Seems like everyone has the same idea … exercise and nutrition. They wouldn’t have merged the two Apps I use (MyFitnessPal for food intake and Runkeeper or like my auto-checker says, “Rub keep”) together. Saves a little bit of time every day which will then equate to a lot of time at the end of the year. Hey, those 2-3 minutes daily add up so I’m being a little dramatic, but not too much.

The Time Savings Breakdown:

• 2-3 minutes daily
• 14-21 minutes per week
• 56-84 minutes per month
• 672-1008 minutes per year

Ok, since nobody thinks in these terms other than new parents “Oh, yeah, he/she is 23 1/2 months old” Well, on behalf of all normal people, he/she is 2. We’ll even give you “almost 2.”

Well, 672 minutes is 11.2 hours. Or, a Breaking Bad Season 1-3 marathon. And, 1008 minutes per day is 16.8 hours which is a more than a flight to Australia. Merging these two Apps just saved me a trip to Australia!

Life lesson #65 – Over time, small details add up to large details.

Morning weight 167.5

Today’s Meals:

• 7:45am –  Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Protein Shake. 5 oz of Healthy Balance Apple Juice, 6 fresh strawberries with stems, 1/2 cup of Costco Organic Frozen Blueberries, and 1/2 frozen banana. 1 scoop of Formula 1 and 1 scoops of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. 1 cup of spinach. 1 cup of cabbage. 1 cup of kale. Herbalife supplements:
  • Formula 2 Multivitamin
  • Formula 3 Cell Activator
  • Herbalifeline
  • Xtra-Cal Advanced
  • Garden 7
• 10:20am – Herbalife24 Prepare – getting ready for a run
• 11:15am – Herbalife24 Hydrate – during my run
• 12:30pm – Post Run Nutrition – got this recipe from the Apple cafeteria
  • 10 ounces of
  • Herbalife Instant Chocolate (2 scoops)
  • Herbalife24 Rebuild Endurance (1 scoop)
  • 1 cup of fresh organic spinach
  • 1 banana
  • 1/4 cup of Mountain High Fat Free All Natural Plain Yogurt
  • 2 tspn Skippy Super Chunk Peanut Butter
  • 2 Vita Coco Coconut Water ice cubes
• 2:30pm – 1/2 leftover burrito from yesterday’s dinner with Italian Rose Fresh Salsa (2 tbsp). 1 Hostess mini donette.
• 5:30pm – Hot Dog on a Stick
  • 2 veggie dogs
  • french fries (3/4 order)
• 9:15pm – El Monterey Burrito, 2 tspn of cream cheese, 3/4 bag of Doritos, Pop Corners (White Cheddar) 1/2 serving, Filipino Suman with Skippy Peanut Butter and Nestle Rich Milk Chocolate. 1 Hostess mini donette (Hostess is back!)

Meal 2 (Post Run)

Meal 2.1

Meal 3 – Corndog Not Shown! So excited to eat these, forgot to take a picture.

Meal 4

Food and Exercise

Today’s Activities:

• 10:30pm – 1st mile quick and directly into 11 ramp runs. Between ramp runs, I did 10 floor runs. Run temperature was a hot 76-degrees. Felt like high noon sun. I was feeling a bit worn after the first mile, but very thankful I brought Herbalife24 Hydrate. Lifted me for almost another 2 miles, but even better, ramp runs!
• 11:15pm – Walk home

More Training

Are you one of those “Ugggh, the weekend is over people?” Is your favorite song and unofficial anthem the Bangels Manic Monday? Well, I humbly offer a suggestion to lift that belief and live your best life now. It is something I practice myself and arguably one of the best things I learned many years ago that has changed my life.

Hit and Run

It was actually put to test this morning when I just noticed this and the only reaction from my wife and I was, “Oh well …” and there was no more conversation.

Life lesson #64 – Change the channel in your head. Tune into something more uplifting and thankful and remove those disempowering channels from your presets.

