Spandex is a privilege not a right.

Well I've been at this since May 3rd and I'm down to 190lbs from 208lbs. Don't get me wrong, I've actually been at this since 1997. However, the lightbulb lit up over my head on May 3, 2012 when my mind became more clear and my dependence on comfort food stopped.

More and more people are saying to me that I look so much thinner and look so much better. I lose weight in my face first. It's the first thing that gives you away because that's what people focus on when they see you and identify you as someone they know. My face gets thinner, my face clears up, my hair looks better and I lose chins.

It's a great feeling when someone tells you that you look so thin or they say, "there's something different about you. did you lose weight?" It gives you more and more motivation to keep working out and eating right.

I've had to donate half my wardrobe. I've gone down a shirt size and I've done down a waist size. Thank god I didn't get a face to face interview from a job interview I had the other day because both of my suits are way too big. I spent big bucks last year on Michael Kors and Kenneth Cole suits. Thankfully I bought them at Nordstrom and I believe have a free tailoring service for the life of the suit. It's a nice problem to have I guess.

I have another little secret for motivation to work out. It's shopping. No not shopping as an exercise. Shopping for workout clothes. You see I have an addiction. An addiction to Underarmour. If you're not familiar with Underarmour then you haven't worn the most comfortable workout clothes ever. The problem is that it's expensive but it lasts forever. It's very high quality and it was first worn only by NFL players. Now when you watch the NFL combines each year it's all the players wear.

For me, to shop for workout clothes gives me a little bit of a high. As I get thinner and more confident I like to show it off a little bit. I find that if I wear flattering workout clothes that it actually makes me want to workout harder in order to look good in the clothes. That may sound really shallow but if you workout to look good in your regular street clothes, why wouldn't
you want to look good in your workout clothes.

If you are obese or just really out of shape and you go to the gym dressed in really baggy sweatpants and sweatshirts that make you look even worse, you are going to feel worse about yourself.

They now make workout clothes for every shape and size. Target sells great inexpensive gym clothes. Find something that YOU like and wear that to your workouts. As you start to lose weight and see a difference you will look forward to having to buying smaller sizes.

I know this all may sound really absurd but from my experience I have noticed that people at the gym who have lost weight and start to look better start to dress better too. Not only in the gym but they start to dress better outside of the gym as well. It's their self-confidence growing before your eyes.

Now I hate to say this but there is an exception to the rule. There is always that one person who was 300 lbs and now was 200 lbs, they look great, but they start to wear really really tight clothes. They are so proud of their weight loss that they overcompensate. WARNING: There is nothing you can do about this but hope they lose more weight. Let them be and don't kill their high. Tell them they look great and move on!

One more thing. Spandex is a privilege not a right. The only exception being cycling gear for spin class. (I say this because I rock the cycling spandex 5 days a week)

So there is my little secret or addiction whatever you want to call it. If you find something that motivates you to keep working out....USE IT!

A Hunter I Am Not

This posting has nothing to do with fitness.  It's a day in the life of Rex.

I had a big day yesterday.  I first had a phone interview for a pharmaceutical job with Allergan.  It didn't go well and I didn't get a second interview.  

Squirreling around

THEN, while I was out in the back yard I spotted a squirrel on one of my bird feeders.  Now I think everyone can agree that squirrels are just rodents with bushy tails.  They get into everything and they chirp all morning long.  

I thought I would scare it off so I picked up a small rock and tossed at the bird feeder.  I wasn't even aiming.  Well I hit it right on the head and it fell 10 feet to the ground.  Do you know that if I TIRED to  hit that feeder there is no way in a million years I would hit it.  Why couldn't this have been one of the game shows where if you hit a bird feeder and  you win a million dollars?

Anyway I walked over and it was still alive but obviously convulsing and suffering.  I felt horrible.  I took video of it but it's not watchable.  It's very upsetting to watch.  I could not sit there and watch it die.  Someone told me to kill it with a shovel but I can't do that.  I would NOT make a good hunter.  If I shot something I would feel so bad that i would eventually take it the pet cemetery, you know the Stephen King one, and some Native American chant would bring it back to life only it would then try to kill me in my sleep.....but I digress.

Being the complete bleeding heart that I am I scooped it up and drove it to the vet.

After the vet visit I found out more awful news that made me feel even more guilty.

Ms. Pearl Squirrel

I was a mess after that.  I felt so guilty.  I've run over these things in my car and didn't think twice but this was different.  The vet suggested I drive her, Ms. Pearl, to the Wildlife Shelter on Bainbridge Island to try to save her life.  The reason being so she could come home and take care of her babies.  (I'm pretty sure she is a single mother, because male squirrels are assholes, so she likes to be called MS. Pearl Squirrel.) I had a spin class to teach in a couple hours so I couldn't go until after the class.  She told me she would call me after my class to let me know if Pearl was still alive.

This is how much I love my vet.  She met me at the door of the YMCA, with Pearl, and I drove Pearl straight to Bainbridge Island which is about 40 minutes away.  On an Island.  An Island.  Island.

So I'm waiting to hear today how Pearl is.  If she recovers I get to bring her back and release her into the back yard.  I just hope the brain damage doesn't make her psychotic.  I don't want to wake up one morning and find her staring at me through window giving me the finger with her little claw.

The moral of the story is that I'm on a "no hurting squirrels" kick now.  I'm actually going to buy a squirrel feeder.  I am officially the old man with bird feeders and pet squirrels.

Sit, Stay, HEAL

Today I saw my physical therapist at NW Sports. She gave me a look see and since I've gained much of my foot drop back since Sunday, she said I should try and run today and test out my foot.

Good news! I ran for 35 minutes and had no issues with my foot drop. One major thing helped me when I ran today. I was reminded to keep my transverse tight. My what versus what?

Your transverse is a technical way of saying keep your abs tight. If you learn to tighten your abs and breathe at the same time while you run it will help stabilize you and protect your back. It's not as easy as it sounds.

Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Put your fingers on your hip bones and slide them in onto your abs. Keep your fingers pressing down while you tighten your abs so you can feel the abs tighten. Keep it tight and now breathe normally. Keep your fingers pressing down on your abs at all times. Feel them tense. I bet you held your breath. If you can tighten the abs and breathe normally you have it mastered.

While still lying on your back, lift one foot at a time towards the ceiling, which brings your knees towards your chest, and set it back down like your marching. All the while still pressing down with your fingers, try to march without your fingers going up and down. Keep your pelvis stationary. You want to move your legs without your fingers going up and down. It takes much focus at first.

Now do that while you run. Keep your abs tight the whole time. It's easy to lose focus and lose the core tightening. That's ok. It takes practice.

Hopefully you understood that little exercise. Now I have to charge you for the free PT session. That will be $1 please.

Once again, listen to your body. If it hurts get professional advice and take care of it. If she would have told me to stay off my leg for 2 weeks I would have. I would have hated it but it's not worth it to possibly make things worse which is what you do when you workout with an injury.

Like I tell my dog, Zeke, HEAL!

pain is just common sense leaving your body

These are the days of our lives

Well the results are in and survey says: don't run for atleast a week. After talking to my physical therapist and by talking I mean texting, she told me I need to stay off of it for awhile and get different shoes. I'm pretty sure the shoes were 90% of the problem. The thing is I have a nice pair of Nike running shoes that I usually wear but I thought I would look like a professional. I'm not a professional.

Stop, look and listen

I'm a big boy now so when my body tells me to stop, I stop. I have too many type A personality friends who no matter how much pain they are in continue to workout no matter what. Then they can't figure out why their injuries get worse and then end up in surgery. Let's dispell the biggest workout myth ever. The myth is: "Pain is just weakness leaving the body." NO. Pain is HEALTH leaving the body!

Pain killer
There is NO benefit to working out with an injury. No you're not weak. No you're not a lesser person. Yes you're still bad ass. Yes you still look amazing with the body of an adonis. Get over yourself! Be smart and listen to your body. Pain is the body's way of telling you that it....HURTS. Pain is not good! Use your frickin' common sense. Get it looked at and let it HEAL.

Yogapalooza

Afer I got back from my run last night my back started to get stiff. When I woke up this morning my back was so stiff that I could not bend down to tie my shoes. I went to yoga a couple hours later and Ta-da! no pain and no stiffness. I just can't say enough about how amazing yoga is. I started class hardly able to bend down. I ended the class feeling as if nothing ever happened to my back.

I'm so high on you

Those of you who do yoga know what I mean when I say that after class I felt like I had slept for days. I was so relaxed that I think people thought I was drunk because I kept weaving when I walked out of the Y. You feel so relaxed and refreshed that it's almost like your high. Of course I would never ever know what the feels like. Ever. Someone told me that's what it's like....yeah.

AnoREXic

This past weekend I saw some friends I haven't seen in over a year and a half. The first thing they said was, "Oh my god you're so skinny! What the hell are you doing?" I simply say spin class, yoga and oh yeah, adderal. Since the last time I saw these friends I've lost 30 lbs. I'm perfectly honest about telling people that I felt so much better after taking my meds that I started making better, more healthier decisions. I eat better. I workout more. I spend my time being more constructive.

Shop til your weight drops

The great thing about losing weight is that your clothes become too big to wear. The bad thing about losing weight is that your clothes become too big to wear. I have to get all new clothes now. You'd think that would be awesome. It was at first but now it's become a pain in the ass. I went down a shirt size and a waist size. I'm trying to hold back when I'm at the men's section at Target. I want everything and want nothing. Not only am i bi-polar I think I'm schizophrenic.

Heal your mind and the rest will follow

Today's moral of the story: Shut up and listen..to your body. Man up (or woman up) and let your body heal. Heal your mind, heal your body, heal you life!

Fleet Feet

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Today was my first "long run" of my Half Marathon training.  It was tough because I just got home from a wedding in Idaho and I sort of got a little hammered the night before at the reception.  But I flew home, changed and went for a run.

Everything was going great UNTIL my left foot started to develop "foot drop."  I had this before I had surgery on my lower back.  I lost strength in my foot and couldn't lift my toes off the ground and it made my foot slap down when I walked.  Halfway through the run I started to get foot drop again.  I'm hoping it's because of the shoes I was wearing.  I have a pair of those funny looking "feet" shoes.  You know the ones that look really stupid and are supposed to feel like your bare foot?  Yeah they suck.  I'm switching back to running shoes next week and going to try to rehab my foot in the mean time.

Injuries suck.  This particular case is still unclear to me if it is an injury.  I will give it time and if it is what I hope it's not, I will have to give up the run.  It's not all bad.  It just means I will get to volunteer at the race.  Anything to get involved and show my support.

Wedding Splashers

I always cry at weddings.... WARNING: Long Post

This weekend I got to visit one of my most favorite cities, Boise, Idaho.  For those of you who have been there, most know why I love it so much.  For those of you who wondered why I would ever go to Boise, Idaho, I invite you to take a chance on Boise. 

Boise has everything for the outdoor enthusiast.  Hiking, mountain biking, cycling, white water rafting, snow skiing, snow boarding, rock climbing, fishing, running and cycling on miles of paved bike paths that wind through the city along the river that runs through the center of Boise right past Boise State.  But probably the most awesome thing to do in Boise is "float the river."  You put your inflatable raft, inner tube, boat or anything that will float, in at a designated spot that includes free air compressor stations to blow up your vessel. 

Boise River Float Map

You walk down the concrete steps into the river, get in your boat and let the current take you on a 1 1/2 to 2 hour relaxing float down the river.  The river is populated with tiny waterfalls and rapids that make your floating experience a little more wet and adventurous.  Of course about half way is the rope swing that flings you out into the middle of the river dodging other rafters making the trek down stream.

The best time to go is July and August due to the temperature of the water being a tad bit warmer.  Its mountain run-off water and it's very cold at the beginning of the season.  Plus July and August tend to be very hot in Boise, close to 100 degrees and that makes the cool water a refreshing change of pace from the heat.

One can even combine cycling and drinking.  I want to go to there.

I wish I could say I went floating this weekend.  Instead I was in town for a wedding of two awesome people, April and Joel.  I met April through work.  We were both drug reps on the same contract in the same district.  We hit it off from the start and after I met her future husband Joel I knew they would get married. 

In life you meet people from all walks of life and in all different situations.  I do not believe in coincidence.  I believe you meet people for a reason.  Some are friendships for life, some are friendships for a season.  Either way there is a specific reason you met this person.  I have to say that I think the reason my direction went to Pharmaceuticals was for me to meet a few amazing people through that job.  These people are ones that I bonded with and for whatever reason I care for deeply.  Some friends show you a side of yourself that either you like and you didn't know you had or a side that you hate and didn't know you had.  It's what you decide to do with that revelation that makes you a better or worse person.

For example, I know now why one of these friends has a quirk about always staying in a hotel when they come to visit.  At first I took it personally.  Then I started having situations in my own life where I began to feel more comfortable in a hotel when visiting friends and family.  I was stressed out about waking up my hosts in the middle of the night or I didn't want to be a bother to my friends.  I found staying in a hotel room made me feel more at ease and less stressed.  I told this person this weekend, "I know now!  I understand you now!"  It was a wonderful insight into my friend and now I understand them more.  I was making it all about me and sometimes it's just as simple as not wanting to wake me in the middle of the night when they go pee. 

One other thing I love about this group is that a few of us are dealing with the same issues with depression.  As sales people we all are very out going, energetic and we dominate conversations.  We love attention.  Or do we?  We do, however it is often a coping mechanism.  When I met these friends and co-workers I was shocked to see how many had the same issues I had.  We knew exactly what the other was going through.  I can't tell you how many hours on the phone, (before texting) we spent crying, whining or just venting and it was great because we knew exactly what it felt like. 

Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  Sometimes friends get into a bad "head space" and nothing seems to pull them out.  No matter how hard you try, how much you suggest to them how they can fix their issues, it's a losing battle.  You see them spiraling down an endless hole into an abyss of depression.  You worry about them day and night.  They won't return phone calls or texts.  They don't want your help but then they get mad at you when you don't help. It's like talking to an alcoholic in denial of their addiction.  The alcoholic has to hit rock bottom before they see that they are slowly killing themselves.  What do you do when rock bottom lasts for over a year?  What do you do when you know there is a possible fix but for some reason they just won't try? 

I met this person for three reasons.  First, to have a partner is this battle of depression.  Second, to find out  how I can better myself.  Third, to help them.  All  I have to do now is decide if leaving them alone is "helping them" or if I need to go above and beyond and risk losing a friendship and maybe even a life.  I guess  I'll just have to let it play out and look for a sign.  Things happen for a reason and I know that reason will present itself soon.

As we all remember from high school saying that we will always stay close with out friends.  Now we all know that people grow apart and life happens.  The next thing you know it's 25 years later and you're seeing friends at the class reunion that you haven't seen since graduation day. It happens.  The friends we make as adults are no different.  Some friends are meant to stay around forever and some are just meant to touch your life and move on.  It when you have to decide to fight for a friendship or just let it float down the current that makes life tough.

Rain Running

DAY 2 done and done.



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YUCK! It's raining.  Big surprise for the NW.  Today will be my 2nd training run for my Half in September.  It's the same as the first.  Walk 2 / Run 3 for 35 minutes.  Then I have to teach a spin class at 6pm.

Yesterday I taught a half hour spin class and a half hour Core class.  I didn't think I could fill a half hour with just core.  I was wrong.  I need to shorten my list.  I integrated some yoga back relaxation postures to ease my back pain and just to be safe.   Here is the list of the half hour core class:

Crunches 25

Left Side crunches 25

Right side crunches 25

Planks 30 seconds

Cat/Cow 10 each

Child's pose

Plank 1 minute

Cat/Cow 10 each

Child's pose

Plank 1 min 30 seconds

Child's pose

Superman 10

Child's pose

Aqua man 10 each side

Puppy

table top Agua Man 15 sec each side

Puppy

total body muscle tone:

Squats 25, piston squat 25

Shoulder press 20

Weighted Squats 10, piston squat 10

Bicep curls 20

Bent overtricep kick back 20

push ups 10

Bent over back rows 20

 I have a wedding to go to in Boise, ID tomorrow but I'll be back on Sunday.  I'm sure I will have much to talk about on Monday!

Summer fun, something's begun...

Kayaking sure can make you hungry. One thing to remember is to refrain from eating members of your kayaking party. It can get pretty lonely out there.

Today was the first day of summer. To celebrate we went kayaking on Horseshoe Lake and then I taught a spin class at the YMCA. Our summer's are so short here in the Pacific Northwest that we really have to take advantage of every day that's above 70 degrees....sunny.

Friday is my next training run and I'm really looking forward to it. I've had some people ask me about my first run yesterday. Yesterday's run was 35 minutes. I walked for 2 minutes and ran for 3 minutes. It was simple to do because I had a running partner. Her name is Siri.

I run with my iPhone that has voice recognition, Siri.
-I start my training app that tracks my distance and time. It also tells me when I'm halfway through my 35 minutes so I can turn around and head back home.
-I talk into my ear bud microphone and have Siri set a timer for 2 minutes. I walk for those 2 minutes.
-After the alarms sounds I tell Siri to set a timer for 3 minutes. I run for those 3 minutes.
- I repeat this through the entire run.

It may seem a little geeky but I don't like to do things half-ass. I'm looking forward to training for this race. I like knowing what I'm doing and this app may be the ticket.

I have a spin class to teach tomorrow night along with a core class. It should be interesting since the core class I'm subbing for never really was a core class. (She didn't know what she was doing.)

Summer days keep drifting away but Oh those summer nights.

Running Man

I've started training for my first half-marathon in September.  I'm using this cool new app called "map my run".

It's really cool.  It uses GPS and tracks you in real time and than stores it for you.  It knows how far you ran, how long you ran and how many calories you burned.
Here is a link to my training results so you can see what the info looks like. Map My Run

I'm also using a great app called called Half Marathon Coach.  

The 2 apps actually talk to each other and share information to make your runs easier to track.
You put in the date of the event you are planning to participate in.  It calculates how often you need to train with the time you have until the event.  I have until September 23rd.  It tells me I need to run 3 days a week with one of those days being a "long run" day.  You start easy with a 35 minute session of 2 minutes walking / 3 minutes running.  Repeat that cycle for 35 minutes.  It's trains you to run by time and not distance until you have built of your endurance and in no time you are ready to run a half marathon.

Here is the route and my stats for the first run.



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This is the Race for a Soldier half marathon here in Gig Harbor on September 23rd.  My friend Katie is running it too so it's a little more motivating to train.  She introduced me to the Half Marathon Coach app.  I highly suggest it if you are looking to start training or just want to start running for health.

This is kind of a big deal for me.  I never thought I would ever see myself training for one of these things.  I've never really had the drive or the determination.  I realize now the my depression issues were shielding me from things that I didn't even know I wanted to do.  If I had dealt with these issues a long time ago I would probably be the next Lance Armstrong by now.   I never knew that I could do things like this.

I never really did anything athletic growing up because people kept telling me I couldn't.  I don't know why.  I guess I was too fragile.  Once I got away from my home town and enlisted in the Air Force I found out I am very athletic.  I became more confident and secure in my athletic ability and I became a personal trainer.  I often regret that I never played sports in high school.  I would have been a great football or baseball player.

Now that I have a more clear mind and I can now enjoy all the activities I didn't know I liked, I find that I am open to more things like 1/2 marathons.   I have been kayaking and cycling a lot lately as well.

I will share with you the results of my runs.  It keeps me accountable and my running friends can also get a laugh out of my lame running times!

Weekend, Get. Away!

You've had a great week.  You ate right.  You worked out almost every day.  You kicked some ass in Spin Class.  Then Friday night happens.  Saturday happens.  Sunday happens.  The Weekend happened.  You ate great food.  You hung out with great friends.  You drank a little too much wine.  You treated yourself to some ice cream.

Monday.  You ate your face off the entire weekend and now you feel like Jabba the Hut after a few too many drinks on the pleasure barge.  You think you have failed yourself.  You think it's going to be hard to recover from this fiasco.  You think you've gained back all the weight you just took off.

I'm here to tell you, you're RIGHT!  You sloth!  You fat slug!  YOU, You, you....are human and you are no different from anyone else out there going through the same issues.  I'm here to tell you that this too shall pass.

I'm going to start with saying one simple phrase:  It takes 14 DAYS of eating like a diabetic at a Paula Dean backyard BBQ to accumulate 1% of body fat.  So you have only a couple days of eating bad.  Monday might be a little tough but that's because it's all mostly in your head.

Eating like crap makes you feel sluggish.  You probably took in a lot of sugar and salt.  You may feel and actually be bloated.  The important thing to do is GET BACK ON THAT WAGON!

Forget about the last few days.  Move forward.  Know that Tuesday you will be back to normal if you exercise and eat clean and DRINK WATER! I'm a diet coke addict.  If you drink one glass of water after every can of diet soda that can help in counteracting the salt intake.  Mostly because you are peeing it out.

Stop feeling guilty.  Don't see it as a failure.  Don't deny yourself good food and good friends.  Just work a little extra harder on Monday.

Diets DO NOT WORK

Don't Drink and Blog

Ok, I've had a few glasses of wine. Ok I've had 4. That being said I don't think I should be held accountable for anything I blog about tonight....unless you like it.

DIETS ARE BAD FOR YOU

One thing I am sick and tired of hearing about are diets. Everyone talks about how their diets are amazing and then 6 months later they gain all the weight back. We are bombarded with the latest Hollywood Celebrity Real Housewives bullshit diet. Truth is they do not work. Diets are a temporary fix to a permanent problem.

Wha Wha What??

You're saying but Rex, they do work. I've lost 25 lbs. by just drinking grapefruit juice and poppy seeds. Or maybe it's eating all bacon all the time. Or hell maybe it's eating frickin' air. Guess what? You can not sustain that way of eating for the rest of your life.

The only 2 ways, yes, the ONLY 2 ways of losing weight are by taking the fork out of your mouth AND eating clean.

FORK OFF

Ever been to the OLIVE GARDEN? The amount of food they give you is insane. One bowl of pasta alfredo at that place is actually 4 times the amount of food you should eat in one sitting, that's not including the breadsticks and salad you devoured before the meal. PORTION CONTOL people. Please, do not eat until your full. Eat until you're satisfied. A piece of meat should be about the size of your palm. If it fits in 2 hands, it's too big. Bring you portions down, eat less, stay satisfied.

Eating "CLEAN" means no processed foods. Stay away from sugar, starchy carbs, and junk food in general. What you should be eating is lean meats, vegetables (anything green and leafy), and good fats.

FAT FREE IS A SCAM

You need fat. Good fat. Fat in food does NOT MAKE YOU FAT. Sugar makes you fat. Good fats are fats you find in things like nuts and olive oil. Your body needs good fat. If you buy a bag of fat-free cookies, you are still eating sugar and calories. They take the fat out and put in more sugar to make it taste good.

GOOD CARB, BAD CARB

Bad carbs make you fat. If it's not a vegetable is not a good carb. Stay away from anything "white" like crackers, bread, or pasta. They are processed and will make you fat.
Fortunately, it’s easy to separate the good from the bad.
We can reap the health benefits of good carbs by choosing carbohydrates full of fiber. These carbs that get absorbed slowly into our systems, avoiding spikes in blood sugar levels. Examples: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans.
We can minimize the health risk of bad carbs by eating fewer refined and processed carbohydrates that strip away beneficial fiber. Examples: white bread and white rice.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Your diet is crap. It will never work. I'm not trying to sound like a jerk. It's a fact. Your Adkins diet is not burning fat. It's burning muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale goes down until you reach your weight goal, go off the diet and you gain it all back.

Eat clean, drink water, drink alcohol in moderation and you will lose weight, feel better and live longer.

If you do decide to over indulge in alcohol, like wine, step away from the iPad and go to bed.

Health Club Hints

I was talking with my good friend Katie today about working out and why we like our gyms so much.

I work out at the YMCA here in Gig Harbor. It is probably one of the nicest YMCA facilities I have been in. It's huge. It has all the stuff that a typical YMCA has: weight room, pools, track, cardio, courts, blah, blah...

Katie likes her gym because it's clean, the staff is nice and it's close to her house.

The one thing we both like about our gyms is that the staff is very attentive and polite. They are not always hounding you to upgrade your membership or sell you supplements every time you walk in the door.

I used to work at a 24 Hour Fitness. I started there back in 1997 until I couldn't take what I called the "membership mill." You see, big corporate chain gyms are some of the worst places to join UNLESS it's the only place available to you which is usually the case. At any given time there could be as many as 10,000 members in one 24 Hour Fitness but only 2,000 members actually show up to workout. Guess what? They are counting on that. They know that 3/4 of the people who buy a membership will never go to the gym. They also know that those people have a monthly gym payment being debited from their bank account each month and they will forget about it. That is free money to the gym. They get money from you and you will never come and take up space in their gym.

The sales people at these gyms get paid on commission. They don't give a rat's ass about your injuries or your weight loss goals. They care that you buy a membership as quickly as possible. I've even seen sales people walk poor people to the bank up the street who don't have an account, help them open one, and then immediately start a debit on that account. It's very unethical.

FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP

This is a scam. The gym is going to give you a free 1 week or 1 month membership in order to get your body into the gym. Every day you come in they know you are a trial member. It is their job to hound you every day to make that sale. They will wheel and deal you to join before the end of you trial membership. You should always try to avoid the trial membership.

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE...

In the state of Washington it's against the law for a gym NOT to give you a price sheet when you ask for one on your first visit into a gym. Usually if you go into a gym and ask how much it costs to join, the receptionist will call up a sales person and they will start selling you a deal. They will ask you how often will you workout. They will ask you what you would like to spend. It's as if you are buying a car.
Tell them you want a price sheet with all the prices or you are contacting the state Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau. That usually works.

PISSING YOUR MONEY AWAY

In my opinion one of the biggest scams is supplements or "supps" as the industry calls them. When you go to your gym and they have a huge display case full of supplements, walk away from the case. For one thing the sales people get commission on sales of supps. The other thing, in my opinion, is you don't need supps. All you need to do is eat better. You can get all the protein and nutrients you need from your food. Yes, some supps are good if you are a bodybuilder or a professional athlete. That's because those people need that extra help to get to their goals faster. If you are just an average joe who wants to look good and be healthy, eat clean, drink water and take a One-a-Day vitamin. If you go and buy tons of supps and vitamins you will just piss them out. You have just invested in very expensive urine.

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

The chain gyms will offer a number of packages. The more money you put down the lower your monthly dues will be. The best deal usually is to just pay yearly. It's always the cheaper deal. Once again they are hoping you never show up to workout. They don't want you taking up space.

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME.

Find a gym that you like. Easy huh? Not always. Find one that is convenient but is not pushy. Find one that is clean. Find one where the staff is like the one on CHEERS. You want to go where everybody knows your name.

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE KNOW

My YMCA is wonderful. The staff and instructors are so nice and professional. They care about you and listen to your suggestions or complaints. Some people don't know that YMCA stands for "Young Men's Christian Association." Last year they dropped the "MCA" and now they are just the "Y." I was very leery of some christian organizations because they tend to discriminate against certain minority groups. So far this Y seems to be very diverse and welcoming.

GIRL'S JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

I have another friend who hates working out in co-ed gyms because she is self-conscience. I used to find this ridiculous because in reality everyone is there to work out and no one really cares about what you look like. Now I just want women to exercise no matter what. If it takes going to an all female gym than more power to ya!

AMERICAN PIE

Finding a gym is the first and hardest step. Look at is as an investment. It's an investment in YOU. It's money well spent if it keeps you healthy, fit and out of the doctor's office. Also, think of it as your duty as an American. The more healthy you are, the less likely you will be a drain on medical resources, your family and you can tell the insurance companies to "f-off."

Find a health club, eat better, drink water and live longer. Isn't that the way it should be?

Yard and Yoga

One thing about spring in the pacific northwest is the amount of trimming and cutting that has to be done each year. There is a reason it's called the Evergreen State. It should be called the Overgrown State. The constant rain keeps it green and beautiful but it also keeps things constantly overgrown.

I had to buy a STIHL product that lets you use different attachments such as something I like to call "chainsaw on a stick" It's a chainsaw on a 10 ft pole. The problem with this amazing product that you must have lots of upper body strength. To get to the upper limbs I had to hold it arms length over my head for about 4 hours. My shoulders were KILLING me.

However, I'm not in pain the next day after. Why? YOGA.

I've been doing yoga now for almost 2 months. The first week was not easy. The 2nd week it got a little easier. As time went by I became more flexible and my posture started to improve.

The best part about yoga is how quickly I recover from muscle soreness. Sunday I spent 4-5 hours trimming hedges and was very sore that night. The next day I went to yoga and the soreness went away. Yesterday I did 4 hours of cutting trees and brush and was incredibly sore last night. Today I went to yoga and Ta-Da! no soreness. I went on to teach 2 spin classes back to back tonight. I feel incredible.

If you have any lower back injuries like I have, I can't say enough about the benefits of yoga. I have virtually no more back pain except for the occasional stiffness from sitting on the couch for 3 hours watching re-runs of 30 Rock and Tosh.0.

Guys, give yoga a try. You will feel totally stupid the first few times you go. Man up. It will do some much good for you than you can imagine.

Next time you do your yard, do your yoga.

Weekend Update

Update Time:
Since May 3 I have lost almost 15 lbs. I don't know what my body fat is yet but I am going to get it checked soon. I'm eager to see what if any change there may be.

I think alot of it has to do with making better decisions about eating. I haven't really denied myself anything, rather I've been doing alot of portion control. Instead of having seconds I've had a sensible portion and not eating until I'm full, just until I'm satisfied.

I've been taking and teaching spin classes. I spin around 5 days a week. If you take a 45 minute spin class, you work hard for the time period, you can burn 600 calories. I think I burn more when I teach because I'm the instructor and it's very imporant that I inspire and motivate my class. I work harder to look credible to my students.

has been saying I'm looking thinner. I lose weight in my face first. I've gone from XL size shirts to size L. My jeans were all 34 Waist but already they are all hanging off me. Dress pants for me are frustrating. I have to wear a size 36 waist in dress pants because they are sized differently. I know I have to buy new dress pants now. I have a booty and big quads. Pants are always a pain because you have to buy bigger waist sizes to fit my legs and butt. I guess it's a nice problem to have but I'm looking forward to wearing 32" waist again.

Once you start to see results it's very motivating to keep working out and eating clean. The feeling of euphoria that comes with working out, feeling good and looking good overrides that urge to grab the ice cream when I get peckish at 9pm. I don't want to sabatoge my results. I want to look good this summer when I'm on the water without my shirt.

Take it from me. Stick with it. It takes a while to see results. Once you do see them you will never want to go back to feeling like shit when you eat crap.

Just Do It.

Refrigerator full of kryptonite

I have fallen off the wagon.  That little bastard just took off from under me.  What am I referring to?  I'm eating way too much sugar...again!  I've been doing very well since I started blogging.  Lately though I have been dipping into the sweets again and I think it's the change in season.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

My Kryptonite

My kryptonite is SUGAR.  Like Superman's greatest weakness it makes me lethargic, weak and want to sleep but unlike Kryptonite I crave it.  It's the undoing of alot of the fitness heroes out there.  When you least expect it you are eating ice-cream, cake and candy with out realizing it's making you fat.

 One of the worst things we consume is soda.  It's sugary, tasty and it quenches our thirst.  The problem is that it's making us fat.  Ever since we were little ankle biters we have been given sugary soda to fill our little tummies.  Why not?  It's cold, sweet and eventually you sleep like a wittle wittle baby.

Here is why it makes us crash.  The sugar in the drinks make your insulin levels rise, which makes you crash.  These are the typical sizes of soft drinks you would receive at a fast food joint.  See how much sugar is in each one??

It would take you 63 minutes to burn off that Large drink at a 5mph run.  That's JUST THE DRINK!  How many of you are running for 63 minutes straight?  I didn't think so.  

Here is what happens to your body an hour after drinking a cola.

When somebody drinks a Coke watch what happens…

• In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
• 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
• 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
• >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
• >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
• >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

So there you have it, an avalanche of destruction in a single can. Imagine drinking this day after day, week after week. Stick to water, real juice from fresh squeezed fruit, and tea without sweetener.
Primary Source: by Wade Meredith

Soft Drink Company Conspiracy

If you have ever been to Europe or Asia one of the first things you notice is how thin all the natives are.  Besides the fact that they smoke more, they are also consuming less sugar in the soft drinks.  Why? Because their drink sizes are smaller than the same sold in the USA.  Remember back in the 70's and 80's before Super Sizing?  The MEDIUM drink at a fast food chain today is what a LARGE was back then.  

When we go to a movie they up-sell you a "large" for 25 cents more and it's literally like drinking from a keg.

What's love got to do with it?

We drink more sugar cola then we do diet.  Diet is the lesser of two evils. Is diet better than regular soda?

Calorie-wise, yes, the diet version seems healthier, but if you take a look at the ingredients, there's a big difference. Diet Coke and Coke Zero contain aspartame, also called NutraSweet or Equal, while Coke is made with sugar. Aspartame is 180 to 200 times sweeter than regular sugar, and is the artificial sweetener of choice when it comes to most diet sodas. While the FDA approved its use in foods and beverages, some side effects include headaches, dizziness, mood changes, or skin reactions after consuming it. Aside from that negative, even though it's low in calories, diet soda may also lead to weight gain. To find out how keep reading.

Source: Flickr User √oхέƒx™

 Diet soda still makes your body crave more sweets.  It's tricking your mind into thinking you're doing yourself a favor but in reality it's not

  

Baby Steps

Use your best judgement.  You're an adult.  If you cut back on your sugar you could lose 10 lbs immediately.  Sugar cravings take a week or two to get rid of.  It sucks but now you have the tools to substitute and wean yourself off sugar drinks slowly.  If you have to, switch to diet and then work from there.  

Remember, it takes 1 month to change a habit or develop a new one.  If you can last a whole 30 days without sugar you've won the battle, maybe not the war but it's a battle plan.

ps- the picture of the water bottle on the left, it's bag is empty. It's a glare on the bag that makes it look like it has sugar in it.

One ignored the Cuckoo's Nest

Are you mental?

I hate to beat a dead horse, bad choice of words maybe, but it seems to me there really is nothing to do about people with any kind of mental illness, including myself, buying guns.  I've said it once, I'll say it again.  I don't think people dealing with any kind of mental instability, whether it be depression, manic depression, bi-polar or what have you, SHOULD be owning a gun, including ME.  I would not sell ME a gun.  Now can I go hunting with a buddy or target shooting with a buddy if that's the case?  Sure.  I can borrow a gun for the day.  For someone in a state of bi-polar or depression, to have a gun handy is just a formula for disaster.

The Cafe Racer shootings may have happened because this society needs to address this issue. I think everything happens for a reason.  Unfortunately in this country bad things have to happen in order for things to change.  I don't want to add any gun laws.  That's not the answer.  I think everyone would agree that a mental condition is grounds for discussion however.

There are different laws in different states that deal with mentally ill patients being involuntarily detained.
Below is a little info about how the law is here in Washington State.  I had no idea someone could be involuntarily committed.  Luckily they do have a screening process so 2/3 go home.  Would that screening process have worked with Ian Stawicki, the Cafe Racer shooter? His family knew of his issues AND they knew he bought multiple guns.  I'm not placing blame on the family but it seems this could have been avoided.
Excerpt from NW News take on Cafe Racer Shooter

If Ian Stawicki was as ill as his family says, how come he wasn't forced to undergo involuntary mental-health treatment? It's a question being asked in the wake of Wednesday's shootings. But people familiar with the mental-health system say it's not so simple as it may seem. Especially in Washington. Every month between 1,500 and 2,000 people are evaluated by mental-health professionals under the state's Involuntary Treatment Act, (ITA) which allows for a person with a psychiatric illness to be detained in a hospital for treatment. Under the ITA, a person must present an imminent threat to him- or herself or others, or be "gravely disabled." In about two-thirds of cases where patients are mentally ill enough to be brought in for evaluation, they are sent home because they don't meet the criteria.


I'd like to say to everyone out there who may be reading this, Please if you know of someone who is depressed, suicidal, bi-polar and they are not being helped, HELP THEM.  I would feel extremely guilty to know that a person I could have helped may hurt someone else I love.  Remember, there is a difference between someone who is just sad because of something bad in their life and someone who is clinically depressed.  One is controllable. The other is NOT.

I don't want to read about any of you in the news.  That's Bullshit.

Stuck in a training rut

I have found over the years that it's very easy to get into a rut when it comes to exercise. This means you are getting bored and uninspired to keep exercising. You need to know that this is NORMAL. Even Olympic atheletes get bored with their routine. Of course they are Olympic atheletes because they know what to do when that happens. They change.

Shake your groove thang.

Every 6 weeks or so you should always shake up your routine. This can be ANYTHING from just changing your music to pod casts, changing your weight routine from lifting heavy to lifting light with more reps, or sometimes, believe it or not, STOP working out for a week. When you change up your routine your body is shocked into a new mode of awareness. Your muscles get bored and you metabolism starts to slow. By changing your workout your body says, "WHOA! What the heck is going on? I better get this ass in gear and get back on the wagon." Your muscles will respond and grow stronger and your metabolism will kick start.

Sit. Stay. Good boy.

Staying away from the gym for a week is actually a good thing. It will re-set your brain and your body. You may feel like crap because your not in the gym but you will be amazed at your results when you get back. The following link is about how to over come that rut. It's about running but it actually is good advice for any sport or routine.
Changing your workouts either every 6 weeks or whenever you start to feel bored is the way to staying motivated in and out of the gym.How-to-Break-Through-a-Training-Rut

Spin right round baby

Spin Doctor is In.

I officially start teaching my spin class tomorrow afternoon at the Y. I taught for about 10 years until I got too busy and then had surgery. I feel like it's time to get back in the saddle. Not to mention the fact that it's such an awesome fat burning activity.  For those of you who have never taken a spin class, it's a great way to lose some body fat.  The classes range from 30 minutes to 45 minutes to 1 hour.  For you newbies, start with a 30 min class if they have one and if they don't, just leave at 30.

Spinning or cycling in some gyms is a "workout at your own pace" type of class.  There are some instructors who like to yell and get up in your face but most are there to help and motivate you, not scare you crap out of you.

Spinning takes a while to get into.  The first time if you can last 20 minutes you are doing great.  Really.
I'm not kidding.  After a while you will find your endurance getting better and better.  The first few weeks suck.  After that you will pulling on the spandex and heading to class.  (No.  You don't have to wear spandex.  But you will want to when you're sporting that new body!)

The spinning Yogi

I teach twice a week and then take 3 other classes so I get 5 days of cardio in. I am doing yoga at least 3 times a week. It's the right balance of cardio and strength training. I know, I know yoga isn't the first thing you think of when someone says strength training but it really is.  Trust me.  The amount of body and core strength you have to have in order to perform these postures is amazing.  Plus sometimes people fart. You try holding that in when your stuck in a "downward facing dog."  Face it, farts are funny.

Seattle to Portland

Seattle to Portland

I am thinking about doing the STP this year as well. The STP is a 200 mile bike ride from Seattle to Portland. The problem is that it's next month...ouch. 2 days of 100 miles each. I'm not sure if my ass can take that not to mention my quads and back but I'm willing to try.

Do run run run Do run run

Race For a Soldier

Running is something else that I need to get back into. I would like to run a half marathon this fall. I lack the motivation to get out there and just do it. I've been told that you just have to get out there and run, the first 10 minutes is the worst but than after that it's cake. I think I may find a running club.

You are who you hang with.

Your friends are making you fat and lazy is an interesting article about the kind of people you hang with and how they affect your health. I really like the idea of clubs. They provide motivation and inspiration.  Plus you get to hang out with alot of like minded people. Fitness people are always good people to hang with because they reinforce positive behavior.   I firmly believe your fat friends make you fat. That's bad news for fit people. No they are not holding you down and putting food in your mouth.  It's a negative behavior.  Good news for fat people is that fit friends can make you fit. No they aren't tying you to a treadmill. It depends on who decides to adopt the other's lifestyle habits. 

I'm not saying don't hangout with overweight people.  I'm saying that people who don't hold your love for fitness can make it hard for you to make healthy decisions.  You have to make sure you are making healthy choices and try not to make anyone you're eating with feel less than.  Do your thing.  Don't apologize for it.

It's been good to talk about health and fitness tonight. Tonight is just mostly rambling but it's cathartic.   It's been a rough few days around Seattle and Albany, GA and it's good to get back in the saddle and ride into the sunset.

Helpless in Seattle and bat shit crazy

Helpless in Seattle

Kimberly and I at a photo shoot

Have you ever felt completely helpless?  You want to help but you don't know how?  You want to make a difference but you just don't know how? 

This is how I've been feeling since this past wednesday when my friend Kimberly was taken away from us.  What hurts the most is the manner in which she died.  She didn't have cancer.  She didn't have an accident. She didn't die of old age.  She died drinking coffee in a cafe. 

It's sad when anyone dies for any reason but when someone dies in the most horrendous way imaginable, at the hands of a maniac, for some reason it makes it even worse.  I think it's because we empathize, we can see ourselves in the victim's place.  It could have easily been any of us.  These situation are unpredictable.  They can happen anytime, anywhere.  At no fault of your own you can be gunned down while your doing the most ordinary mundane routine in your day.  

Too mad to be angry.

Should I be mad at the man who took all those innocent lives that day?  Should I be mad at the family of that man who said they knew this was going to happen some day?  Should I be mad at a gun law loophole that allows mentally ill patients to buy handguns when there is no data telling the seller that this person is mentally ill? 

Forgive and Forget but always Remember.

What good would any of that do for me?  Yes I'm mad for all those reasons but I can't stay angry about it. Those kind of thoughts can fester and slowly kill you like a cancer.  If I constantly think about how much I hate a person for taking a friend's life I would be as bad a person as he was.  That kind of energy should not be wasted on things that have happened, that you can't do anything about.  Hating a person will not bring anyone back from the dead.  The time and energy spent trying to figure out ways  to evoke revenge in order to make yourself feel better about a friend dying is time and energy being misplace that could be used for something positive.  Revenge and bad thoughts are negative energy.  Forgiveness is the ultimate high.  I will not be angry at this man.  I have forgiven him.  It does no good to do otherwise.

Guns save lives...unless you're bat shit crazy.

I'm not a gun person.  I've had to shoot them to qualify when I was in the Air Force but I'm just not into them.  After the Virginia Tech shootings I had a cop friend of mine take me to a shooting range because I wanted to see what is was like to shoot a hand gun like the one used in that shooting.  It's a dark twisted idea but I just had to know what it's like to have that much power in my hand.  I tried it.  It was interesting.  I don't need to do it again.  I am all for gun rights.  I think anyone should be able to own a gun as long as they are not hurting anybody else.  HOWEVER, I feel there should be an exception for mentally ill people. This man was bi-polar and possibly schizophrenic. He shouldn't have had access to buy a gun.

I feel like I can say that because I'm bi-polar and have ADD.  I would never want a person like ME to ever have a gun.  I'm on medication that keeps me normal but if ever I wasn't on meds, it would not be a good idea to arm me.  I don't know if this man was on meds or not.  I'm assuming not.  

It's clear that this loophole needs to be closed but without infringing on gun rights for stable people.  

Reasonably reasonable.

People say everything happens for a reason.  I believe this whole heartedly.  It's horrible that bad things have to happen for a reason.  Usually that IS how it happens however.  What ever the reason is, it's different for everybody.  The reason could be to address gun law loopholes.  The reason could be spending time with friends you haven't seen in a while.  The reason could be to say I love you to your loved one before they leave for the day.  A million different reasons for a million different people stem from one horrible day in a quiet cafe in Seattle, Washington.  I have to keep telling myself, "this sucks.  it really really sucks.  but what am i learning from this.  What will i do differently from now on because of this?"  

Move forward, learn from the past.