Day 99

The final results are in.  While a bit anti-climactic relative to the numbers from two weeks ago, they are a far cry from the numbers of (almost) 100 days ago.  After taking several weeks to settle in, it looks like 12% body fat is the "steady state" result of this particular set-up of nutrition and exercise habits.  Here's a graph of how things finished:

To put some numbers to it:

• 30.2 pounds lost overall (14% decrease)
• 21.1 pounds of fat lost (47% decrease)
• 7.9 percentage points of body fat lost (40% decrease)

I've been exercising for a long time, and here and there I've felt proud of the level of strength or athleticism I've reached.  I also went a long time with both the knowledge that I was doing things that aren't good for me and the feeling that it either didn't matter or was too difficult to change.  This process helped me break that feeling down by giving me a long enough time for results to show without it being so long that it felt too big or permanent a change.  (Little did I know the full extent to which things that started out as 100 Day habits have become life habits.)  The help I got up front from Ryan & the Fire team on meal planning was critical.  Finding 15 minutes to get in good cardio on off-days also helped.

Now What?

Last night I thought to myself, "Man, now that this is over I can finally..." and something funny happened.  There was nothing I wanted to finish the sentence with immediately.  Yes, I am looking forward to enjoying a nice glass of wine or beer and a sweet treat every now and then - but by and large, I'm excited to keep living the way I have been these last 100 days.

On Friday, I'm meeting with Ryan to learn about getting "picture ready."  My photo shoot is on Feb-28, so while my 100 Days is over I still have a few weeks of prep work to do.  But after 100 Days... it's a piece of cake.

Day 94

It's almost the end of the road for 100 Days to Great.  I've got 5 more days until my next and last weigh-in on Day 99.  That will mark the last official measurement of how a few simple, but high impact, changes can make a huge difference in your weight and health.  Following that measurement, Coach Stefan will be setting me up with a few temporary finishing touches to the nutrition plan, in preparation for a photo shoot on Saturday, Feb. 28th.  Because the last nutrition changes are temporary, I'm treating my Day 99 weigh-in as the true end result of this process.

I've been honest with you through and through, and I'll continue to be so now.  I'm not sure how I feel about the photo shoot yet.  There's some prep activity that's not really my thing - shaving the body hair (which I've got plenty of) and getting a tan.  I take a sort of stubborn pride in my fuzziness.  Had I been an adult in the 80s, I'd have fit right in thanks to folks like Burt Reynolds.  Today, though, the image of attractive masculinity is presented as being hair-free, and fuzzballs like me are made to feel like we should keep it covered or get rid of it.  Shout-out to my wife Molly for always making me feel like the sexiest man alive.

Now, let me establish that the only reason the Fire team recommends folks do the shave + tan thing before a photo shoot is to better highlight the transformation the body has undergone.  Muscle definition stands out with some color, and obviously, when it's not hidden underneath hair.  One of the reasons I've kept working out happily at Fire is that I never feel judged about my appearance or musculature - only encouraged and appreciated when I work hard and stay focused.

So the net of it is... I think I'll do it, and then decide what I want to do with the photos afterward while I'm itchy as hell with my hair growing back.  I might just share them with Molly, or file them away for a day when I need a little motivation to keep treating myself right.

Day 85

This morning I had my second-to-last weigh-in.  To quote Keanu Reeves: "Whoa."  There are only two weeks left in my 100 Days to Great... but I am still learning!  The lesson over these last two weeks has been the power of consistency.

How many people make a special point of brushing and flossing their teeth before leaving for the dentist's office... but not maintaining those habits the rest of the time?  That hail Mary brushing and flossing aren't very effective in changing what happens at the dentist's office.  Nutrition and exercise are the same way.  One good or bad day isn't the end all, be all.  You don't have to be perfect all of the time.  You just have to treat yourself well most of the time.

