Step 1: Detox

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to give out some details for what I'm doing to kick the weight I put on from the holidays.  It's all going to be simple stuff that should get me (and you, if you do the same) back on track!

Step 1: Detox

It's the day after Christmas, and I woke up this morning to a home that looked like it had been used for a holiday frat party.  Unfortunately, this frat party lasted way too long.  There is wrapping paper all over my house, toys scattered from one end to the other, and my son and two cats are having the best time ever.  Under every pile of crap, there is some new adventure just waiting to happen!

Worst of all, there is a pile of food on my kitchen table and more of it stocked in the pantry that any sensible paleo dieter would go green in the face just looking at.

The first step in getting rid of my holiday fatty fun is detoxifying my body.  The protein powder is coming out of the pantry and the vitamin organizers are getting filled up again.  Aside from delicious coffee with a little cream and sugar, and an emergency no-carb-no-sugar energy drink, my intakes of choice are going to be protein shakes and water for the next three days.  This will get my body back into requiring only the things it needs to stay healthy.

This is a good time to do a holiday purge.  Candy canes, fruit cakes (if anybody actually even gets those anymore), pastries, and other sugary carb-loaded foods need to go!

Review of the Primal Blueprint 90-Day Journal

I bought this journal at the end of October as a means of tracking my daily progress in health and exercise.  This book/journal didn't have a strong release from Mark Sisson like the original Primal Blueprint did, but is meant to be used as a companion to it.

This is the fourth product of Sisson's that I have bought, and I have to admit that while I love the application of the journal, I think it has it's flaws.  I'll weigh the pros and cons of owning this journal and what I've gotten out of it so far.

What I liked:

• This is a great companion to the Primal Blueprint.  The journal stays right in line with the teachings of the Primal Blueprint fundamentals and doesn't try to change anything up.  People who buy this journal are getting exactly what they need to help them keep track of their daily lifestyles.
• The journal pages are very detailed.  There is space provided to log dieting habits, daily measurements, exercise, personal details, and how the writer aligned himself to the primal lifestyle.
• There is space for periodic evaluations.  The journal provides pages to write down measurements, values, goals, and accomplishments at the beginning, end, and every 30 days of the journal so the writer can see how they've changed.  This is crucial for getting healthy because the results may not always show up on the scale.
• There is a wealth of reference material in the back.  Sisson doesn't bother reciting all of the values and ideas of the Primal Blueprint in the book like he has to for the original book or the 21-Day Transformation.  The back of the book has a quick reference section if someone needs to look at the primal eating pyramid or the primal essential movements.  This book is clearly meant for someone already familiar with the ideas and functions of the Primal Blueprint.

What I didn't like:

• It's not very portable.  For me personally, I like to be able to bring journals along with me.  I find it best to write down what I've eaten very soon after I've eaten it.  The same goes for logging exercise.  There are a few "travel" pages provided at the end, but those pages are limited and one would still have to come back to the book to log that information at some point.  This book weighs a few pounds and is pretty sizable   I have found that it's pretty easy to get left behind, and if it gets out of sight, it gets out of mind.
• Personal experiments were a bust.  Before the journal was released, Mark touched briefly on the idea of doing personal experiments on his website.  This may have lasted two months, but hasn't been mentioned since.  The idea was nice, but not executed very well, so it has a hard time being translated into this journal.
• May not have the detail you're looking for.  I found that I was unsatisfied with the section related to the diet.  That section basically just gives you an open paragraph to write down what you ate and mentions snacks.  It gives room for comments below, but it's not put together in a fashion where I believe it can be examined scientifically.  Getting healthy mostly includes changes to one's diet, so I would think this needs more attention.

The only other change I might make to this book would be adding an online/electronic version.  I see great potential in this book to become it's own website or app that user's could log daily values into and be able to review at a moments notice.  Everything is making a transition into some form of digital content, and this shouldn't be an exception.

Overall, I think this is a decent book to have.  Personally, I think Sisson should have waited to pull the trigger on the 21-Day Transformation and compiled it with this journal.  Giving people suggestions on what to do on a daily basis and giving them ample room to log it would might have been helpful.  However, if you're a person who likes a lot of structure in your diet with some wiggle room for interpretation, the Primal Blueprint 90-Day Journal may be the book for you.

Bumps in the Road

So it's been a few weeks since I last updated.

