Daily News Archives
November 2007
11/30/2007 - Too much coffee; Temptations; New house almost complete!
11/29/2007 - Get back on track TODAY!
11/28/2007 - Feeling great today; Poor Lisa, off on another cruise.
11/27/2007 - Shaking things up; No monthly photos this month.
11/26/2007 - Back in the driver's seat.
11/25/2007 - Bad week, struggling with my diet; Admitting failures and moving forward.
11/24/2007 - Saturday plans.
11/23/2007 - Awesome Thanksgiving feast; Leg day!
11/22/2007 - Thanksgiving update; Exterior of new home complete--final animation.
11/21/2007 - Firm move date; JSF plans/time off.
11/20/2007 - Yesterday's workout; December "100 Challenge" open for entry.
11/19/2007 - Awesome weekend; Packing continues; Moving plans as they relate to JSF.
11/18/2007 - New house is getting very close to completion; AtLarge Westside DVD giveaway!
11/17/2007 - Fun Saturday!
11/16/2007 - 100% consistency this week.
11/15/2007 - Motivating progress this week; Mini-goals.
11/14/2007 - Weird dreams.
11/13/2007 - Back on track and feeling great!
11/12/2007 - I've been lazy, and I'm taking full responsibility for it. No excuses.
11/11/2007 - Break is over, back to business.
11/10/2007 - I've been slacking; Incredible weather; New home animation--almost done!
11/09/2007 - Skipped cardio and also had an unplanned cheat meal. 
11/08/2007 - The weather is perfect; Going for a run today!
11/07/2007 - What's the best cardio method? What's the best strength training program?
11/06/2007 - Fun workout yesterday!
11/05/2007 - Awesome weekend, but now it's back to business!
11/04/2007 - DST ends; Sunday plans; Cutting starts tomorrow.
11/03/2007 - Taking time off from lifting is healthy; House is SOLD!; New house update.
11/02/2007 - Off to the title company!
11/01/2007 - Montly pictures; The sale of our existing home will be final tomorrow!
November 30, 2007
Oops. Out of habit I made enough coffee this morning for two people (as I mentioned a couple days ago, Lisa's off on yet another cruise). Rather
than waste it, I've been drinking it. I'm bouncing off the walls right now! 
Last night I had the first real test of my dietary resolve for this week. I was craving cheeseburgers like you wouldn't believe. It was almost time for meal #5, and I was totally starving. Not only that, I had everything I needed in the house to make an absolutely killer burger on the grill. I started thinking, "Well, I'll just have my cheat meal a little early this week, and I won't have one on Saturday night." You know what? That's the exact sort of ridiculous rationalization that threw me off track earlier this month; I'd have the mid-week cheat, and then I'd still have another one on the weekend. I decided right then and there that the cheat meal would wait until Saturday night as planned--PERIOD. After I ate my chicken and broccoli I was no longer hungry and the cravings went away. Job well done!
It's Friday, and that means it's leg day! I'm looking forward to a great workout. After my workout I'm heading over to the new house: the carpet was going in when I got there yesterday afternoon, and the carpet crew said they would be 100% done before the day was over. Now that the carpet is in, all that is left to complete our new home is some touch-up/punch list stuff and appliance installation. I'll have another big update to my new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) this evening.
November 29, 2007
I had another terrific workout yesterday (chest & triceps). Like Monday's workout, I cranked up the music about 10 minutes before I started my warm-up sets. The music helped get me fired up and ready to lift hard! Once the pump and adrenaline rush took over, I felt incredible.
I may have have gotten off to a rough start this month, but I pulled it together and didn't wallow in my failures. Never let a few mistakes or setbacks get you down. You can't change the past, but you still have control over what you chose to do today. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get back on track. I know from your emails and PMs that quite a few of you are going through what I went through earlier this month: too many cheat meals, missing workouts, feeling overwhelmed... If you are still struggling, then I strongly encourage you to make today the day you set things straight again. No excuses, just buckle down and do what you have to do in order to make it happen. Consider the alternative: each day you wait makes it easier to put it off for yet another day. Those wasted days have a nasty habit of turning into wasted months, and you know it.
November 28, 2007
I feel great this morning! I'm also down to my lowest scale weight since I stopped bulking at the end of October, and I'm looking fairly lean (but not quite where I want to be). I'm probably at 10% body fat right now. Lisa's leaving on yet another business cruise, so we won't be able to take my 7-point body fat measurements until a week from this Friday.
I've been 100% strict with my cutting diet, and I've had some really good strength training and cardio workouts this week. I know I stumbled a little bit earlier this month, but I now I'm firmly back on track and getting good results. I expect that I'll be at, or below, 8% body fat within the next 4 or 5 weeks.
As I mentioned above, Lisa's off on another business cruise to Cozumel. Lisa actually said this to me the other day: "I can't believe we're going to Cozumel again. This is like the third time!" Wow, isn't her company horrible? I can't imagine being forced to have meetings on deluxe ocean cruises or in Las Vegas. My business meetings are usually held in a noisy data center or at a local sandwich shop, so I had to fight the urge to smack her on top of the head when she complained.
Today is my chest & triceps workout, and I'm going to do what I did for Monday's workout: crank up some loud, aggressive music and have a fun (but brutal) workout. I felt incredible after Monday's workout, and I can't wait to hit that natural high again this afternoon...
November 27, 2007
As you probably know, I've been in a bit of a slump lately. So, for yesterday's workout (back & biceps) I decided that I needed to shake things up a bit...
Lately I've been working out in silence (sometimes I like to do that), but yesterday I cranked up the music to help get me fired up. I went with Chimaira. That CD has really grown on me since I first bought it, and it never fails to get me in a lifting mood.
By the time I'd finished my first exercise (deadlifts) I felt better than I've felt in weeks. The sweat pouring off my body, endorphin rush, loud music and my heart about to explode from my chest all reminded me why I love lifting so much. There is nothing like the feeling. I powered through a great workout and when I finished I felt like a new man.
Lisa and I will be moving to our new home in one month. Right now our entire house is in complete dissaray as we continue the massive job of packing up all our belongings. Just about every room in the house is filled with dozens and dozens of boxes, piles of packing material and semi-organized stacks of our stuff waiting to be packed. The spare room I normally take my monthly photos in is completely filled with packed boxes. I have no idea where my tripod is. I think it's packed. Anyway, I won't be taking monthly photos this month. I have a space in the new house staked out that should allow me to continue the monthly photos so that they are very consistent with the old ones.
Today is a cardio-only day. I've been doing a lot of HIIT cardio lately, so I think I'm going to do 45 minutes of LISS cardio this morning instead. I'm off to get it done--have a great day!
November 26, 2007
If you saw yesterday's update, then you know that I've been struggling a bit with my diet as of late. I've been putting a lot of thought into why that is, and after I boiled away all the excuses (stress, long hours, new house, blah blah blah) it comes down to one thing: lack of mental toughness, and giving in to temptation.
Most of us fight a constant battle between the long-term benefits of eating to look and feel our best and the instant (but fleeting) gratification provided by junk food. Like most of you, I love how barbecue, hamburgers, french fries and so on taste. There's nothing wrong with eating that stuff occasionally, but when I eat that kind of junk more than once a week I feel miserable. The funny thing is, I've not been that "bad": I've only had a few extra cheat meals for dinner over the past week, but I can still feel the difference!
Like I said, I've been putting a lot of thought into this and I've finally got my head on straight again. The next time I'm tempted to go off my planned healthy diet, I'm going to think about how bad that stuff makes me feel. I'm going to think about my health, my goals and how I deserve better. I'm far stronger and more disciplined than I've been acting lately, and it's time to regain control.
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November 25, 2007
Man, I'm really having trouble being strict with my diet lately! Last night I had a cheat meal, which I really shouldn't have done after Thursday's Thanksgiving feast. I also didn't eat too clean a few times earlier in the week. I'm not sure what's going on with me. I keep thinking that the whole ordeal with the new house is throwing me off--and maybe that's true--but it's still NOT a good excuse. I'll be so glad when this move is behind us and things can return to normal. That said, I'm not waiting until then to straighten up. I was doing really well, but this past week I started slipping once again. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and could not fall back asleep because I was so disappointed with myself. I can really feel and see the difference when I'm not eating right, and I don't like it one bit.
This web site chronicles my ongoing health and fitness journey, and I've always shared my ups and downs without holding anything back. This has been a difficult time for me because lately I can't seem to muster that "famous" John Stone willpower. It's frustrating. I hope that by talking about my shortcomings and being open and honest about my own struggles two things will be accomplished:
1) I want people who are also struggling to see that we all go through these things, but burying your head in the sand will not solve anything. You've got to admit
the problem and face it. If you are not successful, then try again.
2) As long as I choose to publicly account for my failures, I will want to improve and do better.
#2 in the list is a bit of a slippery slope. First and foremost you have to want it for yourself: without that, you will fail. Sometimes a little public accountability can help, though, and that's where the forum comes in. I encourage those of you who are thinking "Ah, I'll just wait for the new year to get started" to reconsider. Waiting for the new year is a cop-out. Think of how much you could accomplish over the next month if you start now! Create a free account on the forum, start your own journal and/or join December's "100 Challenge" (details below).
I feel better having come clean, and I'm not going to let last week throw me. I screwed up (again), I admitted it and now I'm going to do something about it.
November 24, 2007
I'm about to go get my morning cardio done, and then Lisa and I are going to clean and go shopping for groceries. I'm almost out of chicken breasts and cod, and I want to pick up some eye of round steak, too. I doubt any work has been done with the house since Wednesday, but I think we'll swing by there just to be sure. I have some paperwork to drop off at the sales office anyway.
Other than that stuff, I think we're going to get some more packing done and hopefully have time for a DVD later this afternoon. There's only one month to go before we move, and we've still got quite a lot to do!
Enjoy your Saturday!
November 23, 2007
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration yesterday! We had a lot of fun cooking and hanging out together, and all the food came out just right. I didn't over-eat, but I was definitely pretty full by the time we finished dessert. There is a lot of stuff in the fridge right now that I won't be eating: leftover mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies and cranberries... Basically I told Lisa to share anything she wants, but to please leave me the white meat from the turkey. That's pretty much all I'll be eating for next few days, and it will be a nice change from the chicken breasts I normally eat.
Yesterday was this week's "cheat" meal, so I won't be having a cheat meal this weekend. I may have to sneak a turkey sandwich in, though. I don't think a
couple slices of whole grain bread will kill me. 
I'm off from work today, but not from training: today is leg day. With all the food I ate yesterday I should have plenty of energy for a fantastic workout. In fact, I'm pretty anxious to get in the gym. I feel bloated right now and I want to work up a sweat and get my heart pumping.
Other than my workout I don't have much going on today. I think I'm going to straighten up the house and watch some DVDs with the dogs (poor Lisa had to work today).
Happy Friday!
November 22, 2007
It's Thanksgiving Day here in the states, and this is a holiday I particularly enjoy. I make a genuine effort to always keep the many things for which I'm thankful fresh in my mind, but sometimes the stresses of everyday life take their toll. These day-to-day problems can cause us to lose sight of what's really important. For me Thanksgiving is a day for re-focusing on what's most important in life: family, friends and health.
It's interesting that while I'm thinking about how important my health is I'll be eating lots of things that are, for the most part, decidedly unhealthy! Actually I think there's nothing wrong with splurging every once in awhile. One of the things I enjoy most about Thanksgiving is the communal experience of cooking with my family. I'll be roasting the turkey, making the stuffing and preparing the roasted garlic mashed potatoes; Lisa is making the cranberries and the biscuits; Lisa's mom is cooking the sweet potato casserole, the green beens and desert; Lisa's dad is making the gravy and will act as sou chef for the rest of us, lending a hand where needed. Gathered in the kitchen with my family, joking around and telling stories as we cook together really epitomizes this holiday for me. I only wish my mom and the rest of my family in Texas could be here with us today!
As for the new house, we hit a big milestone yesterday: the exterior of the house is now complete! Along with the hundreds of photos and videos in my new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required), I've also been taking photos from the exact same spot to be used for a time-lapse animation of the exterior construction progress. Here's the final animation. This animation covers the construction progress from July 25, 2007 through November 21, 2007 in about 60 seconds. There is still much more work to be done on the interior before our December 28, 2007 closing, however.
November 21, 2007
We have a firm closing date for our new house: December 28, 2007! The weeks leading up to this date are going to be extremely busy as we make final preparations for the move. Moving is the easy part: once we are moved in, getting settled is going to be a massive undertaking. I have 20 vacation days coming, and I've already been approved to take them all in late December and most of January (I'll be off from work from December 28th through January 27th).
As I mentioned earlier this week, I'm also going to need to take a hiatus from updating JSF while all this is going on. Once I start back to work I'll have very little time to accomplish the big projects that need to be done, so I need to take full advantage of this time off. I don't have any plans set in stone at this point, but I expect the break from JSF to last from sometime in mid-December through the end of January.
I've been updating this site without fail every single day (save for a few vacations) for almost five years. I love running JSF--really I do--but sometimes we need breaks, even from the things we love. I think a few weeks off will be a good thing for me, and a good thing for JSF. I expect to come back fully refreshed and recharged. The move will be behind me, and I can once again focus my energies on running this site and furthering my own fitness goals. None of this will affect the forums; in fact I'll still be posting here and there, and updating my new home construction journal the entire time I'm "off".
Thanks for understanding. I'll keep you all posted.
November 20, 2007
Yesterday's workout (back and biceps) was a lot of fun. I've been enjoying working out with no real advance plan these past couple of weeks. I have some idea of what I want to do before I head into the gym, but I more or less go with what sounds fun and/or interesting. I don't usually workout this way, but it's nice for a change.
It looks like we might have a firm closing date for the new house sometime today. It may be that the closing happens sooner than we initially expected (I hope so!) Again, I'm going to need to take some time off from work and the daily updates to this site while we make the move and get settled. I should have a good idea of when this will be happening once we have our closing date. Hopefully we'll have that date set today!
I've gone ahead and opened December's "100 Challenge" for entry. Details are immediately below!
Registration for the December 2007 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EST) on December 1, 2007 if you plan to participate--NO EXCEPTIONS! To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. It can take up to 24 hours for your account to be activated, so don't wait until the last minute to register! For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December 2007 "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part!
November 19, 2007
Lisa and I had an extremely fun and very productive weekend! We got a lot of packing done, and the spare room that I normally take my monthly photos in is now completely filled with boxes. I'd say we're only about halfway through the packing process, so I have no idea where we're going to put everything as we continue to pack up all our belongings. It's amazing how much stuff we've accumulated over the past 13 years in this house...
We should have our closing date set sometime this week; once we know the date of our closing things are really going to kick into high gear. There is a tremendous amount that I need to take care of in advance of the move, and accomplishing everything is going to take up almost all my spare time. Of course one of the last things I'll dismantle is my Titan and my gym! I'm going to work out right up until the week of the move, but then I'll have to start tearing everything down and returning the home gym to a "normal" room for the new owners of this house.
As we approach the closing date and subsequent move it's going to be necessary that I take a hiatus from updating this site. I'll also be
taking all this year's vacation time in one big block, starting on the day of our closing. Once we get moved and settled, things
will return to normal here on JSF. Thanks for understanding, I'll keep you all posted.
November 18, 2007
Lisa and I had a blast yesterday! I can't believe how close our new home is to completion. We're both getting very, very excited. I made a big update to my new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) yesterday afternoon, and I may have another update later today if the landscaping crew is on the job today.
We've got so much to do between now and the time we move, and after we move in we're going to be busy for months getting everything settled. When I think about all the stuff that has to be done it's pretty overwhelming. I think I'm going to take some time and make a detailed list of tasks, and prioritize those items. That should help make everything seem more manageable.
I've got today completely off from training, so I think I'm just going to hang around the house and get some more packing done.
AtLarge is running a pretty spectacular special right now, and are giving away Westside DVDs! Check out the details immediately below this update...
Have a great day!
|
AtLarge Nutrition - Special Westside DVD Offer! For those of you interested in the Westside Barbell training methodology we are running a really special offer while supplies last. You can get a FREE Westside DVD with your AtLarge order. We have 5 different DVDs to choose from. These DVDs normally retail for up to $59.95 each! In addition, you get Mike Wolfe's Top 10 Bench Tips and A Bigger Bench in 60 Days. Some seriously good stuff for those of you interested in being bigger, faster, and stronger! You can read more about it here. - Chris Mason & Daniel Clough, AtLarge Nutrition |
November 17, 2007
Today is going to be a fun day! The weather has been absolutely perfect for the past two weeks, and today is no different: cloudless blue skies, bright sunshine and a high of around 70 degrees. After our Saturday morning chores, Lisa and I are going to drop the top on the car and enjoy some of this beautiful weather!
First, I think we're going to go out to eat for lunch. I worked very hard in the gym over the past week and stuck to my diet 100%, so today I'm going to relax and enjoy my weekly cheat meal. I'm thinking seafood sounds good, but I'm also sort of craving Mexican. I can't make up my mind, so I'll let Lisa decide.
After lunch we'll be heading over to our new house. Our home is finally nearing completion, and everything is really starting to come together now! We're probably about one month away from closing. I did not go to the house yesterday, but I know a number of cool things were scheduled to happen so I will be taking a lot of pictures and making a huge update to my new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) later this afternoon.
As much as I've been out at the house checking on construction, it's no surprise that I've already gotten to know several of my future neighbors. Lisa and I have become fast friends with one couple in particular, Roy and Rose. I hung out with Roy for about an hour at his house the other night, and his home is absolutely stunning! Lisa and I are going to stop by their house this afternoon: I'll be helping Roy with some computer stuff while Lisa and Rose go over some window treatment designs. Rose is an educator, but she has a side window treatment business and she is incredibly talented! We'll definitely be hiring her after we move in.
