Check it Out! My Low Carb Journey

Those of you that know me well know that I love to surf the net.  I was recently checking out one of my favorite weight loss websites, Mark's Daily Apple, and found this inspiring article about a guy named Hank Garner.

Hank lost, as you can see, 100 pounds in 6 months doing a low-carb diet primarily based on a Paleo and Primal Blueprint lifestyle.  Although Hank started out 100 pounds lighter than me, his journey is none-the-less inspiring.

I'm going to start reading his blog more on a regular basis and listening to his pod casts as they come out, and you should too!  Here are the links:

mylowcarbjourney.com/

Mark's Daily Apple - It was Time to Make a Change (The original article that lead me to the site)

Set Goals - Soar Past Them

The wall behind my computer at home is a mess.  It's a scramble of index cards with numbers scribbled on them and pieces of paper with factoids printed out on them.  There are only two things that really stand out on this wall.

The first is a picture of me from the summer of 2005.  At the time, I was working in a town an hour north of Virginia Beach, VA.  I was employed with a summer camp and I worked from before the sun came up until a few hours after then sun went down.  It was one of the best times of my life, and I worked harder than I've ever worked there.  It was a lot of physical labor.  I burned more calories than I could consume.  I lost 50+ pounds that summer in a little over three months.  When I got back home, I had a tan and I was the thinnest I had been since I was 15 years old.  I had a picture taken with a friend there right before I left and it stayed buried in a box of old memories until a year ago.  After I found it, I became jealous of the guy in the picture and wanted to be like him again.  I hung the picture up on that wall and decided that I wanted to be like him.

The second thing hanging on my wall is a set of goals written on index cards.  They are all weight goals right now, but after I hit a certain point, I plan to make them more "physically oriented" goals.  With each goal that I have, I have a written time frame that I want to reach that goal by.  If I meet that goal in the time frame allotted to me, I get the reward I have set aside for myself.  These goals were written in February 2011.

Here are my current goals:

1. Reach 350 pounds.  Date - April 2011.  Reward - Steak Dinner and Movie with Wife
2. Reach 325 pounds.  Date - August 2011.  Reward - Buy New Clothes
3. Reach 300 pounds.  Date - February 2012.  Reward - Vacation with Family

As you can see, the goals are set at certain intervals.  My intervals are 2 months, 6 months, and 1 year.  I have only set the first goal to be somewhat lofty.  The rest won't actually be too hard.  I hope to meet the 2nd goal way before August.  I don't think I'll even have a problem meeting the 3rd goal before next February.

I also have an ultimate goal.  My ultimate goal is to be able to do a regular pull-up.  Some of you skinnier folks out there may be laughing or confused, but that is one lofty goal. 

My recommendation with all goal-setting is to keep it reachable.  Don't make it too easy on yourself, but also don't set it out of your grasp.  I will say that setting weight goals isn't always recommended.  Sometimes our weight will fluctuate if we have an off week, we gain muscle, or we retain water.  All of these things can throw off your results.  That's why a very common recommendation these days is for people to track their health through pictures.  I take a picture of myself once a month to track my progress as well.  I may only lose 5 pounds in one month, but it may look like even more in the pics!

Check it Out! Weights... then cardio!

Christopher Poe of Christopher Pro, LLC turned me on to this article over at The Post Game.  It was so good and so to the point that I didn't want to rewrite it or try to take anything from it and make it my own.

The advice in this post is sound, and any of you following a gym routine would do well to remember it!

Read the full article here.

Andy - Week of 4/17/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight: 351.3 lbs

Week Ending Weight:  355.6 lbs

Lost Since Last Week:    0.0 lbs

Exercise

Sunday:  1 hour yard work
Monday: 1 hour yard work, 4 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 120 lbs x 25 reps on Lat bar, 90 lbs x 25 reps on Bench Press, 50 lbs x 25 Singlebell Squats
Tuesday: 30 minutes of dancing with son
Wednesday:  4 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 120 lbs x 25 reps on Lat bar, 150 lbs x 5 reps on Lat bar,  90 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 50 lbs x 30 on Singlebell Squats, 45 seconds x 2 Bench Planks, 6 minute Treadmill Sprint Intervals
Thursday:  15 min Elliptical Cardio
Friday: None
Saturday: None

Reflections
I started out having a great week.  I had energy and a lot of motivation from the previous week, which was good.  I needed it for the end of the week.  By Thursday, my work schedule had me so exhausted that I spent the next two days recovering from it. 

