My Diet for March 31, 2009
Someone just asked me to post my diet so they can follow along with that in addition to my Insanity workout journey. I didn't have to think too hard about it to realize that it isn't a bad idea. So, for Mr. Tait, here it is.
| Food | Calories | Fat (g) | Sodium (mg) | Sugar (g) | Fiber (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast - Cereal and Milk | ||||||
| Coffee w/2 Tbsp Half and Half | 40 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 Servings Go Lean | 280 | 2 | 170 | 12 | 20 | 26 |
| 1 Cup nonfat milk | 90 | 0 | 135 | 12 | 0 | 9 |
| Lunch - Low Sodium Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches | ||||||
| 1 Banana | 120 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 Tbsp Peanut butter | 95 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 Thin buns | 200 | 3 | 300 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Afternoon snack | ||||||
| 1 Banana | 120 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 1 |
| Dinner - Homemade Pizzas | ||||||
| 2 Thin buns | 200 | 3 | 300 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| 1/3 Cup shredded mozzarella | 80 | 6 | 200 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 1/4 cup Trader Joe's pizza sauce | 80 | 2.5 | 240 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 slices of tomato | 22 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1/4 Cup Mushrooms | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/4 Cup Red Peppers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | ||||||
| TOTALS | 1337 | 27.5 | 1371 | 81 | 50 | 72 |
Notes about this information
- In some cases the serving size listed is an estimate of size. In this case, the values are estimated as well based on the size of the serving.
- There are times when I am not very descriptive about what I am eating (thin buns, for example). This is only because I am keeping this information in a spreadsheet and I'm trying to keep the columns readable. If you want to know brands and such, let me know.
- In some cases I don't eat an entire serving. When that happens I cut the known values based on the amount of food I actually ate. When I do, I tend to round good numbers down (fiber and protein) and bad numbers up (calories, fat, sugar and sodium). So if I ate half a serving of something that is 175Cal/7Fat/285Sodium/5Sugar/3Fiber/9Protein I would write it out as 90Cal/4Fat/145Sodium/3Sugar/1Fiber/4Protein simply because I'd rather err on the side of caution when it comes to those numbers that could negatively affect my health and diet.
I hope you find this useful. I know I do. I'm in this information all day long as I watch what I eat and check to see how much room I have left.
Diet and Exercise – The core of any weight loss program
Let me preface this by saying that I am in no way an expert on health and fitness. I'm just a guy that has been horribly out of shape and until recently was in a state of degrading health without even being aware of it. I am currently overweight, though I am losing weight. And I am currently on an exercise plan to assist in my weight loss. However, I have some experience with dramatic weight loss as in 2002, between January and October, I lost 107 pounds over the course of 40 weeks. And while the techniques I employed during that time still hold well when it comes to losing weight, because of recent discoveries in my health, my current regime of exercise and diet is considerably different than it was then.
If you have read my blog at all in the last year you will have found that within this past year I have discovered that I have not been as healthy as a 35 year old man should be. Because of this discovery, I had to make a series of changes to my lifestyle as it relates to eating. Those changes to my eating style started toward the end of summer 2009 and carried me pretty well through November. Which is when Thanksgiving rolled around. Which is when all hell broke loose in my eating.
The long and short of it is, I allowed myself to fall right back into a habit of eating poorly, which resulted in my health declining again. I gained weight back. I was tired. I was getting headaches. And I realized again, around the beginning of March of this year, that I needed to do something about this before it blew way out of my ability to control it. So I bought the Insanity workout program from Beach Body and purposes to follow it.
As you can guess by reading my most recent blog posts, I have been sticking to the Insanity fitness regime with vigor and resolve. I do everything in the workout as it is laid out, without exception (to the best of my ability, and I don't count stopping in the middle of workouts as an exception 
). Since I am documenting my exercise throughout my blog I wont go into too much of that in this post. No, what I want to talk about right now is diet, and how important it is when you are trying to manage your weight. I say manage your weight because not everyone is interested in losing weight. Some people actually want to gain weight as part of their routine. Some want to maintain their weight, without gaining or losing weight. For me, the focus is weight loss with an emphasis on low sodium and low sugar, so that is what I will be writing about here.
