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

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"

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

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

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?

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!

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

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?