Daily News Archives

March 2004

 

03/31/2004 - I'm declaring war on my little fat roll: Ab-Solved and Tight.
03/30/2004 - Update on new site; Video problems got me blue?
03/29/2004 - New camera, new picture background; Video ideas.
03/28/2004 - Burn out.
03/27/2004 - No time to write.
03/26/2004 - New website progress update.
03/25/2004 - Aerobic-level cardio workouts.
03/24/2004 - All The Whey review (orange); New Hybrid forum design in the works.
03/23/2004 - New All The Whey reviews (banana and vanilla); More on the forum's new look.
03/22/2004 - The forums have a new look!
03/21/2004 - Forums are two months old!
03/20/2004 - Forum upgrades; New logo and title graphic!
03/19/2004 - My decision regarding branded merchandise.
03/18/2004 - New web design update!
03/17/2004 - Short update - work.
03/16/2004 - Up all night working.
03/15/2004 - Yard plans; Shoulder; Hernia?!
03/14/2004 - Yard work; Poll responses - keep them coming!
03/13/2004 - POLL: Should this site offer branded merchandise?
03/12/2004 - Shoulder feels great; New All The Whey flavors!
03/11/2004 - Shoulder update, post-doctor.
03/10/2004 - Busy morning, doctor this afternoon.
03/09/2004 - Thanks for the shoulder advice; More cardio every week; Racing.
03/08/2004 - Back to the doctor.
03/07/2004 - Yard work.
03/06/2004 - Site redesign status; Camera update; New features coming!
03/05/2004 - I've been very busy this week.
03/04/2004 - Leg day - quick update.
03/03/2004 - Staying motivated.
03/02/2004 - Why I do the occasional aerobic-level cardio workout.
03/01/2004 - Sticking with your New Year's resolution?

 

March 31, 2004

After 15 months of eating clean and working out, I've still got a little fat just below my belly button. I've had this fat since I was a pre-teen and it's always been there no matter what I've done to get rid of it. I can't keep cutting because my body fat level is already at 8% and I just don't want to lose any more fat from any other area of my body. Even if I did continue to cut until I was at 6% body fat, chances are that little roll would still be there. I really hoped that after 15 months of clean eating and regular exercise that it would go away, but it's just not going anywhere. It really does bother me, and it's much more noticeable in real life than in my pictures. Lipo and/or plastic surgery is absolutely out of the question for me, so I see one last avenue to try in an attempt to get rid of this last bit of stubborn fat once and for all: supplements. I've never used ANY kind of fat burning supplements before, so this is my last-ditch effort to attempt to get rid of it. We all know cutting gels are worthless, but I've heard very good things about transdermal fat burners such as Ab-Solved. I've been researching these types of products for a few weeks now and it does seem like they really work for people who are already at very low body fat levels, but have stubborn fat that just won't go away. These kinds of products are not going to help you if you are not eating right, working out and already pretty cut up. Since this is a last-ditch effort, I've also decided to try an Ephedra-free fat burner, Tight, which I'm told helps a great deal with the removal of stubborn fat.

I know this is quite a departure for me, but I've always been honest about my program and what I'm doing and this is no different. I don't know if any of this stuff will work, but you can bet that I'll be very detailed in charting my progress while I'm using these products. I'm going to start using both of these products tomorrow morning. I'll post here periodically with updates, and will start a thread on the forum with measurements, pictures and miscellaneous notes as I progress.

Ok, I've got to get started on my abs and cardio, then I have some research to do for work followed by my favorite activity in the whole world: meetings. :( Have a great day, see you on the forums later tonight!

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March 30, 2004

It looks like it's going to be another 2-3 weeks until the new web site will be ready to launch. I won't be getting the CMS until next week sometime, and then I'll probably need at least another week to move everything into the database and iron out any problems that pop up (as they always do). Thanks for your patience - I know the current "design" is terrible.

Some people have reported that I appear blue(?!) in the new video introduction (links above). I have no idea what might be causing that. It seems like it happens if the video is played back using Winamp (I don't think anyone has had trouble with Windows Media Player). If you are experiencing issues with the video, please post in the thread I started in the technical forum (registration is required) I want to figure out the problem before I make any more. Also, if someone can convert these to QuickTime without losing any quality, the Mac users who visit here would appreciate it.