Morning weight 170

Today’s Meals:

• 8:15am – Herbalife Shake. Poured some Vita Coco Coconut Water into ice trays. Trying a variation of a Bobby flay recipe. 
  • Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water (1/2 carton)
  • 1 scoop of Herbalife Protein Powder
  • Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla (1 scoop)
  • 7 fresh strawberries with the stems. Read this for the health benefits of strawberry stems (leaves)
  • 1/4 fresh peach
  • 1 medium banana
  • Herbalife Herbal Aloe Concentrate Mango (didn’t have any fresh mango on hand)
  • 6 Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water ice cubes
• 10:30am – Homemade tofu musubi
• 12:30pm – Leftover, leftover, leftover (etc) pasta. It’s almost done! This is the same pasta from last Thursday, but don’t be fooled! It is just as delicious, if not more, now than when it was bubbling on the burners. We fry it so it gets a nice textural contrast on the noodles.
• 5:30pm – Mexican Food and homemade dessert
  • Bean, cheese, and rice burrito with sour cream and guac on the side
  • Peach cake from our dear friend, The Midnight Baker!

Meal 1.1

Meal 3

Food and No Exercise

Today’s Activities:

•  Spectacular Now screening. Disclaimer if you are under the age of 18 or if you have the mindset of someone under the age of 18 … please understand there is nothing romantic or glamourous about a life of poor choices, under-aged drinking, and “living in the now” as they repeatedly say in the movie.

 Monday, 08-12-2013

Still salivating after a cupcake high just 7 hours ago. As the official taste tester for Cupkeiki (my wife’s unofficial home bakery), she woke me up at 1am to try her latest coconut cupcake. Since I’m such a professional, I just open my mouth, still half-sleeping, and let the chewing begin! Delicious and then back to sleep. My apologies to all dentists who read this.

New week … time to evaluate and grade myself on the previous. 4  out of the 7 days and the remaining 3 days involved a wellness activity. Helping my parents wash their exterior windows. By the way, thank you YouTube for re-training on the proper way to clean a window. Roadtrips to San Francisco and supporting my family in their rookie appearance at the American Craft Council Show.

Weight Maintenace:

• 2 pound loss. Last Sunday’s weight (08-03-2013) 171.5. This morning weight 169.5. Grade A+

Activity and Performance:

• Ran a 3-mile at a fast pace. (Splits 9:10, 8:38, and 8:11). Able to lift heavier dumbbells and push-ups are now back in the mix without pain. Range of motion in my left shoulder returning to normal. Grade B+ Why a B+? Training to run a marathon and didn’t run for distance.

Eating and Nutrition:

• I eat a lot and I continue to maintain or lose weight slow and steady. That’s what really stands out so I need to call Mythbusters! You can eat and lose weight. Herbalife is my confirmed breakfast of champions. Herbalife24 products have increased my split times and performance on my short runs. 

Today’s Meals:

• 7:45am – Herbalife Shake. Still enjoying a new tropical smoothie. 
  • Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water (full carton)
  • 1 scoop of Herbalife Protein Powder
  • Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla (1 scoop)
  • 7 fresh strawberries with the stems. Read this for the health benefits of strawberry stems (leaves)
  • 1/4 fresh peach
  • 1 medium banana
• 9am – Larabar (finished the half from yesterday)
• 1:15pm – Noodles & Company (with friends)
• 4:30pm – 1 1/2 Tofu Musubi (homemade from a friend)
• 5:45pm – 2 Tofu Musubi (homemade) and 1 bottom bun with a Morning Star Parm burger. 1/2 corn on the cob (no butter). 3/4 can of Sprite.
• 7:pm – 1 homemade Georgetown Cupcakes recipe – Banana Split cupcake. 1 bite of a Georgetown Cupcake coconut cupcake
• 9:30pm – 1 Tofu Musubi (homemade).
• 10:15pm – Pop Corners Cheesy Jalapeno and Gourmet Popcorn Chicago Mix

Meal 2

Meal 3

Today’s Activities:

• The word of the day is service! Wonderful message at church.

Sunday, 08-11-2013

I’m not one of those weekend warrior types. TGIFers. Work hard – play hard. There was a time, but over the past 15 years, I’ve learned another cliche “Carpe Diem” which I’ve adapted into a bible-based mantra of love God, love others.

