Posts Tagged ‘get in shape’

After my recent 3 week trip to the US, which consisted of eating pretty much everything I wanted, it is time to get back in shape. A lot of people say this, but what does “getting in shape” really mean? It could mean losing weight, putting on muscle, being more flexible, being able to run further. For me it means reducing my body fat to a level where my stomach muscles are more visible and adding some muscle weight. It also means having more energy.

The first thing I changed when I got home from the US was my diet. Okay, so I ate all the stuff I bought home from the US and then changed my diet. I figured out how many calories it would take to maintain my weight, and then reduced that by about 600 calories per day. Since I have to know how many calories I am eating I also have to keep track of my calories. This is actually a good thing, because it helps me eat better. knowing that I only get a limited amount of calories also forces me to eat more nutritious food. A few Oreos and I can’t eat for the rest of the day.

On every seventh day, I over-eat by about a 1000 calories. My weekly total is still down, but by over-eating my metabolism won’t drop and I will continue losing fat weight. It also helps keep you on track if you get to eat whatever you want once a week.

My workout consists of mostly exercises I can do without any extra equipment, pullups, pushups, squats, etc. The key is to do one exercise until exhaustion and then to quickly move onto the next exercise. Don’t allow your body too much rest.

I should also mention that I exercise 5-6 times a week. I have found that 2-3 just doesn’t cut it if you want results. Maybe if I was more active each day it would be better, but I spend a lot of time on the computer. Without the workout I don’t get enough exercise each day to maintain decent muscle development. This may seem like a lot for some people, but the good thing is that it is easier to stay in routine because you are doing it almost everyday.

It’s been way to long since I have written on this blog. But rather than get into the reasons why, I would rather like to talk about why I will be writing more often.

A couple years ago, I did a Get Fit in 30 Days Challenge. The challenge was to see how good of shape I could get into by exercising 5 times a week and not changing my diet. I also limited the amount I was able to exercise to 5 hours per week. I was actually surprised at how good of shape 30 days really made. The project was a lot of fun.

This April I will turn 30 years old. And since I am not in the best shape after the  holidays (not bad, but not great), I figure what better way to start off my 30th birthday than being in the best shape I have ever been in.

This year I am changing the rules a bit. Since I am going for max results rather than testing to see what simple exercise can do in 30 days, I won’t be limiting myself to a certain amount of hours/days per week.

However, all exercises will be something that anyone can do at home with minimal equipment. I don’t believe that a gym is necessary to get in shape. Though it might be helpful to get coached and stay motivated

THE RESULTS

For the last challenge I took pictures once a week and then posted them each week. This time I will take pictures every day and then turn them into time lapse video.

THE PROGRAM

I will be following two programs. One is a workout/ab program and the other is on dieting/eating. I will not be following these too tightly though as I will also be using my own exercises. I will write more about these later.

A lot of the exercises I do will be my own (not part of the program), and I will mention these as we go along.

COMING

In the next few posts I will talk about the programs and equipment I will be using.

GETTING STARTED

I believe the best time to start is always now. So I will be taking my first picture today and the end date is April 18.

Wish me the best of luck and feel free to follow a long and do your own challenge. Also feel free to comment and give me feedback. I am sure there will be times when I need the motivation.