Today was a mixed bag of nuts. I finally got tired of the way I was treating my diet when I am in between meals, so I went a little grocery shopping and got some delicious items I can have without breaking the contents of the diet. And in this discovery, I have been able to appreciate the smaller things in this strict and intense diet. Here are some of the items I started consuming that make me smile while I type this:
-Turkey Jerky
-Almond Butter
-That's it
And just those two items made me so happy. Every bite I savored. When I scooped up the almond butter and devoured every morsel off the spoon, I can feel myself getting to a better state of mind. It was almost sublime.
It's interesting how we all adapt to situations. When things get really tough, we make the best of it, yet, when things are going well, we find, in some cases, search for ways to be miserable. The simple answer to this paradox is human nature but isn't it disgusting we act like this.
For example, I vacationed in California for 10 days this past summer and during my time there, I got to visit Orange County. Now, my mom watches all of the stupid "housewives in name the dumb city" shows and all I ever hear when I pass by the television is whining and moaning how tough things are and how one wives' friend shouldn't eat a salad with the big fork or God forbid, have the same wardrobe in their closet as one of their closest companions. That would be the end of the world.
Sorry, I am digressing. Back to California. When I was walking around in Laguna Beach, I was shocked on how beautiful it was. Amazing and impossibly built houses on cliff sides with the Pacific Ocean greeting blessed families every morning, wonderful 75 degree weather year round, and food so good that I understand how the obesity epidemic is so high; however,all I hear from these people on the show is how much their life sucks.
When your life is perfect, you find ways to make it imperfect.
In the documentary "Happy", the filmmakers go around the world studying different cultures to find what makes people happy and in that revelation, who is the happiest culture on the planet? You want to guess which culture was the happiest?
The poorest.
With barely nothing, a culture residing in Africa find themselves to be more than content with their situation by doing simple activities with their families and local community.
Amazing how that works out.
I am not saying my happiness can be compared to the honest and admirable happiness people conveyed in the documentary but being able to have those treats made my day.
The other thing that made me happy was the long run. I was planning on doing a half marathon but decided to do a 10 miler instead. I would like to do a speed workout tomorrow and knew I couldn't if I stayed with the 13.1 mile trot. Nevertheless, it felt great because I needed the time to myself. Work hasn't been so hot lately and today was no different. I needed to get into my own head for awhile and there is no better way to do that then by running. I cannot tell you how many times I have want to put a bullet through my brain but after a good, tough run, I end in complete harmony. I gather clarity over what is bothering me as it also aids in dealing with future situations. It is beyond therapeutic. I recommend running to anyone who is physically capable. There are way too many positives not to.
The release of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins also helps.
Tomorrow, I plan to do a speed workout. I am looking forward to it.
Stay Tuned
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
The "Clean" Diet: Day 8
Today was uneventful.
I was thinking about just writing that. That's it! We are done here! Thanks for reading!
But, yeah, nothing really exciting to write about today. I had a good day at work. I had to wait until noon time to finally eat something since I did the bike trainer workout so late last night but everything went well. After all of the temptations I experienced this weekend, I found it easier to deal with my hunger. It is surprisingly taking less and less energy to fend off cravings. Or maybe it was a good day for helping my stomach shrink.
This week, I am eager to see if I get some of the side effects author, Alejandro Hunger, discusses in his book. This week, I am supposed to experience random energy bursts and nightmares.
Yeah, you read that correctly.
Nightmares
I am so happy I starve myself everyday so I can lay down and hang out with Freddy Krueger.
So there's that
For the workout, I said in yesterday's post I was planning on doing a half marathon. Because of the late workout, I didn't recover the way I imagined I would, so I just did another T25 workout with Lindsay. It was nice, a good cardio workout, but it is no long run. I needed one of those random energy bursts to even think about running.
I am semi-happy with my training right now. As you can read between the lines, I am trying to stay positive. It is only two weeks away from tapering into the Philadelphia Half Marathon and I am in nowhere near the shape I need to be. I want to get close to a 6:45 mile pace but would be fortunate if I broke 1:31 (7:30 pace). I still believe I can get close to that, but it's going to take more discipline. Every run I do is difficult and always challenging my initial physical prowess, but I haven't been building on each workout to reach a new level. I would partly blame this on being so adept to triathlon training, where I run 3 times a week max, but my heart isn't into it. I am looking forward to some time off. I will still workout from time to time but just to keep in decent shape and not lose my mind. These seasons are long and I am looking forward to spending some more time with Lindsay, even though the woman works 49335 hours out of the day (slight miscalculation).
However, I signed up for this race and I am not going to do this half-assed. I have enough time to salvage a good race and can't make any excuses.
Let's Go
Tomorrow will be much more interesting...I promise.
Here is a video that is a lot more interesting than this post.
I could post an old man watching the grass grow and that would be more interesting than this post.
Please Stay Tuned
I was thinking about just writing that. That's it! We are done here! Thanks for reading!
But, yeah, nothing really exciting to write about today. I had a good day at work. I had to wait until noon time to finally eat something since I did the bike trainer workout so late last night but everything went well. After all of the temptations I experienced this weekend, I found it easier to deal with my hunger. It is surprisingly taking less and less energy to fend off cravings. Or maybe it was a good day for helping my stomach shrink.
This week, I am eager to see if I get some of the side effects author, Alejandro Hunger, discusses in his book. This week, I am supposed to experience random energy bursts and nightmares.
Yeah, you read that correctly.
Nightmares
I am so happy I starve myself everyday so I can lay down and hang out with Freddy Krueger.
So there's that
For the workout, I said in yesterday's post I was planning on doing a half marathon. Because of the late workout, I didn't recover the way I imagined I would, so I just did another T25 workout with Lindsay. It was nice, a good cardio workout, but it is no long run. I needed one of those random energy bursts to even think about running.
I am semi-happy with my training right now. As you can read between the lines, I am trying to stay positive. It is only two weeks away from tapering into the Philadelphia Half Marathon and I am in nowhere near the shape I need to be. I want to get close to a 6:45 mile pace but would be fortunate if I broke 1:31 (7:30 pace). I still believe I can get close to that, but it's going to take more discipline. Every run I do is difficult and always challenging my initial physical prowess, but I haven't been building on each workout to reach a new level. I would partly blame this on being so adept to triathlon training, where I run 3 times a week max, but my heart isn't into it. I am looking forward to some time off. I will still workout from time to time but just to keep in decent shape and not lose my mind. These seasons are long and I am looking forward to spending some more time with Lindsay, even though the woman works 49335 hours out of the day (slight miscalculation).
However, I signed up for this race and I am not going to do this half-assed. I have enough time to salvage a good race and can't make any excuses.
Let's Go
Tomorrow will be much more interesting...I promise.
Here is a video that is a lot more interesting than this post.
I could post an old man watching the grass grow and that would be more interesting than this post.
Please Stay Tuned
Sunday, October 27, 2013
The "Clean": Diet Days 5, 6, & 7
Since we all have lives containing responsibilities and events, it is best I don't overflow your facebook and twitter feed with updates on this diet. Therefore, a weekend update will suffice. It also allows me to live a little bit and not be tied down myself.
Before we get started, I must state I have cheated on this diet...to a certain extent. The "Clean" Diet developed by Alejandro Hunger is a 21 day cleanse diet which instructs to have two smoothies and one hard meal a day. In the smoothies and hard meals, he supplies food and recipes to make everything delicious and nutritious...sometimes. There are a few additional items he recommends to help improve the revitalization process. A few examples are fasting for 12 hours before the last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day, a tablespoon of olive oil before you go to bed, and eating a raw garlic glove a day. Hunger explains in explicit detail all of the benefits from following this diet and most of them are to help you get through this with the least path of resistance.
The problem for me is, training for a half marathon is too much not to go a little bit outside the parameters. I follow all of the do's and do not's when it's pertaining to the food you can have but I simply can't have just one hard meal a deal. With the amount of calories I burn a day, I would lose weight at a rapid and unhealthy rate.
Example: I lost 7 pounds the first two days.
Therefore, when I am really hungry, I eat another meal. Simple as that.
Day 5:
Friday was interesting since I would be around a lot of temptation (I was around temptation this whole weekend, it actually should have been the slogan). I attended the South Plainfield High School Reunion. Now, for the people that know me and went to school with me understand I graduated from that high school in 2004; however, I was bored, love my friends, and know a lot of people from that grade. Call it weird, stupid, or whatever. I really don't care. I had a wonderful time. I actually discussed the diet with a few people and some listened with intrigue. Others looked at me as if I was a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. Most people were wondering how you can't drink alcohol, eat certain foods, and be around some much temptation without cracking.
Look, it's hard and I am going to be honest, it is way harder than I could imagine. It sucks. It's not only the temptations but the frequency of them. Everywhere you turn, there is something I want to put it my mouth (That's what she said) and savor every last bite, but once you do that it weakens you. You fail. Everything you are trying to accomplish goes right out the door. It's just not worth it.
I didn't workout at all on Friday. I was lazy. What do you want from me? I just didn't feel like it.
Day 6:
My good friend Michael Kasmer (Kaz) drove up from Philadelphia for the reunion but decided to go running with me on 5 hours of sleep and at least a half liter of alcohol still in him. We went down to Holmdel Park and ran a couple of laps on the hardest 5k course in the state of New Jersey. Kaz hadn't ran since the Ragnar Relay in New York (September 27 & 28) but you wouldn't ever know it from watching him run.
He dismantled me.
Holmdel Park is known for "The Bowl", a part of the course that takes you down a hill and around the bottom of it before it forces you to traverse a tough and rigorous uphill with the last 20 feet going at an insane angle of 60 degrees. Once you take your last stride up the hill, all your quadriceps want to do is take a rest. They shut down. Your brain tries to tell them to go faster, but quickly becomes an irrelevant request. Your legs don't care.
That small section of trail has destroyed so many cross country runners' races, it's makes Boston Marathon's Heartbreak Hill look like a nice drive to grandma's house.
Yet, after explaining the course, I was struggling, while Kaz seemed to be excelling with every stride. It's frustrating but that man is blessed with a mental ability most can't fathom, including myself. I also think he has been blessed with a rare gene.