The only problem I had with the recovery is that I "recovered" a little too much.  I got carried away with myself and made my recovery into a two-day cheat session (see my rules on Cheat Days to see how I broke it).  It was definitely not the week I expected to have.

Goals for Next Week

I'm not going to let this be a plateau.  I literally have until the end of the week to have met my goal for April.  I've got some ground to make up, but I think I can do it.

No cheating this week.  I'm going to have to throw in an I.F. day to make it work.

I want to push my non-gym days just a little further.  More cardio and general housework to make up for the low level activity I need.  Also, I can't have any more times when I go two days in a row without exercise.

Meal Time! Simple Workout Shake

Andy's Simple Workout Shake

When you get done at the gym or from a nice workout outside, it's normal to crave something to eat.  The trick in not making everything you just did all for nothing, is eating the right things!  The biggest one to stay away from is simple carbohydrates like chips, fries, or a cheeseburger.

Personally I like to have a protein shake and if I'm feeling extra hungry, I go for some almonds!  Here is a great way to make your protein shake, especially if you're new to it or you've gotten burned out on just mixing water in with the powder.  The protein is important though, because it helps your muscles recover from the workout quicker and you will feel less fatigued - if at all - the next day.

Ingredients

1 cup Frozen Strawberries

1 whole Banana

1 scoop Whey Protein Powder (ladies can use Soy Protein Powder)

1 cup of Water

Preparation

Stick it all in a blender and go wild!  I like the banana because it gives the shake a thicker consistency.  For a thicker shake, use less water and use more water for a thinner shake.  I like to add the powder last after the strawberries and banana have blended for even consistency.

Frozen strawberries are awesome for hot days where you want something to cool off with after that workout, but feel free to experiment with all sorts of berries and fruits.  I love to change it up with blueberries and blackberries, myself!

Time Warp! Weight Loss Pictures

Some of you might not pay any attention to the "About Andy" section on the blog, and that's okay.  But I like to post pictures there from month to month of my weight-loss progress.  Here's the quick version:

October 15th, 2010, 400.7 lbs

April 11th, 2011, 355.3 lbs

To keep those of you at home from pulling out your calculators, that's 45.3 pounds lost in 6 months.  No gimmicks and no short-cuts.  Just regular diet and exercise.  Granted, I'm not counting calories and I am doing a special diet, but it's nothing that can't be done by anyone else and it's completely healthy.

To see the rest of the photos that are regularly updated, check out the About Andy section on the EMF blog!

Intermittent Fasting

Fasting has often been identified with many religious groups for the last several hundred years, particularly the Judeo-Christian sectors.  It has also been used as a form of protest or for political show.  When it comes to using fasting for weight-loss purposes though, fasting is a bit of a taboo.  I am here to help change that point of view.

What is fasting?  It is simply abstaining from food or drink or both for a period of time.  When we fast, our body looks for other sources of energy to burn.  If it's done right, fasting can cause our bodies to burn the excess fat we have stored instead of glucose.  After all, that is what the fat is there for in our bodies.

The key to fasting is doing it right.  I know it sounds weird to say that there is a wrong and a right way to not eat, but it's true.  There are so many elements to fasting including the before, the during, and the after that take a lot of careful planning.  Here are some simple rules to keep in mind for a successful fast:

Plan it Out

Before I even start a fast, I do a lot of pre-planning to make sure that it goes right.  The most important elements of a fast are the during and the after.  I want to make sure that I have all of the right supplies I need to have a successful fast.

Drink Water and Supplement Yourself

During the fast, I'm still going to be drinking water.  If I start feeling a little depleted, I might have a glass of some kind of juice, but water is still going to be my main staple.  Even though I'm not eating anything during the fast, I still make sure that I take my normal supplements.  I'm not going to miss out on the vital nutrients that my multivitamin provides even though I'm not having real food.  This, to me, is a crucial factor in the fast.

Don't Gorge on the Return

The most important part of the fast, in my opinion, is coming off of it.  The only way to end a fast is by eating, of course.  But what we eat is going to make or break the results of the fast.  If we come off of it and we go and gorge on a double cheeseburger, fries, a milkshake, and a bag of chips, then it has all been for nothing.  However, if we ease back into eating with healthy choices like an apple, some celery, or a small portion of healthy meat, then our body will adjust accordingly and still continue to burn fat while we readjust our bodies to providing energy through food.

Know Your Limits

The last bit of advice I would have to offer about fasting is knowing how long to do it.  Nobody ever said that a fast had to be for a certain amount of time.  Nobody ever said that we had to have an X number of meals a day.  Some people fast every day without even knowing it.  For example, I only eat twice a day.  It isn't because I'm starving myself or anything, but because I get so busy during the day that I forget what time it is.  I only eat if I'm really hungry.

