Success Warrior: The Blog That Embraces ADHD

Get Ready for Summer (Part 2)

So,

There are about 90 days left until June, which gives people enough time to make some dramatic changes in their body composition or fitness levels before summer if they start now.  We have taken it up a notch here to get ready, individually and as a family.

We started doing something new a couple of weeks ago that has been fun and that we'll continue.  It stems from, in a way, from watching The Biggest Loser.  Quite some time back, as I was walking through the living room to get a drink before returning to homework, I noticed that Tia and Trey were watching some kind of fitness show.  This went on for a couple of weeks and I found that I would stop at watch a few seconds more each time to see what was going on.  One day, I just sat down and finished watching the rest of the episode they were watching.  They were watching episodes on Netflix and by the time that I finally decided it was interesting enough, they were halfway through Season 2.  I have a whole post of information in my head about The Biggest Loser but the important point for today's post is that many of the people on the show have been obese since childhood.

Trey is incredibly skinny and I think that Tia and I provide a good example for him already but we thought it would be fun to do some exercise together as a family a couple of afternoons a week.  When the weather is nicer, it will be less like "exercise" and more just "activity".  Last year, we would go for walks together, play basketball, and go do some batting practice.  Yesterday it was snowing so we stayed indoors and tried to do one of Bob Harper's kettlebell workouts.  Kicked my butt.

I haven't done much exercise in the last 3 weeks other than the family exercise time because I have had some kind of nagging illness that has just made things miserable.  I think I'm on the mend now and Monday I'll be getting back to my morning workouts.  I'm going to change them up a bit.  I usually change them every 4 to 6 weeks anyway but I'm going to increase the intensity a bit this time along with changing the exercises.  I'll still be using Tabata Intervals because they fit my personality so well at the moment and have proven to be effective for me. 

As a family, we have cleaned up our eating habits a bit more over the last month as well.  Tia has been reading various cookbooks on healthy eating and we've been trying several different dishes a week.  Some have been good and some not so good as far as taste goes but it has kept things interesting and we are seeing results, especially Tia. 

She also drinks a BeachBody Shakeology shake every morning because it's something healthy that she can blend up and take with her out the door, which is so handy because morning's can be a little chaotic around here (like most families, I suspect).  Shakeology is a meal replacement shake with lots of good stuff in it like protein, fiber, prebiotics, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of other stuff.  BeachBody just came out with Strawberry flavor too, which Tia is really happy about.  I changed our monthly order to strawberry and it should be arriving next week.

We have also decided to run a 5K this year as a family.  We haven't decided when yet.  We've glanced over some of the 5K's that are coming up but we either need to pin down a date or a particular race/location/cause that we want to take part in.  After Tia and I were done working out last night, Trey decided to do intervals on the treadmill.  He was doing minute intervals and I was watching because he wanted to see how fast he could go.  He did 7 mph, 5 mph, 8 mph, 5 mph, 9 mph, 5 mph, and then tried at 10 mph.  He did about 20 seconds before he looked like he was losing control and I pulled the plug.  Earlier, Tia and I were talking about who would hang back with Trey on the 5K.  Instead, we may have to see who can keep up with the kid.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life.

Have you heard of P90X? That's BeachBody. They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more. They have some of the best exercise programs on the market. These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body. They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology. Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs. Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer.

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of. Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there. If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link. Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Get Ready for Summer

So,

This is your annual reminder that there are about 90 days left before June so if you have any fitness or self-image goals that you would like to accomplish by the beginning of summer, NOW is the time to start (if you haven't started already).

I don't do blog posts on fitness very often anymore because I found it hard to keep coming up with new thoughts on the subject but I am just as committed to fitness as ever and I'm still a BeachBody coach (I should go back to putting the links at the bottom of my posts so people don't think I've quit because, you know, Look!  Something shiny!).  I still field questions on fitness by email and in person and, in fact, I did both this last week.  Some questions are specific to BeachBody and some are general fitness questions.  I do not consider myself to be an expert but I do know a thing or two and if I don't know the answer, I will go look it up so that I can help someone and so I know the answer for myself.

This week's email question was about recovery drinks following an intense workout.  There are lots of them to choose from and BeachBody has the P90X Recovery formula which tastes like an Orange Julius, which I found to be very yummy.  However, when it comes to basics, chocolate milk can be used as a recovery drink, oddly enough.  It has the 4:1 quick carb to protein ratio that is the current advice for recovery drinks.  The P90X recovery drink has that and also has glutamine and creatine, which are both great if you are exercising intensely.  You should drink your recovery drink within 45 minutes of exercise.  If you are going to put sugar in your diet, this is the time to sneak it in because it can actually help speed up recovery and replace glycogen levels.

My wife started on her goals far earlier than today because her goal date is prior to June.  When I told her what the theme of today's post was though, she loved it.  She thought it was a great reminder for people because summer tends to sneak up on them.  By the time the weather starts turning warmer, a lot of people give up before they start because there doesn't seem like there is enough time to make a change.  It snowed here today and it's really easy to forget that summer is on the way.  90 days is enough time to make a huge difference in your body composition or fitness level.  P90X has proven that over and over.  Check out these before and after photos:

This post was twice as long as what you see here but when I hit save, Typepad logged me out instead of saving and I lost the second half of this post.  I don't have the energy to type it all back in at the moment so I'll try to recreate the thoughts tomorrow.

Good night.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life.

Have you heard of P90X? That's BeachBody. They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more. They have some of the best exercise programs on the market. These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body. They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology. Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs. Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer.

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of. Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there. If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link. Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Vitamin D and Sex

 
Got Milk?

So,

Today I decided to wander around the health areas on the Internets.  After all, in case you have forgotten, this blog is about health.

It is?

Shhhh.

People that live further away from the equator have a greater chance developing multiple sclerosis.

All praise Ra!

Amen!

Researchers have tossed around a bunch of ideas for what causes MS but now they believe that there may be a link between lack of sunlight and the development of the disease.  Vitamin D, it does a body good.

Get yer ass into the sun!

And take Vitamin D in the winter (for those of us away from the equator).

Quite opposite of milk, it seems that people that drink diet soda are more likely to have strokes and heart attacks.  At the moment, researchers don't know if it's actually the diet sodas that are doing the damage or if people that drink diet soda are doing other unhealthy things to their bodies.

Flipping that, the same thing has been said about multi-vitamins.  Some researchers say that multi-vitamins are a waste of money but people that take them are healthier.  Is it the multi-vitamins or do people who take them just do other healthy things where they are getting the healthful benefits?  I don't know the answer so I just keep on taking multi-vitamins.  For those that are interested, I take Controlled Labs Orange Triad.

Like they care.

I know but some people do ask.

Scientists have come up with a strategy to counteract the effects of diet soda, just in case it is actually the diet soda that is causing or contributing to the increase in strokes and heart attacks.

"A simple solution, health experts say, is to drink water instead."

Brilliant!

Right?

It seems like it's rare that I agree with researchers in these articles but this time, I'm going to have to go along with them.  Expose your skin to sun, don't drink diet soda, and drink water.  Everyone keeping track?

You know they are just waiting for you to talk about sex.

<sigh> I know.

Fort Wayne, Indiana is opening up a new government center and they have asked the citizens to submit suggestions for the name of the new center.  The people have spoken and they want to name the center after a popular four-term mayor, now deceased, Harry Baals (pronounced Balls).  The people want it to be called the "Harry Baals City Center".  Seems appropriate doesn't it?

Why?  Was "Anal Rash City Center" already taken?

The article didn't say.

6,000 people voted and 5,400 of them voted for the name Harry Baals.  And, true to any good democratic government lately, that name will not be picked. 

Ya hafta love the will of the people.

It's like all the pretending is gone.

Speaking of impotence and government, Turkey is considering chemical castration for sex offenders.  Inmates would be given drugs that reduce the amount of testosterone in their bodies and thereby, the hope is, reduce their sexual drive while they are in therapy.  But that's not all, if you act now, you also get this.  Tell 'em what they get Harry.

"The legislation also aims to discourage a generations-old tradition that forces female rape victims to marry their attackers in the belief that would save their honor."

Who knew that rape could be considering "courting".

"Freaky" doesn't even cover this.

Do you think it matters if it's forcible rape?

Is there any other kind?

You'll have to ask your friendly, neighborhood Republican congressperson.

I think I'd rather be chemically castrated at the Harry Balls penal correction facility.

I read an article about six reasons to have sex.

Did you need any more reason than the fact that it's sex?

Hush.

Having an orgasm a couple of times a week can do all of the following:

1. Make you look younger.  Especially when the lights are off.  Amazing innit?
2. Help you lose weight.  How much does sperm weigh, anyway?  Are you going to comment on all of these?
3. Power up the immune system and reduce the occurrence of colds.  Incentive program.  It's hard to get laid when you have snot bubbles coming out your nose.  So stay healthy if you want to get laid.  Thanks for that scientific fact, Mr. Wizard.  How did you know the nickname I gave my penis?
4. Reduce stress.  Especially the stress that builds up from not getting laid.  True dat.
5. Reduce the chance of heart disease, especially for those lucky souls that orgasm 3 or more times a week.  Sex increases arterial dilation.  Yeah, especially near your hairy balls.  You're seriously messed up, you know that, right?
6. Help you live longer.  Duh!  You'll want to live longer so you can have more sex but if you ain't getting it, you pretty much want to die.

"So forget about an apple a day. To feel healthier, look younger, and live longer, an orgasm or two a week may be an effective -- and certainly enjoyable -- remedy."

Don't automatically write off the fruit though.

To eat or to be used during sex.

Yes.

Thought so.

To sum up what we've learned from today's articles: sunlight is wonderful, diet sodas suck hairy balls, democracies only work if the subjects vote for what the rulers were going to do anyway, make water your primary beverage, don't get raped in Turkey unless you're trying to find yourself a husband, and get laid several times a week (but not necessarily in Turkey).

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Is There A Spin Doctor In The House?

 
So,

Here's something that I've been wondering for a while.  If the spin and the political tactics become so obvious that every corporate media article, talking head, and blogger is mentioning it, what's the point?

For example, The Great and Powerful Oz would love Mubarak to stay in power but that's just not going to happen so he can't openly endorse support for the dictator and has to speak in a way that supposedly doesn't offend the next Egyptian government.  Everyone knows this.  Everyone.  The US government has long had a standing policy of putting oppressive dictators in place to control regions of interest and giving them billions of dollars in weaponry, support, and bribes.  This is just common knowledge and Obama's waffling in Egypt is an obvious result when the supported dictator falls.

And while we're on the subject, does this common knowledge make statements like this one, from Steve Clemons, look stoopid or more like completely inept and unbelievable spin?

"Given that we are seeing a pattern of protest in many vulnerable nations throughout the Arab world, the Obama administration will be expected to roll out a new strategy of engagement that protects America's interests — particularly its energy sector interests — while at the same time standing behind the universal rights of people around the world to assemble and call for political reform."

Dude!  Obama kills someone every single day!  What we need here Steve, are baby steps.  Let's wait until Obama has mastered the skill of standing behind the universal rights of people around the world to breath before we go merrily skipping ahead to freedom of speech, shall we?  It's really hard to speak freely about what kind of government you would like when you're not breathing.  Steve acknowledges that Obama is using the military to help oil companies pull off something that they couldn't afford to do nor would it be accepted by anyone else in the world and then goes on to give the bullshit line about respecting human rights.  Really Steve?

If Obama didn't have his military completely tapped out destroying two other countries under false pretenses, he'd probably have them in Egypt helping Mubarak put down the uprising with extreme prejudice.  The rumor is that the "Mubarak supporters" that are fighting against the protesters are actually paid soldiers in plain clothes and that the money comes from the US government.  I have no idea if that's true but it's very easy to see the possibility that it's true.

Maybe Steve gets his Internets service from Canada and didn't pay the overage to get the whole story.

Oh no you don't!

What?

Finish the thought on spin before you go merrily skipping ahead to Canadian Internets service.

Fine.  <pout>

Okay, so let's get this out of the way quickly so we can move on.  Do you think that the people that are going to be in charge of the next Egyptian government are, in any way, fooled when Obama and Clinton try to straddle the fence?  I don't understand all the pretend coyishness.  If it's transparent to everyone with an Internets connection, doesn't that include Egyptians (you know, when Mubarak hasn't shut down the Internets)?

Happy?

Yes.  Thank you.  Move on.

Nothing to see here.

You know?  I say that I don't do commercials but that's not entirely true.  I don't watch them on TV (love DVR) and I don't listen to them on the radio (love-love-love Pandora) but every once in a while, I'll check them out on YouTube.  Right now, E*Trade's are my favorites:

Turns out my parents are dabbling in wrestling.

Hello?  Canada?

Jeezus!  What are you?  The ADHD police?

Canadian Internets users are in the midst of a scare.  Bell is charging them through the nose, using a cell phone type of plan where people would get a certain amount of minutes (in this case data) and then they would have a super-extra amount in overage fees for any Internets use over the cap.  With people streaming TV shows and movies from places like Hulu and Netflix, companies are looking for ways to increase revenue from providing Internets service.  Bell, who provides something like ALL the Internets to Canada (okay, I'm exaggerating, it's only 80-90%) is also going to charge wholesale companies so that customers can't sneak around the bill by getting unlimited data packages from smaller Internets providers (who are getting their service through Bell).

