Eat Clean! I have been hearing that a lot lately. Eat clean or I ate clean today. Any variation of that is posted a lot on the Beachbody msg boards. How do you eat clean? Wash the food? Wash your hands and face? No. Eating clean means to eat foods that are not processed, refined, hydrogenated, artificially sweetened, dyed or anything similar to that.
Processed foods, convenience foods, fast foods and basically anything that didn't have a momma or grow naturally in the ground should be avoided. Now as a general rule this will work, but I will list some principles from the book The Eat-Clean Diet For Men that you can use as a guide. We all have slip ups. We all cheat from time to time. If you make a concerted effort to follow these principles, you can have success within your own nutritional battle. Doing this one day at a time and not focusing on any day but today, you can win the daily battle. One day at a time, then a week passes. Three weeks pass, 21 days, and you create a habit. To create the habit of eating clean could be the best habit you have and one you wont want to kick.
Eat-Clean Principles
1. Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day.
2. Eat every 2 to 3 hours.
3. Combine lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal.
4. Drink at least 2 liters, or 8 cups, of water per day, more if you are active.
5. Never miss a meal, especially breakfast.
6. Carry a cooler loaded with Clean-Eating foods to get through the day.
7. Avoid all over-processed, refined foods, especially flour and sugar.
8. Avoid artificial sugars.
9. Avoid all preservatives, colors and other chemicals.
10. Avoid all saturated and trans fats.
11. Avoid sugar-loaded colas and juices.
12. Consume adequate good fats (EFAs) each day.
13. Avoid alcohol - another form of sugar.
14. Avoid all calorie-dense foods containing no nutritional value.
15. Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins and enzymes.
16. Stick to proper portion sizes - give up the super sizing!
I know... not always some of the more popular ideas there, especially for us who have been on the opposite side of the nutritional spectrum. Commit to it, and you will see good things happen.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Gastric Bypass vs P90X: What works for me.
If you are obese or morbidly obese.. (BMI over 39) then you may have thought about gastric bypass or gastric banding. Now for the record the information regarding all the bariatric surgeries, there are so many more than the 2 listed but those are the most common and most popular, can be found on obesityhelp.com. It is a good source of information and connection with people both pre and post op in all forms of surgery.
I was thinking about this surgery after talking to someone who had it done. I knew a couple of others that had it done and, as a nurse, I had seen others that had it done. Now the ones I saw in the hospital setting, well lets just say they had problems. Complications do arise with this procedure.
Risks:
*Death within 30 days post op.. but on a 5 year time line.. much less risk of death vs being morbidly obese.
*Blood clots in the legs.
*Leaking at one of the staple lines in the stomach.
*Incision hernia.
*note* all of the previous risks are with any abdominal surgery and not specific to gastric bypass
*Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine.
*Dumping syndrome. This is a condition where stomach contents move too quickly through the small intestine, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and sweating. It's frequently experienced after eating sweets or high-fat foods.
* Vitamin and mineral deficiency (iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency and vitamin D deficiency)
*Dehydration
*Gallstones
*Bleeding stomach ulcer
*Intolerance to certain foods
*Kidney stones
*Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) related to excessive insulin production
*Excess skin resulting in skin infections
Benifits:
*Dramatic weight loss of 50 to 60 percent of excess weight over the first 2 years post op
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
* Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
The cost of this procedure is well over what most people can afford, however, if proven necessary due to bmi and comorbidity issues... insurance will most likely pay but I cant speak for all insurance companies or coverages. You would need to check on that with your current provider. You will have to also change everything you eat on your diet. Dumping syndrome is a common occurrence and from what I have been told not very pleasant.
Your diet will be considerably different for the REST OF YOUR LIFE... not for 1 or 2 years while you lose weight.. but for the rest of your life.. you will have to deal with the common problems of malabsorption issues, vitamin and mineral deficiencies... and dumping syndrome... FOR LIFE!
You can gain weight back. If you continue to overeat you will stretch that pouch that starts about the size of a golf ball to the size of a football. This will keep you from having the restrictive diet and without proper exercise and diet regulation, weight will come back and this does happen more than you might think.
Once the surgery is done, its done.. and you can not change that. Gastric Bypass surgeries can be reversed, but become more problematic than the original surgery and the risks increase with that.
You will not be able to resume normal activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks after surgery to allow the healing process to be complete.
