Fitness Safari

One of my FB friends posted this photo the other day and it got me thinking about daily habits.  We all have dozens of habits that have been ingrained in us over the years; some good - rising early each day and making the bed, brushing our teeth, showering (optional but highly recommended), getting dressed (not optional), eating our veggies, etc. And there are the not so good habits: not getting enough sleep - which ultimately leads to bad habit #2, hitting snooze six times before getting out of bed, not returning phone calls or emails, arriving late to work, etc. In addition to the daily habits related to our personal hygiene and grooming, what we put in our bodies every day and how much we move are also habits. Do you grab a muffin or donut on your way out the door in the morning or do you chug down a protein shake? Do you pack a healthy lunch or hit the drive thru at lunch? Do you opt for a cheap sugar rush from the vending machine when your energy wanes at 3 pm, or do...

(pictured left, Jamie Eason...jamieeason.com - my role model in fitness) SO, after an evaluation of what I've been eating, I seem to have found the reason for my lack of progress in the gym. I've revamped my diet and boosted the protein content dramatically while, at the same time, kicking my workouts up a few notches and I'm already seeing the difference. Seems that a 120 lb person needs between 120-160 grams of protein a day to build muscle. With all of that protein, I'm finding I don't even WANT to eat much else. I supplement with low-carb protein shakes (23 g of protein per shake), Greek yogurt (14-16 g of protein per serving), hard-boiled egg whites, cottage cheese, tunafish and beans. I also eat a tremendous amount of veggies including spinach, asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes and some peas and corn. Sprinkled in the mix is some avocado, nuts or olive oil for my good fats and I don't crave ANYTHING besides another workout. I kno...

Success! I Made it to the gym today. Got an arm workout in - bi's and tri's and a little lower abs. Didn't have time for a cardio blast as I had to pick up the peanut after school. The scale isn't budging, but I feel like my shape is getting a bit more solid. Every little triumph must be celebrated. Food count for today: Breakfast: protein shake made w/skim (200 calories, 47 g protein, 14 g carbs, 3 g fat total) 1 c strawberries & raspberries for mid-morning snack (sprinkled w/a bit of Splenda), green tea Lunch: 1 grilled chicken sandwich with melted mozzarella, roasted red peppers on an oat wheat roll. Dinner: 1 taco (made at home) with lean ground beef and about 1/3 c of black beans w/ a bit of cheese sprinkled on it all. Washed it down with a glass of skim milk  dessert: another protein shake  It's 10 p.m. and I'm hungry again. Not sure if I'm eating enough. I could really go for a piece of cheesecake right now. Damn.