If you had any doubts that FT's approach to fitness is different...

Something fascinating happened yesterday, just a few hours before my fitness assessment. Julian has been headquartered out at Fitness Together's Gunbarrel studio for the past week and I haven't seen much of him, since I've been working with the trainers at the Frazier studio.
But our kids go to school together, and he stopped me on my way out, right on the sidewalk.

I thought he was going to say that he was looking forward to reading my results, or tell me how trim I look. But instead he told me that I look hungry.

I admitted that I'd skipped snacks for the past two days and eaten only vegetables and water because I wanted to lose the last few pounds to get below 160. My lovely wife didn't like it, but I was doing it anyway. Well, Julian didn't like it either.

"You've lost plenty of weight," he told me. "In fact, I think you looked healthier at 165-170 pounds."

One of the trainers had told me a story that happened a few months ago, when a lady who is in great shape came into the studio and asked them to help her lose another 10-15 lbs. Julian told her that he would help her build endurance, balance, strength, a good nutrition plan and better health, but that she did not need to lose more weight. And here, the same thing was happening to me.

Even in the face of an impressive success - proof that his approach to nutrition and training is highly effective in helping someone lose weight - Julian was pointing to whole person health as the standard, rather than the size of my waistline.

So I end where I started: believing that Chattanooga's Fitness Together is remarkably unique in the fitness industry. Not only in what they can accomplish, but in their commitment to quality of life.

At the same time, I'm not where I started. I have a great re-education about what and how much I should be eating. As well as an improved metabolism that I can maintain with exercise.

But that starts next week. Today it's Saturday, and for lunch I'm making organic pizza from scratch with my lovely wife and daughters. And I'm going to enjoy every minute.

The results are in, and the winner is... truth

All the results are back. Here's what has happened in the last three months:

• I turned 35 years old.
• I lost 33 pounds (final weight 158). This means that I lost 1/6 of my total body weight. Crazy.
• My resting heart rate has dropped 15 beats a minute. This means that over the course of the next year, my heart will have to beat 7,884,000 fewer times than it did last year.
• My body fat is now 14.5%
• I lost 6 1/2 inches off my waistline. Also nearly 1 inch off my neck and off my calf. That's right - I lost an inch of fat off my calf. Weird.
• Flexibility test scores went from 37th percentile ("below average") to 81st percentile ("excellent").
• Nutrition is on key.
• I can do 60 pushups without stopping (double what I could do before).
• I can bench press 195 lbs. Which means that if I met pre-FlabtoFit Caleb and he called me skinny, I could bench press him.
  

Q&A:

So overall, did Julian tell the truth that he could change not only a person's look but their lifestyle?
That's a rhetorical question, if I've ever heard one.

Would I recommend that other people take the approach I took, a twelve-week, semester long re-education in how to eat right for your body, with one on one training to reach your personal goals?
Absolutely. It has required a big commitment - as does any program, or anything in life that pays off. And the men and women in their sixties who I see in the Fitness Together studios are an inspiration to me that I can continue on track for years to come.

What about for people for whom a five-day-a-week, twelve week program does not work? Would I still recommend to them one-on-one personal training and nutrition consulting? Absolutely. In fact, I not only 'would,' I do. I tell people to call Fitness Together, all the time. Talk to Julian, he's not unrealistic. He's a certified, Master's educated businessman and coach who loves life, loves good food, and loves helping people reach their goals.

The Unveiling

OK: before and after pics. And, fingers crossed, this will be the last time I ever appear on the internet with my shirt off.

I know that the visual images say a lot, but the non-visible indicators say even more than the difference in my waistline. I am eating much smarter, working with more energy, resting and sleeping much better. Breathing and balance feel like I'm ten years younger. Rather than missing and craving time outside, I am making time to run up in the mountains or downtown.

My daughters are sitting here with me while I'm writing this, and my little one just said: "Look, there's Papa when he was old, and Papa now that he's young."

Trash to treasure

Friday morning I was emptying the trash can and recyling can underneath my desk at work, and it struck me how different its contents are today than 3 months ago. Back then it would have been Coke cans, a paper Starbucks cup or two, Subway and Wendys boxes, soup cans and a couple of candy wrappers along with work papers. Now it is an orange peel and an empty raw almonds baggie; the rest was work papers.

In fact, I realized that I empty my trash can much less often these days. The metaphorical significance of this was not lost on me.

The Final Countdown

Today was my last workout. Well, not my last workout, because I’m going to continue working with a trainer at Fitness Together two days a week + doing one extra day of cardio. I want this whole life re-thinking of my body will last my whole life.

But today was the last training session of my 12 week program.

As I was doing sprints on the treadmill, it occurred to me that I don’t really feel like the workouts have gotten easier. I know that I can do much more that I could when I started, but it doesn’t FEEL easier. Of course, this is because the trainers are pushing me much harder now than they were.

This is another good reminder of the benefit of training under of watchful, educated eyes. The one on one trainer model keeps you from hurting yourself doing a particular exercise incorrectly, or overexerting and so burning out / giving up. But perhaps even more importantly, they walk with you over a period of time, knowing where to push you harder and where to back off, so you can reach your goals.

Tomorrow I go in for my twelve week assessment - did I reach my goals? How has my body changed, not only externally but internally? Am I stronger? Is my heart stronger? We’ll find out...

Flab to ab?

It's true - this is not a fatroll. In fact, it's an "ab" showing in the photo.

Apparently they’ve been there all along, under the layers of flab, but after thousands of a wide variety of crunches and back extensions, hours on the elliptical machine, 252 well-planned meals and 168 sensible snacks... they showed up.

Just thinking about those numbers and the oh-so-much more that it's taken over the past 12 weeks really reminds me of how hard it would have been to do it alone. All along I’ve talked about wanting to prove that despite the fitness industry's trend of manipulative marketing claims... a single business model that is based on quality of life, whole person focus, personalized attention and truth in marketing can really stand out as different.

