The Journey

Taking the show on the road

2011-01-31T15:18:00.001-05:00

Effective 2/1/11 all new posts can be found here:

http://kosmobility.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you around...

It's been a while

2010-09-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

I feel like Pedro from Napolean Dynomite...I don't have much to say. No shit, if I did you'd have seen a post since March.

I've simply been dealing with life on life's terms.

Pop died in February...I wrote about that already. Sadly, and in a cruel twist of fate, my father died in May, less than 90 days later.

Still trying to make sense of it all.

I decided to quit drinking on July 13th. Alcohol began taking me to bad places. To be honest, life for me is better without it. Hard to explain so I wont try - for me I'm finding out it's the right way to live.

Been peeping at some FAT blogs. Glad there are a few of the old guard still chiming in. Good to see new "faces" too. A fresh perspective always helps. Lord knows I need one these days.

Back at gym, following TT beginner program. 3 weeks into a 4 week cycle. Need to take it easy, had rotator cuff surgery in April. Coming along but don't want any setbacks.

October 1st is around the corner. I promised myself I'd set 30-60-90 day goals to round out the year on a high note.

Take care. I'll be back...

And so it begins...again

2010-03-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

Doesn't it suck to write this statement? It's as if admitting failure. Look, I tried before. I messed up. I didn't reach my goals - heck I didn't even write and review my goals. So here I am back up in weight. Unhappy with my lack of progress. Even more unhappy with my lack of activity.

Now maybe I should get a pass because of what I've been through.

I got sick last fall - REALLY SICK - like I almost died. I developed a staph infection post vasectomy (yup - no more kids for me) and not just any staph infection but MRSA. It's like super-staph. I wound up in the hospital for 10 days. Over the course of 30 days I endured 5 surgeries. I was miserable. Scratch that - I was FUCKING miserable. I had a pump attached to my groin to draw out the infection. I couldn't write about it then - luckily I'm alive to write about it now.

I thought I turned a corner in January. New Years Resolutions - blah blah blah. I got back to the gym but never quite got the nutrition under control. Nor the alcohol consumption.

This has been a brutal winter in the North East. One day while shoveling snow I re-aggravated a tear in my rotator cuff. That's a pretty painful injury - not nearly as painful as what I endured back in the Fall (that pain was on par with childbirth - I kid you not) - that has set me back.

The worst part has been the death of my Grandfather. Pop died on Valentines Day. I got a call from the nursing home and they said he went peacefully. At 98 that's what we hope for, however it doesn’t change that fact that I miss him terribly and his passing has created a void in my life that may never be filled. To me he was more like a father than a Grandfather. I have been blessed to have 3 out of 4 Grandparents with me well into my adult life. If you're reading this I can only hope the same for you all. They offer insight, caring, kindness and compassion unlike the dynamics of any other relationship. At least it felt that way for me.

So where am I at?

1. I have 3 beautiful children. 2 of them love to play outdoors. Matthew, at 7 months, isn't far behind. I struggled through the pain of my shoulder to take them sledding for the past 3 days (we got 18+ inches of snow last week). I just got off the phone with my Orthopedist and I'm getting a copy of the RX for P/T. I'll have to go on my lunch hour since it's just not convenient to go at night. As a NY/NJ commuter I'm already gone 10+ hours a day. When is anything ever convenient?

2. My wife and I pledged to "Get it together...together". We got rid of all the shitty food in the house. I went back to the gym this morning and I hit the grocery store afterwards, stocking up on fresh fruit and produce. All the stuff that we should be eating but just haven't been.

3. I deal with losing Pop on a daily basis. They say death is only sad for the living. Truer words were never spoken. It's not all about sadness - many of the memories are of incredibly happy times. Time will heal the pain I guess. That's up for time to decide.

New day, new month, new opportunity.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

It's a boy!

2009-09-16T11:00:00.007-04:00

Hey F.A.T. Nation...yes, it's true - my wife & I have been blessed with a baby boy. Matthew (pictured above) was born on 8/11. So my family is now complete - 2 daughters and a son. Still surreal at times but he's here, he's live & in the flesh and he's awesome!

I see that things are quiet around the blogs. I've been spending some time over on the T-Nation website reading weight lifting articles. I'm trying to get a better understanding of the "why". Hell, I've got a shelf full of books and workout routines already. The problem is still the 6 inches between my ears. A bit hard core in some respects but a strong dose of reality that is not sugar coated. The authors tell it like it is. I especially like Chris Shuggart. Here's the link if you are so inclined: http://www.tmuscle.com/. You have been warned.

I've been up and down with my weight. Still hovering around 200. I recently set some new goals and have hit the gym 3 days straight. A big accomplishment since I'm not getting as much sleep as I need with the baby. The holidays are around the corner boys and girls. Statistics show an average weight gain of 10 lbs. between Halloween and New Years. Let's be prepared shall we?

Remember that an average plan executed with consistency and passion will exceed the perfect plan every time.

Hope all is well in your respective neck of the woods.

With gratitude -

Gene

Having a boy?

2009-06-19T15:43:00.006-04:00

Seems like I'm trying to keep pace with my pregnant wife. This is the 1st time I've gained weight during one of her pregnancies. My 1st 2 are girls, so if you believe in old wives tales then she's having a boy. That's what the committee known as "they" says. If the husband gains weight then the woman is having a boy. That would be great since we already have 2 daughters, but it's a piss poor excuse no matter how you look at it. We chose not to find out the gender, same as the 1st 2. It is what it is. People ask us what are you having and we're like "Duh, a baby you dummy". Seems like not finding out is more uncommon these days. Ah science & technology.

Cutting through the nonsense, I am currently lacking in personal accountability. Eating too much. Exercising too little or with little intensity. More so eating too much as I've been hitting the gym 2-3x per week.

I've read much lately about creating a "vision" for your life. I've gone so far as to write out what my life will be like 1 short year from now. All positive, but lacking in specific goals on how I will reach my "destination" (aka vision).

I just have to keep filling my mind with positive thoughts. Because after all; after you strip away all the bullshit, all the excuses, all the whining - it's all about the 6 inches between your ears.

Knowledge is not power. Applied knowledge is power.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there.

100 days

2009-04-30T10:14:00.006-04:00

Some time ago I purchased "The Magic Hundred" - a goal setting program of sorts.

side thought -

I often wonder how many coalition members sort of cross-pollinate. I guess what I mean is, I found out about the FAT coalition (specifically Billy's site) from Craig Ballantyne's TT site. Seems like there is so much cross marketing and merchandising amongst these "authors" that I'm sure we've all seen a lot of the same info on the web. Generally I think all coalition members (whether we are achieving success or not) are "seekers". That is we all want to make positive changes in our lives and for that reason we are constantly looking for ideas, tips, motivation, etc. Based on that, I guess the Internet can be either a blessing or a curse. Ultimately it all boils down to the daily decisions we make but (speaking for myself) I believe we all want more from life and with respect to the FAT coalition, "more" really means "less" in terms of body fat.

I guess the trick is turning a lifetime of learning into a lifetime of achieving.

