CSC Gets Back into Shape 10/1/11

[Sean]

Week 2, day 5

Same old, same old at this point. Unfortunately I have two more weeks of these episodes. I am looking forward to tomorrow, it's Pure Cardio (the hard one) and a new thing, something about abs. Should be good. I felt that the workout this morning was good, but my body is getting more used to the movements so it wasn't nearly as hard as it was last week. If it becomes too redundant next week, I may switch it up and swap a week from next month, and vice versa. That way I'll be more interested.

Unfortunately Angela still has a solid head cold, so she couldn't do it with me. I'm hoping I don't catch what she has and am out part of next week. She wants to start up again tomorrow, but I'm thinking that Monday would be a safer bet.

My diet hasn't been awesome, but I've still been losing weight and becoming trimmer. I've found that I get pretty hungry during the day and may need to reevaluate my diet a little. I think I'll go to the local supplement shop (a local version of GNC) and see what they have to say. I may just grab a small thing of protein/muscle milk to try out for a week or two. One of my downfalls, is when I get hungry I go for something I want, not something I should have. Maybe a good shake will help keep that morning hunger away.

[bulldog]

Week 2, day 5

Same old, same old at this point. Unfortunately I have two more weeks of these episodes. I am looking forward to tomorrow, it's Pure Cardio (the hard one) and a new thing, something about abs. Should be good. I felt that the workout this morning was good, but my body is getting more used to the movements so it wasn't nearly as hard as it was last week. If it becomes too redundant next week, I may switch it up and swap a week from next month, and vice versa. That way I'll be more interested.

Unfortunately Angela still has a solid head cold, so she couldn't do it with me. I'm hoping I don't catch what she has and am out part of next week. She wants to start up again tomorrow, but I'm thinking that Monday would be a safer bet.

My diet hasn't been awesome, but I've still been losing weight and becoming trimmer. I've found that I get pretty hungry during the day and may need to reevaluate my diet a little. I think I'll go to the local supplement shop (a local version of GNC) and see what they have to say. I may just grab a small thing of protein/muscle milk to try out for a week or two. One of my downfalls, is when I get hungry I go for something I want, not something I should have. Maybe a good shake will help keep that morning hunger away.

Try some of the protein bars they sell because some are so good they are almost like a candy bar. I like the taste of LaBrada protein bars
http://www.labrada.com/moreinfo_bars_leanbody2.shtml
http://www.labrada.com/moreinfo_bars_lb_newgen.shtml

[Zach929rr]

Shakes are super convenient too. I don't think I would be able to maintain consumption of 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass without shakes, and its something sweet tasting to break up the monotony of my rather blandish diet.

[cdbouncer]

I'll throw my hat in the ring.

w3 d4 since I made fitness and health my job. Yes I'm lucky.

What I've been doing - going from 10 hrs / day at a desk to:

Zumba (shutup for the girly comments, i'm a girl and it's fun) - 2 to 2.5 hours / day

Vinyasa Yoga (also, see above) - just getting back 20 min / day

Diet - not perfect but generally less than my bmr / day

Results - none. Well, none on the scale anyway.

Anybody got a magic button to turn the metabolism on?

[bulldog]

They have even come out with water that has protein in it

http://www.powerhouse-supplements.net/proteinwater.html
http://www.designerwhey.com/protein-...l-products.htm

Vitamin Water is even getting in on it:
http://www.somethingyoushouldread.com/articles/article.php?id=73

[bulldog]

I'll throw my hat in the ring.

w3 d4 since I made fitness and health my job. Yes I'm lucky.

What I've been doing - going from 10 hrs / day at a desk to:

Zumba (shutup for the girly comments, i'm a girl and it's fun) - 2 to 2.5 hours / day

Vinyasa Yoga (also, see above) - just getting back 20 min / day

Diet - not perfect but generally less than my bmr / day

Results - none. Well, none on the scale anyway.

Anybody got a magic button to turn the metabolism on?

diet, diet, diet...what you eat is more important than your workout! Best way to up the metabolism is to eat every two hours so your body constantly "processes" calories instead of "stores" them! I am a fan oh high protein diets..

[Sean]

Try some of the protein bars they sell because some are so good they are almost like a candy bar. I like the taste of LaBrada protein bars
http://www.labrada.com/moreinfo_bars_leanbody2.shtml
http://www.labrada.com/moreinfo_bars_lb_newgen.shtml

Being a person always on the go (full-time work, full-time school and exercising) I'm pretty sick of different bars. You're right, they are a great option, but I'm over them for now. With a fridge at work, a shake might be a nice change of pace for me.

Anybody got a magic button to turn the metabolism on?

It sound like you're on the right track. I think the biggest part is making fitness a lifestyle choice. I'm guessing the area you may need to strengthen, is the nutrition. Also, I've never been one of the people to promote these workout vids, but they aren't bad. I saw results in the first week.

Keep it up!

[Zach929rr]

Being a person always on the go (full-time work, full-time school and exercising) I'm pretty sick of different bars. You're right, they are a great option, but I'm over them for now. With a fridge at work, a shake might be a nice change of pace for me.