But of course, it isn’t the business model that stands out, it’s the group of certified, highly trained trainers who have made this happen.

Under Julian’s leadership these trainers pushed and coached and encouraged and advised and educated me, and that’s what made such a big difference. So to the trainers I worked with in the past 3 months - Kyle, Jonathan, April, Becky, Chris, Justin, Tony, Denise, and Joanna - as well as the others at the Gunbarrel and Frazier studios : you rock. You guys do amazing work, and I obviously couldn’t have done it without you.

A Post from Krista (Caleb's wife)...

This is my first, and quite probably my only, blog entry ever! But it was worth creating a Blogger account so I can write on behalf of my studly husband's recent dedication to body and health renewal.

The short version of my take on his transformation is that his outside now matches his inside. Strong, ready, fearless, ageless, and a general feeling of "Don't mess with my three ladies." Obviously that does not touch on his kind, gracious and loving side, but that isn't what we are talking about here.

The longer version would include these few things: I am happy that his heart doesn't have to beat as many times every 24 hours. I am glad that we save 99 cents a day, on Totinos pizzas :) I am also very happy for myself and our two daughters, who now have reason to believe that he will live with us for many more years. Plus, let me be candid, he looks hot.

This man can do anything he sets out to do - and do it with style - and I'm glad that Fitness Together put it in his mind to take care of his health.

The Naysayers Weigh In

I'm now at the start of the last week of my program. While a lot of people nicely point out how much I've changed, a couple of my friends are making predictions on how long they think it will take me to change (back) after the program.

Ironically, these are the same folks who warned me that it'd be too much trouble to schedule working out 5 days a week, or that sticking to a Caleb-specific prescribed meal plan would be a real hassle for my family.

Of course, it HAS taken effort - a lot of effort - but at the same time it was as simple as making a commitment and then following through.

Am I going to balloon back up after the program is over? Am I worried?

Oh, these friends of little faith! I'm not worried because about a month ago I reached a tipping point, where I really started looking forward to the workouts. I ran 3 miles yesterday, up on mountain roads... and it was technically a day off.

I will say that I'm pretty confident I will not continue working out 5 days a week for an hour each day, simply because that is hard to fit into my work + family schedule. But I can say with equal confidence that I don't want to slide backward over that same tipping point, losing the ground that I've gained.

Everything is hard before it gets easy, and I've done the really, really hard part.

And is a life of Taco Bell and breathing heavily when I go up stairs really so rewarding? I think not.

Life 101

All along I've been viewing this 12 week, semester-long program as a re-education in how I should eat and exercise. That's what much of this blog is about, but as I'm coming to the end of it all, I'm reflecting a lot on what I've learned.

Two big concepts are
1. eating - what to take in and how much. Link to this post, this post and this post to read more.
2. that fitness = time + effort. It requires a commitment to both. But that the commitment, followed through, shows a very real, measurable, and self-perpetuating return on the investment.

I've also learned a lot of very specific tools... how to breathe, how to improve balance, circuits of exercises that I can do on my own, etc, etc, etc.

Of course, with this course there is no end-of-term exam. The exam will be how I eat and exercise in the next month, year, and for the rest of my days.

Can't be a Coincidence

6 years ago, around the time I left my PhD program to enter the business world, my doctor put me on Nexium for acid reflux, which had worn away the lining of my esophagus to the point that I had Barretts Esophagus, a "pre-cancer" state.

Nexium ('the purple pill' you hear about on TV) two times a day has helped. The doctor said that it would be ideal if we can eventually get it down to 1x a day, but I could never cut back on my daily dosage that without the acid reflux hurting me after a day or two. I knew that coffee, Coke and fatty foods were a big part of the problem, but never seemed to care enough to avoid them.

Is it coincidence that after three months, I am taking only one Nexium a day? Coffee, Coke and fatty foods simply aren't on the menu.

It's cool, how good things can snowball. You start making decisions that are good for your body, and you want to make another, and another... to see more good benefits.

Cindy's Favorite Fish

Another example of a quick recipe that is easy to make and great for fueling your body. This comes to you from Cindy Wallace (see "Cindy Kicks It" below).

Cindy's Easy Fish Recipe:

One fillet of frozen white fish (tilapia, grouper, orange roughy, etc)
* One resealable bag of spinach
* One jar of organic salsa
* Smart Balance spray
* Garlic Powder
* Sea Salt
* Red Pepper
* Lemon wedges

Place a frozen fish fillet onto a baking sheet and spray with Smart Balance. Sprinkle garlic powder, sea salt, red pepper. Broil until done (fish will separate easily): don't overcook!

Microwave 1/2 cup frozen spinach until done. Place spinach on top of the fish fillet and cover with salsa. Serve with whole grain toast, whole grain crackers, or corn.

St John the Pure

My wife and I went to St John's Restaurant on Saturday night. Amazing. Purity of ingredients. Local meat and produce tapped with Daniel Lindley's magic wand.

It was certainly one of those "splurge" days that Julian's approach to nutrition allows for: the chef's taster menu included white tuna carpaccio with an heirloom tomato tower, frisée salad with ripe-bursting tomatoes and lardons, kobe beef seared and braised, and a couple of bites of cobbler for dessert.

But thanks to a commitment to quality of ingredients and preparation by the Restaurant, it was a splurge that I could eat and enjoy with a clean conscience. We are lucky to live in a place and time where we can eat food that tastes delicious and feeds our body in the right ways too.

the Walnut Street Running Bridge

Because of meetings this week, I had to skip a day of working out so I came in Saturday morning to train with Chris. Afterward the 45 minute session, instead of doing cardio on one of the machines he said, "Let's run across the Walking Bridge and back."

