But I can’t let that happen. So it’s time for my annual Post Christmas Detox. I looked up my blog post from last year and at this time I was 209.5. This year I’m at a grotesque 213. I have my work cut out for me for sure.

So why am I so much heavier this year? Well, I think it’s because I made a mistake in November with my workouts. I listened too much to young guys who work out twice a day and started using a high calorie protein shake thinking I could build more muscle. And I could have built more muscle if I worked out twice as much as I normally do. But that’s simply not possible without giving up the rest of my life, so basically I gained weight and never turned it into muscle. Add on the usual holiday feasts, a week spent in Nashville eating my mom’s home cooked meals three times a day, and a week of being sick, and well…. here I am.

So enough excuses. What’s the recovery plan? Well starting yesterday I go back to healthy clean foods. Vegetables, fruit, rice, and whole grains. Secondly, I’m going to get back to working out. An hour a day at least 5 days a week. I’m also going to try and ride my bicycle one day a week depending on the weather. Lastly, I’m cutting back on the alcohol. No beer. Period. I’ll allow one small glass of red wine in the evening with dinner.

So, today I’m at 213, I plan to be back to 200 in 30 days. Let’s do this!

Today though I got some bad news from the doc which is going to make this season even suckier, and it’s bumming me out. All my blood levels are out of whack again, and at over 200lbs I’ve put on quite a bit of weight from being in the 190′s a year or so ago. *sigh*.

I’m telling you man, maintaining my fitness has proven to be a ridiculously hard endeavor. It shouldn’t be because all it takes in 60 lousy minutes of jumping or running a day and not putting garbage into my mouth, but never the less, the discipline escapes me. It probably hurts me too that I don’t look fat, and nobody would call me overweight, so that makes it easier for me to justify skipping a workout or having an few extra beers here and there. But my bloodwork says I’m not as healthy as I need to be, and so to get there I need a sustained focus and work ethic.

The Doc says to lower my carb intake and cut the alcohol. That sucks because I really, really, really love my beer. A lot. And I suppose I could try just cutting back, but that never really works for me. If I cut something completely out of my life, it’s much easier to know when I’m cheating.

The bad part of all this is not that I’m a few pounds heavier, it’s that it’s a continual area of failure in my life. This is one of the few things that I really have a hard time making permanent. And I really, really hate sucking at stuff.

So here’s to a renewed focus on fitness. Again.

I’ve also been doing a lot of reading lately on nutrition and things though and while I thought I was always eating pretty well, I’m finding that it’s really hard to eat the way God intended for us to eat in America. Most of the food on the grocery store shelves has been processes (altered) to improve shelf life (and therefore corporate profits), yet these processes also strip out the nutritious parts of the foods. The result is that we’re no longer eating food the way God created it and as a result, we’re getting fat and unhealthy.

What really crystallized this for me was when I began to read Tony Horton’s book called “Bring It!“. Tony is the next Jack LaLanne and has a lot to say about food and exercise in his book. He talks a lot about eating food the way it comes out of the ground. So I started doing some research for myself. That’s when I found the information on wheat and how white flour is basically wheat with all the good parts removed to increase shelf life. I also discovered a lot about how we raise beef in this country and how we feed cows food they weren’t designed to eat and pump them full of unnatural hormones and anti-biotics in order to increase yield.

And so I started thinking about why we do this. It’s not because we have to increase yield to feed the masses. There are people starving all over the world. The real reason is to increase profits. Corporations are feeding us junk because it’s more profitable, plain and simple.

All this brought up two questions in my mind. The first is “What would God think of the way our society approaches food?”. The second is “Would God approve of how we’re taking care of our bodies?”.

The first question is a larger question and I don’t have space to get into it here. But the fact is, we’re producing MASSIVE amounts of food. It’s being created to stuff the stomachs of Americans while people elsewhere go hungry. And the result is that our gluttony is making us extremely unhealthy. I’ve been listening to Proverbs on my iPhone and there’s a lot of warnings in there about the rich getting fat while ignoring the needs of the poor. If ever I saw a reflection of modern America in scripture, it’s in the early Proverbs.

The other question though has to deal with personal responsibility. And so to look into what God has to say about that, I bought a book called “What the Bible Says About Healthy Living”. In it the author, who is a Christian doctor, talks about what God has created for us and what His commands are with regards to taking care of ourselves. To me it’s absolutely fascinating because now that science is discovering how badly we’re screwing up our food supply, it becomes clear that God already told us how to eat and live thousands of years ago and he’s already provided us with everything we need. We have simply been too arrogant to listen, and that’s why we’re facing an epidemic of obesity and the conditions that go along with it in this country.

