Day #11 A Plan

Do you know you are going to eat tomorrow?  Most of us do not know what our next meal is.  Having a food plan keeps you on track and less likely to get your hand into something that you are going to regret.  Part B of that whole concept is to stick to that plan.

I had my food planned out today for lunch.  And then it happened.  I thought what a great partner to my vegetable shop but some tortilla chips from Qdoba that were in our break room.  Halfway through my lunch I punch my foods into MyFitnessPal app only to find out my expected amount of calories on my lunch had just doubled...that's right doubled.  My serving of chips that I assumed were about 120 calories were 250. YIKES!

Now 130 extra calories is not the end of the world.  Yet it was a failure to stick to my plan that cost me the extra.  Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me...What I and you need to make sure is that we don't get fooled into extra calories by not A. failing to plan out meals in advance and B. fail to stick to the food plan you set out.

Knowledge is POWER, but only when that knowledge dictates and determines your behavior.  PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!  Stick to that PLAN!

EXERCISE:
Insanity - Pure Cardio

Day #10 Halfway to a Habit

It is said that it takes 21 days to create a habit, while just 4 days to end one.  Well then, today marks my halfway point.  In actual truth, I have exercise everyday of 2013 but one (we were traveling home from IL).  But since January 7th I have been focused in on my fitness and my nutrition (with an occasional nibble of chex mix).

My goal this year is to reach a goal weight of 170 pounds by April 1st.  What I know about achieving success, whether health and fitness or any other field, consistency is king.  Good eating and exercise have to become as integrated in your life as brushing your teeth or showering (one time is not enough).  While most of the Americans who stated in proclamation on New Year's Eve that this was the year they were going to get fit, lose weight or get healthy, most of those who made those resolutions have fallen off the wagon.  As a matter of fact, they are once again riding high in the saddle of McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts.

In order for me to get to that goal will take staying on track, staying focused and having a plan.  The stumbling block to most, including myself is not knowing what to do or what to do next.  So here is my plan to get through the spring:  complete Les Mills Combat (7 more weeks) and restarted (dramatic pause) Insanity.

So how are you doing on your goal of becoming fit, getting healthy, or losing weight?  Are you on track to create your healthy habit?

EXERCISE:
Les Mills Kata 45

Day #9 What do you believe?

I was challenged by a video I watched today on something that had already been stirring in me.  If you are anything like me, you are gifted, skilled, talented and even capable.  The one thing that keeps me from reaching my dreams more than anything else is a big fat ME.  I am the stumbling block, I am the hindrance.

Here is the things I believe in when it comes to health and fitness: one exercise and diet are the keys.  As a Beachbody coach, I honestly believe in Beachbody fitness programs and in Shakeology. They are not the problem.  Where my struggles comes in is believing in me.  I know I touched on this earlier, but this is such a truism.  If you put the work in, the work works.  Yet, somehow, when I quit believing in myself, when I quit caring enough about the person inside, I quit caring for the person on the outside. And then I quit putting the work in.

Health and Fitness are more than physical things.  They are very much emotional.  Let me put it into perspective...you never reach for a bag of carrots after a big breakup. No, of course not, it's a tub of ice cream.  Our emotions are indicators and at times dictators of our physical well being. Our emotional well being is intertwined with our physical well being.  The two are inter-locked.

My problem many days is that I let my emotions and the way I view and believe about myself dictate my physical well-being.  I don't quit exercising because I believe it doesn't work.  I don't shove greasy food in my mouth because I think it makes me healthy.  No, I resort to laziness and bags of goo when I quit feeling worth the work.

So let me pass on the tips shared with me today.  When negative thoughts fill your space and try to push out the positive you believe about yourself, do this.  Write down the negative thought.  Draw a line through it.  Write the opposite, something positive.

My struggle has been with this (honest confession moment, prepare yourself):  No one cares about you or really likes you, so why should you care about yourself. 

Truth is:  People care greatly for me and I am worth caring about and worth caring for myself.

The question is what do you believe about you?

EXERCISE: 
Les Mills Combat HIIT Power + plus some free weight work

Day 7 - Finding Insanity

To rest or not to rest was the question of the day.  I chose not to rest. As a matter a fact did something on the far opposite end, Insanity. Now I believe that rest in your exercise routine is essential.  It allows the fatigued muscles to rest, restore and rebuild. Don't short change yourself on rest.

Rest is an interesting idea.  It is Biblical principle as foretold in the creation story.  It is cultural principal based in our 5 day work week.  Yet, it something we probably don't do enough of.  We live in noisy, loud, busy, overwhelming worlds.  We have demanding schedules for ourselves and for our children.  The one thing we probably don't do enough of or do properly is rest.

Where I am now focusing my attention is improving my productivity.  If you are productive in your working time then what you have freed up is time to rest.   I am personally working through Chalene Johnson's 30 day push challenge.  It is a 30 video based personal development on being organized and efficient...leaving time for rest.

If you life has been life mine typically when you go looking for rest all your find is insanity!

MEALS:  (just the calories)
Breakfast: 383 (I did treat myself to French Vanilla creamer in my coffee)
Lunch: 370
Snack 1: 315 made my Shakeology with Silk Fruit and Protein.  SO GOOD!!!
Dinner: 360
Snack 2: 360

EXERCISE:
Insanity Cardio Resistance and Power...sweaty is mess!

Day #4 Determination and Big Things

*Disclaimer - I told you from the start this was half health and fitness and half emotional well being.  I got a feeling today is a little more emotional well being.

I weighed in this morning was down 3.1 pounds.  Not bad work for three days.  Most of that is shedding the junk I consumed over the week I was home in Illinois.  But as I have dug a little deeper inside what I also realize is I have a satisfaction level for small things in my life.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely believe in celebrating little wins.  My issues is being settle with little wins.  Settling for little wins and then stopping which is more dangerous.  What this really drives at is belief that I deserve big things.  I deserve a better paying job, I deserve to have the life I want, I deserve to lose the weight and have the body I want, I deserve to have a great Beachbody business.  It is this core belief that triggers determination inside of us to go work like crazy to achieve those things.

I don't believe, just because you believe you deserve something that it is automatic.  Although, our achievement bone is directly connected to our thinking bone.  In short you have to believe that you can achieve and overcome obstacles in order to have the determination to do that.  Here are my goals:

1) Weigh 170 pounds by April 1st

2) Reach Diamond Status Coach with Beachbody by Summit in June

There are some other personal, financial and emotional goals that I have set for myself that I won't bore you with.  Here is the crux of today, I have to believe that I am worth good things and big things.  I am worth the goals I have set.  If I believe then I will keep my eyes on the prize and push through to reaching those.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!

MEALS:

Breakfast - total calories: 315
Snack #1 - total calories: 270
Lunch - total calories: 380
Snack #2 - total calories: 340
Dinner - total calories: 225

Total Calories: 1530

EXERCISE:
Les Mills Combat LIVE 30

Day 1 - Revenge of the Sugar Cookies

Starting Weight: 184.8  BMI 26.45 and the annoying sound of my Wii Fit telling me I am overweight!  Great start to a Monday!

I had intentionally avoided scales the last 3 weeks knowing my weight was on a steady climb. But the miniature voice in the Wii this morning as a stepped on the scale is motivation enough as it declared I was overweight.  Honestly, I did workout 6 days last week, but the week before was a steady diet of Christmas Sugar Cookies with my coffee filled with sweetly flavored creamer.  I guess they have taken their revenge.  It is now time to fight back...good bye sugar cookie belly.

Breakfast: 1 piece sugar free whole wheat toast, egg with pepperjack cheese, 1 pc turkey bacon, medium banana - Total Cal: 325

Meal #2 - Shakeology Chocolate, Banana, 1/2 cup skim milk, ice & water - Total Cal.  300(ish)

Lunch - 5 oz tuna with mustard, medium apple, baby carrots (raw), medium green pepper - Total Cal 265

Snack - medium apple and 2 tbsp natural peanut butter - Total Cal 230

Dinner - 1 skinless chicken leg, baked potato (plain), steamed broccoli about 1 1/2 cup - Total Cal 310

Late Night - Banana and baby carrots raw - Total Cal 125
Daily total calories:  1,555

In honest reflection, I did resist some temptations (um, pizza) and also had the urge to emotionally eat to which I choose carrots.  Now it is not the sugar sweet cereal I wanted, but a much smarter choice.

Exercise - Les Mills Combat 30 minute kick start

**Before picture taken and will be posted later in the week!

6 pounds in 30 days

In June I roasted through Insanity, shedding a total of 17 pounds in the process.  I hit an all-time adult low of 171.8 pounds.  I was fit, healthy and feeling great.  In a moment of honest confession, my fitness and nutrition have been "okay".  I have picked us some running again, working through p90X at about 60% of the workouts, missing from time to time. My focus has lacked on reaching my own personal health and fitness goals.  I am in good shape, but have yet to hit great shape.

So I am challenging myself and asking you to hold me accountable to it.  Today is Day 0 of my 6 pounds in 30 day challenge.  I weighed in at 175.5 pounds, 6 pounds breaks that barrier of 170 pounds.  There is nothing special about the number 170, other than the tens have been my walls that I have needed to break through.  While nothing significant physically, 170 means a whole lot mentally.  Seeing 6 after the will indicate a level of fitness and health that I have yet to see as an adult.  It will be payment for working my "gut" off the next 30 days!

I am giving you permission to check in on me -- ask me about my workouts, my nutrition and diet, ask me anything!  My commitment to you is to be honest, to post regularly via youtube videos - (www.youtube.com/karch46mu) and posts on my facebook like page -- www.facebook.com/AFitterYou.

So join me, follow me, watch me change...my Thanksgiving thanks will be for all the support I have got to get this done.  If you are willing to be my encouragement and my accountability partner in this, I would love for you to leave me a comment below!

Thanks in advance!

Jeff Pitts

46th in the nation...

Way to go Kentucky...the state celebrated an amazing athletic accomplishment in April, an 8th NCAA National Championship in basketball.  While another banner is hung in Rupp Arena, the state of Kentucky ranks 46th in the United States in least OBESE states.  An estimate is that over 31% of the state is obese.
An USA Today article says that by 2030 the United States as a whole will be somewhere close to 40% obese.

Maybe that does not alarm you, maybe you look at that number and say oh, well that can't be me.  That is what I thought.  I was overweight, yes.  Heavy, yeah okay.  Obese, not me.  Obesity is measured on the BMI scale.  If your Body Mass Index is over 30% you are considered obese.  Let me give you my numbers at 5'9" and 218 lbs, I was at a BMI of over 32% (besides looking like a pregnant man).

Check for yourself...what is your BMI.

1)  If you find yourself needing to make a change. I want to help you do that.

2) If you find yourself wanting to be a part of helping others make a change.  I want to help you do that.

Join Team Beachbody in our goal to end the trend of obesity!!!!  The Revolution Has Begun!!!

The Thin Line

Let's face it, weight is an emotional thing.  Scale goes up were sad.  Scale goes down were happy.  As much as we would like to reduce it down to just numbers -- number of calories taken in, number of minutes burning those calories off -- what we cannot separate are the emotions of our weight.

With all that in mind, then what we have to strive to overcome is letting our emotions control our behaviors.  In all honesty, if I am having a bad day, there is a mechanism that will pick up any food that is put in front of me and put it in my mouth.  Sometimes this is a conscious decision, other times it is a sub-conscious reflex to my emotions.  I have realized I am not the only one who is an emotional eater.

I have also learned that when I exercise and push my physical limits there is an emotional connection to that as well.  I feel accomplished, satisfied, and actually a sense of happiness.  Exercise is euphoric.  Now I will say this, there are many days at the start of my workout that I don't feel joy or happiness, but that is where choice comes in.  And choice is that thin line that keeps us emotionally attached to the number on the scale.

I have come to a better emotional state when it comes to the scale based on these simple facts:

1) I have eaten in a way that feeds my body what it needs.
2) I have exercised in a way that has push my body to it's physical limits.
3) That I am not defined by that number, but being refined into a healthier person.

Don't let the thin line become a dictator of your behavior.  Overcome those emotions driven by the number you see.  Choose to win.  Win with your food, win with your exercise, win with your attitude.

When to give up...

The truth of the matter is your mind will quit before your body is ready to.  Let's face it none of us like pain, but pain is what is required to see change in your physical appearance.  There is that mechanism in your body that fires a signal to the brain telling it to stop whatever it is doing that is causing the pain.  This mechanism is an amazing feature when we touch a hot stove, stick your hand in snow or slam your finger in the door.  But this feature is a hindrance from success when it comes to achieving optimal results in your physical fitness.

A trick I have used to trick my brain is the "one more" approach.  When I started my weight loss journey with running, it was the one more stoplight or mailbox approach.  My brain was telling my body to stop, I had to speak louder than the voice in my head telling it "just one more...".  I would reach that mailbox or streetlight and I would have to tell my brain "just one more...".  I would do this over and over until I reached my final destination on my run.

When it comes to physical conditioning through lifting and training, I think the "one more..." approach is just as necessary.  In order to break through barriers of weight loss, training, or conditioning you have to break through the mental wall that keeps you from reaching your peak.  As an Insanity graduate, there were days I went through the motions of the workout, but I realized if I wanted peak results I had to give peak performance.  In short I had to overcome the voice in my head and push out one more push-up.  Press through the pain of 10 more seconds of high knees.

The point of giving up is the point where you can physically give no more but even then you say to yourself "just one more..."

A Fitter You!

The Fat Kid Inside...

While I was active and athletic as a kid, I was also quite a "chubbs".  Losing and gaining weight is a matter of math - burn more calories than you take in.  I had no issue burning calories as a kid, but had a greater love for taking them in.  End result: a chubby, athlete.

Inside me is still that "fat kid".  The internal battle I face is the same as it was at 12 years old, now with the metabolism of a 35 year old man.  Like a magnetic force I am drawn to Chinese buffets, sweet tea, pizza parties and holiday feasts.  Like a drunk with his bottle, I never know when to put down the plate.  It is always just one more piece of chicken, one more serving of potato salad, one more...won't kill me.  True enough one more won't, but a life of one mores will.

I have spent the past three years is essence overcoming the inner fat kid.  My journey to a healthier and fitter lifestyle faced many challenges, but the greatest one was controlling my food intake and my desire for food.  Inside still lies that 12 year old kid who longs to shove his face full of whatever is in front of him.  The desire still lies deep inside me so as to win the war on weight comes by beating that "inner fat kid".

A couple of tips to beat the inner fat kid:

1)  Control what you can control:  Bring your lunch to work instead of ordering out; put proper servings on you plate; serve from the stove and not from the table, this prevents from picking more. The more you can control the food, the better your chance of not over indulging.

2) Eliminate piece by piece:  starting changing things out little by little, change from sweet tea to unsweet tea or soda to water.  Little changes start to add up.  Begin cutting back on sodiums, butters and little things that add calories to vegetables or proteins that naturally full of flavor.

3) Say NO:  it takes will power but walk past the doughnuts, the cookies, the sweets that open the abyss of endless snacking.

4) Don't buy it:  because the kids like it is not an excuse ti keep it in the house.  If it is not available, you won't eat it.

Win the war on the inner fat kid and win the war on weight!