I'm off to do my cardio - today it's 9 miles on the elliptical!

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March 29, 2004

I have my new camera (Fuji S7000) and it absolutely rocks! The pictures are almost TOO good, magnifying all my body's many flaws. The re-sized images I put on this site hide many of those flaws, but the 6 MP originals sure are a hell of a shock!

As you can see, I had to change the background for my daily shots. The wall behind me always photographed as a kind of brownish-taupe, but that was because my old camera sucked - especially in low light. The new camera captures the true color of the wall, which is more of a pinkish-beige. The problem with that is I discovered there is no contrast between me and the wall! So now I'm shooting with a white backdrop behind me. The lighting in there is far from ideal, but it'll do. I know the new backdrop color takes some getting used to. :)

Unfortunately I didn't have much time to play around with the new camera this weekend, but I'm learning it as fast as I can. In the coming weeks I'll probably get some videos up here, too. Nothing special, just something so I can say "hi" to everyone in sound and motion. Once I can lift again, I'm thinking about doing some instructional videos, which I'll make available for free on this site. I've got so many ideas, and so little time... I wish I could do this for a living, but of course anyone who makes a living in the fitness industry is a sellout. ;)

I'm off to workout now. Have a great day, see ya later today on the message board!

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March 28, 2004

The past few weeks have been pretty tough work-wise and I find myself badly in need of some time away from the computers. I've got a million things to do in real life, and I also really need some rest and relaxation. I guess I'm feeling a bit burnt out right now. I'm going to go check the forum real quick, but other than that I won't be around much today. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

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March 27, 2004

I've got some issues to deal with this morning, no time to write - sorry!

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March 26, 2004

I know you all are wondering where the new website is, and it looks like it's going to be at least a few more days. I wish that I could give an exact launch date, but I can't. The design work is pretty much done, but the CMS (Content Management System) is being converted from Norwegian to English, and that takes time. I wish I spoke Norwegian - if I did, the site would be done by now! Once the CMS is done and handed off to me (should be today), I have to re-format the entire site and enter it into the CMS. This is going to take some time, and I'm sure there will be some issues to deal with along the way. I'll keep you all posted!

I'm going to go get my workout in, and then get my work out of the way as quickly as I can. It's been quite a week. Have a great day!

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March 25, 2004

I'm really glad I decided to start mixing a few aerobic-level cardio workouts in with my HIIT workouts every week. Ever since I've been doing that, I've noticed a big difference in my cardio vascular abilities and my overall athleticism. When I re-started doing 50-minute aerobic cardio a few weeks ago, I could do 8.5 miles on the elliptical in 50 minutes while restricting my heart rate to an average of 153 BPM. This past Tuesday I did 9 miles in 50 minutes. Even though I went 1/2 mile further in the same amount of time, my average heart rate was also down to 152! Not a bad improvement in 3 weeks. I know I could go much faster than that-I actually have to force myself to slow down because my heart rate is already right on the outer edge of my aerobic zone. I want to find a track, really let go and time myself in the mile.

I'm going to go lift now. I hope your day is a good one!

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March 24, 2004

As I mentioned yesterday, a few days ago I received WPI (Whey Protein Isolate) samples of the two brand new All The Whey flavors: orange and banana. I also received a sample of their vanilla isolate.

If you missed yesterday's update, I reviewed the banana and the vanilla flavors. You can check out the review here.

In my review yesterday I detailed exactly how I prepare my shakes because I think it's important that you know how I am testing the powders. I like my shakes really frothy so I use a shaker bottle, but I neglected to point out that All The Whey's protein powders mix up just fine with a spoon - you don't need a shaker bottle. The ability to mix any of the All The Whey powders easily with just a spoon is mentioned by some of our members in the Official All The Whey review thread.

Yesterday I tried the orange flavor and it was really good. Even though I like it, it's my least favorite flavor. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not a big fan of artificially flavored fruit drinks (although I loved the banana flavor), so that's why it's my least favorite. If you like orange-flavored drinks, then you will definitely want to give this a try. Someone posted a review of the orange flavor yesterday in the Official All The Whey review thread and he absolutely loved it. I have one sample of the orange left, so I think I'll try it in milk instead of water next time. I have a feeling it will be a whole new drink when prepared with milk.