Maybe you can fast by only eating two meals a day.  Maybe you decide to skip breakfast one day.  Maybe you skip breakfast and lunch.  Maybe you add dinner to the skip list.  A fast can be any number of hours in length, and you might not always be hungry during that time.  I've fasted for anywhere from six to thirty-six hours before!  The key is to know how long you want to do it before hand and sticking to that plan.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind about fasting:

If you're new to fasting, try starting off with smaller chunks of time first before moving up to larger amounts.

Don't fast too often.  It's okay to do it regularly, but fasting too often can make your body think you're starving, and it will start to store fat instead of burning it.  This hails back to knowing your limits.

Try to remove temptation before you start a fast.  Stay away from McDonald's and have somebody take the cookies out of the pantry until you're done!

Fasting isn't a contest.  If you start to feel "wrong" during the fast, it's okay to break it and eat something.  Just make sure that it's something healthy, and don't feel guilty regardless afterwards.  You can' always try again!

It's natural to feel a little weaker than normal during the fast.  That's because you're not going to have as much sugar floating in your blood.  I usually take a long nap at some point during my lengthier fasts, which also helps me stick to my goal of not eating!

If you would like more information on fasting, there is some great information at these two websites:

How To: Intermittent Fasting @ MarksDailyApple.com

Fasting @ WebMD.com

 

 

 

Andy - Week of 4/10/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight: 355.3 lbs

Week Ending Weight:  351.3 lbs

Lost Since Last Week:    4.0 lbs

Exercise

Sunday:  3 miles x 90 minute walk

Monday: 2 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 100 lbs x 30 reps on Lat bar, 90 lbs x 30 reps on Incline Bench Press, 40 lbs (each hand) x 30 reps Dumbbell Squats, 40 lbs x 30 Singlebell Squats, 2 sets x 30 second Planks

Tuesday: 3 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 100 lbs x 20 reps on Lat bar, 120 lbs x 10 reps on Lat bar, 90 lbs x 30 reps on Incline Bench Press, 45 lbs x 30 Singlebell Squats, 45 second Plank, .8 mile x 5:04 minutes Elliptical

Wednesday: None

Thursday: None

Friday: 5 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 50 lbs (+45 lbs bar) x 12 Clean & Press, 50 lbs (+45 lbs bar) x 13 Low Bar Squats, 100 lbs x 30 Lat bar, 4 pushups, 65 bodyweight squats, 6 overhead presses, 21 second plank, 7 second (each side) side plank, 15 minutes Cardio boxing

Saturday: 5 minutes Step Warm-up, 95 Wall Pushups, 40 2-Leg Assisted Pullups, 70 Bodyweight Squats, 25 Elevated Jack Knife Presses, 90 second Hand & Knee Plank, 20 second (each side) Side Hand & Knee Plank

Reflections

I missed my goal by 1.3 lbs.  Am I disappointed?  HELL NO!  Another 4 lbs in one week is awesome to me!

I worked out this week a lot more than I had planned.  Although I don't like having days where I don't do anything.  Wednesday and Thursday were just plain lazy days.

Goals for Next Week

I'm getting that 1.3 lbs this week.  I'll do whatever it takes.  This is the most important thing to me.

I've still been sporadically cheating from time to time on my diet.  I know that this diet, like many others has the 80/20 exception (at least practice your diet 80% of the time and try not to have more than 20% of cheating), but I'm not trying hard enough.  Sneaking a candy bar or a bite of my son's cereal is going to be the downfall of me if I don't get it under control.

I'm happy with my gym routine.  The only thing I want to work on is the exercise on my non-gym days.  I just want to make sure I at least get in some low level cardio totaling 3 or more hours in the week.

Snack of the Week - Hard Boiled Eggs

I'm posting some of my favorite healthy snacks that I eat.  I want to keep these snacks always fresh in your mind, so I'm going to post a new one every week.  Some of them will be foods that you have all the time, but never knew how beneficial they were.  Some of them will be foods you thought were gross, but maybe deserve a second chance.  Some of them may be foods you've never even heard of!  Whatever the case may be, if you're out at your local grocery, remember to pick up a little of one of these foods and chew on them for thought!

About Hard Boiled Eggs

Boiled eggs are eggs (typically chickens' eggs) cooked by immersion in boiling water with their shells unbroken. (Eggs cooked in water without their shells are known as poached eggs, while eggs cooked below the boiling temperature, either with or without the shell, are known as coddled eggs.) Hard-boiled eggs are either boiled long enough for the egg white and then the egg yolk to solidify, or they are left in hot water to cool down, which will gradually solidify them, while a soft-boiled egg yolk, and sometimes even the white, remains at least partially liquid.

