Well it's been quite a while since I've been blogging and even longer since I've been to the gym. As of late, things have gotten me wanting to get back to the gym and promise myself to get in the shape I've always wanted to be in. Which I'm sure anyone will tell you that with fitness nothing ever comes easy.
What happened to my fitness regime? Part laziness and just started to give up after having so much vacation honestly. I got too used to sitting around again. Partly too is that on march 29th I had to go for an emergency surgery. Nothing major mind you, but it couldn't wait any longer and my job was very understanding and I was off for 6 weeks. Throughout those 6 weeks I was unable to do exercise and that eventually led to a weight gain. As ive said before; I dont use a weigh scale and just focus on how my body looks, so I don't know how much but I'd guess about 15-20 pounds. It's very annoying, as most of you know, to go and buy new and bigger clothes. For me I think that's my deal breaker with fitness. I don't like having to buy new clothes cause I can't fit them and I'd rather have them just be worn out.
Now I'm starting over once again and time to test my body once again. I always like this part about when you're exercising because you can really find out what your body is truly capable of. Every day is a new day of discovery.
From now on I will be posting new blog entries every week. Not sure what day yet but I will try to keep it the same day every week. Now here's the fun part *drumroll*............ At the end of the Sixpack shortcuts program (about 6 months) I will be revealing a video of my story from beginning to end so that others can get a honest review and see if it really works. I'm making half of the video now, showing me in my current state and the other half will be at the end of the program.
Now as for the food I think I've worked something out just recently. My fiancé and I are going to be eating better and when we have leftovers I'll be using the foodsaver to package the rest for my lunches at work.
Now the only thing left to do is go back to the gym!
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Dedication
I'll be the first to admit that it's not easy sticking to getting healthy. And cause I just got lazy I havent been in about two and a half or three months. I really need to kick my but in gear and get back there. First step though is I'm eating healthier than I used to. They say diet is the major part of getting back in shape.
A big change in my diet will come when September rolls around, because my fiancé will be going to school for baking. I'm going to swear off carbs for the year that she's in school. Wonder how that will go?
So to those who still read this blog (with the dust blown off now), I'm going to give a run down on a typical workday for me. Back to the gym fore tonight (honest) and may start to include progress pictures.
A typical workday for me:
5:40-5:50am- Get up and run around like a chicken with no head, get dressed and throw my lunch in my bag and out the door by 6:03am.
6:10am-ish- get on the bus and go comatose again.
7am- get to work and head to my equipment. I work in a mine as a heavy equipment operator.
8am- have two bananas and down almonds for breakfast. Then brush my teeth.
10 or 11am- salad, sometimes a sandwich or tuna.
1 or 2pm- lunch. It can vary from fish to a sandwich and almonds, or last nights supper.
4:30/5m- another salad or something light and probably some almonds.
7:35- shiftchange
8pm- get on bus to go home
8:55pm- get in the door, turn around twice and head to the gym.
9:10-9:15- arrive at gym
10:20-10:30- get home, have food, check computer, clean exfoliate and moisturizer face.
11:30-ish- bedtime.
Wash rinse and repeat for 3 days. Then 3 nights, and relax for 6 days off.
If I can fit that all into one day and still have time for my fiancé while working, then I can bet that anyone has time.
All it takes is some dedication. How bad do you want to reach your goal?
A big change in my diet will come when September rolls around, because my fiancé will be going to school for baking. I'm going to swear off carbs for the year that she's in school. Wonder how that will go?
So to those who still read this blog (with the dust blown off now), I'm going to give a run down on a typical workday for me. Back to the gym fore tonight (honest) and may start to include progress pictures.
A typical workday for me:
5:40-5:50am- Get up and run around like a chicken with no head, get dressed and throw my lunch in my bag and out the door by 6:03am.
6:10am-ish- get on the bus and go comatose again.
7am- get to work and head to my equipment. I work in a mine as a heavy equipment operator.