The Walnut Street Walking Bridge the longest walking bridge in the world, a half-mile each way.

At this point in my 12 week program we are pushing pretty hard and at the end of every workout I'm definitely spent. But that's a great time to do cardio (after you've already had your heartrate up for 45 minutes of training), and I end each session with 15 minutes on the stationary bike, treadmill or elliptical machine. A run across the bridge seemed like a nice change from looking at the bridge and our scenic city from the windows of the FT studio.

Okay, okay, I admit that I'm no 25 year old trainer, not even 10 weeks into this program! Upon reaching the far side I told Chris to head on back to the studio, that I needed to rest for a minute. Of course, he was polite enough to pretend like he needed to stretch out a bit too, take a 3 minute breather.

But the skies were grey in that way that seems to capture so much history of Chattanooga - our old Civil War, manufacturing and railroad town that has made such an incredible turnaround - and other runners were on this beautiful bridge, and a breeze off the river kept me cool despite the humidity. It was a great way to start the weekend.

Energy and synergy

Because the way I look has changed so dramatically in a short period of time, a lot of people have been asking me lately about how I feel. It's a good question, but the answer isn't really surprising. I feel a heck of a lot better.

My energy level is the biggest thing. It's not like the boost from a double espresso with 2 sugar cubes (the sort of boost I once used to get through the day)... it's more that I don't lack for energy throughout the day. I am the sort of person who does not sit still for long and I feel for the first time, in a long time, that my body able to keep up with my schedule. Which of course helps things that matter - like work productivity - and things that matter even more - like ensuring that I am even more engaged with my wonderful kids at the end of the work day.

I'm not proud to say it: as much as I have always loved being with my kids there used to be many days where all I wanted to do was sit down when I got home. But really connecting with a 5 and 3 year old doesn't always include sitting down...

now I have much more energy to jump, climb, race and even sit and read together. Even more than eating better, breathing better, and having better balance, the quality of time at the end of every day, with my family, is what I've come to love most about being in better shape.

Cindy Kicks It

Last week I was invited to be interviewed on the radio with Julian (FT owner) and Cindy Wallace. Cindy is an amazing woman, who made a choice a little over a year ago to get in shape, for all sorts of great reasons. I asked her to write out her story... it's so much better in her own words.

July 2007: I am 47 years old and am in the best shape of my life.

How can that be? I was always the last one to be picked for teams any time I played sports with neighborhood kids or in PE classes. My high school PE grade actually hurt my GPA!

A little over a year ago, my doctor warned me that my cholesterol was too high. He wanted me to try diet and exercise to lower it, so I joined Fitness Together. After spending the last 25 years of my life putting my family and their needs first, I decided to make me the priority.

Having the accountability and encouragement that come with a personal trainer is key, but with Fitness Together I knew that I would get much more. Fitness Together’s nutrition consulting comes from trainers who are certified and experienced. Their private studios let me to work out one-on-one with the trainers, rather than endure the stares and distractions in public gyms.

One year since I started with Fitness Together, I am strong and healthy. My cholesterol has dropped 51 points and is well below normal. I have lost 32 pounds and 5 dress sizes! I have more energy, confidence, and strength.

More importantly, I have a new lifestyle. I enjoy eating healthy foods and working out. It has become a habit and a way of living that will endure all the days of my life. For the first time in my life, I can say that I am an athlete… and it feels great to say it!

I do regret that I did not do this sooner. I would have been a better wife and mother had I taken better care of myself. Working out has definitely reduced my stress level and I am much happier.

Cindy Wallace

It's been a ton of fun to meet people like Cindy who decided to change their lifestyle. Nice to be part of that group, myself.

The proof is in the pudding

I'm getting a lot of questions lately, about what I am eating (or not eating). Although "questions" is not quite an accurate word! More often, folks are giving me their suspicions:

Q: You probably have to eat special foods that cost a ton of money?
A: Nope, it's regular food. Only I'm eliminating the overly processed from my diet... so by "regular" food I mean real food.

Q: Is the trick to go no carb? Or is it no meat? Or is it nothing but chicken and lemon for weeks on end?
A: Meats, grains, breads, dairy, all sorts of flavors are on my plate.

Q: But probably in micro-portions?
... and so on!

Julian is an Italian man who loves good food. He also takes a commonsense approach to nutrition consulting (read more about it here).

In this entry I decided to show, rather than tell. So last Sunday I took pictures of what I ate for a 24 hour period. Click on each photo to see it in all of its glory.



Breakfast:
1 serving of multigrain granola with 1/2 cup of skim milk. An orange. Black coffee.





Mid-morning snack:
Raw walnuts with chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, dipped in honey. More filling than you would think, and the perfect blend of savory and sweet.





Lunch:
Hummus, green onions, and shaved carrot sandwich. On Niedlovs Four Seed bread (so healthy, so delicious). 1/2 an ear of corn.





Mid-afternoon snack:
This yellow pepper. Simply sliced it up and enjoyed.





Dinner:
Palm-size piece of NY strip, grilled. Trimmed that fat off, of course! Served with snap beans and new potatoes cooked with Alchemy Spice lemon pepper, in a bit of olive oil. A small glass of red wine.


And all day, every day I drink lots and lots (and lots) of water.

Could I eat more? Sure, I could cram it in... like I used to do.
But you can see that I'm not hurting for quantity, or quality, or flavor.

Beautiful day

What are a some of the biggest day-to-day differences?

• Much more energy.
• Sleeping better.
• Feeling satisfied rather than "full" at the end of meals.
  

Scheduling (and moms as rock stars)

How does it fit into my schedule, working out 5x a week? I know that many of FT's clients do not sign on to work out as often as I am doing... but even slotting in 2x a week can take some serious planning.

