Map to Fat Freedom...

So, a few of you have emailed us to ask what we're doing....and why it's working. I guess we should break that down eh? :)

Before: We both consumed anywhere from 2500 to 4000 calories a day and got little to no physical activity.

Now: D and I are both on a 1700-1800 calorie diet and it's strict. No liquor, limited sugar, lots of fruit and veggies, lots of lean protein (chicken, fish, egg beaters), and no fried food/junk.

This might seem insane. In fact, when Brian first showed it to us...I thought he was insane. We thought we'd give it 3 good days and be right back where we started. Instead - we got on board. No cheating - no excuses...let's just do it. Exercise alone would not fix the mess we were in - we had to get our nutrition under control. It hasn't been easy to cut out things we love, especially things that are "quick". Eating healthy is not quick or simple -- it's a chore. Pre-planning is absolutely essential. If you end up famished after work and haven't food shopped - you're fucked. Keeping things like soup and whole wheat pasta on hand have helped...but this new way of eating can also be a little bland.

I've been thinking I should check out magazines and websites for healthy alternatives...I might do that this week on my lunch break. If you have any healthy recipes you want to share - post em!

Onto the exercise portion of this regimen!

We are in week 4 of exercising at the gym and our routine goes something like this:

Workouts 6 days a week. Three of these are all cardio, all the time. These days the workout is approximately 30-45 mins total. I hate these days. Cardio is painful, and boring. Every minute on the treadmill makes me feel like a hamster in one of those wheels. I'm walking...but not getting anywhere. The cardio is a mix of treadmill and bike...eventually it will include elliptical, but we both hate the feeling of those machines right now.

On the other 3 days we do the "Brian workout". It's hardcore, it hurts...but in a good way.

D's workout:

Cardio warmup - 10 mins on recumbent bike

Weight Training:
Glute machine - 60 reps per leg at 50 lbs.
Leg Press- 60 reps total at 110 lbs.
Leg Extensions- 50 reps at 80 lbs.
Leg Curls - 40 reps at 80 lbs.
Hip Adductor (Inner) - 60 reps at 250 lbs.
Hip Adductor (Outer) - 60 reps at 250 lbs.
Biceps - 40 reps at 75 lbs.
Shoulder Press- 40 reps at 35 lbs.
Chest Press- 40 reps at 50 lbs.

Resistance Training: (bands 1-12...no weight correlation)
Seated Row - 40 reps at 11 bands
Ab Crunchers- 500 reps at 12 bands (he's hardcore!)
Lateral Pull downs- 40 reps at 10 bands

Cardio Finish: up to 20 mins on the recumbent

Now, I does all the same things...just with a lot less weight - and in some cases more reps. I've also added in the Tricep Press and another Ab machine that I've dubbed the "Ab Squisher of Doom". Literally. It fucking hurts. The first time I did it, I could do 5 reps and was close to passing out.

I am also splitting my cardio between the treadmill and the recumbent -- I've made a workout mix for cardio days - and the songs are super long. Finishing a whole song's worth of cardio is something I enjoy accomplishing. My current favorite 10-min song is "Slacker" by Umphrey's Mcgee.

In closing, we're relishing in the small victories again today. For *S it's surviving one month at the gym - and actually accomplishing more than a 5-min workout each day. For D it's going from not being able to do 1 ab crunch to completing 500 in a day. That's an amazing feat.

More to come...
Love,
US