Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Groggy and achy. Nutrition has been so-so today. Not all that hungry for some reason.
I went to my naturopath this morning and had acupuncture and procaine injections in my shoulders to ease up the traps. A couple of the needles hit a real tight spot and wow! I'll see in kb tonight if it helps.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Day 17
PT sessions are back on track. Today's went about a million times better. Focus was good, energy was good, exercises were tough but felt rewarding. My balance seemed pretty decent today.
Diet was good today. Small cheat in portion size for dinner - my stomach was howling!
I have a bunch of vacation coming up where the diet and exercise will not receive as much attention as they are now. First up is a short trip to Tofino, then on July 1 we head to Manitoba to visit family and get a bit of fishing in up north. Close to 3 weeks that I'll be away from home. Sean's lining up some stuff for me to do while I'm away, then it's up to me to actually do it.
Diet was good today. Small cheat in portion size for dinner - my stomach was howling!
I have a bunch of vacation coming up where the diet and exercise will not receive as much attention as they are now. First up is a short trip to Tofino, then on July 1 we head to Manitoba to visit family and get a bit of fishing in up north. Close to 3 weeks that I'll be away from home. Sean's lining up some stuff for me to do while I'm away, then it's up to me to actually do it.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Day 16
Last night at kickboxing, I thought I'd press my luck. At the end of class, we finished off with pushups and I thought I'd give the normal pushup a go. Turns out my core (i.e. abdominal injury area) took it well! I didn't feel a tweak down there at all! Either the work I've been doing with Sean has aided the rehab of that muscle pull or it's finally healing on it's own. I suspect it has more to do with working with Sean since he makes me focus on tightening the abs in almost everything I do. When I tighten my upper abs, my lower abs don't have to engage as much. I suspect the upper abs are already a LOT stronger. Bottom line -- it's nice to be able to lift my knees of the floor when I do pushups... :)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Day 15
Had an off day yesterday. Focus was poor, energy level was low and I was giving up on the last couple of reps for almost everything during the PT session. The night before was the night I had pizza and I also had trouble sleeping that night. I ended up cranking away on my laptop at 1:00 am and went to bed exhausted. For one reason or another I had no coffee yesterday and I think that may have given me my temporary ADD.
My lats were still sore from Monday but I got some decent backwork in and some arms and chest work before I had to go to the mens room to hurl. Felt a LOT better after that so with a little help from Scope, back to a final couple of sets. I was sweating so bad that a stream of sweat ran into my eye and stung like hell.
Today, my nutrition is back on track and I should make it to my 1:00 kickboxing class. Energy is up, and the ADD is gone. Would have been a great day for PT...
One thing that is obvious from the last few PT sessions is that my legs are in decent shape strength-wise, but not my upper body. Stamina can use some work overall. I'm guessing the legs have had decent workouts from a year and a half of kb, arms not so much. That will change pretty soon. I'm also looking forward to seeing the effects of better balance. Sweet stuff!
My lats were still sore from Monday but I got some decent backwork in and some arms and chest work before I had to go to the mens room to hurl. Felt a LOT better after that so with a little help from Scope, back to a final couple of sets. I was sweating so bad that a stream of sweat ran into my eye and stung like hell.
Today, my nutrition is back on track and I should make it to my 1:00 kickboxing class. Energy is up, and the ADD is gone. Would have been a great day for PT...
One thing that is obvious from the last few PT sessions is that my legs are in decent shape strength-wise, but not my upper body. Stamina can use some work overall. I'm guessing the legs have had decent workouts from a year and a half of kb, arms not so much. That will change pretty soon. I'm also looking forward to seeing the effects of better balance. Sweet stuff!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day 12
It's painful to put on underarm deodorant today. Either the lat muscle anchor point or the little muscles right above them that wrap into the arm pit. Wow. Apparently I have the pull-ups to thank for that one. It's also tough to raise my arms above my head.
No pain, no gain though eh? Last night at kickboxing, the class flew by faster than it ever has. I realized at one point that I was having a bit of fun with the exercises, mentally challenging myself to do a little extra or exaggerate movements. This is what made time pass so quick. It's a sign that my fitness is already picking up because I normally have to pace myself a bit more. Another alternative is that I'm just simply feeling more confident about my abilities. Whatever the root cause is, the effect is new.
As for diet, the last couple of days have been off-days for sure. Nothing crazy, but I'm down to 4 meals including the shake after a workout. I've had some business meetings that take me away from home and the timing shifts meal times to the point where it would be tough to eat again at the next scheduled time. I'll need to get a bit more savvy with the sandwich as my out-and-about meal.
Sean put my legs through a hell of a workout today. Not as wobbly as I feared when it was all said and done, but I had to pause twice going up stairs an hour later. No pukeyness today.
I was planning on going to kickboxing tomorrow morning but everything on me hurts right now. If it's any worse tomorrow I might take the day off although my girlfriend has the day off and wants me out of the house so we'll see...
No pain, no gain though eh? Last night at kickboxing, the class flew by faster than it ever has. I realized at one point that I was having a bit of fun with the exercises, mentally challenging myself to do a little extra or exaggerate movements. This is what made time pass so quick. It's a sign that my fitness is already picking up because I normally have to pace myself a bit more. Another alternative is that I'm just simply feeling more confident about my abilities. Whatever the root cause is, the effect is new.
As for diet, the last couple of days have been off-days for sure. Nothing crazy, but I'm down to 4 meals including the shake after a workout. I've had some business meetings that take me away from home and the timing shifts meal times to the point where it would be tough to eat again at the next scheduled time. I'll need to get a bit more savvy with the sandwich as my out-and-about meal.
Sean put my legs through a hell of a workout today. Not as wobbly as I feared when it was all said and done, but I had to pause twice going up stairs an hour later. No pukeyness today.
I was planning on going to kickboxing tomorrow morning but everything on me hurts right now. If it's any worse tomorrow I might take the day off although my girlfriend has the day off and wants me out of the house so we'll see...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Day 11
Another fantastic workout yesterday with Sean. I felt like I was going to puke more than once and sweat was running off my head like crazy. We did upper body and my shoulders are still dead today. Although we haven't done a lot of isolated exercises for the arms, my biceps feel like they are already strengthening a lot. Balance is picking up. Most of the exercises we do (upper or lower) involve having to balance in some way (one arm chest press on the ball is a great example). My wobble-legs aren't as bad as last week so I'm starting to be able to concentrate on the movement and the balance comes a bit more naturally. A "bit" being the operative word. :)
On the food front, I'm seeing some of the drawbacks of the high protein diet and am going to need to get some more of what All Bran has to offer. May need to swap out the breakfast shake for something with a LOT more fibre or get some more Omega-3's in the day. I'm probably going to up the fish intake and decrease the red meat as well. Picked up some Montreal-Style Chicken Seasoning to hopefully make the chicken breasts a bit more appealing. I'm also going to try and go for a more crispy (i.e. grilled) version of the chicken breast. Baked just don't cut it.
