IMUnaware

Weigh-in Wednesday - 235.4. Essentially unchanged. not terrible though considering I had a house warming party this weekend and had another day when I went considerably off plan. I just need to redouble my efforts. I have gotten to Yoga twice per week so far, and I am making progress on pushups (only 36 so far) and pull ups (actually pretty good, did 5/3/2/1, that's great for me).

Weigh-in Wednesday - 235.2 Progress. Within standard fluctuations but hopefully we'll see a trend developing over the next two weeks. Nice to be going in the right direction. I've knocked out my push-ups all three days so far, and my pull ups are actually two sets now - 4 then 3. I'll try to get that higher as I can. Oh, and I went to Yoga on Monday. Small steps so far, but good ones.

The play is "Deathtrap" by Ira Levin. It's a very tightly written thriller. Lots of twists you don't see coming. Witty, fast paced, and well written throughout. I'm playing Clifford, the younger writer. There's a movie version with Michael Cain and Christopher Reeve.

I used to be active here a while ago, and then I stopped. Partly it was just getting busy with other things, partly it was having other goals. I probably haven't been around here for quite some time. I have stayed active (I still run, regularly went to the gym, stuff like that), but things have been back sliding a bit and I need another group to help me with accountability. SO, 1) I moved, and I'm no longer close to a reasonably priced gym. But the big one is 2) I'm in a play that opens in September and I have to lose weight for it. Some of you may remember I'm an actor. Ok who am I kidding you don't. But I am! SO, anyway, I'm in Deathtrap (which is a brilliant play and loads of fun btw) and one of my lines is "I'm one writer who's not going to get flabby. I work out with weights every morning." Also, I'm going to have my shirt off for part of the show. It opens September 18. So... yeah. Motivation right there. The funny thing is, I'm late for the challenge but in a way I started on time. I put on FB that I was trying to lose weight, and I posted my current weight on Wednesday ("weigh-in Wednesdays"!). So, my goal is to lose weight. My weigh in on Wednesday was 238.5. My goal for September 16 (a bit past the challenge deadline) is 218. That's... aggressive. Like, I am fully aware it's probable I won't hit it. But it honestly is my goal. To be really happy about my shape for the show I'd honestly want to be under 210, but that's REALLY unrealistic. As long as I work towards it consistently and I make progress, not hitting it won't be the end of the world. I'll say my goal for the challenge will be to hit 222. Again, probably won't happen but if I aim high and miss I'll at least get close. HOPEFULLY I won't let the fact that I am not hitting the goal discourage me. I don't think it will, and with the fact that I'll actually have a show looming, I think I can stay motivated. My life goals are - 1) work on my lines for the play so I do a great job (obviously). 2) Get my monologues chosen for applying to MFA programs in January. SO goals: 1) Get to 222lbs by the end of the challenge. Strict diet, low in calories. Calories in - calories out has always worked for me in the past. 2) Go to yoga at least 2 times a week. 3) Do push ups and pull ups 5 days a week (6 and 7 days/wk for the bonus). I'm starting with 30 push ups, will add one each day. I'm starting with 3 pull ups. I'll add as I can. Life goals - Work do a great job with the play while maintaining good work/life balance.

My last challenge is here. I dropped out of the updating, and I dropped the challenge a bit early. I basically lasted until about two weeks from opening, but after that the play plus work took up too much time. It was a great experience though. Here are a couple of photos from my experience being a hero. Hope this works... This is me in regal costume: This is an action shot from rehearsal. I wish I had one from performance.

