Listening to Your Body, Resting the Warrior Mentality45 lbs LOSTso farJuly 2, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 9 comments
Your body talks to you. Didn’t you know that? Not like the kid in Look Who’s Talking or the dog in Look Who’s Talking, Too (starring a slimmer, younger John Travolta), but it gives you signs that you need to learn to respect.
Letting the Warrior Mentality Rest
Sometimes you can get carried away with the hardcore workouts, the pounding, the sweating, the minor aches…and sometimes you need to just stop.
Personally, it’s hard for me to take a few days off from training. Especially when I am in such a groove with my workouts and weight loss. There have been many times when a day off has led to months off and many pounds gained.
I come from the school of train hard or go home. Ever since high school I’ve been told to workout hard and fight through the pain. The warrior mentality has it’s purposes but sometimes we need to lay off so that we can further our physical development. I once took a week off and came back stronger than ever.
Listening to Your Body
Recently my body has been begging me for a break. Guess what? I didn’t give it a break and now am suffering the consequences of that decision to continue to train through the pain.
A few weeks ago I was feeling soreness in my left shin/leg and figured I could fight through it. That continued for a couple of weeks until I developed a sharp pain in my shin. I was then forced to take a few days off from performing any leg workouts, running, or sprinting.
Then just last week I started doing assisted chin ups with bands. As I finished my last set I then decided to do some burpees (burpees are my new obsession). On my last set I felt my left chest tweak with a sharp, quick pain. Like a dumbass I figured I’d pump out the last 5 reps and deal with the pulled pec afterward.
So here I am with a pulled pec and sore leg. Why? Because I was using the warrior mentality to fight through the pain. This week I decided to lay off of 98% of my upper body workouts and to focus on light leg workouts. I performed some light weight squats for the first time in months this week and will be walking and biking for the majority of my workouts until next week.
If you feel tightness for more than a day consider not working that bodypart out for a few days. If stretching and rest don’t do the trick then see a doctor or physical conditioning specialist, just in case it’s something serious.
It’s Okay to Rest and Focus on Other Aspects of Your Health
One positive drawback from taking some time off is that I get to focus on my eating. Mastering my food intake sometimes feels like a full time job, but focusing on it solely while just chillaxing isn’t that bad.
The key is to not slack. If you are taking some time off from working out, say a week or two, make sure that you are committed to staying focused with your eating. Don’t take a week of rest and eat 5,000 calories a day on top of it. You will feel like crap!
Stay Motivated
This is a crucial time for me. I am losing weight consistently again and my workouts have been really good.
Motivation can wane during times like these, but you need to keep in mind that you will be coming back stronger and ready for some more ass kicking! Keep busy by walking, which is a seriously underrated exercise.
What do you think about resting and listening to your body?
Weekly Weigh-In: 302.4 Lbs.45 lbs LOSTso farJune 30, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 4 comments
I finally weighed myself after a few months of not weighing in and the result was a measly 302.4 lbs. Yuck. I was seriously aiming for the 290s at the very least. Not much I can do but keep on keeping on, right? I’ll be under 300 next week!!! I guarantee it!
This is what happens when you slack off for a while then kick but for 2 months. I suppose I put on weight when I was slacking off and just ended up losing that weight that I put back on. Which sucks because it has kept me at a constant yo-yo for 302 lbs to 320+ lbs.
I came up with a solution. I will be working my ass off, literally, for 4 to 6 weeks at a time and then chillax (chill and relax) for a day or two then get back on my 6 week ass kicking routine. So I should be able to drop significant weight, gain good strength/stamina and still be able to have a break every few weeks.
I think I can keep myself sane that way. Don’t get me wrong, I feel better than I have felt in a long time. I feel strong, and I think I need a new wardrobe because my clothes are starting to look Kris Kross baggy on me (cuz inside out is a miggity, miggity, miggity wack!). I’ve been getting the “you look skinnier” thing from all types of family, friends, and peeps online so what I am doing is working. Now I just need to stay consistent.
Over the last 2 months I’ve significantly increased the amount of fruit and vegetables that I eat. Almost to the point where lunch will consist of several fruits and water. Something I have noticed since actively increasing my fruit/veggie intake is that I am not as tired. I have some intense workouts and I can get through them now where before I would nearly pass out.
My eating is the least of my worries since I have that on lock. I eat fish, chicken, meats, bread, fruits, vegetables and drink a gallon or more of water a day. I’m actually sipping some green tea and munching on a plum as I write this. I also take a multivitamin and whey protein after workouts.
My workouts are varied. I make sure to lift weights, run, bike, walk (which is seriously underrated!) and perform bodyweight routines. I’ve taken a liking to bodyweight workouts. One of my fears is not being able to lift myself as I hang from a rooftop. That’s why I started working on chins ups and pull ups. Thanks to Iron Woody Fitness, I have some bands that will assist me with my chins up until I can start lifting my own weight again.
For me it’s all about real world strength and stamina. You should be able to carry a person out of a burning building, sprint to track down a mugger who stole your wife’s purse, and walk 100 miles to safety if you’re stranded in the desert.
Oh, and I’m back to my weekly weigh-ins. Every Monday homies!
Become the MASTER of Your Life!45 lbs LOSTso farJune 28, 2009 by Frank Cruz | 8 comments
Master: a leader; a person with the ability or power to use control; a person who is in command; a victor or conqueror; to rule or direct, to triumph over or to OVERCOME.
Who is in control of you? Are you aware of the fact that the majority of human [...] Continue Reading…
Taste Test: Edy’s Tart Honey Yogurt Blends45 lbs LOSTso farJune 20, 2009 by Josie Maurer | 9 comments
If I had known beforehand that Edy’s Tart Honey Yogurt Blend would cause such a ruckus….well, I would have bought it anyway. My Taste Test Crew got bent out of shape and took sides as opinions flared in the heated discussion over whether this frozen yogurt is good or [...] Continue Reading…
Introducing A Former Fat Man45 lbs LOSTso farJune 18, 2009 by Frank Cruz | 31 comments
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Frank Cruz a former fat man who’s almost completely unleashed. Those cold chains of confinement are weakening little by little. I have been tied down and boxed in for many years. Consumed with exaggerated amounts of food, my stomach was a [...] Continue Reading…
A Healthy Body Equals a Healthy Mind…That Goes For Kids Too!45 lbs LOSTso farJune 16, 2009 by Mandy Rosado | 9 comments
It’s no secret to anyone with a pair of eyes that America is in the middle of an obesity epidemic. Our “bigger is better” culture has created a nation of people who are overweight, and out of shape. At some point in the very near future, inactivity and poor [...] Continue Reading…
4 Year Old Kid Doing a Burpee45 lbs LOSTso farJune 13, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 12 comments
I was in the backyard working out with my wife when my daughter started imitating what we were doing. We were performing burpees when my daughter just started busting out some reps!
I think she has decent form for a kid that has never done burpees before. She basically has [...] Continue Reading…
I’m Calling Out Tony Posnanski, the Anti-Jared!!!45 lbs LOSTso farJune 11, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 17 comments
That’s right. I’m starting this new thing where I call out other weight loss bloggers. The first on my list is Tony Posnanski, otherwise known as The Anti-Jared. This guys is a weight loss superstar. He has lost like 200 lbs and kept it off. He used Weight Watchers [...] Continue Reading…
Eating and Exercise, My Month in Review45 lbs LOSTso farJune 9, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 19 comments
This weight loss journey has been a pain in the ass. I started out in May of 2007 weighing in at around 348 lbs. That’s 2 lbs shy of 350 freaking pounds. Insane!! When I first started I figured I would drop the weight in a few months and [...] Continue Reading…
Eating Chicken at Arby’s of Wesley Chapel in FL45 lbs LOSTso farJune 5, 2009 by Israel Lagares | 11 comments
I recently went to the Arby’s in Wesley Chapel, FL. I was in the area with a buddy and we were HUNGRY! So this being the real world, we decided to stop in and eat some fastfood at Arby’s instead of McDonald’s. I made this video that day a [...] Continue Reading…
Be Careful When Worshiping the Sun45 lbs LOSTso farJune 2, 2009 by Tom Rooney | 9 comments
One of the things that can really put a damper on your summer is over exposure to the sun’s rays. At the beginning of the season many try to get their skin into a tanned look as soon as they possibly can. The people that worship the [...] Continue Reading…
