Happy Halloween!

Okay so it's a fun day today...have some fun! I will even admit that I indulged last night and today with a few pieces of chocolate. Also, last night Jasmine (my wife) and I hung out, drank a few beers and had some snacks. I did make some decent choices based on my options, though, and here they are:

For the beer, I tried out MGD 64, a very light beer with only 64 calories, 2.4 grams of carb per 12 oz can. I did drink about 4 or 5 admittedly, however I'm sure my stomach would be hurtin if I'd picked a medium or full-bodied beer. Also, instead of killing the whole bag of hershey's kisses with almonds, I made "ants on a log" (I think it's called that anyways) which I used Kirkland Organic Peanut butter (ingredients: peanuts, salt (Costco)) spread in the contour of celery sticks, and with raisins sprinkled on top. I think I was in a surplus for my daily calories, but at least I could be festive and pick up some nutrition along the way. I hope my example helps, but listen--as long as we indulge occasionally and don't stuff ourselves as a routine, we can make some allowances. I'm not perfect and I don't expect that anyone reading this is. So don't stress yourself out with trying to make the absolute best choice 100% of the time--rather just focus on making the "better" choice 80-90% of the time, you'll probably be alright. Please comment with your "better" choices for Halloween or just in general! Thanks for reading and have a safe Halloween!

Milkin' It

Has your latte been getting to you? Think you might be lactose intolerant? Well, the odds are that you are. According to "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies" about 75% of the world's people, as they age, lose most of their ability to produce enough of the enzyme lactase to digest the milk sugar lactose. Lactase is made in the small intestine and breaks down the lactose into glucose and galactose, which can then be absorbed by the body. People with lactose intolerance experience nausea, pain, diarrhea, and excessive gas when drinking milk or using other (dairy) products that contain lactose.

People experience lactose intolerance in varying degrees, and most can break down some of the lactose while a rare few cannot tolerate lactose at all. Keep in mind that though you may experience some of the symptoms listed above, you may not necessarily be lactose intolerant. In fact, many people overestimate the severity of their lactose intolerance, blaming it for other symptoms which most often are caused by other things (like the 1/3lb fatty cheeseburger you ate with that milkshake!). Also, yogurt and cheeses, contain significantly less lactose due to the bacteria or molds that break it down during the fermentation process. Look on the labels though-some of these products contain milk solids, which will contain lactose.

Don't worry, though, because you are lactose intolerant it doesn't mean you have an allergy to milk or dairy products, but if you find it bothers you too much there are some options. First, limit your dairy products. Personally, I have replaced cow's milk with vanilla soy milk, which may sound to you like a difficult switch, but I actually prefer it in coffee, cereal, smoothies, and every now and then by itself. It has a smooth texture like half-and-half, and a delicious, slightly sweet flavor. Also, it has the same or more calcium, protein, and other nutrients that milk does, so it is a logical replacement. Some people have recommended rice milk, but it lacks the amount of protein that soy milk contains, so I have not tried it. Also, I eat greek yogurt, and some goat cheese, but other than that, I don't use any dairy. If you really can't live without your regular milk, there are products available to add to your servings to help you break the lactose down. If you want to know more, click on the title of this blog to visit the lactose intolerance page from google health. Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow! Happy Friday everyone!

Join my Squad!

I want to take a moment to talk a little bit about Beachbody and about being a personal coach. Yes, this is kind of a commercial...but please read on. When I started my drastic transformation, my intention was to follow a home fitness program to save money and get great results. I wanted to lose more weight than I had been able to in the past, and it was as simple as that. What I did was use all of the tools available to me including the virtual online gym, logging my weight and measurements, and taking pictures every 30 days to track my progress. I was able to stick with it, and then a funny thing started happening. My friends and family (some of you!) began to comment to me, saying, "what the hell have you been doing?" and "hey man are you sick or something?" which also led to the best question of all--"Can you help me?"