Supposedly, the Canadian government is going to tell Bell that they can't do this.  If they don't, a Netflix movie will cost something like $8 to watch if you've gone over your limit for the month.  Then there's the popcorn and soda pop. 

What?

Isn't that what everyone always says about movie prices?

Yes, yes it is - AT A MOVIE THEATER!

What?  You don't eat popcorn at home?

Speaking of taking out a second mortgage to take the fam to the movies, Congress is going to raise the debt ceiling again.  Okay, I've covered this before but I read a better perspective about this stoopidity last week, a better way of putting it into words.  I'm taking my own creative license with the idea, which is completely summed up in the first two sentences of the next paragraph.

Congress should raise the debt ceiling and they should do it right.  They should raise it to $100 trillion.  There is no such thing as a debt ceiling anyway for Congress.  When they get to the current imaginary ceiling, they just raise it again.  This happens every 6 - 12 months and they are wasting valuable time debating the amount when that time could be better spent killing people  infringing on the rights of their subjects  supporting Mubarak but pretending not to  having sex with underage hookers taking an extended vacation (after all, the government that governs least is the one that governs best).  Just raise it to the point where you don't have to worry about it for a few years.  It doesn't exist anyway so they might as well vote to not even have a debt ceiling.

I vote that we quit pretending like there is any amount of money we won't spend.  Is anyone opposed?

Nay!

The lone vote from the gentleman from Texas is noted.  Motion carries.  Let's go shopping!

Gotta luv OPM!

Doncha?

Last, but by far the best part of today's post, is an email that I received from C.R. in response to the fact that I have to buy new pants that are a size smaller.  She sent this:

"If you think you've got it bad . . . I'm buying clothes again for the third time.  I bought some new things for my birthday back at the beginning of December because everything I owned was falling off.  By Christmas, things were baggy again so I shopped the after-Christmas sales, and I'll be darned if it's not happening again.  I'm about 7 pounds away from my goal.  Actually I reached my first goal and decided I could do better.  I haven't been this small in 26 years.  I don't want to see my high school weight, I was too thin back then, but 10 pounds above that is where I'm headed and I never dreamed I would ever come close to that again.

I have been stuck where I am for the past couple of weeks as far as the scale, but you're right.  If you keep "pushing play" the results happen.  Although the scale hasn't moved recently, the measurements keep getting a little smaller each week.  This is awesome!!!  You've got to love Beachbody!"

How cool is that!?!

Right?  That deserves a "You, the Super Hero" mention.

Right you are, Ken.

She doesn't mention it here but, for those of you that are interested, she is currently doing TurboFire.  She mentions Beachbody as a whole in her email because she also has P90X and TurboJam and uses some of the supplements like P90X Recovery drink and Whey Protein (I've mentioned the benefits of whey protein many times and will likely mention it again).

Email like that make it so rewarding being a Beachbody coach.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Trying a New Supplement This Week

 
So,

Yesterday was Kickin' Cardio day and I was all over it.  I'm chattin', kickin', making jokes, and doing extra moves just for fun.  Everything's firing along great.  I had written yesterday's post about Bringin' It! and now I'm out there just crushin' it.  Bring It?  Oh, it's been brought.

"What kind of drugs are you on?" Drill Sergeant asks as I go double time on a knee/kick combo, which is great exercise but that's just a side effect of a move meant to drop a guy to the ground quickly.

"Sleep," I answer.

What is this "sleep" thing that you speak of?

Let's back up a couple of days.  In the middle of the night, I wake up with a sore throat where "sore" means sore enough to wake me up at 2:00 am and not let me go back to sleep.  Not only that but I have a toothache.  Now, I learned something very interesting about toothaches for me about a decade ago. 

I had a toothache so I went to the dentist (sometimes these things just seem to make sense, don't they?) and he X-rayed my teeth.  Nothing wrong with them.  Huh?  Dude!  I'm serious, it hurts.  He looks closer at the X-rays. 

"You probably have a sinus infection," he said.

Whatchyou talkin' 'bout Willis?

He shows me the X-rays.  I have tooth roots that go into my sinus cavity and the infection in the sinuses can cause pain in the teeth. 

Very interesting and, more importantly, a 7-day run of antibiotics and my toothache is gone.

Brilliant!

So, it's 2 in the freaking morning and I was already considering heading off to my doctor to discuss ankle pain, which I believe is arthritis.

