Weight loss

My workouts lately...

Happy Thanksgiving Workout

A creature of habit goes about his daily existence regardless of what the calendar says. It is just another day of work. I want to be in a state of mind where my body expects the daily attention. The daily discipline.. dedication and desire. It recognizes no excuse, no holiday, no lack of motivation as I consistently take off (diet wise) on the weekends. Results are built on consistency… in both diet and work. I have learned this over the last couple years and I make it part of my daily routine… without thought…without reservation. It is just like breathing.  I need it, it is just a matter of time. I have to extend my meal plans past Friday if I want to be serious about this!

Gym was empty this morning… imagine that, I have a feeling it’s gonna be like till that New Years Resolution crap.

It was nice to get from station without worrying about others stepping on stations or crowding the dumb bell racks so they could be close to the mirror to watch themselves work. I never understood that. When I work, I focus on the muscle being worked, not the mirror and how I look doing it. To each his own I suppose.

Funny story though…I step away from the pec flyes machine this AM to grab my water and granny just steps in, changes the weights/settings and starts to do her thing….what could I say?

I digress … Enjoy the Turkey Day and eat like you mean it, cause I know come Saturday everything will be back to normal.

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David Banner’s Weight Loss

Southern born rapper David Banner grew up on famous Southern comfort food and knows all too well what that kind of diet can do to a figure, especially when a person is lacking a workout routine as well.

But, after weighing in at over 255 pounds, Banner decided to do something about his weight and lifestyle.  He had high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and was a near diabetic so his doctor did not leave him much choice, telling him he had to get it together.

I just took it as a challenge,” he says. ” I really took it as an initiative to help people get healthy. And that pushed me that much further, and motivated me to push that much farther.”

Now that he has “got it together”, his blood pressure has dropped, the sleep apnea is virtually non existent, and he’s not diabetic.  However, he still has to watch his blood pressure because, after losing the weight, the doctor’s determined that it is a genetic situation.

To accomplish the weight loss feat, Banner had to give up a few of his favorite foods such as macaroni and cheese and fried chicken, but he has found quite a few healthy foods to replace old cravings with.

I tell people is this,” he says,  “once you submerge yourself into healthy eating, I am willing to bet any amount of money that you will find the same amount of healthy things that you like and dislike, that you would unhealthy things.”

Even when the singer is out on the road, he now makes it a point to eat healthy.  This might even mean a stop at a grocery store to choose among healthier food options, but believes that if a person is serious enough about his or her health, he or she will find a way to make it happen.

And, serious, this man is.  He’s feeling better than he did at the age of 20, enjoys running, doing things he hasn’t done in years, and even increased his weight loss goal to 205 after reaching his goal of 215.

Because he has been so excited and motivated to achieve his healthy living goals, he has become an inspiration to many of his fans and even fellow rappers. T-Pain has said that he dropped 30 pounds thanks to being inspired by Banner and his trainer, Scott Parker’s, clientele is growing because of him as well.

I was just taking it and turning it into something positive, and hopefully, motivate people to do bigger and better things, to feel better. I know I feel 100% better than I ever have,” he says.

Now, his only problem is making sure he does not lose too much weight, but rather focuses on putting the muscle back on with the help of his personal trainer.

“I know how not to — and this is strange, he [trainer,Scott Parker] said he’s never seen this before — but I can knock off five pounds in a week. I know exactly what to do. I know how to run, how to set my own plans, just based on my body chemistry and my body makeup. I know what to eat, I know how many times a day to run, I know how much water to drink in order to really control my body weight. So now I’m in a position where I know my body,” he concludes.

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Anabolic Diet 101: The Definite Anabolic Diet Guide

It’s been a while…I’ve been in the lab grinding. I still havent peaked with consistency or intensity, but I have been eating clean (REAL CLEAN). I’m on Day 10 and it has resulted in a 10lb drop. Stronglift has an awesome description of the Anabolic Diet. It is a muscle building and fat burning diet. Dr Mauro Di Pasquale developed the Anabolic Diet as a response to drug use. He wanted a diet that gave similar results but naturally & safely.

The Anabolic Diet does this by manipulating your muscle building hormones. Key is eating the right combination of foods at the right time. Not easy, but works if done properly. Here’s the definite Anabolic Diet guide.

Benefits of The Anabolic Diet. The Anabolic Diet is a high protein, high fat diet which involves carbs cycling. Some things you can expect:

• Fat Loss. You force your body to use fat for energy by avoiding carbs for 5 days. Your body stores less fat because you eat lots of fats. You’ll get rid of stubborn fat like love handles. 10% body fat year through is easy.
• Muscle Gains. Key to the Anabolic Diet is fatty read meat. This is rich in cholesterol and saturated fats which increase your testosterone levels. Testosterone is the muscle building hormone.
• Improved Health. Lower cholesterol & tryglyceride levels, less plaque build up, controlled insulin levels, less food allergies, less acne, … Do a blood test before starting the Anabolic Diet and compare months later.
• More Energy. Controlling your carb intake will make you wake up full of energy. You’ll never have blood sugar crashes or heaviness after eating again. Also less irritability & less mood swings.
• No Hunger. Fat satiates and makes you feel full longer. You’ll never feel hungry on the Anabolic Diet. You’ll have to remind yourself to eat even though you’ll be eating more than before.