I'll be honest, I've not been following my diet and exercise routine like I should be at all.  I try to err on the side of paleo when I eat, but I've seen just as much junk food as I have healthy food.  Exercise was going really well for the first couple of weeks, then it dropped off the map.

A couple of weeks ago, I was offered a management position with a side job that I decided to take on as my full-time employment.  I'm enjoying the work, the lesser amount of hours working, and the higher amounts of money being paid, however it has been a little stressful.  It's a job in a video game store, so as most can imagine, the hours have been a little hectic.  Midnight game launches and Black Friday sales have taken their tolls on my circadian rhythms and health in general.  Thankfully, overnight hours should be done for a few months and I will be able to readjust to a normal sleep schedule.

Also, within the last two months, my son has ran into some health problems.  He went from being a completely healthy child to being diagnosed with two major things that might possibly affect him for the rest of his life.  Last month, we found out that he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and I'm still working with his pediatrician to get the proper medication for him to treat it.  Just a couple of weeks ago, we also found out that he has a fairly-rare childhood disease called Legg-Calve-Perthes.  We have an appointment with an orthopedist next month to work on treatment for that.

Anywhere in between I have seen things all the way from car trouble, limited finances, and any other number of problems that have limited me from setting aside time for my personal health.  Did I mention I'm still in school?

I don't want our followers to be discouraged though.  We all hit bumps in the road.  I just took an unnecessary detour for a few months thinking I would be fine and then hit all of the road bumps when I started making my way back.

I've got to be trying to be fat...

If I'm not losing a ton of weight next semester.

I was all angry earlier today. You see, I've got so much schooling under my belt, that I don't really need to take extra classes on my way to be a paramedic. I've already shown I understand math, writing, and have those communication skills necessary to heal people. So when the professors of the required (and completely full) courses told me I couldn't be in their class I was aggravated. I don't want to waste my time with stupid English 101, Math 110, or retake basic Biology. Also, the way funding works, it would have been cheaper to be a full-time student than take only those three required courses. But taking really hard classes would wreck havoc on my GPA, and taking classes that were too easy would look lame on my transcript.

So I fixed it.

I knew I wanted to do some exercise for a class. One of my biggest motivators is to get a good grade, and my biggest weight losses have come about because of classes. Story time: My bachelor's program required students to know how to swim, and I happened to not be in class the day they tested people. So there I was, a pretty decent swimmer, learning how to blow bubbles in the shallow end of the pool. Coach said in order to pass the class you need to be able to swim for 15 minutes, and then tread water for 15 more. If we wanted an A, all we needed to do was swim for an hour, then come back the next day and tread water for an hour more. I ended up losing 30lbs that summer.

I registered for Weight Training, since Steven and Andy both suggested it helps out for weight loss. Then I thought, "Hey, I do want to make a career out of fixing childhood obesity! I should do something with that" So then I got my registration for Basics of Nutrition on.  I'm still a credit short of full-time. Poop. Ohhhh... you know what's worth one credit? A Phys-ed course. But taking a class that isn't during my Tues/Thurs schedule isn't going to be good for my work schedule. And I'm already doing weight lifting, I'll need to do cardio. Suddenly, the Way was shown unto me: "Walking for Weight Loss" right after Weight Training.

So I'm gonna have a class where I learn how to save people's lives, then a lunch break, learn how to save my own life, then a dinner break, and finish my day switch hitting between saving my life and those of others.

Screw you crappy scheduling, I win,
Hark

P.S. By losing!

P.P.S Losing weight that is. 'Cause that makes me a winner.

Get a taste...

This is the official video from the Tough Mudder in Maysville, Kentucky that the Fatnicians went through on October the 20th of this year.  Enjoy!

Change is Hard

Please stand by for rambling and a tiny bit of venting:

I have to admit that I've gotten used to this lifestyle that I'm living.

Lazy.

I've been trying to make a real commitment to changing my habits that I've formed over the last year and and half.  Since moving away from my family and out on my own with my son, I've only gotten worse.  I don't know if it's that I had less to maintain for the 6+ months that I lived with them and the co-dependency I picked up from having an instant babysitter anytime I was unable to make dinner or needed to run off to the gym or if it's something else.

All I know, is that I've really tried to live a better lifestyle since returning home from Tough Mudder and it's never seemed so hard.  I've been returning to my health and fitness roots in Mark Sisson and the Primal Blueprint, but so far I have fulfilled very little of what he has asked of his readers.

