I’m moving on up, to the east side…

Hey everyone, I finally went ahead and registered a domain name for NMFD. So, I’m in the process of setting up the new site and hope to have everything moved by the end of this weekend.

I’m excited because the new site will give me a lot more control and freedom to do things with NMFD, like discussion boards and polls, etc.

OK, I’ve got the new site up. It’s pretty much done, but I may tweak things over the next few weeks.

So, please change any links to http://www.nomorefatdad.com and then head on over and take a look.

Thanks!

(in my best Jim Morrison voice)…This is the end

OK, not quite the end and not really an end at all but a new beginning. In just 9 days I’ll complete the Men’s Health Belly Off! 2008 program. I’ve loved every minute of it and feel great with how my body is developing. The concept of quick, high intensity workouts really fits my lifestyle while being super effective. With the end coming up so quick, it was time to look for a new program to work on. So last night, I went ahead and purchased the Turbulence Training package from Craig Ballantyne.

I can eat more!!!

In just one day of using FitDay to track my calories, I’ve discovered I’m not taking in close to enough calories in a day. Using a formula I used from Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle, I determined my daily calorie requirements (for my age, height, weight and activity level) should be somewhere in the neighborhood of 2400 calories. On Monday, I took in only ~1700 and that’s not taking into account my interval training. So I’d say my calorie total for yesterday was closer to 1400 and that is WAY too low.

Visualize a slimmer you

I just came across this new service, and it looks pretty cool. You submit a picture of yourself, say how much you want to lose and within 48 hours a digitally enhanced picture is ready for you that shows what you may look like at that goal weight.

I haven’t tried it yet, but what a powerful motivator. Now, since I was a skinny twig at one time, I think I’ll just use one of my wedding pictures as a visualization of what I can look like (again).

If anyone tries this service out, let me know and it would be fun to see the before & after pics that you get back.

Altered state

Here we are, 38 days into the Belly Off! 2008 program. That leaves just 18 more days for us to work on hitting our goals for the 8 weeks. This time has gone by quick, but at the same time I feel like I’ve been living this new lifestyle for a lot longer. What once took a lot of thought and planning is becoming second nature. What once was considered cruel and unusual punishment is now considered exhilarating and enjoyable. Things can and have changed in just 38 days. Here are some thoughts on those changes.

Dragging ass today

Ugh, my wife couldn’t sleep last night so that means I didn’t sleep last night. I drug my butt outta bed at 6:30 to do my intervals, but it was more like 6:40 by the time I got on the treadmill. That meant I could only do a quick, 5 set, interval session. It still felt good and I made it through the day, but it’s time to do Workout B and I just can’t get myself going to do it.

Fat Tuesday

Years past, Fat Tuesday was always an excuse for me to eat as much as I could and to enjoy some donuts with the family (since we can’t find any paczki). This year, Lent starts very early (the earliest in 96 years actually), so Fat Tuesday comes fast on the heels of Super Bowl Sunday. So this week is a potential weight loss disaster waiting to happen. So, when you reach for a big slice of King Cake, or a paczki, or any other fattening food in the name of Fat Tuesday, think about your fitness and weight-loss goals. Use portion control, common sense and focus and you can make it through this day of gluttony without derailing all the efforts you’ve made so far.

Tennis balls are good for you

A great method of self-massage is to use a tennis ball to help us reach the hard-to-get spots or to go deeper into the easy to reach places. For a “foot massage extraordinaire” take a tennis ball, and one foot at a time, stand on it.

Bing, bing, bing…I’m Ricochet Rabbit

Man, I don’t know if this is a one time thing or if I’m going to be like this all the time. I am bouncing off the walls with energy today. I always get a good night sleep, 8 hours minimum, so it’s not that I’ve been behind in my sleep. But today I woke up and I just can’t sit still, I’m running around everywhere, my body feels like it’s a dynamo, I’m fidgety when I’m sitting at my desk, my wife asked what the hell got into me. If this is what I should always feel like if I’m healthy, I love it. And I didn’t need any sugar to get this way, amazing!

Have I been fighting my heredity?

As I take a look back in my life and then look at my parents and grandparents, I start to realize that I alone am the reason for why I reached 210 pounds. I used to be skinny, probably a bit too skinny. When I joined the Navy, I was around 160 pounds (72.57 kg). I was active in high school, playing baseball and wrestling (just to get in shape for baseball, because I sucked at wrestling) and I was active out in the neighborhood all the time. My high school’s cross country coach (our gym coach) wanted me to join the team after I did a few laps around the track for a Presidential Fitness test. I declined that offer because I couldn’t see the point of getting up early in the morning in the summer to go for a run. Who knows, that may have been a poor decision. Thinking about that now, it may have got me into a running routine that I might have enjoyed and stuck with. Regardless, I used to not have weight issues.

Feeling fantastic today

I just wanted to write a quick post to say that I feel great today. My pants have been feeling looser the past week along with my belt. But today, my pants feel like they’re going to fall off me. And my belt… it’s more for decoration right now because it’s not tight enough to hold my pants up.

Couple that with the fact that I finally figured out how to use the “Interval Training” setting on my gym’s treadmill and it’s been a good day. It sure is easier to just push a button once to change my interval pace between my 3/10 and 8/10 settings. Before I figured out how to do it, I would press the speed increase/decrease button until I reached my desired setting. When I’m completely gassed towards the end of my intervals, holding onto that little button as it goes from ~8mph down to 3.7mph can be difficult.

So, all-in-all, it’s been a good day so far.

20 (ok 21) days into Belly Off! 2008

I meant to write this yesterday, but obviously I didn’t. So instead of a 20 days posting, here is a 21 days post on my thoughts and feelings as I go through this weight loss journey.

I feel fantastic. This has been one of the best decisions of my life and I feel better for making that decision each and every day. My energy levels are up, my belly fat and moobies are shrinking and I feel more physically fit.

I should travel more often

Well, I’m back from my quick day trip to DC. The Google presentation went well and there were no major delays at the airport and I got to watch an hour or so of DodgeBall, which I had not seen yet (pretty funny so far).

As I was walking back to my car in the evening, taking the 2 flights of steps up to the overpass, I realized that traveling was a pretty decent workout. I had to walk a good distance to & from my gates, I had quite a few stairs to climb and I was on my feet most of the day. A lot better than being stuck behind a desk for 8 hours.

Next test…travel

I knew it was going to happen someday, but I didn’t plan on it happening this soon. I travel to Washington, DC pretty regularly for work (I love that town by the way). Usually, it’s when I plan on going so I can control my schedule and itinerary. Well, we had a partner ask us to come down and give a presentation on Google Earth to their federal sales team, and it ends up, that’s my job. So, I have to make an unplanned trip to DC this Monday which presents some challenges to my weight loss plans.

10 days into Belly Off! 2008

Here we are, 10 days into the Men’s Health Belly Off! 2008 program. I thought I would take a few moments to jot down some random thoughts from these first 10 days.