Back to Basics!

 "1 Meal - 1 Workout"...you may have seen that name/phrase bandied about lately by me on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, or any of another number of places on the world-wide-interweb. But what does it really mean? Maybe it's time to revisit the basics.

Last June when I made the decision that I needed to lose 100+ pounds, I really didn't have much of a plan, but I did know one thing. As a 42-year-old fat guy, I had tried and failed to lose the weight multiple times over the course of my life. The way I had approached getting fit in the past hadn't worked, so I need to make a fundamental change. As I thought about it, I kept thinking back about my past failures. It usually went something like this:

1. Sit up late at night for no reason.
2. See Tony Horton selling P90X (or some variation thereof).
3. Get disgusted with my current condition and decide "it's time to do something about it".
4. Day 1 of my new lifestyle: Make drastic changes to my eating habits and activity level. 
5. Day 2 of my new lifestyle: Discard all changes and continue life as before.

(The reality is that half the time I never got past step 3.)

So what's different this time? What's sustained me for the past 14 months? It's really a simple, fundamental shift of thinking. I started to think that I didn't need to try to lose 150 lbs. I needed to lose just one...one pound...and then do it over and over.

From that, I decided to break it down even further...all the way down to a single meal and a single workout. All I needed to worry about was eating as healthy as I could, making the best choice I could, at my next meal. I didn't have to train for a marathon or try to get six-pack abs, but just concern myself with getting to my next workout.

Sounds too easy, right? Not necessarily EASY, but very SIMPLE. That simple change did a few things:

• It made the task do-able. It was something I could wrap my mind around. Anybody can eat good one day, right? Anyone can put in one good workout.
• If When I failed, it eliminated the guilt and condemnation.  I hadn't "blown it".  There was no diet I had failed.  Instead, I just needed to do better at the next meal, or put more effect into the next workout.
• Procrastination was taken off the table. No more "I'll start over after the holidays", or "on Monday", "or next month", or "next week". Start now!

That's how I did it. That's what worked for me. I put a string of healthier meals and more active days together.  Fourteen months later, I've lost just over 140 lbs. One meal at a time, one workout at a time.

Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help!

Home Fitness - Podcast Episode #9

On this week's show, the guys talk with trainer (and author) Sam Brown. The discussion covers: working out in the home, exercises that require little or no equipment, Chuck Norris, and more! On top of all that, Sam was nice enough to record an exclusive 1 Meal - 1 Workout video demonstrating some of the exercises he recommends.  Click HERE for the podcast!

See Sam's video HERE!

In the news:
New York Times - Are Crunches Worth the Effort?

Eat Less Tip:
If you're a habitual "snacker", don’t take the bag of snacks with you when you eat. Put your chips/crackers/trailmix on a plate and LEAVE the bag.

Exercise More Tip:
Modified exercises work! If you can't do a push-up, do your push-ups against the wall.

Two Months until the Tough Mudder

In just about two months, my friend Joshua and I will be heading north to participate in the Virginia Tough Mudder. If you don't know what the Tough Mudder is, go HERE, to Joshua's blog and read about A) the Tough Mudder, and B) his prep for it.

Now that I've been on my weight-loss journey for about 14 months or so, after 135+ lbs of weight loss, I'm approaching my predicted plateau. If you want to hear my thoughts about all things plateau related, you can LISTEN to our podcast on that topic. For those of you that have already heard that podcast, I won't rehash it here.

That being said, I'm setting an ambitious goal for myself. My goal is to lose 20 lbs more in the next two months.  In addition to ramping up my strength training, I think losing that last 20 lbs will put me where I need to be in order to be successful at the Tough Mudder.

So, there it is...I've put it out there for the world to read, should they choose to do so. Cheer me on...or better yet...join me!

Back to School 5K Photos Are In!

PHOTOS are in!  Below is a link to all the race photos.  Thanks to Angel Wings Photography for all the great photos from before, during, and after the race! You can purchase copies of any of the photos through Smug Mug.  That's a great way to give back to Angel Wings for doing the photos.  Of course, you can also download a photo by putting your mouse over the image.  A toolbar will appear, and you can save the image by clicking the folder icon...it's the one on the bottom.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Race photos here!

Thanks so much for joining us!  Don't forget to mark your calendar for our next event, the Sweetwater Creek 5K and Family Fun Run on November 5th!

See you next time!

Fitness Tech - Podcast Episode #8

This week on 1 Meal - 1 Workout, I discuss technology in fitness with the Tightwad Techs:  Mark Cockrell and Shawn Kibel. Learn about Runkeeper, Cardiotrainer, Garmin sportswatches, Endomondo, and more. We've also got an interview with Andres Moran, co-founder of Earndit.com.

Just click HERE to check out the latest episode!

In the news:
4 Common Hydration Myths

Eat less tip:
Keep a food diary for a week. It can be very...illuminating.

Exercise more tip:
If you find yourself not being motivated, change it up:  run, bike, walk, swim
If you do miles, and don’t change your activity, change your route.

Back 2 School 5K Race Results!