Ok, I kind of dropped off the last challenge I entered (which was one challenge ago, not the most recent one). But I DID like the motivation, and I really did kick ass pretty much in my last show. I'll post some pictures of me in my last show when I get a chance. Sadly I don't think I got a good one of me in armor (I was only in armor/fighting for one scene) but I have a lot in my "kingly" garb. I'm in rehearsal for my next show. We're opening September 4th as it happens. So again we're lined up well with my show. Goal 1: Kick ass on my show. I've got a nice part and I'm working with a company I've never worked with before. They're very good, one of the more desirable companies in the area, so it's a great opportunity. sub goal: Sign up for auditions for grad school. I did this last year and didn't get in, so I'm trying again this year. Goal 2: Go to the gym 5 days a week. The first week it's just going to be cardio. I really enjoyed P90X and I'm going to keep doing two of the work outs (Chest and Back, and Shoulders/Bi/Tri) each week, but I am experiencing a bit of tendonitis in my elbow right now, so I'm giving it a rest for a week. Goal 3: No vending machine challenge. I developed good habits that I have MOSTLY been sticking to, but I'm starting to backslide a bit. Bonus: 40 in 40. Starting with next Sunday (week off etc) I'm going to do 7 pull ups and add one pull up every day of the challenge. The goal (I hope) is to do 40 pull ups on the day of my 40th birthday. Not all at once. As many sets as I need. This seems insanely aggressive (right now I can do 5 maybe 6 at one go) and I may well fail at this, but we will see. It would be kind of cool, but setting one's goal as an arbitrary number to match one's age might not make a ton of sense. We'll see. Ok, that's it. Best of luck to everyone.

The bad: My friends got engaged on Saturday and another had a birthday that night (well THAT is good) and I broke my no liquid calories rule. Just for that day, but I broke it pretty solidly. I also showed it's not just the calories from beer/wine, but the food I order because my inhibitions are lowered. Not good diet wise, though I did have fun. The good: 5k time was 26:56. Not near a PR, but it was a hilly course and it was in the middle of the day. Not terrible really. And I was second in my age group! So not so bad. I did tweak my ankle a bit. not terrible, but my Achilles gets sore sometimes after I run, and I was hobbling around yesterday and couldn't work out. But today I was able to yoga and I feel great. This week is sort of a recuperation week in P90X (which means it's hard but not crazy hard) and then the last 4 weeks of P90X start next Monday. Rehearsal is going well and I'm excited for the show. It's really coming together. All the best to everyone! -Brook

Between rehearsal, working out, and, well, working, I've been pretty busy. I'd like to update once a week, but obviously other things take priority as long as I'm doing well working towards my goals. Thus far: 1) Good! I've been busting it out on P90X. I substituted elliptical last week for plyo, which is a pretty big step down in intensity, but because of the time and how I was feeling (sore Achilles) I didn't want to jump around. I'm definitely getting stronger and fitter, though plyo totally still kicked my ass today. 2) Good! I've had a few cadbury cream eggs (a weakness) but thankfully they disappear after Easter. Still nothing from the vending machine, which is really a habit I want to keep, and NO liquid calories so far. It's going to be hard to keep up that one, but I think I can do it. :-) 3) Good! I did sign up for the Sunday night class. It will only conflict if we have a rain out of Two Nobel Kinsmen, so keeping my fingers crossed there (Sunday nights are the rain dates). I feel like we're really getting into the meat of it with our rehearsal schedule now (running Act I tomorrow night), but I'm feeling good. I just need to stay focused on being aware of my fellow actors and supporting their choices with my reactions. I feel like the Improv Class has really helped bring me mindfulness of this aspect of acting, and I want to build on that. Side quest: I ran 5k (around my neighborhood) last weekend under an 8min/mile pace, so that's encouraging. Hope the weather isn't too hot on Sunday. I might actually get that PR! Other stuff: I'm moving soon. The house I've been renting has sold, but I found a GREAT place to live with another friend, so really I'm pretty excited about that. No yard (which will make my cat sad, but me happy ... no GRASS TO MOW), but a great three bedroom townhouse that's really affordable. That's it. I'm feeling really good about this so far!

