eat as healthy as you can. The smell of cotton candy, hot dogs, and churros can be a little overwhelming. It helps me to think about my motivational quotes and my goals. Is a churro more important than having a flat stomach or surfing an 8 foot wave? I think not (well, not to me anyways). If you eat things in moderation, that is okay. However, how many of us would eat the churro, the hot dog covered in starchy goo, and the sugary soda? Too many of us I would guess.

There are always ways to eat healthy. I am sure there will be vendors selling chicken, fruits, and veggies. At the very least I am sure I could pick up some beef jerky although the amount of sodium is grossly high. And, I like to take my own water to avoid the $3 water charge at the vendor. But, there is water still available if you want it.

Hopefully I won't blow too much money today on velvety Elvis paintings and knockoff Oakleys...

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Many people I know think that they can replace meals and food with dietary supplements. This is not the way to go about being healthy though. There is no magic pill that gives you great health. It boils down to what you eat.

Vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients and our bodies are not capable of creating most of these. We need foods and if for some reason we do not have access to the proper foods then dietary supplements. For maximum health a small, steady intake of micronutrients is the proper path.

Dietary supplements can help with your meals if you find that you are not getting proper nutrition. However, it is not wise to base your diet on these supplements. Dietary supplements cannot fill the void of proper nutrition and they are missing many things that are found in the foods that we eat.

Whole foods are best and a proper diet should revolve around them. They offer your best solution for getting the proper micronutrients. Vitamin C pills do not contain the beta-carotene, calcium and other nutrients that an orange does. Pills do not contain the fiber our bodies need to prevent diabetes and heart disease. Pills also do not contain the very important phytochemicals which may help protect you against heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Not too mention all the antioxidants that whole foods contain.

If you are pregnant, nursing, nursing, have a medical condition that requires it, or eat badly you most likely require dietary supplements. It ia always best to speak to a doctor or dietitian about getting the proper nourishment.

Some things too watch for in supplements are the expiry date, (I have been burned by this before), recommended dose amount, and megadose supplements. Anything of the megadose variety is a waste of money and just a producer of expensive urine. Look for supplements that offer no more than 100% of the daily recommended intake. One of the best examples is calcium. Calcium pills come in huge quantities of calcium. This is not the best way to consume it. The best way is to consume small amounts of calcium several times throughout the day.

Remember, don't waste your money and health. Be smart and eat right.

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My mother's surgery went well yesterday. They removed both breasts and all lymph nodes in the area. The chest wall looked good and the doctors said there were no issues. We have to wait for the results of the lymph node tests to come back and see what type of therapy she will get. Hopefully that will kill any cancer that may still be lingering.

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My legs are good and sore today from my leg day two days ago. As the people in the professional training game will tell you, I have DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). It is not a bad case mind you, but still a good sign that I woke those bad boys up down there, which is nice...

As long as I eat good and get some rest I will be good tomorrow. Started my day with a 3-egg omelette (1 yolk), a banana, and a glass of milk. I will snack on a few roasted edamame as well. Lunch will be a chicken breast with mixed veggies. In between my meals I have a muscle milk/peanut butter shake or one of the health bars I make.

Mom goes into surgery in 15 minutes..... :-(

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Two weekends ago, while home for my grandmothers funeral, my mom told us that she had breast cancer. Not exactly the best weekend to say the least.

She said that she had stage 3 breast cancer in her right breast but did not know anything else. On Monday she had a biopsy done to her left breast and they found more cancer there too. It runs out she as Invasive Ductal Carcinoma or IDC. It is the most common breast cancer with around 80% of the cases, Yeah, that REALLY gives me the warm fuzzies....

So, tomorrow she is having both breasts removed at 10:30 A.M. The shitty part is that I can not be there for her. I am feeling like the best son on earth right now (insert eye roll & sigh here). I don't think there was ever a time she was not there for me. Life sucks sometimes. But, we are all responsible for the choices we make and the resulting consequences.

I have that sick, foggy feeling where shocking news you recently received that did not seem real at that moment or for days after, has finally congealed into heavy reality.

No sleep for me tonight. My mind is running circles...

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Had a good shoulder day today. Did three solid exercises to work the rear, side, & front delts. A drop set of side raises, bent over rows, and cable presses.

Bi's and tri's tomorrow and then cardio over the weekend. The first week back I don't overdo it. That is a good way to get hurt or too sore. I have learned my lessons...

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For anyone that has decided to get in shape, it is important to maximize your effort. If you are hitting the gym for an hour why not get the most out of it? One of the obvious goals is to look good.

For 99% of people it is not an issue of having too much muscle. The problem is all that fat. But, there can be a problem if you don't eat right when you are pushing you body at the gym. You may be burning muscle instead of fat. One of the biggest ways of doing this is by not taking in enough calories. Fad or crash diets are notorious for doing this.