At this point, I will have to once again thank Shannon, my first black belt student, for permanently messing up my left ankle.  I do this, here, publicly, because:

• It's true
• He's far away
• He never reads my blog

I call for an appointment and they get me in 30 minutes later.  Have I mentioned how much I appreciate my doctor?  We discuss the possibility of arthritis and he agrees but throws in that it could be a bone spur.  Lovely.  We talk about the possibility of strep throat returning already (I had it on New Year's Eve) or my hunch that it's a sinus infection. 

"Aaahhhhhhhhhh," with tongue sticking out.

It doesn't look like strep so it's probably the sinuses.  He prescribes a different antibiotic and I'm off and running.  Well, actually, limping and not feeling so good and not moving very fast but I'm out and off to work.  After work, I pick up the meds and start trying to fix things.  That's Tuesday.  Wednesday, I'm already starting to feel better but I'm dog tired that night.  So, I went to bed early.

I sleep all the way through the night and actually get woke up by my alarm clock (it's very rare that I'm not up before that).  Seven, complete, untinterrupted hours of sleep.  Pure bliss.

And no ankle pain!

Then I'm out there bringin' it.

I know I was spot on with the assumption of sinus infection for two reasons:

1. The antibiotics worked
2. When they worked, my body started, uhh, ridding itself of, uhh, infectious material

Nasty stuff, too.  You know how yucky it sounds when you hear someone hawking up lung butter?  The sound pales in comparison to what was coming out.  I swear at one point I thought I saw the Mucinex guy give me the bird as he walked off, leaving a slime trail behind him.  The only thing worse than seeing it after leaving my body was knowing there was still more inside.  Blecky!

So,

- Quick shift in thought (you're welcome) -

Tia and I went to lunch yesterday with my youngest daughter and a friend.  Absolutely wonderful time, and I may have more on that later, but anyway, after lunch we all went to a nearby store so I could try on pants ("trousers" for my English readers) for work.  I need a few replacement pairs and I suspected that I may have gone down a size.

I grabbed the next size down and attempted to pull them up.  I say "attempted" because apparently guys with 32" waists don't have any leg muscles.  What the hell?  Since when did Dickies start making compression pants?  I just need some trousers to wear to work, not keep my thighs warm and ready for action and my next slam dunk (ummm, no, I have never done a slam dunk - ever - or even come close - thanks for pointing that out and rubbing it in).

Screw it!  I pulled them up and fastened them anyway.  They did fasten.  Were they snug?  I don't know.  I can't tell you.  I was too distracted.  Apparently, there is more than just quad and hamstring muscle that is missing from guys with 32" waists.  Now, I don't know if there is ever a time or place where a camel toe would be considered appropriate "fashion" but I can assure you, beyond any doubt, that on me, at work, it would be, ummm, not correct, to say the least.

I took them off and let the circulation return to my, uhh, legs.

I checked to see if they had a "relaxed fit" version.  Yes, yes they do.  Not in my size, of course.

I see how it is. 

Guess I'll be shopping online or having my clothes altered.  I don't mind buying shirts online because they usually fit but it seems like pants can really vary in how they fit, or not fit over your, uhh, thighs, apparently.

Anyway, Thursday's workout was great and I highly recommend supplementing your exercise program with sleep (you remember that's the topic of today's post, right?).

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Safe Levels of Vitamin D

So,

The question was raised as to whether or not I had heard that high levels of Vitamin D can cause heart damage.

The short answer: No, I had not heard this.

But, I have the Internets and this morning I had a spare 3.73 minutes so I went a Googling.

Everything that I came across in those few short minutes said the exact opposite.  Vitamin D is extremely beneficial to the heart.

So, I decided to just search for Vitamin D overdose levels and things along that line.

Did you know that it's incredibly hard to overdose on Vitamin D.  You'll know that you're getting there when you start shooting Vitamin D violently out of both ends.

Here was something incredibly interesting that I ran across:

"The single most important fact anyone needs to know about vitamin D is how much nature supplies if we behave naturally, e.g., go into the sun. Humans make at least 10,000 units of vitamin D within 30 minutes of full body exposure to the sun, what is called a minimal erythemal dose."  (Link to article - I was super-speeding through sites so don't expect too many more references.)

The Institue of Medicine must be listening because two weeks ago, it changed its recommended dosages on Vitamin D.  They used to recommend that adults take between 200 - 400 IUs a day.  They have now increased that to 600.  Can you say, "Wow!"?  Can you say it without thinking "Lame!" at the same time?

