Day Two and Day Three

Busy couple of days here. Yesterday I had a quick audition and then hit the gym for my regular workout: 30 minutes on the bike, my super-set weight workout, and then the elliptical for another 30 minutes. I've got to tell you though, I started on that elliptical machine and was so tired from not getting enough sleep and the workout itself that after 5 minutes I'm thinking, "I'm just going to do fifteen minutes, that'll be enough." Then I went another 5 minutes and thought, "Yeah, fifteen minutes sounds reasonable . . ." Then, as I approached the fifteen minute mark, I realized that Bond, and the men who play him, would do the full thirty. So I dug in and kept going and thirty minutes later I jumped off that thing, happy I'd gone the distance.

You know what? That's the thing - the talking ourselves out of things, the legitimization of half steps - that makes us trip up and take longer to achieve those things that are readily achievable. Sure, it's easier not to jump in the car and go to the gym but I always feel better after I've gone. Yes, it's easier to grab the pre-made food, and accessible soda in that can, but I always feel better after I've eaten healthy food. The thing about getting into shape is that it's filled with pitfalls simply because the benefit comes after the effort, not during or even before. You've got to pay up front to reap the rewards that come later. After years of working out, I love being in the gym and seeing the changes and the improvement. I love feeling the change, being able to do something I wasn't able to before. Even if I leave for a while, I always feel right coming back.

I think that's something that many people feel they won't connect with. I think that the gym can be an overwhelming place for folks because they feel like they don't belong, or maybe they're being judged, or that they feel intimidated going somewhere where people seem to know what they're doing with large machines and instruments that seem better fitted for extracting information from enemy combatants. The truth is that everyone in there started out having to learn how to workout. If you feel intimidated, hire a trainer for a few sessions and you'll soon feel like you belong - because you do!

I kept to my diet well yesterday. We had a roast chicken (no skin for me), potatoes, and broccoli for dinner. Later I had my snack of strawberries and yogurt, some cashews, and a piece of whole wheat bread (homemade) and honey.

Today I missed my workout as I had another audition, and then later a root canal - yay! I still ate well all day, and for dinner my wife made a fantastic bourbon chicken recipe over organic brown basmati rice and peas - yum! Same old snack and a lot of water.

I'm ready for the gym again tomorrow and am excited to get back on that elliptical trainer! Hope everyone is feeling upbeat about their own journeys if anyone happens to be on one, and upbeat about yourselves in general!! Happy eating and happy health!

The Concept

Okay, so here's the deal. Starting January 1, 2008 I decided that I needed to get healthier. I decided to go back to basics and made the change to organic foods and making as much food from scratch as I could. I stopped buying bread and pasta and began making my own. I started making my own BBQ sauces and cooking everything from basics. The main caveat was to avoid processed foods and preservatives. I got back to the gym. I was militant. I lost 50 lbs in about 8 months. It was a much needed weight shed and I dropped down to a low of 148lbs. The one thing that still dogged me however was an inability to drop the last layer of fat over what had become pretty solid muscle. It was the usual suspects at work: love handles and man boobs.

Over the last couple of months with a new baby in the house and stress from the work front, some of our tough principles gave way to ease and I've put back on probably 15 or 20 lbs from my low. Frankly it's something that has really been bugging me because we're still eating healthy and I'm still at the gym, it's just the laxness of the eating habits plus a change in medication.

Today however I turn a new leaf, a leaf I've been very excited about and one that I've been planning for a while now. Watching "Quantum of Solace" the other day with my wife (I'm a huge Bond fan), I looked at Daniel Craig and thought "I wonder if I can get myself looking like that?" For some reason my wife seemed eager for me to try, so I resolved to get back to my more militant eating habits while upping the ante (fewer carbs, no refined foods) and back to the gym with a new emphasis on cardio (which I already hit fairly hard). I also decided to log my journey from blah to a physique worthy of Bond in this blog to keep me motivated, but also to have a record for myself and hopefully enthuse others about healthy eating and exercise!

Now, I'm under no illusions that I will challenge Mr. Craig for the Bond crown, nor that I will even achieve the same level of fitness as we don't have the same genetics (and I'm not using any fat burners), but I think that at the very least this will be an entertaining trip to take with friends. I promise I don't, and won't, take myself too seriously in all of this, and I promise to be funny as I keep you appraised of my progress. Please join me and leave comments, and if you decide to undertake your own trip, let us know how you're journey is going!