That is when I made the decision to become a Beachbody "Coach". Now, Beachbody has a similar setup as any marketing company you may be a part of or be familiar with, such as Tupperware, Amway, Vector (Cutco), etc. It is a basic franchise marketing model with similar opportunities to promote products that you use and recruit other coaches to build your team. Now, I've done some of these marketing opportunities, however, I wasn't able to hang in there for the payoff because my heart really wasn't in it, and the hype ran out for me. However, with Beachbody, I'm a walking testimonial, I live, eat, sleep, and breathe health and fitness, and I am not breathing down people's necks to sign them up or get them to buy something that's not gonna do them any good. All I do is live healthily and share tips and things that I've learned with family, friends, and co-workers. I've already encouraged a handful of these people to incorporate a home fitness program or make some positive nutritional changes, and, to me, all of my hard work is worth it because I could help others in this way. Also, eventually, this opportunity will surely become the key to achieving financial success and the ultimate goal of financial freedom.

So if you are healthy, trying to be healthy, and you want to help other people and really make a positive impact on the people you care about, you should really consider joining my team and being part of a health revolution! Let's fight this obesity epidemic and counter the statistic of heart disease being the #1 killer of men and women in America today! Thanks for reading everyone, and check back tomorrow! Have a great day!

What do I do now?

First, I want to say thanks to those of you who have been reading, and thanks also for posting comments and questions. My main goal here is to help, or supplement your health and fitness with education that I've picked up, my personal experience of weight loss and life transformation, and some tidbits of daily life here and there. Today I want to talk about what I am doing now. I finished P90X two times, I completed INSANITY and had a plan to go back to P90X and replace some cardio workouts with some INSANITY and One-On-One workouts. However, I started to realize my workouts would be over 2 hours long, so I wanted to trim that while maintaining both interval training and resistance training into my workout. So what I am doing now is trying out routines that I have developed from different home fitness programs, and I just did my first "Shoulders & Arms" workout and it was great! Though you may not be familiar with all of these moves, I will break it down for you to see, as an example. Maybe it will spark some ideas, or, if you're getting bored and need a challenge, let me know and I can recommend a particular program for you!

The moves in my warmup are taken from INSANITY. It is a 10 minute warmup of cardio moves. I start slow and work to a sprint at the end, and when I stretch I'm soaking wet.

2 rounds (00:30), last round (00:15) each move, after all 3 rounds, 30 sec rest/water before stretch.

Jog
Straight-Arm Jacks
Side-to-side Jump Rope (without rope)
Arms-out, High-Knees
Switch Kicks
Hit the Floor
Floor Hops

Stretch for approx 3 mins, hamstrings, hip flexors, quads, arms, etc.

Supersets - 3 supersets, 3x each, total of 9 different moves, total of 27 sets

SS#1
Alternating Shoulder Presses
Standing Arm Curls
sphinx-walk toes up to tricep pushup

SS#2
Scarecrows
Curl-up, Hammer-downs
Cable tricep extensions

SS#3
Upright Row
In/Out Hammer Curls
Tricep Dips

And here's the finale--a cardio/power circuit. 3 rounds, 30 sec each move, total time of 12 mins

Squat Jacks (holding 2 lb weights)
Side-to-side upper cuts (holding 2 lb weights)
Attack (holding 2 lb weights)
Pike Press
Wide In & Out Abs
Plank Walker
Low-plank knee-to-elbow (oblique ab work)

Cool Down and Stretch

This routine took about an hour and I was pretty beat. I worked up my heart and lungs to start and finish, and gave my shoulders, biceps, and triceps a beating. Hope this inspires some thought. Please comment...thanks for reading and check back tomorrow. Have a great day!

Where you at?

You may have a personal trainer kickin' your butt every day...or you might workout to your own routine at the gym...or you may use a home fitness program or workout at home with the equipment and videos you have. Whichever your method, how do you know where you are? The reason I ask is that whenever I'm at the gym or talk to people about their program, I don't see or hear about people writing down their results. For example, maybe you do 3 sets of 5 reps of bench press, or 2 sets of 25 leg lifts, etc. Well then, are you doing the same reps at the same weight every week? Do you even know?

