A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post on this site talking about how I was considering starting the P90X® workout program because I needed some structure in my fitness life, and I thought this looked like a good program to try.

I got some great feedback from some friends and colleagues online, many of them saying that they had done P90X®  previously, and that they highly recommended it.  Most of them said the program was tough, but that it was ultimately worth it for them.

With all the great feedback I decided to jump in and give it a shot.  I bought the program and was hoping to start the first Monday of the new year.  Unfortunately our family had a flu bug and I ended up getting sick as well.  I pushed back my start date one week.

Getting Started On P90X – Bring It!

I finally got started on P90X® one week into the new year. The day before I started I did the fitness test to make sure that I was “ready” to do the program. Most of the things I didn’t have much problem with, but a couple of them, including the pull ups and push ups, I struggled with a bit. I did enough to be OK to start the program, however.

Week One Of P90X

That first night doing P90X® was  a bit of a struggle, but I managed to make it through that chest and back routine.  What was involved?   A whole lot of pushups and pullups.   The first week I did actual pull-ups, aided somewhat by a chair as beginners were instructed to do in the video.  The two following weeks I had actually purchased these resistance bands (highly recommended – good quality), and used those for the pullup portions instead.  The pushups have been tough as well, and during some reps I’ve had to go from my knees – especially in later rounds.  I especially hate the decline pushups, and have failed on those a couple of times.

The following nights of the first week were also tough.  I was still struggling with that initial soreness that you get after you haven’t worked out for a while, and it was tough doing the plyometrics, shoulders and arms, and other workouts when I was so sore.

Week Two Of P90X

The second week was still tough, but I wasn’t quite so sore – which made it easier.   Our family also had another bought of the flu pop up (again!), and so I was only able to workout 4 out of the 6 days because i was busy taking care of the family.  My eating wasn’t nearly as good week 2 either.  I had some nasty food (as Tony Horton would say), and I think that wasn’t helpful in my weight loss goals.

Another thing that I noticed was that while doing the P90X workouts you are working hard most of the time.  They give you chances to catch your breath during the workout, but you’re always sweating and huffing and puffing.  I have never been as drenched with sweat as I have been after doing these workouts – even and especially the yoga workout.  Make sure to bring a towel!

Week Three Of P90X

With the first two weeks in the bag (with mixed results), I started week 3 on Monday of this week.  It does seem like I’m slowly starting to be able to do a little bit more in the exercises, and without quite as much soreness afterwards the next days workouts are easier to complete.

Week three I also started doing the workouts in the mornings, getting up early so that I could complete them before going to work.  After doing it for 4 days this week now I have to say I prefer working out in the morning because you feel good all day, you get it out of the way and then you can relax at home at night.

Today I did the yoga workout and had to cut it a bit short because I got up late – and the yoga workout is almost an hour and a half  long.  Tonight I’ll either finish that or do some other form of exercise.

P9oX So Far: Tough But Worth It

So I’m just over 3 weeks into the P90X program, and I have to say – it is tough!  I’m not sure I’ve ever sweated this much or worked this hard since I was in high school football.  The workouts are tough, but you can feel your body getting stronger.  I’m still fudging it a bit on some of the exercises, especially the pushups, but I’m getting better every week.

Now that I’m almost done with 3 weeks, I really think that I can stick with this for the entire 90 day – I can do this!

Are you considering starting P90X as well? Have you already started – or completed a round? Tell me about it in the comments!

About 4 months ago I mentioned on this site that I was going to be joining Weight Watchers with my wife.  At the time I really didn’t want to do it as I had a preconceived notion that the Weight Watchers program was mainly helpful for women – a program where women get together at meetings every week and talk about their feelings, and why they struggled to lose weight.

I know that notion wasn’t really a true one, but I think a lot of guys have that idea in their head.  Even Weight Watchers corporate has admitted as much in their new set of commercials in which they have several men who have been through the program talk about how they’ve been made fun of for joining what has traditionally been a female focused program, but how they don’t care cause they’re looking better now.

We joined the program at the end of January, and we’ve been attending weekly meetings for about 16 weeks now.  In that time I’ve lost an average of 1.7 pounds per week, coming out to a total weight loss so far of 27.2 lbs, see my weight loss graph in the sidebar.   (Disclaimer: People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week).  At the meetings every week they recognize members who have reached goals that they’ve set.  One of the goals you start the program with is losing 5%, then 10% of your starting weight.  Since I reached that goal last night, as well as completing 16 weeks of meetings, I got recognized last night with my 10% weight loss keychain and 16 week commitment charm.