I made some ahi tuna with green onion for lunch at it was pretty tasty. One thing this diet is making me do is think about healthy ingredients to make a meal tasty. Normally, one can just add sugar, salt or fat and the meal will almost automatically be flavorful. Without taking that carefree approach to food seasoning, I actually have to use some sort of creativity. It might make me a better cook!
Injuries aren't hurting at all today. Kickboxing tonight...
On the food front, I'm seeing some of the drawbacks of the high protein diet and am going to need to get some more of what All Bran has to offer. May need to swap out the breakfast shake for something with a LOT more fibre or get some more Omega-3's in the day. I'm probably going to up the fish intake and decrease the red meat as well. Picked up some Montreal-Style Chicken Seasoning to hopefully make the chicken breasts a bit more appealing. I'm also going to try and go for a more crispy (i.e. grilled) version of the chicken breast. Baked just don't cut it.
I made some ahi tuna with green onion for lunch at it was pretty tasty. One thing this diet is making me do is think about healthy ingredients to make a meal tasty. Normally, one can just add sugar, salt or fat and the meal will almost automatically be flavorful. Without taking that carefree approach to food seasoning, I actually have to use some sort of creativity. It might make me a better cook!
Injuries aren't hurting at all today. Kickboxing tonight...
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Good Run
I had a nice run today. I chose to run from home to the South Creek trail near the Rose Garden in Stanley Park, then skirt around Beaver Lake until I hit the North Creek trail. Up to Prospect Point and then down mostly the Bridal and Tatlow Trails.
I just mapped that out on a cool little site and it comes out to 5K. Not a lot of distance but I chose that route because the North Creek trail is a nice incline up to Prospect Point and a good test of the state of the legs.
The foot injury started acting up a lot on the incline but not enough to stop the run. No hint of the heel or shin pain from when I had the pads taped on my feet. On the decline I felt no pain at all. Circulation was a bit bad but again, not enough to stop things. I hope this is a sign of things to come...
I just mapped that out on a cool little site and it comes out to 5K. Not a lot of distance but I chose that route because the North Creek trail is a nice incline up to Prospect Point and a good test of the state of the legs.
The foot injury started acting up a lot on the incline but not enough to stop the run. No hint of the heel or shin pain from when I had the pads taped on my feet. On the decline I felt no pain at all. Circulation was a bit bad but again, not enough to stop things. I hope this is a sign of things to come...
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Day 8
The last two days have been tough diet-wise. My body and mind are revolting against the diet like never before. I've been pukey on a somewhat common basis, energy levels low and the idea of eating the food that I have on my list just disturbs me.
So, I've been out for a couple of sushi lunches and stuck well to healthy options (with lots of shashimi for protein). My carbs increased on these meals for sure but fat stayed low. That's always been one of the greatest things about sushi - you can always get tasty and low fat. Low carbs isn't quite as easy. Because it was some of the first tasty food in the last week, I ended up eating a bit more than the scheduled portion size.
Last night, I still couldn't get out of the crappy food revolt so we ordered from a Mexican restaurant. I forgot how a lot of Mexican food can utilize veggies a lot - think salsa. I ordered a chicken breast meal (2 flattened, baked or poached chicken breasts, tomatillo sauce). That in itself is pretty decent. I just couldn't stay away from the damn taco chips and rice. The beans were probably a bit more creamy than I expected and again, I just couldn't stay away.
So, that's my cheats going into the weekend.
Today, I just knew I couldn't eat that crappy plain old bland oatmeal on it's own so I put it in my shake. Very palatable that way and makes breakfast just a little bit easier to make and clean up. I hope I can make this one a go for a while. I need some stability in my meals.
So, I've been out for a couple of sushi lunches and stuck well to healthy options (with lots of shashimi for protein). My carbs increased on these meals for sure but fat stayed low. That's always been one of the greatest things about sushi - you can always get tasty and low fat. Low carbs isn't quite as easy. Because it was some of the first tasty food in the last week, I ended up eating a bit more than the scheduled portion size.
Last night, I still couldn't get out of the crappy food revolt so we ordered from a Mexican restaurant. I forgot how a lot of Mexican food can utilize veggies a lot - think salsa. I ordered a chicken breast meal (2 flattened, baked or poached chicken breasts, tomatillo sauce). That in itself is pretty decent. I just couldn't stay away from the damn taco chips and rice. The beans were probably a bit more creamy than I expected and again, I just couldn't stay away.
So, that's my cheats going into the weekend.
Today, I just knew I couldn't eat that crappy plain old bland oatmeal on it's own so I put it in my shake. Very palatable that way and makes breakfast just a little bit easier to make and clean up. I hope I can make this one a go for a while. I need some stability in my meals.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Podiatrist Appt
Just got back from my podiatrist appointment. Apparently my arch on my left foot is collapsing a bit when I walk. The tendon that anchors in the arch and runs up to the knee is trying to pull the arch back up and is working overtime, causing tendinitis. So, he taped my foot up with a bit of arch support and I need to go for a run to see if things get better.
So the run brought back an old ache from the past and a brand new one. On the decline portion of the run, my shins ached again. They haven't bothered me on runs for a long time - usually because the feet give out first. The new ached was in the back of my left heel. It started aching almost immediately but got some relief on the decline and flats. As for the sore spot of interest, I didn't notice any ache until I slowed to a walk. It wasn't nearly as bad as it usually is and wasn't a showstopper for the run. Poor circulation in my feet was still an issue but just a overall general soreness is what ended the run.
So the run brought back an old ache from the past and a brand new one. On the decline portion of the run, my shins ached again. They haven't bothered me on runs for a long time - usually because the feet give out first. The new ached was in the back of my left heel. It started aching almost immediately but got some relief on the decline and flats. As for the sore spot of interest, I didn't notice any ache until I slowed to a walk. It wasn't nearly as bad as it usually is and wasn't a showstopper for the run. Poor circulation in my feet was still an issue but just a overall general soreness is what ended the run.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 5
It appears that the metabolism is still adjusting. Got up this morning and started making my oatmeal and protein shake. Sat down for a moment and almost puked. I had just taken my multivitamin, CLA and glutamine and maybe that did it. I tried to swallow a bit of protein shake to sooth the tummy but that triggered the main event. Walked back to the kitchen sink and boom!