It is important to record your progress so you know where you are, but also so you can challenge yourself the next time you perform the lift or workout. Furthermore, try not to limit your self by defining your number of reps. 3 sets of 5 is good, but try saying 3 sets of 5-10 reps. This way, perform the lift as many times as you can until you can't lift it by yourself in each set. You will find that you will most likely do something like 8, 6, 4, or something like that. not only did you do 3 more reps, you worked until exhaustion, which will give you more results and improve your endurance. Also, writing this down you know that next time you will push to do more reps or increase your weight to improve. Always push yourself to do more. Sometimes you will get there; sometimes you won't. Either way, there is no doubt you are working harder.

Don't be afraid to try new things or workout with someone that has a different routine. Collaborate on your different styles, and you will definitely learn something new. Last Friday, I got the opportunity to workout with Rafael Cavour, a membership advisor at Equinox in downtown Chicago. Rafael is a triathlete, a former Marine, and if you look at him you know he is a fitness beast. Personally, I have been focusing on cardiovascular endurance and plyometric interval training to condition myself and get leaner. So, I asked Rafael if he would lead me through some upper-body strength training and I would design a cardio interval workout to finish up with. Well, he took me through 3 supersets focusing on chest and back, which included some workouts and techniques that were new, and I loved it. My pecs were sore for like 3 days! Also, when I took him through the interval training, he was pretty winded after the warmup, and it helped me realize that he wasn't used to my training either. I know we both learned from this, and I know I will use some of the things Rafael showed me in the near and distant future because they were valuable techniques and tips that I learned.

So bottom line is...record your progress and challenge yourself, always look for new tips and techniques to integrate into your fitness routine, and teach other people what you know because it might help them, too! Thanks for reading today, keep BRINGIN' IT in your workouts, and please share feedback or ask me questions! Have a great day!

Heart to heart

This past weekend I have been in bed sick with the flu or some severe cold that has left me exhausted, in pain, dehydrated, and weak. One of the things I was able to do, however, is to sit up in bed and complete my online CPR and AED training. In doing so I came across an interesting fact: The Red Cross's online training included a section on heart attack. One of the first notes I have is: "Build up on materials on inner walls of coronary arteries reduces blood flow to the heart and may cause a heart attack. Coronary artery disease (also called coronary heart disease) is the leading cause of heart attack and cardiac arrest." Wow, the #1 cause! The CDC's website goes further into saying that "heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States." Pretty bold. Now, many of you may be familiar with these facts, but then, why ignore it? If you're ready to face the facts, then here are some ways you can help reduce your risk of goin' out like that:

Prevent and control high blood cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Preventing and treating high blood cholesterol includes eating a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber, keeping a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise. (cited from CDC website)
*Here are some tips--try to substitute olive oil or a low-fat, no cholesterol spread like Brummel & Brown. Cut down on high-fat meats, deep-fried foods, and pastries.
*Here's a fact-the egg yolk is the #1 source of cholesterol in the every day diet. Cut it out--substitute "egg-beaters" or "real eggs" which are 99%egg white products that make great omelettes and scrambled eggs and you can use these in baking and other recipes without the fat and cholesterol.

Remember, small changes lead to great results as no changes may lead to big regrets. Click on the title of this to visit the CDC's website and educate yourself. Take care of your heart and your health. Thanks for reading!

Support

I'm posting late today, and most of the reason can be attributed to the fact that I've had either a severe cold or the flu that's been sweeping the nation all weekend long. But rather than complain about the aches and pains, being up all night from head congestion, or the fact that I've had to rest from exercise for two days, I want to say thanks to my friends and family for their ongoing support. Sometimes when I press my personal "pause" button, it helps me realize that people are willing to go out of their way to pick up the slack that I am leaving, and I know that they, too appreciate what I do when I am my healthiest.