Low sugar and low sodium diets are not for everyone. They are a necessity for me since my blood sugar and blood pressure are high and my doctor recommended lowering my sugar and sodium intake. Because of that I am very away of the amount of both sugar and sodium that I am putting in my body. To that end, I have made sure that I track both sugar and sodium in everything I eat. In fact, I track calories, fat, sodium, sugar, fiber and protein. Let me explain why I do it this way:
- Calories
At the heart of your weight is caloric intake. Plain and simple, if you take in more calories than you use you will gain weight. Take in less, you will lose weight. Equalize your intake and use of calories, your weight will not change. - Fat
Fat is heavy. And it is unhealthy in large amounts. It is hard to digest, sits around a long time in your body and ultimately ends up added weight on your body if you do not turn fat into spent calories. It is important to remember, however, that not all fat is bad fat, and you must consume some amount of fat for your own health. It is also a hunger deterrent, so eating some fat sates your appetite for a while. - Sodium
Excessive sodium is bad for your heart. Simply put, it raises your blood pressure making your heart work harder at rest. We do need sodium in our systems. But we don't need a lot of it. The typical 2,000 calorie per day diet allows for 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day. But before you get all happy about that amount, have a look at some of your favorite foods. You'll be shocked by just how much sodium is in almost everything you eat. - Sugar
I'm still trying to find a good need for sugar in your system. Seriously, it does offer short bursts of energy to your body and it helps regulate you to some extent. But excessive sugar should be avoided at all costs. Too much sugar in your system can overwhelm your body and cause you to become tired, lethargic and overweight because sugars have a tendency to carry a lot of calories with them. Do your body a favor and minimize your sugars. It's a lot easier than you might think. - Fiber
Fiber is a good source of regularity for your system. Yes, it makes you go to the bathroom a lot. It gives you gas. But because of the nature of fiber, how it helps evacuate waste, it also helps evacuate excess fat as well. Higher fiber means more intestinal movement for you, which means less absorption of those elements that you might not want in your body. - Protein
Protein is a building block of strong muscles. Stronger muscles can do more work resulting in more calories being burned. When you are exercising you want to eat foods that are high in protein.
There are plenty more reasons why I choose to watch each of these item carefully. But for me, right now, sugars and sodium are the most important to me, so I make sure to check those values before anything else. Then I move on to fiber, then to calories, then to fat and protein. Of course I make sure to keep all of these values as close to appropriate proportions as I can. I like lower calories, but I like lower sugar more. I like high fiber, but I like lower sodium more. And since I am keeping myself to a fairly strict 2,000 calorie diet, I need to make sure I maximize my food intake so I get the best "full" for each and every bite of food I take.
And speaking of calorie limits, I have intentionally set mine at 2,000. I calculated my caloric needs, or Basal Metabolic Rate, according to the Harris-Benedict equation and found that I should be taking in 2,500 calories. I then used that to calculate my caloric needs as per the recommendation in the Insanity meal planning guide and according to it, I need almost 3,700 calories a day. I know myself. And I know that if I consume that many calories, no matter how much I work out, I will get fat. So I had to adjust it to something that I know is more reasonable. Which is something that I recommend you do as well. If you need to lose weight, always make sure your intake is lower than your expense when it comes to calories.
Which is really the topic I want to end on. If you want to lose weight in a safe and healthy way, without medications or pills or surgery, you need two things at a minimum: a great diet plan and a willingness to stick to that plan. Exercise helps out a lot, but to be honest, I lost about 30 pounds toward the end of last year on just diet. So proper diet is the basis for any weight loss you want. But to really ramp up the loss, to get the most out of every day, I'd recommend coupling your diet plan with a healthy exercise plan. Because exercising helps you burn more calories in a day, which means more of the fat on your body being burned up for energy. That is, of course, as long as you don't overwhelm your body with bad calories or excessive fat.