For instance, on Day 1, he suggested that we have a "pantry purge" where we throw away/donate all of the unhealthy foods in our kitchen.  My pantry isn't the worst, but it still needs a lot of improvement, but I still have yet to actually get up and do it.  It's those kinds of things that are really causing me to struggle.

An excuse that I've made for not purging my foods is my son.  I am fooling myself in thinking that he won't adjust well to not having his comfort foods in the house.  My wife was against me putting him on this diet with me, and so is my immediate family.  The part that gets me is that I know this is a safe and healthy diet for him, and I don't want him to end up like me.

Isn't childhood obesity at an all-time high right now?  So much so that is't being called an epidemic?  Hell, our current First Lady is leaving her mark on the U.S. through her fight to end childhood obesity...

I think writing about this is giving me the motivation to at least get the objectives for Day 1 completed.

In other news, I had to re-stock my multivitamins and used the opportunity to order the Primal Blueprint 90-Day Journal.  I'm hoping that a visual guide like this will give me the daily motivation and insight I need to get myself back on track.  I'll be sure to update on how it's working after in comes in.

Thanks for reading through this with me.

- Andy

Tougher Than Mud

Where I live, there aren't a lot of people that really know anything about what Tough Mudder is.  I showed up to the gym and my classes on Monday and I mostly just got odd looks at my new facial hair and my orange headband.  A couple of people recognized the band or the name written on it and asked me about it, but I couldn't tell whether they actually believed that I did what I said or that I was just crazy.

The ones who did believe that I actually went through the grueling 12.1 mile obstacle course asked me about how hard it was, and the only thing I could tell them was, "It was the hardest thing -physically- that I've ever done in my life."

I've hiked in areas all over the state of Kentucky, ran in a 5k, and put myself through circuits with a personal trainer until I thought I would throw up, but I have never participated in something so exhausting in my life.  

The course was 12.1 miles long.  For a marathon runner, that's no sweat, but what most people don't account for is the hills.  90% of the terrain we went through was either up or downhill.  The obstacles were the only reason you found flat terrain.  As for the obstacles themselves, I only completed 3 of them.  I completed the Kiss of Mud because it was the first obstacle, the Mud Mile was an unavoidable part of the course, and I was too tired to even think about skipping the Electroshock Therapy.  I attempted a few more of the obstacles, but I was unable to finish them.  There were many more that I skipped all-together.

What I loved about it:

• I loved accomplishing what people said I couldn't.
• I loved the people.  Big Mudder told us to help our fellow Mudder's.  I didn't think that people would take it to heart like they did.  As I struggled along the course, I had so many people pass me and ask if I was alright or if I needed help.  Of course, I told them I was fine, but it was awesome all the same.  And I've never had so much encouragement from strangers in my life.  I met people at Tough Mudder that were more supportive of me than some of my best friends and family.  I can't wait to see all of them again next year.
• I loved the challenge.  I may not have completed the obstacles, but I had a great time trying.

What I hated:

• At the event and on the actual course itself, I didn't really hate anything.  It was a great experience.
• I do, however, have a new-found hatred for hills.
• Before the event, I hated that there were so many people that not only said that I couldn't do it, but that I wouldn't.  I didn't like that people thought that I was crazy for even attempting something like this.  I guess that I can sympathize with some of their worries, like from my family, but I knew what I was getting into before I went.
• After the event, I hated that some people told me they didn't believe that I actually did it, and I didn't like that some of them still called me crazy.

What I learned:

• I learned that I've let myself go way too much since Amber died.  I thought (and I know now that I was lying to myself) that I had just gained a little weight back, but I used to be so much better.
• I learned that I'm capable of doing a lot more than what other people or even what I say I can.

Overall, I had one of the best experiences of my life.  I have a lot of training ahead of me and a lot of wrongs that need to be righted in my diet, because there was one last thing I learned at Tough Mudder:

I've got one year to get ready for the next one!

All Hail the Conquering Heroes!

People keep asking me what the Tough Mudder was like. Without trying to be a smartass, it was tough. It was one of the most physically exhausting things I have done in my life. I still can't say it was the toughest thing ever; there's been worse things in my life. And just like the stuff in my life, Tough Mudder was beat into submission as well. So here's a quick rundown of the things I learned, loved, and loathed.

I absolutely hated: Pretty much nothing about the Mudder. Except learning that some people didn't think I could do it and a few people who acted like it was no accomplishment. Guess what, my friends? It was. It's a very special individual who will sign up for a 12 mile obstacle course that involves ice-baths, fire-walking, and electric shocks. It's an even more special person who actually follows through on it.