My solution? I typically take my lunch hour to work out, then eat at my desk afterward. If I know I'll have a lunch meeting then I come in early morning or, last resort, after hours. Kyle (the manager at Frazier) and Grey (the manager at Gunbarrel) are both great about finding times that work for their clients.

But I admit, there are days that it does crunch my time. Like many folks, I have a lot on my plate at work and some days it would free things up if I pushed exercise to the back burner. On those days, I remember that I committed to this program in order to re-educate my mind, stomach and body on how to eat better, to get healthy and then to stay fit. This was worth starting, and it's worth seeing through to the finish.

And this is certainly not something that's limited to those with full time jobs. Out at the Gunbarrel studio last week, the trainers introduced me to Stephanie. Like so many moms (including my lovely wife), she manages not only her own schedule but also the often-crazy schedules of her kids. In the midst of a day spent shuttling kids from here to there, Stephanie sets aside time for strength training and cardio. Another reminder that moms are rock stars.

No wonder I feel better...

Next time you’re in the grocery store, pick up a five pound bag of flour. Then imagine strapping four and a half of those to your body, around your stomach, and wearing them all day, every day. While working, playing, resting.

That’s what I was doing, carrying 22 unnecessary pounds, 24/7.

Before and Halfway

Okay, I admit, this is a bit cheesy. The 'before' and 'after' shots. But it's all true... no photo retouching or sucking in of the belly or anything.

Of course, 'after' here means 'halfway'... but decided to show the progression.

I took the first picture on a timer and haven't thought about it since, but after my lovely wife snapped a picture of me on Saturday - to mark the halfway point in my transformation - I decided to set them side by side.

And it’s darn surprising. The two me's on the left are a month and a half ago; the two on the right are three days ago. 5 days a week of training - strength and cardio - and eating according to the trainers’ recommendations.

And look what’s right there in the photos. Or, NOT there in the photos: 22 lbs of chunk around my midriff.

Even more important, my resting heart rate has lowered 9 beats per minute. That means that my heart has much less struggle within every 24 hour period because it is beating 12,960 fewer times.

On balance

Here’s another thing that is quite cool. Part of my dynamic warmup (see “On stretching”) every day is a set of ten knee hugs. Simple enough... you hug one knee to your chest while standing, then drop that knee taking a step forward, and hug the other one. Funny thing is that when I first started with Fitness Together, my body was so out of balance that I often had to reach out with one hand to touch the wall, to stay straight upright.

No longer true. Now I can stand easily, because my legs are stronger and my body is re-finding its center of gravity.

It’s fun to have lost a bunch of weight, to be so close to my personal target weight and not even yet halfway through the program. But it’s these little things - like finding my balance literally and metaphorically - that are starting to add up, and make me realize that this is a life change, not just a change of pants size.

On breathing

Another part of exercise that seems obvious, but isn’t... when I started working out, I found myself often holding my breath during exertion. Heavy weight or big sprint? Somehow my body thought it logical to take a breath and hold it until the strain was over.

The trainers have taught me to breathe deeply with every exertion. Every time I push up the barbell, exhale. During a sprint on the treadmill, deep breaths. At first it felt like too much, like I was hyperventilating, but as I’ve learned to slow down during repetitions (keep your heart rate high, but don’t hurry through it), it’s become more natural.

The ‘why’ is simple: more oxygen = better for my body. No surprise there. But there’s an added benefit. The more oxygen I get flowing, the harder I can push my body. And the harder I push my body, the more calories I burn and benefit I get from each workout.

Having an in-body experience

May 15 was the 4 week anniversary of my start date...

Weight: from 191, down to 175 lbs
Waistline: down 2.5 inches
and even more importantly...
Resting heart rate: from 83, down to 75 beats per minute

Who is this person in my running shoes?

Woke up Saturday and felt drained from the long week of traveling to the Chicago trade show. So I went for a three mile run... and felt much better.

This would never, ever, ever (and my wife adds one more "ever") have happened a month ago.

Fresh Food Forever

Somewhere in the back of my mind I always figured that nutrition labels on food were just about liability. After all, litigation and the lottery have become the New American Dreams, so nutrition labels are probably written by teams of liability strategists, to cover food makers' backsides from class action lawsuits.

Although there are certainly people at the FDA worried about the flab-factor of many Americans, at the end of the day, it's pretty clear that nutrition labels are necessary because we've decided that food preparation is a chore rather than a pleasure. That the food which requires the least effort and least cost is "best" for our lives. So we outsource what we put into our mouths, to people we've never met. If we're going to do this, a food label is pretty handy, as is an ingredients list.

But lately I have been meeting more and more Chattanoogans - like Julian - who are trying to build their lives around making people healthier (and, dare I say it, happier!). Like John Sweet of Niedlovs Breadworks (his breads have 4-6 ingredients and actually taste like bread... instead of additives), and Erik Niel whose glorious fresh fish dishes are posted daily on the blackboard at Easy Seafood, and the Keeners of Sequatchie Cove Farms, whose food is part of a very natural food chain that begins with sunlight and ends with delicious eggs, produce and meat.

These days I am eating out of a can or a frozen cardboard box less than ever before in my life, and as a result, I don't have to squint to read the fine print on food labels. As an added benefit, I am also building relationships with people who make my food. And enjoying not only health benefits but also flavors that they've created... which are better than what I could get from a food processing plant halfway across the country.

Just the spring rolls, please

Was in Chicago all week at a trade show, and every evening went to great restaurants with the company and our clients. Places like Smith & Wollensky, Bin 36, and two great fusion restaurants. Most fusion cuisine is marketing fluff, but these were nice blends of spice and subtlety - Le Colonial (French/Vietnamese) and Vermillion (Indian/ Spanish).

My point? Eating the right serving-size portions was tough, because of the variety of delicious options on offer. And although I admit to having more my allotted 3 oz glass of red wine at a couple of these shindigs, I found that it really was possible to eat right - thanks to a month of good practice. If I hadn't had a solid month under my belt, I shudder to think of the overindulgence.

The trick, I found, was that I could get great flavors without bulking up on portions by ordering two appetizers only... and if I had an entree I made sure it was fish or lean meat, with lots of good green stuff to eat on the side.

On stretching

Here's another advantage that you wouldn't get at the gym... after each resistance workout and before the 15-20 min of cardio exercise, the trainer stretches me out. Five different stretches for legs and four for back and arms, to loosen up the muscles we've just put through the ringer.

Why not a full stretching before the workout? Despite what we all heard growing up in gym class, stretching cold muscles before an intense workout does not loosen them up, but actually stresses them and can even tear them, causing you to become fatigued quicker and get less benefit.

It's much better to warm up jogging and go through some dynamic stretches: at the beginning of each time at Fitness Together I start with 5 minutes on the treadmill, then go through a series of hugging my knees to my chest, forward and lateral lunges, rotating my arms at the shoulder, and sometimes jumping jacks. This gets my heart rate up and my muscles ready to be worked.

And then the big stretching-out at the end has two purposes (I asked Jonathan for the details). First, when you strain muscles, lactic acid builds up in them, which is why you get sore. The trainers stretch my body in ways that are is sure to hit each muscle group that we exercised, so the lactic acid gets released. Meaning I'm not so sore the next day. Second, it helps improve flexibility - which is important not just so you can be 'bendy' but because flexibility is related to balance. And as I get older, I want to keep as much control over my balance as possible.

A more sensible 'splurge'

I asked Julian more about the idea of consistent nutrition with the occasional "splurge"... (by the way, here's Julian to the right, if you haven't met).

First of all, the exception proves the rule. And the rule is three meals and two snacks per day. Each meal is one complete protein, one starchy carb, and one vegetable or fruit; each snack is simply a complete protein and a fibrous carbohydrate (could be a great piece of parmigiano reggiano and some grapes). For more detailed nutrition info, drop him an email at juliankaufman@fitnesstogether.com.

So... given the plan, Julian likens the "splurge" to a minor trauma. "The body can handle incidents of trauma quite well," he said. "If you fall and scrape your knee when you walk out of the studio, in 7 to 10 days you won't know it happened because the clot and scab have healed. But if you get severely injured, you'll be hurting for a while."

"I really hope that for comfort foods, people are learning that you can make any food nutrient-dense instead of toxin-dense," he continued. "I.e. a chocolate chip cookie can be made with apple sauce, vegetable oil, dark chocolate, flax seed, walnuts and whole wheat flour... instead of hydrogenated fats, milk chocolate, refined sugar, and refined flour."

Sensible, and satisfying.

My new nutrition

Okay, this weekend is a good time for me to talk about nutrition because on Thursday night our company had its fifth birthday bash - Happy Bday, Tricycle! And I cheated a bit.

"Cheating" doesn't mean what it would have a month ago - when I easily could have downed seven slices of pizza and two of the wonderful cake that my wife made (I'm unapologetically impressed by my missus). But I did have a sandwich that included a slice of salami and a half piece of that cake. Not exactly lean or lowfat.

So am I getting obsessive? Nah. And even for people following his meal recommendations religiously, Julian encourages us to take a wee break from the rules once a week, so long as we don't go overboard. Because when you take a whole-life view of fitness... being obsessive, guilt ridden and frustrated is no healthier than gorging on junk food.

A lady who was on the treadmill beside me last time asked what I think about FT's online journaling concept. I ought got to say, keeping an online journal of what I eat has been freeing, rather than guilt-inducing. Because I'm more aware of what I eat, and because of the accountability. I see the faces of Julian and Kyle floating in the air, there in the grocery store, between me and the frozen pizzas.

This is the sort of report that I send: what I ate yesterday. As you can see, I'm not hurting for flavor or for being full.

Saturday 6.02
breakfast - 1 Tablespoon of natural peanut butter on Niedlov's "Four Seed" bread
snack - handful of raw almonds
lunch - homemade wrap of hummus, arugula sprouts and spinach on a whole wheat tortilla
snack - orange
dinner - 1 serving of tofu, 2 new potatoes, 1 serving of fresh green beans, sauteed in olive oil and lemon pepper
and, all day long - lots, lots, lots of water.

Trainers who are not just qualified, but certified

Because I am at Fitness Together every weekday, I've worked out with five of the trainers at FT Frazier so far. Kyle (manager at the Frazier workout suites), April, Chris, Jason and Jonathan. Each of them is a great reminder of one thing that sets this experience apart from what I'd get with a gym membership. Education.

Meaning, their education. Because they have degrees and certifications in health and exercise science, they apply their knowledge to my situation, for my benefit. One big time where I've seen this in action, is when I first started out. During the fitness and nutrition assessment, and during the first couple of workouts, they were taking even more notes than usual. Now I see that this is because they were getting a feel for what I can do.

So when the workouts started in earnest, it was not just a matter of plugging me into a program. And it certainly was not like those gyms where the trainers are hired because they are spandex pseudo-studs or hottie hopefuls in halter tops - and are trying to make me look like them ASAP.

Instead, qualified, certified specialists are assessing where I am physically, developing goals for where I need to go, and then truly coaching me along the way.

Of course, their education is rubbing off. I might not be able to point to my medial deltoid yet, but I am learning circuits and sets of exercises designed to work my body in the right ways, for the right results. And I'm only 1/6 of the way through the program....

13 lbs in 14 days

Weighed yesterday: 178 lbs. That's nearly a pound a day for two weeks - and really only ten days of working out.

I've got to attribute much of it to eating right - listening to Julian about both the 'what' that I eat as well as the 'how much.' Portion control and accountability from the trainers.

The rest of it, of course, is from pretty intense training. But those sessions have been welcome. At work our company is in our busiest time of year, trade show season, which always calls for long hours and late nights. Instead of taking a (so-called) breather to walk over to Wendys and back, it's been a welcome break in my days to go over to Fitness Together and push harder than I thought possible, before coming back to work for another eight hours.

Memorial Day in the Woods

On Memorial Day, FT was closed but Kyle gave me a workout to do on my own: 3 sets of 3 exercises, which I repeated 3 times each. Things like pull ups, push ups, crunches, squats, etc.

The college gym near where I live was closed, so I decided to take to the woods instead. After all, one of the things I hope to bring back into my life through this 'experiment' is to get back onto trails. Out where it’s quiet - like I used to do nearly every day - now that my kids are getting old enough really to enjoy it with me.

So I did all of those sets out on an old construction road on Lookout Mountain, then went from a long cardio run on the trails.

"Hello, sweaty Caleb."

"Hi there, camera phone."

"5 things I never thought I'd hear you say"

My lovely wife said that she's been keeping a little list of things that I've said in the past week, that she never thought she'd hear me say. And enjoying every one of them.

1. "I've got to get up early tomorrow morning to work out."
2. "Did you know that boiling broccoli reduces its ability to help you fight cancer?"
3. "They say it takes fifteen minutes for our bodies to tell our minds that we are full. And because we eat so fast, we cram a lot more in during those fifteen minutes."
4. "I've got to call the hotel first, to find out what machines they have in their fitness club."
5. "I'm already starting to feel like I live in my body, instead of just walking around in it."

Wednesday Weigh-In

A good thing:
Wednesday I weighed myself for the first time in a week. After only four workouts and (perhaps more importantly) a full week of eating appropriate sized portions of what the trainers told me to, I've lost 7 pounds. Woot!

A wild thing:
Thursday, during my workout, I was doing a set of squat+kick out to pushup stance+jump back in+jump as high in the air as possible, combined with crunches where I pass an oversized ball from my feet to my hands and touch the ground at both ends.

After two sets I was panting, drinking water for 30 seconds, when I found myself thinking, “I could do one more set. I hope he says we’re going through it one more time.” That was definitely a first! And turns out, we did.

A funny thing:
One of the designers at my office said, “Go get ‘em tiger” to me as I left for FT on Friday. It cracked me up. I haven’t heard anyone say that since 6th grade football.

The Circuit

Today was the heaviest workout so far. More than simply a workout for upper or lower body, like I used to do back when I used to go to the gym. Today, they gave me exercises that I would never have thought of... to work out muscled I would never have thought of. But dang, I'm thinking about them tonight.

Today's resistance training included familiar exercises like pushups and lunges, and then exercises that seemed a little ridiculous until I tried them. Like doing a Bear Crawl on all fours with dumbbells. That'll wake you up on your lunch hour. Or try this (with a spotter): take a barbell weight and, standing upright, press it above your head 10x, then straight out from your chest 10x, then rotate it around your head clockwise 10x, then rotate it around your head counterclockwise 10x. It's called 'Minnesota Tens' and you will feel it working every muscle in your shoulders.

While I work out, the trainer always takes meticulous notes on what needs attention. I can see them watching my form, watching where I succeed and struggle with a particular exercise in order to know what I should work on next.

Today Jonathan started me with a warmup that felt rather like a full workout, followed by a pair of upper body exercises repeated twice. Next was a Circuit, which was

- squat thrusts with the barbell;
- one arm dumbbell rows;
- the Bear Crawl with dumbbells;
- torso rotations on the machine

followed by a so-called break, which was an intense 1/3 mile on the bicycle, 1/3 mile on the treadmill, and 1/3 mile on the elliptical. Then a repeat of the four exercises in the Circuit. Followed by full stretching, then Cardio of a hill program on the treadmill.

Today I also really saw the value of Fitness Together's model... not only because of the trainers' expertise but because their private studios mean that I'm working out in a fully equipped facility, that's dedicated just to my workout. I've never really been bothered by working out in public/crowded gyms, but I can see that in such settings it would be nearly impossible to give this sort of attention to a full range of muscles, jumping from barbell to machine to machine to dumbbells to other machines while keeping my heart rate up.

Tonight I'm moving slowly but it feels strangely good, the ache of something accomplished. But I definitely will stretch before I sleep and when I wake up (if I want to make it up the stairs at work).

And tomorrow I'm going to weigh myself for the first time in a week. Curious to see...

The morning after

Yesterday I sat down to write up my notes from the week. I was seated on the couch with my kids (after eating breakfast), writing on my laptop as they watched Sesame Street. And, believe it or not―Elmo was on screen teaching Mr. Noodle how to exercise, and then singing "Exercise" over and over to the tune of Jingle Bells.

That little red creature has never been one for subtlety, but this morning his educational message was hitting me right between the eyes. And in the hamstrings. And in the lower back. And in the abs that I'd forgotten are there, underneath my belly.

I wasn't miserable on the morning after, not by any stretch of the imagination. I had half-expected not to be able to stand up (although frankly, if I'd worked out by myself and pushed too hard, I might have felt that way). But I woke up and did some stretches that Jonathan had shown me to do, and walked for a half-hour with my girls in the stroller.

Tonight I made my kids pizza while I made grilled tuna with a spinach salad and piece of bread. And to be honest, as I was drinking my second glass of water, I could easily have polished off half of that pizza. But I didn't.

In a few minutes I'm taking my kids to Greenlife on a grocery run. I'll stretch again before I go to sleep. And I'll be back at Fitness Together tomorrow, and then back online with more of the 12 week transformation.

A trainer focused on me while I work out

Before my first workout, I could already see the value of the trainer in setting goals and keeping an accountable, balanced approach to meals. But this is where it really hit home.

