Thursday, June 25, 2009

Body For Life - Round 2 - In the third week.

Some of you (probably most of you) know that a few years ago I did the BFL challenge. The reason I say that most of you are aware of this is because I was very vocal about it. It was something I heard about one day, and the next day I jumped in head first. Let me explain what it is first.

Body For Life (BFL) is a 12 week program designed to help you lose body fat and gain lean muscle. The way this is achieved is thru a combination of very strict eating (not dieting, but true healthy eating), intense weight resistance, and intense cardio. If any of you reading this are all of a sudden interested or intriqued by this, don't let the intense part scare you too much. I should also note that the intense workouts are also pretty brief. Cardio is 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Weights are close to 45 minutes a day, 3 days a week. You alternate days between cardio and weights and take one day a week to relax on the working out and eating right (also known as a "cheat day"). The eating is pretty straightforward. You eat 5 - 6 times a day - one portion of lean protein and one portion of lean carbohydrates with every meal. The goal is to eat enough to always feel satisfied and to keep your energy levels up (in return raising your metabolism). For some people this means extreme weight loss, while for others it is just shifting some weight around.

The first time I took the challenge, I was a 25 year old bachelor, probably 5 pounds heavier than my ideal, and working a 25-30 hour work week. Even with all of these advantages, the 12 weeks were hard. VERY HARD. I remember the first week seeming like an eternity in length - almost every workout ending with me lying on my back in the dressing room - keeping near the trash can in case I threw up.

As hard as it was in the beginning, I slowly got in better shape and just kept at it. The workouts never really got easy, but it did get easier for me to complete them. By the end of the 12 weeks I was a new man. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I had gone from 167 pounds (22% body fat) to 152 pounds (9% body fat). I couldn't believe the results. Not only were the numbers great, but I loved the way I felt and the way I looked. I had no idea my body would transform the way it had. I was a total believer - and I literally told EVERYONE about it. (Do I sound like a salesman?)


Now let me catch you up.

It is now 4.5 years since I did the BFL challenge. I am 29 years old, happily married, working closer to 60 hours a week, and 30 pounds overweight. 188 pounds at my heaviest.

The funny thing is, after completing Body for Life the first time, I was able to keep the weight off and retain most of the lean muscle for close to a year. Then gradually I lost the muscle mass and it was replaced with fat. Even so, the weight gain didn't start until a little over 9 months ago.

I always thought I would beat the odds and not turn 30 in the stereotypical way. Overweight, Khakies, kids, taurus, cell phone clip, etc... - but of all these, the part that was most important was the overweight part. I wanted to beat the inevitable of aging. Wishing and doing and two totally different things. I was in total denial, and just watched the scale keep climbing..... and climbing. As of 2.5 weeks ago, I was 187 pounds. And not looking good! (I'll post before pics soon)

I kept complaining to Megan (my wife) that I need to do something. Eat better, workout, ice and mustard diet, - SOMETHING!

The thing about me is, I have a really hard time doing something just half way. I can't just kind of eat better. I can't just sort of start working out. There is too much grey area. I will always end up going back to whatever the lazier option is - as long as I have the option to do so. So what I have to do is not give myself the option to stay in my current lifestyle.

18 days ago I made the committment (in front of Megan) to, once again, take the BFL challenge.
This time ( wow - I was just called by my buddy Phillip Gulley letting me know Michael Jackson just passed away from a heart attack- him and Farah Fawcett on the same day? sad sad day)

Well, as I was saying.. this time the journey has been both incredibly difficult and incredibly rewarding. I guess that's what happens when you let yourself go as much as I have. The valleys are lower and the mountains higher... er.. something like that :)

I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, and can really start to tell a difference. The scale had me at 179.4 pounds. That is 8 pounds less than what I started at. I still have 15 pounds to go. I know I can do it .

Keep you posted!

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