I usually do the grocery shopping for the week as well as cook for the family and get some personal time on the weekends. This weekend, though, my family demanded that I stay in bed and rest while they take care of some of my usual duties. They've gotten medicine, fed me, cleaned my dishes, and even walked the dog every time, just so I can get better. It is this support system that has helped me to feel better now, but also it is this support system that motivates me to be a better and healthier individual, coach, and supporter of them and others. It is this support system that helps all of us to move forward as a family, team, and when one or two of us are moving ahead, we pull the rest forward, and when one or two of us drop back, the rest of us come back to help us. So if you are reading this, think of your support system. Think of your family, your friends, your co-workers, and anyone else that reinforces you in a positive way, and use that as your motivation to do better in all areas of your life. And if you need another person in your support system, I am here for you. Thanks everyone for reading, enjoy the rest of the weekend, and thanks for your support!

Got Juice?

You may find it is often difficult to get all of your vegetable servings in a given day. Even if you do, you might not want to eat a large salad, or have a side of broccoli in some meals, etc. A great way to get all of the vegetables and fruit servings you need is to juice. When I was focusing more on weight loss, I my daily calories were dominated by protein and vegetables mainly, and I found sometimes by the evening I needed multiple servings of veggies to complete my day. I would juice about 9 organic carrots, which yielded about 16 oz of juice, which I used to fulfill two veggie servings. Yes, I was passing on the fiber, however, the juice of 9 carrots packed a great nutrient punch, and the juice was sweet and delicious. Currently my wife and I enjoy fresh orange juice every morning, and the best part...no pulp or pasteurization! Also, there is no added sugar, preservatives, or water when you juice yourself. Just juice. You don't have to be as boring as me, though! Try other veggies and fruits as well as herbs and leafy greens. I'm not getting paid for promoting fresh juice or the juicer, but click on the title of this blog and check out the official website for the Power Juicer. I own the deluxe model, and I love it. Thanks for reading and this was short so go enjoy your Saturday! Check back tomorrow!

Antioxidant Power

Every day it seems there is a new berry or magic food touting the antioxidant value. What does it all mean? Well, first we need to know a little bit more about antioxidants before we can determine if and how these foods can help us. According to "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies," (a college textbook on nutrition), the body's cells use oxygen to produce energy. In the process, sometimes the oxygen reacts with body compounds to produce highly unstable molecules known as free radicals. Besides the natural occurrence of these free radicals, environmental factors such as radiation, pollution, tobacco smoke, and others can act as "oxidants" causing free radical formation. When these free radicals exceed the body's defenses against them, a condition called "oxidative stress" occurs, and this condition has been linked to the development of over 200 diseases including but not limited to: age-related blindness, arthritis, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disease, to name a few.

Your two main defenses against free radical damage are your free reserves of antioxidants and your enzyme systems that oppose oxidation. If your body does not have sufficient antioxidants and your body's repair systems can't undo all of the damage, health problems may develop. The antioxidant vitamins E, C, and the vitamin A precursor beta carotene actively scavenge and quench free radicals, becoming oxidated and inactive themselves in the process. So you can see, you must continually consume foods packed with antioxidant power to keep the prevalence of free radicals down and the level of your health up. Different antioxidants protect you in different ways, and if you'd like to learn more about antioxidants, contact me and/or search the web on your own. Otherwise, keep eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, be active, and restrict activities like smoking that can create major health problems for you later! Click on the title to link to the antioxidant wikipedia page. Thanks for reading, have a great Friday, and check back tomorrow!

Magic Trees

No, not those magic trees! I'm talkin about broccoli! You may have an idea about broccoli's health benefits, but have you really looked closely at the details? I recently read an article pertaining to antioxidants and the controversy between eating foods that contain them vs. taking vitamins alone as a supplement. It turns out that the antioxidant vitamins contained in these foods may just be markers for showing us the great foods to eat to help us stay healthy, get rid of free radicals, and prevent and fight off potentially deadly diseases! I plan to get more in depth with a whole blog about antioxidants later...maybe tomorrow...but I want to speak more about broccoli today.