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

Ways to Enjoy Hard Boiled Eggs

I would say the most common way to enjoy this snack on this particular week will be to find the brightest colored one you can, pick it up off the ground, peel away the shell, and eat away!  However, if you find a shell made of plastic, give it to a kid.  You do not need this egg.

Honestly though, hard boiled eggs are pretty simple to enjoy.  After they're cooled down (unless you like them hot!), peel the shell and munch away.  I usually like to lightly sprinkle some sea salt on mine with every few bites.  This snack is very filling and is highly versatile!  You can take them and eat them almost anywhere, although I do caution that they sometimes give off an unpleasant odor before and - after - eating them.

If you don't like eating hard boiled eggs as they come, there are other ways to enjoy this tasty and healthy food!  You can always slice them up and enjoy them in your next salad.  Also, if you make more than one hard boiled egg, you can take the yolks out (leaving the white in-tact) and mix them with a little mayo and mustard and put them back in the whites for some Deviled Egg fun.

As far as getting hard boiled eggs goes, it's pretty easy.  If you have eggs at home, stick them in a pan on cold water (gently) and make sure the water level is above the eggs.  Put the pan on the stove and get the water to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat.  Let the eggs set in the water until it is cool, then enjoy after that or stick them in the fridge for later!  Also, if you're not in to making them yourself, several groceries and gas stations like Thorntons sell them, ready to eat.

Hard Boiled Egg Nutrition

Meal Time! Monster Burger Omelet

Monster Burger Omelet with Turkey Bacon

When I woke up Thursday morning, I had no intention of making this.  I had no idea this even existed.  The idea for this omelet simply came "off the fly" when my wife asked me, "What do you want for breakfast?"

I had already made fried eggs, scrambled eggs, and a frittata that week, so more of those didn't sound any good.  I decided on an omelet because I can pretty much throw in whatever I wanted.  I'm used to cooking them in a skillet or frying pan, but decided to go with an electric griddle for this one.  Here's everything that's in it and how to make it:

4 eggs ( I love eggs)
1 leftover Turkey burger from the night before
1/4 cup Portobello mushroom slices
1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your griddle to medium heat (mine's a little weak, so I go medium-high) and oil/spray/grease it if you need to for non-stick.  Stir in eggs and salt and pepper until well mixed.  Slowly pour eggs on griddle and be prepared for a well-sized omelet.  At the same time this is going on, if you have the real-estate on your griddle, I heated up the portobello's and the turkey burger (cut into chunks). If you don't have that much room, just preheat them before cooking the omelet and set them to the side.  I used two spatulas to flip the omelet once it was cooked on one side and could hold together.  Once flipped, I spread the mayo over one half of the cooked side, then added the burger, mushrooms, and cheese to that same half of the omelet.  Once the bottom side was sufficiently cooked, I folded it in half and used the two spatulas to move it to my plate.  

Honestly, the turkey bacon on the side was too much.  I barely finished the omelet.  I had a full tummy from it for most of the day.  The cool part about this omelet is that it is almost completely Primal Blueprint approved! 

Try it or something like it in your home today!

Book Review - The Primal Blueprint

The Primal Blueprint

by Mark Sisson

If you're new to the blog or just haven't caught on to this yet, I've been turned on to a new "diet" and "exercise" plan that should really be called a lifestyle plan titled The Primal Blueprint.  The creator of this almost-grassroots phenomenon is Mark Sisson.  

Mark is a highly respected fitness and health author and blogger.  He is also a former distance runner, triathlete and Ironman competitor. Sission finished 4th in the February 1982 Ironman World Championship.  Since mostly retiring from competitive sports, Mark has went on to change lives through his books and his website Marksdailyapple.com.  

Sisson's most popular book, The Primal Blueprint, has changed many people's thinking (including my own) about their approach to fitness.  He proposes that we model our lives, in terms of diet and exercise, after our primal ancestors.  He often references one he affectionately calls "Grok".  

Grok doesn't eat bread.  He doesn't drink soda.  He doesn't replace meals with Slimfast.  He doesn't use caffeine as a crutch.  Grok also doesn't take spinning classes.  He doesn't lift weights five days a week.  

Grok survives.