One article did say that if you took 40,000 IUs every day for several years, there could be some negative consequences.  It didn't say what those consequences were and I didn't go look because I'm not planning on taking 40,000 IUs every day for several years.  In fact, I don't take Vitamin D in the summer when I'm doing my nekkid Ra worshipping.

Here's another interesting snippet:

"In fact, in East Germany between the 1940's and 1960's, children would ROUTINELYget 6 doses of 600,000 IU's of Vitamin D between birth and 18 months old."  (Voila! - another link.)

Another article pointed out something similar, giving shots of Vitamin D in the hundreds of thousands of International Units as a pre-treatment for rickets for babies.

There you have it (at least you have what I could find during my spare minutes).  People that don't get sunshine on a large percentage of their skin should be taking Vitamin D and even my recommendation might have been low.  People might find it helpful to take at least 6,000 IUs a day and possibly up to 10,000 IUs a day. 

Before you do that, you should check out the research yourself of course.  I'm not a doctor and I don't even play one on my blog. 

I do take Vitamin D though.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

I'm Late! I'm Late!

 
Except I don't have an important date.

It was just a crazy weekend and now I'm in catch up mode, trying to get things done.

As such, I'm not going to have much to say today but since it's winter, I will remind everyone that they should be getting their Vitamin D. 

I have always suggested that people take at least 2,000 IUs per hundred pounds of bodyweight.  I just read an article the other day that suggested that many people would not be getting enough Vitamin D unless they were taking 6,000 IUs a day. 

I'm throwing that out there for what it's worth. 

You can actually have your Vitamin D levels checked and then supplement appropriately to get it to proper levels. 

Anyway, I'm throwing the winter Vitamin D reminder out there for anyone not able to get good amounts of sunshine onto good amounts of skin.

With that, I'm off to the next task. 

Caffeine Free . . . Again . . .

So,

Every year, I go caffeine free a couple of different times just to see what it's like.  I usually end up going back for some reason or other but I think this was the end of my relationship with caffeine.

Not that I have anything against caffeine. 

It works for some people and doesn't work for others.  My wife is caffeine-intolerant.  Gives her a racing heart and the jitters.  I, on the other hand, can drink a Monster and lay down for a nap.

And I think that's one of the points of me quitting.  For me, caffeine is a supplement.  One that should give you energy.  I just don't feel like it's worth it for me.

What are your thoughts on caffeine?

Changing Supplements Too

Have I mentioned that my 10 week plan is going to be different than anything that I have done in the last few years.  I mean, I'm even changing my hair style for hell's sake (No CV, not quite as long as the pic on that home page).

So, I thought I would completely change up my supplements too and BodyBuilding.com was running a special on a packaged deal so I picked it up to throw into the mix.

Let me point out one drawback to the "change everything" shotgun approach that I'm taking over the next couple of months.  I won't really know what had the most effect or if it was some combination that helped out.  What if it turns out that I'm like Samson and that growing my hair out is what has the most effect and I attribute any changes to eating protein and lifting heavy weights.  I would be so wrong and I might cut my hair not knowing how detrimental that would be for me. 

On the other hand, the actual goal over the next couple of months is mostly just to shake things up.  I just want to change.  If I come out on the other side, pretty much like I am now (except with longer hair), I will still have done what I wanted to do. 

Do you ever get like that? 

I'm not abandoning anything important to me but just changing my approach.  It's like standing on the desk in The Dead Poet's Society.  I just want a different look at what and how I am doing things.  My results are secondary to that.  I don't want to downplay the results too much.  I was injured in April and have been going light for 5 months now.  I fully expect that training hard for 2 months is going make a big change in my strength level and hopefully move me close to where I was before the injury.  I'm also hoping that my new found hobby of VFF loping helps me stay or become leaner. 

I expect results but when I think about my before picture, I know that it's going to be very possible for me to get stronger and not change that much.  I trained for and ran an incredibly tough half marathon 13 years ago (Race for the Angel - for those of you that are familiar with this bit of hell).  Before starting my training, I weighed 220 pounds.  After 6 months of running 3 to 7 miles a day, I weighed 220 pounds.  Do not even ask me how I did that? 

Back to the supplements for the next couple of months. 

Initially, I was just thinking about adding glutamine to what I was taking and calling it good.  Then, right on cue, Bodybuilding.com sent me an offer that caught my eye and struck my "change everything" nerve.  This stack has glutamine in it so what I wanted is there in addition to creatine.  Two things that I think just about anyone can benefit from, especially when combined with some resistance training. 