If I worked not-in-home, I would probably make and portion my meals on my off days and take everything with me in a shoulder cooler.

[dragos13]

I'll throw my hat in the ring.

w3 d4 since I made fitness and health my job. Yes I'm lucky.

What I've been doing - going from 10 hrs / day at a desk to:

Zumba (shutup for the girly comments, i'm a girl and it's fun) - 2 to 2.5 hours / day

Vinyasa Yoga (also, see above) - just getting back 20 min / day

Diet - not perfect but generally less than my bmr / day

Results - none. Well, none on the scale anyway.

Anybody got a magic button to turn the metabolism on?

Are you trying to lose weight? Detail your diet.

Same with you Sean.

The more you work out the more you will want to eat. You can make simple changes in your diet that will get you results 10 fold. Also, eating right doesn't mean you have to eat bland boring food. Nor should you be starving yourself. Your body needs food intake to build muscle and also to burn fat. If you starve yourself (like skipping breakfast, etc) your body tends to store more fat.

[Zach929rr]

If you can't tell someone exactly how man calories you eat every single day +- 1 or 2 hundred, your diet is probably neither consistent nor as low-cal as you would like.

[Sean]

If you can't tell someone exactly how man calories you eat every single day +- 1 or 2 hundred, your diet is probably neither consistent nor as low-cal as you would like.

Not 100% true. I have no idea, but I eat really well (lots of fruits and veggies).

But yes, if you are a little uncertain as to whether your food is good for you or not, it's important to research it. And don't go drastic, cut out little things. Be progressive.

[dragos13]

If you can't tell someone exactly how man calories you eat every single day +- 1 or 2 hundred, your diet is probably neither consistent nor as low-cal as you would like.

For sure!

You should always count calories and protein. Also, know how many ounces of water you are drinking each day.

Once I started getting help from a nutritionalist, I was amazed at how poor my diet was. I kept my workout routine the same and saw HUGE difference over a three month period.

[cdbouncer]

Are you trying to lose weight? Detail your diet.

Same with you Sean.

The more you work out the more you will want to eat. You can make simple changes in your diet that will get you results 10 fold. Also, eating right doesn't mean you have to eat bland boring food. Nor should you be starving yourself. Your body needs food intake to build muscle and also to burn fat. If you starve yourself (like skipping breakfast, etc) your body tends to store more fat.

I don't really care about the scale but I would like to see changes physically. Be smaller is the goal

I know i've got some easy muscle to put on - going from inactive to active - but I went from drinking almost daily and eating whatever I want to almost the exact opposite and have gained 7 lbs in 3 weeks. You do the math.

Typical Day:

6am - protein special K + nonfat milk + coffee
9am - light yogurt with 1/4c special k granola
11am - turkey + egg whites or salad w/ turkey or progresso light soup
2pm - advantedge EAS protein shake
5-6pm - small portion of whatever I make for dinner


100+ oz water

[dragos13]

I don't really care about the scale but I would like to see changes physically. Be smaller is the goal

I know i've got some easy muscle to put on - going from inactive to active - but I went from drinking almost daily and eating whatever I want to almost the exact opposite and have gained 7 lbs in 3 weeks. You do the math.

Typical Day:

6am - protein special K + nonfat milk + coffee
9am - light yogurt with 1/4c special k granola
11am - turkey + egg whites or salad w/ turkey or progresso light soup
2pm - advantedge EAS protein shake
5-6pm - small portion of whatever I make for dinner


100+ oz water

That is actually really good. As for dinner, stay away from carbs and fat. Just protein and veggies.

I'm not really familiar with your workouts. Are they heavy cardio? High pulse rate for extended period of time? How long have you been on this schedule?

[OUTLAWD]

the biggest thing that stuck with me was looking at food as fuel.

When I was lifting alot, I needed alot of protein, so thats what I ate...there was a point in time when I was cutting that I was honestly eating <10g of carbs a day, but still 3000-3500 cals/day, was it the best for me, prob not, but it worked

[cdbouncer]

That is actually really good. As for dinner, stay away from carbs and fat. Just protein and veggies.

I'm not really familiar with your workouts. Are they heavy cardio? High pulse rate for extended period of time? How long have you been on this schedule?

I need to work on consistency of my diet - and clean up the last meal for sure. What is really important to me is that what I do now - I can do the rest of my life...when maybe my job isn't just this. So - any extreme kind of diet is something I want to stay away from.

Zumba is a kind of dance/aerobics. When I started I was at max HR for most of the time. Now I can have a conversation most of the time...which is why I increased the length. I do 2 or 3 45-65 min sessions of this cardio and follow it up with basic core work and about a 20 min yoga session. Essentially its nearly 4 hours a day of constant movement with my own body weight as resistance for squats, lunges, pushups, etc.

[3D]

Here's what I ate yesterday. Usually the only thing that changes is dinner, but we usually always eat fairly healthy for dinner.