My body is really missing all the old foods I ate. Most noticeably is drinks. I am craving my 7-UP and Iced Tea bad. Having a glass of water just doesn't cut it. This all makes me realize how self-gratifying my diet had become. Body craving a bit of sugar - give it lots! Craving something a little on the fatty side? Golden Arches! I suspect one of the big killers was the late nite bowls of ice cream with my girlfriend... Portion size had to be generous there. I worked hard, I deserved a treat. :)
This reminds me of the time I was living with my buddy Jeff. We had wrapped up our crazy diet and bodybuilding session a few months earlier. I went on a rampage of burgers and fries for a couple of months and then came the salt and vinegar chips. Had to be Lays. Had to be the big bag. Jeff comes home one day and I'm laying on the floor in front of the tv. The first casualty had lain cold for sometime and the second was about to fall. Jeff looked at me with wonder and disgust. All I could think of was I think I could use a new bag of these...
So, that leads me to my dilemma now. There is not a lot of point in these see-saw diets like this. I haven't had to live in feast and famine for a few generations now. I need to make sure that I don't bounce back crazy like that after I reach my initial fitness targets. I need something more sustainable. That being said, a stricter diet gets me to my goal quicker. So, do I just tough out the diet for say 6-8 weeks then add some things back in? If I'm not working with a personal trainer after that time will I manage to curb my cravings on my own with no one to have to own up to?
For this mornings meal anyways, I went for some All Bran with milk and a tiny bit of brown sugar and a half-portion sample of Matrix 5.0 protein powder. At least I didn't puke it up.
...a hour or so later...
As I was about to hop in the shower, I jumped on the scale. I was hovering around 188-190lbs before this last week. This morning I'm at 184.5. That may explain some of the puke, mood swings, headaches, etc. Normally, the body absorbs a lot of water to deal with carbs. With my carb reduction, I'm sure most of the weight loss is this water loss. But, that still seems a bit drastic to me. Again, I have 2 options: stick out the diet for quick loss and sucky quality of life, or even out the diet for more sustainability.
Skipping the planned diet for today. I'll aim to stick to the intent of the diet: high protein, low carb, low fat but I'd like to avoid puking again today.
In fitness news, I made it out to kickboxing last night. After a full day of lunges with Sean on Monday, we finished off our kickboxing class with karate stance walks and 200 squats. My legs wobble when I walk today.
So, not workouts today and a "normal" meal tonight of baked chicken, rice and asparagus. No skin on the chicken, only vinegar on the asparagus, everything in ~1/2 the portion size I normally like for that meal. 30 minutes later and I'm slightly hungry...
My body is really missing all the old foods I ate. Most noticeably is drinks. I am craving my 7-UP and Iced Tea bad. Having a glass of water just doesn't cut it. This all makes me realize how self-gratifying my diet had become. Body craving a bit of sugar - give it lots! Craving something a little on the fatty side? Golden Arches! I suspect one of the big killers was the late nite bowls of ice cream with my girlfriend... Portion size had to be generous there. I worked hard, I deserved a treat. :)
This reminds me of the time I was living with my buddy Jeff. We had wrapped up our crazy diet and bodybuilding session a few months earlier. I went on a rampage of burgers and fries for a couple of months and then came the salt and vinegar chips. Had to be Lays. Had to be the big bag. Jeff comes home one day and I'm laying on the floor in front of the tv. The first casualty had lain cold for sometime and the second was about to fall. Jeff looked at me with wonder and disgust. All I could think of was I think I could use a new bag of these...
So, that leads me to my dilemma now. There is not a lot of point in these see-saw diets like this. I haven't had to live in feast and famine for a few generations now. I need to make sure that I don't bounce back crazy like that after I reach my initial fitness targets. I need something more sustainable. That being said, a stricter diet gets me to my goal quicker. So, do I just tough out the diet for say 6-8 weeks then add some things back in? If I'm not working with a personal trainer after that time will I manage to curb my cravings on my own with no one to have to own up to?
For this mornings meal anyways, I went for some All Bran with milk and a tiny bit of brown sugar and a half-portion sample of Matrix 5.0 protein powder. At least I didn't puke it up.
...a hour or so later...
As I was about to hop in the shower, I jumped on the scale. I was hovering around 188-190lbs before this last week. This morning I'm at 184.5. That may explain some of the puke, mood swings, headaches, etc. Normally, the body absorbs a lot of water to deal with carbs. With my carb reduction, I'm sure most of the weight loss is this water loss. But, that still seems a bit drastic to me. Again, I have 2 options: stick out the diet for quick loss and sucky quality of life, or even out the diet for more sustainability.
Skipping the planned diet for today. I'll aim to stick to the intent of the diet: high protein, low carb, low fat but I'd like to avoid puking again today.
In fitness news, I made it out to kickboxing last night. After a full day of lunges with Sean on Monday, we finished off our kickboxing class with karate stance walks and 200 squats. My legs wobble when I walk today.
So, not workouts today and a "normal" meal tonight of baked chicken, rice and asparagus. No skin on the chicken, only vinegar on the asparagus, everything in ~1/2 the portion size I normally like for that meal. 30 minutes later and I'm slightly hungry...
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Day 4
No headache today. Thank god for that one.
I'm switching up some of the meal contents today. I'm going to my kickboxing class tonight at 8:00 and wanted the prior meal to have more carbs than my meal 5 normally has (close to none). I was going to go get some tuna shashimi and edamame for lunch, then have some rice with my dinner tonight but my target sushi place was closed. Instead, I'm having a protein shake and carrots, and I'll stick to the rice + meat + veggie tonight.
My meal shake-up is due in part to poor planning, a bit of laziness and a lot of logistics. I had the carpets cleaned today and everything is piled in the kitchen so it's tough to prepare anything - thus my sushi plan.
On the supplement front, while I was out in vain seeking sushi, I dropped by my nutrition store to pick up the CLA and glutamine. Got em. Turns out my store changed hands a while back and the new owner, Steve, is awesome. He has a couple of great club member specials on, one of which I took advantage of. He had 1kg protein powder blends on for $9.99. While I was shopping around, he was telling another customer about the strategy of using isolates only for post-workouts and use the blends the rest of the time. This stretches out the budget and also does something else: the blends will release a bit slower (cassein) so you'll get a better stretch for protein when you don't need immediate punch.
I've used pure cassein protein in the past and it is a wonderful protein source. Unfortunately it tastes like bile. My buddy Jeff and I got some from Krupps pharmacy back in the day. We would take it at night just before sleep and we'd wake up not hungry. You just knew it was working well. We'd call each other right after drinking it though and compare horror stories and trade technique for how to not get it to taste so bad. "chug it quick before you smell it" was about the best way. The results were just so damn good we stuck with it.