So if you want to lose weight the first thing I'd recommend you do is look seriously at what you are putting into your body and craft a meal plan that suits your needs. Not according to your taste buds or where you like to eat lunch, but according to what is going to help you live better and longer. Once you have that, look into how you can get your body in motion so that you are actually burning more calories tomorrow than you did today. Because with sensible eating and the right combination of calories and fat mixed with exercise that actually burns calories, your body will have no choice but to lose weight.
I know. I'm living proof of that.
Insanity: Day 17 – Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
Just once I'd like to get through the first five minutes of the core portion of Pure Cardio without having to stop. I know I'll get there but I'm so frustrated with myself for not being able to keep up. About two minutes into the routine I'm gassed and gulping for air like a fish out of water.
Still, I am getting way more comfortable with the warm up as I was not only able to finish it without stopping this morning but also able to push a little harder through it as I did it. And I noticed that I am also recovering much faster now, coming down quickly from the elevated heart rate I have at the end of warm ups to an almost normal state at the end of the stretch. Which is generally proving to be a boon to me for when the routine starts. Except when that routine is Pure Cardio.
Now if you are considering Insanity, please don't let me scare you away with the Pure Cardio routine. Yes, it is ridiculously difficult. But that is primarily because I am ridiculously out of shape. I'm pretty sure that when I am in shape enough to be able to push through the exercise that it will not be nearly as close-to-death an experience as it is for me now.
And while we're on the subject of close-to-death, throwing in Cardio Abs after Pure Cardio is, in my opinion, evil. Dude, it is so freaking hard to maintain a C-sit position for that long after running your face off for 20 something minutes just a short while before doing it. Of course, it is an added cardio routine, which makes it good for you. And it does build your abs, which also makes it good for you. BUT IT FREAKING HURTS! Ok, enough whining.
Now that I'm thoroughly exhausted today from this morning's workout, I have to say that I'd rather be tired from exercising than from not sleeping. Or being fat. Or just being tired. I like that I have a reason for my muscles being tired and sore. And I also have extraordinary motivation to continue to watch my diet, which I am going to write about soon, since I have been talking about nothing but exercise and have not once mentioned another very core aspect to weight loss... the diet.
Until later, dig deeper. You have it in you to be excellent. Find that excellence then unleash it on the world.
Insanity: Day 16 – Plyometric Cardio Circuit
Today was a huge day for me. For the first time since I started Insanity I was able to complete the 10 and a half minute warm up from start to finish without stopping. I thought I was going to die, but I also felt so alive I can't really put it into words adequately.
Since Day 1 I have been having a hard time making it through the second set of jumping jacks in the warm up. The last real workout we did, on Saturday morning, I was able to get close to completing the second set but I ended up stopping with about 8 second to go in the set. Today I was determined to make it through the second set of jumping jacks. And not only was I able to make it through that set, I was able to just keep going.
By the time stretching came along I was dripping with sweat. Which is a good sign for me. It means that I was able to do more work in the same amount of time as I have been using for warm ups. It also meant more calories burned. Which for me will always equate to more weight being shed.
Another nice thing about today's workout was that I was able to recover much quicker than in recent days. By the time the first segment of the program started I was almost entirely recovered from the warm up and as a result I was able to complete almost the entire first segment without stopping during the routines. I did have to stop twice, for a few short moments, but otherwise I owned the first segment of the program this morning.
The second segment? Not so much. Level 1 drills are my undoing. Getting down into push up position, pushing up, then doing plank sprints before leaping to your feet and starting over again... well, my body doesn't agree with those that much. I gave it my all, but my all was pretty slipshod to say the least. I did do better in the second segment today than I have ever done. But still, it leaves a lot to be desired.
Oh, and Bekah kicked some savage butt today, too. I'm loving seeing her resolve as she encounters her limits and pushes through them. She is such a determined young woman with such a strong desire to excel... I'm amazed by her tenacity and willingness to stick it out with me every morning.