On to other subjects. I've been playing around with a new hybrid design that will replace the current "Old School" style. The new hybrid design is a much better melding of the new Default style (the dark background) and the original style (light background). At first I was having trouble getting the two styles to mesh in an aesthetic way, but last night I hit on something that looks very good. I'll have the new style done later today and will post an announcement in the technical forum (you must be a registered member to access the technical forum). I think those of you who don't like the dark background style are going to enjoy the new "Hybrid" style.

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March 23, 2004

A few days ago I received WPI (Whey Protein Isolate) samples of the two brand new All The Whey flavors: orange and banana. I also received a sample of their vanilla isolate, which I had yet to try.

Before I review the new flavors, I want to mention that I only drink my protein shakes in water. This is how I prepare them:

I like my shakes really frothy. If you don't, then don't shake as much. Preparing shakes the way I described above makes a nice frosty treat with nothing more than water, powder and ice. I love my shakes when prepared like this, but if you don't like your shakes prepared with just water and ice, there are plenty of excellent protein shake suggestions and recipes in the Official All The Whey review thread.

Back to the review. First I tried the vanilla and was blown away by how good it was. Of all the vanilla powders I've tried, there is no question that this one ranks number one. It tasted just like vanilla should, and it had no aftertaste. When the shake was gone I opened the shaker and ate the ice just to get every last bit of it! I really loved it, and will definitely be ordering some on my next order.

The next day I tried the banana flavor. Honestly, I didn't expect to like this flavor because I'm not a big fan of artificial fruit flavors, so I was pleasantly surprised after my first sip. I couldn't believe how much it tasted like a real banana shake! I drank some more and there was no aftertaste and the flavor was consistent and dead-on perfect. I think All The Whey really hit one out of the park this time. If you like banana, you will LOVE this new flavor! I can't wait to mix some chocolate and banana together, I'll bet they will taste awesome together.

Today I'll be trying the orange flavor and will post a review here on Wednesday.

I know some of you were worried about my intentions when I decided to take on All The Whey as an official sponsor. I've always been honest with everything I do on this page, and I took them on for one reason and one reason only: because I believe in their products. Over the past month or so they've managed to continue to impress me: their flavors are among the best I've ever tasted, the quality of the protein has been proven with independent lab tests, their customer service and shipping time have been excellent, a representative of their company is active in the forums and answers questions, they are adding new flavors and products all the time, they have a low price and satisfaction guarantee and, most importantly, there have been dozens of positive reviews written by the members on the forums. I'm pleased that so many of you are enjoying their products - they are a wonderful value.

Thanks for all the positive comments on the new look of the forum! I made a bunch of changes to the dark style ("Default") to make it more readable, so you may want to have another look if you switched back to the "Old School" style. It's easy to switch between styles, just look at the bottom of any page on the forum and you'll see a "Style Chooser" drop down list. The "Default" style is all the graphical bells and whistles and has light text on a dark background. The "Old School" style is a little less graphics-heavy (but still attractive) and maintains the original dark text on a light background. Feel free to switch between the two styles as much as you like and see which one you like best! Comments, bugs and suggestions should be posted in the technical forum (registration is required.)

Wow, that was a long update! I have to get going now because today I'm doing 8.5 - 9.0 miles on the elliptical. Have a great day!

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March 22, 2004

The forums have received a major graphical overhaul. If you don't like the new darker color theme, you can switch back to the old lighter theme, which has also been graphically enhanced, with ease: just look at the bottom of most pages and you'll see the Style Chooser dropdown box. Set it to "Old School" for the lighter background, and set it to "Default" if you want to see all the eye candy. There are a few threads about the changes already going in the Technical Forum (you must be a registered member to view this forum), so please post your thoughts, suggestions, problems, gripes (and kudos!) in one of those threads. I hope you like the new looks!

I'm off to workout, I hope you have a great day!

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March 21, 2004

The forums are two months old today! In that short time we've grown to over 2,150 members and there have been over 20,000 posts! Amazing!