8am- have two bananas and down almonds for breakfast. Then brush my teeth.
10 or 11am- salad, sometimes a sandwich or tuna.
1 or 2pm- lunch. It can vary from fish to a sandwich and almonds, or last nights supper.
4:30/5m- another salad or something light and probably some almonds.
7:35- shiftchange
8pm- get on bus to go home
8:55pm- get in the door, turn around twice and head to the gym.
9:10-9:15- arrive at gym
10:20-10:30- get home, have food, check computer, clean exfoliate and moisturizer face.
11:30-ish- bedtime.
Wash rinse and repeat for 3 days. Then 3 nights, and relax for 6 days off.
If I can fit that all into one day and still have time for my fiancé while working, then I can bet that anyone has time.
All it takes is some dedication. How bad do you want to reach your goal?
Monday, 9 January 2012
Kicking the Can! And the Can't
A lot of people have made new years resolutions and are doing their best to keep it up. People have decided to get in shape, eat better, and so on. I didn't think I'd ever make a new years resolution cause I'm not the type. I also said I probably wouldn't write a blog cause I'm not that type either ;). But I've made a couple new years resolutions and they are to get in shape, eat healthier, and lower my fast food intake.
One thing I am doing well so far is the fact that I'm lowering my soda intake. I'm kicking that out the door and drinking more water. The only pop I've really had has been Coke Zero. I've never been a big pop drinker, but I do have my binges like everyone else and have picked up the habit again for the past couple months. Time for it to go again.
There's a funny scenario I came across awhile back. I had went to the gym and had noticed a new person, and I usually don't notice people. Although when you're new at something you tend to look around for someone else that's new as well so we can compare and find a common ally. It's comforting in a way to see someone else who is new, and subconsciously we all loom around and compare and see if there is anyone worse off than us to make us feel better about ourselves. Got a bit off track there, anyways, this person was going good on a machine, yet I noticed a one litre of Pepsi. I immediately thought to myself "well, at least they're here trying and maybe drinking water instead will come second?". Small steps.
Which brings me to my next point. I'm not only kicking my pop can, but not giving up this year and focusing on my goals. Therefore kicking "can't" in the proverbial ass. So, I too, like the person at the gym am taking small steps.
One of my small steps was drinking more water. Now that I've gotten myself used to that over the past few months I've come across a scenario. Last couple of years I've switched to drinking coffee in the winters cause it's warm. Caffeine is useless to my system, it doesnt pep me up and sugar, similarly has no effect either. So I came up with a plan for those cold winter days. I love lemons so I'm now having hot water with lemons. It's so good. Anything with lemons is a plus for me. No sugar added either, just hot water and lemons. And so I can have lemons wherever I go, I've found a product in the tea section called True Lemon. It's in a bright yellow box (all the better, Yellow is my favorite colour) and its 100% natural, crystallized lemons. You'd think cause it is crystallized that there would be sugar but there isn't, and for you calorie counters out there it has no calories either.
Hope everyone is enjoying their New Years. Anyone care to share a resolution?
One thing I am doing well so far is the fact that I'm lowering my soda intake. I'm kicking that out the door and drinking more water. The only pop I've really had has been Coke Zero. I've never been a big pop drinker, but I do have my binges like everyone else and have picked up the habit again for the past couple months. Time for it to go again.
There's a funny scenario I came across awhile back. I had went to the gym and had noticed a new person, and I usually don't notice people. Although when you're new at something you tend to look around for someone else that's new as well so we can compare and find a common ally. It's comforting in a way to see someone else who is new, and subconsciously we all loom around and compare and see if there is anyone worse off than us to make us feel better about ourselves. Got a bit off track there, anyways, this person was going good on a machine, yet I noticed a one litre of Pepsi. I immediately thought to myself "well, at least they're here trying and maybe drinking water instead will come second?". Small steps.