How The Anabolic Diet Works. The Anabolic Diet works whatever your gender or age. And like any diet, it works best coupled with strength training. Here’s how your week looks like when you eat the Anabolic Diet way:

• Weekdays. Proteins, fats & veggies. Eat fatty red meat, fatty fish, whole eggs, full fat cheese, olive oil, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, …
• Weekends. Eat lots of carbs. Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, oats, fruit, … Lower your protein & fat intake.

How to Get Started on The Anabolic Diet. Use FitDay to track your daily caloric and macronutrients intake. Anabolic Diet rules:

• Determine Caloric Needs. Rule of thumb is your BW x 18kcal, but the Cunningham Equation is more accurate. Read this post.
• 12 Days No Carbs. Eat proteins & fats only for 12 days. This forces your body to use fat for energy. After these 12 days, eat carbs for 2 days on. Then alternate 5 days no carbs and 2 days carbs.
• No Carbs Days. 40% protein, 60% fat, 25g carbs max. The carbs should come from foods like veggies, eggs, meat, … No oats or rice or milk.
• Carbs Days. 15% protein, 25% fat, 60% carbs. So 60% of your calories should come from carbs. These will fill your carb stores.

It takes about 4 weeks to adapt to the Anabolic Diet. Expect stomach issues, moodiness, tiredness, … Don’t give up. All of this will go away if you stick with the Anabolic Diet. Read first week experiences on the Anabolic Diet.

Example Meal Plan: No Carbs Days. Usually Monday to Friday. Eat protein & fat only, avoid carbs. For inspiration, read the Anabolic Diet food list.

• Breakfast. Whole eggs, bacon, spinach.
• Snack. Italian or french cheese.
• Lunch. Ground round, broccoli, olive oil.
• Snack. Italian or Spanish ham.
  
• Post Workout. Whey, olive oil.
  
• Dinner. Mackerel, salad, olive oil, cheese cubes.
  
• Pre Bed. French cheese, ground flax seeds, fish oil.
  

Example Meal Plan: Carbs Days. Usually Saturday & Sunday. Best is to avoid training on these days since the high carb intake tends to cause tiredness.

• Breakfast. Oats, raisins, milk.
• Snack. Lots of fruit.
• Lunch. Chicken breast, quinoa, spinach.
• Snack. Lots of fruit.
  
• Dinner. Whole grain pasta, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese.
  
• Pre Bed. Cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, fish oil.

Drawbacks of The Anabolic Diet. Your grocery bill will be higher at first and the weekends can turn into junk fests. More drawbacks of the Anabolic Diet:

• Hard for Weight Gain. The Anabolic Diet is high in fats which satiate & make you full longer. This makes gaining weight on the Anabolic Diet harder, but not impossible. GOMAD is better for weight gain.
• Complicate. You have to count calories, you’re cycling between carbs & no carbs days, food choice is tricky with all the hidden carbs, … A diet based on the 8 nutrition rules is simpler.
• No Good For Sports. Sports like rugby and MMA don’t mix well with low carb diets like the Anabolic Diet: they rely too much on carbs for energy. One solution is to use mid-week carb ups. But it’s not ideal.

Should You Do The Anabolic Diet? If you eat carbs on the days where you eat lots of saturated fat and fatty proteins, you risk obesity and diabetes. Stick to the Anabolic Diet rules or you’ll get adverse effects.

If you’ve never stuck with a diet, follow the 8 nutrition rules for 12 months. Then you’ll be ready for advanced stuff like the Anabolic Diet. If you still need it, since you’ll lose fat by following the 8 nutrition rules.

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The End of Overeating!

Nice post from theLawRawtory.com site featuring the author David Kessler M.D.

Oddly enough I’ve been feeling like crap since Memorial Day weekend. Constipation, stomach pains, bloated, headaches and straight up tired…I think we know what time it is…DETOX!  Usually, when I detox I work harder on house projects and on my rental properties, I consider this my personal time.

We all know what’s important here slimming down, eating better, and enjoying high quality food instead of high quantity food. I’ll keep you posted…

Turbulence Training: Can't Out Train Bad Eating Habits

You can not out train bad eating habits trust me I know. Diet, exercise and recovery are the three pilars of fitness.  At 212 and 18% bodyfat I workout 3-4 times a week. Sometimes as intense as you can be and sometimes just to goof off. Either way the past month I’ve been up since 5 A.M. working hard…but I’ve also been eating more as if I deserve it. Diet is the name of the game. You can workout till you are blue in the face but poor nutrition will sabatoge everything. Working out will actually become second nature, almost a no brainer.

Dieting will become 80% of the game. It will be the difference maker and the hardest part of your day.  Craig Ballantyne makes a simple but true point here…check it out!

Blacks are the Biggest Losers

The Biggest Loser has had a lot of winners here are some of our brothers and sisters after the show was over.

Candice Parker Preganant ESPN Magazine

Talking about mother’s day check Candice out…Is the WNBA mad about this?

It amazes me how celebrity moms have not only loss all their baby weight and look as amazing as they did pre-pregnancy, but they do it in a few months or less. Part of the reason is the enormous professional pressures they must feel to look good and to be in shape, but they also have access to the best trainers and personal chefs, and time to work out. Many celeb moms have also attributed the loss of baby weight to breastfeeding. For most women, breastfeeding alone isn’t some easy fix — losing the 40 to 60 pounds gained while pregnant is a combination of breastfeeding, a healthy diet, and regular exercise.

Candice Parker is pregnant and is on the cover of ESPN the magazine. She will have a healthy baby, she will lose the weight, she will put on a uniform for the new season and kick ass. How?