Recent life situations have given me every reason to run off into a corner and pout. And yes, I did. But during that time I remembered hearing a speech that inspired me then and is helping me now.  And because I think the statute of limitations is up, it’s safe to tell this story.

Back in high school there was a very prestigious basketball camp up in Pennsylvania. But in order to get into this camp, you had to get a recommendation from a coach that WASN’T from your school. So on our applications, we created a fictional Coach named Red Jenkins, and a fake school called Union Hills Prep where he coached. They bought it and we were in.

We had a chance to see if we could hang with the best players in the east, and the answer was a resounding no.

But the featured speaker the first night was a little known college coach from the Midwest. He spoke about “saving yourself” and how it was death to an athlete. We have all fallen into the trap of saying, “I’m gonna go hard tomorrow so I’ll save myself today”, or “Next year will be my big year, so I’m going to take it easy this season.”  His message was “train like a champion today, and practice and play like it’s your last day.”

That coach was the guy we now call Dickie V, ESPN analyst Dick Vitale.  And that message can be applied to us as we try to win at the game of losing weight. We have all said, “I’ll have the Double By-pass Burger and the stroke fries today, because tomorrow it’s all salads.” Or “I’m going to hit it really hard tomorrow, so I’ll take it easy at the gym today.”

When in reality, if we’re going to diet tomorrow, why couldn’t we start today. And if we make the effort to walk through the gym door, why not go until failure, like tomorrow really isn’t there. And above all else, “Train like a Champion, Today.”

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This is part 3A of helpful tips and methods on “defeating the Itis” pertaining to the daily fitness routines that many go through. This last suggestion that I have regarding when to go to the gym, is the one that reigns supreme in my mind. It is what I have been using the most and the one that I have found, works the best when battling the “Itis” and that is to go to the gym during your lunch break.

Pros to going to the Gym during lunch:

Going to the gym during lunch is amazing in so many different ways. It not only helps cure the workout “itis” but it also greatly helps to curb the work “itis” that many of us constantly face on a daily basis. It generates a true break from work and although it is a break filled with physical work, it is nonetheless a break from that constant grind. When I first started working at my job, I didn’t want to take lunches, because I thought that there wasn’t enough time in the day. But like with most jobs you find a great time management system to allow you to complete all of your job details on time and well throughout the week, as you strive to become more efficient – or maybe you don’t (who knows). Now, granted you are going to run into that project where there is just no getting around working 12-14 hour days, but even the eight hour day is a daunting one. Whatever the case may be, you are likely to be 5 times more productive if you break your day up by at least half an hour, when you are work. My problem: I was running myself ragged because I would eat my lunch in about 5-10 min, go back and work because there was really nothing else for me to do during lunch. I would not try to find ways to better handle my time and become more proficient because I never gave myself a reason to in the sense that I never really found the importance in a full 30 or more for lunch. So by going to work out during my lunch breaks I am forcing myself physically to take a break away from my desk, which in turn permits me to clear my mind and when I come back for those last 2 or 3 hours of work it is almost like getting to work in the morning – a fresh new start almost. I feel surprisingly rejuvenated when I return and definitely have seen a difference in the output of my work rounding that 7th-sometimes 12th hour.

The other amazing phenomena that occurs in this situation is that from about 12:30-2:30p the gym is as vacant as welcome home party for Bernie Madoff (thank god that won’t happen). I have personally gone to four different gyms two by one chain, and then two separate gym chains and all of them were empty at these times. I even double checked by asking the people at the front desk and they said it is definitely a trend that they see on a daily basis: come 12:30 the number of people in the gym dramatically decreases until about 3p. Just think to yourself for a hot second, you can wake up at your normal time, you don’t have to worry about going after work, you can get a full work out in, and make work a little more refreshing on the afternoon curve, all without really tweaking your day that much. Personally, I would much rather stay at work an extra ½ hour or 45 minutes and get my work out in at lunch then have to try and hurdle that brick wall that seems to erect itself everyday when the clock strikes the “time to get the hell out of dodge,” hand at work.

The lunch time work around is also perfect for people who like to get in, get out and get on with their lives when they go to the gym. For those of you who enjoy being in that zone when you work out, where every second is meticulously calculated out so that your break time and actual physical endurance time are in perfect harmony, this routine is perfect. I can sometimes get caught up in those resting periods during normal workouts, and although it is by little increments at a time, it adds up and I find myself being at the gym a lot longer than I really want to be. But when I go on my lunch break my eyes are on that wall clock every second of my rest period, and I fly through my workout. The time restraint really helps me stay focused and keeps my aimless wandering, that can easily occur, stagnant.
Even though this is my favorite option in fighting the “itis” I do realize that it is a very unrealistic plan for many. After saying that, I hope that the cons to this one in the next blog won’t discourage you too much from trying to give this method a try. Once again these are simply the opinions of a guy who has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

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So yes, we hit the gym a few times a week, and we feel good.  We’re eating healthy also, and that makes us proud of ourselves.  The question on the mind is: can I do more to make this new healthy lifestyle more healthy? The answer is ABSOLUTELY! I like the workout outside the workout.  The things that you can do during your daily routine that will allow you to add just a bit more to your day, without the worries of changing into your gym clothes and ending up with a cold shower.  Things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further from your office and walking the distance, riding your bike to work instead of driving (my uncle rides his bike about 20 miles each way, every day) or walking to work.  For those of us lucky enough to live in Southern California, we are especially blessed that Spring is officially here and it’s a balmy 70+ degrees everyday.  So walk that extra bit from your car and enjoy a little sun and some fresh air!  If you only live a mile or so from work, that’s really only a 20-minute walk and you’ll feel better about yourself, not to mention the money you’ll save on gas.  Work on the 2nd floor but have a meeting on the 10th? Take the stairs.  Your co-workers might look at you funny, but you’ll have the last laugh come this summer when you’re in great shape for the beach or pool and they’re looking for extra-big towels to cover up with.  Have a pet? Race them when you take them for a walk.  They might be fast, but if you keep at it you’ll be able to challenge them soon enough.  And that’s great for them too.  Have a pool at your apartment or house, and want to cool off? Great, swim down and back a few times too.  Swimming is one of the greatest workouts there is, because it works just about everything.  Swim until you can’t anymore, then swim some more.  Stuck in the office at your cubicle all day, typing emails and reports and memos? Well, strap on a couple of 1-pound weights to your ankles, underneath your pants, and do leg lifts while at your desk.  That might not add huge, bulking muscle but it will tone very well, and it’s still burning calories.  Remember that the most important think you can do is to just do something.  Every little thing you do is a few more calories burnt.  My friend once told me that you burn 80 calories an hour just sleeping, so imagine what you can do if you put your mind to it.  The workout outside your workout is exactly what we all need.  Until next time, keep at it! YOU CAN DO IT!

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Part 2A of helpful tips and methods on “defeating the Itis” pertaining to the daily fitness routines that many go through. This is the second suggestion that I have. It was something I was forced to do one day and I realized it was great for battling the “Itis” To go to the gym really late at night.

Pros to going to the Gym on the “Late Late” night:

The local gym becomes a completely different place late at night, especially if it is open past 12a or if it is 24 hours. The best part about going to the gym this late (around 10:30p or later), as you can probably figure out, is it is an utter ghost town. All those pesky little things that I wrote about so frequently during the “Do’s and Don’ts series” are almost irrelevant when it is only you and 1-3 other people in an entire section – unless of course you are the one who is committing these indiscretions. Every piece of equipment at your finger tips with absolutely no wait times. On many occasions when I want to go to the gym I crave that feeling of solidarity. The ability to be in my own world and get done exactly what I need to get done. Many times this desire gets lost among the mad house crowds, the ambient howl of busy conversations, the sharp clinking of machines, and the lack of being able to do what it is that you need to. It’s really easy to scrap a game plan and fall short of a new one if you are rerouted at the gym. If you set up this entire workout and by the time you are on your last leg someone is using your first and second options in machinery or weights, you are going to be more than inclined to skip it if you are in a pinch for time. But during the late night you don’t run into any of these little dilemmas because like T.M. “The World is Yours”, pertaining to the reality of the gym at least (don’t get carried away now). This is also perfect for anyone who is trying to get into cross fit type workouts because you have the freedom of using up three to six different things at one time because no one else is there, and you can’t be the ass that hogs all of the equipment if no one is there to call you out, right?

Another awesome thing about going to the gym on that late, late night tip is the switch up in atmosphere. There are only one or two employees at the gym and true personalities come out. At both of the main stream chain gyms that I go to, I have witnessed workers in their late night element and their normal hour element. And with out sounding too cliché, the difference is day and night (awful pun intended). During both of these shifts, employees are pleasant and nice, but during the day, you get that forged, almost forced smile and conversation with the staff that is written right into their contracts.  During the night shift people get real, like Chuck Klosterman, and it actually looks like they genuinely enjoy their jobs.  They are always doing batty things like dancing around and revamping all the equipment. Keeping real conversations around your workout and not trying to make what they say take precedence over your gym routine. They are helpful and offer a lot of different tips. This goes for both male and female co-workers at the gym. I have had this interaction with both. Grave yard shift workers of any kind know how to entertain themselves which from what I can gather makes them quite interesting people. I would think that you would be a little more reclusive if you worked one of these type shifts, but clearly that is not the case here.

Something else that I really enjoyed was that you let you entire day’s food intake have more than enough time to go through its proper digestion cycle before you workout. You essentially get the chance to work it all in at one time instead of splitting it. I can guarantee this is a mental victory and not an actual proven physical one, but I definitely feel more complete when I am able to finish a work out and know that I am not ingesting any more for the day, other than a protein shake to close it out.This state of mind definitely plays to the side of vanity though, in the sense that I like this because when after I am done working out and when I wake up the next day I know what my body looks like: it is not really going to change like it would if I ate two meals after I worked out. This might just be a personal satisfaction but nevertheless it is something that I see as being a positive.

The last thing that I noticed I appreciated about going to the gym late at night was the media controlling ability that you have. Because it is a ghost town you can ask the workers to put on any station you want on the T.V.s, any radio stations or Music lists that you prefer. I have been in there when I heard 10 songs in a row that I really loved. I asked the worker what type of mix that was and he simply told me that it was a CD that he had made. I know, everyone and their sister Jane (including me) has an iPod “so what’s the big deal right?” Well, sometimes I don’t feel like bringing my iPod to the gym. Sometimes, I feel like the iPod slows me down (on contrary, I also believe that it speeds me up a lot of the time) and when I feel that I will go to the gym without it. When that happens I depend on the music that is playing or the T.V. programs that are on, to get me through my workouts.  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 who has opinions about anything and everything, take it or leave it as you will.

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Welcome back loyal blog fans, to another stimulating conversation about weight loss and the hard work we put in to do it.  Today, I think we need to talk about something really important: getting over the proverbial plateau.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here it is.

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?

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Hey Friends!

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

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This is part 1B of helpful tips and methods on “defeating the Itis” pertaining to the daily fitness routines that many go through. The first suggestion I have, was the first thing that I tried to battle the “Itis” and that was to go to the gym before I went to work.

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.

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This is part 1A of helpful tips and methods on “defeating the Itis” pertaining to the daily fitness routines that many go through. The first suggestion I have, was the first thing that I tried to battle the “Itis” and that was to go to the gym before I went to work.

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.

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This next segment is a four part segment on a subject that I have brought up in previous blogs. It is a subject that can be completely devastating positive gym morale and overall fitness drive. It is a subject that I feel needs to be discussed in a little more depth. This subject is referred to by people I associate myself with as the “long-day-itis.” It is a disease that many of us face on a daily basis and although you might have a different name for it, no matter what you call it, it still becomes a detrimental factor in accomplishing personal fitness goals. “Long-day-itis” is a term a use to refer to that feeling of absolute exhaustion that comes over you after a long 8-12 hour day of grinding at the office, out in the fields, at the job site or at home with the kids. This little bug that is commonly caught by the average person on daily/weekly basis can be an extremely derailing factor when making that trip to the gym or running those five miles when you get home.

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.

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I wanted to say a couple quick things while it was on my mind, so I figured I’d send you a quick blog.

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!

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