SO WHAT DO I DO?? (THIS COULD BE A LONG ONE TOO!)

Fitness and health are both very simple and very difficult at the same time.  As I've mentioned before, keeping a strict, healthy diet is very difficult.  Working out 4 or 5 times a week.  Also very difficult, especially when you have a busy schedule and a family.  However, the greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward.  So, in a nutshell, what do I do, and how do I do it?

JOURNALS

I keep 2 journals.  One for my food intake, and another for my exercise schedule.  In my food journal, I keep a detailed list of everything I ingest on a daily basis and the amount of calories in the food I eat and also the amount of calories in any drinks I may have as well.  In my workout journal, I write down all the exercises I do at the gym.  Number of reps, number of sets, and amount of weight used.  I don't usually write down my cardio times, but I do a lot of cardio.  

I find that keeping a journal is a great way of keeping yourself honest.  I, as well as many others have lied to myself many times about how many calories I've taken in that day.  If you write it down, however, you can't lie to yourself.

Here is a sample of my food journal:

Here is a sample of my workout journal:

NUTRITION

If you looked at my food journal example, you can see that I in no way am a perfect eater.  My main problem is sodium intake.  It's not every day, but I do ingest more sodium than I should.  Also, just to clarify some things.  Where it says pizza and lasagna, that is of the frozen variety.  Lean Cuisine, Weight Wathchers, South Beach Diet.  I used to be very against eating these things.  Honestly, though, they are all fairly good tasting.  And they are an easy way to exercise portion control.  My wife and I go out every 2 weeks and buy a freezer full of them, and eat them for lunch and sometimes dinner nearly every day.

I try to be very strict about my calories.  I'm in the process of cutting as much fat as possible.  To do so, I take in anywhere from 2300-2500 calories a day.  Doing this, I should theoretically lose 4 pounds a week.  Realistically, it's more like 1 to 2.  Another reason for this is because I lift weights as much as I do.  But more about that later.  In order to calculate your calorie goals, visit a site such as The Daily Plate and start a profile.  Even if you want to gain weight, it will tell you how to do it.  

Here are my main rules for dieting:

1. Figure out how many calories you should take in to meet your goals, and do your absolute best to not go over.
2. Cut as much sugar out of your diet as possible.  I eat sugar, but I NEVER drink sodas.  The occasional diet soda is just fine, but even that can hamper your goals.  If you must drink soda, try to find something sweetened with Splenda.  Instead of chocolate or other high calorie sweets, try to substitute with fruit or a low calorie bar of some sort.
3. WATER, WATER, AND MORE WATER!!  Keep yourself hydrated with water as much as possible.  If you're active, drink a gallon a day minimum.  And don't count sodas and other drinks as part of your water intake.  It's not the same.
4. Cheating is fine, but only in moderation.  I've read if you have cravings, you're actually doing the right thing.  If you didn't have cravings, it would mean you're eating whatever you want.  My wife and have at least 1 cheat meal a week.  Go crazy and eat what you love.  But keep it limited to 1 to 2 meals a week, tops.
5. Try to get your nutrients from food.  Granted, this is hard, so I would recommend a good multivitamin.  Centrum is synthetic, and you barely get any of the nutrients out of them.  Get something natural.  Check out GNC or Vitamin Shoppe for a good vitamin regimen.
6. Take in the majority of your calories by mid-afternoon.  The later you eat, the more your body will store when you sleep.  Eat as few carbs as possible 4 hours before bed.  Have some protein or lunchmeat for a late night snack.  You'll thank yourself for it when you start losing weight.

EXERCISE

I am a gym rat.  Aside from music, I've honestly never found something I enjoy more than hitting the gym and pumping iron.  I'm very new to it as I've only been doing in steadily for going on a year.  But I read about the subject extensively and have some personal trainer friends who have taught me a lot since I started.  And the most important thing they have taught me?  EXERCISE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT AND BE HEALTHY.

So how much should you exercise?  That all depends on what you're looking to do with your body.  Do you want to lose weight?  A cardio routine 3 to 4 times a week might be all you need to do.  Do you want to lose weight and get toned?  Cardio and weights it is.  Do you want to lose weight and get ripped?  Cardio and LOTS of weights is in order.  

I am in search of the 3rd option.  I lift weight 4 to 5 times a week, and I do at least 2 hours of cardio a week.  Now some of you may be experienced with working out and weightlifting.  This post isn't necessarily for you, although I do appreciate you reading!  But for those of you who are beginners like I was recently, here are some tips I've found helpful and have learned from the experience I've gained thus far:

1. Don't overdo it.  If you're a beginning weightlifter, only do it 2 or 3 times a week, max.  You can focus on specific body parts later.  Get your body used to lifting and working out by performing whole body workouts.  Do 1 or 2 exercises per body part every workout.  Do it for a month, then start doing 4 days a week for another month.  After that, start hitting muscle groups.  
2. Soreness is a GOOD thing.  I've woke up many mornings after a workout feeling like I was hit by a truck.  Soreness is natural, and it will eventually get less and less severe.  Lifting weights to build muscle literally tears your muscles.  The more your muscles get used to this, the better you will eventually feel after a workout.  If you're sore, that means you've had a good workout.
3. Soreness could be injury.  Learn to listen to your body and differentiate the 2.  If you think you've injured yourself, discontinue lifting and see a doctor!!  Even if it's not an injury, avoid overdoing it.  Overtraining is a real thing, and can really hurt your muscle gains if they aren't given the proper time to heal.
4. Technique is everything.  Sure, it's great to be able to lift a large amount of weight.  But if you're doing it wrong, your muscles aren't going to grow the way you want them to, and injury may occur.  So lighten up the barbell, and do it right!!  You'd be surprised how heavy lighter weights can feel if you're performing the exercise correctly.
5. Warm up and stretch before hitting the weights.  Get on the treadmill or eliptical for 5 minutes to get your body warmed up, and follow that up by getting a good stretch on the body part you plan on exercising that day.  This is especially true with legs.  You can really hurt yourself doing a leg workout without proper warmup.  Stretching not only helps prevent injury, it helps prevent soreness.  The less sore you are, the sooner you can hit the gym again!
6. Supplements do work!  Supplements (namely protein) are key in healing your body from a vigorous workout.  Drink a protein shake 30 minutes after a workout for maximum results.  Your muscles will thank you by being less sore and getting larger faster.  I will go more into the supplements I take and recommend in tomorrow's post.
7. When possible, work out with a partner.  Not only will they keep you motivated and make your workout go by faster, they can also be the first line of defense in gym safety.  Don't go lifting more than your body can handle unless you have a partner to spot you.  People have been found dead in their basements and gyms with barbells on their throats from lifting more than they could handle.  SAFETY FIRST!
8. When you don't have a partner, music is incredibly motivating.  Everyone has their own tastes, and things that make them pumped up.  So put a  couple hours worth of your favorite songs on your MP3 player and hit the gym!!
   

On that note, I've written another small book and will have to continue this another day.  Tomorrow, I'll discuss supplements.  I use them, I love them, and I'll let you know what I use and what they do.  Until then, here's a couple tracks for you to put on your Ipod and listen to while working out.  See you tomorrow!!

Santogold- Say Aha (Tepr Remix)

R. Rivera's Groove- Funk-A-Tron (Robbie's Drop That Funk Remix)