Thanks so much to everyone that participated in the race today. I hope that everyone had as much fun as I did. You can get the complete race results HERE.

Congrats to our winners:

• Open Male: Ricardo Rodriguez - 18:45
• Open Female: Tara Mooney - 19:36
• Youth Male: Carlos Quintana - 18:54
• Youth Female: Alyssa Dannenfelser - 28:11
• Masters Male: Doug Landrau - 21:02
• Masters Female: Jennifer Summey - 28:30

Again, I really appreciate everyone turning out today. I am still pretty new to the race directing game, so I would love feedback! I hope that any and all of you will go to Active.com and leave a review of the race. I'm still learning, and your input can only help. I know! I forgot the milemarkers. Sorry! It's on my list for next time. If you don't want to go to Active, just shoot me an email:  aaron@1meal1workout.com.

PICTURES:
Pictures will be posted soon.  You can check back here at www.1meal1workout.com, or just watch for an email letting you know when they're up!

T-SHIRTS:
We had such a great race-day turnout, that we RAN OUT OF T-SHIRTS!  A good problem to have, but still an issue.  I will be placing a followup order with the printer tomorrow.  He's pretty quick.  Once the t-shirts are in, I'll send out a communication to confirm your mailing address, etc.  Thanks for your patience.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR OUR NEXT RACE:
November 5th, 2011 - Sweetwater Creek 5K & Family Fun Run

This is going to be an awesome trail run through one of the most scenic State Parks in the metro area, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. Situated near Six Flags, it's conveniently located right off of I-20. Pass the word! Online registration is open now, and I'll have a registration form available for download if you'd rather pay for a stamp than pay the Active.com fee!

OUR SPONSORS:
Big Peach Running Co.
State Farm Insurance
Walgreens
Zaxby's
Angel Wings Photography
Mostaza Seed Graphics

One last thanks from me, the youth, and the staff of the Marietta Vineyard Church.

See you next time!

Run for It! - Podcast Episode #7

This week on 1 Meal - 1 Workout, meet "Test Pilot" Tiffany, someone that's working the 1 Meal - 1 Workout plan, and hear about her progress! We also discuss running, racing, and race promotion with Mark Vescio of Run for It! Productions. Hear his inspiring story, and find out why running might just by the ticket for you!  Click HERE for the podcast!

In the news: Colonics? Not so much...
Eat less: Portion size is key! - Visual examples of portions
Exercise more:  Join a team or find an exercise partner!

Some of Mark's Races:
Locomotive Series
Anything is Possible 5K

Big Peach Running Co.

What's the Secret?

Jenny Craig.

Nutrisystem.

BistroMD.

What do these different "diet" plans have in common?  Lots of things actually, but one thing big similarity is that they sell pre-packaged food. And because it is pre-packaged, it comes in reasonably sized portions.

What can we learn from that?  If you eat less, you tend to lose weight. It's almost like, but not entirely the same as, magic!

I know for me personally, it's a lot easier to stop eating when I get to the bottom of a small bag of chips than if I take the big-bag-o-chips and sit down in the recliner.  In fact, I don't recommend EVER doing that.  If you only have the big-bag-o-chips, put some in a bowl and take the bowl to the recliner.

These days you can buy "100 calorie" bags of Oreos, Chip's Ahoy, etc. Again, it's easier to stop at the end of the bag than to limit yourself to only a few cookies. It's a much bigger mental hurdle (at least for me) to open that SECOND bag of chips or cookies.

So what have we learned? You don't have to join Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem to pre-portion your food. Buy it pre-portioned (small bags of snacks, etc.), or portion it yourself using Ziploc bags or your bag of choice.

This is not rocket science...you can do it! It works!

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Does Training Really Hurt Me? - Podcast Episode #6

Ever heard the rumor that "running is bad for your knees"? This week, the guys are joined by Dr. Stephen Eggleston, orthopedic surgeon, to tackle that question, among many others, in an episode titled “Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Does Training Really Hurt Me?" Check it out here!

Also:

• In the news:  "The Fattest States in America"
• Don's "Motivation Minute"
• Stranger Danger Contest
• Joshua Perkin's "Road to Tough Mudder" blog

Our First Contest Winner

Last Friday, episode #5 of the 1 Meal - 1 Workout podcast came out, and it included our new "Stranger Danger" contest.  It was a simple contest, requiring only three things to participate.

1)  You had to be a stranger. That's right, someone I don't know.

2)  You had to go to Facebook, the forums on Element Opie, Twitter, or anywhere public, really, and leave a comment or message starting with "I'm a stranger", or something along those lines.

3) Then, email me and let me know that you did it.

First one to do this, would win a t-shirt!  OR...a secret alternate prize.

Monday, I got the email.  Eric Miles of Oklahoma was the winner.  You can see his comment on Facebook. He opened for the secret alternate prize:  a Road ID!  Tonight I ordered his Road ID and it should be on the way to Oklahoma by the end of the week!

Keep listening to the 1 Meal - 1 Workout podcast...you never know when you might have a chance to win!