Ok, so last challenge was about getting fit for my next show. This challenge is about doing the show. The story thus far: I am an attorney, but I'm an actor, and I want to direct my life to it on a full time basis. I applied to grad school, but unfortunately I didn't get in this year. This doesn't mean it's dead, it just means the timeline is going to be delayed a bit. What I need to do is dedicate myself to doing well on what I do each day, and improving myself as much as I can to prepare myself for the next step (which will come, oh yes it will). What I'm doing right NOW is starting rehearsals for Two Noble Kinsmen co-written by John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. In fact, my first rehearsal is April 15, and my first performance is May 23, so it's almost exactly on the timeline for this challenge. I'm playing Theseus, so I am quite literally going to be a hero of ancient Greek myth. The more physically prepared I am the better I'll be at embodying the role. But that's the goal by the end of the quest: Be. A. Hero. I'm going to end my challenge a few days early: officially I'm ending on the 23rd not the 25th, just because that's opening night. Sub-goals: 1) P90X I did pretty well at sticking to this last challenge. It's going to be MUCH harder this time, as rehearsals take an extra 3.5-4hrs out of my days (not every day, but many, and they are more frequent as the challenge goes on). That means the discipline of getting up early to work out will be tested, as will going to bed early to keep myself fresh. 1.5 hrs (including changing and shower etc) of exercise plus 8hrs of work plus 3 hours of rehearsal plus 1.5hrs of commuting doesn't leave much room for anything but sleep and food. 2) No vending machine, no sugar, no liquid calories. Exception will be made for milk either with breakfast or as a recovery drink. Other than that, only water and coffee. The main thing is avoiding alcohol. I like a glass of wine or two with meals and having a beer with friends. It's going to be hard because often people like to hang out after rehearsals (especially on Friday nights). But having this rule will probably help a lot in the diet area. Also, I'm continuing my no vending machine pledge (worked well last challenge!) and my no sugar (processed sugar, honey and fruit are ok) rules from last time, which were pretty successful. 3) Acting! First, obviously, bring my best each rehearsal for Two Noble Kinsmen. Theseus is a large supporting role. Not my heaviest line load, but challenging. More importantly, I really want to listen and react and grow with the character. I want to do my best with him, and that means bringing my full concentration to each rehearsal. I'll also be continuing with my class that I started last challenge (Improv for the Actor). I have four more classes of that one. I might sign up for another class, IF it will fit with rehearsal for TNK (I think there's one on Sunday nights I can take). Side Quest: 5k PR Ok, I've got a 5k coming up on April 27. I'd really like to get to 24:30 (right under 8min/mile) on my 5k time. I don't know how much time I'll actually have to train that though with P90X. Maybe more of an aspirational goal, but I'm going to try. My legs definitely have it, and I should have good cardio prep, but we'll see. I may make one P90X day a running day, plus maybe run on the off days. That's it. Best of luck to everyone! [PS - my finishing stats from last challenge: Finishing stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 42.5" (at belly button) Hips: 44.5" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 15" (same r/l) Weight: 227 lbs]

Hey man, I just wanted to say that your tone is pretty down because you didn't reach the "goals" you set, but looking at what you did this challenge, I think it's pretty impressive! You lost a bit of weight on a consistent basis (I like the 1 week average approach!), you tried 5 new recipes (not bad!), you improved on the money bars (I can't do that very well either) and you wrote more than 10,000 words! I mean, that seems pretty good to me. It's important to have goals for accountability, and to measure progress, but don't forget the purpose of goals is to motivate you to make progress. No one cares if your achievement is running a mile or a marathon, as long as you have something your working towards, that's what the goal is there for. So sure, try harder next time, but don't forget to celebrate what you DID do, and keep moving forward!