Which brings me to my next point. I'm not only kicking my pop can, but not giving up this year and focusing on my goals. Therefore kicking "can't" in the proverbial ass. So, I too, like the person at the gym am taking small steps.
One of my small steps was drinking more water. Now that I've gotten myself used to that over the past few months I've come across a scenario. Last couple of years I've switched to drinking coffee in the winters cause it's warm. Caffeine is useless to my system, it doesnt pep me up and sugar, similarly has no effect either. So I came up with a plan for those cold winter days. I love lemons so I'm now having hot water with lemons. It's so good. Anything with lemons is a plus for me. No sugar added either, just hot water and lemons. And so I can have lemons wherever I go, I've found a product in the tea section called True Lemon. It's in a bright yellow box (all the better, Yellow is my favorite colour) and its 100% natural, crystallized lemons. You'd think cause it is crystallized that there would be sugar but there isn't, and for you calorie counters out there it has no calories either.
Hope everyone is enjoying their New Years. Anyone care to share a resolution?
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
New Years Challenge!
I have a Challenge, not only for myself but for all my readers, whoever you may be.
When you think about a task you want or have to do, what is it that determines your success or failure? It's your willpower. Also I think the size of that goal determines your willpower. I can say that next year I'm going to be fit and eating healthy and I'll barely sit down. But that's a lifestyle change and it's a really huge step. I'd fail right away because I'm trying to accomplish too much at the one time.
Let me give you an example. My fiancé had read a diet book and we decided to try it because apparently it was "easy". They said to cut out all sugar and carbohydrates from your diet. So, all eager with our newfound goal, my fiancé and I headed bravely into the cupboards and got rid of everything with sugar and carbohydrates. We had barely anything left but meat and chicken. It was depressing but we trudged on, determined to make a go at it. We took about 5 cloth shopping bags full of food and handed it out to the homeless people around town. We got our new food and tried new recipes. They weren't very good, and let's just say that both my fiancé and I have been put off of cauliflower for a long time. It didn't even last a week. That's because we tried too much at the one time. Mind you the rare few are good at such a drastic lifestyle change, but the rest of us find it hard.
I usually eat a lot healthier when I'm working my 6 day cycle because I have to plan my meals. But on my days off my fiancé and I go crazy cause it feels as if we are free to eat whatever we want. Not good cause I'm confusing my system.
My Challenge to myself and my readers is this: avoid eating fast food for as long as you can. Anything that you can order over the phone or get passed to you through a window is off limits. My fiancé and I are prepared to see how long we can last and I had the idea to challenge my readers to do the same.
I will be avoiding all that I had mentioned before and the only food I will be having that isn't cooked at my home will be from a restaurant where they serve you such things as steaks and are properly proportioned. I will keep my progress posted on this and how long I last. I encourage YOU to do the same, I want to hear your progress as well.
It's small changes like this that need to be overcomed first. Like I said in the beginning it took me a while to get used to going to the gym all the time. It's the same thing, you have to adjust your body to something new. Im keeping chips and very little pop at home and junk food and stuff, but that will all go away in time. Like I said, take small steps. I barely eat chips and pop at home anyways, but chocolate? That's a different story. Hahhahahaha.
Good luck to anyone else who is brave enough to try this with me.
When you think about a task you want or have to do, what is it that determines your success or failure? It's your willpower. Also I think the size of that goal determines your willpower. I can say that next year I'm going to be fit and eating healthy and I'll barely sit down. But that's a lifestyle change and it's a really huge step. I'd fail right away because I'm trying to accomplish too much at the one time.