I never bothered reading much of the theory behind CLA and glutamine in the past but when I combine their proposed mechanism with their recommended dosage schedule, things make good sense. Glutamine is a semi-essential amino acid because our bodies can make it but sometimes they can't make enough. A hard workout depletes this baby so that's why we want to take it about an hour before a workout. We also take it a second time in the day but I don't know what the timing is on that one (i.e. if it's not tied to a workout, why take it?). CLA was shown in studies to help keep weight OFF. I'm guessing it acts like those wood blocks they put under tires to stop trucks from rolling back. It's not a time-release supplement, so we want to space it out to 3x per day.
On the fitness front, my legs are killing me today. All those lunges added up. My kb class tonight is going to be killer. This belt level seems to be all about kicking - a lot!
Later.
I'm switching up some of the meal contents today. I'm going to my kickboxing class tonight at 8:00 and wanted the prior meal to have more carbs than my meal 5 normally has (close to none). I was going to go get some tuna shashimi and edamame for lunch, then have some rice with my dinner tonight but my target sushi place was closed. Instead, I'm having a protein shake and carrots, and I'll stick to the rice + meat + veggie tonight.
My meal shake-up is due in part to poor planning, a bit of laziness and a lot of logistics. I had the carpets cleaned today and everything is piled in the kitchen so it's tough to prepare anything - thus my sushi plan.
On the supplement front, while I was out in vain seeking sushi, I dropped by my nutrition store to pick up the CLA and glutamine. Got em. Turns out my store changed hands a while back and the new owner, Steve, is awesome. He has a couple of great club member specials on, one of which I took advantage of. He had 1kg protein powder blends on for $9.99. While I was shopping around, he was telling another customer about the strategy of using isolates only for post-workouts and use the blends the rest of the time. This stretches out the budget and also does something else: the blends will release a bit slower (cassein) so you'll get a better stretch for protein when you don't need immediate punch.
I've used pure cassein protein in the past and it is a wonderful protein source. Unfortunately it tastes like bile. My buddy Jeff and I got some from Krupps pharmacy back in the day. We would take it at night just before sleep and we'd wake up not hungry. You just knew it was working well. We'd call each other right after drinking it though and compare horror stories and trade technique for how to not get it to taste so bad. "chug it quick before you smell it" was about the best way. The results were just so damn good we stuck with it.
I never bothered reading much of the theory behind CLA and glutamine in the past but when I combine their proposed mechanism with their recommended dosage schedule, things make good sense. Glutamine is a semi-essential amino acid because our bodies can make it but sometimes they can't make enough. A hard workout depletes this baby so that's why we want to take it about an hour before a workout. We also take it a second time in the day but I don't know what the timing is on that one (i.e. if it's not tied to a workout, why take it?). CLA was shown in studies to help keep weight OFF. I'm guessing it acts like those wood blocks they put under tires to stop trucks from rolling back. It's not a time-release supplement, so we want to space it out to 3x per day.
On the fitness front, my legs are killing me today. All those lunges added up. My kb class tonight is going to be killer. This belt level seems to be all about kicking - a lot!
Later.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Day 3
This morning, I put my blueberries in my protein shake instead of in the oatmeal. This makes the oatmeal bland as hell, but having a tasty sip of blueberry shake in between spoonfuls of oatmeal makes the oatmeal go down pretty well. There is something about a good beverage that can make any meal taste better. I'm getting extra carbs from the milk, but this meal is actually ok this way. The turkey sandwich meal can't benefit from the tasty protein shake, but it does come with an apple that can work the same magic.
I'm giving up on the Ancient Grains bread. Too dense for my taste. I got a loaf of Kamut bread from Urban Fare for $4.69 which looks like it has ~14 slices so that will stretch the dollar a bit more and be a bit more palatable. I picked up a 4L skim milk and 2 small sirloin steaks for $4.69 and $6.18 respectively. The milk should last maybe 2 weeks. The steak will be two meals. I need a substitute for beef cause I want to lower my red meat intake. I'll look at pork...
My energy and moods have leveled out dramatically today. I woke up with a headache but took a couple of ibuprofen and the rest of the day went well. No emergency diet intervention needed just yet. I wasn't starving hungry 30 minutes after a meal so that's changed for the better.
Had an awesome workout with Sean. I think my body was completely finished after about 45 minutes and I had to sit on the floor in front of a fan for a couple minutes so I wouldn't puke. But I got up and did a few more things until I just couldn't lift anything anymore. We worked on some lunges and Sean showed me some great technique for isolating the quad of the forward leg. Once I did it that way, the number of reps I could do dropped dramatically. :) But they were good ones. The key was making sure the back leg was only there for balance.
Nice isolation work on the lats today as well. The shoulder work was tough because my traps were really tight and they got screaming painful and tired fairly quick. I'm gonna have to set up a massage to loosen them up and do some stretching in the meantime. I've always had a lot of trouble with tightness there.
Circulation in the legs doesn't seem to be what it once was. Even basic stretches leave my feet tingling after a short period of time. I'll talk to the podiatrist about that on Thursday.
Today was the first real day of being on the diet and getting the PT session in and it went well. Outlook is positive. :)
I'm giving up on the Ancient Grains bread. Too dense for my taste. I got a loaf of Kamut bread from Urban Fare for $4.69 which looks like it has ~14 slices so that will stretch the dollar a bit more and be a bit more palatable. I picked up a 4L skim milk and 2 small sirloin steaks for $4.69 and $6.18 respectively. The milk should last maybe 2 weeks. The steak will be two meals. I need a substitute for beef cause I want to lower my red meat intake. I'll look at pork...
My energy and moods have leveled out dramatically today. I woke up with a headache but took a couple of ibuprofen and the rest of the day went well. No emergency diet intervention needed just yet. I wasn't starving hungry 30 minutes after a meal so that's changed for the better.
Had an awesome workout with Sean. I think my body was completely finished after about 45 minutes and I had to sit on the floor in front of a fan for a couple minutes so I wouldn't puke. But I got up and did a few more things until I just couldn't lift anything anymore. We worked on some lunges and Sean showed me some great technique for isolating the quad of the forward leg. Once I did it that way, the number of reps I could do dropped dramatically. :) But they were good ones. The key was making sure the back leg was only there for balance.
Nice isolation work on the lats today as well. The shoulder work was tough because my traps were really tight and they got screaming painful and tired fairly quick. I'm gonna have to set up a massage to loosen them up and do some stretching in the meantime. I've always had a lot of trouble with tightness there.
Circulation in the legs doesn't seem to be what it once was. Even basic stretches leave my feet tingling after a short period of time. I'll talk to the podiatrist about that on Thursday.
Today was the first real day of being on the diet and getting the PT session in and it went well. Outlook is positive. :)
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Day 2
Little on the irritable side this morning. No surprise given the nosedive of carbs that my body is experiencing. I have a somewhat standing headache from yesterday which is due in part to the diet and in part to staring at a computer screen too much. The reduced sugar in my breakfast is a bitch but my body will get used to it soon.