Starting stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 43.5" Hips: 45" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 14.75" (same r/l) Weight: 231 lbs Finishing stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 42.5" (at belly button) Hips: 44.5" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 15" (same r/l) Weight: 227 lbs 1) P90X The goal here is do the workouts 6 days a week. I consistently hit 5 days a week (though on a few days I subbed in elliptical for plyo because I wanted to reduce impact around the half marathon... I also subbed in one "running outside" for a cardio since it was such a nice day!). That's not bad. It wasn't 6 days, but it was a consistent 5. Grade: B+ 2) FOOD - ZERO sugar, ZERO things from the vending machine I am happy to report complete success over the vending machine. Zero sugar... well that's a bit trickier. Definitely not a success, but I was pretty good on my diet about 5.5 days a week I'd say, and no vending machine snacking, so that's good. A for success over vending machine, B for success over sugar. Over all - Grade: B+ 3) Work on my craft - Read Six Plays, Take a Class, and get comfortable with my lines (memorize big speeches in Act V). I read only 5 plays, but saw a bunch more. I signed up for an improv for actors class, and I've had 3 so far (very happy I did). I've read my lines for Two Noble Kinsmen several times, and I've memorized my last speech more or less (though not all of Act V). I think I'm on my way to having a comfortable start to TNK, so that's good. Grade: A- Sidequest: Half Marathon! I was hoping to break 2 hours, but I was a LITTLE bit short of that. Still managed to set a PR though. Grade: A

Ok. So I'm about the same size, a bit more fit. Let's look at the goals: 1) P90X The goal here is do the workouts 6 days a week. I consistently hit 5 days a week (though on a few days I subbed in elliptical for plyo because I wanted to reduce impact around the half marathon... I also subbed in one "running outside" for a cardio since it was such a nice day!). That's not bad. It wasn't 6 days, but it was a consistent 5. Grade: B+ 2) FOOD - ZERO sugar, ZERO things from the vending machine I am happy to report complete success over the vending machine. Zero sugar... well that's a bit trickier. Definitely not a success, but I was pretty good on my diet about 5.5 days a week I'd say, and no vending machine snacking, so that's good. A for success over vending machine, B for success over sugar. Over all - Grade: B+ 3) Work on my craft - Read Six Plays, Take a Class, and get comfortable with my lines (memorize big speeches in Act V). I read only 5 plays, but saw a bunch more. I signed up for an improv for actors class, and I've had 3 so far (very happy I did). I've read my lines for Two Noble Kinsmen several times, and I've memorized my last speech more or less (though not all of Act V). I think I'm on my way to having a comfortable start to TNK, so that's good. Grade: A- Sidequest: Half Marathon! I was hoping to break 2 hours, but I was a LITTLE bit short of that. Still managed to set a PR though. Grade: A I did hear back from grad schools, and no grad school for me this year, which is a pretty big bummer honestly. BUT I'm going to start working on my monologues for next year soon. It's not dead, just in hibernation for a year.

Last day! Finishing stats: Chest: 48" Waist: 42.5" (at belly button) Hips: 44.5" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 15" (same r/l) Weight: 227 lbs More complete write up after dinner.

Getting measured for my costume tomorrow. Will be an interesting check to see if I've made any progress. [Edit/Update: 42" in the waist. A bit of progress.]

Thanks. Yeah, I could easily see doing another cycle of it. It's a high level of difficulty, but it's not impossible. It's just that I'm a LONG way from getting close to them in terms of form/reps etc... It's varied and quite scale-able, so it's difficult at lots of fitness levels. Right now I feel I'm at the bottom of the fitness scale in terms of "people who can realistically attempt the workouts." I may need to get some heavier weights next time through, but over all I am looking forward to doing it every day. Well, maybe looking forward is not quite the right phrase... let's say I'm motivated to do it and I'm 1/3 of the way through week 3 so that's something.

