A NEW YEAR… A NEW ME!!! 01.11.09

(kinda long entry... but well needed)

For a while now many of my friends told me that they like reading my blog and that I needed to update it. The reason for the long pause was because I really was not sure what my next mission was. Last year I began The Body Rx which went rather well. It is mainly a muscle building work out... which by gaining muscle and eating right your metabolism speeds up and not only do you gain muscle, but you cut up! I completed about 8 weeks of this program because I was eager to do P90X. Now I will say that P90X is not for everyone and after trying it I can tell you that it was not for me at all. It definitely is a good program, I just have different goals set for myself. Weight is not really a big issue for me as is body composition. I could careless if I was 200 pounds solid... as long as I was solid. It is the jiggling of my body that REALLY GETS TO ME! Well it is the New Year and it is time for me to make some major changes.

Let me start off with saying that I promised myself when I hit 28 years old that I will be in the best shape of my life by the time I turn 30. Well I hate to report it, but that year has come and on October 22 I will hit the BIG 30!! So now is the time for me to really make my metamorphosis. All of last year was time for me to work on having somewhat of a positive attitude and now that I have achieved that I can say that I am mentally ready to begin my biggest journey to date.

On January 5, 2009 I began doing the Master Cleanse Detox. I am not sure how many of you have tried this, but it is amazing what comes out of your body when you are not even eaten solids. I am writing this entry on Day 6 of my 20 day journey and things are going rather well. The reason that I am doing this cleanse is because it is kind of like hitting the reset button on your body. While you are on the cleanse, you really begin to understand your relationship with food and how you can change it. When you are done with the cleanse you body craves healthy food like fruits, vegetables, and things of that nature. It is a crazy side effect but one you learn to appreciate. There are 2 positive side effects of doing this cleanse. One is that you lose a significant amount of weight. The first time I did the cleanse for 14 days I lost 18lbs in that period. Now I am sure that some of it was water weight as well as muscle mass, but I intend to rebuild my muscle mass once the cleanse is over. Second you save a lot of money. You realize how much money you are spending on food ordering out and eating out! I can tell you that I am going to be able to pay off one of my credit cards this month because I am saving money doing this cleanse because I am not going out partying, not drinking alcohol, and not eating food. The only thing that I need to spend money on is the ingredients I need to make my daily lemonade. I know some of you may be thinking how is it that one person can go so long without eating and I have 2 responses for that question: 1) It is not as hard as you think because my mixture is the equivalent of 8 cups which has approx. 800 calories.. so think of it is as calorie restriction and 2) because I have a goal set. It is nothing more than a mental battle to be honest.. and one that I am ready to WIN!

After my detox is complete I am going to transition back to food for a week with nothing but soups and salads. The week following I am going to try to complete the Body Rx this time around. It is a six month program and I intend on doing all 6 months this time. I am going to try and follow the program to a T. I told myself I am going to stay aware from all forms of alcohol and become an Occasional drinker. No more getting drunk… just a nice tipsy feeling if I go to a party or out to the clubs. I am definitely going to try my best and refrain from alcohol for a good long while.

What is great about this time around is that I realize what my problem was! My buddy Anthony.. (whose blog is in the upper left column.. “MakinitXlike”) quoted Tony Horton saying that what we do is enter into a loop of sorts. We know our downfalls and we continue to let these things deter us from staying healthy. All we need is a catalyst (small excuse) for blame and that is the reason we regain the weight or fail at our life changes! One of my co-workers told me that his father who is an alcoholic (Sober for more than 20 years) said that all it takes is that one drink to lead him back down that path. I am guilty of losing all the weight and thinking.. well I am now I am thin so now I can eat whatever I want. If I want to stay healthy and fit.. I need to really cut those foods out of my life for a long while! Until I have my weight under control and know that If I do have a slice of pizza or attend a bbq that it is only because of the occasion and not something that is habit forming. I am going to have to steer clear of these things for a while until I really understand my body and the way it works. I AM DONE FAILING!

Anthony I see your challenge and I completely understand why you have set your goals in STONE. I too.. have some goals for 2009. And here they are:

1) To be in the weight range of 175-185 SOLID
2) Become an Occassional Drinker
3) Get RID of my Credit Card debt

All of these things are definitely achievable and the only person that can get in my way is ME. I can not let that happen. If I have the will power to stop eating for 20 days, then I definitely have the strength it takes to make these minimal changes. I will keep you updated as much as I possible can. At the present time I have clips of my progress on the Master Cleanse located on YouTube under MisterJonkat. Check it out if you like. You can literally watch the lbs melt away!

I wish you all the best in whatever ventures you are going to be taking in the New Year! It is time to make a change you guys! Don’t Miss out on the opportunity!

**JK**