As the day wore on, I was actually feeling pretty weak. I stuck to the diet until about 3:30 when I couldn't stand it any more and I ate half a pack of sugar. Straight up baby. I felt pukey for about an hour after than then the headache settled into a dull, steady drone.
Dinner came and I had to eat. For dinner, I made my version of Scrod (halibut, using plenty of mayo, bread crumbs and butter - not margarine, butter). I also just made some halibut with lemon-herb spice. Both were baked. I warmed up some old chicken wings with a chipotle sauce, reheated some white rice and steamed some green beans.
I then proceeded to eye up the chicken wings and scrod while my girlfriend ate them with the white rice. I wolfed down my green beans with lemon-herb halibut, snuck in one chicken wing and ate the rest of a sliced beef thing I made yesterday. The cheat here was probably portion size (and the one chicken wing), but the carbs stayed low for this meal, protein high, fat low. If I still feel like this tomorrow, I may need a tweak in the diet. I don't quite remember feeling this shitty last time around.
As the day wore on, I was actually feeling pretty weak. I stuck to the diet until about 3:30 when I couldn't stand it any more and I ate half a pack of sugar. Straight up baby. I felt pukey for about an hour after than then the headache settled into a dull, steady drone.
Dinner came and I had to eat. For dinner, I made my version of Scrod (halibut, using plenty of mayo, bread crumbs and butter - not margarine, butter). I also just made some halibut with lemon-herb spice. Both were baked. I warmed up some old chicken wings with a chipotle sauce, reheated some white rice and steamed some green beans.
I then proceeded to eye up the chicken wings and scrod while my girlfriend ate them with the white rice. I wolfed down my green beans with lemon-herb halibut, snuck in one chicken wing and ate the rest of a sliced beef thing I made yesterday. The cheat here was probably portion size (and the one chicken wing), but the carbs stayed low for this meal, protein high, fat low. If I still feel like this tomorrow, I may need a tweak in the diet. I don't quite remember feeling this shitty last time around.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Day 1 Diet Cheats
The switchover to 5 meals per day is a bugger. My portion sizes have never been normal and like most North American families, the last meal of the day is usually the biggest for me. So when I hit meal number 5 tonight, I'm hungry within 30 minutes. My head was heating up and my stomach was growling and it's only 9:30. So I ate a banana.
My protein shakes were both made with skim milk. Not really a cheat, but a few extra calories. I can't say I was too observant of the low salt target, but I was probably ~1/4 of a normal day for me.
My diet target is about 2000 calories/day. Could go even less for quicker results but obviously if tonight is any indication, a <2000 cal diet is a ways off. If I was to ballpark my normal diet given the preponderance for pasta and large meals at the end of the day, I would have to guess that m intake was something like 2700-3000 calories. Even if I cheat my way up to 2200 calories, I'll see results. But I don't want to do that.
Not much other than that. Just can't wait until the metabolism settles in a bit.
My protein shakes were both made with skim milk. Not really a cheat, but a few extra calories. I can't say I was too observant of the low salt target, but I was probably ~1/4 of a normal day for me.
My diet target is about 2000 calories/day. Could go even less for quicker results but obviously if tonight is any indication, a <2000 cal diet is a ways off. If I was to ballpark my normal diet given the preponderance for pasta and large meals at the end of the day, I would have to guess that m intake was something like 2700-3000 calories. Even if I cheat my way up to 2200 calories, I'll see results. But I don't want to do that.
Not much other than that. Just can't wait until the metabolism settles in a bit.
Diet day 1...need a new breakfast option...
No, it's not that bad yet. :) I was actually a bit sleepless last night thinking about a project I'm working on and so I got out of bed at some wee hour and hacked out a solution on my laptop (who's name is PJ). When morning came, I was a bit groggy and my first thoughts were "Oatmeal is going to take too long. I could just eat my All Bran". I know I'll have more days like this so I figured that while my oatmeal was cooking, I'd compare the labels.
Quaker Quick Oats (per 30g or 1/3 cup uncooked):
Energy 114 cal
Protein 4.2 g
Fat 2.0 g
Carbs 20 g
Sugars 0.5 g
Starch 16 g
Fibre 3.0 g
Sodium 1 mg
Potassium 113 mg
All Bran Original (per 36g or 1/2 cup):
Energy 90 cal
Protein 4 g
Fat 1.0 g
Carbs 27 g
Sugars 7 g
Starch 8 g
Fibre 12.0 g
Sodium 310 mg
Potassium 420 mg
Probably the 2 biggest things that jump out there are the carb profiles and the sodium. All Bran comes with more sugar straight up and a lot more sodium. If that was the end of the story, I'd want to stick with oatmeal. However, my morning meal normally includes some sort of fruit to sweeten up an otherwise bland meal. This morning, I added in ~15 frozen blueberries.
My Blueberries (per 3/4 cup):
Energy 80 cal
Protein 1 g
Fat 1.0 g
Carbs 18 g
Sugars 10 g
Fibre 4.0 g
Sodium 1 mg
16 blueberries is maybe 1/4 cup so I probably added in about 6g sugar, minor amounts of other things. Other than the sodium:
oatmeal+blueberries=allbran.
Another option I played with in the past surprised me. I've always loved Mini-wheats.
Kellogs Mini Wheats (52 g or 24 biscuits):
Energy 185 cal
Protein 4 g
Fat 1.0 g
Carbs 43 g
Sugars 12 g
Fibre 5.0 g
Sodium 1 mg
Potassium ? mg
Here, you take a big hit on the carbs, but the actual sugar count is low. I presume that the 26g of carbs not shown ends up as starch. In the past I only focused on the Sugars and thought "wow, this is a great substitute when I'm sick of oatmeal". I now realize the errors of my ways. I presume the missing 4g of carbs in the blueberries is also starch, so I need to bump up my carb count there too.
The bottom line is that un-blanding the morning meal with something sugar-containing is a common theme. And, if it doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. I'll pay a bit more attention to the carb count this time around but I don't want to hate my morning meal and end up blowing it out of the water with bad cheats.
Quaker Quick Oats (per 30g or 1/3 cup uncooked):
Energy 114 cal
Protein 4.2 g
Fat 2.0 g
Carbs 20 g
Sugars 0.5 g
Starch 16 g
Fibre 3.0 g
Sodium 1 mg
Potassium 113 mg
All Bran Original (per 36g or 1/2 cup):
Energy 90 cal
Protein 4 g
Fat 1.0 g
Carbs 27 g
Sugars 7 g
Starch 8 g
Fibre 12.0 g
Sodium 310 mg
Potassium 420 mg
Probably the 2 biggest things that jump out there are the carb profiles and the sodium. All Bran comes with more sugar straight up and a lot more sodium. If that was the end of the story, I'd want to stick with oatmeal. However, my morning meal normally includes some sort of fruit to sweeten up an otherwise bland meal. This morning, I added in ~15 frozen blueberries.
