January 7, 2012

Rest

• Slept at 12:30 AM
• Woke up at 9:00 AM

Today is a planned overfeeding/do what you want day

Feeding 1 9:30 AM

• Omelette- spinach, eggs
• Blackberries
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 8 oz water

Feeding 2 4:00 PM Brownstone Diner

• 4 Black Forest Pancakes- chocolate chips inside, cherry compote on top w/ butter and syrup
• Scrambled eggs
• 2 Pork sausages
• 24 oz water

Herman’s Place 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

• 3 Black Label on the rocks drinks

Training session w/ friend 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM

This is the friend I am helping to lose weight. I was definitely impressed by her performance. I know these exercises are not what she normally does. Kind of how yoga was to me initially. After the session we also spoke about her nutrition plan. Given she needs to do this in a short amount of time, habits I normally recommended were thrown out the door. It’s going to be a tough next few weeks for her but I have confidence that she’ll be successful.

Hanging out with friends 1:00 AM – 4:00 AM

• 4 Black Label on the rocks drinks
• 1 Budweiser
• 2 shots of Patron

Feeding 3 4:30 AM

• 1/2 Bison Burger w/bacon
• Onion rings
• 1/2 Omelette- tomato, feta cheese, onions

 

 

January 6, 2012

Rest

• Slept at 12:00 AM
• Woke up at 7:40 AM

Workout

• Pre-workout NOS sugar free energy drink
• 1. Thrusters 110x12x3
• 2a. RDL 225x12x3
• 2b. L Chin Ups Neutral Grip BWx12x2, BWx6x2
• “125″ Circuit 25 reps @
• 3a. KB Goblet Squat 16 kg
• 3b. KB Double Arm Swing 32 kg
• 3c. Squat Thrusts
• 3d. Superman Push Ups (26 reps)
• 3e. Partner Plank w/ Alternating Reach (26 reps) substituted SB Ab Rollouts w/alternating knee tucks

Feeding 1 10:25 AM

• 2 handfuls of trailmix

Looked over 4 Hour Body at Barnes and Nobles this afternoon. The book is not bad. The author takes a very minimalist approach to fitness and nutrition. He promotes the idea of doing the smallest amount of work that provides the most bang for your back or results in this case. That way it is easier to follow as well as adhere to.

Feeding 2 2:20 PM

• Omelette- tomato, broccoli, egg whites

Feeding 3 5:40 PM

• Chobani plain yogurt
• Blueberries
• Almond Slivers

Feeding 4 8:25 PM My friend Herman’s place

• 3 Lemon basil chicken breasts- salt, pepper, pan fried in olive oil and butter, lemon, basil
• Home made tomato sauce- tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, tomato paste, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, basil, garlic, beef broth, roasted pepper, parsley
• 16 oz water

January 5, 2012

Rest

• Slept at 11:40 PM
• Woke up at 7:50 AM

Weight

• 176 lbs

Feeding 1 8:15 AM

• Omelette- spinach, egg whites
• Blueberries
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 16 oz water

Workout 9:15 AM – 10:30 AM

• Pre-workout NOS sugar free energy drink
• 1. KB Snatch 32kgx10x3
• 2. KB Diagonal Swing 16kgx10@sidex3
• 3. KB L Sits into Planche Push Up w/ 1 knee tucked BWx5@sidex3; last set did 6 reps w/ both legs extended and 2@side with 1 knee tucked
• 4. Inverted L Rows BWx6x2, BWx7x1; leg lowering negative on last rep of last 2 sets
• ViPR circuit 4 rounds, 40 secs on:20 secs off, 1 min rest between rounds
• 5a. Alternating Side Lunge w/ Reach 10kg
• 5b. Shovel 12kg switching sides @20 secs
• 5c. Alt Side to Side Push Press 16kg
• 5d. Zercher Squat + Zercher Good Morning 16kg

So apparently whenever there are three of us working out today, we do more, and we finish faster. The rest is naturally built in waiting for each person to go. I don’t know what it is but a lot of people I know are really motivated right now. The energy is pretty damn good.