Let me give you an example. My fiancé had read a diet book and we decided to try it because apparently it was "easy". They said to cut out all sugar and carbohydrates from your diet. So, all eager with our newfound goal, my fiancé and I headed bravely into the cupboards and got rid of everything with sugar and carbohydrates. We had barely anything left but meat and chicken. It was depressing but we trudged on, determined to make a go at it. We took about 5 cloth shopping bags full of food and handed it out to the homeless people around town. We got our new food and tried new recipes. They weren't very good, and let's just say that both my fiancé and I have been put off of cauliflower for a long time. It didn't even last a week. That's because we tried too much at the one time. Mind you the rare few are good at such a drastic lifestyle change, but the rest of us find it hard.
I usually eat a lot healthier when I'm working my 6 day cycle because I have to plan my meals. But on my days off my fiancé and I go crazy cause it feels as if we are free to eat whatever we want. Not good cause I'm confusing my system.
My Challenge to myself and my readers is this: avoid eating fast food for as long as you can. Anything that you can order over the phone or get passed to you through a window is off limits. My fiancé and I are prepared to see how long we can last and I had the idea to challenge my readers to do the same.
I will be avoiding all that I had mentioned before and the only food I will be having that isn't cooked at my home will be from a restaurant where they serve you such things as steaks and are properly proportioned. I will keep my progress posted on this and how long I last. I encourage YOU to do the same, I want to hear your progress as well.
It's small changes like this that need to be overcomed first. Like I said in the beginning it took me a while to get used to going to the gym all the time. It's the same thing, you have to adjust your body to something new. Im keeping chips and very little pop at home and junk food and stuff, but that will all go away in time. Like I said, take small steps. I barely eat chips and pop at home anyways, but chocolate? That's a different story. Hahhahahaha.
Good luck to anyone else who is brave enough to try this with me.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Merry Christmas
I don't know if anyone is still reading my blog, or I've just gotten lost in the black hole of the Internet. But to whoever is out there, even if it's only my fiancé Raychel, then Merry Christmas.
Indulge over the holidays and come back right afterwards. Cause I've got a special announcement and a challenge for my readers, whoever you may be.
Indulge over the holidays and come back right afterwards. Cause I've got a special announcement and a challenge for my readers, whoever you may be.
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Health Regime
Everyone's got some type of health regime, whether it be just brushing your teeth, or something that takes two hours to do. I'm not one of those people that it takes two hours to do. Too much time for someone like me who isn't much of a morning person. The last few weeks I have been mulling over my future and where it's taking me. In the next year I'll be going into real estate and starting my future career, this is one reason why I'm trying to get a better health regime into my life. It's not easy, but one step at a time. When I think of the possibility that my face could be on a billboard, that scares me a bit because I'm not exactly the best at taking care of my face, and I should be when I'm in that type of business. If you're face is the size of a building, would you want to look your best, or mediocre? Also with my fiance and I going forward in our lives, hopefully kids will come into the mix in the next few years, and that comes along with another poke in the back. Everyone wants to set a good example for their kids, and like I had said before, I want to get in shape to hopefully inspire them to lead a healthy lifestyle as well, but along with that comes taking care of yourself. So not only would a good body, and eating right help them lead a healthy lifestyle, but having a health regime and taking care of yourself helps them along that road to a healthy lifestyle.
So, I just thought that I would share some of the things that I use all the time, and stuff that I'm working into my health regime. I'm going to start off with the basics and I'll give some explanations why I use them.
First off on the docket!
Good old toothpaste. I love this one especially because just after a couple uses you can already notice you're teeth getting whiter and I also love the taste of it.
There's may a debate of what type of toothbrush to use and why to use it. I've tried the normal, non battery, non sonic, non pulsating, non-whatever, and I don't find they get my teeth clean. I like this one by Colgate because it has a sonic head and it seems to get my teeth cleaner.
Gilette shaving foam. I've tried the gel style, but I don't find it lathers up the same and it doesn't seem to lift the hairs like the foam kind does. Also you'll notice that I have the one for sensitive skin. I find that this one is so nice that I don't need aftershave.