Most people think they need to cut out meals or really cut down on what they eat. This is not always true. I have found that changing what your eat and the times you do it gets far more results. Some things are obvious, if you eat potato chips, candy bars, or fatty foots everyday you should know better dummy. Substitute these with veggies and fruits and you will be far better off. But, don't pig out on the those either. Everything in moderation. Heck, even too much water is not good for you.

So, getting back to the point, when you cut down your calories you run the risk of your body burning muscle for energy. This can be very bad. Not only does it take away from your overall health, energy level, and looks, it can be fatal if done to extremes. There are muscles other than the ones on your arms and legs in your body.

One of the reasons for going to the gym is to sculpt muscles to be more physically attractive. If you remove the muscles it does not look very appealing. Having a proper diet and consuming a proper amount of calories is vital to repairing the building blocks of these muscles.

But, how can you tell if you are brining muscles or fat? One simple way is the use of a ketone test. When your body burns fat, one of the byproducts is ketone. You are can pick up ketone "pee strips" at most pharmacies. They stock them for diabetics. If you are in the midst of a workout routine/healthy eating plan I suggest you pick up some of these strips and see how your body is doing. If there is no ketone, see your doctor and change what you are doing.

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Yikes, I am so sore today. It is good though to have this reminder that I shouldn't take any 2 month breaks from the gym. I will have to go through about 3 weeks of this pain until it goes away and I am back to normal. I typically never get sore from working out if I am sleeping and eating well.

Today I am working my traps and shoulders. In the next week I am going to outline my workout routine and why I do what I do. Each body part has its own burn but I think I like the shoulder burn the best....or maybe quads...hard to say.

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No Bake Nutrition Bar Recipe

If you don't like the additives in store-bought nutrition bars or hate paying $3 for a meal replacement bar or protein bar snack, you'll appreciate this recipe. These are quick to make and make for a nice little snack, too. Best of all, they contain healthy dietary fat, are no-sugar added and do not contain glycerine or other unnatural ingredients. Be sure to keep them refrigerated and don't eat the whole batch at once!


Ingredients:

5 tbsp natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1/2 cup dry oats or whole grain hot cereal (uncooked)

1/2 cup oat flour * (double the oats if you do not have oat flour)

6 scoops chocolate whey protein (~132 grams protein)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons flax seeds (optional)

1 cup non-fat dry milk

1/2 cup water (depending on what type of protein you use, you may need to add more)

Directions:

Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix - the mixture will be crumbly and dry. Add water & vanilla. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, everything until a dough forms. The dough will be sticky. Spread dough into pan using a clean wooden spoon or spatula that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Refrigerate a few hours (or freeze for an hour) and cut into 9 squares. Wrap bars individually (use sandwich bags or plastic wrap) or store in covered container between sheets of wax paper. Keep refrigerated.

Modifications: Use vanilla protein and replace ~1/4 cup of the oatflour with a variety of nuts, seeds, or dried berries. Chopped almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, flax seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, or dried cranberries would all work well.

* Making Oatmeal/Oat Flour: To make your own oat flour, all you need to do is put a cup or two of oatmeal in a regular household blender and blend it on high...it will turn into a flour. Store in a covered bowl in the pantry. It takes 1 minute and is VERY easy and cheap alternative to buying in the store.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

197 calories, 21 g protein, 7.2 g fat (8% saturated), 13.7 g carbohydrate, 1.6 g fiber

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Bought some dry roasted edamame from Costco this past weekend. I am very impressed. Good taste and low in sodium. Usually they pile the salt on for flavor when you buy the roasted beans from a place like Costco.

Made some of my homemade "health" bars with the boy tonight. He had to make something at home for his healthy cooking class tomorrow. It has been a little while since I made them. Forgot how good (and sticky) they are...

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When it comes to following any type of healthy eating plan or workout routine, the most important factor is your level of motivation. I am sure if you ask any of your friends or family about their past "diets" or gym trips, you will hear some sad stories mired in failure. I am very fortunate to be self-driven when it comes to working out and eating right. My problem lies in keeping it going. I seem to be able to go for 6, 7, or 8 months then have 1 or 2 month lapse if life gets a little tricky. That is the reason behind this blog. I hope to make myself accountable while maybe making some new friends with the same goals.

You see the failure in motivation in the Monday crowd that is too tired to go to gym on Tuesday and says they will go on Wednesday, then just end up going on Monday again because of guilt. Or, the New Years crowd that comes to the gym for 2 or 3 weeks, has no idea what they are doing,then ends up failing. Not everybody is blessed with the self-determination to overcome bad eating habits and laziness. Sometimes it takes a life changing event or health concerns to finally realize they should change their ways. Proper motivation is not developed overnight. It is cultured much in the same way that laziness is. How the two are built is not all that different if you really think about it. You really need to step out of your body and take a good honest look at your lifestyle. Can you do all the things you want to do and are you truly happy with yourself?

