CHEAT DAY

Glorious Cheat day to you all!

       This is my one day a week where I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want and fear not the consequences of my actions.  A day when cheese and donuts are plentiful.  Where I can eat Taco Bell if I want too.  It is a magical day full of magical foods.  Red Meats and Mountain Dew.  Oh what a glorious day.

      There are some that would argue against this day.  I have a friend that says I should just have one or two cheat meals a week, and that is it.  I have heard others tell me that it is harmful to my weight loss goal and I would lose more if I didn't have a day in which I could cheat.

To this, I say, This day keeps me sane!  

      All week, I am careful about what I am putting in my body.  I am careful to the point that I bought a food scale in which I could keep track of the exact amount I am putting in my body.  I count my calories and I am a good boy, for the most part.  Yes, I falter in small ways some times, but never to a huge extent.   I even have a few friends that tell me I am looking really good, but I need to eat more (I wont, but I appreciate their concerns).

     Certain heath experts recommend a cheat day when trying to change the way you live and eat.  Those experts say that it is more likely you will stay on track if you have this day to look forward too.   I agree with this 100%.  I look forward to this day all week.  It is the one day I don't have to worry about what I am putting in my body.  A day that I just don't care.  Not to mention, as a parent, it is easier to eat whatever with your kids than it is to make separate meals (little kids need things with different nutrients than a grown adult does).  I feel carefree and well fed on this day.

    Usually, I will start the day with a coffee, some chips and a bagel sandwich with egg, cheese, sausage and mayonnaise.   For lunch, I will try to have a nice sandwich and some crackers.  At the end of the day, when , after the kids are in bed, I will try to do one of my favorite things and sit down on the couch and watch a movie with a large glass of Mountain Dew, A pizza with ranch to dip it in, a box off crackers and some cheese.   Throughout the day, I will also be snacking on chips, cookies, cakes and other delicious treats that I have earned by being a good so

    Sure, my body thinks that I am treating it like a fast moving dumpster on this day.  And my stomach, on occasion, has not been happy with the crap that I have put into my body.  I will admit, because of my body wanting to revolt because I am trying to make my mind happy, I have tapered a little on my cheat days as to what and how much I am putting into my body.

   This is a day of stress relief and nirvana for me.  I go off course to stay on course.  If it is good enough for The Rock, it is good enough for me!

One of my fitness idols - THE ROCK

-Carter

I am a Cheater

Me after mowing some pesky grass

My name is Carter and I am a Cheater.

A dirty Cheater.

I cheated today, and I am not proud of it.

I cheated today with an flavored Iced coffee from McDonald's.  It was extremely hot outside, and wanted to cool down in a hurry.  I also needed my coffee for the morning, because, well, what is the morning without coffee.  That is akin to having a day without Oxygen.  It doesn't work,and I am a horrible person without my morning cup-o-Joe.  

So, I cheated.  I drank that cool, delicious beverage right down my dry mouth.  It tasted like the answer to the eternal question of a hot day.  I began to feel normal again.

With my caffeine/blood balance now in check, I input my sugary snack into MyFitnessPal (My favorite calorie counter) and come to find out I just added 290 calories to my day.

WHAT. IN. THE. HELL. DID. I. DO?

Normally, one of my meals comes in at around 290-300 calories.  Meals that will give me the nutrients I need to be strong and fierce while I take on the world.  However, this calorie expenditure was unacceptable on a non-cheat day.  It was the middle of the week for gods sake!  What was I thinking?  Oh, the sins I had just delivered on my body.  I was now a fat ass again.

Then it hit me.  I have become that guy...

We all know that guy.  The guy (or girl) that obsesses over everything they are putting in their body.  The person who instantly becomes hateful of themselves as some sort of religious masochist with a cat-of-nine-tails and a hatred for being born human.  Those people that will always think of themselves as ugly for the slightest mishap in their diet or exercise routine.   That guy!

I never liked that guy, but now I had become that guy.  Obsessive over my diet and exercise, like I was somehow less whole if I deviated from my plan.  I felt worthless.

I slipped a little.  Just a little.  However, it was little enough to make me feel bad about myself.  I seriously had to question this.  When did I change into this guy?  Why was I obsessing so much?  Was it too much?  What if it was not enough and I was being paranoid?

An hour later, something else hit me.

A reminder...

I AM NOT PERFECT!

I will have a slip now and then.   And slipping on a few non-cheat days every great once in a while is ok.  Being imperfect is ok.

As long as it isnt a habbit, then it's all ok.  I will be ok.

-Carter

Excuses

I hate excuses.

I really hate excuses.

I mega-loath excuses to the depths of hell.

I really can not state enough how much I hate an excuse for not doing something; especially exercising or eating right.

The reason I hate them is because I was full of them.  Every day, all day, I was full of reasons I couldn't eat right or exercise that week.  It was too hot.  It was too cold.  My knees hurt.  My back hurt.  blah, blah, blah......

The fact was that I was coming up with every reason in the world not to take ownership of myself.   Every single excuse I could think of I used.  My body hurt, my head hurt, the weather, I will start next week.

My body did hurt.  My knees and back did ache, A LOT!  Some of it was from earning glory in the ring.  Mainly, I hurt because I was out of shape.  I hurt because I neglected my health and well being.  I hurt because I gave up on myself and gave into excuses.

Not only did my body hurt, but my mind hurt as well.  It hurt because I knew what I once was, and new what I was now.  I knew that I used to be somewhat in shape, and that was as strong as an ox.  This not only hurt my pride, but also my ego.  Truthfully, my ego got bad enough that I didn't believe in myself anymore.

The truth came when I just decided that enough was enough.  No more excuses.  No more failures.    It was time for a change.