Here's case in point: About five days ago (on Thursday), I came down with flu-like symptoms. On Friday I had to fly to Pittsburgh by way of Minneapolis - not good for the ailment, or maintaining my eating schedule.  With the time zone difference and adrenaline for the day to come, I slept about 3 hours Friday night - again, no good.  I spent the whole day Saturday on the go in a business case competition - again, not good for those nutrition habits.  And on Sunday I had to fly back to Seattle by way of Atlanta - 10 hours straight of travel. Overall grade: Ouch.

That's five straight days of chaos.  I tried to do some good, making smart choices about portion sizes and what foods I was eating when I could; but no exercise.  I thought for certain that this stretch of days would wreck my progress.  I prepared myself to see that weight and body fat percentage stay flat, if not go up.  And yet... just as brushing one's teeth one time can't override months of not doing so, a few chaotic days could not derail the choices I've made over these last few months.  Here's how things stood this morning:

It turns out I actually lost more body fat in the last two weeks (1.8%) than in any of the prior periods.  I'm now down 27 pounds, 21 of which were fat.

With the end of January upon us, many are looking at that New Year's resolution and thinking about how we've already messed up.  But the last two weeks have shown me that messing up is a part of getting better, and have served as a reminder that it's all about consistency.  Like Russell Wilson explains in his latest piece on the Players Tribune - it's about hitting that mental reset button and re-focusing on the place you want to be at, after failures and successes alike.

Day 76

Only one-quarter remains of 100 Days to Great.  The end is really coming on fast now!  Yesterday's NFC Championship game may not have been the most helpful - there may have been a little bit of stress eating going on.  All good snacks, but perhaps a bit more of them than I should've had.  However, one of the big lessons of this process is balance, so I'll just focus on hitting my good habits hard over the next several days.  This weekend might also be another curveball, as I'm traveling to Pittsburgh for a business school case competition Friday through Sunday.  Travel can make routines hard to maintain, but I'll pack some healthy snacks and workout clothes and try to keep things as normal as possible.

With Day 100 fast approaching, my mind is turning more and more to wondering if and what will change after it.  Soon it'll be time to sit down with Coach Stefan and learn.

This morning's workout was a bittersweet one because it was the last official one under the watchful eye of Coach Rimmer.  Rimmer took over the responsibility of training me and a few other 7 AM guys a few years ago.  In that time, he helped me to get the strongest I've ever been, all the while employing his one-of-a-kind combination of encouragement, tough love and a 12-year-old boy's sense of humor.  Now he's off to pursue great new opportunities, and I wish him the very best.  So I'd like to a moment to say thank you, Coach Rimmer.  There have only been a few individuals I've been glad to call Coach in my life, and you're one of them.

Day 71

Wow, I've hit the 70's along the 100 Days to Great... not too many days left!

Today was a weigh-in day, and an interesting one at that.  The results forced me to have to find positive momentum in new ways, due to nothing more than how some of the numbers work.  Here's how things stand:

On the surface, it looks like some momentum was lost.  During the last three periods, I was down 1.5%, 1.3% and 1.6%.  This last period, I was down 1.0%.  This feels like a drop off.  It's still dropping, but not by as much.

Yet, at the same time my overall weight dropped by 5.1 lbs - suggesting that I lost weight from some place other than fat.  Well, it turns out that is true.  Not shown in the chart above (but measured) is the lbs. of body water I am carrying - which turned out to be down about 2 lbs. from the last measurement.

Long story short - body fat percentage is just that: a percentage.  It's an amount of fat divided by a total amount of weight.  While only changes in fat can affect that fat number, a couple changes (dry lean mass, or muscle; and total body water) can affect your total weight number.  That can make it hard to interpret changes in the rate of fat loss I've been tracking.

So this time around, I've got to focus on something else - the absolute amount of body fat, regardless of what's going on with body water.  And in that department, things are steady.  The previous three periods, I lost 4.1, 3.1, and 4.2 lbs. of fat.  This last period, it was 2.7.