In the book, The Primal Blueprint, you will learn Sisson's 10 Primal Laws that we can all live by:  

1. Eat lots of plants and animals
2. Avoid poisonous things
3. Move frequently at a slow pace
4. Lift heavy things
5. Sprint once in a while
6. Get adequate sleep
7. Play
8. Get adequate sunlight
9. Avoid stupid mistakes
10. Use your brain

In each chapter, Mark discusses each one of these laws and how we can apply them to our daily lives.  He goes into detail about the benefits of eating mostly plants and animals and avoiding what he calls "Chronic Cardio."  Sisson also gives examples of how to enact these laws into daily life and gives pretty easy examples of each one.

I have to say that if there was ever a book I wanted to recommend to somebody wanting to get their health in check, this would be it.  The knowledge passed down by Sisson in this book is as valuable as gold to me as I have already started to apply it to my life.  I already feel better, and have more natural energy than I ever thought that I could possess.  

If you would like to purchase The Primal Blueprint, you can buy it online at PrimalBlueprint.com ($26.99 USD), Amazon.com ($15.94 USD), or BarnesandNoble.com ($15.94 USD).  You can also buy it in eBook format for the Kindle ($8.79 USD) and Nook ($9.99 USD).

Meal Time! Baja Fish Tacos

Baja Fish Tacos with steamed baby carrots

This is one of the recipes from Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier's Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals.  Like most of the recipes in the book, this one is surprisingly easy to make.  My wife and I worked together to make this and it only took us about 30 minutes to prepare.

I'm not going to give away all of the recipe, because I really want people to try out this cookbook as well as other primal meals.  However, all this recipe takes in some limes, lettuce, onions, mayonnaise, a fish of your choice, and some lemon pepper seasoning. 

For ours, we chose to cook with cod, which we pan fried in some light olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning. We also used store-bought mayo, but they have an awesome recipe for homemade mayo in the book.

For more recipes like this, be sure to check out Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier's Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals.

Snack of the Week - Raisins

I'm posting some of my favorite healthy snacks that I eat.  I want to keep these snacks always fresh in your mind, so I'm going to post a new one every week.  Some of them will be foods that you have all the time, but never knew how beneficial they were.  Some of them will be foods you thought were gross, but maybe deserve a second chance.  Some of them may be foods you've never even heard of!  Whatever the case may be, if you're out at your local grocery, remember to pick up a little of one of these foods and chew on them for thought!

About Raisins

Raisins are dried grapes. They are produced in many regions of the world. Raisins may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand the word "raisin" is reserved for the dried large dark grape, with "sultana" being a dried large white grape, and "currant" being a dried small Black Corinth grape.

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

Ways to Enjoy Raisins
The first thing that needs to be said before you go and open up that box of raisins is this: Raisins are over 50% sugar, so they should be enjoyed in moderation.   Once again, my favorite way to enjoy this food is straight out of the box.

If you're looking for a little something extra, raisins can be added to those almonds I mentioned a couple of weeks ago with some other nuts and a little bit of dark chocolate to make a delicious trail mix.  Raisins also work great as a salad topper.  You can also throw them into a chicken salad, or get nostalgic using them to top some nut butter on a banana or celery to make Ants on a Log!

Raisin Nutrition

Andy - Week of 4/3/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight: 359.3 lbs

Week Ending Weight:  355.3 lbs

Lost Since Last Week:    4.0 lbs

Exercise

Sunday:  None

Monday: .58 mile x 4:00 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 40 lbs (each hand) x 10 Dumbell Bench Presses, 30 lbs (each hand) x 20 Dumbell Bench Presses, 30 lbs (each hand) x 20 Dumbell Bent Rows, 90 lbs x 30 Deadlifts
Tuesday: None

Wednesday: .7 mile x 5:00 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 90 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 35 lbs (each hand) x 30 reps Squats, 3 sets x 30 Regular Planks
Thursday: None
Friday: None 

Saturday: 1 hour outdoor play with son

Reflections

I guess it was inevitable and only makes sense that the week I work less (following the week I work the most) shows the most losses and the least progress.  I did meet a new personal trainer this week that I'm hoping to begin working with soon.  The guy knows my background with being heavy and knows what to do to combat it.  I don't yet know how or if it will conflict with my Primal Blueprint lifestyle, but I'm willing to find out.

My diet was pretty spot on this week.  I got to make one new recipe from my cookbook (Baja Fish Tacos) that I'll be posting about soon.  I didn't take any other pictures of the food I ate, but I am working on it.  I stuck close to my diet this week and gave a shot at intermittent fasting (I.F) on Saturday, which I will also discuss more in detail later on.

