No Turning Back

[commandercool]

Well.... I just finished the last TT contest and here I am... Back again, and ready to rock! I have a lot of new tools and my goal is to essentially solidify this lifestyle in the face of being back at work and the pressures that this brings. My 12 week goal is going to be fairly aggressive again, as I definitely have something to prove to myself. It is good to be coming into this with a positive mind set and not feeling like I need to "dig myself out of the shameful hole I dug". So my main goal for this challenge is to lose another 20 pounds in 12 weeks.

How am I going to do this?

* I will commit to early morning workouts before the pressures of the day can mess with my psyche.
* I will workout to TT programs with at least 2 additional days of exercise throughout the week (Yoga, HIIT, Punching Bag etc.)
* I will commit to planning my meals so that I am never left wondering "What should I eat tonight?". This will require planning, planning and more planning, but I've got the skills to do that. I have already loaded my filing cabinet with healthy snacks as a last resort so at the very least, I can have a protein bar/shake as a Plan B.

Seems pretty straightforward. I have a couple of mini goals throughout the challenge as well which include:

* Limiting/Eliminating my morning Energy Drink. I will commit to drinking more tea or iced coffee in the morning.
* Continuing with morning meditations. Ultimately, I would like to set enough time for myself in the morning so that I can do my meditation and workouts together.


So that's that. Oddly enough, this is probably the most organized I've been. Usually, I'm all over the place, but I'm feeling very centered and grounded leading into this challenge. I still haven't found a program to start with, but will do so before the end of the day. I want to shake things up from the Meatheads that has been my go to!

Pictures tomorrow! Not a huge change from the end of the last challenge, but I did take a few weeks off from training as a mental break, so there may be an extra 5 pounds on me, which I have no doubt will come off in the first week!

[Craig Ballantyne]

well organized, well done.

[commandercool]

Originally Posted by Craig Ballantyne

well organized, well done.

Thank you sir! And thanks for the mail. I'm keeping it on my desk over the next 12 weeks as a reminder of where I've been and where I'm going.

So Day 1 update.....

I didn't wake up on time for a workout. I had a really restless sleep as today was the first day back with kids at school. I'm OK with this as I have time tonight when I get home. How do you get up every day at 4 AM?!?!?!?!

I went left instead of right today. As I break current habits to form new ones, it was an exciting journey as I skipped the gas station for my usual energy drink and went to Tim's for an iced coffee. Problem.... Cream and Sugar. Solution - I will make my own iced coffees from home when the craving strikes. This will actually save me time as I won't have to wait in line for 10 minutes.

I also had a green tea at school and did my meditation in my room before the bell rang. We call that a success in my books!

[Craig Ballantyne]

Glad the mail made it through...

...but please don't be one of those people that makes a big deal of the 4am.

I mean c'mon, how does anyone get out of bed.

One leg at a time.

Notice how it was one leg at a time, not one excuse at a time!

You can do it.

Push on.

[commandercool]

Day 2 update -

Was able to get my workout in last night! I decided to do the Meathead Muscle Density workout. It's short, but I can't remember the last time I sweat that much in a workout.

Didn't have an energy drink today, but I managed to prepare an Iced Coffee at home. I used milk and sweetener to improve on yesterday's cream and sugar.

Still working at the getting up early. I haven't been sleeping well at night... I know it's not an excuse. I'm going to try doing some night time meditation to see if that can relax me to the point of sleepy town.

[Craig Ballantyne]

For a good night's sleep:

A cool room (68 degrees), darkness, and quiet.

The best gift i've recived this year was a big, solid $8 eyemask. Add 2 cent earplugs and it will make a HUGE difference.

Trust me.

This from a guy that goes to bed when the sun is often still shining brightly!

[commandercool]

That sounds good! Thanks. I stopped sleeping well when our A/C broke in our house! Just hard to regulate my temperature. I took some melatonin last night and passed right out. Feeling rested!

Day 3 update - Used yesterday as a rest day. Looking forward to Day 3 of the workout today, with some super sets on the old chest, followed up with some Bicep Curls in the Squat Rack (Craig, you outlaw). Except I don't have a squat rack, so it will be just plain old BB curls

My goal of no energy drinks is going well. I picked up a Vitamin Water today. The ingredients said it was sweetened with Stevia so that's probably an OK alternative. I also had a cup of green tea when I got to school.

That's it for now! I continue pushing forward

[DanielWoodrum]

Nothing beats reading before bed. That always helps put me to sleep...so long as it's not a novel that stimulates your mind too much.

As for getting up in the morning, here's my suggestion:

Put your alarm (i.e. phone) in the hallway or away from you where you have to get up to turn it off. That way you can't just easily roll over and hit snooze. I always hop right in the shower once I turn my alarm off because it helps wake me up plus I'm not going to go back to bed once I've taken a shower.

Little things like that can really help out. Keep pushing!

[commandercool]

Originally Posted by DanielWoodrum

Nothing beats reading before bed. That always helps put me to sleep...so long as it's not a novel that stimulates your mind too much.

As for getting up in the morning, here's my suggestion:

Put your alarm (i.e. phone) in the hallway or away from you where you have to get up to turn it off. That way you can't just easily roll over and hit snooze. I always hop right in the shower once I turn my alarm off because it helps wake me up plus I'm not going to go back to bed once I've taken a shower.

Little things like that can really help out. Keep pushing!

Day 4 update

I think the alarm is a great idea! I will give that a try. I've taken Melatonin the past two nights which has yielded two pretty sound sleeps.

I bought an energy drink this morning. Drank about half of it and poured the rest down the sink. I actually was craving a green tea instead. I think this habit will be easier to break than I thought.

I have been meditating every morning just before the bell rings and it has proven to help keep me centered for the day and is a great energizer.

As the weekend looms near, I am planning on planning for the week. Salads and snacks will be carefully prepared to ensure that I am never left wondering what I will be eating.

[BrothaMannP11911]

Originally Posted by commandercool

Day 4 update

I think the alarm is a great idea! I will give that a try. I've taken Melatonin the past two nights which has yielded two pretty sound sleeps.

I bought an energy drink this morning. Drank about half of it and poured the rest down the sink. I actually was craving a green tea instead. I think this habit will be easier to break than I thought.

I have been meditating every morning just before the bell rings and it has proven to help keep me centered for the day and is a great energizer.

As the weekend looms near, I am planning on planning for the week. Salads and snacks will be carefully prepared to ensure that I am never left wondering what I will be eating.

Energy drinks. They do NOTHING for me. It's just a bunch of bad toxins and sugars for my body. I WISH they had the impact on me like they do others

Black coffee with maybe some coconut oil and a shot of honey is my poison.