Staying Motivated

A few people have asked me recently about motivation. After you finally recognize that you need to change. You realize that you want to eat right and get the right exercise (or make any other significant change in your life) How do you stay with it? How do you stay motivated?

For me, the truth sparked while watching a commercial for the video game.
The tag line for the commercial was "For every choice: a consequence".

A no brainer really. But how many of us actually consider the consequences when we are doing some which appears as inconsequential as making lunch or when we're thirsty? Or worse yet, we don't consider the consequences of not making a choice. Like when we sit on the couch, watch TV and simply zone out.

So that's a nice story but how does this help me stay motivated?
You need a good understanding of yourself and the types of goals that you're skilled at reaching. Generally, I find smaller goals are easier than bigger ones because they you have success sooner.

1. For me, my goal was NOT to loose weight, be muscular or strong. It was simply to be "more fit than the day before" a term that for me was vague enough that I could celebrate my success almost every time I looked in the mirror. How can you not feel good when you're always winning?
   
2. Make decisions based on those goals not based on habit!
   
   Whatever you are doing right this moment? Is it inline with your goals (fitness or otherwise)? Is there something that you could be doing that is?
   
   Knowing that you're making decisions that get you closer to your goals is very critical in making you feel like you're succeeding. Whether its fitness, health or business.
   
3. Want what you want. Some people want to WISH they had a great body; other people WANT a great body. Either way you'll get what you want...you wishing or you having.

Camcorders are cool

So I've again recorded my workout so that I can better assess my form. The cool thing about doing this every once in a while is that you can learn to get more out of your workouts. Although, unlike having a trainer, nobody can tell me I'm doing it wrong. I have to figure that out for myself.

The other great thing about shooting my session is that I ended up with some pretty great photos. On a downside though is that you can still see all of the areas that I need to work on (primarily tummy which is much better than it was in previous weeks but still not the washboard abs I'm looking for).

One Year Ago

It was exactly 1 year ago as I write this post that I took my last look at my beautiful daughter. It was the last time I kissed her soft newborn skin that I can still smell if I close my eyes.

My baby girl Ava had just been born a few hours earlier at 2:11 PM and it was a few hectic moments following that I was to learn that my daughter would not survive her birthday.

Today, my wife and I released 7 pink balloons. One balloon for every hour she lived.

We also had a cake to honour her memory. The cake simply read "Ava". It bore no candles as, unfortunately there is no birthday to celebrate today. There is only a memory to cherish and a box of keepsakes to look through one more time.

I've often said that since my daughter died that I have the responsibility of living for 2. I have to pack as much life, joy, happiness and experiences as I can because Ava will not have that opportunity.

Since she left us:

• played in the white sands of the carribean again
• I've had a promotion at work
• I've gotten myself in shape
• I've visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC
• I've learned how to paint
• Got too close to a live and wild bear
• We've tried to start a family again
• We've completed a 10 KM run
• touched both the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean
• We've gotten a puppy
• Tasted Ice Wine and drank my first martini
• I've made 2 new friends
• I've gotten a wicked ass tan
• Experienced the death of a grandparent
• I've learned how to cook: I've made and eaten my own pasta, bread and pizza
• my wife and I have visited the rocky mountains in Alberta
• I've read a novel
• Written a video game
• I've watched Killer Whales mating in nature
• I've let time luxouriously melt away while making love to my wife
• And today, I celebrated the memory of my beautiful daughter

I just hope that it's enough for year 1.

Get Chiseled

I know I had a very hard time deciding to eat right (see previous post). Learning how to eat right was another difficult challenge.

There's a lot of people who can't seem to lose fat no matter what they do. Also, there's a lot of people who are quite muscular but it's hidden under fat! No matter how much they seem to hit the weights they can never get that body they've been looking for.

I've decided to dedicate this post to simply understanding some basics on food and how to lose fat.

1. Find out your BMR Basal Metabolic Rate. This number tells you how many calories your body needs for a day of rest.
2. Depending on your goals you have 2 choices. If you want to lose fat without doing much exercise then you need to eat less than you BMR
3. Better yet eat what your body needs by meeting your BMR and then increase your exercise!