It's amazing how friendly everyone is in the new neighborhood. I'm serious, everyone smilies and waves when I drive by--even the teenagers, which really shocked me. I'm used to teenagers glaring at me, not waving. I joked to Lisa that there must be some rule about waving because everyone does it. I know that sounds a little corny, but I really like how the neighborhood seems so close-knit and friendly. It's a big part of the reason we decided to move there.
I'm off to wash the car now. Have a great day!
November 16, 2007
At the beginning of this week I set off with the aim of returning to 100% consistency with my diet and training, and I've done it. It feels real good. I let myself slip for a few weeks, and it was making me miserable. I've worked very hard over the past five years, and I'm not accustomed to backsliding. I think the two or three weeks of slacking at least made me realize that I simply can no longer be happy operating in that mode. Over the past five years I've truly made a complete, permanent lifestyle change.
I'm running a little behind this morning, and I have a lot to do today so I'd better cut this update short. Happy Friday!
November 15, 2007
After just 3 days of clean eating and resuming my daily workouts, I look and feel 100% better than I did on Sunday. My energy levels are noticeably higher, I feel mentally focused, my muscles look fuller, the puffiness from all the water I was retaining in my face and mid-section is gone and I'm in a great mood. I've been eating a caloric deficit and 100% clean, all-natural foods, so I've probably already lost a bit of fat along with the water, too. On Monday morning my scale weight was 199.6 pounds, and this morning it's 196.2 pounds. I'll take tape and body fat measurements on Sunday or Monday.
Just seeing a little progress can be extremely motivating. If you are having trouble sticking with your workouts and diet, force yourself to be 100% strict for just a week. If your diet and training are dialed-in, you will definitely see tangible results in a very short amount of time. Those results should help reinforce that hard work and dedication equals progress. Progress is a nice reward for all your hard work, but it also has the added benefit of providing momentum. That momentum makes it easier to keep moving forward. Getting started really is the hardest part, so just grit your teeth and make it happen. It does get easier!
No weight training scheduled for me today--just 18 minutes of HIIT cardio this afternoon, which I'm very much looking forward to. I love HIIT cardio and getting my heart pumping hard. My goal today is to keep my RPMs higher than I did on Tuesday during my 100% effort intervals. No matter what I'm doing (cardio, strength training) I always try to improve a little each and every time.
It's almost 9:00 AM, so I'd better wrap this up. Train hard!
November 14, 2007
Haha, last night I dreamed that I updated this page late (after 9:00 AM). I don't really know what that was about, but when I woke up I was totally relieved that it was only a dream. I know, it's weird. What can I say? After almost five years of daily updates to this web site, I guess I'm sort of proud that I've never been late in updating this page--not even once. I do find it a little amusing that these are the sorts of things that my subconscious needs to play out while I'm dead to the world.
Yesterday was another excellent day: I had a fantastic HIIT cardio session, and my diet was 100% on-plan. I feel like I'm back in the groove of things again, and that's proving me with a lot of positive energy. I think slacking off for the two weeks prior to this one was affecting me more than I wanted to admit to myself. I'm just glad I snapped out of it.
Well, I'd better get to work. I have lots to do today, and a big workout this afternoon: pecs, delts & triceps. See ya tomorrow!
November 13, 2007
It felt great to get my diet and training back on track yesterday. My diet was spot-on, and my workout (back & biceps) was awesome. I think some of the irritation I was feeling towards myself for slacking off the past couple of weeks came out in the gym yesterday--it was one of my best workouts in recent memory.
This morning I'm feeling like myself again: I'm positive and energetic, and I'm sore! I also dropped 2 pounds of water weight since yesterday morning, so I'm feeling less bloated and puffy. Junk food always makes my face look puffy, even at low body fat.
Today is a cardio day, and I'm going to do 18 minutes of HIIT cardio this afternoon. I want to get my heart rate above 190 and really work up a good sweat. I'm also going to do HIIT cardio again on Thursday, and will make Saturday morning's cardio my only LISS session of the week.
I'd better get to work. Thanks for stopping by--have a great day!
November 12, 2007
I hope everyone had a great weekend! I did, but today I'm looking forward to weight training and getting my diet back on track.
I'm surprised by my lack of willpower over the past couple of weeks. Maybe I just needed a break, I dunno. Over the past two weeks I've skipped some workouts and had cheat meals for dinner like 3 nights per week. My life has been very busy lately, but that's not a good excuse. To be completely honest there has not a single time I missed a workout or ate poor food choices that didn't boil down to laziness or giving in to cravings. Time was not an issue.
While I've only been slacking a couple weeks, I can already see and feel the difference. Today all that stops. I feel miserable right now, and the simple reason why is because I love working out and eating right, and I have not been doing that with consistency lately.
I think most of you can relate to what I'm talking about. We're all human, and no one is perfect. I'm very self-aware, and I try to be honest with myself and not sugarcoat things. When you recognize that there is a problem, the worst thing you can do is ignore it. Today I'm taking full responsibility for my laziness and I'm getting back on track before things get out of hand.
November 11, 2007
Yesterday I mentioned that I've been slacking for the past couple of weeks, and it's time for me to get my act together. I just don't feel like myself unless I'm working out and eating right. The instant gratification of a cheat meal is nice on occasion, but having cheat meals more than once a week (as I have been doing) is starting to have an effect on how I look and feel. It's just not worth it! Starting tomorrow I'll be cycling three low carb days and one day clean carb-up day (bananas, oats, yams). I'll be doing a mix of HIIT cardio and LISS cardio 3 days per week, and lifting three days per week. One cheat meal per week--period.
Today I'm going to relax, hang out with Lisa & the dogs and just enjoy my day off from everything!
November 10, 2007
This morning I've got a cardio session to make up. Also, I need to get more strict with my diet. While I'm not putting on any fat, I'm not losing any either. I'm still right around 10% body fat, and I want to get back down to around 8% or so. I admit that I've been slacking over the past couple of weeks. I eat clean all day long, and then at night I've been falling back on less than clean foods around three times per week. That needs to stop. I'm going to tighten things up and go back to a single cheat meal per week, and make sure I get my workouts in without fail. After I drop 8 pounds or so, I can relax my diet a bit more and maintain a level of body fat that I'm comfortable with.
I know I've mentioned the weather a couple of times this past week, and I'm really sorry to do it again this morning, but WOW! The weather has been absolutely PERFECT for over a week now. I can't get over how beautiful it has been outside: the skies have been totally clear and deep blue and the highs have been in the mid-70s. The forecast for the immediate future is more of the same. I'm just loving it!
Our new home is coming down the final stretch! We're probably less than 6 weeks from closing. This past week a tremendous amount of progress was made: all the tile work was completed, the brick paver driveway/walkway was completed, the overhead garage doors were installed, the exterior of the home was painted, the mailbox was installed, the kitchen and bathroom cabinets were installed, the kitchen counters and some of the bathroom counters were installed, the soffits were installed, closet & pantry shelving was installed, medicine cabinets & mirrored doors were installed and built-in appliances are starting to be delivered! It's very exciting to see so much work being accomplished.
I've been taking frames for an animation of the exterior construction progress. The outside of the house is nearly complete now: all that remains is the sod/landscaping and a little electrical trim-out work. Here's the animation thus far (this animation covers the construction progress from August 2, 2007 through November 9, 2007 in less than 60 seconds).
As you'd expect from me, I've been documenting the entire building process in great detail with text, photos and video. It can all be found in my new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required). If you are at all interested in how a house in constructed from the ground up, it's updated daily and worth following!
Enjoy your Saturday!
November 9, 2007
I mentioned yesterday that I might take advantage of the awesome weather and go for a run. I don't really enjoy jogging, but yesterday morning the idea sound pretty good to me. By the time I finished my work it was pretty warm outside and running didn't sound so good anymore, so I blew off yesterday's cardio entirely.
Not only did I skip my cardio yesterday, but I wound up having an unscheduled "cheat" meal for dinner last night.
I've been eating very clean lately and have been sticking to a pretty low-carb diet, so last night the craving for some good
Italian bread dipped in olive oil and a light pizza was pretty overwhelming. I succumbed.
Oh well, I have lots of energy today, so that should make for an excellent weight training workout this afternoon!
Happy Friday! I hope you have a wonderful day.
November 8, 2007
The weather here in Orlando has been absolutely unbelievable for the past week. If I had to define my idea of "perfect" weather, this week would be it. The skies are deep blue and crystal clear, the air is cool but not too cold, there's a gentle breeze blowing and everything smells fresh and clean. This kind of weather is a real mood-booster; just about everyone I've interacted with this week seems extra friendly and happy.
I'm not much of a runner, but I'm seriously thinking about going for a run this afternoon. It seems silly to do cardio indoors when it's so beautiful outside. Even though we have not moved yet, I think I'm going to drive over to my future neighborhood and run there. There are miles of paths for joggers, and think it will be fun to explore the neighborhood on foot.
I've got a lot of work to do today, so I'd better get cracking on it. Thanks for stopping by--have a great day!
November 7, 2007
As busy as my life has been over the past few months, working out is still something I always make time for. Actually, "make time" is a bit of a misnomer: at this point exercise is so ingrained in my everyday life that it's just part of my daily existence. I don't have to "make time" to sleep, drink or or eat--those are things that I "just do". I'm not quite sure when it happened, but at some point over the past 5 years exercise joined that list.
Many people constantly struggle to maintain any kind of regularity with their exercise routines. I think a big part of the problem is those people have not learned to adopt the proper mindset for longterm success. If you dread your workouts, you're going to quit eventually. That's a fact. You've got to figure out what you enjoy and keep your workouts fun. If you can't stand riding a stationary bike for 45 minutes, try high intensity interval training. If you hate doing indoor cardio, take it outside. If you hate cardio completely, play sports! Be honest with yourself about your likes and dislikes.
You're going to see all kinds of debates over what is the "most effective" type of cardio or what's the "best" weight training program. If you are new to all this, it can be overwhelming. While some people really enjoy such debates (and there's nothing wrong with that), I personally find them completely boring. If you are new to training, my advice is to ignore those debates completely. In my opinion, the most effective cardio method and the best weight training program are the ones you ENJOY and will do with regularity.
November 6, 2007
It felt great to get back in the gym after a week off! My workouts are going to be pretty free-form for awhile. I'm just going to do whatever I feel doing without a lot of structure or pre-planning. I think this style of training will be a lot of fun for me.
So for yesterday's workout (back and biceps) I started off with my favorite lift: deadlifts. After warming up with some light sets I did 4 working sets of 10 reps using fairly heavy weight. It's been a while since I've done T-bar rows, so after the deads I did 4 sets of 8-12 reps using the Titan's T-Bar row attachment. I finished off the back portion of my workout with some wide-grip lat pulldowns. I've been doing a lot of weighted pull-ups lately, so I thought some higher volume pull-downs would be a nice change. I wanted to focus 100% on using my lats to pull the weight down, so I didn't go too heavy and I used straps so my hands could just hook the bar. My lats are already on fire this morning!
My biceps were already pre-exhausted at this point, so I just did two exercises for my biceps: 4 sets of ez-bar curls and 4 sets of dumbbell hammer curls. I have not done a whole lot of direct arm work recently, and this morning my biceps and forearms are already incredibly sore.
Today I'm going to get some high intensity interval training in on the recumbent bike. I think I'm going to go 16 minutes, alternating 1 minute going all-out with a minute of active recovery.
I'm off to work--have a wonderful day!
November 5, 2007
This past weekend was amazing! Our house sold on Friday, the weather all weekend was absolutely perfect and I ate a fairly relaxed diet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This morning I feel more relaxed and stress-free than I've felt in months.
The cheat meals I ate for dinner over the past few days have left me feeling fairly bloated and hungry for my normal all-natural diet. It's amazing how just a few "cheat" meals can make such a drastic difference in how I look and feel! My body is absolutely craving my regular diet right now, and I really like that. Once your body gets used to premium fuel, you can definitely tell the difference when you feed it anything less.
Today I'll be back in the weight room: back, biceps and calves. I'm looking forward to getting back to training after a much-needed week off.
I've got a lot of work to do today, so I'd better get to it. Have a great day!
November 4, 2007
I forgot that daylight savings time ended today, and so did the dogs: they woke me up at 5:00 AM sharp for their breakfast. I may not even try to adjust to the new time and will continue getting up at 5:00 AM. It's nice having an "extra" hour in the morning.
I've spent the last couple of days enjoying a somewhat relaxed diet, and a few of my favorite drinks (Grey Goose on the rocks) in the evenings. Lisa and I are still basking in the warm afterglow of selling our house. We'd mentally prepared ourselves for the very real possibility that the house would not sell, but it's finally starting to sink in that we've done it and we'll be moving into our new home in a few short weeks! The builders are in crunch mode and are working through the weekends to ensure a 2007 closing date. I'll be making updates to my new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) nearly every day from now until after we move. The completion of our new home and the subsequent move will take center stage in our lives for the next couple of months. It's been a wild ride so far, so it's nice that we can finally relax and enjoy the rest of the process.
It's another beautiful day here in Orlando: cloudless blue skies, a crisp 60 degrees and a gentle breeze. This is my idea of "perfect" weather. Lisa and I are going to head over to the new home and then later today we're going to open the house up and get some more packing done.
Tomorrow I'll begin my informal cutting phase. I'm going to eat 100% clean, natural foods, do cardio 3 times per week and lift weights 3 times per week. I'll be doing a mix of HIIT and LISS cardio. My diet will look a lot like the diet I was using during my last cutting phase: lots of chicken breasts, eye of round steak, cod, broccoli, egg whites, oats, brown rice and yams. I'm right around 10% body fat right now, and my aim is to simply drop back down to the 7%-8% range. It should only take me around 4-6 weeks to do so.
Thanks for stopping by--have a wonderful day!
November 3, 2007
I took this past week off from weight training (I still did some cardio, though) and I'm
very glad that I did. My body feels rested and free of aches, pains and soreness. The
break from lifting was also nice from a mental standpoint. I love training with
weights, but that doesn't mean that occasional breaks are not needed! I believe
a week off from weight training every 2 or 3 months is a very healthy thing to do.
I generally don't schedule these brief breaks, I just listen to my body and take one when
I feel like I need to. There's a big difference between "I've been lifting hard for a few months and
need a little time to recharge" and "I don't feel like working out today", so don't
confuse the two!
So, how did yesterday go?! Did the sale of our house go as planned?! Well, this picture says it all:
Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway) Lisa and I are ECSTATIC! The sale is 100% final--we no longer own this home. This was the final hurdle between us and our new home, and we've cleared it. Thankfully the new owners of this house are allowing us to stay here and rent from them until our new home is completed sometime in December. Lisa and I had this house built in 1994 right after we were married, so it feels weird knowing that we don't own it anymore.
Anyway, now that we've sold this house our excitement about the new home is at a whole new level. Up until yesterday we knew that there was a very strong possibility that our old house would not sell in time to meet our financial obligations when it was time to close on the new home. Now that the dark cloud of doubt is gone, we can relax and truly enjoy the rest of the building process.
Speaking of the building process, things have kicked into high gear! Yesterday after Lisa and I left the title company we went by the house and there were dozens of workers there painting, pouring concrete and preparing to lay tile. I updated my new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) with some new photos, and I'll be making another trip out there a little later today. I'll have another big update posted sometime this afternoon.
Right now I'm going to eat, clean the house and start packing some stuff up. I figure if we start packing now and continue to work on it over the next six weeks it won't seem like such a big job.
Enjoy your Saturday!
November 2, 2007
As I mentioned yesterday, today is a big day for me and Lisa! The buyers of our home have signed all the paperwork, and everything is sitting at the title company waiting for us to sign. We're rushing around this morning trying to get out the door. I still can't believe we managed to sell our home in this market. After all those long months with very few showings and no offers, I honestly thought we were not going to sell our existing house in time and would therefore lose our new home. Needless to say, we're both very excited!
Lisa and I both have the day off, so after we wrap things up with the sale we're going to head over to our new house and see how things are progressing. I think they are going to paint the exterior today. After that, we're going to have a big celebratory cheat meal and a few drinks!
Have a great day!
November 1, 2007
My new monthly pictures are up, and I definitely put on a little fat and a little muscle this past month while bulking. Of course the fat I added went right to my mid-section. I'm hovering around 10% body fat right now, and will spend the next few weeks getting back down to 8% or so. It should be a fairly painless and relatively brief cut.
The closing on our existing home is still scheduled for tomorrow morning! The buyers are actually out of state and are doing a "mail in" closing. I think the buyers signed off on everything yesterday and overnighted the paperwork to the title company (at least that was the plan). That paperwork should be delivered today, and all we have to do is show up tomorrow morning and sign a few dozen papers to finalize the deal. Hopefully the buyers didn't take issue with anything in the final contract and signed off on everything as planned.
Until ownership of the home is transfered to the buyers and the equity money is wired into my account I'm not going to rest easy. This is the final obstacle that stands between us and our new home. If everything goes as planned the money will be in my account by tomorrow afternoon and Lisa and I will be having a huge celebration tomorrow night! Our new home is around six weeks from being completed, and if tomorrow goes as planned we're finally going to finally feel like it's "ours". My new home construction journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) has been a lot of fun, but these final six weeks are going to be the most exciting of all!
I'd better get to work, I've got a very busy day ahead: I'm filling in for a co-worker who's on vacation, I have a number of end-of-month tasks to complete and I've got extra work to do because I'm taking tomorrow off for the closing. Have a great day!
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