I've been a member of online communities in one form or another since the early 1980s -- from dial-up BBSs to the old CompuServe service; from Usenet to hundreds of modern web-based communities -- and the members of our forums are undoubtedly some of the finest people I've ever interacted with, online or off. It is the members who make our forums one of the best places on the net to learn about the right way to make a transformation and improve one's health. The raw energy and level of motivation found on the forums is absolutely infectious! Thousands of you are improving your health and changing your lives, and it's happening right before our eyes - talk about self-sustaining motivation! I'm proud of each and every one of you for doing what it takes to improve your health and your life, and for being part of our community. I may have a little 2-month anniversary present for the forum later today that you should enjoy. ;)

Lots to do today, I'd better get moving. Have a great day!

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March 20, 2004

A number of new forum upgrades and enhancements were completed last night! Here are just a few of the noteworthy changes:

The new logo and title graphic are just a taste of what you'll be seeing on the main site late next week when the new site goes live. You can check out the new logo and title graphic here. Feel free to leave any comments and suggestions in this thread (registration required). I hope you enjoy these new features and enhancements, stay tuned!

I'll be around the forums some, but you won't see me posting as much as normal over the next week. I'll be spending all my spare time working on the new site with Hipercom.

I'm off to do 8.5 miles on the elliptical. I really love my Saturday morning extended cardio sessions. They are a great opportunity to reflect on the week and "blue sky" new ideas. Burn fat while being productive - that's a great combination!

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March 19, 2004

I want to thank everyone who took part in the recent poll addressing the question of whether or not I should offer branded merchandise to help offset the costs of running this site and the forums. Some excellent points were made on both sides, but after considering everything I really don't think turning this site into a storefront is the way to go. Many factors were considered before I arrived at my decision, and after sleeping on it I know I've made the right one. One thing I've been told over and over from people who have found my site is that they loved it not just because I've shown that with hard work and dedication anyone can make drastic changes to their body and health, but also because the site was non-commercial. While it's arguable that the banner ads you'll find here make the site "commercial", a storefront would cement that notion and could potentially be a real turnoff for many of the future visitors to the site. I want everyone who comes here to become inspired enough to make big changes, and anything that stands in the way of that ideal goes against the whole reason that this site exists.

I know many of you are eager to help out, and I appreciate the offer to help support this site a great deal. I'm not rich, and I just can't keep up with the rising costs much longer by myself. I'm considering several non-commercial alternatives, such as a voluntary donation system. I'll probably post another poll or two in the coming days about some fun ideas I have with regards to a donation system. Rest assured that no matter what happens, this site will remain free and any monetary support will be completely voluntary. Not everyone has the means to support the site monetarily, and the people who can't are no less deserving of the information contained here and on the forums.

Time to get on the elliptical! Have a great Friday - see you on the forum!

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March 18, 2004

The person who was redesigning this site told me that he was just a week away from completing it - unfortunately that was 4 weeks ago and I've not heard a word from him since. Thankfully, the extremely talented Sverre Sjøthun (you know him as "Duckman" on the forum) of Hipercom has stepped up to the plate and he already has the new site design well underway and firmly under control. I've seen what he's done so far, and to say that I'm impressed would be a huge understatement; simply put, I think the new site is going to be amazing. Sverre and all the people at Hipercom are real pros, and have been an absolute joy to work with. You'll definitely want to contact them if you are in need of talented and experienced web designers who are up on all the latest technologies. I'm really excited about the new site! I think you all are going to love the new design: not only does it look great, but it will be much easier to find the information you are looking for. The menu layout is clear and concise (and it looks really cool!), and the much needed "search" feature will finally make a debut. Look for the new site to go "live" as early as sometime next week (yes - they are fast, too!)

No workout today. It's been 9 weeks since my last MAX-OT week off, so I have to take today off from leg training. I'm going to get some work done now, but I'll be on the forum later today. See ya!

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March 17, 2004

My work may sometimes prevent me from having enough time to type a lengthy daily update, but I never, ever let it interfere with my workouts. I don't care what's going on, I always make time to workout every single morning. Unfortunately today's one of those days when I'm going to have to cut this update short so that I'll have time to get my workout in. After that, I've got lots to do and then meetings this afternoon at the office. It's going to be a busy day, so I'd better get started right away.

Have a great day, see you later on the forum!