Exercise was really lacking this week.  I just didn't have the normal motivation that I usually do to get out there and go.  It also didn't help having a conflicting schedule with my wife and being down to one car at the moment.  I'm going to look in to and focus more on doing body-weight exercises at home when I can't make it to the gym, or utilizing the wonderful resources I have outside.

Goals for Next Week

I'm going to do whatever it takes to lose that extra 5.3 lbs.  It may be a little over ambitious, and some would even say unhealthy to try and lose that much weight in one week, but I think I'll be alright.  This is personal.

My diet is going to be nothing but spot-on primal this week.  I'll also be doing a little more intermittent fasting, but not too much.  I don't want to scare my body into thinking that it needs to store fat!

I want to kick it in to high gear with my exercise this week.  I'm going to try and be active doing something every day.  It's going to take a lot of effort and motivation, but I know I can do it.

Spark your weight-loss with Sparkpeople

SparkPeople.com

When I first started on my journey into diet and exercise, it was hard to find somewhere to go to keep up with it all.  As many of you know, just dieting and exercising alone without keeping track of it can quickly turn into failure.  Like a good friend of mine used to say, "A ship without a rudder is just a fancy float."

For those of you that don't already know, I had tried Weight-Watchers twice in the past.  Each time, I felt like I was paying for it and not getting any results.  I'm not saying that it doesn't work; it's just not for me.  I needed something a little stronger that made me understand my diet and exercise more, instead of just telling me what to do.

Enter SparkPeople.com, and my personal revolution.  This site is a great tool for anyone really looking to ramp up their personal health goals.  They have a tool to log what you eat that counts calories, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.  This tool also has a built-in optional meal planner that can be tuned to many custom diets like red-meat free, vegan, vegetarian, low fat, and etc.  

There is also an exercise logger on the site that helps you track everything you physically do.  The tool will tell you how many calories you have burned in the day.  This comes along with a cardio tracker and a walking tracker.  If you need ideas for your workout routine, they also have an online "personal trainer" that will show you the proper way to execute many exercises in videos.

This site does so much more, such as letting you keep track of your goals like weight-loss, water intake, slimming down, miles walked, and so much more.  This is a great place to keep motivated with your health.

The only downfalls to the site that I have noticed are some of the "extras."  They have a social side that is similar to MySpace, where they encourage you to make and maintain a page.  I felt like I didn't have the time to update my personal information on the site and then do it all again on the page.  They can sometimes encourage a little too much as well.  I got more than enough emails from them in my inbox and many personal messages from people that I had never met.  I understand that they were so motivated and inspired by the site that they wanted to motivate others, but sometimes it was a little overbearing.  Some people won't have a problem with this though, and I'm sure that the emails could be filtered a little better as well.

The best part about Sparkpeople is that it's free.  The site was started by a couple of people that used to work for eBay and decided to get out of the business and help people with their weigh-loss goals like they had done for themselves.  Since then, the site has a membership of over 9 million users who have come to them for help.  I still have a membership with them, although I don't use the site on a regular basis.  I do still like to use it when I want to track nutrition for a day or learn about some new exercise ideas.  

If you're looking for something new and awesome to try for your personal health, or need something to help you meet your goals; Sparkpeople.com a great place to check out!

To Look Forward to this Month

I thought I would stop in quickly and give you guys a preview of some of the posts coming your way this month!  

All new Snacks of the Week!

A new series: Meal Time!  Pictures and some recipes of what I'm cooking at home and abroad.

A new Book Review.  This one will be on Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint.  An awesome read!

And more of the tips, tricks, and tools I use in my daily goal of getting my health under control.

And, as always, Weekly Stats on my progress!

Be sure check in from time to time to see what's new at EMF!

Bust a Move!

I actually started to write this post a couple of days before now, but I wasn't feeling all that great.  I just wasn't in a fantastic mood.  However, my son came in and wanted to listen to some music with me.  Whenever the two of us get together and listen to music, what happens next is unstoppable.

Dancing.


People have been dancing since before music was made.  When music came along, everything just got better!   The best part about dancing, contrary to popular belief, is that there is no wrong way to do it.  There may be dances that aren't appealing to some due to style or beliefs (see: traditional religious folks), but that doesn't make them wrong.  In those cases, some dances may just have a certain place and time.

Dancing is great for people like me for one reason in particular:  when the weather is at one extreme or the other,  I can be indoors and dance for a cardio workout at any time.  The greatest part about dancing is that it doesn't require any more than you to do it.  Granted, a source of music is a perfect addition to the dance, but it's not required.  It's great for cardio too, if you're just looking to burn some quick calories.