Broccoli, per 3 oz serving, contains only about 25 calories but provides 130%D.V. of Vitamin C, 50%D.V. of Vitamin A, contains 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of carbohydrates, with 2 of those grams being fiber! What does this mean? This means that just by eating a small amount, you are getting a nutrient cocktail that gives your body a lot of great stuff! Here's a weight loss tip: try substituting 1 or 2 cups of broccoli for rice or pasta. At home, we have done this, and we found it makes a great base for adding other veggies and meats and tossing it all together to make a warm bowl, add to salads, etc., and half of the carbohydrates in this great veggie are fiber, so you will be able to drop pounds and stay regular. Click on the title of this blog to check out a whole lot of facts about broccoli, the other nutrients and vitamins contained, and some ways to prepare it. I buy a bag of florets which I use raw, microwave, and add to soups, etc. Look for another recipe in my recipe blog soon! Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Why?

So many people ask me, "How did you lose all that weight?" or "What have you been doing" or "Can you eat whatever you want now?" These are all legitimate questions, but the real question is "why?" Why should you want to lose weight? Why should you want to join a gym or workout using a home fitness system? Why should you only want to eat healthy foods? There are several reasons for me, but what would drive you? What drives you to do whatever you need to to protect your children? What makes you get out of bed at 4 a.m. every day when you know your workday will be stressful, you might skimp on meals, and miss out on all the things you could be doing if you were home? Figure out whatever it is that motivates you, and use that as your focus to get healthy because when you live a healthy lifestyle, everything else you do improves. Your relationships will improve, your efficiency at home and work will improve, your mood is better, your energy goes through the roof...the benefits are countless. This is a short blog for today, but it is simple and direct, and hopefully I can reach one or two of you. Why am I motivated to help you? Because I know what my healthy self looks and feels like, and I would be selfish not to want to encourage this experience. The real question is this: Why wouldn't you want to be healthy? If you can't think of any good reasons, do yourself a favor and contact me. I'm here to help you! Click on the title to set up a free profile with me as your coach, and send me an email and let me know you're ready! Thanks for reading everyone and check back tomorrow! Have a great day!

Too Expensive

Many of you have jobs or work for a living, so you know that money, especially nowadays, is harder to come by. I think all of us have learned a thing or two about being frugal, and with your health it should be no different. Maybe you are reading this because you are my friend and want to see what's on my mind. Or maybe you are reading this because you have seen the drastic turnaround I have made, and want to know how you can get in the best shape of your life, too. Or maybe you just stumbled upon the title and it struck you because you are finding that life has become too expensive. Whatever the reason, I wanted to take a moment to talk about what really is expensive in our lives, and what should be given priority.

You may be thinking..."what is this whole P90X thing about...I want to work out and eat better but a gym membership or a home fitness program and great foods simply cost too much..." STOP. You want to know what is too expensive? Cigarettes are expensive. Alcohol is too expensive, and let's face it--you are buying poison to ingest. Great choice. You like nice clothing, which is expensive and maybe you have enough already. Going out every weekend is expensive. These are just some of the short-term, everyday examples. What's really expensive is later in life when you haven't taken proper care of yourself by eating wholesome, healthy foods and integrating fitness into your daily routine and you find yourself buying...diabetes testing supplies, blood pressure medication, doctor and hospital visits, and hopefully not, but perhaps you develop a disease that could have been avoided by proper health earlier in your life. And do you really want to be using a walker or cane or even a wheelchair because your joints have withered away from lack of use? I hope not. And I'm here to help you revolutionize the way you think about your health and to teach you to value the life that you have, for your sake and your family's. This blog may be a refresher and motivator, or it may seem like a punch to the gut, depending on how you are living now. But ask yourself, what is really too expensive? Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow!

Eat Great, Feel Great!

When people see me now, or learn that I have been living more healthily, they ask me, "So can you eat this...oh you can't eat that..." It's kind of comical, really, because that's how I used to think. As a society, especially in Chicago, we are ingrained with the idea that pizza, wings, fries, big steaks, huge sandwiches, etc, are the best foods on earth, and if you were to eat healthy you would be abandoning a great lifestyle. The truth is, I can eat whatever I want...but what I want to eat has changed. Since I have gotten accustomed to extreme fitness routines such as through P90X and INSANITY, my two main home fitness programs, I have learned to eat foods that are more wholesome and that provide the necessary fuel my body needs to perform at an extremely high level. For example, in between lunch and dinner, I will have a carbohydrate craving to maintain my energy. I don't eat cookies or chips. Rather, I choose to munch on crunchy granola. Great whole grains, sweetness, and a fun crunch. It holds me over and gives me the energy I need. On my days off, I love to prepare and eat a great meal with my family. Yesterday I made Pork Loin chops, a leaner cut of pork which is also versatile, affordable, and delicious, a great garden salad, and a bulgar pilaf. Check out my full recipe by clicking on the title above.

Another thing people say is, "eating healthy is more expensive..." Yes and No. When you buy fresh, lean meats, vegetables, and fruits, it may seem you are paying more, but remember you are buying the raw materials. For the same money you spend on a quarter pounder with cheese, you can buy a pound of ground turkey, which is 93% lean. Also, even if it is cheaper, does that mean it is the better choice? Not at all. Think about shoes. You can go to Target or Payless and buy some gym shoes for 20 bucks. But you and I both know if you ran in these they would be less comfortable, less durable, and would probably effect your performance. Spend 80 dollars on a quality pair of Nikes and surely you will have more comfortable, higher-quality shoes that will last longer and help you perform better. Same principle goes for your diet too, people. So, what choice will you make for your body today?

Digging Deep

Happy Sunday everyone. Today I hit another milestone. I completed the INSANITY program, which is a 60-day extreme athletic conditioning home fitness program. During those 60 days, I saw major improvements in my agility, speed, strength, power, and cardiovascular endurance. During the program, I really had to learn how to "dig deeper",(the slogan of the program), and push myself past my brain's understanding of what my physical limitations were. The workouts were intense, physically demanding, and demanded me to be at the very top of my game.

Countless times in our lives, we will be forced to make a decision: do what it takes to make it happen, or quit before you start. I would urge you to do what it takes, because only good things will follow. Further, it is when you get outside of your comfort zone that the best changes are made, and results occur. If you are thinking about making some healthy choices, have "tried" but were not successful, etc., just focus on the end result and go for it. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, you will face new challenges every day. Yes, you will have to make sacrifices to achieve your goal. But in doing so, you will become stronger as an individual, and you will only have yourself to thank. So really try to "dig deep", whether in the weight room, conference room, or at home as your role as a parent, friend, sibling, etc. Nothing is impossible. Enjoy your evening, and check back tomorrow for my next entry! Click on the title of this blog to check out the INSANITY infomercial. This is the real deal people. Are you ready to DIG DEEP?

Those last 5-10 lbs

So you've made great strides for yourself. You've been hittin' the gym, eatin' a little better, and you've lost some weight. "How come I can't get this last layer of flab off though?" is what you might ask yourself. There are a couple of things going on, really. You are right to focus on fitness and nutrition, however if you are in this scenario most likely you could improve on one or both.

As far as nutrition goes, you may be eating the most wholesome, natural foods that you can find, and even if you are eating the proper calories you should, the combination of these foods may not be optimal. Let's say that you have determined you should be eating around 2,500 calories a day. If you wanted to shed more pounds, try having one serving of carbs, one of fat, 5-6 of protein, 2-3 of veggies, a nutrition bar and maybe an after-workout drink. Since you are reducing your carbohydrate intake, your body will resort to burning more fat, and you will shed pounds more quickly and easily. In your fitness routine, it is most likely that you are getting complacent. Ask yourself, "Am I really pushing myself?" The routine or routines you may be doing may have been hard at first. Now you may be mastering it, but most likely even if you have increased your weights or reps, or you can go longer on the treadmill, it seems your results are not coming as they once did. This is referred to as the "plateau effect". Your body will get used to the workouts you are doing in as little as a few weeks, so the key is to mix it up and keep your muscles confused and always trying to recover or learning new routines. You really have to get out of your comfort zone, but this is how you will achieve great results.

These are some abridged tips you can try on your own, but I highly recommend the use of a system through your personal trainer, or through a home fitness system, such as P90X. P90X is the system that I used, and it is the most complete athletic training program. Period. P90X is based around muscle confusion to avoid the plateau effect, and get those results. Also, it features a complete nutritional system that does more than tell you what foods to avoid. I have really learned how to live a healthy, active, lifestyle, and the "proof is in the pudding". Since about a year ago, I have lost close to 80 lbs, and now have around 5% bodyfat, with the help of P90X and Beachbody. Click on the title or my link to the left to check out my coach page. Click on the products tab or contact me to learn more about P90X or if you have any questions regarding your home fitness solution. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Don't Starve Yourself!

Recently, my brother, Chris, has begun to make efforts to lose weight and live healthier. Part of this has been upping his exercise routine, which is essential for the process. A couple weeks ago, he called me and told me he had worked out very hard, and afterward he felt ill and vomited. I asked him, "What have you been eating?" He explained that he had been changing his eating habits and including better foods, but his caloric intake was only around 800-1200 calories per day. Chris is 5'11" and around 200 lbs, so this immediately threw up some red flags. Since he was more physically active and eating less, he was actually depriving his body of nutrition; he was actually doing more harm than good in this instance. Actually, these are some of the same behaviors exhibited by people suffering from anorexia, if I am not mistaken. I told him to eat something and that he needed to properly evaluate what types of foods and calories he should be taking in depending on his activity level.

When you do get your mind right to lose weight, don't think you have to starve yourself to drop the pounds. Actually you will find out that while perhaps you've been eating a lot of fatty, unhealthy foods, you have been depriving your body of the vital nutrients it needs to perform efficiently. Instead, you need to exercise appropriately, and eat an adequate amount of the proper, nutritious foods your body needs to support your activity level. How do we find out what that looks like? Well, click on the title of this blog or go to www.myfitnesspal.com. This is one site I have personally used to track my nutrition and plan my meals. The site allows you to set up a free profile, enter in info regarding your weight, activity level, and fitness goals, and there is a vast database so you can find out the real numbers on what you are putting into your body. I would recommend at first that you simply make a note of what you eat throughout the day, then enter as accurately as possible the foods and quantities of the foods you are taking in so you can get a snapshot of what your daily nutrition looks like. From here you can begin to make some adjustments and really optimize your nutrition. So keep taking those small steps and remember: Don't starve yourself!

Small Changes Lead To Big Results

Hi all, and welcome to my first official blog. It's been about a year or so since I made the conscious decision to live healthier. Let's face it, when you live in arguably the most obese city in the world, you have access to some of the most delicious foods and establishments not even found 50 miles away, and where the weather most of the time discourages you from being outdoors, it's easy to abandon the entire prospect. Come on, I mean who can live without Italian Beef, pizza, wings, not to mention all different types of ethnic foods available...and delivery til 6 am in some instances? You get the idea, it's easy to be complacent in our horrible eating habits, but when you decide it's time to be healthy to avoid obesity, heart disease, stroke...you get the idea, you don't have to empty your entire fridge, dump your stack of menus, or torture yourself with countless hours on a boring treadmill. Actually, making too drastic of a change may be too much of a physical and mental shock and you will end up stressed out and even worse off then you started most likely. Instead, focus on making a "better choice". A lot of people drink Coca-cola, which I haven't touched in a long time, but if you feel you can't live without it, try Diet or Coke Zero. Of course, it's not the same, and it is still not the "best" choice, but you will avoid crazy sugar calories that do nothing for you. If you like the real sweetness, try drinking a Vitamin Water or Juice. You get some sugar, sure, but you also get nutrients and vitamins, a much better bang-for-your-buck. If you must eat fast food, replace your burger with a grilled chicken sandwich, and opt for a side salad instead of the usual french-fries. Trust me, you will be proud of yourself for fighting your usual fat and grease craving, but the more you make these slight adjustments, the better you will feel and look. Check out my story by clicking on the title above, and please feel free to contact me for more information. I am here to support you and help you live better. If I could lose 75 lbs and get in the best shape of my life, surely you can make some small adjustments. Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow!