One is said to have plateaued if they continue their workout regiment and find that they can’t lose any more weight.  No matter how many extra laps in the pool or miles they run or walk, the weight loss either slows to a snail’s pace or stops altogether.  I just hit my plateau.

I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly, but I guess that’s life throwing me a curve ball.  Here’s what you have to do with the plateau: keep working! Don’t give up and starting eating triple-cheeseburgers just because a few workouts didn’t lead to some lost pounds.  Keep at it.  Because it’s possible that what you may be losing in weight you’re also putting on in muscle.  I’ll be honest, I would workout hard (on Saturday 2 and a half hours straight, almost 4 miles put in! Plus lots of sit-ups and push-ups) and after a week see no change in my weight.  I thought my scale was broken.  Then my roommate Serge said something quite interesting when we were working out together.  He said “Hey man, it must feel good to be able to do push-ups without your stomach hitting the ground.” I thought about that and realized he was right, although my weight hadn’t gone down, my stomach had.  So I may not have been losing weight, but I was losing FAT, which in the grandest of all schemes is really the point.  Putting on some muscle is good for you, and lifting weights is still a great way to burn fat, as your body will burn calories to rebuild the muscles you tore in your workout.  It may not feel as exhausting as running a couple (or 26.4) miles but it still helps out.  So give your body the old “shock and awe” once in a while, lift some weights instead of just a cardio workout, and don’t be depressed because the numbers aren’t dropping.  Because it’s the fat we want out of our lives.  I’m in desperate need of a workout, and Sergio is waiting for me while I write, so I’m headed to the gym.  Who’s with me?

Just got back from the gym, burned 812 calories. I had a friend ask me why I was not extremely sore for all I do. I said, “Well, after I work out I drink a bottle of Designer Whey Protein Water”. Generally when a person my size works out we are just about dying in pain the next day. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am achy but not sore. I contribute that to drinking the Protein Water and if I am out of the water I mix a 2GO pack in my water bottle. It really helps you recover.

The Biggest Loser show was a hoot this week! Some pretty thick tension on the ranch… ya think? I don’t know, I would do what ever I had to do to stay as long as possible on the ranch so GO RED! I really would not even care about the money. I would be more concerned with trying to get the most out of my time there so I could bring what I learned home to stay healthy. I get to the gym at least 5 days a week and at least 30 minutes up to 90 minutes each time. I really wished I had a home gym, then I could get in much more time when a moment was open like while dinner was cooking or after kids in bed or before they get up.

One of my faults is wanting to be too perfect. For example, I will draw up a schedule for eating, exercise, house work, my jobs etc. and when it does not go exactly the way I plan I give up. When the house is not perfectly clean (which is most of the time) I really get upset but because its not perfect I don’t do anything. I am typically an ‘all or nothing person’. So this time I am setting simple goals for my health.

A simple goal… eating enough calories at breakfast.

In Bob Harper’s book “Are you ready”, he says your breakfast calories should be between 400-600 calories. All meals should have protein, carbs and good fats. He also says to eat every four hours… have to work on that one!

My 17 year old daughter, Sue and I are really trying to get to the gym as often as possible. She has a goal. We bought her prom dress purposely a size too small. Her goal is to lose 15 pounds to fit in the dress. I as her mom have to encourage her and be a good example.

Take Care friends, remember to bring your Designer Whey Protein Water to the gym with you and when some one asks where you get it from…you say from the best protein makers in the world…Designer Whey!

Camille

Cons to going to the Gym before you go to work:

Like I stated in my last blog, “getting up and going to the gym early and getting it in before you go to work can be an absolute godsend.”  But the kicker in this statement is the word “can.” I specifically worded this sentence this way to convey its duality, like a crafty politician or like the statements in those medication commercials right before the onslaught of all the negative affects it can have on you. Just like working out in the morning before work can be a godsend, it can also be that hellish beast that kicks you in the teeth when you are down. But one of the worst things about this particular option to fighting the “itis” is that while a large percentage of the time it works it can also progress the “itis,” in the same way that antibiotics can make your immune system worse if you take them too much.

The number one downfall to this option is of course, waking your ass up earlier than normal. I found that even though I woke up earlier, I didn’t necessarily go to bed any earlier, which poses a problem when discussing the burnout and its correlation with exhaustion. If this cycle progresses, you are much more likely to hit that snooze button and when this happens the gym is the first thing to go. You are not going to sacrifice the other things you need to do in the morning and just go to the gym, if you oversleep your alarm or keep hitting snooze. Let’s face it you are not going to substitute a bicep workout for smelling, looking and feeling awful at work. So lets say you skip the morning work out because in theory you have so foolishly convinced yourself that you will just catch a workout when you get off of work, you are still faced with the original “Itis,” because you never know if you will have the standard 8 hour easy breezy day or if you will have the dreaded 12 hour, employees in your ear every minute, reports piled on the desk that never diminish, day from hell. And so even though you set out to combat this phenomenon you end up once again in a vicious washing machine cycle of displacement.

Another downfall is the morning food intake problem. Many people cannot start the day with out a meal and for the most part they use this meal to boost their brain and body power while at work. But if you eat this meal depending on its size, you are likely to cramp up or feel like crap while you workout at the gym. And then on the flipside, if you wait and eat your food after the gym, you are likely to feel like crap because you are depriving your body of the normality it usually feels from the time you wake up to the time you eat. Vice a Versa you could be like me and be on the other side of the spectrum, where you can’t eat in the early morning because it messes with your stomach. Usually, you are fine because you start your day and have just enough energy to go about 3 hours without eating until your stomach adjusts and then you snack on something until lunch. This works fine for the most part for your work schedule (depending on your job), but it’s a whole different ball game when you try this and immediately wake up and go to the gym. You have absolutely no energy the entire time you work out, and because you have drained that last bit of energy while working out you don’t always get that “pumped up” feeling when you are done and you start your work day exhausted. So in this regard it is extremely important to find a balance as soon as possible.

The other downfall that I came across is gym proximity. Meaning that your gym might not be close to your home or your work and may be completely out of the way making it inconvenient to go in the morning when time is of the essence. I myself do not experience this but after snooping around and asking people about it like I tend to do, I found that it becomes a big problem for many. Waking up early to go to the gym is a problem for many but compound that with waking up even earlier to travel out of the way to get there, you simply have a mute point.

To go to the gym in the morning you really do have to way the pros and cons and see if it is a fit for you. It by no means is the best option for everyone. Once I started doing it on the regular it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. If this option isn’t for you then hopefully one of the next two will be. Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

Pros to going to the Gym before you go to work:

Getting up and going to the gym early and getting it in before you go to work can be an absolute godsend. The first time I attempted this it was at the gym that was by my house. This worked out perfectly because I woke up got on my running shoes, some b-ball shorts and an old shirt and took off for a half mile run to the gym. By the time that I got to the gym I was in full alert workout mode and awake and ready to go. I got in there on a specific time frame and just cranked out a quick, smart and gnarly work out. I then ran back to my house, showered, hopped in my car and was at work with time to spare. I then realized that not everyone has the option of just running a half mile to their gym, so I tried it a different way the next day. I woke up got my gear on, grabbed a towel and a little shower kit – put it in a gym bag and grabbed my work clothes, strung them up on the car hangers and went to the gym. By the time I got to the gym I was awake from the incessant blasting of my music on the way there. I put in a full work out, showered and got on my merry little way to work and once again I got their with time to spare…allotting myself the exact same amount of time as the day before.

Not only did I get a full perfect workout in for the day but I went to work feeling like a million bucks! I had really forgotten how that pumped up, bliss filled feeling that you get from working out felt. It is a refreshing burst of energy, a natural fuel that powers your energy levels up and gets the body going. I have totally been missing this feeling because I usually finish my workouts after work and just go home and relax and completely shut down. I totally thought that I might crash later on at work but right about the time that I began to crash, it was lunch time and I ate a well balanced lunch and boom, I was good to go for the rest of the day – just enough of that fuel to power my engine until that old school steam whistle blows and then I am free to become a brain dead veg-head.

Another pro are the people that are at the gym during this time. Yes, you are not the only other person that had this flash of genius to hit the gym early before work. It is actually quite packed in the mornings but the difference is that most people there are in the same mentality that you are. They want/need to get in and out in the most efficient, physical and time restricted manner. From what I have noticed the majority of the people in there any time ranging from 6:30 AM-8:00 AM are all business from the moment they set foot into the establishment until the moment they put that final weight down or complete that final stride on the treadmill. Because of this people seem to be a lot more inviting when it comes to working in. In the morning if I am standing around a piece of equipment I find that people are 3 times as likely to immediately ask if you want to work in with them before you even ask than people working out later in the day or in the afternoon.

Another pro I found was that I was much more likely to do secondary workouts when I got off work. When I say secondary workouts, I am talking about doing cardio and/or working my abs, two things that I constantly neglect do to lack of energy or time constraints. When I would exercise after work I would not have the time or drive to add these onto my workouts.  When I would finish my workouts, I would think to myself “that’ll do” like the father in Babe. I felt good enough just getting in my workout, but if I truly want to meet my fitness goals I need to be able to incorporate these elements on a regular basis.  By going to the gym in the morning, when I get off work my mind state is like hey “it’s just about 20 minutes for 3 miles and about 15 min for abs and then I am out”. This is so much of an easier blow to my motivation take than my mind telling me that right after I just did a full weight workout. It is like the difference between being punched in face once by Erkle – not the actor because that dude is ripped but the character – and taking one in the face by Tyson like Galifinakis in the Hang Over. If you are looking to try and combat the “Itis” I really suggest trying this for a week. But this might not be for you, and the next blog might show you why it might not be for you. But no matter what I believe that one of the four suggestions will fit your lifestyle.  Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

I recently started training with another trainer who is the complete opposite of my last one. He has traits that I try to promote for my clients. Such as:
*He knows how to spell my name…weird but…really this is important
*He actually spots me and doesn’t take his eyes off me when I’m lifting
*He doesn’t make fun of anybody at the gym while training with me
*There is no small talk with other people
*He knows exactly what I’m doing for the day and knows when I’m getting too tired and need to stop before I hurt myself
*He is ON TIME!!! Yesssssss
*He makes me feel out of shape…oh yes…this one is hard for me to write!! But I’m admitting it and it’s a good thing!!!!
*He is super picky on my form which I think is the BEST one!!!!
Thank you Jason!
If these don’t make sense read my last blog.

I have another contest coming up March 20th. I’ve been training with Jason for a few months now and I’m totally hooked. It’s not because I don’t know what to do because I know what to do. It’s the support he gives me during our sessions and the motivation. He pushes my threshold every time we workout and it’s an amazing feeling!! With him I have realized I can do more than what I thought was possible. If you never have workout with a trainer my first reaction would be DO IT!!! But I advise everyone to watch the trainers in your gym first with their existing clients. If they have these qualities that I have written about then your off to a great start. Next week is a big week for me because I will start working harder and drinking more of my Designer Whey protein. Which helps me with my energy/recovery/cravings/muscle building! I believe in this product so much I can’t imagine my life without now!!!

But before that I will be racing in the Carlsbad Half Marathon this Sunday and will be drinking my Orange Mango along the whey…lol I mean way! I did this race last year with my Orange Mango and love the way it helps me through. It’s easily digested and gets into my system fast without any stomach issues!!! Wish me luck!

Trainer Becs

So think about that the next time you’re moving, or your friend asks for help moving.  Moving is a LOT of exercise and is great for your whole body, utilizing a lot of different muscles as well as a very decent cardio routine.  So don’t waste the money on expensive movers, call up a couple of friends, make sure you have a case of Protein Water to keep you hydrated and energized the whole day, and do it yourself! In the end you’ll feel so much better because you accomplished everything all by yourself, you didn’t pay someone else to do your work for you, and you got a really great workout out of it too.  Just keep at it, even when it’s physically and mentally draining.  You CAN finish that project, you just have to keep pushing yourself.  That really goes for everything in life.  That extra mile you want to walk or run? YOU CAN DO IT! Just push yourself a little harder, and when you succeed (yes, WHEN you succeed) you’ll be so proud of yourself, even through the pain.  Thanks for joining me again, and until next time, keep at it!

Back from vacation and back to reality. We had a great time. It was cold in Florida; we wore our winter coats to the beach! We took a boat out to watch for dolphins. We were able to spot few dolphins and it was one of the warmest days we had. Kids swam with the dolphins on another adventure but it was only 58 degrees so they were just a bit little cold. My older two kids did indoor sky diving, lots of fun! One thing I noticed on vacation is I do not over eat; nor am I stressed. I feel like having my kids live out of a suit case and only a few toys. I don’t know why but my kids do not trash grandma’s trailer. My conclusion is a few things and that is at home they do not respect our home; they have too many clothes and way too many toys, too much TV and not enough fun. Now to bring the vacation behavior back in our home!

