It was a great week in my pursuit of slimming down and learning to say “no” or “no thanks” to both myself and others with great intentions. The temptations were many, and the allure of what had been my nightly glass of cabernet continued to be the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Of course, my weekly confessional would not be complete unless I copped to the fact that I inhaled 2 handfuls of pretzels (made from bleached, white flour that gets converted to sugar in the blood stream at one photo-finish behind pure table sugar).
My first official temptation began when my family and I went to the theatre to see a movie. That smell of buttered popcorn was brutal, but I had to remind myself that it had coconut oil, which researchers continue to argue about regarding its ultimate effect on both good and bad cholesterol levels — not to mention the fact that the American Diet is chock full of Omega 6s created by corn based substances and fillers in darn near everything.
My food choices were strict, as I focused on complex carbohydrates in the form of fruits and vegetables and made sure to satisfy my protein requirements through grilled chicken, greek yogurt (which also adds a complex carbohydrate balance), whey-soy shakes when time was pressed, and scrambled egg whites with a little garlic or curry to give them a taste boost without added calories.
Morning weigh-in was ritualistic in that I did it at the same time (upon waking) each day to keep variables to a minimum.
The majority of my workouts were performed in the company of one of my sons, who is home from college. He is a zealot for lifting and kept me inspired and accountable — two critical criteria for a results-based environment.
The types of resistance training I performed were comprised of machine-based lifts and free weights, while getting the cardio flame stoked with the elliptical trainer. By working two opposing or unrelated muscle groups per day (biceps-triceps, chest-back, legs-shoulders) and performing three sets of approximately 3-4 different movements per muscle group, I was able to take my joints through a balanced range of motion.
Yes, I was sore; and yes, I’m over that hump. It is an inevitable part of training, although the degree to which it happens is a function of knowledge, common-sense and static stretching upon completion of the lifts.
I learned a lot this week, the most important being that I could be stronger than the old habits cordially inviting me sabotage my success. I also found out that, by asking the profound question of whether I was eating to satisfy hunger, or eating to satisfy the need to “taste something.” The response to this particular question, dictated whether I would choose to eat or not.
Lastly, I learned that before anyone can make change, they must hit that threshold of disgust which usually is preceded by lots of “thinking” but not much “doing.”
So the results are in. Week 1: Victor is the victor with minus five “elbees.”
Bill Victor is the owner of Victor Fitness System Professional Fitness Trainers, Flashpoint Athletic Speed & Agility Specialists, and Performance Nutrition Consultants. He can be reached at victorfitsystems@gmail.com and online at http://theflashpoint.org and http://VictorFitnessSystems.com.