I loved: The camaraderie. I haven't seen that many places where there was so much caring and concern for your fellow man. I can't count the number of times someone came up to me and smiled while asking if we needed assistance. Also, I loved Jasmine, the friendly quad-riding medic. I don't know where that angel-named-after-my-second-favorite-Disney-princess came from, but she was encouraging us every step of the way that last 6 miles. I'm not sure if she was made to follow us, but she wasn't forced to give us kind words and keep us in the game.

I got edumacated on...

1. I have got to get off my ass more. Run up hills, stretch, jumping jacks, anything. To be fair, most of the movement stuff never really made me lose my breath. But I could have been so much faster.
2. I still really need to work on my arm strength. Toward the end I didn't even try a couple obstacles because of the weakness in my arms. Granted, the cold was getting to them. But I likely wouldn't have been able to do them regardless of when they fit into the race.
3. I'm much more bad-ass than I let myself believe. 
4. Hypothermia. 

We finished last. But we finished last in something that most people wouldn't even try to finish. That's really saying something. It makes me wonder what else we might be missing if we don't try things outside our comfort zone.

Still Alive After Tough Mudder

Hey there everyone,

I know it's been a couple weeks since we posted anything here, and I'm sorry for that.  We've been busy as usual with school and preparations for Tough Mudder.

Harrison and I, along with Steven, our newest Fatnician, all survived the event.  We had a great time (mostly), and we have a lot to tell you about it.

For right now, I'm still very sore and tired.  Give us a few days and you'll see our stories!

Until then, stay happy and healthy.

-Andy

Update on the PB21DC... and other stuff

First off, I'll go ahead and put it out there that if you're starting to miss Hark and I, don't be mad at us.  We're both really busy in school right now, not to mention work, and in my case a child.  We're still trying to eat healthy and exercise too, but it's hard to fit so much into a daily schedule.  If that's not proof enough, look at the date stamp on this post.  Yes, I really wrote this at midnight.

At the time of this post, we are two full weeks (14 days) into the PB21DC.  Personally, this is the best effort that I've made to eat Primally since before the mess of things in June of 2011.  I don't know if I've lost any weight, because I've not had time to weigh myself.  I will admit, that I've cheated a couple of times on my diet and I haven't been able to exercise like I want to.  I still get a lot of low level cardio in at work because of all the walking and lifting I do though, so there is slight compensation.

Here are some things that are working for me that I thought I would share, so that you might see if they work for you:

1. Follow Marksdailyapple.com.  This is a great source (the original source) for the Primal Blueprint.  Mark gives out great advice every day of the year for how to live a Primal lifestyle, great recipes, cool links, and success stories to motivate you.
2. If you're not sure about how or what to eat, start slow.  Over the summer, I regained a heavy addiction to soda.  When the challenge started, I switched to diet soda's to take the edge off and keep the carbs at a minimum.  Now, I've been completely soda free for three days and I'm feeling fine.  I supplement the caffeine need with delicious home-brewed coffee.  The key is to keep in mind what the healthiest choice is for you to make and then strive to meet that goal.
3. Keep a journal.  I went bought a pocket-sized journal to track my food intake, energy level, physical activity, and general thoughts daily for the challenge.  This can be so beneficial when you're looking to find out, "What went wrong?"
4. Make the effort to coexist with non PB'ers.  In an ideal world, we all live either by ourselves or with people who want to eat as healthy as we do.  This is not an ideal world.  Nearly everyone has a roommate, housemate, or family member, and they may not be cozy in your PB lifestyle.  It would be nice if you could throw out all the crap food in your pantry and fridge, but they may protest.  Personally, my son has a hard time adjusting to this diet.  When he's not with me he's with my family or at school.  Neither of those places are exactly on board with the Primal eating plan.  All that being said, he's not sure why we don't have buns or bread for the hot-dogs, hamburgers, and other sandwich items in the house and he hates that he's not getting french fries and tater tots anymore for his side item or snack, and instead having to eat carrots with dip.  It's all about compromises, and remembering which food items in your home ARE NOT YOURS.  Other than that, it's all about patience and discipline.

I thought I would shoot a link for you guys over to the guy that got it all started for me.  I know him as Cormac, and I met him on a video game message forum (geeky, right?).  Cormac was the guy that started talking about paleo dieting and the Primal Blueprint.  He's insanely smart when it comes to this stuff, and he's started a blog that answers questions about how he lives his PB lifestyle in Japan.  Before I give you the link, I will warn you, he uses a little bit of non-family friendly language, but it's worth it for the knowledge you get out of it!