I finally got to watch the Biggest Loser show. I missed the first one because we were in Florida and did not have access to TV. But I did get to watch the 2nd show and am very excited for the new contestants. Their success is my hope. The difference between the contestants and me is they have a support system, they have the education, they have the equipment and the trainers. So I have to figure out how to have such a system.

I did join our local Fitness 19 and I can tell, physically, I am improving every time I go. It feels good to accomplish exercising. Sometimes I wish my family would step aside and make sure I get the time to go more often. It would be even better if I could have a treadmill at home but at this point we can’t afford it so at the gym it has to be. Fitness 19 is only $12.00 a month per person so it’s affordable. I am proud to say I was able to walk on the treadmill for 5 miles at an incline 4.0-4.5 and the rate of 3.0-3.5 and I burned over 1000 calories!

Today, Fox Reality had a Biggest Loser Marathon from Season 4 when Bill Germanakos won. I wonder what ever happened to Kim the trainer.

Some cool tips I wrote down…

If it had a mother it is protein.
All meals and snacks should have a combination of Carbs, Protein and Fat.
If your body is burning sugar it is not burning fat.
Anything is possible if you put in the work.

Remember to eat, move, then rest. I used to move, eat, then rest. I had it wrong. It’s all about moving forward and working toward our mark. For years I ate next to nothing and now have learned that is not the right way. You have to eat!

Oh! oh! oH! OH! I figured out a cookie recipe using Designer Whey Vanilla Protein Powder.

Designer Whey Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kid tested!
Makes about 3 dozen

½ cup butter (room temperature)
½ cup Sun Crystals (new stevia/cane mix) or splenda
2 tablespoon regular brown sugar or 1 tablespoon brown sugar splenda
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of Designer Whey Vanilla Protein Powder
½ teaspoon baking soda (you can add an extra ¼ teaspoon if you like puffy cookies)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk (2 tablespoons if you like thinner cookies)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate mini-chips

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and sun crystals or slenda until well blended. Add the egg whites and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl mix the Designer Whey Powder, baking soda, salt, slowly add to the butter mix along with the milk until well blended. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Drop by using a teaspoon onto an ungreased non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes. Remove from pan right away onto a cooling rack, Cool completely. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Version

Add ½ cup peanut butter
Increase baking soda by ¼ teaspoon
Increase milk to 2 tablespoons
Omit the chocolate chips if you want
Smash down with a fork making criss-cross design

When you first take the cookies out of oven they have the consistency similar to cake but let sit over night out and they will be crispy. It is true you can replace flour with Designer Whey Vanilla Protein Powder in baking! Yey Whey!

Have a great week friends. Watch Biggest Loser Tuesdays!

Camille

I personally hit the wall after a 9-10 hour day at the office and the last thing I want to do is go to the gym, but I try and force myself to make that journey because my physical fitness is something that I value very much. But if I have anything else that I need to do when I get home from work, the gym is the first thing that goes because I know I will be an absolute wreck if I don’t get some rest at some point. This “itis” is a creeper, and it can gain on you in rapid time and without any warning. For instance, about a month ago (before I initiated a comprehensive game plan to battle this) I had 30 minutes left at work and was really excited about going to the gym, which is literally about 2 blocks from work, the second that I got off. But when that clock struck 5 PM I got into my car and saw that the left turn lane that leads to the gym was just a little too long for my liking at that particular moment (which in reality meant that I would have to wait about 1min- 1.5 min – normally not a big deal). So I thought to myself “screw it” I will just drive home and work out at the gym at home. I got into the house and my roommate was eating a fantastic dinner and I thought to myself again, you know what, I need some dinner: I will just go after I eat. Well, turns out that if you eat a whole meal and a half from “Wings and Things” and work a 9 hour day and then plop down on the couch, you are pretty much guaranteeing that you are going to be stuck for the night – and I mean embedded into that couch like Wiley Coyote at the bottom of a canyon after trying an Acme flying device.

If you can’t tell by my blogs I am a very motivated person, especially when it comes to fitness. But scenarios like this one and others that tend to poke their heads about from time to time seem to take root within my fitness routines on a weekly/monthly basis. And if you are anything like I am one day of getting hit with this “itis” can throw your whole weeks routine off and in many cases you are not able to meet your weekly goals. So about a month ago, specifically right after I realized how much the disease affects me “on the reg” (i.e. the instance described above), I started to develop several different methods to help me curb this mini plague and it’s horrendous effects.  So for the next for the next four blogs I will be offering up some suggestions about how I go about battling this illness. With these quips of advice I will also be offering some pros and cons that come with each. And as usual I will have my relentless and unfiltered opinions about it all as I go down the line.  Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

So today I had my best workout to date.  I wanted to share this with everyone because if even my workouts are getting better and easier, then yours can too.  First of all, let me share the workout routine I do (now for all you hardcore athletes/gym fanatics, this workout isn’t for you, it’s for me!).