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March 16, 2004

I was up all night working on an emergency with work, and am really tired. I'm going to go stumble through my cardio (8.5 miles today, this is going to be... fun, heh). After that I'm going to get some rest and take the rest of the day off. Have a good day, I'll be on the forum later (after I get some much needed sleep).

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March 15, 2004

Lisa and I worked our butts off yesterday in the back yard and got a lot done. Next weekend we're going to rent a tiller and churn a 12' x 12' area for our new herb garden. To start, we're going to grow garlic, rosemary and basil since I use those 3 herbs in my cooking a lot. We'll add more as we gain experience.

I tried to baby my injured shoulder as much as possible yesterday, but I did have to use it quite a lot. This morning there is no pain at all. In fact, I can't even tell that it's injured. The cortisone injection seems to be doing an excellent job of keeping the inflammation down so that it can heal. Unfortunately, it seems I have another weight training-related injury to contend with. Yesterday I noticed a some pain and an abnormal protrusion in my groin area. I did some research and I'm pretty sure I have a reducible inguinal hernia. My dad had two of these (one on each side), but thankfully the treatment for hernias has gotten a lot more sophisticated since he had his two operations. Endoscopic video surgery seems to be a good choice these days, and I won't be out of action for long. Looks like I'll be heading back to the doctor soon.

I've got to get started on my cardio, it's going to be a busy day. Have a great one!

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March 14, 2004

It's nice and sunny out this morning, so it looks like a perfect day for me and Lisa to work in the yard and get some sun. Last weekend we tackled the front yard, and this weekend we'll be working on the back yard. There's always so much to do out there the first few weeks of Spring, and the back yard is especially difficult because we have so much planted out there and the weeds are out of control right now. This year we are going to plant an herb garden. I'm really tired of the stores running out of things like fresh basil (and when they do have it in stock, it often looks like crap and is always over-priced.)

I wound up having to work all day yesterday, so I was not able to post on the forum (or do much of anything else, for that matter). Please keep your responses coming on the poll, they are very helpful to me. You can never please everyone at once, and that's why it's not always easy figuring these kinds of things out. I'm really not trying to make money off this site, I'm only looking the best way to help defray the ever-rising costs. I'm still very much on the fence about this particular issue, and I want everyone to have a say in the future of this site. Thanks for your input!

I'm off to pull weeds and tan my abs. ;) Have a great day!

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March 13, 2004

Someone started a thread on the forum and suggested that I start selling shirts and mugs and stuff. Other people added to that suggestion, and someone said I should sell workout clothes. I'm sure it would help a little with the costs of running the sites and the forum, but frankly I don't know if I want to get into any of that. Most importantly, I don't know how you would feel about something like that. I've started a poll in the "Off-Topic" forum (you must be registered to view this forum), and would like to know your honest feelings. Even if most of you want me to start selling these things, I still may chose not to, but I'd like to at least gauge the ratio of interest-to-distain. ;)

I'm off to do 8.5 miles on the elliptical. See you on the forum!

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March 12, 2004

My shoulder feels great this morning! In fact, I can't even tell that it's injured. Hopefully now that it's not so inflamed it will heal over the next month or so. Even though it doesn't hurt, I'm still going to baby it and use it as little as possible.

Our official sponsor, All The Whey, has added two new flavors: Banana and Orange! I have not tried the new flavors yet, but I hope to get some samples in soon. If you have not tried All The Whey protein powders and want to see what people think of them, you'll want to check out the All The Whey Review Thread on the forum. More and more people are discovering that high quality, great tasting protein doesn't have to be expensive. Their customer service is also receiving very high marks from our members. I hope you'll give them a try - you won't be disappointed!

Time for me to go get my cardio in and (hopefully) close the work week out. It's going to be a busy day at work, and I'm probably going to have to work tomorrow to get everything done. Oh well, at least tonight's pizza and wine night!

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March 11, 2004

As most of you already know, I went to the doctor yesterday for further treatment on my rotator cuff injury. I saw a different doctor this time around, and I'm glad that I did. I really liked him. I had a very good visit, and I feel pretty good about my options at this point. The first thing he did was ask a bunch of questions, then he tested my range of motion and poked around, none of which hurt too bad. The next thing he did was take some x-rays to determine if there was any problem with my bones. The x-rays were negative and, because I have full ROM, it definitely looks like a partial rotator tear.