So, until tomorrow morning when I try to kill myself again with some Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs, I bid you farewell. I hope I am offering something useful in the way of this log of my journey. If nothing else, it will be useful for me. I will be able to look back on this entire experience and see how far I was able to come from beginning to end. Either that, or laugh at myself for being so freaking out of shape.
Insanity: Day 15 – Fit Test
Two weeks ago this morning my daughter Rebekah and I made the decision to commit to the Insanity workout program. At the time I thought I could hack my way through it, enduring the intense cardiovascular exercise that I saw in the infomercials. On that morning, two weeks ago, we tested that theory by taking the fit test to measure where we were at the beginning of the program. And while taking that fit test all I could think about was how my family was going to survive without me since I was surely going to be dead by the end of the thing.
This morning I took the fit test again. I'm now two weeks into the program and I feel great. I no longer think I can hack my way through the program. I now know I can successfully complete it. I know that it is tough, but my resolve for success is tougher. As of this morning I had lost a total of seven pounds since the start of the program (which, coincidentally means that I lost seven pounds this past week since I lost nothing the first week) and I was able to breeze through the warms ups before the fit test.
And while I knew I had already improved somewhat over the past two weeks, I was surprised by just how much I have improved. But before I go into my results from this morning, I just want to say to anyone that is doing this program or considering doing this program, please, PLEASE, don't give up on yourself. I say that because when you commit to this program you are committing to a better, healthier, stronger more physically capable you. The program, though it is hosted by Shaun T and a crew of participants, is not about them or the exercises or the sweat or the pain. It is about you and your health and well being. This program may not be for everyone, but if you are in it, stay in it and dig deep. If you are undecided, I can only encourage you to seriously consider this program. It is hard. Probably harder than anything you have ever done before. But it is totally worth it. You are totally worth it. Commit to it, dig deep and find out just how strong you really are.
Now, onto the results of my fit test. I have to say, as I compared my results this week with my results from Day 1 I was pleasantly surprised. Here's why:
| Routine | Reps Day 1 | Reps Day 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Switch Kicks | 41 | 50 |
| Power Jacks | 35 | 42 |
| Power Knee | 69 | 95 |
| Power Jump | 20 | 32 |
| Globe Jumps | 6 | 7 |
| Suicide Jumps | 11 | 13 |
| Push Up Jacks | 16 | 27 |
| Low Plank Oblique | 35 | 46 |
I can see that there are areas that I need to improve in. Most notably in my jumps as the Globe Jumps and Suicide Jumps just about killed me today even though the numbers were low. But again, I know that I will continue to improve from here. I'm sure that as I push in and power through these exercises my body will have no other choice but to get stronger, faster and more resilient to the pain.
I also know that with a smart diet that my weight will continue to drop, which means a bit less work involved in attaining to the same number of reps, which means that I will have more strength to do more work which means better numbers and a greater push.
I know I've said it before, but I'm probably going to keep saying it throughout the program. I'm excited about this thing, and I cannot wait to see where I am at the end of the ninth week.
Until then, however, I have work to do. And work it I will. Let's just see what can really be done with this. Shall we?
Insanity: Day 14 – Rest
Like I need to explain what I did today.
Tomorrow is the fit test. Again. I hope I do well. Until then, I'm resting.
Insanity: Day 13 – Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs
So ends the second of week of my daughter and my journey to complete Insanity. And did this week go out with a bang.
Today the program calls for an additional routine to be added to the normal Pure Cardio routine. By itself, Pure Cardio is insane, running you through about 15 minutes straight of high intensity cardio exercise. But today, to add insult to that injury, Shaun T decided to add in an additional 15 minutes of abdominal work mixed with cardio.
Dude, I'm supposed to not be getting sore anymore.
It was intense, to say the least. It was fun, and very challenging, but mostly it was just hard, having just completed Pure Cardio. Still, I'm actually looking forward to doing these routines again because today I feel like I only got through a few of the exercises. I was gassed from the first session, so the second session was just that much harder.