He walked me through every exercise before I did it, so I didn't have to spend any time wondering what to do or if my form was doing more damage than good. Not to mention shaping what exercises are included in the Circuit, to give me the most benefit and progress toward my goals.

Julian has told me that every year he trains people, he is increasingly convinced that everyone wants to be healthy. And although many people blame bad discipline, we all have areas in our personal and professional lives where we are very disciplined. The Fitness Together approach starts with commitments made by me, and then a trainer helping me stick to my commitments.

It's hard to over-describe the value of someone right there, counting down the number of reps left. Even for someone who isn't the type to give up, it's great to having someone right beside you making sure you don't overdo, but that you push right up to the edge of what is possible.

What stood out from other workouts? The private studio

I haven't worked out regularly since high school, but during grad school I signed up for gym memberships and started out a few times. I never did much good there because I rarely took time to go, and eventually I would let my membership expire.

I could see right away that the Private Studio in which I was working out is a big benefit. Not surrounded by other people or distractions, not waiting in line to get on a machine and then being unsure of how best to use it. Here it was just me and the trainer in a private suite that has all of the machines, dumbbells, mats, sparring gloves and so on there for my use.

Thus it begins: the first workout

Friday was the first real workout. How to describe it... let's just say that I was very aware of where I need to go. And that I was thinking, over and over, "Quality of life."

The workout was 45 minutes of resistance training and 15 minutes of cardio.

Under the watchful eye of Jonathan, one of the trainers, I started out on the exercise bike, because getting your heart rate pumping before working out helps burn calories much faster. Then pretty extensive stretching. Since I was going to be working muscles that I'd forgotten I have!

Next I did two "Tri Sets" with a very short rest between each one, rested for a couple of minutes, and then did four "Circuits." These are sets of exercises that are grouped together to work upper body, core (torso/abs) and lower body. And are designed to be sure that you don't overwork one set of muscles that push, to the detriment of the opposing muscles (e.g. don't want to overwork quads and neglect hamstrings).

Then ended with Jonathan stretching particular muscles in my legs, back and arms, to help the muscles to speedy recovery. And last, 15 minutes on the exercise bike, following a series of stages designed to get my heart working overtime, push and recover, then cool down.

I am what I eat (and I tell Kyle every day)

If the CEO of some company called me to his office downtown, and offered me a million dollars if I could tell them everything I ate over the course of a week before I started this program... I'd have to take the bus home.

I've never tracked what I eat. It's such a simple idea, and is part of the trainer-client relationship.

Every day I am going to email Kyle and tell him what I ate the day before. Not only does it keep me mindful of what I'm putting into my mouth, it give him a chance to encourage me and make recommendations if he's seeing an imbalance.

I can also see, already, that it's going to help me save money on food. Because I'll be planning rather than grabbing-on-the go, and because I'll be cooking a lot of it myself, and so paying only for ingredients.

What is "supportive nutrition"?

Food that enhances rather than undercuts my exercise. But even more important than supporting my workout, that supports my body by giving it what it needs, in portions that are right.

Julian has put together a book of foods that can be found at Greenlife, that support quality of life... a comprehensive list of complete proteins, vegetables by category, grains, fruits, and berries, along with recommended meals. Also steps to controlling cholesterol, and advice on number/ size servings that are appropriate to eat per day for weight loss, as well as for fit living once an appropriate weight has been reached.

For me, the first changes to make are things like one serving = serving area that is palm size. A meal of 1 protein, 1 grain, and 1 fruit or vegetable. Two snacks daily of 1 serving of almonds or fruit. Then water, water, and more water.

MY personal goals

Fitness Together isn't a gym, it's one on one training, around the goals that you set. During my fitness assessment, Kyle Johnston (who manages FT Frazier) sat down with me for 45 minutes to create a fitness plan based on where I am and where I want to be. As they say: "A complete workout program for you, with specific, realistic and measurable goals. Along with advice on medical screening and a common-sense nutrition plan that enhances the physical results of your workouts."

The key here are those specific, measurable goals. Julian says that it's ridiculous to assume that one workout fits all people of all ages, sizes, shapes and fitness levels. We all have different starting points. So we set three 6 week goals that are very specific, down to the day of the week.

For example, "Better diet" is too abstract to be really helpful. So a specific, measurable goal might be to eat a healthy breakfast three days a week... but even this isn't specific enough. A good example of the right kind of goal: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday I am going to eat a breakfast of one complete protein (such as natural peanut butter), one serving of whole grain bread, and one fruit or vegetable.

After helping develop these goals, it's the trainer's job to push and encourage you toward reaching them... and at the end of the first 6 weeks, to sit down together again to set new goals that build upon the success to date.

Wake up call

Two examples of how my fitness and nutrition evaluation woke me up:

1.
My resting heart rate is 83. It's not "Get that boy to the hospital" scary, but the average for males my age is around 72 (65 is a great target; professional athletes can be in the 50s and 40s). So I'm a little concerned, because of how much harder my heart is having to work

So if my heart is beating 18 times per minute more than it is preferable... then multiply 18 by 60 minutes, then 24 hours, then 365 days, then the 40 years more I hope to live. And see how much harder my heart is having to work, than it should.

The good thing, as Julian said, is that the heart is a muscle and it adapts quickly to exercise and eating the right amounts of the right foods... that it's easy to help the heart even before dropping weight.

2.
I don't eat breakfast during the week. Between helping get the kids ready for school and getting on the road for work, I simply don't take time. And before kids I was in graduate school myself and usually stayed up late writing, then woke up late and lived on coffee until lunch. So it's safe to say that I've skipped breakfast for ten years. As Kyle, one of the trainers pointed out to me, that means that I've been going from dinner to lunch without a good intake of nutrition-- since late night snacks were usually less than ideal.