For me, I like to turn on my music player on my computer and then dance right there behind my desk.  Sometimes (like right now), I like to just do a little simple dance at my desk while typing and listening to music.

By the way, any type of music will do.  I love listening to fast paced music like rock, metal, pop, or techno.  That doesn't mean that I don't break out to some classical or even country on occasion.  It's really just whatever gets me in the mood to boogie.

If you're still unsure about what to do (as if just getting a good jive on wasn't good enough) there are plenty of videos on Youtube to look at for dance move ideas.  Whatever it takes, just get out there and bust a move! 

Andy - Week of 3/27/11 Stats

Week Starting Weight: 357.4 lbs

Week Ending Weight:  359.3 lbs

Lost Since Last Week:    0.0 lbs

Exercise

Sunday: 1 mile x 8:30 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 90 lbs x 30 reps on Lat bar, 75 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 35 lbs (each hand) x 30 reps Squats, 3 sets x 45 second incline planks, 5 minutes Cardio Boxing

Monday: None

Tuesday: .9 mile x 20:00 minutes Treadmill Warm-up, 80 lbs x 20 reps on Bench Press, 90 lbs + 25 lbs bar x 20 deadlifts, 45 lbs x 20 overhead lift, 90 lbs x 20 lateral row 

Wednesday: 1.5 hours walking

Thursday: .71 mile x 5:00 minutes Elliptical Warm-up, 100 lbs x 20 reps on lat bar, 80 lbs x 30 reps on Bench Press, 90 lbs + 25 lbs bar x 26 deadlifts

Friday: None

Saturday: 30 minutes dancing

Reflections

This was another one of those weeks where there are a lot of words up there, but it looks like more than what it really was.  I had a lot of power and energy at the beginning of the week, but by the end it was really starting to lessen with each workout.  I would say that part of the problem was that I was trying to experiment with my workouts a little too much.  That really becomes messy, especially when you don't think these things through before going to the gym.

I kept on a decent Primal eating regiment this week.  I actually made and enjoyed two meals from the Primal cookbook I reviewed, and they were delicious (BLTA Chicken Breast Sandwiches and Salmon, Egg, and Asparagus Rollups!).  True to form, I did manage to find a way to screw with my diet by snacking on some of the worst primal approved foods possible.  That might have been the downfall that helped with me gaining back two pounds this past week.

Goals for Next Week

This coming week is the time that I need to get my motivation back!  I've not lost it by any means, but it definitely needs to be restructured.  I've got to get firm with my diet and exercise.  My free time needs more structure as well.

I'm going to have to start keeping some eggs hard boiled and some broccoli, celery, and carrots ready for times of weakness this week.  Other than that, along with sticking to a strict primal diet, I plan to at least cook two more recipes from my primal cookbook.  I want to start taking pictures and posting about it as well.

My gym routine needs to be planned out for this week.  I want to be sure of what I'm going to do before I get in there, whether it's 30 deadlifts or 30 squats, rows or lateral pulls, and etcetera.  I don't think that variation is  a problem, as long as it's structured.  I want to keep my muscles guessing that way the workout never gets boring, but I don't want to waste my time in the gym with guesswork in figuring out what I'm going to do next.

Snack of the Week - Canned Tuna

I'm posting some of my favorite healthy snacks that I eat.  I want to keep these snacks always fresh in your mind, so I'm going to post a new one every week.  Some of them will be foods that you have all the time, but never knew how beneficial they were.  Some of them will be foods you thought were gross, but maybe deserve a second chance.  Some of them may be foods you've never even heard of!  Whatever the case may be, if you're out at your local grocery, remember to pick up a little of one of these foods and chew on them for thought!

About Canned Tuna

Canned tuna was first produced in 1903, quickly becoming popular. Tuna is canned in edible oils, in brine, or spring water. In the United States, 52% of canned tuna is used for sandwiches; 22% for salads; and 15% for casseroles and helpers.

In the United States, only Albacore can legally be sold in canned form as "white meat tuna"; in other countries, yellowfin is also acceptable. While in the early 1980s canned tuna in Australia was most likely Southern bluefin, as of 2003 it was usually yellowfin, skipjack, or tongol (labelled "northern bluefin").

(Source: Wikipedia.org)

Ways to Enjoy Canned Tuna
Believe it or not, the way that I enjoy canned tuna the most is straight out of the can. It may sound gross to some, but it's really delicious.  Canned tuna is already packed with some salt, so there's really not much need for adding too much to it for flavor.  However if you do want to add a little something to your canned tuna, you can always go with the standard of a little mayo and some pickles or mustard.