I brought up the possibility of seeing a sports doctor, and he was very willing to go that route and give me a referral if that's what I wanted. He felt strongly that surgery would not be needed--at least not yet--and suggested that I consider a cortisone shot, combined with more Naproxen (which is the anti-inflammatory I've been taking) and a few more weeks of rest. He said that the Naproxen alone may not have been strong enough to relieve the inflammation enough to allow for a full recovery, and that a cortisone injection administered directly into my shoulder might provide enough relief to allow the injury to finally heal. I decided to go with the cortisone shot and Naproxen. He did the injection right there, and said I should feel relief within a few days to weeks.

No matter how good I feel in the coming days, I'm going to wait at least a month before I lift again, and even then I will probably only do light weights for a month or two. If all is well after that, then I can resume heavy weight training. If after 4-6 weeks I am still experiencing pain, I may go back for a second and final cortisone injection, or I may just go see an orthopedic doctor, at which point an MRI will be done and more options presented. I'm hopeful that it will not come to any of that. My doctor believes that the injury can heal on its own, and I really hope he's right!

It's time for me to go kill my legs. I'll see everyone later today on the forums. Have a great day!

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March 10, 2004

There's a lot going on this morning with work, and I already had a lot to do this morning because I'm taking the afternoon off so that I can go to the doctor. Sorry for the short update, but I've got to go get my workout in and get started on my work. I hope you have a great day, see you later on the message board!

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March 9, 2004

I want to thank everyone who has emailed me and posted on the message board about my shoulder injury. I've received some excellent advice and many kind words of encouragement from people who have "been there, done that". I'll be seeing the doctor tomorrow, so I'll let everyone know what I find out here on Thursday.

For a while I was resting on the days I would normally have done upper body weight training (Tuesdays and Saturdays), but I really can't stand not working out. It makes a big difference in my day when I start the morning off with a workout, so I'm going to start doing cardio on those two days. I'll be mixing up a few extended aerobic-level cardio workouts with my normal HIIT cardio workouts to keep things interesting. I'll still be taking Sundays off, but now that it is Spring I'll be getting plenty of exercise working in the yard on that day.

I'm going to go do 8.5 miles on the elliptical now. As an aside, many years ago when I was a competitive swimmer my strongest events were distance races; I seem to have extremely good stamina and cardio vascular abilities. If I can believe the distance readout on my elliptical, I am doing sub six minute miles for over 8 miles, and that's while purposely restraining myself so that my heart rate stays in its aerobic zone. I honestly feel like I could continue for many hours at that pace. I'm thinking about finding a public track somewhere and timing myself in the mile just to see what I could do without holding back. I'm a very competitive guy, and I've been doing a lot of thinking about running in some races, or doing an ironman or mini-triathlon competition. We'll see!

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March 8, 2004

I'll be making another doctor's appointment today. Some days are better than others, but my shoulder is still bothering me quite a lot and I'm really getting frustrated. They'll probably have to do an x-ray (which, I'm told, won't show anything), before they can do an MRI at a later date. I'm also going to talk to my doctor about getting a referral to a sports doctor. Surgery is the last thing I want to do. I'm going to try to get an appointment for this Wednesday, so I'll probably have an update posted here on Thursday.

This week is going to be as busy as last week was, so I better get my workout in and get moving. I'll catch up with everyone later on the forum. See ya!

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March 7, 2004

It looks as if it could rain this morning. Too bad - I was looking forward to working in the sun today. I need to make this a quick update and get out there before it rains. I want to at least get some weeds pulled and some fertilizer down. Have a great day!

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March 6, 2004

Ah, it's finally Saturday... What a week it's been!

I'm told that the long-awaited and much needed redesign of this site is almost complete! I'm really looking forward to seeing it (other than the basic layout I supplied the web designer with, I really have no idea what it will look like.) I think the new layout will make browsing this site and finding the information you are looking for much, much easier. Unfortunately I can't give a firm date yet, but I don't think it will be too much longer.