Now that I’ve reached that goal I’m setting another goal of another 5% of my starting weight loss – or another 13.5 lbs.  My ultimate goal is to weigh in at 200lbs.  I know I can do it, but we’ll see how long it takes.   If I continue losing at the current rate, it’ll take about 6-7 more months.  I think I can handle that. It took years to build it up, to lose it in less than a year is a good thing.

How Did I Lose Weight (So Far)?

So how have I lose the 27.2 lbs that I’ve lost so far?

• Portion control: I’ve cut back my portion sizes to more manageable healthier sized meals.  I’ve become more aware of what a good portion size is, and let me tell you, it’s a lot smaller than you think. We’ve been conditioned by the food industry and restaurants to think a healthy meal size is mega – when in reality you could probably share an average meal with 2-3 people.
• Healthier eating:  While I still struggle with this one to a degree ( I like my sweets!), I’m more apt to eat an apple or banana, or eat a salad than I was before.  I’m making better eating decisions.
• Being more active:  I’ve been more active over the past few months, especially using my Xbox Kinect and the fitness video games that I’ve bought.
• More portion control:  Ok, I’m mentioning this one twice because this has been the biggest piece of the puzzle for me.  Before I would sit down and eat the whole bag of chips. Now I’ll measure out a healthy portion size and eat that instead.  I’m still finding that I’m satisfied, but I’m eating a lot less, and actually losing.

Ok, so losing weight truly isn’t rocket science. It really comes down to eating healthier (smaller portions, healthier foods), and getting some activity worked into your daily plan. That’s it. The progress isn’t always super fast, but if you do those things you will lose weight.

I for one have become a Weight Watchers convert having seen how it can work in my own life.   It’s not just for the ladies, guys!

So now it’s onwards and upwards to my next goal – 15% of my body weight loss!

Are you trying to lose weight currently – and if so, how are you doing it? Tell us about your progress as well!

Read my review of the Weight Watchers program

Disclaimer: This site is an advertising partner with Weight Watchers.  I will receive compensation if a new member signs up through one of the links above. Please know that this review does discuss my true feelings of the program and how it has worked for me.

A few weeks ago I mentioned how I had decided to start eating healthier again, working out on a regular basis and using some supplements in order to help build muscle while dropping fat. At the time I was doing it mainly because my wife encouraged me to do it – to be her accountability partner and keep her motivated as well. Since we started, however, I’ve become pretty invested in the whole process, and have jumped in with both feed.

We ended up joining Weight Watchers at the end of January, and we’ve been attending meetings and doing the program ever since.  I’ve lost almost 25 lbs now, and feeling a lot healthier. We’ve both learned quite a few things through the program, some of which I thought I’d share here.

Things I’ve Learned While Losing Weight

• Exercise is important, but so is healthy eating:  I’ve always understood how important exercise was to a healthy lifestyle, but pooh-poohed healthy eating to a degree.  Now that I’m actually eating healthier and seeing even better results, I’m convinced how important both exercise and healthy eating are.
• Portion control can be a big problem: One of my biggest problems before that caused me to gain weight was no sense of portion control. I’ve learned very quickly how to limit my portions and food intake without feeling deprived.
• Moderation is key:  I’ve learned that you don’t have to deprive yourself, and you can still lose weight.  On the whole I’ve been eating healthier, but sometimes I’ll treat myself – and not feel guilty about it.  It only becomes a problem when you go overboard.
• Finding exercise you enjoy is important:  I’ve learned that you won’t be able to stick to an exercise regimen unless you’re doing exercise you enjoy.  For me that means playing Your Shape Fitness for Xbox Kinect, riding my mountain bike and running.
• Staying consistent despite setbacks is important:  You’re not going to have a good week every week no matter what you think. The important thing is to stay consistent over the long haul. That’s how you put weight on, and that’s how you take it off.  Slow but sure.
• Tracking what you eat can be an eye opening exercise:  One thing I’ve learned is that I eat a whole lot more on a daily basis as far as calories, fat and so forth than I realize.  By tracking I was able to keep this in check – and really appreciate how I got where I was.

So there are a few things that I’ve learned. What are some things you’ve learned while either losing weight or getting fit?  Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Proper diet and exercise go hand in hand when trying to lose weight. However, I’ve noticed that for many dieters, creating a diet that fits their exercise regimen isn’t always an easy task. The U.S. is well known for giving in to fad diets and fast food, both of which don’t always yield the highest weight loss. To properly attain your fitness goals, you must plan accordingly just as you would for any goal, and there are a few easy steps that can help you create a diet to optimize your goals.

Determine Your Caloric Maintenance

First and foremost, when creating a diet to suit your fitness goals, you must determine your caloric maintenance. When I say “caloric maintenance,” I’m referring to the amount of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight. Calculating your current caloric maintenance will be the key to determining the amount of calories you may consume throughout your diet.

Calculate Caloric Goals

After determining how many calories you will need to maintain you weight, you need to decide if you would like to lose, maintain, or gain weight. If you choose to lose weight you will need to subtract around 500 calories from your caloric maintenance so that you can lose between 1-2 pounds weekly. If you wish to gain weight, you will need to add an additional 500 calories to your caloric maintenance amount. Always remember to factor in the intensity of your exercise regimen as well with calculating your caloric goals. Remember, eating too little or too much while exercising can greatly impact your fitness goals.

Create a Weekly Menu

By creating a weekly menu, you are making sure that your diet adheres to its caloric needs. When you don’t have a structured menu, you risk grabbing meals conveniently at local fast food restaurants or grabbing other high carbohydrate snacks simply to satiate your hunger. Each week I create an exciting menu for myself that will fit my caloric goals to optimize my fitness training.

Drink Plenty of Water

I believe one of the best ways to create a diet that optimizes your exercise regimen is by drinking plenty of water. Many dieters don’t drink enough water while exercising which can dehydrate the body and limit muscle growth and weight loss. Whole house water filter systems and other water purifying systems are a great way to promote drinking water as these systems provide clean, fresh water out of the tap at all times ensuring that you get your recommended 8 glasses a day.

What other tips can you give to folks looking to create a diet that fits their fitness goals?

I‘ve been through the weight loss cycle a bunch of times. At times I’ve lost 20, 40 or even 50 pounds.   I feel like I’ve always been on a search for the best way to lose weight, whether it’s through a program like Weight Watchers or workout regime like with P90X, or if it’s through some fad diet.    The time that I lost the most weight was when 3-4 years ago when I lost about 50 pounds using a program found in a book called Body For Life.  While there are a ton of programs out there to lose weight, the best ones always seem to focus on the basics – to eat less and move more.

Eat Less Move More

To say you need to eat less and move more may be a simplification of things, but essentially it’s the truth.  If you want to lose weight, and maintain that loss you have to reduce your calorie intake, and be more active.  The programs that I’ve had the most success with – Body for Life and Weight Watchers, both have taken aspects of that maxim to heart.

Weight Watchers does really well on the end of eating less, helping you to control your portions through their PointsPlus program.  Basically they help you to control what you’re eating in a way that makes sure you don’t feel deprived.  They also encourage you to exercise more – even if it’s just a little bit more.

Body For Life also encourages you to eat healthier, and lays out some suggested meal plans and eating schedules.  What it does really well, however, is  on the exercise end of the spectrum.  It helps you to lay out a 6 day a week workout regimen that will help you to improve your cardiovascular fitness, in addition to increasing your strength.

Experts have long said that this is the secret to weight loss, but unfortunately it just isn’t sexy and it isn’t necessarily what people want to hear. It’s boring, and it takes time for it to work.  People too often want a quick fix, something easy.

The basics of weight loss are simple: Eat less. Move more. But consumers still flock to the newest best-seller diets, hormone injections, alleged hunger-controlling cookies, enthralled by glowing testimonials about sumo-to-svelte slimdowns.“There’s nothing sexy about ‘eat your fruits and vegetables,’ ” said Keri Gans, a registered dietitian. “We want to hear something else.”

“Consumers need to understand that health and the ideal body weight are not found from a gimmick. It takes hard work. The end result is long-lasting success.”

One man profiled on CNN.com did just what we’re talking about. He didn’t go with any fancy fad diets or any new programs. He just set out to eat healthier and started working out regularly.

There were no diet pills, shakes or detoxes. And no, it wasn’t caveman food, grapefruit, Twinkies, Taco Bell or Subway sandwiches.

Tony Posnanski’s 200-pound weight loss was straightforward, almost dull.

“I changed the way I ate,” said Posnanski, 34, who went from consuming 10,000 calories a day to 2,400. “I got rid of processed foods. I ate fruits, vegetables, lean meats. It is pretty boring, but the results aren’t boring.”

There was no immediate difference, he said. “My pants were still large after that first day. But I felt like I could do this. It was different.

“Before, I would tell myself I’m going to do this for a little while. That day, I was like, ‘You know what — I’m done. This is the rest of my life.’ “

That’s the key to weight loss, experts say. It can’t be a temporary fix; the changes have to be lifelong.

That’s really what it boils down to in my book. You have to change the way you view food, you have to practice moderation and portion control, and you have to do your best to be fit.  It’s not rocket science, it just takes motivation and persistence.

You Have To Change Your Lifestyle, And Stick To It

Part of the problem with workout programs and other crash diets is that they aren’t realistic to continue on a long term basis. You can’t stick to it.  Having that complete change in how you view food, exercise and so forth is what you need for the long term.  If you can’t stick with it long term, you’ll gain the weight back.

For people who hope for shortcuts, Klein said: “There’s no magic bullet to lose weight and keep it off.”  Smaller portion sizes (no fewer than 1,200 calories) and daily physical activity can lower cardiovascular disease risks, he said.

Posnanski, a former yo-yo dieter and restaurant manager, who gave up what he called “gimmicky” diets, shared how he has managed to sustain his weight loss:

• Monitor portions and keep track of food intake
• Stay away from processed foods, and eat mostly vegetables, fruits, lean meats and whole grains
• Work out one to two hours a day

“I don’t believe in quick weight-loss diets,” Posnanski said. “I believe in the rest of my life.”

For me, that’s where I’ve failed in the past. I haven’t done a program that I knew I could stick with. Instead I stuck with the program as long as I needed to, and then stopped – and got into my old unhealthy behaviors.

This time around I feel like I’m on a program that I can stick with long term, and I know I’m on my way to living a healthier life.

How about  you?  Have you found a program that you can stick with? Have you changed your relationship with food and exercise? Tell us your thoughts.

Disclaimer: This site is an advertising partner with Weight Watchers.  I will receive compensation if a new member signs up through one of the links above. Please know that this post does discuss my true feelings of the program.

A few weeks back my wife and I started talking about how we both thought that it was time that we lose some weight. We’ve allowed things to go on for far too long, and we’re both pretty far from our ideal weight. Funny how life can just start flying by you, and before you know it you’ve gained 50 lbs!

We both also wanted to set a good example for our 7 month old son, and be able to run and play with him once he gets to that point in a few months. We’re both so out of shape now that there would be no way that would be possible without some changes.

When we were talking about methods of losing weight, Maria suggested that we both join Weight Watchers weight loss program, and that we attend meetings through a local Weight Watchers location. At first I was hesitant to do that. In fact, I was dead set against it. I think I’ve got an ingrained bias against Weight Watchers, that it’s a program only for women, and that more than anything it’s a group therapy session for folks who need some help in losing weight. I like to think of myself as a self-sufficient kind of guy, and even thinking of going to group meetings made me not want to join. I’ve lost significant weight in the past ( Over 50 lbs back in 2007), and I was sure I could do it again. But then again, I wanted something that could make the weight loss stick – a life change.

After some discussion lengthy discussion I decided to join Weight Watchers and attend meetings with my wife. I did it mainly because she didn’t want to join on her own, and I wanted to encourage her on her weight loss journey. I also realized that I just might learn some things for myself that would help me to lose weight and maintain the weight loss. So two weeks ago yesterday we got a babysitter and went to our first Weight Watchers meeting.

Joining The Weight Watchers Program

We walked into our first Weight Watchers meeting on a Thursday night, and signing up was pretty easy. One of the counselors just gave us the rundown of how the program worked, gave us some materials, and and signed us up.  There were a couple of options for signing up.  Normally there is a joining fee, but they’re currently running a promotion for the new year where you don’t have to pay that registration fee.  Then there is a weekly meeting fee – or you can buy a monthly pass.  We opted to pay for the monthly pass because it includes a subscription to eTools (an online tracking companion) as well.   So here are the current options for signing up.