This stack has something for pre-workout, post-workout, protein, and something for joint health.  It's something that I would create for myself, in fact, or else I wouldn't be taking it.  I actually drink my post-workout/recovery drink during exercise and just start getting it in.  I have other things to do when I'm done exercising (you know, like shower - ewwww) so I just sip on it like I would with water during the workout.

Obviously, at this point, I can't attest to the effects of taking this stack although I have already started taking it.  I want the creatine and glutamine already in my body when I start the attack next week.  So, even though I can't say these particular products work, I do know that the stuff that's in these products work so I can recommend this package deal if someone is completely confused by all the products out there.  The work has been done for you on this one.  Easy peasy lemon squeezey.

Combos Action Star Stack, 4 Bottle Combo, Cookies N Creme / Raspberry Lemonade / Grape 

If you're changing everything or starting out and want a boost, this will help you out, no doubt.  I'm starting to sound like Dr. Seuss.

No more rhymes, I mean it.

Anyone want a peanut.

Enough of that, let's look ahead to what's coming up for the week.

Tomorrow is my lope to the top of a hill.  A steep hill.  A hill that overlooks the whole town.  I'm going to take my camera with me.  I was just going to take my Droid but I don't think that will do the view justice so I'm going to take my camera with me.  I'll take pictures on the way up and from the top (if I make it that far).  My wife has walked in the area and said there are lots of ruts and loose sand.  Pshaw!  Nothing that my new Bikilas can't handle.  Now, my ankles and legs, that might be a different story but my shoes, I'm sure, are up to the challenge.

Thursday is disk golf.  We'll probably play 3 rounds at our favorite course.  I just read an article on what an excellent activity disk golf is because of the low entry cost, zero ongoing fees, and the fact that anyone from 6 to 96 can play it.  Well, I happen to agree.  You can buy one versatile disk for $15 and go play at a free park.  Anyone can.  I highly recommend it.  I just need to move where it isn't so dang cold for so long so that I can play more.  The article said that you can even play in the snow.  I had to give that part a "oh hell no" but the rest of it, I agreed too.  They were comparing it to golf though and with disk golf, it would certainly be possible to play in the snow but I have yet to do that.  Maybe this year, I'll be out there in my VFF Flows, putting barefoot footprints in the snow, chucking a frozen piece of plastic around.  I could just see dinging the post that holds up the basket and cracking my disk. 

Friday is probably going to be a much shorter lope, or easier.  I'm going to go to the walking trails and give them a try.  I've walked the 1 mile trail.  They also have a 3 and 5 mile trail.  We had Trey with us so we took the short path.  He'll be in school so I'll just play it by ear and I'm not promising to stay on the trail.

That was the best part of my trip to Craters of the Moon with CV.  If you're confused by this sudden jump in topics, you haven't read recent comments.  Anyway, trail schmail.  We looked for the "Do not go beyond this point" signs and went right by them figuring that there was probably something good not too much past them.  We were right too.  There are caves all over the place out there.  The lava cooled and left huge pockets in the ground.  Some of them have openings and some of them connect to each other, although we had to belly crawl in some places with the rock scraping our backs to get from one to the next.  Incredibly fun.  We did some climbing inside them too.  Climbing was easy but coming down was really hard.  The person on the ground that was holding the flashlight had to call out foot and hand holds.  We spent the entire day out there spelunking.  Absolutely amazing.

There are caves around here too.  I'll have to see if there is a website with a map or something.  I may have to lope up into the hills and have a bit of a check around.

Saturday and Sunday will be back to the reality of work.  Bummer but I'm going to have a great time between now and then and I will, as always, keep you updated.

Stay tuned.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

How About a Before Pic?

I did my workout today in my VFF Bikilas to see how they feel.  For what I did, I like them better than shoes.  Now, don't get me wrong.  My UA cross-trainers have been great and are excellent shoes if you're going to hold a resistance band under your feet (which I have done many, many times).  If I was going to do band work, I would probably put the UAs on because they hold the band in place.  It's not pretty when you're at the top of a shoulder press with the band and it comes loose from your feet.  Whap!  In the ass or worse, in the back of the head, and then right on through the ceiling.  I've seen it done a few times and I recommend a shoe that has a very pronounced gap between the ball of the foot and the heel where the band will kind of lock into under tension.

My Bikilas are just so comfortable and that's something that I can't say about the UAs.  I take the UAs off as soon as class is over and not a second longer.  I can wear VFFs all day long and in fact, for the last week, I have done just that cycling between the Classics, Flows, and now the Bikilas. 