I've pretty much decided to purchase the Fuji S7000 camera. Thanks to everyone on the forum who helped me with my research! I'll probably be ordering it sometime this month, so you can expect to see much higher quality pictures very soon. The S7000 camera also has excellent movie modes, so I plan to add videos with sound to this site at some point. Once my shoulder heals, I'd like to do a series of videos (free to everyone, of course) that demonstrate various weight training exercises, and maybe even just some fun stuff of Lisa and I goofing around with the dogs or whatever.

In addition to the above, I've got plenty of other cool new features planned for this site. Stay tuned!

I'm feeling so bloated from yesterday's cheat meal that I'm going to go do a nice relaxing 8-mile, aerobic-level cardio session on the elliptical. See you all later on the forum!

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March 5, 2004

It's been a long, difficult week at work. I've barely had time to update this page and do my workouts, let alone post on the message board. I've got a lot of work to get done today, but hopefully this weekend I'll be able to relax a bit. I love that feeling in the air when Spring is almost here... Lisa and I are planning to work in the yard on Sunday, and boy does it need it!

I'd better get going. Sorry for the short updates the past few days-it's been a real struggle to keep up with everything that's been going on. Have a great day!

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March 4, 2004

It's leg day and I'm kind of running late. I feel more like lifting than writing anyway, so... off I go.

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March 3, 2004

I'm really looking forward to this spring and summer a lot, and I'm sure those of you who live in much colder climates than I do are especially ready for some warm weather. Now's the time to really bear down and stay on track, but unfortunately I've received quite a few emails recently from people who are finding that their motivation is waning for one reason or another. I found that imagining myself in my "new" body really helped me stay motivated. One of the images that helped me most was picturing myself taking off my shirt in public and having ripped abs. Every time I didn't feel like doing my cardio, wanted to eat something I shouldn't, or felt like I could go no further or faster on the bike/stepper/elliptical, I would conjure up that image. Guess what? A cool thing happened: now when I go outside and I take off my shirt, I've got ripped abs and it's just like I imagined for all those long, hard months. Funny how that works, right? If you give up you will never make your dreams happen, period - end of story. If you don't give up and work really hard day after day, you will reach your goals eventually. The choice is yours. How bad do you want it?

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March 2, 2004

Everyone knows I'm a big fan of HIIT cardio. I like HIIT workouts because they produce excellent fat-loss results with only a 23 minute time investment each cardio workout. Even though HIIT workouts are the mainstay of my cardio fitness program, I still like to do extended aerobic-level cardio workouts every once in a while. Yesterday I did 50 minutes on the elliptical @ 153 BPM (80% of my maximum heart rate). There are many reason why I like to do the occasional aerobic cardio workout: first, it's always good to switch your cardio routine up every so often. Doing so will help keep your body from adapting to what you are doing, and that helps prevent plateaus. Another reason I like doing aerobic-level cardio is because it's a nice break from the norm, and change can be very therapeutic. I like to put on a CD with a good solid beat, get a good rhythm going on the elliptical, and just let the whole world drift away for a while (it's easy to do this when you don't have to watch for interval changes). I like to take that time to focus on my goals and my dreams. When I'm done, I feel mentally and physically refreshed. I'm going to make a point of doing at least one aerobic-level cardio workout each month from this point forward. Up until yesterday morning it had been a few months since I'd done one, and yesterday's workout really felt wonderful.

I'm going to get going now, have a great day!

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March 1, 2004

If you made a New Year's resolution to lose weight and are still sticking with your program, then congratulations - it's March 1 and you are beating the odds! The vast majority of people who make New Year's resolutions to lose weight don't make it past the first two months. Those who do stick with it past the first couple of months are very likely to keep going until they reach their ultimate goal. I remember last year at this time I was really starting to see some excellent results and, best of all, I was feeling better than I had in years. No doubt you are, too. You are truly doing something great - something that will change your life forever. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to break those old bad habits; however, if you've made it this far then the most difficult days are behind you. You have my most sincere congratulations - keep it up!

If you are one of those people who have gotten off track a bit, the fact that you are reading this web page shows that you are still thinking about your goals and are not ready to give up. Good! Don't let another day get by you. If you need help then please consider becoming a member of our online community. Registration is fast and free, and a little support might be just what you need to make your weight loss and fitness goals a reality. I hope to see you there.

It's time for my workout and another busy Monday at work. I'll be on the forum later tonight, so see you then!

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