Friday, February 20, 2009

It's Been a Month

A busy month, really - work got busy, deadlines snuck up on me, a script needed to be written and my beautiful son was brought into this world. The past month has been constant motion, and I've barely had time to sleep or breathe. But...

There were two things I made sure to incorporate into my days: working out, and eating the right foods. I missed 2 workouts last month. Some of you may think that's a selfish thing, but I have discovered that without a workout I drag. I get tired, cranky, and I just don't feel right. Physiologically this makes sense because a good workout releases hormones, endorphines, and gets rid of toxins in your body. So even a 20 minute trek on the treadmill can change your day into a better one.

Sticking to the diet of this lifestyle has been easy ... but monotonous - simply for the fact that I'm a creature of habit, so I don't change things up that often. But, now I'm doing more experimenting with ways to cook my chicken, fish, and eggs. The other night I made a vat of chicken, corn, black beans and spices that was so good I could have eaten the whole thing.

The biggest difference in the past month has been my protein intake. I have 2 protein shakes a day (GNC has Protein Isolate powder called "Wheybolic Extreme 60" which is amazing), one during the morning, and one right after my workout. Adding that to the diet I've been living by has caused some pretty dramatic changes. In early January I weighed 169 pounds with a 27" waist. I now weigh 188 pounds with a 28" waist. So, a vast majority of that weight gain has been lean muscle. My strength gains have been great, my endurance has improved, and I feel even better than I did when I thought I couldn't possibly feel better.

The point to all of this is, life will make it so it's much more challenging to stick to something. And when that something is solely for yourself, it's easier to give up. But, you HAVE to stick with it. Don't give yourself an excuse that "this thing" or "that thing" is more important. YOU have to come first because it will make you a better you for all the other people you love. (Wow, that was a lot of "yous".)

Stick to it! Focus on your goals! And don't let anything get in the way!

Thanks for readin'.