My Blueberries (per 3/4 cup):
Energy 80 cal
Protein 1 g
Fat 1.0 g
Carbs 18 g
Sugars 10 g
Fibre 4.0 g
Sodium 1 mg
16 blueberries is maybe 1/4 cup so I probably added in about 6g sugar, minor amounts of other things. Other than the sodium:
oatmeal+blueberries=allbran.
Another option I played with in the past surprised me. I've always loved Mini-wheats.
Kellogs Mini Wheats (52 g or 24 biscuits):
Energy 185 cal
Protein 4 g
Fat 1.0 g
Carbs 43 g
Sugars 12 g
Fibre 5.0 g
Sodium 1 mg
Potassium ? mg
Here, you take a big hit on the carbs, but the actual sugar count is low. I presume that the 26g of carbs not shown ends up as starch. In the past I only focused on the Sugars and thought "wow, this is a great substitute when I'm sick of oatmeal". I now realize the errors of my ways. I presume the missing 4g of carbs in the blueberries is also starch, so I need to bump up my carb count there too.
The bottom line is that un-blanding the morning meal with something sugar-containing is a common theme. And, if it doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. I'll pay a bit more attention to the carb count this time around but I don't want to hate my morning meal and end up blowing it out of the water with bad cheats.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Abdominal Injury
It didn't take much but I aggravated my ab injury today. Simple thing - just saw that the light was going yellow at an intersection so I picked up the pace to cross. As soon as I started, I could feel a little sharp pain in my left side, lower ab. I tried to think about how it happened, even going so far as to figure out which foot I start from when I go from walking to running. Turns out I always push off with my right foot anchored.
Now, I remember either an exercise or a stretch where I was doing the right leg and I could feel a bit of pain in the left side of my lower ab. I'm sure someone can explain this one. The lower left side of the abdomen has always been the most sore and I'm guessing it has to do with me being "right-legged".
Hmmmm.....
Now, I remember either an exercise or a stretch where I was doing the right leg and I could feel a bit of pain in the left side of my lower ab. I'm sure someone can explain this one. The lower left side of the abdomen has always been the most sore and I'm guessing it has to do with me being "right-legged".
Hmmmm.....
Last minute grocery shopping
Had to round out the last bit of groceries and get a few of the supplements. Capers was my destination and it's by no means the cheapest option.
I got some frozen blueberries for my morning meal. For bread, Sean recommended Caper's Ancient Grains for my sandwiches. Their loaves are small and dense with only 8 slices (I had to make sure I didn't get a loaf with only 7 slices - how useless is that?). I also picked up some protein powder and one-a-day multivitamins (I need CLA and Glutamine but I'm not getting them at Capers).
So to add to the grocery bill:
Bread $4.99
Blueberries $6.99
The blueberries will last a couple weeks, the bread 4 days. That means, I'm now up to about say $55 per week for basic food. Supplements are extra.
I picked up the Sisu - Only One multivitamin, not for any big reason. 90 tablets for $18.99. They're low in VitC but that's on purpose. I'm going to take 1000mg VitC daily. so I don't need it here.
I also picked up Kaizen's 100% Whey Isolate protein powder. It's 908g which is 30 servings by their scoop size. One of their scoops gives 25g protein, 0.5g fat and 0.5 g carbs. I'm aiming for 35g protein per serving so I'll need 1.5 scoops. So, this baby may only last me 20 days on non-workout days, 10 days with workouts. I'll probably get less than 15 days. That one is $39.99. Obviously, I need a better deal on this. I had bought an (about to be) expired 5kg bucket of powder in the past for like $20 so I'll look for this deal again. If anyone out there knows the ins and outs of expired protein powder, let me know.
I'll get the CLA and Glutamine this weekend when my favorite nutrition store is open.
p.s. I opted out against starting the diet tonight. Had to get one last pasta dinner in at my favorite pasta place (Ciao Bella) and I flaunted the excuse that I didn't quite have all my nutritional supplements ready just yet... :)
I got some frozen blueberries for my morning meal. For bread, Sean recommended Caper's Ancient Grains for my sandwiches. Their loaves are small and dense with only 8 slices (I had to make sure I didn't get a loaf with only 7 slices - how useless is that?). I also picked up some protein powder and one-a-day multivitamins (I need CLA and Glutamine but I'm not getting them at Capers).
So to add to the grocery bill:
Bread $4.99
Blueberries $6.99
The blueberries will last a couple weeks, the bread 4 days. That means, I'm now up to about say $55 per week for basic food. Supplements are extra.
I picked up the Sisu - Only One multivitamin, not for any big reason. 90 tablets for $18.99. They're low in VitC but that's on purpose. I'm going to take 1000mg VitC daily. so I don't need it here.
I also picked up Kaizen's 100% Whey Isolate protein powder. It's 908g which is 30 servings by their scoop size. One of their scoops gives 25g protein, 0.5g fat and 0.5 g carbs. I'm aiming for 35g protein per serving so I'll need 1.5 scoops. So, this baby may only last me 20 days on non-workout days, 10 days with workouts. I'll probably get less than 15 days. That one is $39.99. Obviously, I need a better deal on this. I had bought an (about to be) expired 5kg bucket of powder in the past for like $20 so I'll look for this deal again. If anyone out there knows the ins and outs of expired protein powder, let me know.
I'll get the CLA and Glutamine this weekend when my favorite nutrition store is open.
p.s. I opted out against starting the diet tonight. Had to get one last pasta dinner in at my favorite pasta place (Ciao Bella) and I flaunted the excuse that I didn't quite have all my nutritional supplements ready just yet... :)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Food
Ah, the essence of life...and a critical peg on which any fitness program rests. When I mentioned that I was in the best shape of my life 6 years ago, I got there with a strong workout partner, lots of weights and at the end, a really strict diet. My buddy had downloaded a body builder's diet from the web and we went after that. I didn't realize till much later that the diet was meant for the last 10 weeks leading up to a competition. Let's just say there was little joy in life and no I didn't last all 10 weeks. By the end of about 6 weeks I wanted to throw cans of tuna at any car that honked it's horn too loud and I hated all those bastards that got to go to restaurants.
That was one extreme. Supersize me is another. My worst usually included a good dose of Peanut Buster Parfaits, lots of pasta with meat sauce, grilled paninis and once in a while, that crappy Chinese food that you can get at food courts in malls. I don't think Chinese people ever eat at those places and neither should I, but that's where my sweet tooth gets it's fill. Another fairly big diet no-no was skipping breakfast then loading up at lunch. Now that I'm not working, skipping breakfast doesn't happen any more.
