Marc's Body for Life Challenge 2008

Diet/Eating Plan Comparison

2009-08-20T10:02:00.005-04:00

Since about mid-June I have using a detoxification diet called the Fat Flush Plan (http://www.annlouise.com/fat-flush/overview/the-fat-flush-plan-overview.html). I have done two rounds (about 4 weeks) of the strict initiation eating plan under the FFP and I have lost about 20 lbs. I usually lose around 5 lbs. a week during the time I follow the initiation phase. While 20 lbs sounds great, it is really just the weight I gained since moving to Northern California a year ago. I was 179 lbs when we moved and I was in about the about the 6th week of Body-for-Life. With the move and a new job, I totally fell off BFL and just couldn't get to the gym or afford to repurchase the home gym equipment I had sold in Virginia to work out at home.

I was looking at my pictures from BFL and I definitely looked better at 179 lbs under that plan than I do at 179 lbs under the Fat Flush Plan. Mostly that would because I had actually lost more weight because I had also put on probably five pounds of muscle. So I my body fat percentage was actually less at 179 lbs under BFL.

While doing the Fat Flush Plan, I have been slowly increasing my cardiovascular workout. I started just walking, and I now daily run a mile and a half and walk half a mile. This daily workout only takes about half an hour and there is no travel time to the gym, so it really fits my busy schedule.

The things that I like about the Fat Flush Plan are 1) the detoxification really does help relieve my congestion systems, which is great; 2) it is easier to strict to because while the eating is more strict, it is less regimented in both its workout schedule and eating scheduled, which is easier for me; 3) because I have not gained a bunch of muscle mass, my weight loss is not dependent on my continued completion of the weightlifting program; and 4) I am much much less likely to injure my self with my very gradual increases in cardiovascular workouts. With BFL life, if I injured myself, which I did twice while on BFL and the weight came crashing back on because BFL is not a low calorie diet and the muscle mass starts breaking down into fat.

I admit that I miss the weightlifting in BFL. I miss measuring my biceps and calves and seeing them grow on weekly basis. And it is nice to be able to be on a plan where I am never hungry.

However, I have I cholesterol and family history of diabetes, so my main concern has to be major weight loss and maintenance of that low body weight. So I am trying shoot for more of a long distance runner's body. Once I reach my goals on weight maintenance, I will see if can add some muscle mass slowly, without injury.

Day 54 -- Back on Track

2008-09-06T23:53:00.002-04:00

This week has been crazy because we were moving to California. I last worked out last Saturday. I am most bummed because I never had my chest work out with Ken (i.e., Marc's Mr. America Trainer). Anyway, I signed up for 24-Hour Fitness today because there is a gym just 1/2 a block from my new office in San Francisco. I did my upper-body work out. I benched a high of 185 and also did barrel presses which I learned last week. I also did shrugs with 185lbs and I can feel it in my neck. For my back I did dead lifts and arnold presses for my shoulders. For my triceps I did Ken's secret press and my inside triceps were on fire. I did not get up to 100lbs yet for the barbell curls, but I did do reclined curls and could feel the whole head of my biceps getting a good work out. Because I had not worked out in a week, I also added a 20-minute cardio and then added a 20-minute fat burn work out. Hopefully, I will be better on track this week. I cannot believe I have only 4 weeks left. Amazing!

Day 48 -- Seven Week Photo Comparison

2008-08-31T10:39:00.004-04:00

No comment necessary!

Day 44 -- Working Out with Mr. America

2008-08-27T22:37:00.004-04:00

Want to increase the effectiveness of your work outs? How about working out with a guy who actually placed in the Mr. America competition. My buddy Ken placed in the Mr. America competition quite a few years ago, but he is still extremely buff. I mean humongous! I have always been very intimidated to work out with him even though he has frequently invited me and we are very good friends. So I finally got up my courage and decided to let him "bring on the pain!" I met him yesterday at Gold's Gym in Herndon and the manager immediately gave "any friend of Ken's" a free 7-day trial membership. The pass lasts until September 3, 2008, which is the day before I fly off to California to start a new job and new life. So until then, it's just me and Ken at the gym every evening. Last night we worked on our backs. We "warmed up" doing a lift with a barbell wedged in a rack on one side and 45lb plates on the side we were lifting. Ken said the inside grip was better than the similar machine with the bicycle-type handle bars. I liked it cuz it felt "old school." Next, I learned how to do proper dead lifts. Dead lifts are apparently the best exercise ever invented for total body workout. Next we did a machine that was like a lat pull but worked more my upper back and Ken had me keep doing the exercise while he took off the plates and I couldn't pull back on the handles anymore without any plates left. So here I am feeling like if a two-year old ran into me I would fall over and Ken says we would finish up with pull ups. I have not completed a pull up for years. I say completed, not attempted, because about three months ago I was at a playground with my kids and I attempted a pull-up. I also charlie-horsed in both arms about half-way up. So, to my amazement, I did complete two pull ups and then Ken grabbed my feet and made me do 3 more. Needless to say, my back is very sore today. The great thing about today is I learned how (at 40 years old) to finally do proper squats. Ken trained me with just the barbell first and then I worked my way up to 185lbs. But the absolutely amazing thing was to watch Ken squat 400+lbs. That is 4 big plates on each side. The steal barbell actually bends down it has so much weight on it. There were some teenagers next to us squatting in the 200lb range and they all stopped and starred with amazement, just like me. Then Ken told me about back in the day when he would squat 600+lbs. Anyway, this post is getting long, so I will just say that I could barely walk down the steps from the gym when Ken was done with me tonight. Tomorrow -- biceps and triceps -- Wahoo!

Whole Grain Pasta

2008-08-23T21:10:00.005-04:00

I always thought that whole wheat pasta was a food for health food fanatics. I mean what is the point, right? Well, since BFL requires me to have whole grain carbohydrates, I decided to give whole grain pasta a try and it was surprisingly good. I tried a couple different brands and thought they were delicious. I do not see the point in actually going back to processed flour pasta since the whole grain is so much better for me. I made angel hair pasta with a sauce of Roma tomatoes and fresh basil that I ate with a chicken breast.

Tomorrow I am going to have a frittata for breakfast to use up the rest of the pasta. Get this, two ounces of the Barilla multi-grain pasta has seventeen grams of protein. Amazing! Give it a try and you will love it.

Day 40 -- Loving My Gold's Gym Membership

2008-08-23T16:38:00.002-04:00

I am lovin' the Gold's Gym membership. They have everything! I feel like my workouts are so much more effective with all the tools there. Today was the last day of my 7-day VIP membership. So next week I will have to start paying the daily fee on my weight lifting days. I hit some very cool lifting milestones this week. On Thursday, I benched 175lbs three times on my own and three more times with help from a guy who agree to spot me. On that same day I also reached a new high by preacher curling a 90lb curling barbell 6 times. I am definitely gettin stronger and can push myself more at Gold's. The back of my neck hurt after I did actual squats so I have been using a machine now to do the squats, but I have been squating around 200lb six times for my max. I also upped my wieght for my calves today to 150lbs. I could barley lift the weight, but I have to do something to make my chicken little calves grow. I have also been working on some more videos of meals that work under BFL guidelines and as soon as I edit them, I will post them. I made them with my nine-year-old son as camera man and main helper -- so it was tons of fun. I am really hoping that I break under 180lbs tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Day 37 -- Body for Life -- Update

2008-08-20T10:34:00.002-04:00

I have been traveling so much lately that I have had to rely on a lot of protein bars and shakes to fit in all my meals, but I feel like my body does not respond the same to the meal replacements as well as to real food. Today I had egg whites with vegetables and a bunch of red grapes for breakfast. I think my body was very happy to know that I had not gone on some astronaut-type replacement food diet. I also sign up for a temporary membership at Gold's Gym. The weights set I have was no longer enough, and I did not want to invest in more weights that I will have to haul around with me. The first day I did upper body and I had forgot that the barbell weighs 45lb and I calculated all my weights as if it was 25lbs. The amazing thing is that I did the whole planned work out with an extra 20lbs. I can bench press 155lb 6 reps now. Not bad! On the second day, after I did my interval training on the elliptical, I decided to put some extra time on the treadmill. I felt really good so I decided to jog. I ended up jogging an entire mile with no knee pain. Given it was a 15 minute mile, but hey, I completed it. I was not going to start jogging until I had lost more weight, but I was really warmed up and stretched out so it seemed the right time. Yesterday for lower body, I used the squatting rack and could squat 205lb six times. I expected my thighs to be really sore today, but instead my hamstrings are really sore. I also upped the weights for my calves, but no matter what I do, I do not seem to be able to work out my calves so they are sore the next day. If anyone knows a good calve work out, please let me know. Today I did my interval training on the rowing machine and then walked an extra mile on the tread mill. I am enjoying my membership at Gold's and I see more of the Olympics while I am there.

Day 36 - Body for Life -- Challenge Measurements

2008-08-19T09:58:00.005-04:00

I know we all hate taking the "before picture." It's painful because I am already not happy with the way I look and now I am suppose to memorialize it. And share the photo? Ouch! But I am learning the extreme value of my before picture. You see, I still feel like a big fat slob, until I look at my before and after photos. I have only lost 5lbs, but check out my week 1 through 5 photos at the body-for-life tracker link. It is already an amazing change.

I have also been charting my measurements at BFL tracker. And while I have only lost 5 lbs, I have also dropped 5% in body-fat. That is 9lbs of fat and that means I have put on 4lb of lean muscle. If I can drop only another 5% body fat by week 12, I will have dropped 10% body fat.

I also could not see my muscle gains from my measurements at first. My arms and chest actually were shrinking. But now I can tell that they were shrinking because I was burning off the layer of fat on them. This week my biceps are finally 15 inches, up from 14.5 at the beginning and my chest has gone up to 42.75" from 41". With the reductions for the loss of fat, those are some pretty good gains.

Without my before photo and weekly measurements, I think I would feel like my 5lb loss was a failure after 5 weeks of hard work and sacrifice. Instead, I am excited about losing another 5% body fat and putting on another 4lbs of muscle over the next 5 weeks.

Wahoo! Go Body-for-LIFErs!!

Body for LIFE -- Week 4 Photos

2008-08-14T00:39:00.006-04:00

I have been traveling everyday for the last week and so I have not been able to post either because I didn't have time or access to the internet. But here are my week 4 photos. I did not think I have made much progress because my weight had not gone down, but again the pictures do not lie -- clearly I have made more progress than I thought. You can see all my weekly progress photos at bodyforlifetracker.com. But here is a comparison of week 1 and 4:

Protien Pancakes Video-cast

2008-08-06T20:44:00.002-04:00

My favorite breakfast on body-for-life is whey protein pancakes. This is my own creation. They are made with whey protein and a serving has about 40g of protein. The pancakes count as the protein, not the carbohydrates. I add fresh strawberries and bananas on top or I eat them taco style with my favorite Yoplait yogurt. The Videocast below explains exactly how to make the whey protein pancakes. Enjoy.

Day 20 -- Body for Life -- Protein Pancakes

2008-08-02T16:51:00.002-04:00

Today I shot a video of me cooking one of my new creations -- whey protein pancakes. They are light and fluffy and taste great. I am looking forward to editing it and posting it on my blog. But now it is free day and I must go and enjoy some of my favorite foods, none of which include whey or whey protein powder.

Day 19 -- Proof is in the Pictures

2008-08-01T14:04:00.005-04:00

I was not going to post new pictures until next week because I usually cannot see a big difference between pictures after one week. But I did take pictures and when I looked at them, I was surprised to see the difference in my back shots. My "love handles" have definitely shrunk. I must be doing something right!

Per my measurements, my chicken leg calves grew by half an inch, but I do not see it in the photo -- still have scrawny calves. I am working on them though.

I have had problems planning my meals the night before, and so I have been winging it. It ends up that I miss meals that way and I am worried that I am not loosing weight as fast and I am not feeding my muscles like I should. So I am going to try to plan all my meals for the whole week on free day -- while I am eating ice cream.

Drink Mixer

2008-08-01T13:55:00.003-04:00

I have discovered that the best way to mix a whey protein mix or my creatine drink is with a gravy mixer. It is big enough to hold any drink and it has a little wire wisk inside that agitates all the powder in the mixer. I have a lot less mix floating on the top or gooped on the bottom with I use the shaker. I have posted a picture of the shaker I use. Not really a big deal, but it makes my life easier.

Day 17 -- BFL -- Daily Reports

2008-07-31T07:54:00.003-04:00

I have finally found a workable way to load and link my daily work out and eating reports. I have a lot more problems with completing my eating reports, and eating all six meals for that matter, than my training reports. I know that I need to eat all six meals for my body to feel comfortable that I am not starving it, but I become so busy and caught up in life that I just forget, especially in the morning when I was not accostomed to eating anything. Anyway, not that anyone is visiting my blog right now, but when my transformation is complete, if people want to see exactly what I did, then the reports are all posted at the separate links labled BLF Stats and Reports.

Day 15 -- BFL -- Blood Pressure Dropping?

2008-07-28T15:42:00.002-04:00

Before discussing my boring blood pressure, I just want to brag that I preacher curled 35 lb dumbells today. I only did three curls, but that means next work out I will probably be able to complete all six. I am so excited. I cannot wait until I can curl the 50 pounders again, and then who knows, up, up, up, to some new personal best curling records. (Without injury, of course.) Now, I have been tracking my blood pressure everyday. When I started the challenge, my systoloic blood pressure was generally in the 130 range. The first week and into the second week it did not seem to change very much, but over the last three days my systolic blood pressure has not exceeded 130 and has generally stayed in the 120 range and even dipped into the high teens. I know a lot of factors can affect blood pressure levels including my level of stress, but I have not had more stress than my usual "oh my gosh where am I going to go with my life and when will I find a new job!" stress of a partially employed father of four. On day 28 I am going to the doctor to have my cholesterol rechecked. With how well everything else seems to be going, I am starting to hope that my cholesterol will have improved. I have genetically low HDL, but exercise is suppose to increase it. Right? And I have been exercising my but off. In fact, I need to buy more weight soon. I seem to be lifting more faster on this challenge. I completed the first challenge with the weights that I currently own, but I can see that I am going to need more weight real soon. Wahoo!!! I better go drink another myoplex!!

Day 14 -- Today is Not Free Day

2008-07-27T13:13:00.003-04:00

Today is not free day! I must keep telling myself this! I had an early morning church meeting and have not worked out yet. I am sure once I complete my work out, I will not longer want to eat the left over treats in the refrigerator. Once I complete my work out, it is so much effort that I mentally do not want to waste the hard work on a mere snack. But right now, I am hungry. I have already eaten three meals today, and I am usually not hungry. But I have just wanted to continue free day all through the morning. I lover upper body work out and I am going to go get to it, before I get to those chocolate brownies (they're Godiva!).

Day 13 -- Another Free Day Comes to a Close

2008-07-26T23:50:00.002-04:00

There are about ten minutes left in my free day. Once again it was ice cream that was my big indulgence. I love chocolate ice cream. I did not eat ice cream for about two weeks in protest of Hagen Daz discontinuing the flavor Mayan Chocolate. It was a cinnamon chocolate with a chocolate truffle center. I would say my next favorite chocolate ice cream is New York Super Fudge Chunk. Anyway, that was fun! Two minutes left, I better go to bed. I need to get up and work out tomorrow.

Day 12 -- Two Week Photo

2008-07-25T09:54:00.007-04:00

I have decided that Fridays are my measurement day, so even though it has not been a full 14 days, below is my two-week photo. I am amazed at the change! I have not lost a lot of weight (just 4lbs), but I have dropped 4% in body fat. That means I have put on substantial lean muscle. You can't see all that lean muscle because it is still covered in my remaining 31% body fat. But just wait until I am at 20% and then 15%, then all the work outs will pay off.

I did shave the beard off too early though -- that pesky double chin is still dogging me. I also have not seen any change in my blood pressure readings.

Well, its off to lower body work out today.

Day 11 -- BFL -- I Miss Muscle Media Magazine

2008-07-24T09:09:00.003-04:00

What happened to Muscle Media magazine?!! During my last two challenges, I could look to Muscle Media to new ideas, recipes and ways to mix up my work out. One of my favorite articles was ab boot camp. The ab work out in BLF training program really doesn't work for me. I do not know why I would do decsending reps of 12 through 6 for my abs work out. But check out this article from Muscle Media http://musclemedia.com/training/BootCamp.asp!!! The work out in there is not for beginners. I have not sarted it yet, but when I am ready -- BAM! -- this abs boot camp work out is the ticket. It worked beauifully for me before, and I guarantee it will work for you. But seriously, wait until simple exercises like 75 floor crunches and 50 bent-knee leg raises just aren't doing it for you any more. The last thing you want is an injury so early in you Body-for-LIFE transformation. The Muscle Media website has no search engine, so to find articles you must search in Google for the term "muscle media" and then insert the topic you are looking for. Kind of a pain, but the search is worh it if you find an old article like abs boot camp.

Day 10 -- Avoiding Injury

2008-07-23T12:33:00.010-04:00

I have never broken a bone or "blown out" any joint of my body, but I am very familiar with the "dumb" injury. What are dumb injuries? They're the ones you cannot brag about. They are the injuries sustained because you twisted wrong, or tried to perform an exercise you were not ready for. To complete a Body-for-LIFE challenge, I know I must avoid these "dumb" injuries that will bring my fitness quest to a screaching halt. So, to avoid injuries:

1. Minimize Impact from Cardiovascular Exercise

I choose a 20-minute cardiovascular workout that minimizes impact on my joints and stress on my ligaments. This is especially important because I am, well, overweight. I mean, I would never start a running program wearing a 30-pound weighted vest!

Stationary Bike or Eliptical Machine. I begin my BFL program riding a stationary bike or using an eliptical machine. The machines have easy to read displays for time, speed and calorie burning that make it easier for me to measure, record and adjust my intensity levels.
Speed Walking. If I want to exercise outside, I speed walk. Walking is probably the best low-impact exercise because it is also weight bearing and very good for my bones. By speed walking, I can definitly reach a level "10" intensity and easily reach my target heart rate. The real problem with speed walking is my pride. It is not a pretty picture when the fat guy is grunting out a level-10 speed walk. I admit it, I look silly.
Swimming. Swimming is also a great cardiovascular work out with no impact. I generally have to improve my cardiovascular strength before I enjoy swimming or can hit even a level "8" intensity without loosing rythm and gagging down buckets of water. Around week six I believe I can begin incorporate swimming.

Once I loose about 20lbs and improve my cardiovascular endurance, I will probably add in some sprint exercises and some swimming. As explained below, it is good to mix up my exercises to develop a well defined Body-for-LIFE. I have had many running injuries from starting a program too fast and not being prepared.

2. Follow Strict Form in Lifting Weights

For each lift, I must learn the form and then strictly follow it. First, by performing an exercise with improper form, I can extend a muscle too far or strain my joints. Second, if I cheat by trying to bounce or twist to achieve "extra" lifts, because of all the weight I am holding I risk straining or pulling other "helping" muscles. If I cannot perform the last lift with good form, then I have already hit my intensity goal without that last "cheat" lift. I know that cheating for "extra" lifts is actually not beneficial and is a formula for strained and pulled mucles. I will not cheat!

3. Mixing It Up -- A Well-Rounded Lifting Program

My two favorite work outs are pectorals and biceps, of course. But I have learned that I must also work out the little, less known "helper" muscles to increase total strength, avoid injury and improve posture. (See http://musclemedia.com/training/shoulder.asp for a good Muscle Media article). For example, with shoulders I begin with dumbell presses and lateral raises, but I will have to work in some bent over raises and barbell front raises to have a well-rounded work out.

4. Lifting Too Much Weight

I know that I must lift heavy weights and push myself to achieve muscle growth. But I also know that I can seriously injure myself if I lift a weight that I cannot control or bring safely to the ground. I work out at home and finding a spotter is not always easy or convenient, but I know it is important to avoid injuries. Also, I do not sit up with dumbells I have used in a bench exercise, but carefully drop them to the floor.

One way I estimate if the weight is too much, is if I can control the eccentric part of the exercise when I am slowly lowering the weight. The eccentric part is so important to my work out, even if the lift (or concentric) part seems more fun.

5. Be Flexible

Stretching and improving my flexibility are very important to me know that I am 40. The one down side of the BFL program seems to be that it does not emphasize stretching. I have included a very minor 5-minute yoga program that I do every day at the end of my cardio or weight lifting. It is a simple program from "You, the Owner's Manaul" that helps with flexibility. In a couple weeks I will need a more advance program. So if anyone knows one, please let me know.

6. Warming Up

Back when I had a trainer, he had me start each weight lifting session by warming up on the stationary bike. I like Bill Phillips method better. He actually incorporates the warm up into the exercise. It is the level "5", "6" and "7" exercises. So I use these exercises to warm up. I take them slow (on each concentric part of the exercise I actually say "Body for Life" and on each eccentric (or negative) part of the exercise I lower the weight slow enough to get in the whole phrase "I am building a Body-for-Life") and I feel my muscles strech and my blood start pumping. Now I am ready for the level "8", "9" and "10" when I am actually building my Body-for Life.

7. Ice, Ice Baby

If I do strain, twist or otherwise feel a "bad" pain, it is time for ice. I rotate the ice on and off for 20-minutes while I collect myself and hope that it is okay. I like a cold shower after a work out because it not only helps me cool down faster so I can get on with with life faster and less sweaty, but I also feel like it helps reduce muscle and joint inflamation and helps me recover faster.

Day 8 -- Chosing the Right Meal Plan

2008-07-21T14:23:00.007-04:00

I know that Body-for-LIFE can work. Just look at that skinny guy in the photo from my first success. But I also know that it is important to choose an eating plan to meet my transformation goals.

With my first challenge, the variety of Myoplex drinks and bars available now, did not exist. I just purchased a big variety pack of ready-mix Myoplex nutrition shakes. I cooked three meals a day and had three shakes a day, pretty simple plan, and I finished the entire challenge. I later injured my knees, stopped working out completely and put on a bunch of weight.

For my second challenge, I decided that I wanted to bulk up more. EAS now offered a variety of products, including ready-mixed drinks in a lite formula or carb control. I decided to take on the strength and power eating program, and I went for the Myoplex Deluxe drinks along with Phosphagen XP. I started bulking up and did not worry about losing any weight, because I figured it would come off at the end due to the fat burning machine I would become and by cutting calories. However, around week 5 I sustained a hernia injury and that was the end of my weight lifting regime. I had bulked up and become substantially stronger, but I ALSO HAD NOT LOST ANY WEIGHT!

I tried Atkins and South Beach diets to try and loose the weight without working out, but those plans made me feel "wigged out" all the time.

So here I go again, challenge number 3. This time I am drinking the ready-mix Myoplex lite and eating Balance protein bars. I have already lost some weight even in this first week. I am still taking the phosphagen XP because I know how important building muscle is to create my own Body-for-LIFE. I know that loosing weight is very important to my appearance and to my overall health. Once I meet my healthy weight, only then I can pursue a "bulking up" nutrition plan.

After week one, I feel I have chosen the right meal plan for me. We'll see how I feel in week 6. I also feel great under the BFL system, unlike Atkins or South Beach.

Day 6 -- BFL -- Free Day! Semi-Religious Experience

2008-07-19T11:33:00.005-04:00

Its Free Day! I always have problems rationalizing when Free-Day starts. Friday night is so tempting because I am usually going out or ready to unwind from a hectic week. I begin with, well can't free day begin at 6pm on Friday and end at 6pm on Saturday? I sound like a Biblical pharisee making up rules for the Sabbath day, another special day that only comes around once a week. This week I resisted. I sat through dinner and ate a reasonable proportion and watched while everyone else ate strawberry short cake with ice cream. And these are not your spongy cakes from the store. These are the home-made golden-brown, crispy on the outside, moist and some how crumbly, cakes that my wife makes. However, later that night I looked at the clock and it was 12:01 pm. My brain screamed "Its FREE DAY!" I poured the fresh strawberries from the fridge onto one of the beautiful cakes and ate it even without ice cream. It was soooo good. Then this morning I ate a pint of Hagen Daz chocolate ice cream for breakfast. I actually feel sick now. While satiated, I need to remember to tell my self that free day is part of the plan, but stretching its time period out until it envelopes the whole weekend is not. My goal is going to eat what ever I want (I believe that Bill Phillips is right that this is part of the plan) but from the time I wake up in the morning, until I go to bed. I can do this! I also need to monitor my cholesterol. I know that the plan works for helping me loose my hunger pangs, for loosing weight and building muscle, but I need a plan that eventually works to lower my cholesterol too.

Day 5 -- BFL -- I Have More Energy & Less Weight

2008-07-18T21:42:00.004-04:00

As an update to my post yesterday, my extra energy does not appear to be from the vitamin supplement (laced with caffeine and guarana). I did not take the supplement today, it is 9:30 pm and I still feel happy and productive. It is strange that working out with weights and bringing my muscles to total failure under the Body-for-LIFE plan would result in more energy and not less. And while I have more energy, I have lost 3 1/2 pounds over the first 5 days.

Day 5 -- Blood Test Results

2008-07-18T14:25:00.000-04:00

I received back the results from my blood tests. My cholesterol levels are horrible. My LDH is 294 (too high!) and my HDL is 33 (too low!), which of course puts my total (272) and ratio (8.2) way off the charts. Just based on that, without my pre-hypertension blood pressure, I am 160% more likely than average to have Chronic Heart Disease. I hope Eating-for-Life can help me bring down my LDH and Training-for-Life can help me bring up my HDL, otherwise I think I will have to go on medication soon to get some help. Blood glucose (i.e., sugar) was at 92, which is normal but a little high for me. Hopefully it will go down. Otherwise, the results were all pretty good and normal. On a more positive note, I LOVE upper body work outs. I always fees strong and health when I am done. Muy macho!

Day 4 - BFL - Energy Energy Energy

2008-07-17T12:01:00.000-04:00

I have had sooooo much energy the last couple days. In fact, in the evening when I usually feel exhausted, I am instead looking for new things to do. I have even had trouble falling a sleep and have stayed up late working! I did not expect such a big change in the first week. If I can ever figure out how to post my training reports, you will see that my workouts have all been starting later in the morning than planned. That is because I was up late (being productive -- not just watching reruns or surfing the net) and end up sleeping a little later as a result. I have thought about changing my workouts to the evening, but I still think completing my training is good psychologically. I have also been taking the CVS brand "Daily Energy" vitamin supplement. I noticed that it has caffeine and guarana in it. So I am going to get a new vitamin supplement and see if there is a change. But I do not think that a vitamin supplement that I take at 9 am would be keeping me up at 9 pm. I THINK IT IS THE NEW LIFESTYLE! But I will report back if the change in supplement makes any difference. Go BFL! Oops, did mean to get so excited, but I HAVE SOOOO MUCH ENERGY! WaHOO!

Day 3 -- Body-for-Life -- Eating-for-LIFE at O'Faolain's

2008-07-16T20:53:00.001-04:00

All four of my kids were gone today. My two oldest girls at camp and Jonathan and Ellie went to Aunt Stephanie's for what will no doubt be an XBox extravaganza. So tonight was Shelley-and-Marc night out. We decided to go to an Irish restaurant called O'Faolain's that was featured in Northern Virginia magazine. It was awesome! We started out with steamed mussels in a white wine sauce with garlic and chili flecks. The sauce had not been simply pour over boiled mussels. You know what I mean? Instead, you could taste that the mussels had really simmered in the sauce and were permiated with flavor. The dish was so good that I asked the waiter for the receipe. Unfortunately the chef said it was a secret. I'm glad today wasn't cheat day, or I would have selected the baked brie in a berry Guinness sauce for an appetizer, and entirely missed out on the mussels. I was tempted by many BFL non-compliant entrees, such as the chicken pot pie and the beer-battered fish & chips. The Shepard's pie might have been okay, but I played it safe and ordered the corn beef and cabbage with parsley boiled potatoes. I had a "hankering" for good corn beef for a while now and this dish had the perfect portions of protein, carbohydrates and even my second serving of vegetables. Perfect! What made the corn beef and cabbage particularly good was the selection of imported mustards from Ireland. I can't recall the names on the lables, but one was an extra sharp mustard and the other, which was seriously "to die for" good, contained whole mustard seeds in a whiskey sauce. I still have trouble sticking to my BFL schedules. My morning work out was three hours off schedule, which also caused me to miss my 10 am scheduled meal. I am proud though that I had the flexibility and commitment to reschedule and complete my exercise.

Day 2 Eating-for-LIFE -- Plug for meals by "Let's Dish"

2008-07-15T18:39:00.000-04:00

I just need to put in a quick plug for Let's Dish (http://www.letsdish.com/). Let's Dish is a company that prepares all the ingredients for dinners (chops up veggies, single servings of protien ready, etc.), and then customers can come in to mix and bag 12 to 24 dinners in a single night. Shelley will go to Let's Dish once a month and create pre-made dinners that are kept in the freezer. The dinners are then made up really quickly when it is meal time, with very little mess! We save a bunch of money because our family dines out much more when Shelley or I are too tired to put together a dinner from scratch. HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO "EATING-FOR-LIFE"? As follows: When I start on the Body-for-Life eating plan, it is difficult to find recipes that work for both me and my "family" at dinner time. I have four kids, 6 to 15 years old. However, the Let's Dish dinners seem to generally work. Its not always perfectly consistent with Eating-for LIFE, but it is a great way to still have family dinner each night while only preparing one meal. For example, last night we had Italian Chicken with Cous Cous. The chicken was not breaded, but baked in a tomato sauce with some low fat mozzarella cheese melted on top. The cous cous are not whole grain, of course, but a "palm" sized portion of chicken and a "fist" sized portion of cous with some steamed broccoli was a pretty good meal the whole family could eat. Tonight we are having Dry BBQ rubbed Chicken with mashed sweet potatoes. The recipe could come straight out of Eating-for-LIFE. Convenience that lets you still enjoy a family dinner. ISN'T THAT GREAT!!

McDonald's Asian Chicken Salad?

2008-07-15T12:42:00.000-04:00

Today I ate the Asian Grilled Chicken Salad at McDonald's. It wasn't on my eating plan, but my errands ran way over and while I had had a protein bar mid-day, my kids were starving.

NUTRITION: Without the dressing the Asian Salad has 300 calories, 10g fat, 23g carbs, and 32g protein. The HUGE package of dressing has 90 calories, 2.5g fat, 15g carbs, and 1g protein. I used about a third of the dressing and so total was 330 calories, 11g fat, 28g carbs and 33g protein. That fits within my BFL guidelines! Also the salad comes with Mandarin oranges, edemane, snow peas, red bell peppers and sliced almonds, so you fit in a serving of vegetables and nuts to boot. All this with only 1 gram of saturated fat because the fat comes from soybean and sesame seed oil and the almonds. Not bad!

TASTE: Compared to anything else on the menu, this salad actually tastes pretty good. I really enjoyed the edemane (soybeans), snow peas and sliced almonds.

Blood Tests

2008-07-15T09:02:00.000-04:00

As part of my health improvement program, I also want a complete set of blood work results. Every year for my annual physical, I found out about my cholesterol, but that is about it. After reading "You, The Owner's Manual", I know that I need to know a lot more about my blood. I need to know my levels of cholesterol (total, LDL, HDL), blood sugar, homocystein, hormones, minerals, kidney and liver functions and disease screening such as PSA for prostate cancer. So I am having my blood work done today. I recommend using Health One Labs (http://healthonelabs.com/user/inside.php) because they offer comprehensive testing at reasonable prices. First, I went to several pharmacies to see if I could test my blood sugar and cholesterol levels myself, and you can. However, the cheapest kits, to test just those two levels, cost about $50 to $60. The Health One Labs comprehensive screen cost $59. Which is by far the best price I found for this type of testing. There are some really cool websites that give more comprehensive testing and an analysis of the results, but these test usually run about $300 (see http://www.yourfuturehealth.com/services_healthprints2.htm). Not in my budget right now, but I am bummed that my testing will not include my hormone levels or a thyroid screening. So my big hope is that not only will I look and feel better by completing the BFL Challenge, but that I will see measurable improvements in the health and real age of my body. I hate needles. So wish me luck!

Day 2 -- Body for Life -- Beginning Statistics

2008-07-15T08:13:00.000-04:00

Because I am now 40 years old now, I need a transformation of not just my looks but of some important vital statistics also. I have recently read "You, the Owner's Manual" and its recommendations for "The Live Younger Action Plan." The book explains each system of our body and what we need to do to keep our systems young and healthy. The health of most of these systems are measured by our vital statistics and blood tests. My current vital statistics are basically a "needs improvement" list. Vital Statistic Current Level Live Younger Action Plan Blood Pressure 133/84 115/76 Weight 185 lbs 135 lbs Body Fat % 35% N/A Body Mass Index 29 21.8 I will also be tracking my statistics to see how my real health is improving. I think on Body-for-Life my weight will actually be a little higher because BFL emphasizes weight-training and muscle building much more than the Owner's Manual plan. The Owner's Manual plan has alternating cardio and strength training, but recommends 20 minutes of cardio and only 10 minutes of strength training. The Owners Manual also recommends 5 minutes of yoga for flexibility, which I am incorporating into my work out program because I need the flexibility.

Day 2 - Body for Life -- Public Humiliation

2008-07-15T07:52:00.000-04:00

WARNING: DUE TO THE DISTURBING GRAPHIC NATURE OF THESE PHOTOS, YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS POSTING. TO AVOID INJURY TO YOUR OPTICAL SENSORS, QUICKLY SCROLL DOWN TO THE NEXT POST. It is very difficult for me to look at these photos. Nevertheless, I am posting my before photos here to track the transformation and give myself motivation to complete the BFL Challenge. Well, I still have pretty skinny ankles!

Day 1 -- Body for Life Logistics

2008-07-14T13:42:00.000-04:00

I was very excited to get started this morning, but I was not prepared logistically. I had my work out schedule and meal plan all filled out and in my binder. I had set up my weight bench and laid out my dumbbells, but I had not noticed that I was missing the bar for my weight bench that changes the incline. Without the bar I would be required to do my entire workout in the declined position. By the time I found the bar in the basement, it was too late for a morning work out. I had to move on to earning a living and didn't eat my first meal until 9:30 am. However, I did fit my work out in later at around 11:00 am. I completed my upper body work out in 51 minutes and added five minutes of yoga for flexibility. It felt so good to be working out again. I know that there is no visible change yet, but I already feel stronger and leaner. When I went to make lunch, I discovered that I had cans of chicken, not tuna, so I had to change to a chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat bread instead of the tuna salad planned for. Because of my late start, I skiped my 10am meal, but otherwise have stuck with my written plan. I am new to blogging, so I have not figured our how to post all the progress reports yet, but maybe I will figure that out this evening. Overall, I feel like it has been a good first day!