I start every workout with a quick stretch, mostly of the legs since my primary exercise is running.  I run 1 mile at 6 miles per hour with a 0% incline, which is a 10-minute mile.  Not terribly fast, but fast enough that if your 260+ lbs and haven’t ran in a year you’ll be out of breath in the first 1/10 of a mile. I power through that mile and slow it down typically to 3 mph, where I briskly walk to catch my breath while still burning some calories.  Now lately I’ve been adding an incline to this, at 3%.  It’s not much, but it works your calves more and it hurts just a little bit more, burning a few more calories.  I usually walk for about 5-6 minutes.  If you have the time, feel free to walk longer, because you’re still exercising.  After my walk I’ll take a breather and drink some Protein Water, then I’ll get on the Swiss Ball and do some crunches, right now I’m at 50 straight through.  After that I’ll pump out 20 push-ups.

Today was my best workout because I didn’t have to grab at the handrails to help catch my breath during my run, my run was a little easier than it has been, I walked at 3.2 mph with an incline of 3.5%, and my crunches and push-ups were easier, even with a chest workout yesterday with my personal trainer/roommate Sergio Sobrino.  And with all the work I’ve been putting in and the help of Designer Whey Protein Water and The Biggest Loser Protein Powder Chocolate Deluxe I’ve managed to shed 4 pounds, bringing me down to 259! Yeah for me! So for everyone out that that’s getting discouraged because the workouts hurt, just keep at it, because it’s GOING to get better!

Also, I’d love to plug Protein Water just one more time.  I drink one of these during/after every workout.  They’re absolutely delicious (today I had Cranapple, which tastes like a juicy, delicious Fuji Apple), and with only 60 calories to a bottle (YES, the entire 16-oz bottle has only 60 calories) and 12 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 1 gram of sugar, they blow Gatorade and Vitamin Water out of the competition for your daily thirst quencher!  My favorite is Pomegranate Fruit.  I could drink these all day.  Literally, they’re good for you!  So pick some up, take it with you on your next workout, and enjoy the fruity goodness while you get healthy.  Take care, until next time!

You know what I say? I say that in the end the best you can do is push yourself.  You HAVE to think, everyday, about WHY you want to lose weight.  Is it to look attractive to the fairer sex in order to find a girlfriend? Is it just because you feel that you’re not healthy enough and you want to lead a better life? Did you look into your future and realize you want to live to 110 years old, and that triple whopper with cheese isn’t helping?  THAT’S your motivation, right there.  The very reason you decided to lose weight in the first place still exists.  Think about that reason every single day, even if you don’t work out that day.  When you go to get a bite to eat, or are about to make dinner, think about that reason before you hit up Burger King instead of Subway.  And speaking of Subway, thank you for you.  Those sandwiches are delicious, and much lower fat than the burgers I typically would eat.  Not a cheap plug (I’m not paid by them!), but it is the truth.  They have me eating a little better, which is great for me.

Next, when it comes to motivation, you have to have something to pump you up.  For me, I have several playlists on my iPod to exercise to.  I have my “Running Mix” which consists of songs that help me push myself while I’m running my one mile a day (or my 11 miles a day, like I did during that famed deployment).  I have my “Workout Mix” which is geared more for lifting weights, consisting of a ton of great adrenaline-rushing songs that force me to put that bar up just one more time.  And, most important of all, is my “Motivational Mix.” Nine songs that truly speak to my core, that make me want to be the better person I know I can be.  I listen to this playlist and it’s almost a guilt trip to be better at everything I do.  If I haven’t been a good boy that day, I’ll know it when I listen to this playlist.  But beyond that, it makes me strive to be better.  A little to lazy to hit the gym? By the end of the first song I’ve got my running shoes out of the closet, headband on my head, and I’m out the door.

So, the next time you feel just a little too tired, or “you’ll hit the gym in a few hours, right now I just want to play some video games”, think about that reason you wanted to better yourself, think hard on it, then put down the controller, grab a Protein Water, and go hit the gym.  Then do what I do and play video games AFTER THE GYM!