Stuff to Make the Journey Easier: Audio Excursions

One of the keys to getting fit and in shape is exercise, either cardio or weight training.  Unfortunately, while weight training is variable enough to keep your mind occupied, cardio training tends to bore many people.  The long periods of placing one foot in front of the other, the mind stuck on concentrating on the tedium of your feet... BOREDOM.  So what can you do to help with the boredom and endless miles under your feet?  Music is one option, of course.  I, however, prefer to listen to books, especially podiobooks.  There are a large selection of great podiobooks available... if you know where to look.

One great author that you may want to check out is Neil Colquhoun, a fantastic Scottish writer of hybrid horror/thriller/sci-fi tales, creator of the "FRANK" series and the forthcoming "Jimmy and the Black Wind" tales.

Check out his Free audiobook, "FRANK - Volume 1: Boiling Point".  In this tale, Frank, a mysterious bounty hunter, gets more than he bargained for in his latest assignment. Becoming mixed up in the beginnings of a gang war, he has to contend with a team of hit-men, who are not like your usual guns-for-hire!  It’s a story about a a bounty hunter, a dead-but-alive hitman partnered with an alive-but-should-be-dead criminal, an escort girl, a man who has a taste for something bad… and the Devil!

Check out his promo for "FRANK" here: http://neilcolquhoun.com/media-folder/FRANK-Vol01-promo2.mp3

Read more about "FRANK" and access the audio files here: http://neilcolquhoun.com/free-audiobooks/frank

To subscribe to "FRANK" on iTunes, subscribe to this feed: itpc://neilcolquhoun.com/feed/podcast

If you are interested in reading more about  Neil and his various projects, head on over to his website: http://neilcolquhoun.com

To keep up on what Neil is doing, make sure you also follow him on Twitter: @necol66

The Tough First Two Weeks: Day 11

Hello Folks.  Been a little bit... super busy and yet not so busy at all... just resting and relaxing over the three-day weekend and getting back into the groove of getting back to work.

Overall, I've stayed on track for the last five days.  Eating has been going ok... normal fluctuation from day to day, but the average is right around 1750 for daily calorie intake and the fat calorie intake right around 450-500 calories (I'd like to get this down just a little, right around 300 to 400 on average).  Look here for my Graph of Progress: http://scottepond.blogspot.com/p/daily-calorie-and-food-tracker.html

So what does that mean? Well, if you look at just the calories, it don't mean squat, does it? No indeedy!  What matters is results.

So the results, as of this morning's weigh-in, is that I've lost 8 pounds in the last 19 days from just eating right. Woo-hoo! Knowing that weight fluctuates from day day, I also keep track of my daily weight and average it at the end of the week... according to my average so far for the week, my average weight loss over the last 3 weeks is 6 pound.  Not too bad... I'll take it!  Look here for my Graph of Progress: http://scottepond.blogspot.com/p/weight-tracker.html

The only drawback is that I was unable to start my workout routine this week.  On Sunday night, big klutz that I am, I fell while walking up the stairs and jammed my wrist catching myself.  Instead of aggravating it, I decided to push off the kick-off of my workout routine until next week.  Am I wimping out? Not really. I look at it that I'm playing it safe and setting myself up for success and not failure.

How's everyone else's journey going? Anyone find any good resources to help us with our mutual success on our trek toward fitness? Let me know and I'll check it out and post my thought on it.

Planning The Attack: The Workout Regime

It's been about six months since I last worked out.  At the time that I quit, I was dealing with work stress, too much school work, and the beginning of the dark season (ahhh... the joys of late fall and winter in New England)... and then the straw broke the camel's back when I threw my back out again.  Even when things calmed back down and my back was back to normal, I for some reason didn't jump right back in (I blame laziness).

So back to working out.  Before I quit, I had a pretty good routine going:

• Mondays - Aerobic for an hour (typically between 6 to 8 miles on the elliptical stair-stepper); plus back extension reps; plus sit-ups

• Tuesdays - Weight Training: Chest (Flat, incline, decline); Triceps; and Lats

• Wednesday - Aerobic for an hour (typically between 6 to 8 miles on the elliptical stair-stepper); plus back extension reps; plus sit-ups

• Thursday - Weight Training: Back; Biceps; and Shoulder

• Friday - Aerobic for an hour (typically between 6 to 8 miles on the elliptical stair-stepper); plus back extension reps; plus sit-ups

Given that I'm only 6 months out of my workout routine, I'm going to try to slide into a similar routine, but at lower intensities and levels... so I don't get hurt prematurely.

What routines do you use to keep in shape or on your own fitness journey?

The Tough First Two Weeks: Day 6

Update At 6:15AM

Two weeks ago I started keeping track of my daily weight.  On the first day, I weighed in at 270 pounds. That first week I kept track of my daily weight and it averaged out to 270 pounds for the week.

Today, 14 days later, I'm weighing in at 266 pounds, having begun my diet/fitness plan 6 days ago.  Though technically I've lost 4 pounds based on today's weigh-in, based on the average of my weights for the week I've lost one pound (my average is at 269 pounds).  For a visual of this, go to this page: http://scottepond.blogspot.com/p/weight-tracker.html.

Either way, I'm happy about my progress so far.  This week was just the diet adjustment, which is going well so far.  Next week, I'll be kicking off my combination aerobic and weight training regimen, which should kick the loss into high gear.

More updates to this post later on today! Stay strong in your journey, brothers and sisters.


Update At 8:06PM

Day is drawing to a close.  My eating is back on track again... limited my intake for the day to 1600 total calories, right on the high side of my 1400 to 1600 intake range.  Even my fat calorie intake is back down to normal (at 400 calories).  Feeling really good today (from a fitness/health standpoint and from a general sickness standpoint).

Heading into the three-day weekend, so this'll be a more true test of my resolve.  But one I can tackle.

Well my friends, that's all for today.  Have fun over the weekend... stay strong and focused on your journeys!

The Tough First Two Weeks: Day 5

One of the things that always ruins me when it comes to eating right is boredom. I have the tendency to overeat and eat the wrong things when I'm bored, depressed, or just needing comfort.    And nothing screams boredom, depression, and comfort seeking than being sick.

Spent the day at home today with day two of the <queue the big music> "STOMACH BUG FROM HELL!!!!". In spite of being sick and bored out of my gourd, I didn't stray too badly overall.  The real killer for me today in the calorie department was the copious use of ginger ale and 7-up to settle my little tummy ache.  Without that, my total calorie intake would have been right on target... but with it I exceeded my goal of 1400 to 1600 calories by about 400.  <SIGH> Oh well, at least my fat calorie intake was pretty good overall.

Feeling pretty good now, with only a little bit of a tummy twinge left, so I'll be back to work tomorrow... and back on the ever-watchful diet journey.

See you all on the flip side.  And until then: Stay Strong!

The Tough First Two Weeks: Day 4

Just a quick update today.  Still sick... worse if anything.  Actually had to leave work early today.  Will update the calorie tracker a little bit later. Slipped a little on the food front today, but will recover tomorrow once I feel a bit better.

The Tough First Two Weeks: Day 3

Day two in my adventure is drawing to a close and I feel like crap.  No, not because of the diet or over-extending myself. No, I think I finally am catching the stomach bug that is going around (my daughter has the joy of its not-so-tender embrace over the weekend). The bad new is that I will probably spend a portion of the night worshipping the porcelain god.  The good new is that I'm not gonna be retaining much of what I ate today, so I should have some good weight loss in the morning.  LOL.

Day two of the portion reduction and diet change program went well again.  Got a little hungry toward the end of the workday, but that I think is because I ate my mid-afternoon snack too early. Like I've said before, it's about figuring out your body and adjusting your habits to take care of your needs.  Here's my menu for today:

• Breakfast: 1 Cup Cheerios, 1 Cup Milk, and one Greek Yogurt
• Snack: Snack Pack of Nuts
• Lunch: Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Ziti, and Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Snack (a little early in the day): One Greek Yogurt and Snack Pack of Nuts
• Dinner: Just a dry Chicken Breast Sandwich (since I'm not feeling too good)

Aside from that, I've added my Calorie Gains and Losses Tracker page, where I'll keep track (hence the name, yukka-yukka-yukka) of my daily total calorie intake, daily fat calorie intake, and aerobic calorie loss.  For this week, there won't be much in the way of aerobics, but this tracker should equalize out next week when I start my workouts.

Well, my workout and fitness buddies, stay strong and I'll see you tomorrow!