The Six rules for Six Pack Abs

Okay, I still don't have a job so instead of wallowing in self-pity I figured I would get back to the gym and start taking care of myself. And since I have the time I have been putting my energy to changing my body and here are some rules that I am trying to adhere to:

1. Eating out is bad for you, period. I don't care who has the best salad, dollar menu, or healthiest ingredients, its all bad. If you want to get into shape don't eat fast food. Personally, I can't afford it anyway even with the dollar menus. And don't fall into that trap that just because you are working out you can get away with eating whatever you want. To quote Mike Singletary "Can't do it!" If you must eat out though, one tip that can help is not to order a soft drink. This brings me to the next rule.
2. Soft drinks are the worst thing ever created. That goes for you too Red Bull, Amp, and Monster. "Gives you wings?" How about "Gives you a gut?" Oh, and diet coke or diet anything is just as bad. It might be zero calorie, but those artificial sweeteners and colors go somewhere in your body. Wanna lose weight? Lose the soft drinks first. Drink water. You just might lose ten pounds without setting foot in the gym.
3. Cut down on the alcohol. The people that know me are saying "What did you say Tim?" Yeah, this is a tough one for me and I can rationalize it like this: There are only 95 calories in a 12 ounce Miller Lite and it tastes good. There are 100 calories in an 8 ounce glass of Cherry 7 up and it doesn't quite hit the spot as the Miller Lite. Maybe the alcohol content evens it up, but the trick is to limit yourself. Don't go getting hammered. It lowers your metabolism and screws up the next day.
4. Learn to cook. By this I mean, prepare your meals. Make up a couple of cans of tuna with some light mayo and vegetables and eat that for lunch two days out of the week. Grill some chicken and make your own chicken caesar wrap. Grill some Turkey bacon and have a BLT. Do this Sunday night, eat healthy four out five days a week and then you can go out on Friday guilt free.
5. Cheat Days. Ok, you've been a good boy or girl and now its time to reward yourself. Go ahead, just do it in moderation. Don't go eating a whole pizza washed down with a twelve pack of beer. That's counter productive. Just satisfy your cravings with as little as possible. If you go to lunch get what you want with a glass of water. Keep in mind you don't have to eat everything in front of you. That's one of the problems with our society. We always feel like we need to get our moneys' worth. Portions are a big part of staying slim. Eat until you don't feel hungry any more then stop.
6. Eat six times a day. Forget the Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner paradigm. Yeah, you still have those meals but they should be eaten like this: Breakfast is huge, lunch is medium, dinner is small. Put three healthy snacks in between those and you're golden.

So there you go. And I didn't even list any exercises. I'll do that on the next blog. Nutrition is way more important if you are trying to lose weight. Work on becoming a nutritionist before you go join a gym, buy the Shake Weight, Ab Bean, Nordic whatever, or any of that other junk. In case your wondering, the picture on this blog is me. Yes, it's me. Peace!

The 5 Rules of Gym Etiquette

This morning I went to the gym and as I was working out I was thinking about the blog for today. While doing a floor exercise my muse appeared. Her face was painted like a clown, with blush cheeks and eyes shadowed blue. Workout apparel consisted of a spandex tube top and spandex shorts, both of which accented her flab. Her shoes were brown loafers with black socks to "match." Bingo. I got an idea. How about the five rules of gym etiquette? At least my "fave five" anyway.

1. Dress appropriately--By the time we are allowed to work out at a gym we are supposed to be adults. Dress like it. Wear comfortable clothes but don't dress like you are going clubbing. Keep in mind that when you are working out you might be in a position where shorts ride up or tops come down. One time I saw a woman at the gym doing a swiss ball exercise and she was wearing loose shorts. She might as well have been naked. I'm not saying you have to look like a nun, but there are plenty of styles of workout clothes that show off without showing everything. Check out www.Zappos.com and you'll find what you need. Also, skip the makeup and perfumes. People are working out and using oxygen and when you wear that junk they are breathing it in. If you plan on breaking a sweat your makeup will run off anyway so wait until after your work out before putting it on.

2. Don't come to the gym sick--With the fall season upon us, the flu is lurking waiting to pounce on us when we least expect it. If you are working out regularly you are more susceptible to the flu because your immune system is down. When you work out you stress your body. While your muscles work harder, so does your immune system. If you should happen to get the flu in the middle of a workout program STAY HOME! A workout is not going to help and don't think that sitting in the gym's sauna or spa will help either. All you'll do is spread the virus around. With flu season here, just make sure you get your flu shot, wash your hands, and stay hydrated.

3. Don't socialize--This is my favorite. When I go to the gym I'm there to workout and get on with my day. Lucky for me, I work out in a large facility and do exercises that not too many other people do, so I don't have to jockey for equipment. I always have to shake my head, however, at the people who sit on a machine or bench and carry on a two to three minute conversation with someone else in between sets. Sometimes I'll see a group of three people standing in a workout area and they will talk the entire time I am working out. What are you there for again? To work out. Run your mouth later. Usually if I see someone I know, I'll politely say "Hi, how are you?" They respond and we move on. If I happen to see them after a work out and we are both finished I'll walk over to some out of the way area and talk but never while I'm working out. I always wear a watch with a stop watch function and in between sets I rest for a minute or less. Doing this keeps me on schedule and makes my workouts more efficient.

4. Respect the equipment--Treat your gym like it's...well...yours. Put your toys back when you are done playing with them. When using free weights don't drop them. If you can't put the weight down easily then you're not working out right. Make sure you know how to use a machine before you get on it. Some of those things look kind of complicated and if not used right could injure you. When you leave a machine wipe it down, get your water bottle and move on.

5. Pay attention--Working out is an individual thing. No one makes you go but you and no one does the exercising but you. Yeah, you can get a trainer, but a trainer is just a coach or mentor. The responsibility of exercising falls on you. It is real easy to throw on the iPod and headphones and get in the "zone." While in the "zone" though it is important to pay attention to the things going on around you. There is a lot of activity in a gym. People are running around, weights are going up and down, and unfortunately some people are in the way. Make sure you are paying attention to all of these things so you can navigate them safely.

Ok. I got that off my chest. As an outro, after my workout today I made "The Ultimate Smoothie." I love this thing and so do my kids. Here is the recipe:

1 packet of carnation breakfast drink(no sugar added mix)
1 cup of orange juice
1 six ounce yogurt(strawberry banana, vanilla, or peach)
4 frozen peach slices
3 frozen strawberries
1 banana

Put in a blender and mix on high for a minute. Pour in a pint glass and enjoy! Until tomorrow..Peace!

Intro to blogging--Intro to busking

The dictionary defines a busker as 'someone who entertains entertains by dancing, singing, or reciting on the street or in a public place.' That's what this blog will be. Me entertaining in the very public place known as the Internet. It will give me the medium to work on my writing and also serve as a log of my daily activities, no matter how boring or interesting they may be. Like right now, as I write this, I am watching the Yankees get destroyed by the Rangers. October baseball is the only baseball worth watching in my book. I won't even look at a game until October(unless I score free tickets, even then I could take it or leave it.) Most people I talk to hate how the Yankees always seem to get to the post-season. Too bad I say. If you don't like it then get a team that can beat them. Tomorrow my family and I are traveling to Chicago where the poor Cubs haven't won in a very long time. My wife has to go there for work and we are getting a free trip out of the deal. I am hoping to have some things to blog about while I am there. I am new to blogging and want to get better at it and do more of it and 'The Busker Blogger' is going to be my main blog for awhile. Hopefully, we all see it improve. Until tomorrow. Peace.