Cormacaroni.tumblr.com/

Recipe Corner

This is actually Rachael Ray's "Chicken in a Pot, Not Pie," but the picture is better than the one I took.

September is here and the fall is right behind it!  It's my most favorite part of the year.  The colors, the smells, and the foods this time of the year are the best.  I decided to get an early start on some of my favorite cooking that comes along with the fall too, and I stumbled upon something while cooking up dinner for the kiddo and myself the other day.  Get ready for a super simple slow cooker meal that makes itself for you while you get other things done.

Mostly-Primal Chicken Pot Pie minus the Pie Part

Ingredients:

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 cups water

6 frozen chicken tenderloins (or two frozen boneless breasts)

2 bags of frozen spring vegetables mix

2 packets of chicken gravy mix

Directions:

Mix it all in a slow cooker pot and leave it to cook.  Try mixing in the water, bouillon cube, and gravy mix first for a good consistent base.  Put the chicken and veggies in next!  Enjoy it when it's done.  

Serves: 5-7 people

My slow cooker has different settings for cooking time, so I started mid-day and had it ready in 4 hours.  Adjust your cook time and temperature settings for when you need it!  I'll be putting my leftovers in a container for tomorrow!

The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge

Hey Fatnicians!  I know it's been a while since I've said anything, and I'm sorry about that.  I've had some things come up in my everyday life that I had to deal with and they took some precedence over the blog.  Fortunately, Harrison has been doing a great job while I've been gone and now that I'm back, we'll be an unstoppable team!

My return to posting on the Fatnicians is going to start with something that could help all of us.  Harrison, Steven (who isn't a Fatnician yet, but he should be!) and I have a little over a month before it's time for us to run in the Tough Mudder in Maysville, Ky.  Hark and Steven have been working their butts off getting ready for the event, and I have been slacking.  It was completely convenient for me that Mark Sisson started the Primal Blueprint 21-Day Challenge up today!

For those of you who remember the challenge from last year, it's basically a month of trying to live, eat, and act out a primal (paleo) lifestyle.  Mark usually makes the challenge last 30 days, but he worked with his team and decided to shorten it to 21 days.  He believes that time-frame is enough to break any bad habits and help keep up new ones (of course, it does coincide nicely with his 21-Day Primal Blueprint Total Body Transformation book that debuted a few months ago).

Sisson is really going all-out this year and giving away lots of prizes for PB'ers who participate in the challenge.  The first prize to be given away is a $200 gift card to PrimalBlueprint.com to one lucky person.  All you have to do to enter is to share their status and post your goal for the challenge!

This should be fun!  I'm going to be updating weekly again and while the challenge is going on, I'll be talking about that as well.  Won't you join me in the challenge?

If you're interested, click here to learn more about it.

Weigh-in

My friend, Steven (the Tough Mudder in training mentioned last post), brought me to the gym yesterday to show me some shoulder and chest workouts. With all the intravenous lines I've had as a kid, my upper body strength is severely lacking and it was getting very difficult. I like to think that my determination was proved yesterday and now one more person can see why I'm going to do Tough Mudder. I may not be the strongest, fastest, most athletic, or even the bravest. But I'm definitely the toughest, most headstrong, stubborn, and tenacious. Like Charlie B. Barkin, you can't keep a good dog down. Like the honey badger, I don't care and I take what I want.

Ahem. Yeah, got a little carried away there. Let me poorly attempt to segue. In this case, the taking was taking away my weight. And take it away I have! I'm down to 246.1 pounds! That's ten pounds! Go me!

SOIBICWABA*

*Stuff Of Interest But I Can't Write A Bunch About (Pronounced "Soy-bick-waba")

-I walked 3.3 miles yesterday between classes. It helps that the building my main classes are in and the building my other class is in are separated by the entire campus. Also, I was really bored waiting for the next class which resulted in an aimless meandering. My legs are sore and I'm proud I effectively used my time.

-Since I consider myself a Taoist, and think they have some interesting (and some useful) medical theories, I'm very interested in starting to learn Tai Chi. I'm only doing preliminary research on the subject, and will keep you updated. The slow and deliberate movements are supposed to be very good for weight loss and flexibility.