I think the bigger lesson here is that when you're trying to be healthier, there are a lot of different numbers or measures that can be used to track your success - and frankly, none of them is as important as the behaviors that drive them.  Those numbers can move around for different reasons - some of which are a bit out of your control.  But if you stick consistently to the right behaviors, then regardless of little variations, the overall trend will hold true.

Another lesson here is that some weigh days will be more shocking than others, but that I feel proud of them no matter what.  I don't know what the last couple measurements have in store for me, but even if I didn't lose another pound, I can be proud of dropping 17 pounds of fat.  My joints, organs, and quality of life are already saying thank you.

Day 68

It's Day 68.  I am now two-thirds of the way through my 100 Days to Great journey.

It has also been a while since my last post.  Early on, it felt like a lot was changing from one day to the next - which made it easy to hop online and post practically every day.  Things have gotten more smooth and steady the deeper I've gone, and as a result, I've had less to report.

In fact, even though I have 33 days left (including today), I've been feeling more and more like I've already accomplished my goal.  Don't me wrong - I'm still giving these last days my all, and the fat will continue to burn off.  However, my larger goal of resetting my nutritional lifestyle has grown to feel comfortable and normal now.  The beginning of this whole thing back in November feels like a long time ago.

Perhaps you've got a new year's resolution you're working on.  If so, here's a thought that could be relevant or helpful.  It's called a new year's resolution for a reason.  It's probably a big change, and big changes take a long time to be implemented in a lasting way.  For example, I could not have changed my nutritional habits much more than I did - meaning I have been dropping fat as fast as I possibly can without entering into unhealthy habits.  Even still, it took about two full months to lose 10 pounds of fat.  As the calendar rolls into the later days of January, and you are taking stock of progress toward your resolutions, remember that it's a year-long goal and you have a lot of time to keep moving forward.  Celebrate small wins and let them motivate to keep on.

As I begin to catch glimpses of the light at the end of this 100 Day tunnel, I'm growing curious about what (if anything) is "supposed" to change when all is said and done.  I've been on a roughly 2150 calorie/day pace during this period.  In order to maintain a weight level, rather than keep losing, will I need to increase that number?

My next weigh-in day is Wednesday (Day 71), so I'll share some more info then!

Day 57

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!  I hope that the turning of the calendar year finds you inspired and ready to make 2015 a very good year.

Today was a weigh-in day.  Here's how things are shaping up (or should I say down?):

It's interesting how a chicken-and-egg situation can sabotage positive changes from happening.  I've tried to make positive health changes in the past, but seeing some results is what really started to make me feel motivated.  Yet, in order to see those results, I first had to make the change.  To quote Fat Bastard from Austin Powers: "It's a vicious cycle." 

One thing I've enjoyed about this program is that the feedback has come quickly and regularly.  Within two weeks I knew I was doing something right.  As more weeks have come and gone, the numbers have continued to reinforce that.  By now, my own two eyes and positive feedback from friends, family and co-workers also help.  Having these small, incremental wins only motivates me more toward the next one.

Although there's more work to do, I'm shocked at what my old nutritional habits were doing to my body.  I can now see and feel the absence of those habits - and it makes me never want to go back. Back to popping heartburn meds several nights a week.  To feeling lethargic after every meal.  To using any event at any time as a suitable reason for having a drink.  To having a majority of my caloric intake be devoid of the nutrients required to live a (knock on wood) long and healthy life.  At this point, temptation still exists - but my internal reaction to it has become deeply engrained:  Why would I want to do this to myself? 

If you're thinking through New Year's resolutions, I hope you can also hone in on things that will have you feeling empowered and motivated as new weeks roll by.

Day 50

Happy Hump Day, everybody!  Although this particular Hump Day is extra hump-y for me, because it is Day 50: the mid-point of 100 Days to Great.  (If you giggled at the word hump-y, I salute you.)