I would just suggest that everyone read the two books I listed here, especially Christians because we are called to set the example. “Bring it!” will tell you what to do to be healthy. “What the Bible Says About Healthy Living” will tell you why you should do those things from both a scientific and spiritual perspective.

It feels good though. The other day I put on a pair of jeans I hadn’t worn in a long time. They were cut too small and always felt tight in the waist so I didn’t like them, but I fit into them and they weren’t uncomfortable at all. Yesterday I wore a t-shirt that I love but had to stop wearing because it is a snug fitting t-shirt. And that’s part of what this is about. It’s not about the number on the scale, it’s about feeling good and not having to try and cover up your fat.

It’s also about feeling strong and healthy. After I got through the first 2 weeks of workouts, I started looking forward to them. That’s the hardest part of any diet, just getting rolling again. Once you get back in the routine and start feeling strong, then working out becomes energizing and in a way, addictive. So I’ve learned this time around that I can’t let myself go again. This has got to be a permanent lifestyle change.

I want to take a second to recommend the Extreme Fat Smash Diet. No, I didn’t lose 15 pounds in three weeks, but I lost 9.5 in four weeks which is not bad at all. My wife lost 8lbs and she hasn’t even started working out! So it does work. P90X is also the greatest workout I’ve ever done. I love the no gimmick approach to both of these programs.

So what’s next? Well, I’ve got to make some permanent lifestyle changes to make this stick. This means we’ll be continuing on a mostly vegetarian diet. I’ll also be working out at least 5 times a week. I’d like to start bicycling again to mix it up as well.

Goal wise, I still have a little belly fat to get rid of, and then I’m going to focus on shaping muscle. So I’m thinking I want to get down to 195lbs and I want to be able to do 35 pushups per set in the P90X chest and back routine. I’ll set the end February for that goal. Stay tuned!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

So far, I’m a little disappointed. The diet claims a weight loss of 12lbs in three weeks and I’m down 4.5lbs. Not exactly working as advertised. Now, I’m going to be honest, I’ve broken my diet a few times and went out to dinner with friends. But I don’t think one “bad” meal in 7 days should stunt your progress so drastically. No, I think the real culprit is false expectations created by broad generalizations in the medical world.

For instance, the experts say a man my size should weigh about 188lbs. I’ve been down to 190 about 10 years ago and honestly, I felt like I was going to wither and die. I just felt wasted all the time. BMI numbers are broad generalizations and in my mind, completely useless. Also, they say I can take in 3500 calories a day without gaining weight. Therefore if I cut back to 1000 calories a day (which I have) I should lose 2500 calories a day which comes down to a weight loss of 5lbs a week. Well friends, my body just doesn’t work that way. If I were to eat 3500 calories a day, I’d be a freaking TUB. During my normal non-holiday life I would say I take in about 2000 calories a day and that keeps me where I am. So I think my metabolism is just not what the textbooks say it should be and that’s why 1000 calories a day isn’t showing the results they promise.

But I’m not making excuses here. The fact is, I am losing weight, just more slowly than predicted. And I already feel TONS better just being back to regular workouts and eating healthy foods. I really do feel stronger and more energetic. So the plan is working. I don’t know if I’ll reach my goal by my planned date, but I will reach it and I plan on staying on this diet until I do. Then I’ll go into a maintenance mode to stay steady at 200.

I will say one thing about this diet. It’s not as hard as other diets I’ve been on. We eat a lot of food, and it’s all high volume, low calorie foods, so I’m not hungry. But I will say that it’s very bland at times. It’s mostly veggies and rice, which gets old really quickly, and I am really sick of eating carrots all the time. However, it’s designed to be a short term diet so I can stick it out for another 4 weeks or so and then it will feel good to get back to a reasonable diet like the Body for Life, or maybe I’ll continue this one but utilize some of the more flavorful recipes in maintenance section of the book.

At any rate, I’m 4.5lbs down and I have 5 more to go!

So now that Thanksgiving and Christmas are out of the way and all the cookies and pies and crap are done with, I can get back to normal eating. They say that every year people put on a few pounds during the season. I read recently that it’s not as bad as you would think; only a pound or two extra during this time. However, since Americans don’t exercise those pounds never drop off and so over the years we turn into fatties. One look at the people at the mall will tell you this is absolutely true. I have no problem growing old, but I have a huge problem with growing fat and unhealthy.

So this year I’m doing something about it and taking drastic measures to burn off the weight of at least the last four holiday seasons. Michelle and I normally eat pretty good and so I don’t think we need a huge shift in our diet. So I’m going to do a 30 day crash diet to lose at least 10 pounds and then make some minor modifications to my daily diet to maintain that.