When I first started working out I built myself a little workout book. In it I outlined my exercise plan for 12 weeks in advance and there were slots for keeping track of my progress. I don't use a book now because I keep it all in my head and I find, for me personally, that I don't need to analyze every little thing I do. The workout book works for some people, I choose not to use it. I can recount the past 6 months of exercises and what weights and reps I did no problem.

However, in this book I also placed motivational quotes throughout it. I found it very uplifting to remind myself before a workout about why I am there. That it does not matter if someone at the gym is in good shape and makes me feel inferior. That what I am doing is for me and no one else matters. Make no mistake, if you are going to the gym to please someone else you will never be successful or happy there. You need to be there for you. Until you reach that stage your time is best spent elsewhere. It is a lifestyle change and you need to be ready for it.

Here are some my personal favorite quotes:

• What is more important to you, a flat, fit stomach or a McDonalds cheeseburger?
  
• They can because they think they can.
  
• Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
  
• Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
  
• Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.
  
• When you arrive at your future, will you blame your past?
  

I had these spaced all throughout my workout book when I first started, now they all live in my head. It is the little things that help sometimes. The help you need on a Monday morning when your alarm goes off at 5 AM telling you it is time get up and do cardio. The help when a friend wants you to go for all you can eat wings at a local bar on a Tuesday.

It boils down to truly believing you need a change and then setting yourself up for success. I will say it again, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

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Here some past reference pics of my back. Notice there are much less love handles and the back is broader. See, I am not crazy!



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I have followed a pretty strict eating regime in the past (minus the last 2-3 months amidst some personal turmoil) and plan on really cracking down on myself. It is easy to deviate and peer pressure can kill you.

Now, it is important to remember that you need to really know your goals before you start any workout or eating plan. You plan to fail if you fail to plan. As cliche as that is, it is true. I have seen so many people fail at this during my time in the gym.

My goal is to get a level of fitness that I am proud of and can maintain realistically and long term. It is kind of like a mission statement for a company I suppose. The things I am describing here are what works for a regular guy with a real and busy life. I don't want my life to completely revolve around bulking up like a bodybuilder and I don't want the stringy body of a jogger. I want a little bit of everything.

Here is the basic outline for my eating plan (I hate the word diet and it will never be used here):

• Eat every 2.5 to 3 hours for 6 meals a day.
  
• Breakfast is uber important.
  
• Each of my meals has between 30 to 40 g of protein, 10 to 20 g of carbs, and 10 to 20 g of good fats.
  
• I keep a bottle of water with me and am constantly sipping.
  
• 2 cups of double gunpowder green tea that I get from 99 Ranch Market. I love this stuff and swear by it...
  
• I eat a veggie or fruit with three meals a day.
  
• My vitamin regimen consists of calcium, B complex, C, E, magnesium, zinc, and a multi. I know it may be overkill and a wasts but every little bit helps.
  

Some of the different foods I eat are chicken breast, canned tuna, my homemade extra lean beef healthy chili, pork chops, raw and roasted edamame, whole grain (no butter people) toast, apples, bananas, pears, etc. You can pretty much go to any healthy food website and pick things from it. It is the portion size and the frequency that are important. It is important to remember that veggies and fruit count as carbs in my eating plan. If you eat a chicken breast you can have either an apple or some brown rice. Not both! Oh, and absolutely, positively no bleached food products. If I hear you are eating them, I will fight you, and that is no lie.

This plan has worked well for me in the past with doing very little cardio. When I get into detailing my workout I will go into my increased cardio ideas and what I actually do in the gym. Here is a hint: short, intense, and hard workouts. You are not there to socialize!

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Okay, here are my current pictures. Please note that this is the worst shape I have been in. It is depressing actually.



Here are the stats according to my highly accurate Target scale:

Weight: 220 lbs
Body fat %: 18.0
Water %: 55.5

It could always be worse than that. My goal is to maintain my weight at 215 lbs while keeping my body fat less than 10%. I will go into more detail into my plan for doing that a little later.

In the past I have been in the 230 to 235 lb range and kept my body fat at 12%. This initial goal is very attainable.

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Okay, it seems that I have picked out my template. Amanda Fazanzi at Blogger Buster wrote a great article about 101 XML templates that are better than the rest. It really helped me in my search. I chose one that she built but I may change the pale blue color to something slightly more manly.

On a different note, my morning is going well. I did 30 minutes of cardio and ate a good breakfast, albeit not a typical one (a grilled pork chop and one multi grain pancake left over from yesterday).

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I am still up at 11 PM trying to find a good template for my blog. This is stupid. Starting my first solid day of proper diet and exercise tired is not a good first step forward.

I am going to bed.

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