When I was working with Nate, I had a fairly common element diet that worked. It was based on a good dose of protein, reduced fat and carbs, like most diets. Meals were 4-5 x per day. Here's the gist of that diet:
Meal 1:
Protein shake
Oatmeal with a few raisins or cranberries
Meal 2:
Sandwich - turkey breast, whole wheat bread
Apple
Meal 3:
Chicken breast
Yams
Spinach salad (with almond slivers sometimes and a little oil/vinegar)
Meal 4 (more of a snack and skipped on non-workout days):
Protein shake
Banana
Meal 5:
Steak
Green beans
Supplements:
Glutamine
CLA
Vitamin C
Multivitamins
I didn't alter things a lot from day-to-day and didn't get tired of things for at least 5 weeks solid. The only thing that I missed was something to drink with the meals other than water. I like iced tea and I think it makes all meals go better, but it's too much sugar.
I'll be bringing that diet back for the short term and I just went shopping for things today. Some things I got in organic, others just whatever was cheap. Here's a rough estimate of the bill:
500g sliced sundried tomato primo taglia turkey breast $15.24
5 chicken breasts $15.76
5 bananas $1.35
4 beauregard yams $6.85
5 pink lady apples $3.91
spinach $0.99
big bag o' green beans $1.73
oatmeal - already have at home
bread - need to buy, aiming for a relatively expensive "ancient grains" type bread
beef - need to buy, will also need to change this up sometimes to a different source of protein like Tuna shashimi!!!
Damn, them yams were expensive. Wasn 't paying attention when I put those in the cart.
Most of that will last just shy of one week so that's about $45/week before the beef and bread, plus I still have to add in the protein powder and supplements. I never tried to keep tabs on a regular food bill, but I ate out a lot and it was a hell of a lot more than $45/week.
If I remember correctly, it took me about 4 days to have my metabolism switch over to 4-5 meals per day instead of 3. I'll try to remember to blog on that switchover. I won't be starting on the diet full-force until Friday night or Saturday morning since I have a final lunch with my coworkers tomorrow (Thai food). I also ate my last chicken adobo meal for a bit since that one is pretty high in salt. That's a tough one to give up because I think my girlfriend makes the best damn adobo in the world. It's also going to be tough to give up white rice. It's so easy to cook it with the rice cooker and I like to eat volumes of it with a little (ok a lot) of soya sauce on it (yes I realize that's a white person thing, but I like my salt).
I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat canned tuna again and I get sick of the chicken breasts pretty quick so I may need to resort to more protein shakes or gear up on the shashimi which has it's own problems (mercury). Let the diet begin!...tomorrow.
That was one extreme. Supersize me is another. My worst usually included a good dose of Peanut Buster Parfaits, lots of pasta with meat sauce, grilled paninis and once in a while, that crappy Chinese food that you can get at food courts in malls. I don't think Chinese people ever eat at those places and neither should I, but that's where my sweet tooth gets it's fill. Another fairly big diet no-no was skipping breakfast then loading up at lunch. Now that I'm not working, skipping breakfast doesn't happen any more.
When I was working with Nate, I had a fairly common element diet that worked. It was based on a good dose of protein, reduced fat and carbs, like most diets. Meals were 4-5 x per day. Here's the gist of that diet:
Meal 1:
Protein shake
Oatmeal with a few raisins or cranberries
Meal 2:
Sandwich - turkey breast, whole wheat bread
Apple
Meal 3:
Chicken breast
Yams
Spinach salad (with almond slivers sometimes and a little oil/vinegar)
Meal 4 (more of a snack and skipped on non-workout days):
Protein shake
Banana
Meal 5:
Steak
Green beans
Supplements:
Glutamine
CLA
Vitamin C
Multivitamins
I didn't alter things a lot from day-to-day and didn't get tired of things for at least 5 weeks solid. The only thing that I missed was something to drink with the meals other than water. I like iced tea and I think it makes all meals go better, but it's too much sugar.
I'll be bringing that diet back for the short term and I just went shopping for things today. Some things I got in organic, others just whatever was cheap. Here's a rough estimate of the bill:
500g sliced sundried tomato primo taglia turkey breast $15.24
5 chicken breasts $15.76
5 bananas $1.35
4 beauregard yams $6.85
5 pink lady apples $3.91
spinach $0.99
big bag o' green beans $1.73
oatmeal - already have at home
bread - need to buy, aiming for a relatively expensive "ancient grains" type bread
beef - need to buy, will also need to change this up sometimes to a different source of protein like Tuna shashimi!!!
Damn, them yams were expensive. Wasn 't paying attention when I put those in the cart.
Most of that will last just shy of one week so that's about $45/week before the beef and bread, plus I still have to add in the protein powder and supplements. I never tried to keep tabs on a regular food bill, but I ate out a lot and it was a hell of a lot more than $45/week.
If I remember correctly, it took me about 4 days to have my metabolism switch over to 4-5 meals per day instead of 3. I'll try to remember to blog on that switchover. I won't be starting on the diet full-force until Friday night or Saturday morning since I have a final lunch with my coworkers tomorrow (Thai food). I also ate my last chicken adobo meal for a bit since that one is pretty high in salt. That's a tough one to give up because I think my girlfriend makes the best damn adobo in the world. It's also going to be tough to give up white rice. It's so easy to cook it with the rice cooker and I like to eat volumes of it with a little (ok a lot) of soya sauce on it (yes I realize that's a white person thing, but I like my salt).
I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat canned tuna again and I get sick of the chicken breasts pretty quick so I may need to resort to more protein shakes or gear up on the shashimi which has it's own problems (mercury). Let the diet begin!...tomorrow.
First PT Session
As I mentioned before, I've signed up with Sean as my ass-kicker. My goals have nothing to do with bulking up, just toning, strength and flexibility. Our first session was yesterday where we focused mainly on technique, target reps, weight, etc. Sean is big on isolating the muscles you want to target and boy do I ever feel it when it hits the spot. I'll have to double check with Sean, but I think it was a cable row that we did to isolate the lower anchor point of the lats. At first I had trouble hitting it bang on, especially the right side. Today tells me I got them for sure - a bit sore there.
We also did a lot of things where I had to engage my quads in a pseudo-squat position and those babies are screaming today too. Some of that may have to do with a particularly kick-intensive kickboxing session the day before.
One thing I am really excited about is the flexibility work. When I do a round kick, it's tough for me to get the kick high. I watch a couple of the folks in class who I think have a dream round kick and I am in awe. My flexibility is just not up to snuff to pull that off just yet. Sean worked with me on some stretches and there are pretty big differences between my right and left legs, but both of them are pretty tight. If we can pull off some greater flexibility, my round kick will impress Cro Cop...maybe.