7:00 a.m.
4 egg whites, 2 whole eggs ( scrambled w/ no seasoing)
1 slice wheat toast w/ grape jelly
1 bananna
1 yoplait 6 oz yogurt
2 scoops Monster Milk protein w/ 12-16 oz water
GNC Multi-vitamin
2 capsules fish oil

Approx. 11:30 a.m.
3 scoops Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 Protein (Post workout)

12:30'ish p.m.
2 Chicken Tenderloin, boiled w/ low sodium seasoning (4-6 oz each)
1 cup Birds Eye Whole Green Beans (Raw)

1:30'ish p.m.
1 Hot Dog and Bun

3:30'ish p.m.
(repeat 12:30 meal)

6:00'ish
Grilled Salmon w/garlic butter
1 cup Broccoli (Raw)
1 cup Brown Rice

9:00'ish p.m.
Monster Milk Protein 2 scoops

Approx. 2700 Calories
Approx. 330g protein

Changes slightly due to whatever I eat for dinner and if I make an extra hot dog or sandwich.

[Stuart Little]

I had no problems in 2005 going from 300 to 200, but after last years car accident and ~6 months out of the gym I got quite lazy and had an awesome pity party. I was having a hard time getting going again so last month I got a bodybugg as a motivational tool to track every calorie and try and always hit my caloric deficit. I'm down 15 lbs since then, ~40ish more to go to get back to my healthy 220 weight.

[Clovis]

Weight reduced from 270lbs to 238lbs.

Ideal would be 200. I'm 6'3"

Not doing anything really special, just not eating as much crap and walking a lot.

[Sean]

Week 3, day 1

I guess I should start with Saturday's workout since I didn't update this weekend. Saturday was hard! Pure Cardio with this new abs program. What really sucked is that Angela was just getting over her cold and I was hung over like a mutha! (Damn you Obsidian Stouts!) So instead of 5:30 am, it was 4:30 pm. We got through it, but it wasn't pretty. So Sunday being an off-day, was openly welcomed. The abs program was okay, not great, but okay. He uses some of the same exercises as the other episodes, combined with some new stuff. Plus, it's only 16 min long. But if you combine that with Pure Cardio, the workout is now up to an hour instead of 35-40min. Not a huge difference, but when you're trying to get to work, it'll delay you.

This morning was the Fit Test. The same test you take on day 1, and will take every two weeks until the end. Since Angela and I are highly anal and love spreadsheets, we made a google doc to share back and forth and track our progress. We made some big improvements. Funny enough, there was one exercise that I actually did one LESS rep in! Guess I got tired. But Angela actually went down one rep too. If you know the program, here are my numbers. As you can see, most jumped up. So far I'm pretty happy. I don't know that I equate the fit test as becoming "more fit" I just see it as getting better at his exercises.

Test 1 25 50 75 38 9 17 24 24
Test 2 60 58 97 45 12 16 28 34

[bulldog]

I think I have finally hit the point where my body can't take anymore and I need a couple days (at the least) rest from working out. I go to Playa Del Carmen Mexico at the beggining of next month and have been hitting it hard in prep to be in great shape for that. I've been doing at least 5 days a week for at least the last three months and now I just feel like total sh*t when I have went into the gym the last few days and my entire body is sore and tired.

So I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes it is good to take a few days off to recover.

[dragos13]

I think I have finally hit the point where my body can't take anymore and I need a couple days (at the least) rest from working out. I go to Playa Del Carmen Mexico at the beggining of next month and have been hitting it hard in prep to be in great shape for that. I've been doing at least 5 days a week for at least the last three months and now I just feel like total sh*t when I have went into the gym the last few days and my entire body is sore and tired.

So I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes it is good to take a few days off to recover.

Yeah absolutely a good idea. I usually go to the gym 3 out of every 4 days and once a month I just take the entire 4 days off. It really helps your body fully recover from having your muscles torn all the time. Hitting the gym that much helps with results though

How often do you guys switch up routines? Like, if you have a good check workout, how long will you do the same exercises? 1 month? 2 months? Lately I have been changing my routine every month and it seems to hit muscles that are sometimes missed.

[Sean]

Week 3, day 2

Both Ang and I are back at it. Today wasn't to bad, but we are both tired. Life has just been taking it's toll lately. Sometimes things wear you down and you don't want to do it. I haven't missed any workouts yet, but the thoughts have run through my head. It probably doesn't help that I'm getting kind of bored with the same stuff. And I have another week of it! This is where the mental aspect of "suck it up and do it" needs to come into play. It's still good, and there are results, just not the same results as the first week. But I'm focusing more on my diet now to help shed some flab!

I hope everybody is trying to stay with it. It's going to be a lot easier for us to not get out of control for the holidays, if we work on it now.

Nate, that sounds like a smart move. I don't know nearly as much about weightlifting, but in endurance sports (at least from my limited knowledge) you have to listen to your body and have enough down time/recovery, in order to make the gains you want. Personally, I think downtime is one of the hardest things. You know you "can" do more, but you know you shouldn't. Wise choice.

[Mother Goose]

Since Angela and I are highly anal

Go on.