Feeding 2 12:15 PM Greenwich Village Meatball Shop

• 4 meatballs- spicy pork w/pesto sauce and an egg
• Market Salad- same as yesterday
• 24 oz water

So I have another project on my hands. It’s fitness related and I’m pretty excited about it. I won’t say anything about it now but I’m looking forward to seeing how everything unfolds. 2012 should definitely be an interesting year.

Feeding 3 4:45 PM

• Handful of trail mix

Client 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

Client 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Feeding 4 8:50 PM

• Steak- from two nights ago
• Creamed Swiss Chard
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 16 oz water

 

 

January 4, 2012

Rest

• Slept at 12:40 AM
• Woke up at 6:00 AM

Weight

• 175.5 lbs

Feeding 1 6:40 AM

• Shake- vanilla muscle milk, spinach, water
• Blueberries
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 16 oz tea- mate vana, rooibos chai

Client 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Workout 10:15 AM – 11:00 Am

• 1a. Staggered Deadlift 115×8@sidex3
• 1b. KB Clean 24kgx8x3
• 2a. KB Push Press 24kgx8x3
• 2b. KB High Pull into Goblet Squat 24kgx8x3

Nice recovery workout this morning with my other workout partner. She’s actually in her second trimester and although she is waiting for her energy levels to return, it is really cool to see her doing her thing.

She’s an inspiration to all mothers-to-be. I certainly don’t have an excuse to wuss out during our workouts together.

Feeding 2 12:15 PM Greenwich Village Meatball Shop

• 2 Meatballs- venison w/ roast pork, juniper berries, rosemary, garlic, orange zest
• Sauce- venison ju port, chocolate, orange zest, black currant
• 2 Meatballs- beef w/ spicy meat sauce
• Roasted vegetables- cauliflower, cherry pepper
• Market salad (shared)- romaine, arugula, pepitas, kabocha, scallions, sherry vinaigrette
• Cream swiss chard
• Ice-cream cookie sandwich- cookies and cream ice cream, peanut butter cookie, molasses spice cookie
• 1 tsp Fish Oil when I got home

Work Meeting 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Client 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Between sessions I looked into a book called 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. A friend asked me if she should get it. Based on what I’ve seen on the chapter summaries online, this guy is a really good marketer. As far as methods for getting fit go, I will have to look into the actual book a little further before I make a recommendation

Client 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Feeding 3 9:55 PM

• Boneless chicken breast from 3 nights ago
• Eggplant coconut soup from 3 nights ago
• 16 oz water

I’ve also realized that as far as my eating goes, if I truly listen to my body’s signals, I find myself only eating 4 times a day. Today was actually 3. I even brought trail mix to work and had no desire to eat it.

Prior to this, I was eating 5-6 times per day. I can even do that now if I wanted. I think this explains part of my rapid weight loss so far.

That and I think yoga and getting more sleep has something to do with it as well. When your body recovers, its primary energy source is fat.

I’m not losing any strength. In fact I’m still getting stronger while still looking leaner. So far I’m off to a pretty good start.

 

 

January 3, 2012

Rest

• Slept at 12:15 AM
• Woke at 6:15 AM

Weight

• 178.5 lbs

Feeding 1 7:00 AM

• Egg white omelette- spinach, tomato, feta cheese
• Blueberries
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 16 oz flavored white tea (same as previous day)

Client 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM

Workout 9:15 AM – 10:00 AM

• Sugar free NOS pre-workout energy drink
• 1. Squats 335x5x2, 355x5x2
• 2a. DB Bench Press 90x5x4
• 2b. DB Supported Single Arm Row 110x5x4

Felt pretty strong again today although it took longer to get into it. I know it’s partly due to the cold as well as the 3 drinks I had last night.