Am I perfect?  GOD NO!  I am always a work in progress.  Do I still have bad habits that I am trying to get rid of?  Sure do!  I still smoke ( I hope to quit once I hit my weight loss goal) and I still have diet soda and coffee with sugar.  It's all a work in progress.  The only thing that will cure that is time and effort.

-Carter

One foot in front of the other!

The biggest step in the morning is that step off the couch.  Sure, it really easy to step from bed to fridge to couch, but what about that step off the couch to make your day start to REALLY happen?  

The hardest step anyone trying to change they way they live, is to take that giant step off the couch and do something about it.  Its scary.  Hell, it can be down right terrifying some days.   Once you get up and out the door, you wont know what the world will have in store for you.  Putting one foot in front of the other, and soon you are on an adventure!

Sure, that adventure will hurt.  You will be in pain at time.  Other times, you might be exasperated to the point of vomiting everything in side your stomach.  

True Story

There could be dangers too.  Rabid dogs, venomous snakes, enormous insects, rodents of unusual size and strength, and dragons.  These all might cross your path on a grand adventure.  Getting chased, bitten, burned and thrown about is all in the spirit of the journey.

OK, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit, but the fear is real.  The absolute fear of change and pain for change is real.  It is so much easier to sit on the couch, watch a movie, and fill our faces with cheeze-its than it is to go out into the world and make a change in our lives.

We can not control everything in our lives.  I know that all too well.  We can, however, control ourselves and what we do on a daily basis.  Let go of the things that we can't control, and change the things that we want to change.

For me, the scary part was trying to exercise again.   It had been a good, long while since I put in any honest, hard work into my body.  I had become fatter, and more apathetic towards myself.  Depression from a relationship gone bad didn't help matters.  I had mostly secluded myself to my apartment and work.  I rarely went anywhere outside of those perimeters except the grocery store and Taco Bell.

This is how I feel after I have walk/Ran 4 miles

I realized something though.  I had to put one foot in front of the other.  Small steps at first.  I started walking.  Really slowly.  It was the end of February, so the cold didn't help matters.  First, it was one mile.  Then two miles.  Before I knew it, I felt like running parts of it.  Three and a half months later, I am doing 4 miles in an hour.  My knees hate me for it, but I couldn't care less.  I felt great!  I was covered in sweat and dirt, and felt alive!

It didn't end there, though.  I started feeling good enough to do some Yoga my apartment.  Then, after a recommendation from one of my best friends, I started doing a Jillian Michael's work out in my living room.  By Thor's Hammer, that woman tried to kill me.  Every part of my body was hurting.  However, I felt great and like I could take over the world with nothing but a sword in my hand and a scowl on my face.

I suppose that is my challenge to anyone reading this.  Become the warrior that you were meant to be.  Remain Unbent, Unbowed, and Unbroken.  Refuse to settle for anyone or anything but the best that you want to be.  AND, let no one tell you that you cant do it, or that you aren't good enough.   Trust me, once you take that first step, you have every chance to become who you want to be.

-Carter

FOOD

I miss this burger

                      FOOODDDDZZZZZZ

I love food.  I love greasy, heart blocking, fatty, salty, sugary, stick to your ribs and arteries, pray to god you make it through this meal food.  Any one that know me can attest to this fact.  Hell, one time, at a party, I once picked up a tub of butter and drunkenly ate a dozen potatoes like they were fun size candy bars.  I loved to go an eat with my friends, my family, or just by myself.  I would eat mostly anything put under my nose.   The picture above was one of my favorite things, when we had a Bennigan's in town (If you are reading this Bennigan's Franchise, COME BACK, WE ARE SORRY AND SHOULDN'T HAVE LET YOU GO!).  

Not only do I love food, I love to cook.  I love to cook for company when they come over and serve them some tender fried chicken, or perhaps a quasadilla would be more their speed.  I would eat when I was cooking, enjoying my self the entire time.   Hell, I am at my happiest when I am in front of a grill with burgers, steak and hot dogs cooking over the fire that I brought to life.

The big issue was, fatty food doesn't love me back.  Sure, it will be there in the night, making me feel all warm and snuggly.  By the time the sun rises, that food bolted out the door leaving me alone; empty.

When I decided to change my life, I first had to find food that loved me.  Food that would give back to my health and happiness, and not taste like complete ass.  Honestly, it wasn't as hard as one might think.

First, I had to find new meats.  No more taco meat (is that meat) or red ground meat every day.  I came to substitute that with Baked or grilled Chicken.  Then, I would later incorporate baked Salmon, Talapia and a lot of other fish.  Cans of tuna are now more prevalent in my kitchen as well.

My breakfasts have now become Egg white omelettes with onions and peppers, with a side of turkey bacon and some coffee with sugar.

The hardest part was falling in love with raw vegetables.  I never have been a big veggie guy, unless it was a veggie pizza from Papa John's.  I was able to do it though.  Salads have become a staple in my life now.  Red Lettuce, Onions, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peppers, Kale and others now enjoy their time with me.  

Another big change that I made, that I would hate to forget, is that I drink a smoothie every day I am watching what I eat.  Bananas, Wheat Grass, Kale, Granola, Yogurt, Strawberries, blueberries, and other fine fruits found their way into my blender.  Mixed with coconut milk, almond milk or just some tasty whole milk.  

For all this change, I feel so much better.  I am not as tired as I used to be.  Greasy foods that I would enjoy on a daily basis now hit me hard.  I am not as tired as I once was, and just seem happier with my new food choices.

Of course...all of these new habbits go away on CHEAT DAY!!!!

Come on, you all didnt think I could be good all the time, did you?

-Carter