Mid-points are awesome.  They signal the moment you become closer to the end of a journey than the beginning of it.  That being the case, it's dawning on me that before too long, I will leave the safe confines of this program.  Right now, eating as healthily as I ever have is easy in part because all of my decisions are pre-made for me.  I don't have to think much about what I'm eating (or not eating).

In another 50 days or so, however, the choices will be all mine again.  In a recent post, I mentioned that my current nutritional regimen has grown to feel natural and unforced.  That remains true, and will make transitioning back into the wild a little easier.  With several weeks left to prepare, here are 5 lessons from this program I'll take with me after all is said and done:

1. I don't know if I'll ever eat fast food again.  Between a hectic job and crazy fast schedule between work and school, fast food was creeping into my eating habits and becoming a regular thing.  Now, just thinking about the way my body felt after eating it is enough to dissuade me from wanting to do it again.
2. Eating every few hours has definitely helped regulate my energy throughout the day.  Again, that hectic schedule can be a pain, but I've noticed a serious difference in my energy levels between eating 3 large meals (600-700 calories) at roughly 8AM, 1PM and 6PM compared with eating 3 snacks (250-300 calories) and 3 small meals (400-450 calories) at roughly 7AM, 9:30AM, 12PM, 2:30PM, 5PM and 7:30PM.  I feel much better with the latter.
3. Eating the right snacks also helps me feel more balanced energy throughout the day.  Gone are the days where I run to the vending machine for a bag of peanut M&Ms and convincing myself that's the best option given limited time.
4. Not having a veggie and/or fruit present in virtually all snacks & meals feels weird to me now.  This is the polar opposite of where I was when this started, when having a veggie or fruit felt forced.
5. I miss alcoholic beverages, but in the way I thought I would.  Early on, cravings were definitely dependency-based.  Somewhere along the way, though, the cravings became sensory-based - taste and temperature.  It also became not just about alcoholic beverages, but other caloric beverages like milkshakes.  When this journey ends, all these "caloric beverages" will count one and the same as something to be enjoyed on special occasions, and enjoyed well.  No more cheap stuff.  I'll want good stuff I can savor nice and slowly.

Day 44

Yesterday marked Day 43 and my 6-week weigh-in.  The lesson of this weight-in was that while numbers don't lie, some carry more weight than others.  (Pun intended.)

Consider this: In my first two weeks, I lost 6.2 pounds and 0.8% body fat.  In the last two weeks, I lost 2.2 pounds and 1.3% body fat.  That equates to only 1/3 of the pounds from the first two weeks, but almost 2x as much body fat.  What's going on?  Well, behind the curtain, I actually gained two pounds of lean mass of the last two weeks.

When people think about weight loss, they tend to think about pounds.  As this weigh-in showed, that may not be the best indicator and definitely should not be used as the only measure of success.

Here is how things are shaping up in graph format!  I am now trending almost exactly to the target weight of 190 pounds, and closer to the intended body fat % of 7% (currently forecasted to finish at 11.6%).

Day 34

I am already 1/3 of the way through 100 Days to Great.  To quote Keanu Reeves: "Whoa."

I've had some pretty cool instincts/feelings coming naturally to me lately, all of which seem to indicate that this new world of no booze, virtually zero caloric carbs, and lots of lean protein, fruits and veggies is becoming my "new normal."

• Before: Eating fast food 1-2 days a week.  Now: Fast food just doesn't sound good (even my beloved Taco Bell).
• Before: Eating breakfast 1-2 hours after waking up, no fruits or veggies included.  Now: Eating within an hour of waking, fruits and/or veggies always included.
• Before: Pushing through being hungry because I was busy and didn't have anything on hand, followed by a huge meal.  Now: Eating when I am hungry, even when I'm busy, because I always have good snacks on hand.
• Before: Feeling like my one salad with fried chicken strips was a debit in my nutritional account, and then eating several meals with pre-packaged, pre-processed items and virtually zero fruits or vegatables.  Now: Looking forward to each meal, consisting of nothing pre-packaged, nothing fried, nothing pre-processed, and always some fruits or veggies.

I'm really happy that this no longer feels like a temporary change or chore - it just feels like life.

Day 29

It's Day 29, meaning I had my second check-in/weigh-in for 100 DAYS TO GREAT this morning.  I've shared my anxiety with you... and have good-ish news!

Here's how things are shaping up:

• On the weight front, I've lost another 5 pounds, bringing the cumulative total to 11 pounds over the last 4 weeks.  Of that, roughly 7 have been body fat mass.  The remainder has been mostly water weight.
• On the body fat front, I dropped another 1.5%, bringing the cumulative total to 2.3%.

The good news is that my rate of fat loss improved over the last two weeks, as you can see from the downward kink in the green line above.  The less good news is that I'm on pace to finish the 100 DAYS at roughly 12% body fat - a far cry from the goal of 7%.  However, *if* the recent increase in the rate of fat loss holds, that 12% projection should also improve.  

Either way, there are two parts to this lifestyle equation - diet and exercise.  There is not a whole lot more I can do with diet: I've been sticking to the recommended plan as closely as possible, with virtually no deviation.  That means it's time to increase the exercise.  Right now I work out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  The workouts are pretty power-centric - I break a good sweat, but there is not much cardio.  So first, we will be adding 10-15 minutes of steady state cardio to the end of each workout; and I will also be adding some cardio to my off days.  I'll start by getting in a 45-60 minute cardio workout on 2 of my 4 off days, using the Nike Training Kinect program on Xbox 360.  I've used it several times in the past, and it always works me out hard enough to break a good sweat.

We'll see if that helps me to maintain (or maybe increase!) this new fat loss rate of 1.5% over two weeks.  The next weigh-in is 12/17 - time to re-focus and re-dedicate!

Day 25

Today I am 1/4 of the way through 100 Days to Great.  From day to day, things feel like they are moving slowly; but then a milestone day comes along and reminds me that I've already covered a lot of ground.

First, I hope all of you had a very happy Thanksgiving.  I am really enjoying the long weekend! Today we got our Christmas tree and decorated it.  One of my favorite days of the year.

Second, some thoughts from the last few days.

• With the arrival of the holiday season, I've started getting great reactions about the timing of this 100 Day journey - generally along the lines of, "During the holidays? Ouch."  While I will admit that it is very tough to think about all of the holiday beverages I won't be having this year, I'm also a bit relieved by the timing of this whole thing.  Had I not started when I did, there is a good chance my weight would still be shifting from 222 lbs. to something else - but it probably wouldn't be in a downward direction!  There's something about the holidays - in between the euphoria and the stress - that typically makes me more likely to let things slide.  This time around, I don't have to worry about it.
• I noticed something this morning that's pretty cool.  Before my 100 Days started, I got heartburn close to daily - at least a few times each week.  Since it started though, none.  That is a very nice feeling.

There are three full days before Wednesday morning, when my next official weigh-in comes.  That'll be the morning of Day 29, so nearly 1/3 of the way through the program.  Corresponding weight and body fat numbers would be 211 pounds and about 16% body fat.  I'll update you next after getting the numbers!

Day 21

I'm three weeks into 100 DAYS TO GREAT.  Honestly speaking, this last week felt a lot slower than the first two did.  100 days is starting to feel like PLENTY of time to make a big dent in body fat while seriously improving my nutrition habits.  (Win-win!)

On Day 19, I shared that I've been worried about what I'll see at my next weigh-in on 12/3.  After writing that, I decided to be a more active participant in my own success.  Ryan has provided me with a very detailed nutrition plan of when to eat, and what to eat, very specifically.  With more than a week until the weigh-in remaining, I thought about where I could improve in my habits, and identified two things: 1. Portion sizes and 2. Timing.

After weighing in at the two-week mark, I got a little too carefree.  I thought, "Man, I can eat a lot of these awesome foods in large quantities and still lose weight."  Rather than carefully measuring portion sizes, I'd been eyeballing; or maybe adding little garnishes like some shredded cheese in my eggs.  Wrong-o.  So for the last two nights, I have prepped my entire day's worth of food for the following day, to the letter of the nutrition plan.

Beyond that, it's easy to let that time to eat slip by between work, school, or tasks around the house.  My nutrition plan has me eating 300-400 calories every 3 hours or so.  If I let one of those moments slip, all of a sudden I'm behind and eating twice within really close proximity of one another - essentially having one mega meal.  Why is timing important?  I asked Ryan to find out.  Here's his advice:

"It's primarily about consistency.  When you eat at the same times each day, it's easier for your body and your lifestyle to adjust.  It's like a relationship - dating someone who is bi-polar is really hard to regulate.  It's hard to make decisions."

In this case, eating large meals at different times each day makes me the bi-polar one, and my pancreas the poor sap who's trying to accommodate me.  Ryan continued: "[The nutrition plan] regulates your blood sugar and insulin.  It keeps you from high or low spikes, and provides you with better energy levels."  So that explains why I haven't been having food comas, a.k.a. fomas, lately...

Lastly, when one's metabolism is firing consistently, it will burn more body fat.  So I've got that going for me.  And on that note... it's time to eat.  :)

Day 19

I've got to be honest with you: I'm a bit worried that my next weigh in won't be as successful as my last.  I step on my scale at home to get a directional read on how things are going, and it's not looking like much has changed since last Wednesday.

Faced with the possibility that I'm not doing enough nutritionally, I've taken a little time to self-assess.  I'm doing very well on a few key fronts - no booze, no sweets, and virtually nothing processed (I can't be sure when it comes to restaurant items, but I try to get things that are comprised of real, unprocessed items).  What I really have not done is paid attention to portion sizes.  So, I re-opened my meal plan from Fire Fitness tonight and pre-measured everything I am going to eat tomorrow.  There's an interesting thought: every bite I am going to eat tomorrow has been pre-determined and prepped in advance.  There won't be any choices to make.  I don't think I've ever been able to say that before.

Anyhow, I get the sense that if I want to see meaningful improvements in my next measurement like I did with the last one, I need to focus harder.  I'll be working to prep every night for the following day from here on out.

Day 16

Yesterday Ryan S. from Fire Fitness posted a great article called The Cost of Getting Lean from Precision Nutrition.  The article lays out in very understandable terms what is involved in getting to varying levels of body fat.  The post was well-timed, as I just went through a mental trade-off process of sorts myself.  The two items on the opposite sides of the scale - nutrition and health - had teetered for a long time, but I reached a point where I felt strongly that health should count for more.

The article mentions considering 'how to get the body you really want while living the life you really enjoy.'  Recall that the goal for this 100 Days is to get down to 6-8% body fat.  When all is said and done, however, my goal is not to maintain that because in order to get there I'm giving up some things that I don't want to give up permanently.  Arbitrarily I'd like to maintain a 10-12% level.  The article posted above breaks down what it takes to maintain that level pretty clearly:

1. Planning and attention to diet
• Getting the right things in during most/all meals
• Eating slowly
• Limiting processed carbs & caloric beverages to 1-2 per week
2. 3-4 hard exercise sessions a week and 45-60 minutes of exercise on off days
3. 7-8 hours of sleep per night
4. De-stress daily for 20 minutes

#1 is the biggest area of change for me, and the planning component is huge.  Beyond that, I actually feel like I came into 100 Days in good shape.  If anything else, I could add some cardio for off-days.