-I'm down a pants size (sorta)! The store was out of swim trunks, so I decided to just get a pair of basketball shorts and improvise. I've always been at least an XL, in pretty much anything you were trying to size. Well imagine my surprise when I grabbed the regular purple hanger and noticed it was a little too large for me! That's right, good old Hark graduated down to a yellow L! I'm pretty excited to see some measurable change in my body!

-A good buddy of mine and fellow Tough Mudder Trainer, Steven, demonstrated how to cook an extremely healthy meal yesterday. I've always known how to cook this, but it never dawned on me how healthy it really was! Cook up some brown rice (it's healthier than white and twice as delicious!). Sprinkle some oil in a frying pan (I like olive) and toss some bite-size chicken chunks in there once it gets hot. Add a dash of sauce (he used terryaki and sriracha) and cook it until almost done. Toss in some broccoli and a little bit more sauce, then cover. Let all that flavorful food nuggets steam up together for about 5-10 minutes. When the broccoli gets to your liking, take it out. Scoop it onto a serving of rice and put it in your mouth! Super cheap, super healthy, super fast!

-Now a question, which you can answer in these comments or facebook comments: What sort of stuff do you guys want to see us discuss? More on supplements? Workouts? Healthy fooding?

Sign Up! The Ancestral Weight Loss Registry

Any of you who have been reading the blog for a while or have read up on some of our older posts know that I'm a fanatic for Paleo-style dieting.  It started back in January of 2011 and it was love at first site.  I would actually say that it is responsible for the majority of any of the weight that I've lost.  It's what has caused my local bakery to lose me as a loyal customer.  And I know that when I fall off the beaten path, that Paleo-dieting will be right there, ready to pick me up with a friendly -but firm- "I told you so." 

A couple of days ago, I was doing my nightly read-through of my favorite blogs when I found one from Mark Sisson on his website.  It briefly touched on the fact that paleo dieters aren't taken seriously, are treated as "fad" dieters, and still draw a lot of concern from most health professionals.  

There is a group out there that is taking the initiative into their own hands to prove the success, seriousness, and basic truths behind this style of living and eating.  The Ancestral Weight Loss Registry has a goal to "...combine(s) a running list of clinical research combined with a registry that people can join on a volunteer basis. Collecting such data will hopefully illuminate the safety and efficacy of consuming such a food plan. Data speaks for itself."

So, if you're like me, and you've had success in any form from eating a diet that is low-carb, paleo, primal, or anywhere close to them, here's what you should do to show our politicians and physicians that the diet and we ourselves should be taken seriously:

1. Go to the sign-up page, enter your details, and answer the questions honestly.
2. Make sure you read the privacy policy.
3. Spread the word!

Bonus points will be awarded for submitting before and after photos, if you have them, and liking their Facebook page!

How to lay about without being a layabout.

And.... he's back! Sorry for the delay in posting folks, I've been pretty busy with some minor surgery on my chest. Luckily, I've had experience with avoiding these muscle groups before, so I didn't just sit on my bum all day and wish I was exercising. 

I sat on my bum all day and exercised.

I ended up finding a pedal machine, which is like a more portable stationary bike, for ridiculously cheap. These things are foldable, and pretty low-cost. I can't recommend them enough for people with small apartments or a lack of storage space.

I've already got pretty strong legs, so this wasn't much of a workout. But it's a good way to burn more calories when you're on the couch playing videogames or watching a movie. 

Another good way to burn those calories while you're being a lazy bum is a fitness ball.

Yep, one of those. I know some of you manly men are saying, "I don't want none of that namby-pamby yoga crap!" To which I say, "Fine then. Don't buy a cheap way to lose weight and is actually kind of fun. Also, quit being a jerk and nay-saying everything." Studies are starting to show just sitting on these guys isn't much different from sitting in a chair. But there's a huge difference when you do small repeated movements on one of these instead of lounging on the couch. I usually swing my hips in a small circle or bounce slightly while on the ball. You might actually find your core a little sore the next day if you've been really working at it.

Now I'm starting to wonder if I can combine the two into one exercise. If I don't make it back, tell Andy I love him.

Quick Update From the Gym

Sorry for the delay in posting it on the blog!  For any of you that might have missed it.

Some Inspiration For You

I found this while just randomly browsing the net late at night.  Had to share it with you guys.

Click the picture to view a larger size

Quick Morning Pick-Me-Up

Orginal Image borrowed from GrazeWithMe.com

I thought I would throw out this quick tip for getting your day started in the morning.  It was honestly something that I came across by accident, but I knew my friends would enjoy it!