With this as my foundation, there is no room for simply seizing the day because there is so much more to serve.

Life lesson #62 – Seize the day, but love God and others first.

Morning weight 169.5

Daily Meals:

• 8:15am – Herbalife Shake. No ice and I forgot to place a new Healthy Balance Apple Juice in the fridge. Decisions, decisions. What to do?
  • Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water
  • 1 scoop of Herbalife Protein Powder (didn’t add Formula 1 French Vanilla to preserve the coconut taste)
  • 7 fresh strawberries with the stems. Read this for the health benefits of strawberry stems (leaves)
  • 1/4 fresh peach
  • 1 medium banana
• 11:45am –  Leftover, leftover, leftover pasta. Just keep adding mushrooms!
  • Trader Joe’s Organic fusilli pasta – Imported from Italy
  • 1 corn on the cob with butter
  • 1 serving of Quorn ground
  • Squash and zucchini sauteed in olive oil and a little butter
• 2:45pm – Pop Corners Cheesy Jalapeno (1 1/2 servings)
• 5pm – Vietnamese Rice Noodle with tofu, mock ham, and a fried egg.
• 6:30pm – Gluten-free Larabar Apple Pie (1/2 bar). My main meals are very routine, but I am constantly searching munching on new snacks.
• 10pm – Wife’s homemade banana split cupcake (from Georgetown Cupcake’s recipe).
• 11:50pm – Wife actually woke me up to take a bite of a coconut cupcake (from Georgetown Cupcake’s recipe). It was literally … “Sweet” Dreams!

Meal 1

Meal 2

Meal 3

Meal 3.1

Meal 4

Daily Activities:

•  Lots of “ings” … driving, shopping, yawning, more driving, walking, pushing, and paying.

Saturday, 08-10-2013

Took some time to review the past week MyFitnessPal entries. First thought … I eat like a guy on death row! More reasonable thought … routines and schedules play a significant role in a successful wellness program.

I am like the Einstein of breakfast. Fact or fiction, Einstein had a closet full of the same clothing options to simplify his life. Of course, he’s the same guy who said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Eating the same breakfast every single day certainly has simplified my meal plan and I would also suggest has kept me from making repeated poor choices. Chalk one up for routines!

I also noticed that I am really digging this Filipino suman as a high protein and low calorie snack. And regarding snacks, I eat a lot of them. Sometimes my snack caloric output is higher than my main meals, but key, it looks like I get a lot of my protein from snacks.

Life lesson #61 – Don’t make simple things difficult.

Morning weight 170.

Today’s Meals:

• 8:30am – Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Protein Shake. 5 oz of Healthy Balance Apple Juice, 1/2 cup of Costco Organic Frozen Blueberries, 4 large Costco strawberries, and 1/2 frozen banana. 2 scoops of Formula 1 and 2 scoops of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. 1 cup of spinach. 1 cup of cabbage. 1 cup of kale. Herbalife supplements:
  • Formula 2 Multivitamin
  • Formula 3 Cell Activator
  • Herbalifeline
  • Xtra-Cal Advanced
  • Garden 7
• 10:30am – Filipino Suman
• 12:15pm – 2 El Monterey bean burritos and a bag of Doritos
• 5:15pm – One of a Kind bar Dark Chocolate Nuts and sea salt
• 6:00pm – Herbalife24 Hydrate
• 6:30pm – Post Run Drink
  • Herbalife24 Rebuild Endurance
  • Herbalife Instant Chocolate Formula 1
• 8:15pm – Leftover Pasta. My wife doctored it up with more mushroom. Eat your heart out Mario Batali.
  • Trader Joe’s Organic fusilli pasta – Imported from Italy
  • 1 1/2 corn on the cob with butter and paprika
  • Squash and zucchini sauteed in olive oil and a little butter

Meal 1.1

Meal 2

Meal 3

Today’s Activities:

• Fun Run. Dropped off wife at the hair salon and I hit the pavement in a resounding, “Meet you back at the house!” Thank God that I brought along another running buddy in the form of Herbalife24 Hydrate. It was a humid and windy 84-degrees. The last 2 .5 miles were in a headwind. Actually got sunburned on my face. 

