January Shred Day 5

Don't expect to see visible results after just 5 days. The results will come! Your efforts are not in vain! TRUST THE PROCESS!

Day 5

I wasn't a very good blogger today...stayed pretty busy all day long. I really planned to do a better job at this daily blogging and motivation thing, and I think once we get this session of Boot Camp kicked off I'll have a bit more time to do that.

Looking forward to tallying all of the points tomorrow!

Here was what I did today

7:45am - Coffee with an acceptable level of creamer
11:00am - Strength Training (Chest/Triceps)
12:00pm - Protein and Oats w/ milk + turkey and ham sandwich on chibatta bread w/ spinach, cheese, and a tablespoon of ranch dressing.
3:00pm - Protein bar + milk + muscle milk + apple
7:00pm - Baked chicken breast stuffed with pepperjack cheese, ham and bellpepper + steamed broccoli and carrots
7:45pm - Muscle Milk

January Shred Day 4

Day 4

Looking forward to today! Got a high intensity exercise session at 9am, followed by some strength training (legs) right after that. Then, for lunch...CHIPOLTE!!! WOOP! I'll update more later.

Update 8:47pm: It's later...but not really a whole lot to blog about tonight. Tomorrow, I should have a lot  more to blog about since scores are due!!!

My Schedule for Today

9:00am - Boot Camp Bonus Workout (high intensity)
10:15am - Legs (strength training)
12:00pm - Protein and oats w/ milk + Chipolte: chicken burrito w/ brown rice, cheese, sour cream, corn salsa, lettuce, blackbeans + chips and guacamole + coke (this is my cheat meal)
4:00pm - Muscle Milk + apple + 3 protein bars w/ milk
6:30pm - Leftover spaghetti + broccoli
7:30pm - Protein shake w/ milk

January Shred Rule #9: Eat 2 to 3 Servings of Green Vegetables Per Day

Missed the Introduction to the January Shred? Click HERE.

Eat 2-3 Servings of Green Vegetables Per Day

Say what? Green veggies? Does eating 3 slices of supreme pizza count? Seriously, when is the last time you ate 2-3 servings of green vegetables in a day? Can't remember can you? Now look, I'm not about to go all vegetarian or vegan on you, but most likely you don't get nearly enough vegetables in your diet. If I'm being honest...neither do I...and that is to our detriment. Green veggies are extremely low calorie, but are also nutritious and very filling. When you make it a point to eat 2-3 servings of these little beauties each day, you are helping to avoid the more calorie dense foods that can throw off your weight loss and fat loss plan. "Well I don't like green veggies...they taste nasty!" (insert whinny 5 year old voice here and begin stomping feet). Changing  your body is going to require you to change some of your habits. If you keep doing what you've always done, your going to keep getting what you've always got!

So, try adding veggies to some lean protein and you have a filling meal that is also low calorie! Some ideas: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, green beans, peas, lettuce, collards, leeks, etc.

How you know if you are performing Rule #9 successfully

Simple...I'll even break it down step by step for you. 1) Go to grocery store. 2) Put green veggies in your basket. 3) Purchase green veggies. 4) Take green veggies home with you. 5) Store green veggies in refrigerator. 6) Find serving size for appropriate green veggies. 7) Prepare and eat 2 to 3 of said servings of green veggies every day. If you do this, you earn your veggie point for the day. If you don't, start back at step 1 and repeat until you get this right!

Helpful Tip

You have to find out what veggies you like so you don't feel like you have to choke down a handful of sod at every meal. Broccoli is my go to. I love this stuff. We have a pampered chef steamer and it only takes 5 minutes to steam a bunch of broccoli. Put a small amount of butter and a little salt or lemon pepper seasoning and BOOM! Low calorie awesomeness. If you are unfamiliar with how to prepare various veggies, just go online and do some google or youtube searching.

January Shred Day 3

Day 3

Oh yeah baby...back to a normal day! I get to lift weights and get to eat carbs...life is good! Seriously, yesterday was the easiest low carb day I've ever had...and I was strict on myself too. I really think holding myself accountable to all you "Shredders" out there has helped with my discipline and motivation. I'm really excited about the results I'm going to get....and equally excited to see all of the results that you Shredders are going to have! Keep working hard!

My Plan for Today

Here is my schedule for today (January 3rd):

5:15am - Strength Training - Back and Biceps

12:00am - Lunch - Turkey and Ham sandwich with provolone, light mayo and spinach on Jewish Rye Bread + Protein and Oats shake with milk.

4:00pm - Muscle milk light + Honeycrisp Apple

6:30pm - Whole grain spaghetti with ground turkey + side salad

7:30pm - Protein shake w/ milk

Scripture for the Day

Proverbs 3:25-26 "Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught."

January Shred Day 2

Update 9:13pm

Highly successful low carb day! Ended up hitting my meal and exercise for the day exactly as planned. I can feel the fat MELTING!! Well...not really...but obviously burned a bunch of fat today due to low carb/calories and 30 minutes of cardio. GOOD DAY! 2 down 29 to go!!!

Day 2

This is where the rubber meets the road...low carb days! I also try to go as low calorie as possible on my low carb days to promote even more fat loss. I'm definitely going to get a good shot of caffeine today because I'll be weak and tired later in the day due to the lack of carbs and low calories. Usually I am fine through lunch, but late afternoon and early evenings are a struggle. Glad I have my wife doing this with me...she'll help hold me accountable when I get home from work and will be craving carbs!

Hope everyone else got off to a good start. If not, no worries, the month just started...plenty of time to get big results!

Tips for Lunch

Had a Shredder (that's what I'm going to start calling you guys/gals who are doing the January Shred) ask me for some lunch suggestions because that is what she struggles with the most. Here are some ideas:

• Leftovers - If you are cooking a healthy dinner with some lean proteins like chicken, etc, make extra so you can take it for lunch the next day.
• Homemade Sandwiches - Pick up some low calorie/low carb bread and make a turkey sandwich. Throw some lettuce or spinach on it to make it more filling and to get in a serving of green veggies. If you want a larger sandwich than just putting it on plain old wheat bread, try Jewish Rye. At 14 carbs per slice, and less than 1g sugar, it is a better choice than most other premium breads.
• Salads - Salads are filling, and by adding some grilled chicken or ham/turkey you can have a low calorie yet filling lunch that also helps you get in your veggies and protein. Just be careful with the salad dressing. Go light so you don't go crazy on all those calories.
• Low Carb Meals - Salad as mentioned above. Also, buy some cans of tuna or chicken and you can make your own tuna or chicken salad. Add in some boiled egg whites for more protein and it becomes a much more filling meal larger meal. I usually eat my tuna or chicken salad with some salad (mix of lettuce/spinach/broccoli on a low carb day.

Hope this helps some. There are plenty of other good options, but these are usually my go to ideas for lunch.

My Plan for Today

Here is my schedule for today (January 2nd):

12:00am - 30 minute walk/jog

12:40pm - Tuna salad (canned tuna w/ a little olive oil mayo) w/ lettuce, spinach and broccoli salad. Protein shake made with water.

4:00pm - Muscle milk light

6:00pm - Baked chicken breast stuffed with spinach and pepperjack cheese + steamed broccoli and carrots.

7:45pm - Protein shake w/ milk

Total Carbs - 35g, Protein - 150g

Scripture for the Day

James 1:22 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

January Shred Rule #8: Eat Plenty of Protein

Missed the Introduction to the January Shred? Click HERE.

Eat at Least .6g of Protein per Pound of Body Weight (or 150g if you weigh 250lbs or more)

One of the keys to burning fat and maintaining a low body fat % long term is maintaining your lean muscle mass. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be, and the more calories you will burn at rest. Every day you should try to get plenty of protein so that you are able to maintain, and possibly even build lean muscle. Shoot for .6g or more per pound of body weight. Those who are doing heavy strength training may shoot for .8g or more per pound of body weight. Getting your protein through lean meats (chicken, fish, lean pork, lean ground turkey, lean beef) is the best source. After lean meats, egg whites and low fat dairy (skim or 1% milk, low fat mozzarella cheese and Greek yogurt), and then of course you can supplement through protein powders/shakes. Protein is also the most satiating macro-nutrient, so it will make you more full than carbs and fats.

Basic Info about Protein Supplementation

I've had someone ask me a few questions about protein supplementation, so I thought this post was appropriate to address some of those questions.

Should I take protein powders?
If you are unable to obtain enough protein through your diet, then I think supplementing through protein powders is a good strategy. If you are able to get enough protein without supplementation, then save your money.

Which is better, whey or casein?
The primary difference between whey and casein protein is the speed at which your body is able to break it down and utilize it. Whey protein is absorbed faster and therefore is usually the choice by most people who workout as a pre and post-workout supplement. Casein breaks down more slowly, and is usually marketed as a supplement that you take before bedtime that your body will break down slowly while you sleep. Is one better than the other? Eh...not really. Many protein powders actually offer a mix of whey and casein, such as MusclePharm Combat Protein. There are also powders made with Soy protein, but generally that is considered a lower quality protein, and from my experience, the taste is terrible.

What brand is best?
Depends on which supplement company you ask :) There are plenty of good protein blends out there. Everyone has their own preferences, so I'd probably just leave it at that...find something you like. The only piece of advice I'd offer is look at the nutritional values. You want to find something that has very few carbs and fats...and is primarily protein. Optimum Nutrition is one of the cleanest (low calories, carbs and fat) protein powders I've found that also tastes good.

How you know if you are performing Rule #8 successfully

Pretty simple. Track your protein and eat at least .6g every day. Or, if you weigh 250lbs or more, you will want to get in 150g of protein. If you eat less than that, you don't get credit for completing rule #8 and no points for you!

Helpful Tip

Build all of your meals around a good lean protein source (meat). Consider boiling some egg whites and eating those if you are needing to fit some more protein in (6g protein per egg white). Low fat mozzarella cheese sticks have about 8g of protein and are usually about 80 calories.

Scripture for the Day

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction."

January Shred: Day 1

UPDATE:

9:18am - Had Leigh do an evaluation on me right before our leg workout. Yup...about what I expected. 11.67% body fat. A far cry from 9%. I've got some work to do! Time to workout!


8:33pm - Successful first day of the January Shred. Got in a good strength training workout, fit in all my food within my 8 hour feeding window, got in my protein, 2 servings of green veggies, and didn't eat any empty calories / junk food. I did have to explain to my wife that she couldn't drink chocolate milk after dinner if she wanted to earn all of her points. She argued with me, but come on...chocolate syrup? You're going to try to tell me those aren't empty calories? JUNK! Needless to say she doesn't want to lose to me...so she passed on the chocolate milk. I went ahead and made my low carb lunch for tomorrow...tuna salad with a bunch of lettuce, spinach and broccoli. Low carb days are no fun...but burning the fat is going to be worth it!

Day 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Is 2014 going to be the year you get in the best shape of your life? It is if you want it to be! Take it one day at a time. Follow the process and the results will come!

We have 35 people participating in the January Shred...THAT IS STINKING AWESOME!

When I thought about putting this plan together, I was hoping I could get at least 10 people interested in joining me...35 people later...and I'm PUMPED about it! I'll do my best to keep the blog updated everyday with some good info and encouragement. Every week we'll update our point standings and I hope to see a lot of 70 point weeks!

My Plan for Today

Here is my schedule for today (January 1st) along with what exercise I plan to do and the food I plan to eat:

9:00am - Strength Training: Leg Workout

12:00pm - Protein and Oats shake w/ milk + Ham + black eyed peas + sweet potatoes + possible small piece of cornbread

4:00pm - Muscle milk + apple

6:00pm - Grilled Chicken breast + roasted potatoes + side salad

7:45pm - Protein shake w/ milk

Scripture for the Day

I Peter 3:15