You will have to go through a rigorous screening process to make sure you are both mentally and physically ready for the surgery and life after. You will also have to see a nutritionist. You will have to (usually required by most surgeons) lose some initial weight based on the nutritionists recommendations with your new diet plan prior to surgery.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (remember this for later)
P90X
Risks:
*Muscle soreness
*Tendinitis (pick a joint)
*Back soreness (sometimes related to a prior injury)
*Fatigue from intense workouts
*Increase in laundry due to more clothing dirty from Xtreme workouts
*Increase in heart rate related to intense cardio workouts... (consult your physician prior to engaging in any exercise)
Benifits:
*Weight loss (ranges from 0 to 60 to 70lbs during the first 90 days depending on their need to lose and commitment to the program)
*Increase in lean muscle mass
*Decrease in BMI and body fat percentage
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
all of the above directly related to the weight loss and increase in exercise.
The cost of P90X is around 139.99 + tax and shipping. This can be broken into 3 payments when you order online and use a credit/debit card. You will also need to either purchase bands or some dumbells and a pullup bar. You can do some variation where you get one or both or all 3 as long as you have weights or bands for arms and shoulders and bands or pullup bar for back days.
If you use the msg boards provided by Beachbody while using P90X, you will have the opportunity to connect online with others that are in the same situation you are no matter if you are pretty healthy and in shape just trying to get those last 5 lbs off or you are morbidly obese, have a bmi over 40 and are trying to completely change your life. The msg boards have all kinds of people from all walks of life. Some have started where you are and achieved their goals.
You will have a complete nutrition guide for you while working out with 3 different plans and 3 different levels on each plan with 3 different phases for each plan and level. That is a lot of information and as always if you utilize the Beachbody website, you can also be a Beachbody Club member and gain more nutritional information as well. You will also be assigned your own personal coach on the website and they should be a good resource for you when you have questions or problems.
You will never need a gym membership ever again. You can have one if you want, but if you workout at home, why go to a gym?
I personally am familiar with a lot of this information on both levels. I was 385lbs and my doc had me start the preop for gastric bypass. I saw the surgeon. I had the extreme work up and blood work done. I found out I am borderline diabetic. I found out I had obstructive sleep apnea. I found out I was out of control with food(which i already knew) but between the psychiatrist and nutritionist came to grips with some of my food issues.
I was merely weeks away from have a surgery date. If it were not for a foul up in the doctors office, I might be sitting a few months post operative wondering if I did the right thing.
I didnt have the surgery. I found P90X. I found myself. I found a way to lose the weight, increase my self confidence and self esteem without going under the knife and having a life altering surgery. I found my fountain of youth.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (sound familiar) You have to do almost the exact same thing to stay healthy and fit with both P90X and gastric bypass surgery. The workouts with P90X will obviously more extreme and more intense, but the results are just as amazing and more long lasting. You can lose weight with both gastric bypass or P90X. You can regain the weight. You can fail.
For me the benefits vs risks for P90X out weigh those for gastric bypass surgery and you dont have go through the hell of surgery, dumping syndrome and malabsorption. I could not bring myself to go to the medical extreme. I chose the fitness extreme and now at 303 lbs down from 385lbs... I know that 250lbs is very reachable and will not be the end. I will see my goal weight and I will be in the best shape of my life. I dont think I could have said that with gastric bypass surgery.
Any questions feel free to get in touch with me.
xchicken@hotmail.com
http://xcxtreme.blogspot.com/
http://beachbodycoach.com/000xchicken/
I was thinking about this surgery after talking to someone who had it done. I knew a couple of others that had it done and, as a nurse, I had seen others that had it done. Now the ones I saw in the hospital setting, well lets just say they had problems. Complications do arise with this procedure.
Risks:
*Death within 30 days post op.. but on a 5 year time line.. much less risk of death vs being morbidly obese.
*Blood clots in the legs.
*Leaking at one of the staple lines in the stomach.
*Incision hernia.
*note* all of the previous risks are with any abdominal surgery and not specific to gastric bypass
*Narrowing of the opening between the stomach and small intestine.
*Dumping syndrome. This is a condition where stomach contents move too quickly through the small intestine, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and sweating. It's frequently experienced after eating sweets or high-fat foods.
* Vitamin and mineral deficiency (iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency and vitamin D deficiency)
*Dehydration
*Gallstones
*Bleeding stomach ulcer
*Intolerance to certain foods
*Kidney stones
*Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) related to excessive insulin production
*Excess skin resulting in skin infections
Benifits:
*Dramatic weight loss of 50 to 60 percent of excess weight over the first 2 years post op
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
* Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
The cost of this procedure is well over what most people can afford, however, if proven necessary due to bmi and comorbidity issues... insurance will most likely pay but I cant speak for all insurance companies or coverages. You would need to check on that with your current provider. You will have to also change everything you eat on your diet. Dumping syndrome is a common occurrence and from what I have been told not very pleasant.