Fun Run in the some heat and wind

Friday, 08-09-2013

Interesting article on Yahoo! “Worthless Fitness Tips You Probably Follow”  and yes, they are right. I did follow the stretching before a workout routine for at least 2 decades, but when I started to seriously train for run distance, I noticed I would fatigue quicker into my training so guess what I did, I stopped downward dogging and cobra-ing before a long run. Even a short, faster pace run. I just stopped stretching. Turns out, even without a Ph.D. or R.D.N. or a goodnight stay at a Holiday Inn, I knew my level of fitness decreased with a pre-workout stretch.

To Stretch or Not To Stretch

Science and studies say 8.3 percent. I would have guessed 8.4, but again, I don’t have a Ph.D. in this stuff.

Life lesson #60 – listen to your body, it may be telling you something very important.

Morning weight 170.5

Today’s Meals:

• 8am – Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Protein Shake. 5 oz of Healthy Balance Apple Juice, 1/2 cup of Costco Organic Frozen Blueberries, 4 large Costco strawberries, and 1/2 frozen banana. 2 scoops of Formula 1 and 2 scoops of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. 1 cup of spinach. 1 cup of cabbage. 1 cup of kale.
• 10:30am – Banana and 1 Graham Cracker
• 12:45pm – Mom-made Favorites
  • Homemade vegetable and tofu tempura. Mom makes it very tasty … restaurant worthy. Thin slices of vegetables and tofu are her secret to a longer lasting crispy edge and no “soggies”. Soggies are the limp tempura you see at some restaurants and because she cooks it thin, the batter is cooked all the way through.
  • 1 Vita Coco juice box
• 5:30pm – Bean, cheese, and rice burrito. Small side of sour cream and guacamole.
• 9:45pm – Kikkoman – Chinese Style Egg Flower Hot and Sour Soup (3 cups)

Meal 2

Meal 3

Meal 4

Food and Windows

Today’s Activities:

• Visited parents and washed their exterior 1st floor windows. No before and after photos here, but trust me, there will be many a bird that flys into these babies very soon. 3 1/2 hours.

Thursday, 08-08-2013

At the beginning of this week, I set my mind to exercise Monday-Friday. I didn’t make any decisions on Saturday, but we’ll see. For now, focusing on Monday-Friday and as of Wednesday, I am on track. There’s still plenty of week left to get a run in.

Life lesson #59 – Take time to re-set your mind on your goals.

Morning weight 171.5

Today’s Meals:

• 8:15am – Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Protein Shake. 5 oz of Healthy Balance Apple Juice, 1/2 cup of Costco Organic Frozen Blueberries, 4 large Costco strawberries, and 1/2 frozen banana. 2 scoops of Formula 1 and 2 scoops of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. 1 cup of spinach. 1 cup of cabbage. 1 cup of kale. Herbalife supplements:
  • Formula 2 Multivitamin
  • Formula 3 Cell Activator
  • Herbalifeline
  • Xtra-Cal Advanced
  • Mega Garlic Plus
  • Total Control
  • Garden 7
• 10:45am – Filipino suman with 2 tbsp of Skippy Chunky peanut butter. If you’ve never tried this, what are you waiting for other than I’ve never seen it sold in any restaurant in America. Just a small hurdle for something that warms the soul! It’s a snack. It’s a dessert. It’s delicious.
• 12:30pm – Leftover Pasta, 1 fresh fig,  and Herbalife Herbal Concentrate Tea
  • 1/2 serving of Tofu Shirataki
  • 1 serving of Trader Giott’s Organic Pasta penne rigate
  • 1 serving of homemade mushroom pasta sauce
  • 2 squash wedges
  • 3 fresh mozzarella “ciligiene”
• 2:50pm – One of Kind Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt bar
• 5:30pm – Vietnamese Tofu bánh mì sandwich.
• 9:30pm – 1 1/2 cups of Gourmet Popcorn Chicago Mix