Canned tuna also works great as a salad topper.  You can also try just adding it to some of your favorite mixed vegetables to enjoy it that way, but you may want to heat it up first.

Canned Tuna Nutrition

Behave Yourself! At the Gym

On my most recent visit to the local gym, I noticed there were a few new signs posted in and around the place.  One of these signs, posted on an elliptical, said this:

"Here at [Local Gym Name], we respect and urge every member to exercise on every machine here that they are comfortable with.  However, costs for repairs of our beloved machines are starting to go up, and we believe it may be due to improper use and use by some members who may not be suited for certain machines.  We do not want to discourage use of our gym, but we do want our members to keep in mind that our machines do have weight limits, which we will post below:

     Treadmill     500lbs

     Elliptical      400lbs

     Bikes          350lbs

As always, if you have any questions, please ask any one of our staff members and we will be happy to assist you."

I had to question myself and also check myself to make sure that I wasn't exceeding any of the limitations.  Of course, I knew that I hadn't gained 50 lbs since my last visit to the gym!  Luckily, I don't use the bikes either, so I was good there.  However, I did have to think about how many times I might have used the machines a little too vigorously during a workout.  I decided to tone back my elliptical workouts for the time being, and switch to the treadmill for my really hard exercises, like when I want to go all-out.  However, this sign and the others that talk about parking, towels, and sharing aren't just for me, but for everyone that goes to my gym.

The simple fact here is that a lot of people in this area have never been to a gym before, and many of them aren't familiar with gym etiquette.  Some of them are familiar with these simple laws, but choose to ignore them out of laziness.  Either way, we could all use a refresher.

• Clean Machines - This is perhaps, one of my biggest pet peeves at the gym.  I hate going to a machine and getting myself on to it, only to find out that the last person to use it left a little bit of themselves there.  I am in no way a fan of mixing sweat.  My gym is awesome in the fact that they provide clean towels and bottles of cleaning spray for it's members to use.  If your gym isn't like this, make sure you bring your own towel to clean up after yourself when you get done using a machine.  Remember to wipe off all of the surfaces that you have touched.  It's even nice to sometimes check where your shoes have been.  Just make sure that the machine is as clean if not cleaner than it was when you found it.
• Clean People - There's no way to sugar-coat this.  Make sure you don't smell like your asshole before you go to the gym.  Mixing heat, sweat, blowing fans, and moving people in with that already pungent smell is not fun to be around.  You don't have to take an all-out shower before going in, but make sure you're clean.  This rule also applies to dirt and grime.  If you work at a garbage dump and you go to the gym after you clock out, you might want to take a shower first.  Tracking dirt and garbage all over the gym is not cool.
• Sharing is Caring - Unless you're the only person at the gym (if you're like me and go sometimes after midnight, it could happen!), be respectful of other people who may want to use the machine you're on. Don't hog the treadmill or elliptical.  Usually, gyms will post a time limit of 20-30 minutes per person for each cardio machine.  As far as weight machines, free weights, and benches go; don't stay there all day.  Let somebody else use them during your rest periods, or find somebody to rotate out with on the machines.  Don't forget to put equipment back in its proper place when you're done with it.
• Be Gentle - If you're like me, and you're overweight, remember to take it easy on the ellipticals.  If you're going at it so hard that the machine is shaking, swaying, or trembling; TONE IT BACK!  Switch to a different machine if you need to.
• Quiet Gym = Happy Gym - A little bit of this falls in with the last rule.  If using a weight machine, please don't use the machine so hard or so loosely that the weights clang together like symbols.  This isn't a factory, and sounds of metal hitting metal only tells other that you are using bad form when you exercise.  Also, turn your iPod down and get off your damn phone.  Not everyone wants to hear what your sister had for lunch or listen to the latest song from Snoop Dogg.  By being loud, you are breaking other people's focus.
• Cover it up - Short and simple: buttcracks, bellys, thighs, backhair, and any other thing that strikes your as unsightly should be covered up at the gym.  Don't compromise your workout by wearing too much clothing restricts your movement, but think of what others have to look at when you go in.  Not everyone is drop-dead sexy.
• Eyes Forward - It's only natural to be curious and look around occasionally.  Don't make a habit of it, though.  It's just not polite to stare at people, especially at a gym.  That girl or guy across the room may be looking pretty hot to you, but don't keep your eyes locked on them.  You're there to focus on your workout, and so are they.  They also may be self-conscious, and you staring at them makes them want to cut their workout short or use bad form.  This also goes for fat and ugly people, because we have feelings too. 

If we all remember to keep these basics in mind, going to the gym can be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved!