Week 1 Review

Good Afternoon!

So I got through Week 1 of “Fitness 2009” and I am simply amazed. I’m not saying this to toot my own horn…I am seriously blown away by what I accomplished in 1 week…. and in a healthy way.

Let’s get started with the Week 1 Review…

Major Changes

1) Eating Better and More Often

I went from eating 3 meals a day (most of the time) to eating 6-8 meals a day. My meals consist of around 200-400 calories and I eat every 2-3 hours (I don’t really time it though….I just eat when I get hungry again and it usually comes out to about every 2-3 hours). (My Week 1 Food intake)

I absolutely love eating like this. The hardest part was doing it for the first few days. I wasn’t used to making it to my next meal and “needing” food. The first two days I wasn’t used to eating like this and every 2-3 hours I just felt extremely hungry… I ate a small amount and then I was good for another 2-3. Once I got my rhythm down my “energy” shot through the roof. By day 3 I was like a rocket waiting to go off. It was amazing (especially considering my next major change).

2) Getting up in the 5′s

My rule to live by now is getting up when there is still a “leading 5″ on the clock. This absolutely sucked the first few days, but it played a big role in my week 1 routine. I would get up around 5-5:15AM and run a mile (or do aerobics, yoga, strength training, etc) and then I would eat my first meal.

This was a sharp contrast to my getting up at 7-7:15 (I get to work around 8AM). I have a ton of energy in the morning now and my patients have already noticed the change…and so have I. (not to mention that I get to catch the morning version of Sportscenter and still have time to play a little guitar if I want…all before work)

3) Decreased Soda Intake

I haven’t had a “non-diet” soda for over a week and that was a huge step. I am drinking some caffeine free diet sodas (which I plan to start cutting back this week) but the change away from caffeine and sugar enriched sodas was a big accomplishment for Week 1 of “Fitness 2009″. (If you don’t understand why this was huge….try quitting a 2-4 a day caffeinated soda habit cold turkey)

4) Increased Water Intake

This one was huge!!! I went from mayber drinking 16 ounces of water a day to drinking 60-80 ounces a day. All I can say is….everything seems to be working better . I attribute the weight loss to this as much as I do my modified dietary intake.

The Results

I know this is the section that everyone will be looking at, but make sure you read the “Why it Worked” section that comes next….that’s where the big information will be.

1) Weight Loss

I went from 229 lbs to 223lbs in one week. My weight dropped by 6 lbs in Week 1 (which is way more than I was looking for) and it got me alot closer to my goal. (I’ve lost more in one week…but it was in such an unhealthy way…and guess what…it always came back really quick)

Listen when I say this…… “It was the easiest weight I’ve ever lost and I feel amazing”.

2) Increased Energy

For those of you that don’t know what I’m talking about I know that it pisses you of when you hear people say this. It pissed me off too (lol). But I can honestly say that I “get it” now. Even when I’m tired I feel like I have a ton of energy. What I mean by this is that my “sluggishness” has been history since day 2 of the program.

3) I Look Better

I’m not going to say alot on this one because it makes me feel a tad bit vain, but I can’t tell you how many people have told me they notice how much different I look after only a week… It kind of rocks.

Why it Worked

I addressed 3 main areas (which is the focus of the “Creating Wellness” Program that I’m on for “Fitness 2009) all at once.

1) Exercise (Physical)

It was a slow, hard start…but considering my exercise regime was nil before I started, I expected it to be tough. I am doing a mile at least 3x a week and then throughing in other aerobic and muscle balancing exercises (my weapon of choice is a “Wii Fit”). The “Wii Fit” and Running has been great…but I attribute the success mostly to my dietary changes….which brings me to….

2) Food (Biochemical)

I didn’t eat anything crazy…I just monitored my portions. Instead of 3 meals at 500-1000 calories each, I am doing 6-8 at 200-400. My metabolism has skyrocketed. You can check out exactly what I ate by clicking here. I did screw up one day (Tuesday I ate way below my calorie goal….and wouldn’t you know it…I lost the least amount of weight I had all week on that day…it’s all about giving your body enough energy to burn fat).

3) Mind (Mental)

This is the hardest part for most people. I knew that to be succesful I needed alot of mental stimulation. I needed motivation to carry me when my will to get up at 5AM was waivering…that came from two places…..

a) This being a public thing (plastered on my blog, facebook, twitter, and myspace) has keep me strong because I don’t want to let my readers and friends see me fail (GREAT MOTIVATION).

b) My Wellness Ladder: The clinic where I work is amazingly supportive and we have a “ladder” that manages my progress. Every patient that comes through the door sees how well I am doing….so I’m not going to let them down.

Conclusion

All I can say is that Week 1 was amazing. I lost way more weight than I thought I would and I did it in a healthy way (except on Tuesday…I ate 6 times that day but never enough calories).

I don’t expect week 2 to be so dramatic but I’m excited to see where it takes me.

-Dr. Ben

Tags: fitness 2009, week 1