Meal 1.1

Meal 2

Meal 2 (beverage)

Meal 3

Today’s Activities:

•  Chest. Flat dumbbell press. Slow down and explode up. Rebuilding size.
  • 1st set, 16 reps, 30 lbs
  • 2nd set, 20 reps, 40 lbs
  • 3rd-6th set, 20 reps, 50 lbs

Wednesday, 08-07-2013

Well since Friday, it seems like it’s been one long buffet table. Don’t believe me, look at my food logs and pictures. I’m a big believer in 5 small meals per day as part of a healthy eating regiment, but even though I’ve been following this plan, it still feels like I’m eating all day long. Every time I look up, I’m sitting in my chair at the food table.

My wife and I were cracking up and commenting, “I sure do eat a lot” and I have been “feeling” so full lately. Life lesson #58 – you can’t always trust your feelings. Feelings are fickle and can change based on emotions. You know this … think about a time where you did something in the spur of the moment without thought. Ok, you get it now.

Trust facts. Here’s the facts … Morning weight 169. Yesterday’s weight 170.5. The takeaway … you can eat like a king and lose weight like a pauper.

 Today’s Meals:

• 7:15am – Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Protein Shake. 5 oz of Healthy Balance Apple Juice, 1/2 cup of Costco Organic Frozen Blueberries, 4 large Costco strawberries, and 1/2 frozen banana. 2 scoops of Formula 1 and 2 scoops of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. 1 cup of spinach. 1 cup of cabbage. 1 cup of kale.
• 10am – Justins Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
• 10:30am – Filipino Suman with Skippy Chunky Peanut Butter
• 12:15pm – Round Table (Buffet!)
  • 1 small salad with mixed greens and spinach and scoops of beets, garbanzo beans, cheddar cheese, sunflowers, baby corn all with a 1/2 scoop of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
  • 5 veggie pizza slices. Sounds like a lot, but you know how they cut them during a buffet. This is equivalent to a single bite of a Costco pizza!
• 3:10pm – Herbalife Herbal Concentrate Tea (8 ounces of water) with a single Stevia in the Raw packet
• 6:30pm – Post Run Drink
  • Herbalife24 Rebuild Endurance
  • Herbalife Formula 1 Instant Creamy Chocolate
• 7:30pm – Pasta night! Trying something new tonight … Tofu Shirataki, a spaghetti shaped noodle substitute. And just to be safe, we’re matching it with an old favorite, Trader Giotto’s Organic Pasta penne rigate. The verdict … Tofu Shirataki tastes just fine, but don’t smell it without any sauce. It will turn you off immediately. Overall, taste is fine and you are suppose to be able to eat a larger portion of it, but it doesn’t have that al dente texture you want in a fine pasta. The grade = B-
  • 2 full servings of pasta
  • 2 big scoops of homemade mushroom sauce with Boca Ground Crumbles
  • 4 squash wedges in olive oil
  • 3 broccoli pieces
  • 4 fresh mozzarella balls “Ciligiene” from Nugget Market

Meal 1.1

Meal 2

Meal 3

Pasta Brands

Food and exercise

Today’s Activities:

• Physical therapy session number 4 with Doug or I like to call this time, 30 minutes of pleasure! Get your mind out of the gutters y’all!
  • Left side. Range of motion has increased from 20% to 40% in some areas. More tugging, pulling, and stretching … continue as outlined. My home therapies are moving the progress along very well.
  • Ride side. Today was a special day because I got a heat rub application to the right neck. Felt like I should tip the guy afterwards because it provided so much relief to my right side.
• Run. 3-mile quick run. Dropped off my wife at the grocery store and she was supportive enough to give me the green light to leave the shopping cart pushing duties. Thank you! And off I go. The goal today was a quick 3-mile run and based on my splits, the goal was met. I was very happy to have each mile faster than the first. Building endurance.

Food and exercise

 Tuesday, 08-06-2013

(Monday) … My wife pulled a legitimate Ferris Bueller today and we got to extend our weekend for another day together. One of the benefits of having her home is the meals are upgraded significantly.

I felt like one of those Nursery Rhyme characters who get constantly fed treats to hefty them up in preparation for a future banquet where I would be the main course. Don’t get me wrong … absolutely not complaining. Especially since my original plan of Friday leftovers for Monday microwave-madness was put on hold.

But now, with all the eating, it actually feels like somebody punched me in the stomach and then forced me to participate in the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest (veggie of course). Time to put Herbalife’s Mango Aloe to the test!

Life lesson #57 – Be flexible with your day when someone surprises you. If you have to put on a pair of stretchy-buffet ready pants, so be it.

Morning weight 170.5

Today’s Meals:

• 8:15am – Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Protein Shake. 5 oz of Healthy Balance Apple Juice, 1/2 cup of Costco Organic Frozen Blueberries, 4 large Costco strawberries, and 1/2 frozen banana. 2 scoops of Formula 1 and 2 scoops of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder. 1 cup of spinach. 1 cup of cabbage. 1 cup of kale. Herbalife supplements:
  • Formula 2 Multivitamin
  • Formula 3 Cell Activator
  • Herbalifeline
  • Xtra-Cal Advanced
  • Mega Garlic Plus
• 12pm – Homemade tofu classic with Herbalife Tea
  • 5 fried tofu slices breaded in gluten-free flour
  • 1 serving of fresh brocolli
  • 1 serving of fresh carrots
  • 1/2 cup of rice
  • 1 corn on the cob with butter and paprika
• 3:30pm – 3 celery sticks with 1 tbsp of Skippys Chunky peanut butter
• 3:40pm – 1 cup of Gourmet Popcorn, Chicago Mix (Caramel & Cheese)
• 4:45pm – Herbalife Tea
• 5pm – Repeat of lunch (meal 2) with a side order of an egg. Still very full from the previous eating. But it is noteworthy, even if you are full, keep to your schedule. Always feed the body regularly.
  • 1 fried tofu
  • 1/4 serving of carrots
  • 1 broccoli
  • 1 fried egg
  • 1/4 cup of rice
• 5:25pm – Herbalife Herbal Aloe Concentrate Mango (8 ounces of water and a quick pour of the aloe)
• 7:45pm – 4 sips of 7-up (at the movies). Things just taste better at the movie theatre. It must be the darkness … you have to rely on all your other senses.
• 9:45pm – 1 Justins Organic dark chocolate peanut butter cup
• 9:50pm – 1 bowl of Filipino suman

Meal 2

Meal 2.1

Meal 3

Meal 3.1 and 3.1a

Today’s Activities:

• P90X variations to compensate for left shoulder pain. In this order. 1 minute rest between sets. It feels so good to do a push up again!
  • 1st Movement
    • Chest. Standard push-up, 20 reps
    • Shoulders. “V” shoulder press with 20 lbs, 10 reps
    • Biceps. In-and-out curls with 20 lbs, 16 reps
  • 2nd Movement
    • Chest. Wide fly push-ups, 25 reps
    • Shoulders. Alternating shoulder press with 20 lbs, 16 reps (8 per side)
    • Biceps. Static arm curls, 20 lbs, 16 reps (8 per side)
  • 3rd Movement
    • Chest. Military press, 25 reps
    • Shoulders. Arnold Schwarzenegger press, 20 lbs, 10 reps
    • Biceps. Full supination concentration curls, 25 lbs, 16 reps (8 per side)
  • 4th Movement
    • Chest. Diamond push-ups, 25 reps
    • Shoulders. Deep swimmers press, 20 lbs, 16 reps
    • Biceps. Crouching Cohen Curls, 25 lbs, 16 reps
  • 5th Movement
    • Chest. 2 Twitch speed push-ups. 5 fast, 5 slow to a 5 second count. Did 20 total reps with these and then finished off with 5 fast.
    • Shoulders. Alternating shoulder press, 20 lbs, 16 reps (8 per side)
    • Biceps. Twenty-ones, 17.5 lbs. 7 reps (low to midline), 7 reps (midline to full), 7 reps (full motion)

Monday, 08-05-2013