Cruciferous Veggies and Checking In for Tuesday
2010-07-14 ( lbs.)
Yesterday was a busy day -- worked from 7:30am to 10:30pm with a few short breaks for meals and sanity. Exercise wasn't an option. I discovered though, that my workout today was much stronger with the extra recovery day between Monday and this morning. Two weeks ago where I did workouts on back to back days (M/T then Th/F), by Wed. I was exhausted and by Friday my workout sucked. I might stay with a 3-day strength workouts (M/W/F) and cardio everyday as was already planned.
Yesterday's eating was right on. I didn't write everything down, but I thought about every choice as I made it. I ate my starchy carbs in the morning and stuck with protein, tomatoes and onions in the afternoon. I didn't eat as many veggies as I should have, but there were no bad choices.
Speaking of veggies, I read an article today that said that cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc.) have a chemical that helps burn belly fat by stopping certain estrogens from binding in certain receptors. I don't know whether it's true or just another gimmick, but I'm going to investigate it. I know of one guy who went crazy with veggies when he lost weight and, in addition to losing the weight, his skin drew up so that he surprisingly looks very healthy without the sagging. Regardless, it makes me want to eat more cruciferous vegetables. lol I bought some broccoli and cauliflower today!
10% of the way there!
2010-07-14 ( lbs.)
I have a goal for July through December this year. I want to travel 1000 miles by my own propulsion by 11:59:59 on December 31. Methods of travel can be hiking, walking, biking, or even on equipment in the gym -- stationary bikes, elliptical, rowing machine, etc.
Today I crossed the 10% line. I'm just barely over 100 miles! I covered eight miles on the bike at the gym.
Monday Checkin
2010-07-12 ( lbs.)
90 minute workout - unless otherwise noted, each set was performed twice
Warmup - 5 min eliptical, stretching
----- SET 1 -----
Bench press
Flies
Eliptical - 3 min
----- SET 2 -----
Leg extension
Laying squats
Eliptical - 5 min
----- SET 3 -----
Crunches
Twisting planks
Eliptical - 5 min
----- SET 4 (1 time only) -----
Overhead tricep extension
Tricep pushdown
Eliptical - 10 min
EATING
Starting with the morning snack, each time I prepared my food, I dipped my knife into my organic peanut butter and ate a little. It's approx. 1/2 - 3/4 tbsp each time.
Pre-workout: banana, 1/2 peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat
Post-workout: 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 2 potatoes, onions
Morning snack: Vanilla yogurt with strawberry protein powder and cinnamon
Lunch: Large bowl mixed veggies (corn, peas, lima beans, butter beans, broccoli, carrots)
Afternoon: Large deer steak (I estimate 10-12 oz.)
Dinner: 3...
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More Willpower
2010-07-08 ( lbs.)
I received this email:
"...I guess i just need help on will power which i do not have at all. I can't seem to motivate myself on losing the weight even though i know that [serious health problems] run in my family].... I don't want to be in a wheelchair in later years due to not losing the weight."
Please understand that I am not a trainer, doctor or qualified professional. I'm just a guy who has lost weight and wants to share what I've learned with others. To that end, I'm simply sharing what has worked for me. I do not know any specifics about your medical condition; therefore, you should check with your doctor and/or qualified professional before trying anything that I have done for myself.
With that said, here are motivational tools that have worked for me.
1. Find a partner. Get someone who is as serious about losing weight as you are. Work together with them.
2. Get a trainer. A qualified trainer is one of the best ways to reach your fitness goals as quickly as possible -- as long as you do what he/she says.
3. Stop making excuses. The truth is that we always do what we ...
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16 miles today
2010-07-06 ( lbs.)
I went for a walk yesterday at the local park. The path itself is paved -- 2 miles one way, 2 miles back. Part of it is shaded with trees on both sides. Another section has awesome growth on both sides so that you feel like you're walking through a big field. There aren't any huge hills, but two are long, gradual ones.
I started at 10:45am and kept walking. I finished at 4:15pm. 16 miles total. In the sun. The hot sun! Oh my goodness, I'm cooked! It's not too bad, but the cold shower when I got home was awesome.
Today's Workout / Food
2010-07-02 ( lbs.)
- 1/2 pb sandwich
- workout
- 2 eggs, 4 egg whites, 1 sweet potato, onions, cassein protein powder mixed in (I don't have vanilla whey here right now)
- salad: romaine lettuce, cottage cheese, salsa, green olives, onion, fat free balsamic vinaigrette
- yogurt with protein powder, 2 grapefruit.
- cod fillets in hot sauce, peas and carrots
- cardio
- protein shake (tonight when I get back about 10p)
Workout was:
- 5 min warmup
SET 1 (2X)
- Single leg hamstring curls
- Stiff leg deadlifts
- 2 minute elliptical (getting .2 miles in 2 minutes now)
SET 2 (2X)
- Widegrip Rows
- Low Back Extensions
- 2 minute Elliptical
SET 3 (2X)
- Crunches
- Twisting Laying Leg Lifts
- Elliptical
SET 4 (1 superset, no breaks)
- :30 Plank
- :30 Cross crunches
- :30 Plank
- :30 Cross crunches
Today's workout
2010-06-29 ( lbs.)