The diet I’m using is called The Extreme Fat Smash Diet. It’s by the doctor from the TV show Celebrity Fit Club. What I like about this diet, is that it’s no B.S., no gimmicks, no tricks. It comes down to eating the right foods, with the right portion size, and exercising daily. In fact, you really don’t even need a book to do this diet, but one thing that books do is help show you what a portion really looks like (American portions are about 3 times bigger than they should be), remind you of what foods are bad for you if you’re trying to slim down, and make you realize how little we actually exercise.

So I’m off on my 30 day adventure! My starting weight is 209.5 lbs. My goal is 200 lbs even by January 31st. However, this diet claims that you can lose 12 to 15 pounds in four weeks, so I may get down to 195 lbs which would be fantastic, but I’m trying to be conservative. I’ll also be doing P90X for my workout routine and I’ll be using MyNetDiary.com to track my progress. It’s going to be tough, but I’m determined. I’ll post once a week to give some visibility to my progress.

First off let’s talk music. I bought Ozzy Osbourne’s new album a few weeks ago. Now honestly, I’m not a huge Ozzy fan lately. Since he’s become a “reality” show poster boy, I’ve been a little turned off to his music. However, the new album is exceptionally strong. With new guitarist Gus G., Ozzy is once again on the cutting edge of metal. This album is heavy, melodic, and furious, and after several years of cliche garbage, Ozzy is back with some serous metal. Gus G. Is a monster and really brings some fresh blood to Ozzy’s writing. Great album.

Speaking of Ozzy, his last guitarist Zakk Wylde has a new album and it is outstanding. Sometimes great artists just need to explore things on their own terms, and so Zakk’s album while not ground breaking, is fantastically heavy and vicious, with wicked solos and beautifully melodic choruses which make it really stand out among his recent releases.

I’ve also bought The new album by Disturbed, which is a shredder as well. Again, it’s nothing ground breaking, but it holds true to their style and is immensely enjoyable.

I wish I could say the same for Linkin Park’s new disc which I just wasted $15 hard earned dollars on. It’s not so much that it sucks as it is just so different and experimental compared to the previous albums. I understand the need for bands to branch out and explore different musical styles, but do that in a side project, where people expect something odd. Don’t bilk your dedicated fans so you can indulge yourselves. This album is nothing more than a keyboard/sampler geek fest and I’m pissed that I spent my money on something I just can’t listen to.

OK so let’s move on to another favorite subject of mine; beer. We went to a beer festival in the Tower District today and it was awesome. So many great beers being brewed right here in the valley! I think the stand out for me was the red ale from Three Monkeys Brewing. It was darker than a traditional red and had a little taste of maple syrup on the finish. It was truly unique and delicious.

I’m getting ready to start my third batch of my own American Biker Pale Ale myself tonight and I feel really good about this third iteration of my own recipe. Home brewing has been a really cool experience and I’m having tons of fun making and drinking my own beer.

So my last subject of this Frankenstein post is Las Vegas Bikefest! I’m so excited about this ride that I can barely contain myself. I’m so looking forward to four days of riding, hanging out with other bikers, looking at custom bikes, drinking great beers, and most of all spending time with my girl, Michelle. It’s going to be an outstanding weekend.

Alright so tests about all I have today. I hope everyone is having a killer Sunday. Peace out yo.

Update: Sorry for the lousy spelling if you read this post yesterday. It’s hard typing on an iPad.

This is not a bad beer at all. It’s got a nice mellow flavor, not too hoppy. Definitely a beer you could drink on a warm day. However, it doesn’t really have that craft beer taste to me. This is probably due to the fact that it’s not heavily hopped, but then again the name contains the word MILD. I also think it’s a little more cloudy than it should be. This could be because it was a one stage fermentation. Next time I’ll do a two stage, and I’m also going to start experimenting with clarifying agents in the future.

It’s a good beer though. I like it. My wife will like the smoother flavor as well.

First up: P90X. Michelle and I finished our first round of P90X last week and have started the program over again. The question everyone wants to know the answer to is: “Does it work”? Well, I would say that depends. Like any other exercise program it depends on how hard you work, and what you eat. These programs love to show people losing 50lbs and getting six pack abs in 90 days, and that’s certainly possible for some. But the reason most of us are fat and tired is because we simply eat wrong and don’t put in the time to exercise. So unless you change habits, this program is no better than any other.

What I do like about this program though is that it’s got great variety and it doesn’t require fancy equipment. For me those are the two things that make it easy for me to stick to it. So for me, it’s working. I’m building muscle and losing fat. My progress has been slower because, well, I just don’t want to make exercising a full time hobby. I miss a day here and there. And I like to have a pizza and beer occasionally. But overall I’m happy with the progress. I feel much stronger, I’ve lost 7 pounds, and I still enjoy doing the program, so for me it’s a total win.

