12-2-10 Thursday Weigh in

A LOT OF INFO TODAY...buckle up!

This has been a difficult week, full of emotional trials, and GARGANTUAN temptations.Thanksgiving was an incredible test, and I was almost completely successful. I started working out because of that nights gorging and my greatest progresses have been since. So I am no longer looking at Thanksgiving as a failure (like I did the next morning), but rather a turning point in my attitude to one of determination. I am training myself now like an athlete before a championship match. I look at food as fuel and the flavors that I crave are a chance for me to find out what my body needs and thrives on. I love myself like never before. I am completely satisfied with the moves I have made, even the little bumps in the road that are inevitable. I have an incredible family and cheering section that has pulled me through some very turbulent moments, and my gratitude is eternal, without you I would have given up on Thanksgiving.

I am seeing a pattern in the posts here and in my email. People are not completely clear as to what my program is like. So I will give you the basics here and hopefully that will help you understand what is working and what isn't, and the advice can be more specific as has been requested.

I am on a high fiber, low calorie diet. I drink at least a gallon of water a day, and either 1 glass of 2% milk or 1 ounce of cheese. To be more specific. I am doing a rotation in my mornings between a High protein and a High fiber breakfast, this swapping helps me to keep my metabolism guessing and less likely to slow down because of the lower calories I am now ingesting. This has also allowed me to see how my body reacts to each. I do have fiber and protein in every meal, but the protein is far more scarce than the fiber as a whole. Fiber comes in many forms and it is important to get all the forms in your diet. You get fiber from Apples (and starchy fruits like that but Apples are the best), green veggies, well all veggies, nuts, beans, and whole grains. You can also get fiber in dairy but the fat content is a negation to the benefits of the fiber. Proteins also come in many forms, meat, poultry, and fish, of course, but nuts, beans and lentils, along with some veggies and fruits as well. OK, so an average breakfast example would be either a half cup of cottage cheese or oatmeal, a piece of fruit or melon, and a half cup of whole grain (like grape nuts etc.) or nuts, I love raw almonds. Caloric intake is in the range of 400-700 and I feel energized. I also have a raw super-food elixir called "The Vitamin Code" 1 ounce, that I take with breakfast...this is the BERRY-VOMIT!!! BLEH...but it really works and it is rich in trace minerals that we are all deficient in.

Lunch consists of a bit more flavor depending on the breakfast I had. I will usually have a whole plate size salad with 2-3 different greens including spinach, carrots, fruits, possibly some cheese, tomatoes, and some kind of nut or bean. Then if I am still hungry I will have a hearty organic soup. This is also the time of day that I will have some small portion of meat, usually chicken or fish, and if I am going to allow a sweet in my day it will be with lunch. What I mean by sweet is like bananas, these organic berry flavored chips that I found by "YOGI"...mm-mm, or I will have a square of my organic Belgium extra strong dark chocolate. It contains 77% cocoa content and is highly dense in antioxidants. This chocolate was a bit intense the first time I tasted it, but now I let it melt in my mouth and it really is very good. The flavor starts like an lightly sweetened espresso and slowly transitions to a fruity blend of chocolate and coffee. It covers my coffee and my chocolate fix at the same time, but again, I don't eat that everyday, but it has eliminated my chocolate and coffee needs almost entirely.

Snacks will consist of a piece of fruit, berries, or nuts.

Dinner is always a huge salad  and whatever protein or fiber I have left to consume for the day, and if I need more (which is rare), I will allow an Emily size (my 2 year old) portion of the dinner my wife and kids are eating. I use the FDA scale for the recommended intake for my fiber and protein, but I am thinking I am nearly doubling that in my nutrient and mineral intake.

The dressings that I use on my salad is low sugar, and they mostly consist of oil and vinegar, but I am still sparing on my use. As for my total calories for the day I end up between 1900 and 2200 everyday, and my recommended amount for weight loss is 4300 (isn't that crazy?). The basis of my diet is also Raw organic with as little processed or cooked as I can handle.

As you know I have also started working out. My "last chance workout" yesterday was a test of my progress. One week ago I attempted a 20 minute beginner boot camp class. I was dying just in the warm up and only lasted about 4 minutes steady, I continued going as much as I could through this class but only did another approximately four minutes cumulatively, including 5 push-ups. I then found Yoga and I have been doing that everyday since and the strength and mobility only a week later is incredible. So, I started yesterdays workout by doing a different Yoga class, it was a 47 minute class and I did about 15 minutes of it because I was using it as a warm up and didn't want to kill my body on this alone. Then while searching the menu for this boot-camp class that killed me, I found two dance workouts that I had to try. I did ten minutes of a hip-hop class that almost made me puke from the intensity. Then I did the Merenge class for about 3 minutes. I was not coordinated enough for that yet, but it was fun and I will be working on that one. I took a break between each and was determined to see where I stood against this boot-camp class. I was already sweating like "working girl" in church when I began, but to my amazement I lasted 11 and a half minutes. I was hurting and out of breath so I ended the workout, but not before I did 6 push-ups. I ended with my original Yoga class cool down and started crying when I realized what I had just done. In just one week I went from barely able to even warm up, to this. I am not saying my working out wasn't an ugly mess, but I was able to go for a lot longer than I had ever imagined. I spent all of an hour and a half, with breaks included, on the workout and the feeling today is unbelievable. The other benefit of the Yoga is the stretch keeps me from cramping and spasm, so even though I did all this craziness and killed myself, I actually handled it quite well. So, for those of you taking the Yoga challenge with me, (I got a little verklempt when I read that...I love you guys) The results will blow your mind, stick to it.

12-2-10 Progress Report. Today, I went to my Acupuncturist, and because of how soar I am I am taking the day off from working out. I also had 3 celebratory doughnut holes, and coffee, but that's the only wavering I have done. OK are you ready for this....drum roll please. I started out at 534 on the 10th of November. I lost 8 lbs the first week, 2 lbs the second. And I had the incredible and challenging week listed above that resulted in a 10 pound loss this week. Imagine my surprise, I was retaining water this morning and was very skeptical, to only be nearly floored with the 513.7lbs reading on my scale. I attribute this success to my failures, my working out, my wife's incredible love and wisdom, and finally YOU. You have no idea the amount of motivation your support gives me. I have purpose beyond myself and a constant reason to continue. I love you all, I am so honored and humbled to have you on this unbelievable journey, and I am always hoping to continue to inspire. James.