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.
Monday, July 23, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, July 13, 2007
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
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.
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