- end of side thought

OK, so anyway. There was an update and 2nd release of the M100 and since I had purchased it previously I got a free copy. As it turns out my wife is due with our 3rd child in (take a guess...) 100 days. Coincidence? Perhaps. Or not. Maybe things truly happen for a reason.

I've got my copy in hand and began reading it again on the commute to work this AM. IMHO great stuff.

Wrong

2009-03-26T13:39:00.006-04:00

I'm still off the beer, but feeling like a tub. Diet has been piss poor. I guess I've used the fact that I'm not drinking beer as an excuse to eat whatever I want when ever I want. I also took a spill at the park last week while playing with my kids. Now I know that no one ever died from embarrassment but I did bang up my knees pretty bad. That annoyed me since I had to lay off my workouts a bit.

Where is Lex Luthor when you need him? Oh wait, here he is...

When I get like this I usually am on the verge of a breakthrough. For me personally it's sort of like hitting rock bottom but without all the drama. Once again the question is, "Will my changes be temporary or lasting?"

That can be a very difficult question to answer.

The plan works if you work your plan...dummy

2009-03-12T11:51:00.003-04:00

God - 2 months since my last post. Not gonna bitch or grouse. I have been busy - just not busy with blogging. I got caught up in Face Book and people from my past - all walks of life; college, HS, grammar school - all of a sudden want to be my friend again. I don't know if I should be honored or offended. You didn't give a shit about me before FB, now you want to be my new BFF? Piss off. Nah, just kidding. I enjoy reminiscing, just as long as I don't live in the past. Hey maybe I can be the song guy again (?) and quote from the Jethro Tull classic "Living in the Past"

Happy and I'm smiling,
walk a mile to drink your water.
You know I'd love to love you,
and above you there's no other.
We'll go walking out
while others shout of war's disaster.
Oh, we won't give in,
let's go living in the past.

Once I used to join in
every boy and girl was my friend.
Now there's revolution,
but they don't know what they're fighting.
Let us close out eyes;
outside their lives go on much faster.
Oh, we won't give in,
we'll keep living in the past.

I'm not sure if there is any relevance to the coalition in the lyrics, but hey - it's my blog right?

I've been journaling in a notebook daily. It's been a longtime since I've done that consistently.

Not sure where everyone is with religion. I'm a practicing Catholic and for Lent I gave up beer. It's been over 2 weeks and I feel great. Started a new workout routine from NROL - Fatloss I, and my drinking buddy bro-in-law (who is also Catholic but did not give up beer for Lent) has begun to join me at the gym every M-W-F @ 5:30am. He's a skinny bastard though.

I just got back under 200 lbs since ending my love affair with the suds. I also have been taking photos/measurements every 10 days & perhaps I'll have the balls to post them come Easter.

Hope you are all well and enjoying the extra hour of sunshine. It's great to get home from wotk at night and have it still be light outside.

Keep the "main thing" the "main thing"

2009-01-13T10:48:00.007-05:00

That's seems to be one of (many) challenges I have. Staying focused. I'm sure it's a challenge that a lot of us face.

I definitely lost focus around the holidays. I was finishing the house renovation. I moved in 4 days before Christmas and I'm slow in rebounding. It's been weeks since I've been to the gym and my new best friend (along with my brother-in-law) has been Miller High Life. We're purveyors of the High Life. Not good.

But wait on the horizon there is a light...a ray of hope!

I just ordered Tom Venuto's new book The Body Fat Solution: Five Principles for Burning Fat, Building LeanMuscle, Ending Emotional Eating, and Maintaining Your Perfect Weight. Sounds like just what I need. Ending emotional eating (and drinking) for sure.

True to form I've already started to mess with my head. I'm like, "great I'll get this book, then I'll apply the principles of TT and use some of Jon Benson's training tips and start listening to Tony Robbins Personal Power again".

WTF Gene?! STOP

Read the god damn book and apply what it says.

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

I know Venuto talk s a lot about setting goals which is a weak area of mine.

Robert Heinlein said - "In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it."

Makes sense to me.

Happy New Year everyone.

History Lesson

2008-10-15T09:43:00.004-04:00

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana

As I approach the "Big 40" (less than 48 hours away) I can't help but think how well (sadly though) this quote describes my actions over the past few years...actually almost the past 15 years.

Sure - back in 1990-91 I went from 230 lbs. to 180 lbs. Sure - I made some radical changes in my life but for the past decade I feel like I've been treading water. Not sinking, but not really swimming either. I know some of you can relate as I read about it all the time in your posts.

I've seen success. I've also let it slip away. I've been "so close" to my goals, only to let life get in the way and watch them fade in the rear view mirror. So I have to ask myself the question - "Gene, what are you going to do differently in your life that will give you different results?"

I've read all the positive books, listened to Tony Robbins over and over, gone to seminars, got involved in social networking and where has it gotten me. Seems to me right where I've started.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that we already have all the information we need - too much if you ask me. That's why as a society we jump on the next "big thing" when it comes along. It offers us a renewed sense of hope when in the past we may have failed, perhaps even miserably at times.

I'm going to be 40 years old on Friday. If I live to be 80, that means my life is 1/2 over. That's pretty scary. I've accomplished so many things in my life - some that I'm damn proud of. On the flip side I've done things I'm ashamed of and embarrassed by - shame on me.

I've told myself that the 40's are going to be my best decade yet. I guess that's up to me and only me. There will be no public challenges - no "calling out" coalition members as it's not my style. Instead I feel my strength must come from within.

I must find a way to saddle it and use it on a consistent basis.

Weekly.
Daily.
Hourly.
Minute by minute.

Gene

PS - My wife threw me a surprise 40th B'Day party last week. Totally caught me off guard. It was awesome! Pop has fully transitioned into a nursing home & I'm OK with it - so is he. Dad is moving into a 55+ Community next Monday so I'm renovating the house for my family to move into, hopefully before Christmas.

Despite my ramblings - life is good!

September 22nd and a title change

2008-09-22T16:18:00.004-04:00

Happy Autumn everyone. As we turn the page on a new season and say goodbye to summer, I thought this was a good time to make a few changes.

Changed template on blog. Nothing radical - I just like the color scheme.

Also changed the title to "The Journey" and dropped the 40. It's not like in another 25 day this all ends (shit I hope not) and then "poof", rather I think I should place my emphasis on how this a Journey of transformation. A Journet with no end - and that is not a bad thing at all! In order to have the healthy body I desire and the lifestyle I want, I must act accordingly for the rest of my life; not just for 12 months at a time.

Today is the last day to officially begin the 12 week TT3 transformation contest. I hit the gym hard @ 5:30 am and had an awesome workout. Tonight I will take my "before" pictures and I have promised myself I would take them every Monday until the contest is over - regardless of the outcome of the NY Jets football games.

I hope my fellow FATties are doing well. Time for the Fall harvest.

Where oh where does the time go?

2008-09-03T09:39:00.006-04:00

July 17th - last post - wow.

Been a rough Summer. Rather than bore you with the details I'll be brief.

Diet & exercise post LBI vacation back in July have been bad...really bad. Inconsistent on both fronts. Guilty as charged.

