Getting your body back - a primer. 

 Nutrition is the key factor for your life. What you put in your body for fuel will decide on the returns you get in the form of energy, concentration, mental well-being, everything. Food is like a drug, a very addictive drug. Your brain as well as your body will become accustomed to the way you eat, especially if you eat for pleasure. Once you decide that you want to take a step toward a healthy lifestyle - the key to success is the old phrase, "One Step at a Time". For anyone trying to accomplish anything big or small, this idea is paramount. Alcoholics and drug addicts repeat "One Day at a Time", because they are trying to accomplish a huge lifestyle change and only have the energy or ability to focus on one day. If addicts try to look forward to something in the future, they have a greater risk of relapsing into drug use, because the change is so enormous, their defenses are weakened. It really is no different when it comes to nutrition changes. Some folks may say that it is even harder to lose weight than to quick alcohol and drugs. This may be  a bit naive of an idea - but I get it - it's damn hard to do.

So, if you have just recently decided to change your nutritional lifestyle you have to create your own mantra. Most people need something to focus on, a photograph of how they want to look or something they wish to achieve by reaching their goals. I would suggest your goals are small, short-term and achievable. It is easier to drop 50 pounds when you are only striving for 5 at a time. You will often have to deal with plateaus and such which can discourage you at around the 35 pound mark. Then you may go drown your sorrows in a garbage plate(s).

I only wanted to make sure that it is understood that, as important exercise is, nutrition beats it hands down. get yourself on a good eating regimen.

Calories in vs Calories out. The math is simple and difficult.
Physics is the study of mathematical and physical laws that exist in the universe. Imagine your body is this universe and it controls the physics. The only problem is, everyone's body is an ever so slightly  different universe and so the rules are all slightly different. I cannot get into all of it right now - but metabolism (your universe) is the key to your body's math.

So you have to eat at a deficit to lose the weight (and you really need to lose fat and not weight)
But that is all the complicated mess for another day.

First step is changing your lifestyle and eating right. We will concentrate on the nitty gritty later.

Anyway....

Firstly eat only clean foods 90% of the time. One cheat meal per week if you really must.
The closer to nature the better.
The fewer the ingredients the better.
Microwave meals are loaded with sodium and other preservatives.
Fresh or frozen veggies only, canned stuff is pack with sodium and sugary syrups.
Try a 50% clean carbs - 25% Lean Protein - 25% Healthy fats (75% Monounsaturated fats - 17% Polyunsaturated fats - 8% saturated fats).
Eat loads and loads of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.
Some fruit is OK, but watch out for the Glycemic Index!

So this is what I am doing now..

Fitz

Trying to find my way again...

2007 - I was 34 and sick of how fat I had become. I had 3 kids and didn't want to be the fat old dad you see sitting on the park bench while his kids played at the playground. I wanted to run with them and not get winded. I took matters into my own hands, learned a bunch of information about weight lifting, nutrition and fat-loss. Two years later I was 40 lbs. lighter, much stronger and had a nice lean body fat percentage of about 12%. My wife was happy with my new physique and I was finally confident. I knew I looked better and I felt better. I stopped snoring and was performing better in every aspect of my life. Then I was forced to stay home with my kids and I lost it. Almost 3 years later I have gained it all back - I am unhealthy and sad. I cannot fit into any of the clothes I used to and I am miserable. So I am going to get it back. When I first did this I posted all of my progress and kept a very precise journal. I managed to inspire many people who followed my progress and I was happy to give them advice and motivation. Sadly, those people are all gone from the sites I once frequented. The sites themselves have all changed to become pay-sites and are no longer free. I will post my progress the same way I did before and will take you day by day through my struggle to regain my health and well-being. I am documenting this more for my own purposes, but you are welcomed to follow, comment, motivate and possibly be motivated. Tomorrow - I will be up at 3:50am. I will have a whey-skim shake and 2 glasses of water. I will give my spine 30 minutes to dehydrate (it hydrates while you sleep, so unless you give it time to dehydrate, you risk injury if you lift too soon after waking). I will stretch. I will lift my modified 5x5 Stronglifts routine starting at the bar. It will be light, but I am going to do this right. After I lift, I will run for 30 minutes. After the run I will be ready for some more protein and fruit. My carbs will be only from complex sources like rice, pasta or sprouted grains. My intake will be limited because I believe I am carb-sensitive. My macro ratio will be 40/40/20 (Protein/Carb/Fat). Considering my carb consumption may be less than 40% I will have to see how it goes. Adding some fruits may keep the numbers up. I will eat approximately 2300 kCal per day for one month and then adjust. I will limit my alcohol consumption to only on Fridays or Saturdays, no more than 2 mixed drinks total. I am going to attempt to cease all alcohol intake, but I am irish, so we shall see. I will post my progress in journal form. I will take pictures, however I will not post them initially. Let's do this! SF