Update 9/21

Smoking cessation in full swing. I have been smoke free since 9/12 and ramped down off the patch over the weekend and am smoke and patch free today for the first time in a long time! I'm so very proud and excited about it! It's amazing what one can accomplish when in the right environment, surrounded by the right people! Meditation has been very helpful in many ways. All I've done is visualize what I'm trying to attain, and it just seems to happen.

Working out is still giving me that drug like rush that I crave. I feel like something is not right on off days that I've started doing the treadmill for 20 minutes just to feel like I did something.

Results are really starting to show....weight is holding steady at 194 which means I'm trading fat for muscle. I have lost the unpleasant side effects with the new meds....well....most of them anyway. The sweating and the lack of sleep have gone away....the other thing? Not so much!

Buddha Quote - It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.

Update 9/15

On Day 4 smoke free with "the patch". It helps take the edge off and the withdrawal symptoms to a minimum. That has a lot to do with getting my body prepared before the quit date. I'm very excited to be joining the ranks of the non-smokers. Only a few more days of withdrawal symptoms to go. The tea tree chew sticks are getting a workout.

The work out plan is doing well. Still on the Golds Gym Plan. I feel like I'm doing something everyday without feeling too sore. Have increased the speed on the treadmill on cardio days to 4.0 mph and the incline at 12.5% max but i do interval training where i change the incline every 2 minutes.

The diet is pretty good so far and the sleep and appetite has improved due to a change in meds.

Update 9/2

I've introduced a few vitamin supplements to my regimen per the advice of the smoking cessation program. These supplements not only work to help alleviate nicotine cravings, but they've given me an added stamina boost when working out.

One of these is CoQ-10 - This supplement helps with heart and blood pressure issues, migraine headaches and mitochondrial disorders. I've found that it assists in maintaining stamina while working out. It also keeps the mitochondrial system from making you suffer from nicotine withdrawal....not totally, but it is supposed to reduce it from about 20 cravings a day to 6 or 8.

Update 8/28

After running into the problem of my work out routine not working any longer (I feel as if I didn't work out, even after increasing weight and reps) i had to find another one that would work specific muscle groups more than once a week. This one does the whole body every other day with cardio in between. I'm really feeling it and the results have been nice. My chest has already expanded due to the new workout. I don't have man boobs but it looks like i might need to buy bigger button up shirts and my biceps are getting bigger by the day it seems. I've found that I'm going to need to change my routine every month or so or maybe rotate routines.

I'm not feeling sore today...but my muscles have developed a bit of a tiredness.

The eating is going well. I've reduced all sugar intake by around 80%, have really embrace the "primitive" way of eating, and haven't missed a workout yet. To see what it's all about, go here

The smoking cessation is going well too. I've done everything I'm supposed to in order to prepare my body for the quit date which is coming up in 2 weeks. I've been taking the supplements that I need in order to cut the cravings and reduced the amount that I've been smoking....which was a bit difficult, since I've been out of the hospital, all I did was chain smoke and write. But I've reduced it to less than a pack a day. Also, I've changed a few of my habits. I don't go to some of the places that I associate with smoking, so it will be easier on quit day. Meditation is another way I've been getting prepared....as long as I can keep the negative thoughts out of my head, it seems to work like magic. Focusing on the things I want to accomplish.....things I want to achieve.

Try it....you might like it.

Consumerism Vs Minimalism - The Science Behind Advertisements

Consumerism Vs Minimalism - The Science Behind Advertisements

Update 8/25

Due to bad weather, my brother and I's Sunday soccer activities have been ruined 2 weeks in a row. Even though Sunday is supposed to be an "off" day for us, we insist on doing something fitness related. Often times, we play soccer or football or something that has us running around for a few hours. We ended up going to Winghouse and watching Summer Slam. Not really fitness related.

Yesterday, I increased everything 10 lbs and tried to bump my reps up from 15 to 20. 1st 2 sets would be ok....but the 3rd set would have me struggling. My shoulder was bothering me afterward but feels better today.

Diet-wise, everything is going good. Still eating the lean protein and low glycemic carbs. I've been getting hungry in the mornings now and look forward to breakfast.....but I've been finding that I run out of gas during the workout, so I need to eat more during the day before the workout. It's strange, since I generally like a routine and am fairly regimented, to see these changes.....albiet a refreshing change.

Survival of the Modern Man - Nutrition Basics

Survival of the Modern Man - Nutrition Basics

Via Hub Pages

Buddhism and Forgiveness

In Buddhism, forgiveness is seen as a practice to prevent harmful thoughts from causing havoc on one’s mental well-being. Buddhism recognizes that feelings of hatred and ill-will leave a lasting effect on our mind karma. Instead, Buddhism encourages the cultivation of thoughts that leave a wholesome effect. "In contemplating the law of karma, we realize that it is not a matter of seeking revenge but of practicing metta and forgiveness, for the victimizer is, truly, the most unfortunate of all. When resentments have already arisen, the Buddhist view is to calmly proceed to release them by going back to their roots. Buddhism centers on release from delusion and suffering through meditation and receiving insight into the nature of reality. Buddhism questions the reality of the passions that make forgiveness necessary as well as the reality of the objects of those passions."If we haven’t forgiven, we keep creating an identity around our pain, and that is what is reborn. That is what suffers."Buddhism places much emphasis on the concepts of Mettā (loving kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathetic joy), and upekkhā (equanimity), as a means to avoiding resentments in the first place. These reflections are used to understand the context of suffering in the world, both our own and the suffering of others.

“He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me’ -- in those who harbor such thoughts hatred will never cease.”

“He abused me, he struck me, he overcame me, he robbed me’ -- in those who do not harbor such thoughts hatred will cease.”

3 weeks to go

I'm currently enrolled in a smoking cessation program. It's an 8 week course to help quit the nasty's. I've just completed week 2. I'm learning how to be able to cope, how to get my mind and body ready for the quit date which will take place week 5. So far, I've cut down a bit which is a good thing. For a while there, all I would do is chain smoke and write. Now, I'm pounding around 3 quarts of water daily. This lends itself well to working out too. Muscles need water. This course has an Eastern/Zen philosophy that goes hand in hand with everything else that I believe in. I almost quit a few months back, but my partner at the time fell off the wagon and dragged me off with her. I really think I can do it this time.

Wish me luck!

More Progress

Since I've been working out (about 3 1/2 weeks) I've noticed a few things. My heart rate on the treadmill has leveled off - from a max out of 180 when I started to a steady 160 at max. I'm sweating a lot less. I have muscle soreness in at least one muscle group every day....not debilitating soreness but, just enough to make me remember what I've done 2 days previous. I've also seen a positive change in my body. So far, I'm responding well to the work outs and the healthy eating. I've had to tighten my belts one notch when getting dressed, I'm losing the dreaded love handles, I no longer feel bloated in the mornings, and I'm starting to see definition in my pectorals, my shoulders, my biceps and triceps and my leg definition is major....thighs are expanding and calves are looking cut.

Every week, I try to increase something in my workout routine. Either increased weight, more repetitions, more time on the treadmill or elliptical or an added exercise.

One thing that I read recently, "you can't out train a bad diet". If you want to see results from working out, you need the proper nutrition to go with it.