Your diet will be considerably different for the REST OF YOUR LIFE... not for 1 or 2 years while you lose weight.. but for the rest of your life.. you will have to deal with the common problems of malabsorption issues, vitamin and mineral deficiencies... and dumping syndrome... FOR LIFE!
You can gain weight back. If you continue to overeat you will stretch that pouch that starts about the size of a golf ball to the size of a football. This will keep you from having the restrictive diet and without proper exercise and diet regulation, weight will come back and this does happen more than you might think.
Once the surgery is done, its done.. and you can not change that. Gastric Bypass surgeries can be reversed, but become more problematic than the original surgery and the risks increase with that.
You will not be able to resume normal activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks after surgery to allow the healing process to be complete.
You will have to go through a rigorous screening process to make sure you are both mentally and physically ready for the surgery and life after. You will also have to see a nutritionist. You will have to (usually required by most surgeons) lose some initial weight based on the nutritionists recommendations with your new diet plan prior to surgery.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (remember this for later)
P90X
Risks:
*Muscle soreness
*Tendinitis (pick a joint)
*Back soreness (sometimes related to a prior injury)
*Fatigue from intense workouts
*Increase in laundry due to more clothing dirty from Xtreme workouts
*Increase in heart rate related to intense cardio workouts... (consult your physician prior to engaging in any exercise)
Benifits:
*Weight loss (ranges from 0 to 60 to 70lbs during the first 90 days depending on their need to lose and commitment to the program)
*Increase in lean muscle mass
*Decrease in BMI and body fat percentage
Improvement of...
* Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes
* High blood pressure
* High blood cholesterol
* Obstructive sleep apnea
all of the above directly related to the weight loss and increase in exercise.
The cost of P90X is around 139.99 + tax and shipping. This can be broken into 3 payments when you order online and use a credit/debit card. You will also need to either purchase bands or some dumbells and a pullup bar. You can do some variation where you get one or both or all 3 as long as you have weights or bands for arms and shoulders and bands or pullup bar for back days.
If you use the msg boards provided by Beachbody while using P90X, you will have the opportunity to connect online with others that are in the same situation you are no matter if you are pretty healthy and in shape just trying to get those last 5 lbs off or you are morbidly obese, have a bmi over 40 and are trying to completely change your life. The msg boards have all kinds of people from all walks of life. Some have started where you are and achieved their goals.
You will have a complete nutrition guide for you while working out with 3 different plans and 3 different levels on each plan with 3 different phases for each plan and level. That is a lot of information and as always if you utilize the Beachbody website, you can also be a Beachbody Club member and gain more nutritional information as well. You will also be assigned your own personal coach on the website and they should be a good resource for you when you have questions or problems.
You will never need a gym membership ever again. You can have one if you want, but if you workout at home, why go to a gym?
I personally am familiar with a lot of this information on both levels. I was 385lbs and my doc had me start the preop for gastric bypass. I saw the surgeon. I had the extreme work up and blood work done. I found out I am borderline diabetic. I found out I had obstructive sleep apnea. I found out I was out of control with food(which i already knew) but between the psychiatrist and nutritionist came to grips with some of my food issues.
I was merely weeks away from have a surgery date. If it were not for a foul up in the doctors office, I might be sitting a few months post operative wondering if I did the right thing.
I didnt have the surgery. I found P90X. I found myself. I found a way to lose the weight, increase my self confidence and self esteem without going under the knife and having a life altering surgery. I found my fountain of youth.
If you stick with the diet restrictions and exercise you will lose the weight and should keep it off... its pretty much up to you. Attitude is everything. (sound familiar) You have to do almost the exact same thing to stay healthy and fit with both P90X and gastric bypass surgery. The workouts with P90X will obviously more extreme and more intense, but the results are just as amazing and more long lasting. You can lose weight with both gastric bypass or P90X. You can regain the weight. You can fail.
For me the benefits vs risks for P90X out weigh those for gastric bypass surgery and you dont have go through the hell of surgery, dumping syndrome and malabsorption. I could not bring myself to go to the medical extreme. I chose the fitness extreme and now at 303 lbs down from 385lbs... I know that 250lbs is very reachable and will not be the end. I will see my goal weight and I will be in the best shape of my life. I dont think I could have said that with gastric bypass surgery.
Any questions feel free to get in touch with me.
xchicken@hotmail.com
http://xcxtreme.blogspot.com/
http://beachbodycoach.com/000xchicken/
Monday, August 3, 2009
Round 2 Recovery week...