No matter, tomorrow is a rest day and Monday is a fit test again. Which, I must admit, I am looking forward to. Oh yeah, I also found out today that my first day fist test was inaccurate for switch kicks. Apparently a switch kick rep is two kicks, no each kick, so my switch kick number from the first day have to be cut in half. It's all good though. I'm sure Monday's results will be better than the first.
For those that are considering Insanity, or may be struggling with it, keep your head up. It will get better. This past week, in the last six days, I have lost 4.5 pounds and feel way better today than last week at this time. I feel more agile, have a greater desire to move around and I'm consciously making decisions about my health, my exercise and my diet. I feel like an entirely different person. And you will too if you stick with it or commit to it.
Ok, enough rambling. Monday is going to come around soon enough. Until then, it's time for me to rest.
Insanity: Day 12 – Cardio Power & Resistance
I think I need more sleep. This morning seemed to come up way too early for me and it totally showed in my work out.
While I was able to keep up in the early part of the workout the end of it, the last half actually, kicked my butt something awful. I think it may be a combination of things, like not drinking enough water at night to not getting enough sleep to having developed into being able to do more work during the work out. But when it was all said and done, I felt whooped by the work out this morning.
Which I suppose is OK, since I really am getting more work in for each session. I can breathe better, stretch farther and generally keep up a better pace. In the beginning. Regardless, I am still pleased with how I am doing and still I am looking forward to the next week.
Which is to say that if you are on your Insanity journey right now, take heart. Even though it is tiring, you can do it. Dig deep, find that place where your limits live and push them back a little bit. It can be done. Even if it hurts a little.
Insanity: Day 11 – Cardio Recovery
11 down and ... how many more to go?
Recovery is always a nice day because you really don't do too much other than stretch for the day. It was a nice change this morning, as it was last week when we did recovery. My body had a chance to get warm without getting hammered. And I had a chance to stretch my sore, tired muscles.
Of course there are parts of the recovery routine that are pretty intense - this is Insanity after all - but the little bits of intensity aren't anywhere near as bad as the other routines we do. My legs are tired today, from the squat and lunge pulses we did, but it is manageable.
I think of all the things that are hurting me right now, my energy is the worst. I didn't get to sleep until 12:30 this morning and ended up waking up at 5:00 to work out. I'm rather amazed at how fast I am waking up now after a few days where I thought I wouldn't be able to even get out of bed. So that was awesome. But still, I am flat exhausted.
I guess that means I better take advantage of the rest of the day since tomorrow, bright and early, I will be hitting the floor again, this time to Cardio Power and Resistance.
Yeah, I am soooo looking forward to that.
Insanity: Day 10 – Plyometric Cardio Circuit
I can't explain why, but today was very hard for me. I woke up feeling tired, dehydrated and lethargic, so even starting the program this morning was a chore. I picked up very quick, however, once the program started, but keeping up was a problem for me today.
Still, I know things are getting better for me with this program since I can make it almost through the entire warm up without resting. I did have to take breaks today, but it was because I was cramping up so bad. Today is the first time I have ever cramped up while doing Insanity. I think I need more water.
My next goal in Insanity is be able to not only complete the warm up but to do it at a higher pace in the second and third segments. I'd love to be in a full blown sweat by the time stretches come along. As of now I sweat pretty good after the warm up, but it is only a mild sweat.
Of course I know that in order to pick up the pace of my work outs I need to step through some of the pain and push my thresholds a little further. Which I am starting to become very comfortable doing. I'm feeling sort of accomplished with this since I have started to clearly see some of my limits and have been able to push beyond them in some cases.
So, until tomorrow when its time for a recovery day, I bid you encouragement. If you are on your own Insanity journey, take heart, it will get better. If you are thinking of starting it, do it. No more thinking. Just put the DVD in, get a glass of water and hit play.
And don't look back. If you do, you can't keep a tight core.