Some quick tips for eating:

1. Look at calories, not grams of fat! There are 9 calories per gram of fat. Stop listening to the marketing on the package it may say 99% fat free but that usually means 99% less fat that the "non-low fat" version.
2. Make sure you get enough protein in your diet. Since I'm focused on muscle mass gain I focus on protein. Your goals may be different.
3. Stop eating refined flour. Eating whole grain instead of white flour will give your body the nutrition it needs instead of simply filling you up with sugar (which soon turns into fat).

When cutting fat is that you cannot lose weight and expect 100% of it to come from fat. You WILL LOSE a portion of the muscle you gained through your exercise. If you are trying to gain muscle and lose fat please keep this in mind and don't get discouraged. That's part of the process.

Getting Started -The Easy How To

Christi commented on my last post that she thinks she could keep it up if only she could get started!

Let me tell you, getting started for me was much harder than sticking to it.

Before, when I was in my "getting fat and loving it" stage, I would watch my wife doing sit-ups and push-ups in our apartment living room on, an almost, daily basis.

Sometimes she would invite me to join her which I would never do. If I had, I would have had to admit that I wasn't in good shape at all and then I would have had to do something about it. And, I'd have to deal with the shame of accepting that I had let my body get as bad as it was. I would have to be responsible for those decisions in order to change them. Doritos never made me feel bad about myself.

I very clearly remember thinking that my brain was as powerful as any and that my philosophical sense and strong spirituality were who I was. I lived in my mind alone fully believing that my body was not a reflection of me, only a shell in which I lived.

Then, I came to a strong realization. Everything that I do and everything that I am is a reflection of me. My mind, spirit AND BODY.

Everything I do radiates from me and changes the way I am perceived by you (even my flaws and mistakes).

Still unwilling to fully accept responsiblity for stuffing my face full of butter chicken and french fries I decided to start small.

I ate the same, I started walking. I would walk every day for one hour during my lunch break.
I did that for about a month. Then, I cut out 1 food item that I knew was bad for me. Pop (or soda for my American friends). I did that for 1 month while still walking.

Then I started looking at the other food I was eating and switched to the Jared menu at Subway (although I don't recommend the "Subway Diet" for ANYONE anymore).

FINALLY after making these changes I STOPPED gaining weight!!!
Now it was time to start LOOSING weight!

I purchased a treadmill and as stupid as I felt I did it daily for 30 minutes. I would sweat out greasy bacon from my fat ass on a daily basis hardly even able to run for more than 30 seconds at a time before I had to stop and catch my breath. Again, I was EMBARASSED but hiding from reality certainly wasn't going to change anything. It was time to face the truth.

I was FAT, OUT OF SHAPE and it was MY FAULT

I realized I had been unable to face my own failure (my own shortcommings) but they it was written across my body for the world to see. I was denying it but everyone else could see it.

I promised myself to be the best I can be in all three facets of my life.

Body: Stay healthy, live a long life
Mind: Be smart, creative and playful as often as possible. Don't be scared to invent.
Spirit: Love, have faith in yourself and in life and the don't shy away from the power of existence.

Anyway, that's how I got started...small steps edging me forward to today.

One step Closer to 10% Body Fat Goal

Want to hear some great news? I finally got down to 16.4% body fat this week. That means I must lose only 11 lbs of fat in order to reach my target of 10% body fat.

I'm so excited about that really. When I reached my goal of 160 lbs I have to admit I was pretty disappointed. Yes, I think look muscular enough however I thought I still looked pretty chunky in the midsection.

It's only been the past few weeks where now I'm starting to see some amazing changes in my body as I get ever more lean. For instance I'm getting much deeper definition in my arms and legs and some veins protrude as I'm lifting in my shoulders, forearms and biceps. That's only going to happen when you're lean and, I have to admit, I think it looks great.

Now all I need to do is start on getting a tan and I'll be ready for summer.

I remember how excited I was taking my first year photos. And rightfully so. From where I came from I looked amazing and I was proud.


The day has come though where I can look at those older photos now and say "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"

I did a vanity search on Google Images and found the first picture of mine that I ever liked. Compare that to where I am today and you can see how small (from a muscular sense) I was back then. My chest and arms were puny I had no pecs or forearms and my back muscles were basically non-existent.

I guess, like everything in life, it's all about evolution. In the not-so-distant future I'll consider the picture above to be my "before" picture as I move forward to new horizons.

Getting down to 10% body fat is still my goal but feels much more attainable now. The next challenge is going to be figuring out where to go from there.