I've had a lot of comments over the week ranging from "What are those?" to "I need some of those," to "I could never wear something like that."  I don't wear them to get a reaction from people but I'm also not afraid of getting reactions from people.  I'm one of those "who cares?" kinds of people that just does his own thing, undaunted by what others do.  In that, I consider myself to be lucky because much of what passes for "normal" in today's world is the result of political, corporate, and religious brainwashing.  I'd much rather have people make fun of my shoes than have people think it's normal for me to eat at McDonalds (it's been several years and I will never eat that shit again - in case you wondered). 

I had about 350 more words at this point but apparently the above is the last bit that I saved before continuing writing and then the power went out, completely killing my desktop (I'm on my wife's laptop now).  I am not going to try to recreate yesterday's post with any kind of exactness so this post may take a 90 degree turn at this point.  The good news is that with my posts, that kind of thing would probably go unnoticed if I didn't actually point it out.  So, while there may be a change of thought between the last paragraph and the last, my readers have been trained to expect that from someone with undiagnosed ADD.  I am adding this paragraph more for my own benefit than yours but the power outage and the dead computer will be necessary information for you later in this post.

Soooooooo,

This post is not actually about VFFs, if you can believe that at this point and after the last few.  Yes, I know, I can't believe it either and I'm the author.  Long time readers know me though.  "Look!  Something shiny!"  Right now, even though I have been wearing VFFs for quite a while now, they are still shiny to me, especially with a new pair sitting by my bed and the fact that the Flows are easy to put on now.  This blog is, however, about other areas of fitness too, like, exercise?

I have written up my workout plan for the next 10 weeks, starting on Aug. 30th.  3 of the 10 weeks are Recovery Weeks because I think this might be another tough one.  That's how the last couple of have been, not counting August, which has kind of been a Recovery Month given how much I have been gone.  This month, knowing that I would be MIA much of the time, I planned my weeks around 3 days of exercise and even then, I missed a few. 

The months before that though, I had some tough workouts and I postponed some Recovery Weeks and in the back of my mind, I have a small wonder if that might be part of the reason for my current injury.  Not fully healed but ready to get back into some intense exercise, I am peppering it with Recovery Weeks at normal intervals plus a bonus recovery week after what I'm calling "Hell Week."

Now, to be honest, never have tried this workout, I don't really know how tough it's going to be and I don't know how much hell, "Hell Week" is going to be.  It's all in my imagination at this point.

Annnnnnd,

That's way more than I planned to go into the workout at this point.  I'm going to cover it in more detail in upcoming days.  I'm always willing to share my plans with anyone that wants them.  I'd love to hear some feedback from other people that try it. 

I explained all of that to say that I'm really going to focus on all areas surrounding fitness for the next two months, just to see what happens.  You know, I'm my best guinea pig. 

I'm going to add a little bit of running (yes in my VFF Bikilas - dammit if I can escape the topic!).  I will be able to run in the daylight so I think I'll be taking to the desert.  Running in the daylight will allow me to see well enough to run over the uneven, rock strewn, sage brush speckled, snake infested ground without rolling my ankle.  For new readers, yes, I have had to jump over a snake on one of my runs but I was actually on a walking path at the time.

Helloooooo?  Walking path here.  You have no legs.  Hence no "walking".  That should automatically disqualify a snake from being there, doncha think?

I'm going to be changing my diet to something pretty much Primal for those 10 weeks.  Meat, fruits, and vegetables.  What I used to call my "No White Diet".  No sugar, no bread, no rice, and no pasta.  Now they have a cooler name for it.  Primal. 

I'm going to change my supplementation for those two months too.  This is a complete experiment. 

On top of that, I'm going to be seeing what I can do to change my mindset a bit too.  Changing the inside and outside at the same time.

I have no idea what the outcome is going to be at this point but I thought that I would go old school on this and take a before picture.  I haven't done that since P90X.  I just thought that if I'm going to be doing all of these changes, it would be a good idea to have before and after pictures.  I still think it's a good idea and my wife took the before picture for me  on Wednesday night.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that I have taken it off the camera and put it on my computer, the computer that is dead.  I am hoping that my computer guy is able to revive my computer along with all the data on there (so, so much data) and when that happens, I'll actually post the picture.  If he pronounces the computer dead, I'll have my wife take another picture before I start the new workout.

So, there's the not so brief synopsis, along with no picture, for you.  I will be going into more detail over the next couple of months about what all these pieces look like on closer inspection and how the whole thing is going.

Stay tuned.