I have been using this Gilette Fusion razer since it first came out. Before that I had the mach turbo, then it went out of commission and now I have this one. I find it even better than the last one. This has four blades, gets nice and close, and the best part about it, is it has that green strip where the blades are and when the green strip goes white, you have to replace the blade. Nice and easy for the lazy people like me who forget when to change the blade.
Dental floss sticks. Great for the way I live my life now because I can just grab one when I wake up half dead in the morning, and I can floss my teeth on the way to the bus stop. Also when I'm at work I have some of these in my bag and when I get something stuck in my teeth I just get one of these out.
This is where my health regime all started. I started taking multi vitamins, I think it was about back in march. I started getting used to taking these things everyday and then once I got into the system of taking them everyday and not forgetting, that's when I slowly started incorporating everything into the mix. I didn't brush my teeth on a daily basis, but once I had this down pat and I was taking them everyday, I moved them into the bathroom, and then got into doing my teeth everyday, and flossing, etc.... Anyways, the one on the left is called Coenzyme q10, great for anyone who has low energy levels like me. I'm not the most energetic person, but these have seemed to help get my energy up, and the ones on the right are multi vitamins from Costco, which is a bulk place to buy anything you can find in a grocery store. Love this store, big sized stuff, lower prices, except be careful what you buy as some of the stuff isn't the best.
Now onto the stuff that I'm going to be trying to work into my new health regime.
This is called Clarisonic, by a company called Maia. My fiance started using this about the beginning of the year or late last year, and it helps exfoliate your skin. She bought me the funky looking brush in the lower picture so I could do my face too. Believe me, it wasn't by choice that I started using this, but it does start to work, I'll admit that. With a 750 square foot (roughly) apartment, there's not much room to hide from someone who wants to use new things on you.
Another thing too that I forgot to put in a picture of is a moisturizing lotion. One thing I use sometimes is Johnsons baby lotion. Soon I'm going to try that new lotion by Dove for Men, and see if that's any good. Up here in the winters it gets really dry and I find that if I don't use something to moisturize my face starts to hurt bad from being so dry. There are some people I know at work who get really bad hands from the dry winters up here and they have deep cracks and scars from not using a moisturizing lotion.
Now mind you, I don't shave everyday cause I don't have to, I shave about every second day. But everything else is kind of basic, I think anyways. What health regime products do you find help you and why? Be interesting to hear.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Willpower
Actor Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion:
Courage. What makes a King out of a slave? Courage.
What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage.
What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?
What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage.
What makes the Sphinx the 7th Wonder? Courage.
What makes the dawn come up like THUNDER?! Courage.
What makes the Hottentot so hot?
What puts the "ape" in ape-ricot?
Whatta they got that I ain't got?
Dorothy & Friends: Courage!
Cowardly Lion: You can say that again.
The Wizard of Oz being one of my favorite all time movies, I can almost recite that excerpt from memory. I'm of the belief that courage coincides with willpower very closely.
When we have a goal in our mind Willpower is the key factor to us getting up and out, and doing what we set out to do. Courage takes a big part in that. If I didn't have any courage I wouldn't have been able to go to the gym. I feared the gym. I've feared very few things in my life, and I wasn't going to let a simple thing as a gym have power over me. If you fear something, then that "something" has power over you. The thing that drove me to get my courage and overcome my fear, was my willpower. When I seen that first video about the Sixpack Shortcuts program, that ignited my willpower. Gave me that fire to get up off my ass and get in shape.
It is that moment, lately, that I've been having to reflect on. As the weather fluctuates and gets colder, I found my willpower doing the same thing. Usually what I had done until the weather got colder (provided this was only when I was working) is I came home, grabbed my bag and off I went. For me, if I keep going and don't stop then I'm good. But if I come home and have to wait ten minutes or more for the SUV to warm up, I get too relaxed. Especially when it's winter. Get off the bus, walk home and it's freezing out. Get inside and it's nice and warm. Who wants to go back outside, go to a cd vehicle and go to the gym? Plus the wait for the vehicle to warm up, gets you relaxed and warm. Hard to leave when you're that comfortable.