Well, I wouldn't say "fuck'em." I'd say "understand them, and then feel good about yourself." Studies have suggested that being overweight is actually contagious. Why? Because humans are social animals, and our brains are comparison engines. When a group of people are making unhealthy choices, the group is reinforcing that behavior as good (or at least, normal), to the point that the members don't THINK about it as a choice. Our comparison engine brains look around and say "I'm doing what everyone around me is doing so I must be doing the right thing." Or even better "He ordered a whole plate of cheese fries, but I am having a half order, so I'm not eating that badly." When someone in the group breaks those norms, when you make healthy choices for yourself, it makes other people who are not making healthy choices actually THINK about what they are doing/eating. And for some people, that can be uncomfortable. It produces negative emotions for them (about their body image, about what they really want). And when some people FEEL negative emotions, they EXPRESS negative emotions by attacking (sometimes subtlety/passively, sometimes more directly) someone else. They externalize their negative emotions. So it's fairly common, and you should feel compassion for them, because that negative energy is really directed at themselves. Now this doesn't excuse the behavior, it doesn't make it "OK" to be a jerk, but it does mean that one should approach the situation with some understanding, and not get too worked up about it. If it's a work situation, the best thing to do is just BE POSITIVE. Just be happy and up beat. You may find that verbally expressing positive emotions about your choices "actually I like this salad" even makes them more true to you. If it's someone you know better (a family member maybe) you may wish to address the problem more directly. Just be sure to make "I" statements. Focus on how the other person's behavior makes you feel, NOT on how they look or whether they're "wrong" just "when people make comments about what I eat, it hurts my feelings. I'm eating food I like and want to eat, and I feel judged when people criticize my choices." That sort of thing. And then, just remain upbeat and positive. Feel good about yourself, and don't let it get to you.

Week went pretty well. Still have yet to do 6 work outs in a week, but I've been getting 5 regularly, which is pretty decent. My eating has been ok. I have avoided the vending machine, and I have MOSTLY avoided sugar, but I've had a cheat day once a week, and honestly it's been more like a cheat day and a half. But over all I think I've improved, and the P90X workouts... well they haven't gotten easy, but I have gotten used to them at least. It's really nice having a regular full body workout. I did the beginner body weight workout way back in the day, which was good, but I got to the point where I wanted to step up from the beginner workout, but the advanced bodyweight workout was way too hard. I did angry birds for a while, got to the point where I could do 2 sets of 50 push ups, which was nice, but then I lost steam. I just didn't have a focus or a goal, and pull ups remain insanely hard for me (which has been a big barrier to a lot of bodyweight advanced workout type stuff for me). Anyway, the P90X is not impossible, but it is VERY difficult, and I feel that, while I can do the workouts, there is a lot of room for me to improve in every workout. I'm sure I'll get bored with it eventually, but I can see going through 90 days and still wanting to do it again, since I KNOW I won't be close to what their doing in terms of form and reps etc...

Half way, and half marathon! Side goal accomplished! I finished in 2:02:41. Not quite under 2, but a personal best, so I'm pretty pleased. I did get some blisters on my foot, but my sore foot issues don't seem to have cropped up, and blisters are pretty superficial injuries anyway, so it's all good. I think it's due to the fact that I was recovering so long I didn't really put that much mileage on my feet since the marathon, and they just got a bit soft. I'm hoping to actually complete 6 days of training this week. I'm not SURE if I'll actually start back with P90X on Monday. I'm less worried about the Monday workout (chest and arms) than I am about attempting Plyo on Tuesday. I think my legs have taken a bit too much of a beating for that. I'll see. Maybe move Yoga to Tuesday, Kempo to Thrusday, and Plyo to Saturday or something. Oh, and I read "Ajax" by Sophocles last night too. Not bad. So far Antigone is the only Ancient Greek play I've read that seems stagable for a modern audience.

Hummus! Yes I have that and that's what I should have eaten! I even have celery. :-) Oh, and I did the P90X, I think it will be fine. A friend shared with me a great ab workout from Power 90 that is MUCH more my speed. My abs just don't have the conditioning to hang with Ab Ripper X. If I keep adding reps to this workout, in a month or so I might be able to do ab ripper X, at least most of the way through. Feeling pretty damn good right now. Thanks for the encouragement!

Quick progress report: GOAL #1: My back is feeling fine. I did the first 4 workouts this week, and today I'm scheduled for "legs and back" which means I try out the bands for real this time (I used them a bit in the "arms and shoulders" workout for some variety but i really got them to help with pull ups). I'm a little trepidacious about doing legs today (I run a half marathon Sunday) but I think it will be ok. Also I really want to test the bands to see which one I need to return. I think I might return one and then get a 30lb band instead to use on the arm exercises. GOAL #2: Pretty good. I ate well yesterday (lunch: big salad, dinner: chicken stir fry) until the evening hunger struck... I had a bagel which really isn't great, and a piece of toast with honey and peanut butter. I was really hungry around 9pm last night! I need to find something better to stick in my mouth. heh. No trips to the vending machine thus far, and very little refined sugar. So decent job with the diet overall I think. Tonight I will have a cheat meal, as I'm going out with some friends to a Mexican restaurant, and I will be having a margarita. GOAL #3: I signed up for a class that starts next week. Improv for Actors (not Improve, though I hope to do that too...). Improv is something I find very difficult. It's hard for me to RELAX during the exercise. Turn my filter off and stop thinking and just DO, which is what you need to have happen. I don't like doing improv exercises, which is why I want to take this class. I've read "The Dumb Waiter" by Harlold Pinter, Edward II by Christopher Marlowe, and last night "Troilus and Cressida" by Shakespeare, so half way to six plays! Mini book reports: The Dumb Waiter is a fun short (a long one act or a short play). I read through it with a friend of mine... I'm thinking about producing it in a "short works series" in July if I can find the right people to work on it. We'll see. It's a tense, funny, dark play about two hit-men waiting in a windowless basement for their "job" to arrive. There is the titular dumb waiter in the room, and it keeps arriving with food orders that grow increasingly complex. The hit-men are, of course, not chefs and they don't have food or even a coin for the coin op gas stove to make tea. It's a nice piece. I wonder if it will really be long enough to present alone though. Richard II: Solid, and you can see some stuff that Shakespeare later borrowed for Richard II, a play with a similar theme (both kings were deposed, Edward in favor of his son, Edward III, Richard in favor of his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke - later Henry IV). It's very much straight forward though. It feels more like it was "written to the plot" than written for the characters. Granted in historical drama you are constrained by the plot a bit, but if you compare it with Richard II (sort of inevitable, given the themes), Richard II has much fuller characters. They're better motivated. Still worth a read. Troilus and Cressida: There's a good play in here somewhere. It's hard to tell what to cut, but the basic story is really good. It's sort of Romeo and Juliet set in the siege of Troy. Except Romeo (Troilus) has to hand over Juliet (Cressida) to the Montagues (the Greeks) in a prisoner exchange. Then Juliet (Cressida) actually does not stay true to him, but rather... well my interpretation is "uses her feminine status and sexuality to survive in this new environment. There are long (LONG) passages of speeches, and the play itself is about 140 pages long (in penguin edition). If it were performed it would NEED to be cut, and frankly there's lots to cut. As read at full length the pace definitely dragged, but the plot is good and the characters are too, you just need to make it hop. Oh, and the cast is VERY BIG, which would be a challenge to producing it (not sure if you double, or you have a huge cast or what). OH, I almost forgot: did a 5k last Saturday! Finished in about 26 minutes. Slower than I would have liked, but not bad. My foot was a bit sore after (it was sore after the marathon too, same place) but it felt fine during. I bought some tape to tape up my foot before the race, and I should be able to ice it after, so I think I'll be fine Sunday.

Went to Dicks Sporting Goods and bought a couple of resistance bands. They have a good return policy so I figure I'll keep the one that works best for me. We'll see once the back exercises come back around... I probably won't get to that until Friday, or possibly next week. I'm scaling back (especially hard work on the legs) due to the half marathon coming up Sunday. Looks like I might complete my first "week" by the middle of next week. lol.

Well, after about a week of rest, I did another P90X workout. Starting back at the beginning again, which is fine. I paced myself and made it through the whole work out. Last time I did 35 push ups on my first set, I didn't make it half way. This time I did 11. Plus I wrote it all down, so next week I'll do a bit more. I definitely need some sort of resistance bands or other solution as an alternative to pull ups. I can do 2 or maybe 3 on a good day. It's just too difficult to get a good work out in. I use a chair, and I try to engage my back (being careful to not over do it this time) but it's practically a leg exercise after the first couple sets. I've been pretty good with the vending machine. In fact, haven't used it once yet. I do bring snacks. A snack bag of almonds, sliced celery or baby carrots, and fruit (a couple apples and a banana). It feels like a lot, but at least it's real food. I've been pretty good with my diet otherwise. There's a subway near work, which, while not wonderful, is a much better option than most fast food places when I forget my lunch or just don't have time to cook. I try to cook a couple things to give myself lunch during the week, but it doesn't always happen. I did have a muffin last night. But so far I've been pretty close to my 6 days a week goal. I've started to learn my lines. I'm planning to finish reading Edward II by Christopher Marlowe tonight. So that will be one down. I'm also half finished with "Miss Julie" by Strindberg. I like modern authors too, but it's so much easier to pick up classics in the used book store. And I DO love Shakespeare, so there's always that. Troilus and Cressida is on my list for the challenge as well I think. Oh, and I saw "Love Alone" (a new play by Deborah Salem Smith) and Arcadia by Tom Stoppard this week. So that part of my challenge is going well. If I can find a good solution for the pull ups I should be in pretty good shape so far on the challenge.

First week: well, that about kicked my ass. I wound up with a seriously sore back on Thursday, had to get a massage in the middle of the day my back was so tight. Still a bit twingy. Will probably have to back off the P90x stuff. I want to get to the point I can do the Yoga, which is really REALLY hard. BTW: for the record, my beginning test was 2.5 pull ups, 45 push ups 19" vert leap 1:22 wall squat 34 in outs Heart rate: Resting 62bpm after excercise: 180 +1 min: 120 +2 min: 102 +3 min: 96 +4 min: 90 I need to focus on some easier core work so I don't overstress my back and abs. The leg stuff (plyo etc) I'm ok with, and if I pace myself better I might be able to get through the chest workouts. I need bands or something for the pull ups though, as what I can do now just isn't practical. It's either overwork and fatigue too quickly or basically doing leg exercises while my hands are on the bar. Food: been good mostly (yesterday was cheat day). definitely avoided the vending machine for my first week. Struggle resumes Monday.

Man, ok I'm back... I keep signing up for these and I tend to go great for a while and then I start to flake. I get a cold or I just skip stuff and then I don't update as much and then things slowly fall apart. But it's not about how many times you fall down. It's about how many times you get back up. But first, let me talk a bit about how NF and other stuff (like professional therapy) has helped me change my life. I am a lawyer, but I have not been happy with my life and career for a long time. It's just not what I want to be doing. Over the last three years, I've started realizing -- no, that's not it: really UNDERSTANDING and INTERNALIZING -- that life is short. If you have a career that keeps you in cheddar and you are not happy WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Are you living life to impress yourself? Your parents? Your peers? WHY?? You pass this way but once. Don't spend it being miserable. Thanks to a lot of therapy, thinking, and learning about myself, I'm finally doing that. I applied to grad school for an MFA in Acting in January (I'll hear back probably some time in March). I have made a commitment to live my life as I want to live it. I still work as a lawyer. But I no longer feel trapped! I don't think "this is what I do and what I'll do for the rest of my life until I die." I think "this is what I'm doing to keep me financially stable and build a nest egg for NOW, so I can achieve my dreams. I feel so much better. My job hasn't gotten any more interesting or meaningful, but I am so much happier thinking "this is not my future." And NF and Steve's articles are DEFINITELY a part of that change. So, what is my goal? Shape and movement. You don't have to have a perfect body to be an actor. But some roles that I want to play, it helps to be in shape because you feel the character more. My next role is Theseus in Two Noble Kinsmen. Theseus. Legendary Greek hero. Slew the Minotaur, defeated the Centaurs, took a journey to the underworld, conquered the Amazons and made their queen his wife. That guy. A warrior, a hero, and adventurer. I'm not going to go from where I am to Gerard Butler (though that would be nice eh?). I know that, but I want to look and feel more like a Greek hero. It's also about movement. No matter what your "look" the stronger, more fit, and more flexible you are, the better you can move. And the better you can move the more CHOICES you have about how to move. What you do on stage has to be natural and appear effortless. If you run around and then deliver lines while panting that doesn't work. You have to run around less. But if you're in good shape, you can run more, climb more, stand on your head more, you just have more PHYSICAL CHOICES in your tool box. And that's something I want to develop. OK, now THIS challenge, what's up? First, here's my starting point (for the curious, I'm 6'2"): Chest: 48" Waist: 43.5" Hips: 45" Legs: 24" (same r/l) Arms: 14.75" (same r/l) Weight: 231 lbs (I took some pictures too, for myself) Challenge goals: 1) P90X I bought the DVDs off someone off Craigslist. I did my first workout yesterday. I got about half way through. Did not pace myself and it completely kicked my ass. Did my second one today, and actually FINISHED. Not perfect form, but I finished the whole work out. The goal here is do the workouts 6 days a week. 2) FOOD - ZERO sugar, ZERO things from the vending machine This is going to be hard. Very hard. If I get 6 days a week on this I'll be happy. The thing is, the work I'm doing is VERY mindless. It's hard to keep your concentration, and I really have to take a break once an hour or I go crazy. The problem is that because it's so mindless, and because I need to reward myself frequently to keep going, I tend to eat, and the stuff I eat is typically stuff from the vending machine (both because it's there and because it's that sweet/salty processed gunk scientifically engineered to stimulate the reward center in your brain). 3) Work on my craft - Read Six Plays, Take a Class, and get comfortable with my lines (memorize big speeches in Act V). Just because I get roles doesn't mean I'm good. It doesn't mean I'm done. Much like fitness, it's not a thing where you "get there." People talk about "making it" but that's the wrong way to feel about acting. Acting is a PROCESS. If you think "I'm going to get xyz and then I'll be happy" or "then I'll be a good actor" NO. God I love the current post on NF, and that's exactly how acting is. There is no AFTER. I hope all my life I'm working to be a better actor. Just like I work to be healthier and happier. SIDE GOAL: I am also signed up for a Half Marathon on March 16. It's not a full goal, it's actually a half way goal (almost exactly!). I actually ran the Myrtle Beach Marathon around Valentine's day. Since I ran a full marathon recently, I'm not going to train too hard specifically (I didn't run at all last week, in full recovery mode). I need to do some runs for maintenance, but if I do P90X that will cover most of my training. I'll probably do 8 miles March 1, and either a 5k race or a 5 mile jog March 8. Ok, that's it. Best of luck to everyone.

So I wanted to say thanks again for the recommendation for "Walking Dead." Might be the perfect show to watch on the elliptical. Sadly, I blew through the 19 eps available on Netflix (just finished the last one today). Wait, I don't mean "sadly" I mean "AWESOMELY" as I think I made it through all 19 episodes in like, 22 days, that's a lot of working out. :-D I'm going to give "Sons of Anarchy" a try. I REALLY want to watch Breaking Bad, but I don't know if there's enough action. I heard it is more tension than action, which is ok but I'd prefer more zap bang. Sons of Anarchy seems like lots of fist fights and other random action that will keep the blood pumping.