Time Passes and So Does Life

If I decide to not go to the gym on a given day There will be many other repercussions. Some of which is lack of motivation at work, loss of energy at home with the family, downgrading my self esteem, loss of muscle, gaining of fat.

So that should be enough to get me there twice a day, eh? That is why I am headed to the gym today to get my workouts going strong. I am willing and ready and need to push myself to get there. The more days that pass, the harder it becomes.

Weaver joined yesterday and is pumped up. I helped pump him to get there so I have a major responsibility to continue in a big way. I love it there. I love the feeling of working hard, of pushing myself to burn the fat, to gain the muscle. I will become the energized man and let this last half a month be a memory!

Mobile fitness blog

Fitness should be mobile, that's why I am starting to blog with the blackberry

Great new Routine for me!

Wow, Ok! Here's another turn in the Jimmy Fitness Saga. I went to the gym to see that they took good care of Richie and to work out a bit on my sore back. After seeing Rich off, I went to see the Apollo Athletic Club training manager Don. I asked him what kind of change in routine I should do considering that I hurt my back 11 days ago.

We was quite concerned ant asked me a bunch of questions regarding my injury, what I was lifting and the kind of routine I was into. He brought out a new paper and wrote a whole new routine for strengthening the back and stomach to get me back into the swing of things.

I thought that I would take this paper and run through it, but it turns out that her spent the next 45 minutes explaining all the exercises and how to do each one. He went into the kinetics of each exercise and why they were important for my situation. Don also took the time to adjust every exercize for maximum efficiency so I am not lifting more weight than I have to! All his in an unscheduled, off the books session just so I could continue with confidence.

Holiday Ouch!

OK Holidays came and it was the triumphant start to the new 6-week exercise program. Christmas Eve. I had a few hours in the morning to go meet with the trainer Patrick. He did a great job doing the body measurements and getting a new program worked out...

But I went too hard on my first go! Ouch... put out my back big time. Christmas eve till after new years, my back was very sore. It still aches and is very stiff in the morning. but I am going back to get better and start this second week over again.

Today, I will take some time to exercise lightly and talk to a trainer about how to get back to work. Nothing heavy at first... maybe swimming? low impact anyway.

Now lets talk about Holiday eating from a laid-up guy. I did not eat the best foods, lets just start there. I did not stick to eating every 2 hours and writing down my calorie intake. I am glad because that would be horrific to see. I did not over-do meals, but rather, I snacked on too much junky junk food. Lots of crackers chips and chocolate.

Don't get me wrong! I'm not upset about it. I just want to say that I am back to it as of today and going with it all the way. I will really have to watch what I eat for the next week or so because the Calorie Levels that I burn will come down considerably due to lack of exercise intensity.

So I will need to eat lots of veggies and healthy stuff this week as I get back from the back injury.

All right. I finished my six weeks. Whew! I have not worked so hard at anything in my life. I have been self motivated to become uncomfortable during my work out. To be working until exhaustion.

I have just finished my Level 2 training session with Patrick from Apollo. He created a workout that kicked my ass into the ground. He abandoned all the weight machines and created a workout that used free weights and natural body/gravity resistance.

I gotta say that the pistol squats were too much for me and hurt my back a bit. I had him change them to something that will allow me to train towards doing them. The Assisted Pull-ups also are impossible to complete. I am doing those anyway because I promised that I would be able to do them by the end of six weeks.

I did the body test today too I found that I have 29.6% fat. I am 291.6 lbs. My new goal is 19% body fat which will put me in the high side of optimal (8%-19%). I do not know how long this is going to take, but I will find out because I was given permission to do this test every week with whatever trainer is on duty. I will be able to track and see how fast I can burn fat.

I am so sore. I have been kicked in the ass today. Thanks Patrick!

Today is Day 30 of my fitness experience.

Total Calorie Deficit: -1030

Weight: 296.5 lbs

Total weight loss: 12.5 lbs

OVERVIEW

It is all consuming. Its taking over my head space! Where there used to be thoughts of music and business and abstract thinking, there is an overwhelming need to get moving and out to the gym. Like today, for example, it was supposed to be a rest day and I did not fill my gym bag. I drove back to work after dinner and instead of going straight to work I drove up to the gym... This sounds like me now. Gym obsessed. Don't tell the wife though! She'll think I weird. I ended up leaving there with no shirt on under my jacket. In fact, I'm writing this blog post with no shirt and just a jacket... Shirt is drying on the INSIGNO heater.

WORKOUT

Todays impromptu workout was a doosie! I did Intervals on the elptical machine. People definitely look at my funny because I shake the whole machine when going at 230 RPM for 35 seconds every 25 seconds. the sweat is pouring off me like a waterfall, I'm pouring water on me to cool off and huffing like a steam train. Then the little girl beside me is walking and trying to read a magazine.

On the TV in front of us is a OLN show about places to get the biggest burger ever! Yuk! I couldn't eat that. These things are the size of a small roast turkey and filled with heart clogging hamburger, ham, bacon, cheese, cheese, cheese, and hot sauce galore! So it made me kind of work a little harder today.

FOOD CHOICES

Making great meal choices is easy now. I have decided that making a giant salad and adding boiled egg was a great lunch. I also cut up a ton of veggies for snacking all day. I eat very little bread now! I would really like to cut it out completely but I am still fighting with how to eat peanut butter without bread. Crackers?

I continue to eat oatmeal every morning. It is supposed to be really good for a lot of stuff, bu I cant seem to ever remember what! Something about soluble fiber... anyway, Its great to eat in the morning because my brain starts right out of the gate. Just slamming for the rest of the morning. I make sure I eat things like apples and veggies for the rest of the day to keep from spiking my blood sugar. This helps avoid the 3:00 nappy-naps. I haven't seen them in a while...

SLEEP

The 8-hour-day-challenge is working out great. No matter what time I go to bed, I wake up 8 hours later. This works too good. After being up late (12:15) I woke up at 7:00 and said, "nope! I'm sleeping till 8:15." So I lay there dozing for another hour or so. I could have got up, but I am keeping to my word these days. My alertness level is right now. I see how successful people do it. Healthy eating, Healthy exercise, Healthy sleeping...

Today is the last day of the 5th week of fitness for me. A totally great workout that took me to the limit of my endurance. I am building muscle and keeping the hear rate up. Being motivated by the staff of Apollo Gym in Abbotsford and motivating everyone with my hard work.

I was especially happy to throw up a big number towards my weight loss goal of 208 lbs. I started out at a whopping and life long record of 308.5 lbs. Thats a lot for a 6' guy. I am in danger of getting heard disease, diabetes, cancer and a slew of other disease that go along with being so heavy. That is why on Nov 7, 2010, I decided to get going with fitness

After 5 weeks of this I am at 296.5. 12 lbs in 5 weeks is great! and it is all because of hard work. There is no fad here, no "special diet" Just counting calories and going to the gym every day. This slow incremental loss of fat and gain of muscle will leave a lasting legacy of fitness for me and my body.

Today, I have noticed that my wedding ring is kinda loose on my finger... I am hoping its because I haven't finished replenishing my fluid levels and I have become dehydrated. I would hate to have my ring resized so soon..