Feeding 2 11:25 AM

• Boneless chicken breast from 2 nights ago
• Eggplant coconut soup from 2 nights ago
• Blackberries
• 8 oz water

After I ate, I worked on our website and decided to add my wellness journal along with my daily reflections to the site. I basically wanted to give people an idea what my day is like and what a fitness professional like me has to go through to maintain a wellness lifestyle. Not only that but I’m sure it will also show the challenges I face and the mistakes that I make along the way.

Activity 2:45 PM – 3:05 PM

• Took the dogs to the dog run. Again it was freezing so we didn’t stay long

Feeding 3 3:55 PM

• Plum
• Handful of trail mix
• Handful of pecan halves
• 16oz water

Client 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Client 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

Yoga 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM

• Vinyasa

I find it amazing how yoga, regardless of how challenging it may be, has the exact opposite effect on my mind and body that working out does. When I work out I am totally charged up, amped and ready to take control of my day. Yoga on the other hand totally relaxes me and brings me back to center. It’s the main reason I prefer to train in the mornings and do yoga in the evenings. But again that’s just me.

Feeding 4 11:00 PM

• Sirloin Steak – salt, pepper, basil, chilli powder, worcester sauce, cooked medium
• Steamed mixed vegetables
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 16 oz water

January 2, 2012

“Resolve to Evolve”

Rest

• Slept at 2:30 AM
• Woke up at 8:45 AM

Weight

• 181 lbs

Feeding 1 9:00 AM

• Shake- vanilla muscle milk, spinach, frozen strawberries, water, ice
• 1 tsp Fish Oil

Workout 10:15 AM – 10:55 AM

• 1. Clean and Push Jerk 195x5x4
• 2a. 36″ Box Jump BWx5x4
• 2b. Weighted Neutral Grip Wide Pullup 35x5x4
• Ladder 15 reps, 9 reps, 6 reps
• 3a. DA KB Swing 40 kg
• 3b. KB L Sits
• 3c. Hanging Leg Raises

This was an awesome workout. In addition to working out with one of my usual workout partners we had a special guest join us. Needless to say she kept us motivated and we actually finished in record time. There’s nothing like feeding off the energy of others.

Feeding 2 11:40 AM at Coppelia

• Omelette- manchego cheese, roasted peppers, chorizo
• Home fries
• 3 bites of toast
• Sweet plantain
• 24 oz water

Activity 3:20 PM – 3:30 PM

• Walked dogs to the dog run and did a light jog around the small lawn. Not much but it was cold.

Feeding 3 4:00 PM

• Boneless chicken breast from last night
• Eggplant coconut soup from last night
• 16 0z flavored white tea- monkey picked oolong, strawberry slender pu-erh, mate lemon blast, imperial acai blueberry

Feeding 4 7:00 PM

• Puerto Rican pasteles
• 3 pieces of chocolate- 2 Godiva, 1 Vosages
• 3 Vodka club soda drinks

I had this feeding while with one of my best friends who was going through it. Although I had a choice not to eat or drink what I did, I chose to eat and drink that anyhow. There are some things that are more important than yourself at times and in this particular situation, it was being there for my friend.

Feeding 5 11:55 PM

• Handful of trail mix
• 1 tsp Fish Oil

 

January 1, 2012

Rest

• Slept at 3 AM
• Woke up at 10 AM

Weight

• 181 lbs

Feeding 1 10:45 AM

• Egg White Omelette- spinach, tomato, feta chesse,
• Blackberries
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 16 oz water
• 16 0z tea- mate vana, rooibos chai

Activity 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Walked dogs to the dog run then to the marina and back home

Feeding 2 1:40 PM

• Apricot
• Two handfuls of trail mix

Feeding 3 4:45 PM at Greenwich Village Meatball Shop

• 4 meatballs- steak, bacon, and cheddar w/ mushroom sauce
• Market salad- green leaf, arugula, roasted fennel, almonds, pomegranate seeds, pomegranate vinaigrette
• 16 oz water