A few weeks ago, I finished reading "The Sports Gene" by David Epstein and one chapter talked about naturally talented athletes. It delved into endurance genetics and how 6% of the population is born with this rare gene to automatically be in shape without much training. It is even documented that a Kenyan ran a 4:15 mile....on his first try! Now, other elements led to his success (high elevation and advance demographic genetics) but to achieve that time without any real training is absurd. I am pretty sure Kaz has that gene because to go to Holmdel Park and run a little under 7 miles while being hungover and sleep deprived is nothing short of amazing. It's just incredible!
On our way back, Kaz was talking about having a delicious Chicken Parmesan Sandwich from arguably the best Pizzeria in town (Tony's...I am a Ciccio's guy) and it was almost making me depressed. He asked me if I can have any pasta. I said no but did mention I could have brown rice. Then, he asked if I could have sushi. I forgot all about sushi. Brown rice, raw fish, avocado, cucumber, and ginger, it's the perfect combination while simultaneously satisfying my cravings. We rushed to Asahi and destroyed multiple kinds of rolls with vigor and excitement. A satisfying meal indeed. Made the afternoon.
In the evening, I attended my good friends' surprise engagement party (Congratulations to John and Jenn!) and had grilled organic chicken with brussel sprouts and red cabbage. My second hard meal of the day if you are counting at home.
Anyway, I had a great night with good friends.
Day 7:
Two hard meals again today: sushi and red snapper. I spent most the day over my friend Sheed's house and watched some football (a weekly routine). It was a great time and always is.
My workout was an hour on the bike trainer. I haven't done that since early September. A good change of pace and I was able to watch the late football game while working out. Really the best of both worlds. It's tough but feels great when I am done. Tomorrow is going to be a big run (13.1 miles---the half marathon distance) so I am going to go and get some rest. Big day tomorrow!
Stay Tuned
Before we get started, I must state I have cheated on this diet...to a certain extent. The "Clean" Diet developed by Alejandro Hunger is a 21 day cleanse diet which instructs to have two smoothies and one hard meal a day. In the smoothies and hard meals, he supplies food and recipes to make everything delicious and nutritious...sometimes. There are a few additional items he recommends to help improve the revitalization process. A few examples are fasting for 12 hours before the last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day, a tablespoon of olive oil before you go to bed, and eating a raw garlic glove a day. Hunger explains in explicit detail all of the benefits from following this diet and most of them are to help you get through this with the least path of resistance.
The problem for me is, training for a half marathon is too much not to go a little bit outside the parameters. I follow all of the do's and do not's when it's pertaining to the food you can have but I simply can't have just one hard meal a deal. With the amount of calories I burn a day, I would lose weight at a rapid and unhealthy rate.
Example: I lost 7 pounds the first two days.
Therefore, when I am really hungry, I eat another meal. Simple as that.
Day 5:
Friday was interesting since I would be around a lot of temptation (I was around temptation this whole weekend, it actually should have been the slogan). I attended the South Plainfield High School Reunion. Now, for the people that know me and went to school with me understand I graduated from that high school in 2004; however, I was bored, love my friends, and know a lot of people from that grade. Call it weird, stupid, or whatever. I really don't care. I had a wonderful time. I actually discussed the diet with a few people and some listened with intrigue. Others looked at me as if I was a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. Most people were wondering how you can't drink alcohol, eat certain foods, and be around some much temptation without cracking.
Look, it's hard and I am going to be honest, it is way harder than I could imagine. It sucks. It's not only the temptations but the frequency of them. Everywhere you turn, there is something I want to put it my mouth (That's what she said) and savor every last bite, but once you do that it weakens you. You fail. Everything you are trying to accomplish goes right out the door. It's just not worth it.
I didn't workout at all on Friday. I was lazy. What do you want from me? I just didn't feel like it.
Day 6:
My good friend Michael Kasmer (Kaz) drove up from Philadelphia for the reunion but decided to go running with me on 5 hours of sleep and at least a half liter of alcohol still in him. We went down to Holmdel Park and ran a couple of laps on the hardest 5k course in the state of New Jersey. Kaz hadn't ran since the Ragnar Relay in New York (September 27 & 28) but you wouldn't ever know it from watching him run.
He dismantled me.
Holmdel Park is known for "The Bowl", a part of the course that takes you down a hill and around the bottom of it before it forces you to traverse a tough and rigorous uphill with the last 20 feet going at an insane angle of 60 degrees. Once you take your last stride up the hill, all your quadriceps want to do is take a rest. They shut down. Your brain tries to tell them to go faster, but quickly becomes an irrelevant request. Your legs don't care.
That small section of trail has destroyed so many cross country runners' races, it's makes Boston Marathon's Heartbreak Hill look like a nice drive to grandma's house.
Yet, after explaining the course, I was struggling, while Kaz seemed to be excelling with every stride. It's frustrating but that man is blessed with a mental ability most can't fathom, including myself. I also think he has been blessed with a rare gene.
A few weeks ago, I finished reading "The Sports Gene" by David Epstein and one chapter talked about naturally talented athletes. It delved into endurance genetics and how 6% of the population is born with this rare gene to automatically be in shape without much training. It is even documented that a Kenyan ran a 4:15 mile....on his first try! Now, other elements led to his success (high elevation and advance demographic genetics) but to achieve that time without any real training is absurd. I am pretty sure Kaz has that gene because to go to Holmdel Park and run a little under 7 miles while being hungover and sleep deprived is nothing short of amazing. It's just incredible!
On our way back, Kaz was talking about having a delicious Chicken Parmesan Sandwich from arguably the best Pizzeria in town (Tony's...I am a Ciccio's guy) and it was almost making me depressed. He asked me if I can have any pasta. I said no but did mention I could have brown rice. Then, he asked if I could have sushi. I forgot all about sushi. Brown rice, raw fish, avocado, cucumber, and ginger, it's the perfect combination while simultaneously satisfying my cravings. We rushed to Asahi and destroyed multiple kinds of rolls with vigor and excitement. A satisfying meal indeed. Made the afternoon.
In the evening, I attended my good friends' surprise engagement party (Congratulations to John and Jenn!) and had grilled organic chicken with brussel sprouts and red cabbage. My second hard meal of the day if you are counting at home.
Anyway, I had a great night with good friends.
Day 7:
Two hard meals again today: sushi and red snapper. I spent most the day over my friend Sheed's house and watched some football (a weekly routine). It was a great time and always is.
My workout was an hour on the bike trainer. I haven't done that since early September. A good change of pace and I was able to watch the late football game while working out. Really the best of both worlds. It's tough but feels great when I am done. Tomorrow is going to be a big run (13.1 miles---the half marathon distance) so I am going to go and get some rest. Big day tomorrow!
Stay Tuned
Thursday, October 24, 2013
The "Clean" Diet Day 4
This post may be skewed in a way since I had a terrible day at work. I am not going to get into it but it wasn't one of my best days.
I am emotionally compromised.
Nevertheless, today I woke up with a screaming headache. It felt like a cross between a hangover and a sinus headache, so yeah, it was pretty painful. It lasted until 9:00 am. I woke up at 7:00 sharp. I am not sure of the cause of the headahce but it made sure it was present in my wake up call. It didn't really make sense since I drank a lot of water before I went to bed and stuck true to the diet. I did read and heard from various people that this is a normal thing and shouldn't be alarmed. Actually, this headache usually arrives due to caffiene withdrawal, which doesn't make sense since I barely drink the stuff. If I drink coffee, it is a clear and glaring sign I am really tired.
Anyway, it eventually went away and I was able to spend the day without any real discomfort.
For lunch (First bite at 2:12 pm), I had a delicious piece of lamb. I am going to proclaim lamb my favorite meat on the planet. It's delcious, lean, flavorful, and one of the healthiest meats there is. It made my day just having it at lunch (no exaggeration, it was the highlight of the day) I didn't start having lamb until I worked at Trap Rock Brewery (A fine dining resturant in Berkeley Heights). I was 22 when I started and so thankful the cook was addicted to the lean meat. The beauty of lamb is there are so many different type of cuts, each supplying their own unique texture and flavor. If you haven't eat it or have something against it, change that immediately.
Here are the benefits of eating lamb:
-Besides fish, lamb has the most omega-3 fatty acids per serving
- Daily Value Percantages (%):
Tryptophan(1)--109.3
Protein--60.3
Selnium (2)--49
Vitamin B12--40.8
Vitamin B3--38.7
Zinc--30.6
Phosphorus--23.3
(1) Trypotphan is an amino acid with the following qualities:
The tough day at work made me crave terrible things to eat. Candy, Frozen Snickers Bars, Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich and plenty of other delicious, yet horrifically non-nutrious treats. I desperately needed a coping mechanism so food was the first choice. The crazing is even more magnified due to the diet but battling it felt good. And I didn't cave. I feel accomplished and it is the only other positive today.
I am sure tomorrow will be better.
Meals:
Breakfast: Peach Cobbler Smoothie (blueberries, peaches, cocoa powder, coconut water, flax and chia seed)
Lunch: Lamb with dijon mustard seasoning over a mixed greens--Squeezed a lemon over the salad ass the dressing
Dinner: Peach Cobbler Smoothie
Snacks: Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Almonds, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, and 3 Apples
Workout:
I decided not to run to give my legs some rest. Instead, I did another T-25 workout with Lindsay. I was hoping it would be an upper body or core workout but naturally, it was all legs. Perfect. I didn't attack the workout like I usually do because I plan on running at least 5.5 miles tomorrow and add a little speed to the workout. I didn't want to injure myself or threaten an injury. But still, it was nice working out with Lindsay. I hope she sticks with it. It's a really good workout plan and most of all, fair. It challenges you but encourages not to push yourself in the beginning stressing that the fitness will come over time and soon enough, you will be able to mirror what everyone else is doing on the screen. I can also see that they took the public feedback from Insanity and made some improvements. Really brilliant stuff and hard to ignore the results. All you need is a half hour of your time and you've got a really good workout. There really isn't any excuses for this one. Stick to it and you will see the results without committing a large portion of your life to it. Also, very inexpensive since the only thing you need is your body.
From this simple workout, it is evident that the diet had no effect, whether it is positive or not.
Let's see how I feel tomorrow
Stay Tuned.
I am emotionally compromised.
Nevertheless, today I woke up with a screaming headache. It felt like a cross between a hangover and a sinus headache, so yeah, it was pretty painful. It lasted until 9:00 am. I woke up at 7:00 sharp. I am not sure of the cause of the headahce but it made sure it was present in my wake up call. It didn't really make sense since I drank a lot of water before I went to bed and stuck true to the diet. I did read and heard from various people that this is a normal thing and shouldn't be alarmed. Actually, this headache usually arrives due to caffiene withdrawal, which doesn't make sense since I barely drink the stuff. If I drink coffee, it is a clear and glaring sign I am really tired.
Anyway, it eventually went away and I was able to spend the day without any real discomfort.
For lunch (First bite at 2:12 pm), I had a delicious piece of lamb. I am going to proclaim lamb my favorite meat on the planet. It's delcious, lean, flavorful, and one of the healthiest meats there is. It made my day just having it at lunch (no exaggeration, it was the highlight of the day) I didn't start having lamb until I worked at Trap Rock Brewery (A fine dining resturant in Berkeley Heights). I was 22 when I started and so thankful the cook was addicted to the lean meat. The beauty of lamb is there are so many different type of cuts, each supplying their own unique texture and flavor. If you haven't eat it or have something against it, change that immediately.
Here are the benefits of eating lamb:
-Besides fish, lamb has the most omega-3 fatty acids per serving
- Daily Value Percantages (%):
Tryptophan(1)--109.3
Protein--60.3
Selnium (2)--49
Vitamin B12--40.8
Vitamin B3--38.7
Zinc--30.6
Phosphorus--23.3
(1) Trypotphan is an amino acid with the following qualities:
- Help regulate your appetite
- Improved Sleep
- Mood elevation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Impatience
- Impulsiveness
- Inability to concentrate
- Weight gain or unexplained weight loss
- Slow growth in children
- Overeating and/or carbohydrate cravings
- Poor dream recall
- Insomnia
The tough day at work made me crave terrible things to eat. Candy, Frozen Snickers Bars, Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich and plenty of other delicious, yet horrifically non-nutrious treats. I desperately needed a coping mechanism so food was the first choice. The crazing is even more magnified due to the diet but battling it felt good. And I didn't cave. I feel accomplished and it is the only other positive today.
I am sure tomorrow will be better.
Meals:
Breakfast: Peach Cobbler Smoothie (blueberries, peaches, cocoa powder, coconut water, flax and chia seed)
Lunch: Lamb with dijon mustard seasoning over a mixed greens--Squeezed a lemon over the salad ass the dressing
Dinner: Peach Cobbler Smoothie
Snacks: Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Almonds, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, and 3 Apples
Workout:
I decided not to run to give my legs some rest. Instead, I did another T-25 workout with Lindsay. I was hoping it would be an upper body or core workout but naturally, it was all legs. Perfect. I didn't attack the workout like I usually do because I plan on running at least 5.5 miles tomorrow and add a little speed to the workout. I didn't want to injure myself or threaten an injury. But still, it was nice working out with Lindsay. I hope she sticks with it. It's a really good workout plan and most of all, fair. It challenges you but encourages not to push yourself in the beginning stressing that the fitness will come over time and soon enough, you will be able to mirror what everyone else is doing on the screen. I can also see that they took the public feedback from Insanity and made some improvements. Really brilliant stuff and hard to ignore the results. All you need is a half hour of your time and you've got a really good workout. There really isn't any excuses for this one. Stick to it and you will see the results without committing a large portion of your life to it. Also, very inexpensive since the only thing you need is your body.
From this simple workout, it is evident that the diet had no effect, whether it is positive or not.
Let's see how I feel tomorrow
Stay Tuned.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The "Clean" Diet Day 3
Today was a lot better than yesterday. Besides a random flash headache, I felt good. No feeling sick or sluggish, just normal. The main reason for this change from yesterday was I snacked like a human being instead of relying on three meals to hold me over, which was so stupid to begin with since I am probably intaking a sum of 1750 calories throughout the entire day. That is 750 below the recommend daily amount and that's excluding exerecise.
It also helped I didn't have my morning shake until 10:15 am instead of having right in the morning and then wait for lunch.
There is also a reason for eating so late so I can't pat myself on the back too much.
Part of the diet is to fast for 12 hours a day until you eat next. I finished my shake at 9:45 pm last night and had my morning shake today at the stated time above. I was surpisingly shocked I wasn't hungry leading up to the first shake. Honestly, I could have held out a few hours longer but couldn't because my whole eating schedule would have been thrown off.
Could my body be adapting to the diet already?.
Talking to my mother, she says that she can strangely control her appetite while on the "Clean" diet. It may be mental. Or it may be part of the design. I am not completely sure. I understand eating a variety of different nuts is supposed to curb your hunger but when you are usually eating 3500-5000 calories, it barely suffices. Hell, I barely can tell if I have eaten something after eating a few handful of nuts. It's a large part why this is so tough, yet I could control my hunger without much negotiation, which is a battle I combat with multiple times a day when I am eating my normal diet, let alone a cleanse.
The mental aspect deserves more thought. I mentioned in yesterday's post when you have your eye on the prize, you bargain with yourself to get through the discomfort and constant cravings. It makes you appreciate the glory when you experience the trials and tribulations during the journey. The few positive returns feel so much sweeter. It's what keeps you going. Those small and quick moments in time you see your hard work paying off. It keeps you dedicated. It keeps you determined.
Anyone who partakes in this diet comprehends the ugly beauty of this revitalization process. That's where the mental part comes into it. It's amazing how our minds work when you strip things down and make things strict and simple. You mentally become stronger.
I am just happy I didn't have to delve into that type of mental strength today because yesterday, I wanted to quit. However, after today, I feel pretty good.
Meals:
Breakfast: Mango, Coconut Milk, & Flax Seed Smoothie
Lunch: Baked Lamb Shoulder (4 pieces), Organic Spinach, Quinoa, & Red Onions
Dinner: Pineapple, Kale, Flax Seed, Coconut Milk, & Chia Seed Smoothie
Snacks: Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, 4 Apples, 1 Garlic Clove, Goji Berries, & 1- 6 oz. pack of Blackberries
Workout:
Yesterday, I was kind of lazy and stated I will make up for it by running 9-11 miles. Tonight, I ran 11.6. I ran it a 7:50 clip and it was the longest run since the half-marathon in the Timberman 70.3 Half Ironman on August 18. I am very interested to see how I feel tomorrow because I have never consumed so little calories after a big workout. I have already drank a bunch of water and eaten as much nuts as I can. I hope I am not sore. I want to build off this workout. The route was initially concieved to be 10 miles but it was a minor miscalculation. It felt good to be out there for awhile going through the ups and downs of a long run. Runs like this make you stronger mentally. I was in a decent amount of pain but felt so good aerobically that it didn't bother me as much...which was nice. Nevertheless, I need to build of this momentum if I am planning to perform well on November 17.
Stay Tuned
It also helped I didn't have my morning shake until 10:15 am instead of having right in the morning and then wait for lunch.
There is also a reason for eating so late so I can't pat myself on the back too much.
Part of the diet is to fast for 12 hours a day until you eat next. I finished my shake at 9:45 pm last night and had my morning shake today at the stated time above. I was surpisingly shocked I wasn't hungry leading up to the first shake. Honestly, I could have held out a few hours longer but couldn't because my whole eating schedule would have been thrown off.
Could my body be adapting to the diet already?.
Talking to my mother, she says that she can strangely control her appetite while on the "Clean" diet. It may be mental. Or it may be part of the design. I am not completely sure. I understand eating a variety of different nuts is supposed to curb your hunger but when you are usually eating 3500-5000 calories, it barely suffices. Hell, I barely can tell if I have eaten something after eating a few handful of nuts. It's a large part why this is so tough, yet I could control my hunger without much negotiation, which is a battle I combat with multiple times a day when I am eating my normal diet, let alone a cleanse.
The mental aspect deserves more thought. I mentioned in yesterday's post when you have your eye on the prize, you bargain with yourself to get through the discomfort and constant cravings. It makes you appreciate the glory when you experience the trials and tribulations during the journey. The few positive returns feel so much sweeter. It's what keeps you going. Those small and quick moments in time you see your hard work paying off. It keeps you dedicated. It keeps you determined.
Anyone who partakes in this diet comprehends the ugly beauty of this revitalization process. That's where the mental part comes into it. It's amazing how our minds work when you strip things down and make things strict and simple. You mentally become stronger.
I am just happy I didn't have to delve into that type of mental strength today because yesterday, I wanted to quit. However, after today, I feel pretty good.
Meals:
Breakfast: Mango, Coconut Milk, & Flax Seed Smoothie
Lunch: Baked Lamb Shoulder (4 pieces), Organic Spinach, Quinoa, & Red Onions
Dinner: Pineapple, Kale, Flax Seed, Coconut Milk, & Chia Seed Smoothie
Snacks: Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, 4 Apples, 1 Garlic Clove, Goji Berries, & 1- 6 oz. pack of Blackberries
Workout:
Yesterday, I was kind of lazy and stated I will make up for it by running 9-11 miles. Tonight, I ran 11.6. I ran it a 7:50 clip and it was the longest run since the half-marathon in the Timberman 70.3 Half Ironman on August 18. I am very interested to see how I feel tomorrow because I have never consumed so little calories after a big workout. I have already drank a bunch of water and eaten as much nuts as I can. I hope I am not sore. I want to build off this workout. The route was initially concieved to be 10 miles but it was a minor miscalculation. It felt good to be out there for awhile going through the ups and downs of a long run. Runs like this make you stronger mentally. I was in a decent amount of pain but felt so good aerobically that it didn't bother me as much...which was nice. Nevertheless, I need to build of this momentum if I am planning to perform well on November 17.
Stay Tuned
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The "Clean" Diet Day 2
I am not going to sugar coat this at all. Today sucked. I felt sick, even though I knew I wasn't. So, because I have never experience this feeling before, I talked to a few people who have done this diet before, my mother, sister, and co-worker, Melissa. I gathered input and found out this is actually a very normal thing. From finding out this information, I felt better since this represents I am doing something right.
It still sucked either way.
I was hungry the entire day. I tried to snack on some nuts in between meals to carry me over but that did not help one bit. It almost made me moody because all I could think about was the infinite amount of food I couldn't eat.
Burgers, Pizza, French Fries, Bananas (The diet doesn't permit eating bananas which stinks because I effin love bananas), Pasta, & other delicious foods running through my head all day.
It became a vicious cycle tempting me in breaking the diet only 36 hours in. How do people do this? I have gained so much respect for people who attempt these crazy diets and do it more than a week. This is hard. It's more than discipline. It takes, dare I say...faith.
Faith in what I am doing is going to work.
Now from that statement, I could go on a diatrobe on how 99.9% of diets are a designed system for you to fail, but that would deter the point of these posts.
Instead, the visualization of how you will feel, look, and most importantly, be, is what drives us all when we attempt to conquer these strict dietary plans. The point of victory is wonderfully brillant when everyone who completes such an arduous task remembers the trials and tribulations that go through the journey. The ups and downs. The temptations baiting us into doing something we aren't supposed to, yet having the strength to say no.
That goal is what's driving me...for now because I will completely honest with you, I want to stop. I just want to yell "Eff it, I don't need to do this. I am in the best shape of life and eat healthier than most. Why, oh why, am I doing this to myself?"
However, that would weaken me and I am doing this is to bring my body to another level.
Polar opposite results....Keep your eye on the prize.
Something I need to do going forward is to have more raw vegetables and fruit to snack on and not rely on trail mix to carry me through the day. I am only allowed one hard meal a day so I need to attack this smarter and take in as many calories as I can since I am working out and training for a half marathon.
Meals:
Breakfast: Avocado, Lime & Ginger Smoothie
Lunch: Grilled Chicken over mixed greens, avocado, and red onions
Dinner: Mango, Flax Seed, and Lime (Delicious by the way)
Snacking: Raw Garlic Clove with an apple as a chaser (try it...without wincing or going into epilectic shock), almonds, cashews, walnuts, and raisins.
Workout:
I was somewhat lazy today. I was supposed to do a speed workout but didn't do any running. Instead, I did a T-25 (the new Sean-T videos) workout with Lindsay. I must say it is pretty tough. I really hope Lindsay sticks with it. She is on Day 2 and already feeling beat up. It's pretty challenging and does a good job to keep you interested and motivated for the next day. I kind of what to do the Wednesday workout tomorrow but because I was lazy today, I am going to run between 9-11 miles tomorrow and add push-ups, marine sit-ups, and planks to act as my core exercises.
Tomorrow should be interesting as I have not run that distance since 2 weeks before Ragnar.
Ragnar was on September 27 & 28.
Stay Tuned
It still sucked either way.
I was hungry the entire day. I tried to snack on some nuts in between meals to carry me over but that did not help one bit. It almost made me moody because all I could think about was the infinite amount of food I couldn't eat.
Burgers, Pizza, French Fries, Bananas (The diet doesn't permit eating bananas which stinks because I effin love bananas), Pasta, & other delicious foods running through my head all day.
It became a vicious cycle tempting me in breaking the diet only 36 hours in. How do people do this? I have gained so much respect for people who attempt these crazy diets and do it more than a week. This is hard. It's more than discipline. It takes, dare I say...faith.
Faith in what I am doing is going to work.
Now from that statement, I could go on a diatrobe on how 99.9% of diets are a designed system for you to fail, but that would deter the point of these posts.
Instead, the visualization of how you will feel, look, and most importantly, be, is what drives us all when we attempt to conquer these strict dietary plans. The point of victory is wonderfully brillant when everyone who completes such an arduous task remembers the trials and tribulations that go through the journey. The ups and downs. The temptations baiting us into doing something we aren't supposed to, yet having the strength to say no.
That goal is what's driving me...for now because I will completely honest with you, I want to stop. I just want to yell "Eff it, I don't need to do this. I am in the best shape of life and eat healthier than most. Why, oh why, am I doing this to myself?"
However, that would weaken me and I am doing this is to bring my body to another level.
Polar opposite results....Keep your eye on the prize.
Something I need to do going forward is to have more raw vegetables and fruit to snack on and not rely on trail mix to carry me through the day. I am only allowed one hard meal a day so I need to attack this smarter and take in as many calories as I can since I am working out and training for a half marathon.
Meals:
Breakfast: Avocado, Lime & Ginger Smoothie
Lunch: Grilled Chicken over mixed greens, avocado, and red onions
Dinner: Mango, Flax Seed, and Lime (Delicious by the way)
Snacking: Raw Garlic Clove with an apple as a chaser (try it...without wincing or going into epilectic shock), almonds, cashews, walnuts, and raisins.
Workout:
I was somewhat lazy today. I was supposed to do a speed workout but didn't do any running. Instead, I did a T-25 (the new Sean-T videos) workout with Lindsay. I must say it is pretty tough. I really hope Lindsay sticks with it. She is on Day 2 and already feeling beat up. It's pretty challenging and does a good job to keep you interested and motivated for the next day. I kind of what to do the Wednesday workout tomorrow but because I was lazy today, I am going to run between 9-11 miles tomorrow and add push-ups, marine sit-ups, and planks to act as my core exercises.
Tomorrow should be interesting as I have not run that distance since 2 weeks before Ragnar.
Ragnar was on September 27 & 28.
Stay Tuned
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Clean Diet Day 1
Over the past 5 years, I have transformed my health and lifestyle to a degree I did not expect. I feel good, rarely get sick, and perform in endurance events near an elite level. However, it's not enough. Through reading books and talking with individuals who do this for a living (Twitter at it's all time best), I have been able to find more ways to get to the next level. This one of those steps.
My sister and mother read "Clean" by Alejandro Hunger and executed his 21-day cleanse diet. After completion, both received great results: weight loss, improved skin complexion, and superb immune revitalization.
The ability to battle disease and sickness without the use of medicine or professional aid.
Furthermore, I want to be healthy.
Now, most people believe health is defined by the absence of disease, but that is a common misconception and just plain wrong. Well, not wrong, just half right. Health is a superior state of being. A state where anyone can reach their true potential. I know this sounds to good to be true (and kind of cheesy) but it is. It's that simple. It just takes a lot discipline, hard work, and determination.
It is a very strict, yet realistic diet. Let me explain:
-Two Smoothies a day
-One "hard" meal a day
-No dairy
-No citrus
-No bananas, grapes, or strawberries
-At least 5 liters of water a day
-No rigorous exercise
-A plethora of varietal nuts
The last one is going to be the interesting one.
I am training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon and in the middle of my training plan. I can't just stop exercising and let this diet take precedence. This is why I want to document this. I can't intake the amount of calories or food items I need to to recover properly. I will burn more calories than I will intake, even without working out. Now. add running and occasionally biking, weight loss will increase, my body fat percentage will decrease, and recovery will be compromised. I am not sure if it will affect my running while I am out on the road but I want to document this and see how it affects my performance.
The "Clean" diet perfect starts today and will end on November 11. The race is on November 17. This will run my training right into my tapering period. This will also allow me to utilize my normal nutrition during a race (Amino Vital Endurance, Clif Shot Bloks, and whatever other goodies I can get my hands on.
So let's get this started
Starting Weight: 192.5
Body Fat %: 18
Day 1
During the day, didn't feel much difference than normal, which is to be expected. I have been informed you don't feel a difference until Day 3 (where you feel moody and lethargic... I am looking forward to Day 3).
In the morning, I had a spinach and mango smoothie (it's as disgusting as it sounds).
For lunch, I had a chicken salad with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and onions. No dressing. The only dressing you can put on your salads is oil and vinegar. On the side, I had some raw trail mix containing cashews, walnuts, raisins, and almonds, two avocados, and a 6 oz pack of raspberries.
For dinner, I had a avocado, lime, and ginger smoothie with flax seed (better than it sounds)
Workout
I did a nice and flat 7 mile run. I felt good, not great, but good. Moved at a 7:45 minute per mile clip. However, by mile 5, I started to feel sore in my muscles. Now, I don't know if this was mental because for some reason, I was expecting radical changes to my body when I started this diet but I did feel sore, which is an uncommon thing. I am very interested to see how I feel tomorrow morning. I plan to do a track workout tomorrow (oh yes, my favorite).
We will see...stay tuned.
My sister and mother read "Clean" by Alejandro Hunger and executed his 21-day cleanse diet. After completion, both received great results: weight loss, improved skin complexion, and superb immune revitalization.
The ability to battle disease and sickness without the use of medicine or professional aid.
Furthermore, I want to be healthy.
Now, most people believe health is defined by the absence of disease, but that is a common misconception and just plain wrong. Well, not wrong, just half right. Health is a superior state of being. A state where anyone can reach their true potential. I know this sounds to good to be true (and kind of cheesy) but it is. It's that simple. It just takes a lot discipline, hard work, and determination.
It is a very strict, yet realistic diet. Let me explain:
-Two Smoothies a day
-One "hard" meal a day
-No dairy
-No citrus
-No bananas, grapes, or strawberries
-At least 5 liters of water a day
-No rigorous exercise
-A plethora of varietal nuts
The last one is going to be the interesting one.
I am training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon and in the middle of my training plan. I can't just stop exercising and let this diet take precedence. This is why I want to document this. I can't intake the amount of calories or food items I need to to recover properly. I will burn more calories than I will intake, even without working out. Now. add running and occasionally biking, weight loss will increase, my body fat percentage will decrease, and recovery will be compromised. I am not sure if it will affect my running while I am out on the road but I want to document this and see how it affects my performance.
The "Clean" diet perfect starts today and will end on November 11. The race is on November 17. This will run my training right into my tapering period. This will also allow me to utilize my normal nutrition during a race (Amino Vital Endurance, Clif Shot Bloks, and whatever other goodies I can get my hands on.
So let's get this started
Starting Weight: 192.5
Body Fat %: 18
Day 1
During the day, didn't feel much difference than normal, which is to be expected. I have been informed you don't feel a difference until Day 3 (where you feel moody and lethargic... I am looking forward to Day 3).
In the morning, I had a spinach and mango smoothie (it's as disgusting as it sounds).
For lunch, I had a chicken salad with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and onions. No dressing. The only dressing you can put on your salads is oil and vinegar. On the side, I had some raw trail mix containing cashews, walnuts, raisins, and almonds, two avocados, and a 6 oz pack of raspberries.
For dinner, I had a avocado, lime, and ginger smoothie with flax seed (better than it sounds)
Workout
I did a nice and flat 7 mile run. I felt good, not great, but good. Moved at a 7:45 minute per mile clip. However, by mile 5, I started to feel sore in my muscles. Now, I don't know if this was mental because for some reason, I was expecting radical changes to my body when I started this diet but I did feel sore, which is an uncommon thing. I am very interested to see how I feel tomorrow morning. I plan to do a track workout tomorrow (oh yes, my favorite).
We will see...stay tuned.
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