Well the first 3 weeks are in the books on round 2. Recovery week started today with Yoga X. I have to admit, I did not like yoga when I first started doing P90X. Now I love it. I feel so much better after doing it as hard as the venyasas may be and how tiring it is in some of the positions while Tony talks a little longer than I would like.
I would encourage everyone to stick with it at least through the first 45 mins or so to the balance postures. That would be the entire sequence of venyasas and in my opinion the toughest part of Yoga X. Then each time you do it, increase the amount you do. Build up your Yoga X stamina.
Good luck with Yoga X.
XC
I would encourage everyone to stick with it at least through the first 45 mins or so to the balance postures. That would be the entire sequence of venyasas and in my opinion the toughest part of Yoga X. Then each time you do it, increase the amount you do. Build up your Yoga X stamina.
Good luck with Yoga X.
XC
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Dedication
When I think about what dedication means to me, so much comes to mind. There are a few definitions of the word, but the one that hit home with me was "selfless devotion". To be selflessly devoted to something or someone is the ultimate act of giving it your all. Whether it be a hobby, a marriage or a lifestyle, you know with selfless devotion that you will do whatever it takes to make it the best it can be.
I challenge everyone to be selflessly devoted (dedicated) to something. Something good obviously, but something. I am choosing to be dedicated to my P90X workouts. Find what you need to do, change or make better within you and take that challenge.
With any challenge there should be some form of accountability. I started this blog, but failed to be dedicated to posting on it with my workouts daily for the entire 90 days. In fact, I started the blog and never posted again. That will change. What will you change? How will you make the necessary adjustments in your life to see that the changes will be effective and thus make you successful in your daily dedication to whatever you are doing?
See ya tomorrow!!
I challenge everyone to be selflessly devoted (dedicated) to something. Something good obviously, but something. I am choosing to be dedicated to my P90X workouts. Find what you need to do, change or make better within you and take that challenge.
With any challenge there should be some form of accountability. I started this blog, but failed to be dedicated to posting on it with my workouts daily for the entire 90 days. In fact, I started the blog and never posted again. That will change. What will you change? How will you make the necessary adjustments in your life to see that the changes will be effective and thus make you successful in your daily dedication to whatever you are doing?
See ya tomorrow!!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Motivation...
I read a post one day on the Beachbody message boards (http://teambeachbody.com/connect/message-boards) and the topic was what keeps you motivated.
As I read through this post and started to think about what motivated me to workout every day without fail, I noticed that most people (at least the ones doing P90X) had similar motivators. When I finally did reply to the post, I simply put "my mirror". It seemed like a simple enough answer since I have been looking in the mirror for the last 15 years and not liking what I saw. My real motivation is not that simple.
Liking who you are is cornerstone to a healthy psyche. I had not liked who I was for some time. So when I looked in the mirror, I was angry at what I had become, angry at myself for allowing and enabling this to become my life. I wanted to be happy and healthy. I wanted to be alive for my children's children. I wanted to not keep myself secluded from the world due to my weight.
When I got married, I worked out. I was 215 lbs. I was happy with who I was. May 2008 I was 385 lbs. and I was not happy with who I was. I allowed myself, over years of self neglect, to become a person I was not meant to be. Alone, sad and unhappy is not how I saw myself when I looked at my future as a young 20 year old man. There I was, looking in that mirror and wanting my life to change.
I first decided to cheat the system and have the mother of all weight reduction surgeries. Gastric bypass surgery otherwise known as Bariatric surgery. By the end of May 2008 I had completed all the necessary pre-op screening, testing and evaluations. I was merely waiting on a surgery date. Luckily, my doctors fouled things up and my dates were being pushed back due to an error within the office. So while waiting for this surgery date to get set up, I decided to get a bike and save money on gas and get some exercise at the same time. With the help of the nutritionist (one of the pre-op appointments mandatory with all bariatric procedures) and my new bike, I lost about 50 lbs and thought I can do this without surgery. I never rescheduled any appointment with the surgeons, but I did have an extensive workup done and I found out that other than being over weight, I was pretty healthy.
Living in New England is great for riding bikes until October. So the weight came back on and the bike stayed in storage. I finally got back up to 355 and this is when I got P90X. My boss was on day 20 and I could see the changes in him. I had seen the infomercial and liked what I saw, so I ordered it.
Now 30 days into it, working out like a mad man and being very rigid with my diet I read that post. What motivates you? Now I think the answer is just that easy, my mirror. I look in the mirror now and I see the changes that P90X and a little dedication can do for my body. I get the random compliments... "You look so good" and "Have you lost weight" and the list goes on. Those confidence builders and self esteem enhancing comments fuel the desire to workout. Just as it is a vicious cycle of apathy, self loathing and eating to make me who I was when I didn't like me. The glorious cycle of self confidence, happiness and passion to be a viable productive person in my life and others just spills out now and people notice. They notice when you are down and they notice when you are up.
After completing the program and my total weight loss to be at 53 lbs., I am extremely happy with my current results and what I have become. I am a more active person and I don't opt to stay in when I could be out. I was able to enjoy my time with my children more instead of keeping the life of a hermit while they were with me for a month on their vacation. I like who I see when I look in the mirror. I have a great new set of friends and it keeps growing every day from the connection on the Beachbody message boards. I have a, albeit new, growing business as a Team Beachbody Coach.
Motivation can come in many forms but one huge one is the stories that you see and read about on Beachbody. They did it, so can I. The pushed play every day, so can I. They lived the mantra... Decide. Commit. Succeed. So can I. I stay motivated to be that person of motivation. I stay motivated to live up to my predecessors in P90X. I stay motivated to like what I see when I look in the mirror.
As I read through this post and started to think about what motivated me to workout every day without fail, I noticed that most people (at least the ones doing P90X) had similar motivators. When I finally did reply to the post, I simply put "my mirror". It seemed like a simple enough answer since I have been looking in the mirror for the last 15 years and not liking what I saw. My real motivation is not that simple.
Liking who you are is cornerstone to a healthy psyche. I had not liked who I was for some time. So when I looked in the mirror, I was angry at what I had become, angry at myself for allowing and enabling this to become my life. I wanted to be happy and healthy. I wanted to be alive for my children's children. I wanted to not keep myself secluded from the world due to my weight.
When I got married, I worked out. I was 215 lbs. I was happy with who I was. May 2008 I was 385 lbs. and I was not happy with who I was. I allowed myself, over years of self neglect, to become a person I was not meant to be. Alone, sad and unhappy is not how I saw myself when I looked at my future as a young 20 year old man. There I was, looking in that mirror and wanting my life to change.
I first decided to cheat the system and have the mother of all weight reduction surgeries. Gastric bypass surgery otherwise known as Bariatric surgery. By the end of May 2008 I had completed all the necessary pre-op screening, testing and evaluations. I was merely waiting on a surgery date. Luckily, my doctors fouled things up and my dates were being pushed back due to an error within the office. So while waiting for this surgery date to get set up, I decided to get a bike and save money on gas and get some exercise at the same time. With the help of the nutritionist (one of the pre-op appointments mandatory with all bariatric procedures) and my new bike, I lost about 50 lbs and thought I can do this without surgery. I never rescheduled any appointment with the surgeons, but I did have an extensive workup done and I found out that other than being over weight, I was pretty healthy.
Living in New England is great for riding bikes until October. So the weight came back on and the bike stayed in storage. I finally got back up to 355 and this is when I got P90X. My boss was on day 20 and I could see the changes in him. I had seen the infomercial and liked what I saw, so I ordered it.
Now 30 days into it, working out like a mad man and being very rigid with my diet I read that post. What motivates you? Now I think the answer is just that easy, my mirror. I look in the mirror now and I see the changes that P90X and a little dedication can do for my body. I get the random compliments... "You look so good" and "Have you lost weight" and the list goes on. Those confidence builders and self esteem enhancing comments fuel the desire to workout. Just as it is a vicious cycle of apathy, self loathing and eating to make me who I was when I didn't like me. The glorious cycle of self confidence, happiness and passion to be a viable productive person in my life and others just spills out now and people notice. They notice when you are down and they notice when you are up.
After completing the program and my total weight loss to be at 53 lbs., I am extremely happy with my current results and what I have become. I am a more active person and I don't opt to stay in when I could be out. I was able to enjoy my time with my children more instead of keeping the life of a hermit while they were with me for a month on their vacation. I like who I see when I look in the mirror. I have a great new set of friends and it keeps growing every day from the connection on the Beachbody message boards. I have a, albeit new, growing business as a Team Beachbody Coach.
Motivation can come in many forms but one huge one is the stories that you see and read about on Beachbody. They did it, so can I. The pushed play every day, so can I. They lived the mantra... Decide. Commit. Succeed. So can I. I stay motivated to be that person of motivation. I stay motivated to live up to my predecessors in P90X. I stay motivated to like what I see when I look in the mirror.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