Feeding 4 6:30 PM

• Chobani strawberry yogurt

Feeding 5 10:40 PM

• Baked Boneless chicken breast- salt, pepper, tumeric, basil, olive oil, lemon juice
• Eggplant coconut soup- yogurt, cashews, cinnamon, chilli powder, coconut milk
• 1 tsp Fish Oil
• 16 oz water

Today was pretty laid back. The early part of my day I spent trying to come up with my wellness plan and finding out ways to work on mental fitness

I spent a good part of the late afternoon watching television with one of my best friends. We actually watched the 2011 Cross Fit games on ESPN 2 and it got me pretty amped up and looking forward to my workout the following day.

 

It’s 2012 so I figured I’d start by writing about what I want to accomplish. I never have specific resolutions except to do better than the previous year and be better than the previous year. Well this year is a bit different.

PHYSICAL FITNESS IS ONLY ONE ASPECT

I’ve decided to adopt more of a wellness lifestyle. Prior to this, I had more of what you would call a fitness lifestyle and I’ve been quite successful and consistent with it over the past 5 years even though it has been a part of my whole life in some way, shape, or form.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a firm believer in balance. Especially balance in all areas of your life and it was last year that I realized I wasn’t as balanced as I thought I was. A lot happened to me and needless to say, fitness couldn’t help a lot of the challenges I was experiencing. It did keep me sane through it all for the most part but it wasn’t until I took a yoga class that I realized there were two other sides that I was neglecting.

ENTER MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL FITNESS

Let’s just say after I took a yoga class, that same night I had one of the most vivid dreams I’ve ever experienced. I knew the colors, textures, people, and even the temperature in my dream. That never happens!!! I barely even remember what goes on. The following day, when I woke up, I literally felt like I was flying.

I shared this experience with some of my closest friends and some others who take yoga and they all said that typically is normal. I was like, “I need more of this!” Even though this can be classified as exercise, it totally impacted me in a way my workouts didn’t. Spirit to me is defined as “a sense of self and of a relationship of that which is greater than self.” I know this may sound “New Age-like” but for the first time in a really long time I felt as if there was something greater than me out there and I definitely wanted to connect to it whatever was. So as I am writing this now, I am still currently exploring yoga and even meditation and energy work and it’s effects on me and what experts claim it will do.

So where does the mental fitness come in? Well… as I researched more of the benefits of yoga and meditation I saw a common theme among all the sites I was on and books I was looking through…

True balance is about body, mind, and spirit.

And through physical, mental, and spiritual fitness, this balance can be achieved. So I obviously looked up how to increase your mental fitness and boy did I open another pandora’s box. I won’t go into the details of it but you can easily do the research on your own. Know that as far as the mental aspect goes, I will do things such as expanding my reading so it’s not only about fitness, maybe go to more museums, brush up on my Spanish or learn French even to being more expressive with my friends, and doing “brain games.” There is so much. Luckily for me, if this will be part of my lifestyle, I have the rest of my life to do all that.

WELLNESS EVOLUTION

What I do know and believe is that for me, WELLNESS IS BALANCE and that this life style will be achieved by the integration of physical, mental, and spiritual fitness. This really is going to be an evolution for me that I look forward to.

The ultimate goal of this journal is purely personal. I will simply be tracking down my journey into wellness and also have a section on daily reflections. Not just the things I do to achieve it but also the challenges, and even the mistakes. And at the end of the year I will evaluate what I’ve done. Because this is a lifestyle I don’t expect this to be something I may figure out in a year or even two or three.

This is something I will be doing for the rest of my life, but it is my hope that those of you who follow this will be inspired to lead a life that is balanced, whatever balance means to you and will embrace a lifestyle of wellness, however way you want to go about doing that.