That's a good fifteen to seventeen hours every day, without giving my body what it needs. Fifteen hours x 365 days x 10 years. The body is designed to burn calories, and I haven't been doing mine any favors.

My fitness and nutrition assessment

Julian has two studios in Chattanooga, Fitness Together Frazier and Fitness Together Gunbarrel.
Because Frazier is closer to my office, I showed up there two days ago for a fitness assessment.

The personal trainers at the studio are educated, certified, smart and enthusiastic. They enjoy their job, and take it seriously: to be your coach, accountability and guide in how to work out and eat.

And their first order of business is to find out where you are, in order to see where where you want to go. So the hour-long fitness assessment includes weight, body composition (muscle to fat), heart rate, flexibility, and much more.

Here's the short version:
- exercise history (none in 10+ years)
- resting and exercising heart rate (scary)
- how many push ups I can do (above average for my age)
- what percentage of my body is fat (I'm not obese, but I'm more than 30% body fat. Which is not okay, to say the least)
- and so on.

It adds up, and for me it's not a very a pretty picture. In fact, it's a little bit of a wake up call.

A 12 week, semester-long program that'll last a lifetime

So we are viewing these 12 weeks as an education. A course in setting me back on track to live out my days better. The investment of time, money, and energy is like the degrees that I paid for. Worth the investment because they give me a higher quality of life that is lasting.

The way I'm doing it―crash course―isn't for everybody. Some people would benefit from spreading this sort of lifestyle readjustment over six months, or a year.

But it's a good model for people who want to make a change, and are able to make a 12 week commitment. For me? I've decided that there is something to prove, and I'm out to prove that it can be done.

A Big, Fat, "What If"

So I started this week. And it's been dawning on me just how much work lies ahead. What have I gotten myself into, and why?

I'm 34 years old. I have two beautiful kids and a gorgeous wife―she's so gorgeous that I like to joke that when people see her with the chubby guy, they must think I'm rich.

So I have no desire to get a ripped bod and walk the beaches of Cancun with my shirt off. I'm not looking to relive glory days of high school athletics (they weren't that glorious). And I'm not really inclined to try to become a mid-life adventure racer―although I certainly admire people who do.

What I want are those things that Julian said are possible. What if I could work better, play better, sleep better? What if I could avoid and prevent disease?

Now that my kids are getting older, what if I had more energy to start doing outdoor sports with them, in the woods around Chattanooga? Like I used to.

What if I could my body as the proving ground that there can be a better way than simply eating whatever I want, whenever I want? And not exercising because I'm "too busy."

Maybe now that I'm listening, my body will sit up and say, "Hey there. I've been trying to get your attention for a long time."

What & How

Here's the plan:
for 12 weeks, work out five days a week with trainers at Julian's studio + eat only what they tell me to.

So 12 weeks sounds unrealistic for the "average Joe"? Tell me about it. The eco-design studio where I work is slammed, and I've got young kids, and do a bit of freelance on the side. Right in the middle of my program I'm going to have to travel to Chicago for a week-long trade show, and get up early to work out in the hotel fitness club. Let me tell you, in recent years, exercise has been LOW on my list of priorities.

Heck, I haven't even had time to upload the blog entries I wrote for this week until today!

At first, my wife wondered about the idea of taking time away from everything else going on. But she quickly became the biggest supporter, because she likes the idea of me sticking around for a while, rather than keeling over at my desk in about ten years.

And Julian's goal in this? To see me get started on solid ground, build good habits and a better perspective on how my body integrates into my life. And then send me off into the world.

A Grand Experiment

My friends and I have been thinking a lot about truth in marketing lately. A couple of weeks ago I was talking about it with Julian Kaufman, a friend of mine who is a personal trainer.

He said that the fitness and health industry in our country is as guilty as anyone. Encouraging men and women to find their value only in body image and appearance. Sex, being skinny, and an unhealthy approach to eating. Looking only at the number in the back of your swimsuit, or a number on a scale.

He is absolutely committed to stand over against this sort of advertising. According to Julian's philosophy, true fitness is about quality of life, disease prevention, building endurance and strength and flexibility, and supportive nutrition. Feeling better, working better, playing better, even relaxing better.

Big claims. But not baloney― because I know Julian, and I believe he is telling me the truth.

So we decided on a grand experiment: let's take 12 weeks and see what can be done to change a lifestyle. Not just a body shape, but a lifestyle.

All we needed to start was one unhealthy body. And I just happened to have one with me.

Flab meets "truth in fitness"

This is a true story about an average Joe Chattanoogan, that's happening right now.

OK, OK, I know what you must be thinking: a blog about losing weight? And you heard about it in an ad, or by email? Wow, there's a candidate for the SPAM Hall of Fame. Just about as junk mail, potted mystery meat, and marketing-manufactured as it comes. Although.. maybe this is not what you're expecting.

We've all seen those "Before" and "After" fitness ads before. Some guy takes a "Before" picture looking potbellied, depressed and rather like a mystery meat himself. Then, 12 weeks later... what a surprise! He's metamorphosed into a knight in shining armor with great hair, a big smile and a six pack.

Well, that is not this blog. (If that is what you're looking for, I'm sure Google can hook you up.)

In fact, this is the story of truth in marketing put to the test. I am a writer and communications director by profession, and over the course of my career I have written a lot of marketing claims. Some of them I am proud of - those great moments when my words revealed a truth about a product or industry for the benefit of the client and their customers.

But some of them I am not proud of - because I found out later that my clients were feeding me a pitch that was, at best, half-true. And that I helped them feed their half-truths to other people, to make money. You don't have to be a writer to feel hungry for the whole truth. Just listen to the thousands of advertisements that bombard you every day.

To read about our Grand Experiment, click on "newer post" below.