We also did a lot of things where I had to engage my quads in a pseudo-squat position and those babies are screaming today too. Some of that may have to do with a particularly kick-intensive kickboxing session the day before.
One thing I am really excited about is the flexibility work. When I do a round kick, it's tough for me to get the kick high. I watch a couple of the folks in class who I think have a dream round kick and I am in awe. My flexibility is just not up to snuff to pull that off just yet. Sean worked with me on some stretches and there are pretty big differences between my right and left legs, but both of them are pretty tight. If we can pull off some greater flexibility, my round kick will impress Cro Cop...maybe.
Go!
It's that time in life again. After a stint of focus on work, it's time to give the body a little love. In the past, I only kept little scraps of what it took to get into a certain level of fitness and always wished I had written more info down while it was fresh. Voila la blog.
About 6 years ago, I was in the best shape of my life. The acid test for that statement was that I spent a 2 week vacation in Cuba, smoking cigars like they were going out of style and gorging on food and drink. Two days after I got back I ran my first ever half marathon with no trouble at all. Anytime a friend called and wanted to go pump iron, I wouldn't have to think much about what I would need to do there or after (to recover), I just went. 50K bike race? Let me just get a few energy packs.
Today, not quite the same. My physical condition took a hiatus while I focused on my career. I signed up with a personal trainer (Nathane Jackson) about three years ago to whip back in shape and the results were awesome. In a short span of time (~2 months), I lost weight, built muscle and my posture straightened out dramatically. I would recommend Nate to anyone. As fate would have it, Nate left for Toronto, my career took the steering wheel and my condition went back a few steps. :) Without a good workout partner or a trainer, I'm not so good on the discipline. With one or the other, I can get great results.
About 1.5 years ago, my buddy dragged me out to his kickboxing club (Champions Academy in North Vancouver) and I got hooked. I signed up primarily because I needed some sort of regimented exercise schedule. I'm not a UFC champion by any means and don't plan on being one, but I love the exercise I get from kb. So, for the last 1.5 years, kb has been more or less my only exercise. I have managed to average at least 2 sessions per week though so I did maintain an ok level of residual fitness. But the spare tire was not willing to part company with me just yet.
I knew that I was building some level of strength, some cardio and having fun doing it but I wanted a bit more. I wanted to be able to run 10K again on a regular basis. I wanted more stamina during sparring. I wanted my round kick to be more like Mirko Cro Cop. I needed help with all of this.
That brings me to today. I just quit my job 3 weeks ago, cut alot of absolute garbage food out of my diet and signed up with another trainer. This time, I went with a recommendation from Nate and signed up with a new trainer (Sean). Nate's recommendation is solid. Sean's style is perfect, just like Nate's.
Sean and I had one introductory session and one low-intensity workout to get the weight, form, etc all figured out. Next session will be the real deal. I went shopping today for all the groceries I will need for a balanced diet and I'm pumped about the possibilities!
One thing I should mention is that this time around, I have a few minor injuries that I need to work through and which affect my ability to do some of my favorite things. First up is some sort of nagging foot injury on the arch of my left foot. This one really limits my running. The second injury is a muscle pull in my lower abdomen. That one prevents me from doing some situps/crunches and almost all pushups (unless I use my knees). Sean is going to help me work around these in a sort of rehab-ish way. I have an appointment with a podiatrist next Thursday and I'm going to see about physio for the abdomen.
I'm not a great big fan of before and after pictures because the before has a way of ending up as the after. I also don't want to focus on body weight or body fat that much because my goals are less explicit - i.e. a better round kick, a good 10k run, etc.
I live downtown right near Stanley Park, I have a bike that is lonely and a pair of pants that has been on "reserve" status for some time. Let's change that shall we?
About 6 years ago, I was in the best shape of my life. The acid test for that statement was that I spent a 2 week vacation in Cuba, smoking cigars like they were going out of style and gorging on food and drink. Two days after I got back I ran my first ever half marathon with no trouble at all. Anytime a friend called and wanted to go pump iron, I wouldn't have to think much about what I would need to do there or after (to recover), I just went. 50K bike race? Let me just get a few energy packs.
Today, not quite the same. My physical condition took a hiatus while I focused on my career. I signed up with a personal trainer (Nathane Jackson) about three years ago to whip back in shape and the results were awesome. In a short span of time (~2 months), I lost weight, built muscle and my posture straightened out dramatically. I would recommend Nate to anyone. As fate would have it, Nate left for Toronto, my career took the steering wheel and my condition went back a few steps. :) Without a good workout partner or a trainer, I'm not so good on the discipline. With one or the other, I can get great results.
About 1.5 years ago, my buddy dragged me out to his kickboxing club (Champions Academy in North Vancouver) and I got hooked. I signed up primarily because I needed some sort of regimented exercise schedule. I'm not a UFC champion by any means and don't plan on being one, but I love the exercise I get from kb. So, for the last 1.5 years, kb has been more or less my only exercise. I have managed to average at least 2 sessions per week though so I did maintain an ok level of residual fitness. But the spare tire was not willing to part company with me just yet.
I knew that I was building some level of strength, some cardio and having fun doing it but I wanted a bit more. I wanted to be able to run 10K again on a regular basis. I wanted more stamina during sparring. I wanted my round kick to be more like Mirko Cro Cop. I needed help with all of this.
That brings me to today. I just quit my job 3 weeks ago, cut alot of absolute garbage food out of my diet and signed up with another trainer. This time, I went with a recommendation from Nate and signed up with a new trainer (Sean). Nate's recommendation is solid. Sean's style is perfect, just like Nate's.
Sean and I had one introductory session and one low-intensity workout to get the weight, form, etc all figured out. Next session will be the real deal. I went shopping today for all the groceries I will need for a balanced diet and I'm pumped about the possibilities!
One thing I should mention is that this time around, I have a few minor injuries that I need to work through and which affect my ability to do some of my favorite things. First up is some sort of nagging foot injury on the arch of my left foot. This one really limits my running. The second injury is a muscle pull in my lower abdomen. That one prevents me from doing some situps/crunches and almost all pushups (unless I use my knees). Sean is going to help me work around these in a sort of rehab-ish way. I have an appointment with a podiatrist next Thursday and I'm going to see about physio for the abdomen.
I'm not a great big fan of before and after pictures because the before has a way of ending up as the after. I also don't want to focus on body weight or body fat that much because my goals are less explicit - i.e. a better round kick, a good 10k run, etc.
I live downtown right near Stanley Park, I have a bike that is lonely and a pair of pants that has been on "reserve" status for some time. Let's change that shall we?
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