If you've read the blog before, you know how much I love Blender Bottles.  The snap-close top and the wire whisk ball inside make it great for not only mixing up protein shakes, which I frequently have after going to the gym, but it can be used for mixing up any number of things from salad dressings, soups, to any other number of liquid beverages or foods.

A couple of days ago, I decided that it was too hot to be drinking hot coffee in the morning.  I took a page from my old barista days at Starbucks, and decided to make myself a batch of iced coffee.  It's really quite simple.

Brew up a pot of coffee, but do it at double the strength you normally would.  When that pot is brewed, pour it into a pitcher with the same amount of cold water and ice cubes.  If you want it to be a little stronger, you can run half as much water as you did in the first pot through the same grinds that you just used.  If you want to, add sugar for taste (I added less than half a cup for a whole gallon) and let it cool.  It's really easy to make it before you go to bed and let it cool overnight so it's ready for use in the morning.  You can add milk or cream to it when you make it if that is what you prefer.

When I went to make my normal batch this morning, I decided to try something new.  I added a scoop of protein powder to it!  It went from being normal, everyday variety, iced coffee to an iced mocha with protein!

What's great about it is that it not only has the caffeine which we groggy non-morning people so desperately cleave to, but it also has that protein which turns it into a pseudo meal replacement.

Now that is what I call killing two birds with one stone!

To the Naysayers

My brother says I can't do it.

That I won't even be able to attempt the Tough Mudder. He says "That's the kind of stuff I would do. Not you."

My guess is some background is in order. My brother and I are like night and day. He's all about machines, motorcycles, rock climbing, stuff you normally see macho, tough guys doing. I've always been much more content reading a book, cooking, hiking, Renaissance Man kind of things. He was the wild kid, and I was the good one.

Things started changing. He laughed when I pierced my ears, because "I was trying to be cool like him". Then I got a tattoo and he was shocked. He should have been the first to get tattooed, after all he was the crazy one. Now my body has tons of tattoos and his is still bare. (And I'm planning on taking advantage of the "Get a Tough Mudder tattoo for cheap and into next year's competition for free" plan) 

So when I proudly told him I signed up for Tough Mudder, he laughed. "Do you even know what it is? They have that around here and there's no way you can do it!" My reply was, "Bull. You have no idea what I can do. I've always been a hell of a lot more stubborn than you, and this is happening."

"Alright, we'll see"

We'll see indeed. Maybe I won't be able to do some of the obstacles. I've never been good at pullups or pushups. But you know what I am good at? Being tough as hell. Being stubborn as hell. Being supportive of my friends when times are difficult. So not only will I do this, but so will Andy. We're going to be glorious.

You'll see.

Fatnician Frisbee Fun

Uploaded this video to Youtube today.  Didn't feel much like writing anything this week.  You might want to turn down the volume a little bit.  It was extremely hot outside today (over 103°F with high humidity) and I think I might have been on the brink of heat exhaustion when I made this video.  I was out of breath too...

Anywho, a brief explanation of what has been going on with me lately.