The winter poses a greater challenge than I had anticipated. It challenges me to find my willpower, to dig down a d remember the reason why I wanted to get in shape in the first place. With me lately I've been slacking off for the last month. I've been going to the gym off and on for the last month. I'm trying to get myself back to that discipline I had in the first month and a half. I've found my willpower again by watching YouTube videos about people getting in shape and reading fitness blogs. The only damper part about the whole thing is that I still am not good at my nutrition. Hard thing to get in control.
Willpower I've found is the easiest thing to get but the hardest thing to keep. I'm not perfect with my willpower and I've had many days where it's nowhere in sight. The days that I do have it are the days I remember. Those are the days I remember why I chose to get in shape, why I'm doing this to better my future career, why I'm doing this for my future family, and why I'm writing this blog.
How do all of you find your willpower? How do you keep it?
I will be doing more frequent updates from now on. Now that I'm back on track for good. Don't forget too that if you would like to recommend my blog to someone I've made it EVEN EASIER to follow my blog. There's a "subscribe by e-mail" option at the top right.
Courage. What makes a King out of a slave? Courage.
What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage.
What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?
What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage.
What makes the Sphinx the 7th Wonder? Courage.
What makes the dawn come up like THUNDER?! Courage.
What makes the Hottentot so hot?
What puts the "ape" in ape-ricot?
Whatta they got that I ain't got?
Dorothy & Friends: Courage!
Cowardly Lion: You can say that again.
The Wizard of Oz being one of my favorite all time movies, I can almost recite that excerpt from memory. I'm of the belief that courage coincides with willpower very closely.
When we have a goal in our mind Willpower is the key factor to us getting up and out, and doing what we set out to do. Courage takes a big part in that. If I didn't have any courage I wouldn't have been able to go to the gym. I feared the gym. I've feared very few things in my life, and I wasn't going to let a simple thing as a gym have power over me. If you fear something, then that "something" has power over you. The thing that drove me to get my courage and overcome my fear, was my willpower. When I seen that first video about the Sixpack Shortcuts program, that ignited my willpower. Gave me that fire to get up off my ass and get in shape.
It is that moment, lately, that I've been having to reflect on. As the weather fluctuates and gets colder, I found my willpower doing the same thing. Usually what I had done until the weather got colder (provided this was only when I was working) is I came home, grabbed my bag and off I went. For me, if I keep going and don't stop then I'm good. But if I come home and have to wait ten minutes or more for the SUV to warm up, I get too relaxed. Especially when it's winter. Get off the bus, walk home and it's freezing out. Get inside and it's nice and warm. Who wants to go back outside, go to a cd vehicle and go to the gym? Plus the wait for the vehicle to warm up, gets you relaxed and warm. Hard to leave when you're that comfortable.
The winter poses a greater challenge than I had anticipated. It challenges me to find my willpower, to dig down a d remember the reason why I wanted to get in shape in the first place. With me lately I've been slacking off for the last month. I've been going to the gym off and on for the last month. I'm trying to get myself back to that discipline I had in the first month and a half. I've found my willpower again by watching YouTube videos about people getting in shape and reading fitness blogs. The only damper part about the whole thing is that I still am not good at my nutrition. Hard thing to get in control.
Willpower I've found is the easiest thing to get but the hardest thing to keep. I'm not perfect with my willpower and I've had many days where it's nowhere in sight. The days that I do have it are the days I remember. Those are the days I remember why I chose to get in shape, why I'm doing this to better my future career, why I'm doing this for my future family, and why I'm writing this blog.
How do all of you find your willpower? How do you keep it?
I will be doing more frequent updates from now on. Now that I'm back on track for good. Don't forget too that if you would like to recommend my blog to someone I've made it EVEN EASIER to follow my blog. There's a "subscribe by e-mail" option at the top right.
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