Went to VA Beach in August and had a wonderful vacation. Came home to an ever aging, ever ailing Grandfather (Pop) who turned 97 last month. Sadly I am in the process of transitioning him into a nursing home / assisted living facility. He needs 24/7 care and while there is no lack in desire on my part - I simply cannot provide what he needs with all the responsibilities I currently have.

I am a mess over this and I know it has contributed to my stress eating and lack of gym time.

While I previously blogged about the TT Transformation contest #2, I got off to a great start but never finished. See above for my "excuse". Mad, angry, annoyed, frustrated with myself. Nothing new - been here before.

Need to move on.

I am going to enter the TT Transformation contest #3 (details here if anyone is so inclined to join me) .

I will start.
I will persist.
I will overcome life's challenges.
I will persevere.
I will finish.

Hope all is well in Blog-land. Honesty, I haven't read too many posts lately. I often think that staying away is the answer when I know damn well it is not.

Catching up on Billy's posts is always an inspiration.

And a big thanks to Rip for checking in and keeping me honest.

Gene

Hey...the brain likes to go on vacation too!

2008-07-17T13:39:00.009-04:00

Webster's definition of "disaster" is as follows: a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction. A disaster may be caused by carelessness, negligence, bad judgment, or the like.

Now I'm not sure my vacation falls under that category - a bit too extreme . However, sadly I took far more liberties than I wish I had. That's where the "carelessness, negligence, bad judgment, or the like" would apply.

1st off my family & I had a blast. We got 5 out of 7 good days of weather so we're all nice and tan. We spent time with friends and family, enjoyed bike rides, mini-golf, kiddie amusement parks and the like. My older daughter sees me as the hero of those crane games where you pluck the prize after directing it left and right. My younger daughter has not quite figured out if she likes sand yet. Pick me up, put me down ad infinitum. But you know what...it was worth every minute.

I did go shirtless at the beach and while I was not truly "comfortable" in my own skin I did feel better than in years past. I'd been working out hard prior to the trip so I felt a bit better about myself.

On the down side (and yes, there is a downside to most everything) I strayed too far from my healthy eating. Had a couple of ice cream sundaes. Drank too much beer and the BBQ fare was a bit on the unhealthy side. Sorry but fat free turkey dogs and veggie burgers on the grill just ain't for me. Flank steak, chicken drumsticks (skinless), Sabrets & beef hamburgers are.

So there it is, I confess. I'm human. Mortal. Cut me and I bleed. Take me away from my "scheduled life" & I struggle.

I'm learning. I'm growing. It truly is a lifelong process of acheiving balance.

I'm back at the gym (Turbulence Training 2K3) and on day 3 of clean eating.

Beach bound

2008-07-02T15:49:00.006-04:00

Getting ready for vacation, whether my body is ready or not.

I'm taking the family down to the Jersey Shore for a week. So while I may not be blogging while I'm away, rest assured it's not because I threw in the towel. I still have the Oceans 11 Challenge & the TT Challenge on my radar.

I've made some progress as of late but I am nowhere near where I want to be nor where I am capable of being. I was concerned about what to do with my workout routine while away so I took some advice from the Craig Ballantyne & Turbulence Training forums. I plan to do Body Weight Workouts on M-W-F (my 'normal' gym days) and I also plan to do a lot of HIIT (running on the beach). It's something I've always wanted to do so I'm really looking forward to it.

I also plan to relax a bit, have a few drinks and do a lot of healthy grilling.

Happy Independence Day everyone! This time let's declare our Independence from Body Fat, shall we?

Fitgerald's 5K

2008-06-22T14:39:00.002-04:00

It's been a great weekend so far. Excellent meal choices. I got 6 Omaha steaks for Father's Day and we grilled some of them last night, along with vegetable kabobs and some quinoa. Yummy, satisfying and HEALTHY. It's amazing how you can still satisfy the need to eat "hearty" yet keep it clean.

Later today I'm off with some family and friends to run in the Fitgerald's 5K in Glen Ridge, NJ. Last 5k I ran was back in April (the Lincoln Tunnel 5k) and my goal is to beat my previous time of 30:44. One potential concern is that there are terrible thunderstorms in the area today (it's slamming as I type this) so I hope it's not cancelled.

Tomorrow begins week 4 of TT Intermediate. I'll weigh in and take new pix tomorrow along with posting my time (I hope) from the race.

Small Victories

2008-06-18T09:36:00.002-04:00

So I tried on yet another pair of "new" (old) pants this morning (36') and they fit quite nicely.

I'm grinning from ear to ear since it's been over a year that I've worn khakis to work. It matters not to me if anyone else notices...I DO!

Weigh in this AM was 190.4 lbs.. BF% 23% (Tanita).

My goal for 8/11 is 180 lbs., and under 20% BF.

Have an awesome Wednesday!!!!!!

Guess what I'm wearing???

2008-06-11T12:22:00.003-04:00

OK, now that I have your attention I must 1st humble myself. For the longest time I have only worn 2 pair of pants to work - 1 black (size 38) & 1 brown/tan (size 36 with the elastic waistband). Back & forth alternating days since I REFUSE to buy a larger size.

The last 2 days have been different - I actually tried on a normal pair of 36" slacks and they fit! These have been sitting in my closet for well over a year and are practically brand new. Man it made me feel good. Plus it proves the point that training and proper nutrition have positive results.

But wait...I've been here before, maybe some of you have too?

Make a bit of progress, see some positive results and then let up on the gas. Slack off a bit. Have a beer - maybe 2 or 3. Order out and "reward" yourself a bit too much a bit too soon. Sound familiar? Sure does to me as it is me - or should I say it was me.

This GeneTheK is different. Let me prove it to you on August 11th when Billy's contest ends.

Turbulence Training

2008-06-02T13:23:00.002-04:00

So I have officially entered the TT2 Transformation Challenge. Sort of ironic since that is where I 1st learned of Billy's transformation. I had purchased TT some time ago but never really got the hang of it. I think it was the Super Sets and "unconventional" exercises that had me a bit confused, but since I read NROL I gained a better understanding of the concept and now I'm sold on it. I've got 84 days to make some measurable changes. Structure is what I need. A clear starting point and ending point.

Hell, Summer hasn't even started yet (at least not on the calendar anyway).

Today it's working

2008-05-16T12:07:00.004-04:00

Despite the fact that I got a good nights sleep, I still wrestled with my brain @ 5:10 AM in order to get out of bed. Actually I was already out of bed after the alarm went off (had to pee) rather, I had to fight not to crawl back into bed.

Then I got to thinking...

a. you are already awake and out of bed
b. your workout clothes and gym bag are already out and ready to go (nightly prep work before bed)
c. don't be like - "I'll just wait until Monday to get started" - WRONG!
d. if I had bought into letter c. above, I'd probably have set myself up for a bad weekend of eating and drinking - you know, the "last time" before I really get started on Monday

Instead I got dressed, went to the gym and had a great workout. Then I came home, made a smoothie, showered and greeted the day with a whole different attitude. I'm certain the weekend will be better as well.

Gene - 1
Brain - 0

What a mess

2008-05-15T15:35:00.004-04:00

"Is there anybody alive out there?" -- Bruce Springsteen (at most every concert I've ever seen him at).

Sometimes I wonder....

In this case I'm referring only to me.

Based on posts from the Coalition I see that you all are alive and well. Good for you.

The greatest piece of Real Estate I own, the 6 inches between my ears, has once again betrayed me. Bad brain...bad, BAD brain. Just a few short weeks ago I ran the Lincoln Tunnel 5k. I didn't beat my time from last year, but I completed it without stopping (despite that fact that I wasn't really running a lot in prep for the race - I had a mild foot injury & I didn't want to aggravate it prior to the race), so all was good.

Then all hell broke loose and I don't know what happened.

Poor diet, poor nutrition & a poor mental attitude. I had to travel for work - totally last minute. Stress at home with 2 small kids (I love them to pieces but it's a lot of work) and my aging father & grandfather seem to pull me in opposite directions as well. I've gained weight and have been inconsistent at the gym. I'm angry because once again Memorial Day is right around the corner and I'm in the exact same place I was last year. Talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

I'm not gonna bitch about it because I can't do anything about what I've already done. What I need to do is get my head out of my ass, stop feeling sorry for myself and DO SOMETHING!

If I'm lamenting about another Memorial Day - just how bad will I feel in 5 months when I turn 40? Wasn't that the whole point I was trying to make? What am I going to do - change my blog to "The Journey to 41" and say better luck next year? What a tool.

I found this list recently & it inspired me to get back on the blog and post.

1. Be consistent.

2. Focus on improving every day.

3. Follow a professionally designed program & advice. Success leaves clues.

4. Fuel your body with the right foods.

5. Accept that things won't change overnight, but that with time & persistence, YOU WILL SUCCEED.

6. Train with purpose.

Call Me Irresponsible

2008-03-31T21:26:00.004-04:00

Well, if I were Micheal Buble perhaps you could but in this case it's simply for letting an entire month go by without a single keystroke. Shame on me.

March was a difficult month on the family front. Pop came home from Harborage (Rehab facility) which is where he was for 2 weeks after his hospital stay. I was fortunate enough to find a woman caregiver who spends mornings with him but I still find myself over there 4-5 nights a week cleaning, administering meds, just spending time. I am lucky he lives so close so I guess it could be worse. I told him that when I was young he took care of me so now it's my turn to take care of him. He's a big Met fan (as am I) so I hope with baseball season upon us it turns his thoughts to better things. Maybe he'll see them win the World Series one more time?

Weight has been consistent around 193. I've kicked it up a notch with the NROL Fat Loss II routine. "Wow". I haven't lifted like this in well over a year and it feels fantastic. I have also given up booze for 30 days. Too many Friday nights with the bro-in-law getting (as we like to say) "shimmed up". Beer helped make me fat and unfortunately beer keeps me fat. So I'm off the sauce until the end of April and I know it will have a positive impact on me.

Remember that eating 7 apples in one day is not the same as eating 1 a day for 7 days.

Think about it.

Stay focused - stay strong fellow FATties. April Fools are upon us.

Life is full of challenges

2008-02-21T12:33:00.008-05:00

Yikes. I can't believe I let a full month slip away without even one blog entry. I'm not going to make excuses. Since I won't except them from others, why should I waste the coalition's precious few seconds of reading time on lame ass excuses & whiny bullshit?

Currently "life's plate" contains helpings of...

Sick children. Baby has an ear infection and the older one has Strep. Joy. So my wife, who envisioned a week of mall lunches & playdates for the kids with her teacher girlfriends (Winter break here in the NJ public school system), has been captive to the house. You can only watch so much Noggin.

Ailing & aging family. My 96 year old Grandfather (the last surviving grandparent I have), who has raised me like his son & who I love like a father (mind you this has caused much conflict over the years with his son/my dad, but that's another story in itself) has been in the hospital for over a week. He's still currently there. As his caregiver and his P.O.A., I am going to be faced with some difficult decisions in the coming days/weeks. He can still take care of himself, but he can no longer be alone. Ideally I'd like to bring him home and get a home health aid, but it's too soon to tell if this is going to be possible. He's still sharp as a tack & I cannot bring myself to put him in a nursing home. Still praying over this one...a lot.

"Clean Eating & Exercise". I weighed myself this morning and was 194.6. Not as bad as I thought. Considering my inconsistencies of late. I bailed on the MH Belly Off Club. I felt as if I wasn't getting a decent workout on M&W. I needed to hold some iron in my hands and these workout were just not providing that. The Friday Body Weight work outs were much more intense. I have been doing the MH transformation workouts and I find those to be effective. Eating has been hit or miss. Not spot on perfect as I know I have done in the past, but not over the "top pork rinds and cola" bad either. A few beers here and there and some desserts that I simply shoud not have eaten, but my wife helps keep me in check, she is the best.

I just finished reading N.R.O.L. (thank you Marcol, I first read about it on one of your posts) & will begin a new routine on Monday. It's a great book.

Thoughts and prayers are welcomed. I'll make a stronger effort to check in more often. While I have not made many comments lately, I have enjoyed reading all of the coalition's posts.

Focus

2008-01-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

"You can have big plans, but it is the small choices that have the greatest power. They draw us towards the future we want to create."

- Robert Cooper

I've been reading a lot lately. Currently I am reading "Build Your Mind, Your Body Will Follow" by Vincent D. Cocilovo. This is not your typical "fitness" book, however the title says it all.

Oh the mind is a beautiful thing, yet it can still be the "poison pill" we all strive to avoid. The difference? Focus.

Last week during my cleanse (during which I lost 8 lbs. by the way) I had to make a choice on where to direct my focus. Was I going to focus on my hunger and how much I missed simply "chewing food"? Or was I better off focusing on the goal of cleaning out my system and spring boarding back into clean eating? At times it was hard, but I chose to focus on the latter and it really made things easier for me.

There has to be a "bigger picture" for each of us. It will be different for everyone (as it should be). Keep in mind that the bigger picture (long term goal) is compromised of "snapshots" (short term goals) that we build upon along the way. So metaphorically speaking we should take snapshots along the way, making sure that they are helping us create our desired bigger picture.

BTW - Week one of the Men's Health Belly Off 2008 (MHBO) is going great. I'll post some stats soon. I am taking "snapshots" each week , but I'm going to save posting them for a while hoping for a more dramatic effect.

Oh Pooh!

2008-01-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday I began what has become an annual January ritual for me; the colon cleanse. Be warned before you click on this link there are some images not suitable for the squeamish.

http://www.blessedherbs.com/

I am on day 4 of a 5 day liquid only fast. My "meals" consist of a packet of the "toxin absorber" mixed with apple juice (5x a day), plus some vegetable broth for lunch and chicken broth for dinner. That's it. No chewing required.

In the past, Day 3 was always the hardest, but this time Day 1 seemed to be tougher. I think it was because up until I began the cleanse, I had been overeating and over drinking so my body was like "What the F?"

I'm not going to lie. I'm hungry. But at this stage (less than 48 hours to go until I break my fast) it's just as much a mental as well as physical challenge.

And yes...there has been some interesting "stuff" coming out of me.

Why do I do it? 2 fold I guess. One is as I age I do believe that getting all the crud out of your system is a good thing. To use the analogy of a car engine, I've got years and years of motor oil all clogged up in me. Even though there is no history of colon cancer in my family, it can't hurt to be proactive. Secondly, this experience has given me a far greater appreciation for food and what I will choose to put in my body.

"So why aren't you skinny if this is your 3rd cleanse?" you ask. Great question that I don't have an answer to. Maybe I wasn't ready to make "life changes". Maybe I gave into temptation too quickly and easily. Maybe I wasn't about to turn 40. Maybe I just didn't have a plan going forward.

Well now I do.

Sunday I break my fast & I'm gonna eat like a pig. NOT...just checking to see if you are paying attention as you read. I'll be having some egg whites and oatmeal. Probably the finest in quite some time. Monday I will be begin the Men's Health Belly Off 2008 challenge. I have a friend who will be doing it with me. Although I will be modifying the meal plan, I love the workouts and am a big fan of Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training whose principals compose the workout.

In addition I have the growing coalition (growing in a good way) as a support group. I plan to be more active (at least weekly) in both postings and comments.

One of my fitness inspirations, Jon Benson, has a program called M-Power, where the M's stand for Mind, Meals, Muscle & Motion...in that order. Get your thinking straight and the rest seems to fall into place.

There is a saying that success leaves clues. We'll, there are tons of them on these blogs.

Start Strong Monday

2008-01-07T13:58:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone -

I've got a few minutes & I wanted to share this with you. Sean Phillips (Bill's brother) has a great website called Start Strong Monday. Each week he streams a 3-5 minute audio file which I find to be packed full of good insight.

This current series is a 5 parter having to do with New Years resolutions and what he calls "obligation based motivation". Man, it's like he opened up my brain and looked right in.

I hope you all start your week off on the positive. Enjoy this.

Motivation Part 1: http://www.startstrongmonday.com/vol042
Motivation Secrets Part 2: http://www.StartStrongMonday.com

Make your decision

2008-01-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

I have still been lurking, it's just that I have been totally swamped at work. My company just launched a new website and as the head of IT at my job, it's my responsibility to make it work. I've been putting in long hours and worked right through the New Years Holiday. Not that it mattered too much since with 2 small children, we weren't going out to paint the town. My wife has been great and very understanding of the demands placed upon me these last few weeks. Thanks baby, I love you!

Now...I have so many great things I plan to blog about this year, I just need a bit of time to get over this professional hump.

So, the question is...have you made your decision?

Is this the year to make it "happen" for you?

Will 2007 be different than 2008?

In what way?

Have you written your goals?

Do you read them daily?

Once you make the decision, I mean really make the choice and eliminate any other option...the rest is easy. I'm not kidding.

Happy New Year - Happy New Life

Christmas Top 10

2007-12-21T21:57:00.000-05:00

We'll, I'm actually posting what has evolved into a personal top 25 list. Just was wondering if others want to share some of their favorites?

Name - Artist
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2
Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes
Please Come Home for Christmas - Eagles
Celebrate Me Home - Kenny Loggins
Do They Know It's Christmas Time - Band Aid
Another Auld Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg
Sleigh Ride - Leroy Anderson
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - The Pretenders
Rocking Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen
Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
(Everybody's Waitin' For) the Man with the Bag - Kay Starr
The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
All I Want For Christmas - Mariah Carey
Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea
Christmastime - Blues Traveler
Feliz Navidad - José Feliciano
Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth - Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Grown Up Christmas List - Natalie Cole
Do You Hear What I Hear - Whitney Houston
Happy Holidays - Andy Williams
Winter Wonderland - Tony Bennett
Sleigh Ride - Andy Williams
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Johnny Mathis
Home For The Holidays - Perry Como

P.S. 2 blogs posted Friday. Scroll down for "random thoughts".

Thanks Sharon!

Random Thoughts

2007-12-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

You could say I've been more of a lurker these past few weeks. Laying low, reading often, compiling my thoughts - some deep and dark, others light and full of humor.

It has been said that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. I believe that God has a sense of humor and he has put many "teachers" in front of me throughout my life; some as recently as last weekend. Without going into too much detail, lets' just say I am convinced that God was hanging out with me and watching over me while I was in Florida. It's your call if you want to dismiss me as a kook. Too bad, it's my belief. If nothing else it's reaffirmed my faith, allowed me to refocus on the true meaning of the Christmas season and made me feel safe in some strange way. Safer than I've felt in quite some time.

I watched TBL finale on Tuesday. I love cheering on the successes of others. We all know fat/weight loss is NOT easy and in order to achieve long term success we must make these life long decisions, however when you dangle a $250,000 carrot in front of someone they are bound to be motivated. I thought I knew what my carrot was. Sometimes I'm not so sure. Find your "why" and you'll find your "how". I'm looking harder now than ever.

Lots of posts about those lamenting our "poor choices" lately. I'm guilty as charged. Sometimes I want to take the high road and say "Don't be such a pussy Gene. Suck it up." Dominate as Billy says. Other times I want to coddle and say "It's OK. There you go. Here's a tissue." Let's face it - it sucks sitting on the fence. You know who's not on the fence? Billy. End of story.

Speaking of Billy, I'm glad he decided not to pull back from Blogging as he indicated some time ago. His recent posts have been insightful & important to me. I'm sure to some of you as well.

I was sad to hear of Dan Fogelberg's death. Weird he died a week before Christmas. I know "Old Lang Syne" is sort of gay, but I admit I love it. It's in my all time Christmas top 10.

Speaking of Christmas (and before I ramble on any more and you all decide to unsubscribe from reading my blog posts - you guys wouldn't do that would you?) here (in true "song guy" fashion) is my Holiday wish for you all:

Blues Traveler - Christmastime:

If it's Hanukkah or Kwanzaa
Solstice, harvest or December twenty-fifth
Peace on earth to everyone
And abundance to everyone you're with

Catch you next week. I'll be in PA for a few days without web access.

One last chuckle. I Googled "Christmas" for an image to post and the one I found is called "christmas-balls". Yep. That's what we all need...balls. Fortitude. Sticktuitiveness. Guts. Chutzpah. Cahones. OK...enough.

Too many excuses...

2007-12-11T13:10:00.000-05:00

As a matter of fact, I was even going to put this posting off for another day or 2. Maybe if I avoid my blog it will go away?

After back to back weekends in FL, I'm slowly getting caught up on reading everyone's postings. The 1st weekend was for the funeral, this past weekend was a trip with my bro-in-law that was planned months ago. My wife (bless her heart) is an angel for staying home with the girls and allowing me this time away.

I was in Daytona, Jacksonville & St. Augustine with some great friends of ours who have relocated to FL from NJ. It was a super weekend and the fact that it was wrapped around the holiday season made it that much better. Very festive. We laughed, we cried, we hurled (actually only my bro-in-law hurled).

So here is the poignant question of the day. Does being outside of your normal element (i.e. lifestyle) make it OK to just say “screw it” and revert back to the habits of old? (Of course I'm sure you all know I'm relating to our patterns of eating & drinking). Does a death in the family make it OK to drink mugs of beer & eat bar pizza at 11pm? Does seeing old friends relinquish you of the responsibility of the consequences of scarfing down fresh baked Monkey Bread (I tell you what though...it's good stuff) after midnight?

Do life altering events gives us a free pass at responsibility or are they really to be perceived as opportunities that allow us to grow?

Does the fact that I am even questioning these actions make it seem as if I'm striving for perfection...the one thing that is truly unattainable in our lives?

Once again I'm in a place I've become far too familiar with. In my world it could be referred to as "1 step up 2 steps back land". I made some great strides when I embarked on this journey only 2 short months ago, but just recently I have knowingly taken myself "out of the game" and look where it's gotten me. God - the mind can be a wicked thing.

I'm afraid to get on the scale and take current measurements, but I know it's the only thing that will right the ship and "get me off the sidelines". Others have written about a reality check and nothing stirs that up like the cold hard facts.

So maybe I dove a bit too far into the abyss these past few weeks. The water has become deep and the waves are rough.

Even though you may not know it, you have all thrown me one huge collective life preserver.

Man overboard? Nah...Man back on board.

The Good, The Sad & The Ugly

2007-11-27T11:56:00.001-05:00

It's funny how fast time goes by (I find myself saying that a lot since I've become a parent). I didn't realize it had been 10 days since my last post. 1st of all, thanks to all of your who offered condolences and support either in the comments section or in a private email. Your words of support and encouragement mean a lot. To a non-blogger or a non-FAT coalition member that might seem odd, but there is definitely a sense of community amongst us and the fact that the Holidays are upon us makes that feeling of camaraderie that much greater. Thank you all.

It's been a rough couple of weeks. This weekend I'll be flying to Florida for my Grandmother's memorial service. She has been cremated so the family will gather to say goodbye and share in our collective memories. I know it will bring me some closure, but I've always been sort of weirded out by funerals with cremations. Sort of strange not having the opportunity to say goodbye to a "body". Call me crazy. Whatever.

So...onto The Good, The Sad & The Ugly:

The Good: I had a great weekend with my wife, my daughters and my in laws. We spent the weekend in PA. I truly had much to be thankful for: a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, taking my daughter to see Kidz Bop (her 1st "rock-n-roll" concert), my in-laws watching the kids on Saturday & Sunday so I could spend a night away with my wife at a quaint little B&B and we could start our Christmas shopping, and most importantly traveling safely to and from home. Great to go away - even better to return home.

The Sad: Even though my Grandparents had lived in Florida for several years and they were not part of my day-to-day life any more, it was still sad knowing that they weren't here this Thanksgiving. I'm sure my memories of Thanksgiving as a child are not too far removed from many of yours. The sights, sounds and smells of the season. A busy kitchen. Kids and pets underfoot. Football in the park after dinner, back in time for the late game and pumpkin pie. I still can hear Grandpa's bellowing laugh and Maggie calling out his name when it was time to carve the bird. I miss them.

The Ugly: Lets' see...how many guesses do members of the coalition get to correctly identify the "ugly" part of my weekend. Food & drink, food & drink and more food & drink. Oh, did I mention food & drink. I won't give you mouthful by mouthful details but lets just say I overdid it. I knew exactly what I was doing and was aware of every single thing I put in my mouth. I think a lot had to do with my current state of emotions, but that should not be an excuse. Emotions will always crop up at various stages of our lives - you know, "shit happens". I am strong, but clearly there were too many signs of weakness on display recently. I did make a few veiled attempts at exercise but I messed up my back on my in-laws Health-Rider (what a friggin' death trap that thing is). What's done is done and cannot be undone. I already got angry with myself for "letting go" and I've already forgiven myself as well.

I'll be back at the gym bright and early tomorrow and begin my new circuit routine.

I think I may have posted this in another blog, but I feel it bears repeating. There is no such thing as failure. Only feedback and results.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving everyone.

The long and winding road...

2007-11-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

I've always been a huge Beatles fan, but today's post and lyrics have nothing to do with weight loss. While you could say that the "journey" we are all on is in fact a long and winding road, today's rantings are more simply about life - or in this case death.

My Grandmother passed away on Monday night. I was told she died peacefully and did not suffer. She was 85 years young, but Alzheimer's disease had sadly taken her from us long before then. What makes this even sadder is that my Grandfather, her husband of 62 years, died in August. So after going most of my adult life with them in it, I have lost them both within the span of 3 months. Now I know that death is part of life and I once read that "death is only sad for the living", but it still sucks and I miss them both dearly. Especially at this time of year.

While my "clean eating" has taken a hit these past few days, I have still been at the gym. I want to finish up this MH 5-week routine strong. 2 more workouts next week (M & W) and then I will find a new routine post Thanksgiving.

The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way

Many times I've been alone
And many times Ive cried
Any way you'll never know
The many ways I've tried

Oh no, another blog from that "song guy"

2007-11-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

Happy almost Friday everyone. My weekend starts early since I took tomorrow off and my office is closed on Monday for Veterans Day. So I've got a 4-day weekend staring me in the face and we all know the sort of challenges that weekends pose - especially long ones. However I should be OK since:

a. I'm with my family and they are a big part of my reason for taking this "journey".
b. The Jets have a bye week so there is no tailgate party to go to.
c. I weighed myself last night and was 192 so I obviously gained back a bit of what I lost (in all fairness I weighed myself at night when I normally weigh in 1st thing in the morning on an empty stomach).
d. The coalition is in my head and I feel accountable to you all.

That having been said, the latest addition to my iPod is Kid Rock's Rock n' Roll Jesus. 1st pass was OK, but I pay more attention to the lyrics the 2nd time around. Don't worry, after reading my last post I realize that I included far too many lyrics to get my "You can't hurry fat loss" point across. So for the sake of brevity I only copied what I felt was relevant, not only to how I feel this relates to my journey, but perhaps others' as well.

This is my 10th post and the 3rd to cite song lyrics. So 33% of my posts contain song lyrics & depending on how you look at it either I am the most unoriginal blogger in F.A.T. (not) or the most qualified yet overlooked contestant for "Don't Forget the Lyrics" (I applied back in August but never got a call). But I digress...

Track 3 - Roll On (bold emphasizes 'deep' stuff)

And I know it's hard to see with the sun in your eyes
But one day you're gonna say I saw the light

And now headin' for the hill
And I just cannot wait until
My children grow up to have children of their own
And I'll be telling them about
The times I turned the party out
And how I stood against an army all alone
Drinkin' wine and stayin' high
And realized it couldn't last
And how I turned myself around
And went down another path
And the signs we must observe
When life's changes do occur
But most of all I'll tell them
Just how proud I am of them
And always have a good time
It's all love and good times
Let's all have a good time Yeah

Roll on Roll on Roller Coaster
We're one day older and one step closer
Roll on there's mountains to climb
Roll on we're on borrowed time

Maybe it means something to you, maybe not. Read it again if you must & take from it what you will.

Just remember that we need to be reminded more than we need to be informed.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Diana Ross & the Supremes

2007-11-02T16:17:00.002-04:00

OK, now that the title got your attention, here's a goofy thing I came up with the other day while on the StairMaster (20 minutes of intense interval at level 6). I was listening to WCBS FM (Oldies 101.1) - spare me the old jokes - when I heard "You can't hurry love" and it got me to thinking. I glanced over at my sweaty image in the mirror and thought, hmmmm - you can't hurry fat loss either. We don't get fat overnight, so why do we think we can get skinny overnight and then throw in the towel when we don't (or can't)?

So I Googled the lyrics and then did a find & replace. I replaced every instance of "love" with "fat loss" & here is what I came up with (sorry if it runs on long):

I need fat loss, fat loss
To ease my mind
I need to find, find someone to call mine
But mama said

You cant hurry fat loss
No, you just have to wait
She said fat loss don't come easy
Its a game of give and take

You cant hurry fat loss
No, you just have to wait
You got to trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

But how many heartaches
Must I stand before I find a fat loss
To let me live again
Right now the only thing
That keeps me hanging on
When I feel my strength, yeah
Its almost gone
I remember mama said:

You cant hurry fat loss
No, you just have to wait
She said fat loss don't come easy
Its a game of give and take

How long must I wait
How much more can I take
Before loneliness will cause my heart
Heart to break?

No I cant bear to live my life alone
I grow impatient for a fat loss to call my own
But when I feel that i, I cant go on
These precious words keeps me hanging on
I remember mama said:

You cant hurry fat loss
No, you just have to wait
She said fat loss don't come easy
Its a game of give and take

You cant hurry fat loss
No, you just have to wait
She said trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

No, fat loss, fat loss, don't come easy
But I keep on waiting
Anticipating for that soft voice
To talk to me at night
For some tender arms
To hold me tight
I keep waiting
I keep on waiting
But it ain't easy
It ain't easy
But mama said:

You cant hurry fat loss
No, you just have to wait
She said to trust, give it time
No matter how long it takes

You cant hurry fat loss
No, you just have to wait
She said fat loss don't come easy
Its a game of give and take

No I have not gone off the deep end. On the contrary I have made a new association to an old Motown classic that I will never listen to the same way again. I'll think of FAT, the coalition and the beginning of my journey every time I hear Diana (or Phil Collins) sing this song.

And for those of you who have read this in it's entirety, you are now rewarded with my latest picture (11/1 at 5:30 am). Holy sh*t. This plan actually works. I discarded 2 inches from my waist and I will soon be out of the 40" waist club. Hot damn! There was no change in the scale weight, but it's not like I care since the proof is in the pictures.

Oh the horror

2007-10-29T10:49:00.000-04:00

Ironic title seeing as how my weekend started off Friday night by going to see Saw IV. I'm not going to offer up my review, let's just say they could have stopped after part 3. God bless the sequel (and the almighty dollar).

Saturday was a day off from working out. The first half of the day my eating was good, but late in the day I got a bit derailed. Had raviolis for dinner and no protein with it. Later that night my wife and I had some wine and a few olives. In addition we shared a delicious piece of peppermint brownie (made fresh) from Whole Foods.

Sunday I did get a good cardio workout in along with 4 minutes of Tabatas (squat thrusts). Took the family to breakfast at a local diner. It's my daughter's' favorite place since they have a "choo-choo" train that circles the entrance way. I ate an egg white omelet, wheat toast & a bite of my wife's french toast.

Went to the Jet game last night (like I said, oh the horror) and while it was not my best tailgate, it was not my worst. My brother-in-law and I brought some friends who were Bills fans (very happy Bills fans I might add) and we had a great time. Grilled chicken with fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers. Unfortunately it was on regular Italian bread as I could not find the whole wheat style I normally would buy. Toss in a few beers and a few handfuls of pistachios and that's how my night went.

The baby was up most of the night teething and screaming, therefore I was not rested enough to go to the gym this morning so I missed my workout. Nights are hard, but I will make attempts to workout this evening.

I'm looking ahead to Thursday when I will take my next round of pictures and measurements.

While I'm a bit sluggish & out of sorts today because of my less than stellar choices this weekend, I still have a smile on my face since I have my cords on again today.

Remember that there is no such thing as failure. There are only feedback and results.

Just stop it already

2007-10-26T13:22:00.001-04:00

When I started this year long "journey" last week, I had decided that I would take pictures and measurements (weight and waist) every 2 weeks. I figured that would allow enough time between readings to show significant progress and help keep me on track.

As I arrived home from the gym this morning, my older daughter (who turns 4 next month) asked me, "Daddy, how much do you weigh?" This was odd. Even though she's been on the scale before, she's never asked me directly how much "I" weigh. Being pretty jazzed about this weeks' progress I decided to weigh myself right on the spot.

188.6 lbs.
23% BF

A new low (high?) with my weight. I can't tell you how long it's been since I was in the 180's. Could have been 7+ years. I have no idea. A minor accomplishment in the grand scheme of things, but an accomplishment none the less.

Anyone want to go have a cream soda? Just kidding.

Lastly, I wanted to share a little by-line from my wife's' school newsletter. She's a 4th grade teacher here in North Jersey:

End Procrastination

Perfectionism often leads to procrastination. Perfectionists would rather put off a project or task than do an incomplete job. Rather than perfection, aim for progress. Any small step toward completion is an accomplishment.

Oh, BTW...Samantha also wanted to know how much she weighed. I plopped her on the scale and found out she's 33.6 lbs. of pure joy.

Danger Will Robinson

2007-10-25T13:17:00.000-04:00

On a scale of 1-5, today started out as a 6 on the "Wow, progress, let's go for a milk-shake" o-meter. Let me explain.

As I eluded to in an earlier post, I've teetered with weight management over the years. One step up, two steps back. Three steps up, one step back, etc. Most of us know the drill (and that's why most of us are here). Currently there are 2 pair of pants I alternate between for work. No, I'm not a bum, - I own lots of pants, but unfortunately only 2 currently fit comfortably & I refuse to buy any new (bigger) ones.

It's sort of a rainy, cool overcast day here on the east coast so I decided to get a bit crazy and try on a pair of cords that were buried in the depths of my closet. I figured why not. I've had an excellent week of clean eating and my workout routine (especially the 4 minute Tabatas) has been stellar - nay I say outstanding. So I peel the little corduroy ridges from the hanger, peer at the size (36x30) and slide them on. SHAZAM - they fit! And comfortably I might add. Now this is in no way a "goal attained" for me since I've been here before. My waist size has not been magically reduced to 36" in a week. Some pants are cut differently and had it been a different pair of cords I might not be writing this blog, I might be swearing about some factory workers in a 3rd world country and how they can't measure properly.

In addition to the "new" pants, I put on a new shirt (b'day present from my wife). The size happened to be a large (depending upon the style and cut I can be a L or XL), so that made me feel good. To top it off I dusted off an old belt and I managed to get it on a new notch.

Now all these are good things. Don't get me wrong, I totally realize that. It felt good to have some fashion success and not have the wardrobe police come out and say "You're wearing that again? That's it, no more warnings, I'm going to have to issue you a summons." But this is a scary place for me. I've been here more often then I care to admit. When I see the least bit of progress or success I have a tendency to pull back the reigns, sit back and rest a while. Maybe grab a cream soda.

I can't do that any more.