The last thing I'll call out from the article is its emphasis on the long-term.  'Even small adjustments can - over time - add up to noticeable improvements.' It seems like we've grown to expect exercise or nutrition regimens to 'fix' us in 30 days or less.  A long-term focus was one of the reasons I chose to do 100 Days.  Also, I'm hoping that by pushing hard for these 100 days, small adjustments that keep me in line with the items above will come more naturally and easily.

Day 15

The first round of numbers are in, and it's a mix of good and bad news.

On the one hand, I've lost 6.2 pounds.  On the other hand, 3.1 of them were fat and 3.1 of them were lean mass.  On a third hand, I believe most of the lean loss was body water (0.9 pounds of intracellular water and 1.6 pounds of extracellular water.)  My body fat percentage decreased 0.8%, from 20.0% to 19.2%.

I like graphs.  So I made one:

As it stands (based on my whopping two data points), I'm forecasted to finish at 179 pounds with 14.4% body fat.  My goal is 190 pounds with 7% body fat.  I'm guessing that with more data points, the separate forecasts for overall weight and PBF will better align with these goals.

All in all, however, numbers don't lie.  I've burned off some fat over the last couple weeks, and will need to stay focused in order to keep it going.

Day 14

Today marks two weeks into 100 Days to Great.

The last couple days have taught me how important it is to take the time to grocery shop, plan, and get myself ready for the day(s) ahead.  For the first 10 days or so of this process, I was more or less winging it because I couldn't get to the grocery store.  After finally getting that shopping trip in on Sunday, yesterday and today have felt so much smoother.  I have a post-it note on my monitor at work with all of the times I'm supposed to have a meal or snack, and when the times come, I've got what I need on hand and ready to go.

I'm craving things here and there (I miss you, Taco Bell), but for the most part I feel determined.  I suspect things are going to get a bit tougher soon, because 100 days is beginning to feel like a looong time.

Tomorrow AM is the first official weigh-in since this whole thing started.  The goal is to be down about 4 pounds of fat at this point.  Wish me luck!

Day 12

Wow - already over 10% of the way there!

The first week or so was a bit of flying by the seat of my (hopefully fitting better and better) pants.  I wasn't even able to get to a grocery store until Day 9.  Today, however, we made a big grocery run and I'll be set for the next several days.

My first official weigh-in isn't until Wednesday, but that hasn't stopped me from stepping on the scale at home just to get a sneak peek.  It's directional, but so far, so good!  I hope the microwave confirms this at Fire Fitness on Wednesday - particularly that the weight loss is fat and not muscle.  I'll make another update then!

Day 6

Wow, already almost one week come and gone.

Since my last post, I've gotten some nutrition counseling from Ryan Stefan at Fire Fitness in the form of a 3-day meal + snack plan that I intend to repeat on an ongoing basis for this 100 Days to Great experience.  I'll stick to the plan as closely as possible while I get my feet underneath me in terms of shopping and meal prep habits.  Once those are steady, I can start to experiment with swapping in and out components and ingredients for the meals.  The biggest difference from my old habits is that everything on the menu is actual food.  Like, from-mother-nature food.  It's amazing and a little disturbing how much of what I'd been eating was not.

In terms of the exercise regimen, not a lot is changing in the short-term.  I'm in three days a week (M, W, F) doing 45-60 minutes of power movement (compound weight lifts, box jumps).  The change comes in the form of a finisher - about 5 minutes of intense interval training either on the stationary bike, treadmill or row machine.  It may only be 5 minutes, but I've been pretty wiped after all three sessions so far.

Overall, feeling pretty solid!

Day 3

Just a short one today.  As expected, today was tougher.  I got through it though!

One interesting moment came during dinner.  It was a big group dinner (20+) and drinks were flowing all around me.  Man oh man, did I want one for myself.  Then, somewhere amid that craving, the polarity of the feeling changed.  All of I sudden I realized I was tapping into a sense of delayed gratification.  Sticking to my goals now will make that next drink all the more gratifying when I finish with these 100 days.  At the moment, I'm thinking it'll be a nice red wine!