Ok, so since I mentioned beer, let’s switch gears and talk about home brew. I’ve been home brewing for a few months now and I’m happy to announce that my second batch has gone into the bottles. In two weeks I will have a beautiful Dry Irish Stout. Oh man, it smelled so good when I cracked open the fermenter yesterday. I think this is going to me a very nice batch. So on May 7th, the bottles go into the fridge and it’s time to have a tasting party! Put it on your calendars. I’ve also got the ingredients for my next batch already which I plan to cook up early next week. It’s going to be a mild Ale and only takes 4 weeks to make, so I’m hoping to get a nice rotation of beers going on. I’m telling you though, this whole bottling thing sucks. I really gotta get me a kegging system soon.

OK, lastly let’s talk about some music because there’s been a few great albums that have hit the streets recently.

Slash released what I think is his second solo album. The cool thing about this album is that on each song he collaborated with a different singer. The result is an incredibly varied album with musical styles ranging from arena rock to blues to metal to southern rock, you name it.

I’m completely blown away by this album. There’s really not a bad song on it, though the one with Iggy Pop called “We’re All Gonna Die” is probably the dumbest song lyrically, but it’s still catchy. The tracks I think are most impressive are the instrumental with Dave Grohl called “Watch This”, “Beautiful Dangerous” with Fergie (who know she could rock?), and the two songs featuring Myles Kennedy. Kennedy in my mind is the absolute best rock singer on the planet and if you want to see what he’s capable of, check out the band Alter Bridge. He’s also did a track on Sevendust’s last album which was fantastic. Slash is a great album full of great rock and roll. Pick it up.

And speaking of Sevendust (am I not the master of the segue?), my favorite band in the entire world has released their 8th studio album and the first since original guitarist Clint Lowery returned to the band after leaving in 2004.

This album is flat out amazing. While the albums written in Lowery’s absence where killer, I really didn’t realize how much had been lost in his absence. Yeah there were high points, but a lot of those songs sounded just a tad flat in comparison to this latest collection. The new album is ferocious, melodic, emotional and extremely powerful. It just smacks you right in the face with track one and continues pummeling you all the way through track twelve. It’s simply fantastic.

I’d say the stand out tracks are Splinter, which is a metal heads dream. Crazy guitar antics, insane double base runs, and ferocious chunkiness. Great way to start the ride. They immediately follow that with Forever which is my favorite track on the album. It sounds like no other Sevendust song with it’s great dynamics, it’s breakneck soaring chorus line and crunchy breakdowns. It saw them do this one live and it was amazing. The rest of the album continues with exactly what you’d expect from a Sevendust album and that’s a good thing. Sevendust is one of those bands that know what they do best and don’t vary too much from the formula. It’s good melodic heavy metal. The way it should be.

Alright so that’s my catch up post! Today is Saturday and it’s going to be a beautiful sunny California day so I’m gonna do my P90X this morning and then get on the bike and go visit an old buddy of mine back in my high school stomping grounds, Manteca. This guy was the bass player of my very first band. I haven’t seen him in 20 years. This should be good times.

Well, it’s not crap. But it’s not fantastic either.

I decided to start easy and buy a beer kit. This is basically a can of concentrated beer ingredients that you mix with water, add yeast, and then let ferment. It’s the easiest way to get into beer brewing and I think the taste is a result of that. I mean, when they make it that simple, there’s not going to be a Guinness or a Sam Adams.

It’s not bad though. It’s properly carbonated, it tastes like beer and not skunk or sewer water, it’s got nice color, and it’s got a little punch to it, though I didn’t measure the alcohol content so I don’t know exactly how much punch. I haven’t gone blind so that’s positive.

I think the thing that hits me most is that it’s not very strong. It’s an IPA which are supposed to really have some flavor. Mine tastes a little watered down. I wonder if I put too much water in since the directions used British measurements which are slightly different than US ones. Maybe it’s just me. I like my beer like I like my women. Dark and strong! Ok, just playing, I prefer a medium bodied beer. But I think it’s good enough to share with friends, and that’s what making beer is all about anyway.

in conclusion, I’m encouraged by my first foray into master brewing. I think the next batch will definitely be made more from raw materials. I’ll probably still do a recipe kit, which is all pre-measured ingredients, but it definitely won’t be an extract kit like this one.

At any rate, it was a fun first time out and I’m looking forward to my next batch….. as soon as I drink my way through this one. Who’s coming over for a brew?

UPDATE:

Well apparently I am way too picky. I’ve given away almost all of my first batch and everyone seems to think it’s great! So I’m pretty stoked! And no I doubt they are just being nice. My friends know better.