That's why I decided to embark on this journey. That's why I decided to start this blog. That's why I asked to become a part of F.A.T.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

Simplify, focus & trust

2007-10-24T12:47:00.000-04:00

These 3 words stuck with me some time ago. They were spoken during a homily given by the priest at my church. "Take something with you, a word or phrase" he'd say and sure enough these 3 came home with me. So as not to forget, I even had to swipe a piece of my daughter's' coloring pad to write them down before we left. Direct and to the point (in any aspect of your life - whether you are a religious person or not). Keep it simple, stay focused and trust that what you doing is right (or trust in a higher power).

Currently, I've set these words to scroll as my screen saver on my laptop. A co-worker noticed it recently and said "If that were mine, it would say 'complexity, chaos and dishonesty'." We had a chuckle and he went on his way (I swear this guy has adult A.D.D.). Later that night I got to thinking about his comment and realized that what he said (while it was meant to be funny) was sort of sad.

It was not an indictment of him, rather of me.

How many times have I not kept it simple? For example - the other day I had to write a card to someone for their birthday. Instead of just getting out the address book and writing the address on the envelope (oh no, that would be far too easy) I had to open MS word and use my Access DB of addresses as a source to create a mail merge to print ONE SINGLE LABEL. WTF???

How often have I lost focus (or even failed to gain it)? Another example - I take the bus back and forth to Manhattan daily. Up until recently my bag has been constantly overflowing with multiple magazines, books, web print-outs, etc. Do I really think I can read all this crap in one 40 minute bus ride? Why not just PICK ONE? Read it. Tear out the pages that seem interesting and toss it. Done deal.

What about trust? I'll leave that to the wordsmith Billy Joel
(lyrics to 'A Matter of Trust'):

You can't go the distance
With too much resistance
I know you have doubts
But for God's sake don't shut me out

This time you've got nothing to lose
You can take it, you can leave it
Whatever you choose
I won't hold back anything
And I'll walk a way a fool or a king

I'll choose royalty over being the court jester any day of the week.

History of the World Part 1

2007-10-22T13:08:00.000-04:00

I've been waiting so many years for Mel Brooks to make the sequel to this classic, but I don't think it's going to happen, especially since his efforts seem to be on Broadway plays these days. I work in Times Square and while walking to and from work each day I've been watching them build the stage sets for Young Frankenstein which debuts next month. But I digress...today's' history lesson is about me. Stay with me here - this is not the time to head for the bathroom or reach for the remote.

In order for F.A.T. to know where I'm going, it's only fair to tell you where I've been.

I've been heavy my whole life. The last "skinny picture" I have of me was in Kindergarten. Being young and fat was horrible. I had to shop in the Husky section at Sears. I always held up 2 fingers when it was Hot Dog day at school. I'd come home miserable and what would mom do? Bake cookies, pies, brownies, etc. I know deep down she meant well, but if she only knew it was adding to the problem (as well as my waistline) she might have acted differently. Then again mom was heavy (sadly still is) and that's how she dealt with things - by eating. Lets save that psychology session for another blog, shall we?

Grammar school - FAT
High School - FAT
College - FAT

But wait - something happened my senior year of college (actually it was the summer before my senior year). I guess I got tired of being every body's drinking buddy during the party and then being the one going home alone after it was over. Dean Wormer said it best - "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life". That summer (1990) I had the opportunity to go live with family in TX. It was an opportunity to get away from all the bad influences and social aspects of my life in the Northeast for 3 months. No beer, cigarettes, late night eating - no more. This was going to be it for me.

I began walking 2 miles every morning and again in the evening (TX summers are wicked hot). As the weeks went by the weight began to come off. In 3 months I went from 230 (my all time heaviest) to 210. I went to the grocery store and picked up a 20lb. bag of dog food knowing that this used to be wrapped around my waist. That really hit home for me (I highly suggest trying it for those of you who have already lost a significant amount of weight). When my dad picked me up at the airport, I nearly walked by without him recognizing me.

My progression continued and I ultimately got down to 180 lbs. I lost an amazing 50 lbs. in about 6 months. All sensible eating. All the "right" way. A combination of diet and exercise - 2 words that up until that summer were not a part of my vocabulary.

Over the past 17 years, I must have gotten lost somewhere along the line. Maybe not completely lost, but certainly off course. Way off course.

So yes, I've been there - done that . I can talk the talk because I've walked the walk. Yet here I am 1 year away from the "naughty-40's" and I find myself sadly out of shape but luckily in the current company of some like-minded individuals.

Unlike Mr. Brooks, there will be a sequel to this one.

Knowledge is NOT power

2007-10-19T16:10:00.000-04:00

...rather the consistent application of knowledge is. If it were, I'd already have the body of my dreams, a cure for cancer and more money than I could spend in 2 lifetimes.

The "more about me" post is coming later this weekend so in the mean time I thought I'd throw out there my current workout routine. I'll be following this for the next 5 weeks (right up until Thanksgiving). I got this Mens Health 5 Week Transformation back in January 2006 (luckily the link was still good). I had much success following this in the weeks leading up to my 10 year wedding anniversary and 2nd Honeymoon in Barbados.

This works for me. With 2 small kids I need to fit my workouts in first thing in the morning. I go to the gym on M-W-F & my wife goes T-Th-Sa. I can get in and get out in about 45 minutes. The circuit routine (including warm ups) takes about 30-35 minutes, then I perform 4 minutes of Tabata intervals . I do try to train my Abs on my off days from the gym and also get in a good cardio session on the weekend.

Exercise & nutrition have never really been the issue for me rather the consistent application of exerecise & nutritiuon have been.

But that is all about to change...

There are no secrets on the Internet

2007-10-18T14:45:00.000-04:00

At least not for me...not any more. Photos I promised and photos I shall deliver. These were taken at 5:30 this morning.

Weight - 195 lbs.
Waist - 42"

BF% (Tanita) 25% (ugh. That means I am comprised of 48.75 lbs. of fat).

Now I know that Tanita may not be the most accurate measurement, but until I can get my callipers around my girth (double ugh) it will have to do.

Lots more to write about, like where I've come from, where I intend to go and how I wound up here. For now I figure it's best to avoid the "stream of consciousness" blog postings and stick to the point.

No, I'm not Eric Cartman & I'm not big boned (hell, I'm only 5"10). I'm carrying around an unhealthy amount of body fat and it's time to do something about it.

and so it begins...

2007-10-17T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone in Blogville and a special hello to all my (hopefully) soon to be F.A.T. Coalition bloggers.

Gene from Jersey here. I came across these blogs after reading about Billy on a link from the Turbulence Training website: http://www.ttmembers.com/public/303.cfm

I'm new to blogging but not new to fitness (or at least veiled attempts at it). Today is my 39th Birthday and as you can see by the title of my blog this is my journey to the ripe young age of 40.

While I cannot promise 365 entries over the coming year (just not enough time in the day with a wife and 2 small daughters) I can promise to be an active member of the community, lend an ear and advice when needed or asked for, and lots and lots of pix (they really keep you honest).

A special thanks to swankywanker (she was one of the few who had email access in her profile) for her email and words of encouragement. I almost thought this was a secret society like the Illuminati.

Pix and more posts to come. I was going to use pictures from August but to be fair and really make this "journey" an accurate and honest one, I'll be taking new pictures tonight.