Prepare for a long entry

I imagine introductions are in order. My name's Harrison, and many friends call me Hark.  I'm overweight. I've been overweight nearly all my life, and fixed it a little bit. I used to be all the way up to 350 on my 5'8" frame, but eventually became a nice muscley 225 with diet and exercise. But lately with finishing a Master's Degree and working a really crappy job, I've started gaining weight again. I'm back up past 250, and my blood pressure and blood work are coming back as that of a fat guy. This is terrifying. All of my grandparents except one have died because of heart problems. My dad has had about 5 heart attacks, and has a ton of other problems related to being overweight. And guess which of my parents I take after for my body type? Time to fix this. I'm turning this sludgy, broken-down, beat up, busted seat cushion jalopy into a svelte, sexy, well-tuned machine. How? Diet and exercise of course! For the record there's no real way to lose weight in a healthy manner that doesn't take craploads of work. Liposuction gets rid of weight, but you usually end up a big ol' chubster again. Those lapband and other stomach-screwing up surgeries make you lose weight, sure. But then you can barely eat anything for the rest of your life. It destroys your ideas of portion control in the exact opposite direction that most Americans (I can't speak for other countries) have had theirs wrecked. "But Hark! I hate working hard at stuff! And I love food! Screw you man!" you say. Well then, young padawan, screw you too, buddy. Don't be attacking me because you're a lazy-ass. But if you're serious about losing weight, you'll join me on this journey towards enlightenment. 1) Make it fun. I found a DJ mix-guy who made techno remixes specifically for training for a 5k run. The beats per minute speed up and slow down in the commonly suggested timings of most "couch to 5k" training programs. I tried it for the first time today and nearly died. Not that it's a bad thing. Being so tired afterwards makes me realize how out of shape I am and how effective that this program will be. Find something you like. I like swing dancing, so I'm also going to up my dancing to be more of a workout. Good thing most of the women there are used to guys with sweat pouring off of them. 2) Keep yourself motivated. I have no idea how you can do it, I'm pretty lazy. I'll work out for a week being all "Hell yeah! I'm gonna go and get skinny and all the ladies will like me and I'll be getting a better job because I'm so skinny!" Then the next week, I'm all "You know what I should do? Bake a cake and see how much I can eat in one sitting". It's not very effective... So how am I keeping myself motivated? Tough Mudder. Tough Mudder is insane. Go on look it up (www.toughmudder.com ) I can wait. 10-12 miles of pain, agony, fear of death, mud... Supposedly they once had tasers involved with some barbed wire. No idea, never been there. Andy has been wanting to put a team together, because it's all about willpower really. Sure you need to be able to do some physical stuff, but you're not getting anywhere without the testicular fortitude to outrun a cannon or whatever they make you do. And you're not going to have that motivation without someone next to you screaming quotes from 300 and Karate Kid. I even tried making excuses: "I'm unfit to try it. I have no idea where the place is. I can't afford the registration". Andy is prepared for it: "You got 4 months nearly to train. I'll drive you." And most importantly, "I'll help you pay" Now anyone who knows me, knows I can't pass up free stuff. Or even a discount. Training has begun to be the Toughest Mudder that has ever mudded toughly.

One Long Year

It's been a year ago today that my wife passed away.  Things were a blur at first.  Hard wouldn't even begin to describe how life was when it happened.  So many thoughts were running through my head about my son, what we would do, where we would go, how we would cope without her, and last of all, me.

Things are still hard.  It's not easy being a single parent.  Finding the motivation to get out of bed on days like this and just get around are really difficult.  There are days when I tell myself that I need to get up and get out, but I don't.  But then again, there are days that I do.  Sometimes, it's hard to walk that fine line between keeping it together and falling apart.  Madix and I have done well so far.

The support I've gotten from my friends and family has been a big help.  In fact, I don't think I could have done it without them.  I've had a lot of encouragement from acquaintances and even strangers who've heard of me and wish us luck with everything we do.  Some of that encouragement has come from people who read this blog and watch the videos.

To all of you:  Thank you.

-Andy

What's this? A new Fatnician?

Ladies... and gentlemen, say hello to our newest Fatnician.  This handsome devil's name is Harrison.  He's not in the same boat as me when it comes to weight-loss (i.e. not as much to lose), but he's been rowing along side of me for a while now and he's ready to tell his tale.

Help me give a warm welcome to our newest author on the blog.  He means to kick butt, take names, and get this blog back to where it used to be!  Stick around, because it's about to get interesting!

Check It Out! - Tough Mudder

I've talked about it a couple of times in my videos.  This is THE event.

Tough Mudder - Probably the Toughest even on the planet.

Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces.  It tests every facet of personal strength and mental capacity.

I'll be running in a Tough Mudder even in Maysville, Ky on October 20th of this year.  Should be fun.

Where I've been...

If you've came to the blog lately, you have probably noticed that there aren't a lot of new posts.  In fact, before this post the last update was on December 9th!

Well, there are two reasons for that:  The first is that I'm finally back in school!

The second is that I'm still a full-time, single parent, who works occasionally.  On top of trying to keep up with school work, homework (which is a lot), parenting, bill paying, and personal fitness, I keep a pretty full docket of things to do at most times.  My leisure time is sparse right now and I usually use it to sit and do absolutely nothing.  I don't think anybody could blame me there.

However, it doesn't mean that I'm not still leaving updates on my progress!  Have you been over to the Fatnicians Youtube channel?  I'm posting videos up all the time about what's going on with me and what I'm doing.  I plan to start putting more of the educational stuff into it as soon as I get a little more free time and get myself settled out.

In the meantime, I really appreciate you for sticking around this long.  I'm still making progress and I want you there with me every step of the way.  Accountability is a major factor in weight-loss!

Thanks again and until next time,

Andy