• Pay as you go – $13 weekly fee.
• 17 week pass – $11.41 per week.
• Monthly pass – $9.22/week + free access to the e-tools. ($39.95/month – auto renew) (save 25% your first month through this link until Feb 28th)

It should be noted that prices may vary depending upon the location  you join.

Before the meeting each week everyone comes in to the front desk, signs in and does a weigh-in.   Then the counselor who weighs you in will record your current weight -which they’ll do each successive week as well to mark your progress.

After everyone arrived the meeting starts.  There is one group leader that heads the meeting, and there is a topic for discussion every week.  For this past week for example they talked about getting active and exercising, and talked about ways that you could do that.

The meetings I’m discovering are a great motivational tool to help keep you focused. They keep you on task, they remind you of what’s important when you’re trying to lose weight, and they give you plenty of ideas when it comes to healthy eating, fitness and weight loss.   They are also a good place to get some positive feedback. When you reach your smaller weight loss goals, the group will recognize you, and everyone gives words of encouragement.  I can see why some people really enjoy these meetings.

Weight Watchers E-Tools

Part of Weight Watchers strong points that I’ve seen so far is how it changes your views of eating.  Already in 2 weeks my eyes have been opened to just how bad my eating habits were, and just how huge my portion sizes were.

I used to think that people who were on the program must drive themselves crazy all the time trying to figure out their Weight Watchers points.  They had to figure out how many points individual foods have, how much more they can eat in a day,  how many fruits they’ve eaten, etc.  I just sounded very frustrating.

What I’ve found so far is that the reality is much different. It really isn’t as hard or as frustrating as you might think to follow the healthy eating plan that they set out for you. When you weigh in at your first meeting they’ll give you a PointsPlus target for the number of PointsPlus values that you can eat every day.  They’ll also give you some extra “splurge” PointsPlus values for the week.  I’ve found that assigning PointsPlus values to the foods I eat is actually super simple using the eTools.  After a while it becomes second nature, and actually doing it will open your eyes to just how much you need to change.

NOTE:  Weight Watchers recently changed to their new PointsPlus program from the Momentum program.  If you were in the program in the past, the old points values have changed to the PointsPlus values.  This is important, especially if you’ve bought Weight Watchers products with the old points values still on them. New PointsPlus values are different, and should be re-calculated using Nutrition information in the calculator.

They have a variety of tools that help you to track your food intake, your weight loss progress, your exercise and more.  Here’s a short list of the helpful features within the eTools:

• PointsPlus Tracker: Tracking is the heart of the Weight Watchers program. The tool allows you to track your daily food intake by assigning PointsPlus values to all the foods you eat. It has been extremely helpful to me in realizing how much my portion sizes were out of control.
• PointsPlus Calculator: This tool will help you to calculate the points your foods have if you can’t find it in the system. Just enter fat, protein, carbs and fiber for your food, and it will give you a points plus value.
• Weight Tracker: You’ll weigh in each week at your meeting.  You can enter it online to track your progress on your weight loss goals. My first goal was 5% of my starting weight. I’m over half way there already!
• Activity Tracker: This helps you to track the exercise you’re doing during the week.  You’ll get extra PointsPlus values for working out, which will allow you to eat a little more -nice if you have a splurge day like Super Bowl Sunday.
• Recipe Builder: If you’re trying to figure out the PointsPlus value of a particular recipe, this tool will help you break it down into it’s parts to figure out the total value.
• Restaurant Finder: Tool to help you find the points value of certain foods at certain restaurants.
• Food Cheat Sheets (beer cheat sheet): They have helpful cheat sheets that will help you to eat healthier and figure out PointsPlus values at popular destinations. They’ve got cheat sheets for beer, for eating at a Chinese buffet, salads, and more.

A good number of the eTools above will be found in your Weight Watchers Plan Manager, shown in the screenshot below.  I keep my plan manager open in my browser at work all day to track everything I eat. Very helpful and easy to use!

Calculating your PointsPlus values using the Plan Manager is extremely simple.  You can either search for the exact food that you’re eating in the search box, or if you can’t find it there, you can just enter the food’s nutrition information from the label in their PointsPlus calculator.  It will give you a PointsPlus value that you can then enter into your daily food log.  I don’t think I realized before just how much I was eating every week!

I also like the fact that the eTools are tailored either for men or for women.  That means your experience will be better tailored for you!

Weight Watchers Mobile For Iphone,  Ipod Touch, Other Mobile

Weight Watchers also now has a helpful mobile tools for folks to use. They’ve got apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and for other smartphones like Blackberries.  I use the app for iPod touch which allows you to track your PointsPlus values online, and which also syncs with the Plan Manager on the eTools that I talked about above.  It makes it easy to track your PointsPlus values even while you’re on the go!  If I’m out at a restaurant I’ll track my values on my iPod, which then syncs to my online account. Then when I get back to my desk my values are already entered.

The mobile apps also have plenty of other tools including daily recipes, motivational stories from other folks losing weight, points calculators, cheat sheets and more.

Weight Watchers Meetings

My wife and I have attended 3 meetings now for Weight Watchers.  Basically you show up and weigh in for the week to see if your weight is up or down.  They record your weight so that you can see your progress, and if you reach one of your weight loss goals, they’ll recognize you in class.  Then the class leader will go over the topic for the week, usually having to do with eating, exercise, motivation and so on. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but the leader does encourage engagement in the class.

I wasn’t sure what to expect before I headed to the meetings to be quite honest.  I had a pre-conceived notion that they wouldn’t be very helpful for me as I don’t really need a lot of encouragement in my weight loss journey. I’m pretty motivated, and am a self starter in most things.  On the other hand, what I’ve found from the meetings is that they are actually pretty informational as well. They help you to change your mindset about eating, give you helpful tips and tricks for eating right and exercising, and of course they are motivational in that others give you praise when you do well, and encouragement when you don’t.

I also thought that the meetings would be all women.  I was wrong…. somewhat.  In the meetings I’ve attended so far, I was the only guy there in one of them, and was the second guy in the other two.  So it is mostly women at our location, but I don’t think that should deter any guys from going.

Weight Watchers Online

While my wife and I are attending local meetings for Weight Watchers, I found that you don’t have to do the program that way. There is an online only version of the program, and I’ve read about a lot of folks doing it that way with good success as well.

I know that some guys who would be hesitant to do the weekly meetings might be more open to doing the weight loss program online.  If I wasn’t attending with my wife I’d probably be more likely to do it that way.  When joining  Weight Watchers Online you would have access to your own full program and tools for tracking your progress.

My Initial Views Of The Weight Watchers Program

So far I have had a pretty positive view of the Weight Watchers program. I think I had a different notion what it would be like going into it, than it actually turned out. I had an image of a bunch of unhappy people who were going to meetings to make each other feel better, but instead I’ve found a motivated group of folks determined to better themselves and encourage each other along the way.  I’ve also found the program itself to be much more helpful than I realized – helping me to change how I think about eating, helping me to adjust my portion sizes, and get back into a workout schedule.

So far in only 2 weeks of the program I’ve lost 8 pounds, and I think I’ll be reaching the first 10 lbs lost at this week’s weigh-in. Weight Watchers says that typically people who follow the plan can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week, so I guess I’m not doing too shabby.  I have a feeling it will get even better once I start working out more than I currently am.

If you’re looking for an easy to do program that shows results, I’d happily recommend giving Weight Watchers a shot.

Get more details and sign up for Weight Watchers

Disclaimer: This site is an advertising partner with Weight Watchers.  I will receive compensation if a new member signs up through one of the links above. Please know that this review does discuss my true feelings of the program.

photo credit: visualpanic

This past week was my first week back to working out,  and it was a week of ups and downs.  I worked out 4 out of 7 days, and my eating was decent except on the weekend.

I started the week out really well, working out the first 3 days of the week (Mon-Wed) .  I got in a good run on Monday, some upper body weights on Tuesday and another good run on Wednesday.

On Thursday my new computer arrived from Dell, and I got distracted.  I didn’t exercise again until Saturday!  i was entranced with our fast new computer.  I took the nights for several days in a row to get it set up, transfer files from the old computer, and get things going.   I took my eye off the ball.

My eating this week was so-so.  The beginning of the week was pretty good.  Then my healthy groceries ran out.  I kept putting off going to the grocery store, and as a result I ate out most of the days last week. Not good for my diet – or for my checkbook!

This week, I’m getting back on the plan.  My computer is now setup, so I don’t have that excuse.  We’ll see how it goes! Wish me luck!  (I’m off to workout now!)

photo credit: Celso Flores

2008 was a year filled with ups and downs.   My wife was in and out of the hospital a couple of times, and at one stretch was hospitalized for 3 weeks straight with a blood clot. We had tons of other things going on during the year that made it a hard one, and we were relieved to start a new year relatively unscathed.

With the new year beginning I’ve set some goals for myself in the coming year, and one of them is related to my health and fitness. I’d like to lose another 30-35 pounds this year, to get to my desired weight of around 200 lbs. I’ve come close to that goal before, but I’ve never completely reached it.

In 2007 I started my journey towards becoming fit. I started the year at 255 pounds, my heaviest weight ever. I wasn’t happy at that weight, and I knew I needed to lose weight. Since I had turned 30 the year before I began reflecting on my health, where I was, and where I wanted to be. 255 pounds and unhealthy was not what I was shooting for.

That year, 2007, I lost 40 pounds to get down to 215 lbs. I was proud of that accomplishment, but because I wasn’t focused on living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I started reverting back to old habits. I started eating out at fast food restaurants again. I started getting a coffee and donut on my way to work. Finally, I stopped working out again.

My problem? I was living from the mindset that there are two ways to live. First, you can live healthy while you’re on a diet. Second, you can live “normal life”. The problem is, if you want to live a healthy life you have to make eating healthy and exercising your “normal life”. It has to become your new paradigm.

This year, my goal is to lose the weight, and to KEEP IT OFF. I want to change the way I view the world so I can get to the point where living healthy is the “new normal”.

How about you? Are you working towards a fitness goal this year? Once you reach your goal will you continue living healthy? How are you training yourself to think about living healthy as the new normal?

photo credit: shoothead

Life gets busy

The last couple of weeks I’ve noticed that I’ve only been able to exercise a couple of times per week.  We’ve been extremely busy buying a new car, teaching a class on personal finance at our church, dealing with family issues, and just being busy.   I know most of you probably know what that’s like.

Through all of this I’ve found that it isn’t easy to keep on the path towards fitness, but if you set up a plan, and work that plan – you can succeed.  Even though I’ve been working out less, my nutrition has been better and I’ve been more active, and because of that I’ve still been losing weight.

How are personal finance and fitness related?

The title of this post talks about personal finance and fitness and how they’re related.  Many of you know that I also have a personal finance website at http://www.biblemoneymatters.com.  Because I write about finance on a daily basis, it has become second nature for me and my wife to do our budget, stay within spending guidelines, and save.  We have set up a plan, and we’ve been disciplined in that plan.

By the same token, if you’re going to succeed in the area of fitness, you’ll need to make a plan, and stick to it. I’ve setup a workout and nutrition plan for my fitness, and when I’ve stuck to that plan I’ve been able to feel myself getting healthier, and watch as the pounds drop off.  When I’ve had discipline, it has paid off.

In the areas of personal finance and fitness, having a plan, and having the discipline to work that plan are key.  Without the stick-to-itiveness (is that a word?) you’ll fail every time.

Do you have a plan to succeed and have you been disciplined in executing that plan? If not, why not?

Something that I think about all the time is what types of foods I should be eating in order to better fuel my workouts, and to aid in recovery once the exercise is done.

In an article titled “Best fuel for your workout” at MSNBC.com the fitness experts give a quick run-down of what types of foods you should look to eat before and after your reps.

Good food choices to fuel your workout include high-carbohydrate, low-fat snacks such as:

• a banana with yogurt;
• a whole-wheat toasted bagel with fruit spread; or
• a quick bowl of instant oatmeal.

After your workout, it’s essential to refuel your body with a carbohydrate-protein blend, such as:

• a peanut butter sandwich;
• a small handful of walnuts or almonds; or
• a fruit smoothie with some protein powder.

So there are some quick and easy suggestions to keep your diet on track, and your body fueled like it needs to be.

photo credit: Darwin Bell

Don’t forget to not overdo it though!

You don’t want to eat too much food before exercising, because if you become sluggish, nauseated or throw up, you’ve lost that workout.

One last thing. Drink water and eat healthy!

Of course, don’t forget to drink water before, during and after your workout to avoid dehydration.

And remember that eating a low-fat, well-balanced diet the rest of the day will help ensure that your motor is running efficiently both during exercise and at rest.