I'm going a little easy at it this week as I'm getting back into my workouts. I've had to stretch more during the day, but I sure sleep better at night!
Here's today:
SET 1 (2x)
Lat Pulldown
Seated Close-grip Row
2 minutes on Eliptical
SET 2 (2x)
Laying Hamstring Curl
Hamstring Curls on Stability Ball
2 minutes on Eliptical
SET 3 (2x)
20 Crunches
15 Roman Chair Leg Lifts
2 minutes on Eliptical
SET 4 (1 long set)
:30 Twisting Planks
:30 Cross Crunches
:30 Twisting Planks
:30 Cross Crunches
Back in the Gym
2010-06-28 ( lbs.)
Though I've done quite a bit of hiking and, as of late, cycling, I haven't been in the fitness center for several months. However, I'm training for a long hike in September, so the gym is the fastest way to get in shape for it.
I started back this morning, and it felt great. Here's what I did.
SET 1 (2x)
Bench Press
Flies
2 minute eliptical
SET 2 (2x)
Leg extensions
Squats
2 minute eliptical
SET 3 (2x)
Crunches
Twisting Planks
2 minute eliptical
SET 4 (2x)
:30 plank
:30 crunches
Finished with 8 minutes on the eliptical.
Overall it was a good workout. I'll fit in another 15-20 minutes on my bike during lunch break and do something for exercise this evening as well.
I'm definitely going to have to pick up my daily mileage if I'm going to meet my mileage goal for the year.
Weird Eggs and Why They Are Good for You - Pt. 2
2010-06-08 ( lbs.)
what about weird eggs! Well, there are all sorts of ways to cook eggs. Most of us know about hard-boiled eggs, fried and scrambled. But what about those ways of fixing them that you just never thought about. That's what the rest of this article is about! So sit back and read some strange ways to fix the incredible edible egg.
Omelette
I like just about any veggie in an omelette: spinach, tomatoes, onions, peas, carrots (but only with peas too). Of course, any cheese goes well too!
Stuffed Eggs
I love stuffing with turkey. I like various spices and herbs. Why not with eggs? I added a small handful (about 1/4 cup) of garlic and herb dry stuffing mix to 2 eggs as I scrambled them. Very good, especially in a spinach omelette.
Hashed Eggs
Try adding some mashed potato flakes to your eggs. As long as you've got some olive oil in the pan, they add a nice little soft crisp flavor.
Refrigerator Raider
This is probably the weirdest concoction that I have tried that I liked. I was looking through the frig and just started grabbing stuff. 3 eggs, 3 tbsp thick brown ...
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Weird Eggs and Why They Are Good for You - Pt. 1
2010-06-07 ( lbs.)
I like eggs. Let me rephrase: I REALLY like eggs. I eat them at least twice per week. I usually scramble them with lots of vegetables and all sorts of ways. This morning I was poking around in the frig and decided to try something really weird -- but more about that later. Do you realize all the benefits of eggs?
1. Eggs are great for the eyes. According to one study, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneraton due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Both nutrients are more readily available to our bodies from eggs than from other sources. In another study, researchers found that people who eat eggs every day lower their risk of developing cataracts, also because of the lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs.1
2. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids.1 The yolks contain half the protein and all of the good found and other bountiful nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in an egg. Did you know that the lecithin in eggs help us digest fats easily?2 And speaking of the protein content, egg whites contain the purest form of protein found in whole-foods. They a...
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Veggies for Haters
2010-06-03 ( lbs.)
Ok, so maybe I'm talking too much about those healthy, hated vegetables. Many people with whom I speak talk about how they know they should eat vegetables, but they just don't like them. Hence, I'm addressing the topic more than once.
In the May 2010 issue of Men's Fitness
, they have an article called "Veggies for Haters" that aims to make some loathable vegetables palatable.
SPINACH
"Counter the bitterness in a salad with something crunchy like croutons, slivered almonds, even a few bits of turkey bacon. Also, almonds, chunks of minced garlic, or something acidic (like vinegar) can help to keep cooked leaves from feeling slimy."
BELL PEPPERS
"Brush a whole pepper (plus core) with a bit of olive oil, then place it directly on a hot grill, charring all sides evenly. Once it cools, ...
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What to Do When You Don't Like Veggies
2010-05-28 ( lbs.)
I didn't like vegetables very much when I started the process of becoming healthy. Over the last 3 years, I've come to love them. Here are things that I did change my taste.
1. Mixed with Lean Beef. I started mixing all the ingredients of my meals. I found that I liked just about any vegetables (even brussel sprouts!) mixed with 93% lean beef. The flavor of the spices I used on the beef seeped in with the veggies. More on this in #7 below.
2. Omelets. Lots of veggies go well in eggs -- spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms -- and tomatoes go well on the side. Fix scrambled eggs and mix in the veggies. For potatoes and onions, I suggest cooking them in a little olive oil first and adding the eggs to them in the last 2-3 minutes.
3. Sauces. Hot sauce covers a multitude of taste. I like Franks Red Hot Sauce. Salsa works well as long as you don't load up on it too much.
4. Concentrate on the Veggies you Love. I've learned that if there is a particular veggie...
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