Back at it!! Week 1 in Review.

March 6, 2007. That HUGE date in history is when I decided I was a big fat guy who needed to start working out. And I did. Within a year I had lost 100 pounds and was in fantastic shape. Then, 11 years of neglect later, I am a fat guy again.

This time I'm 11 years older. My bones are brittle and my joints hurt. I had no choice but to start to swim for my exercise choice because I risk injury doing anything else.

So we joined the Y in our area and swam I did. I swam everyday. They have two very nice pools. Although I was quite the swimmer 33 years ago when I hung up the speedo... now I pretty much just try not to drown. Survival is key! Swim fat man... SWIM!

Swimming (aka survival) really came natural to me. I love it. After a week I feel strong. And I have lost 8 pounds!

So one week is gone and I have 11 more weeks to go in phase 1.

Peace out...

J

Sushi Dai

After careful consideration and going two days in a row - I would like to declare once more that Sushi Dai is the best sushi in the world.

Yes - that's all for this post!

Northwest 1 to Tokyo

Well, finally I was able to cash in my Delta miles to get to Tokyo non-stop! I took advantage of the original joint operating agreement between Northwest and Delta back in June and booked a round trip Business Elite reward ticket on Northwest. I reserved window seats in row 77 - which is the exit row in the upper deck. Very roomy and Seat Guru's # 1 option.

The time came for me to fly today - and I have to say that Northwest does a pretty good job. I was on an upgraded 747-400 with new "near" flat seats. Like British Airways, I found the seat to have two problems: 1. I'm too tall and the footrest is painful; 2. I found the seat a little too hard. Those two things aside, I had a lovely trip. Row 77 is very nice and roomy.

The food was much better than United - even United International First Class. I had the steak and everything was wonderfully prepared and presented. I did find the flight attendants to be English speaking only - with one Japanese speaker who seemed to be translating for the entire plane from what I could tell. Not a problem for me, but some of the Japanese passengers struggled.

The entertainment options seemed quite dated - with Hell Boy 2 being what seemed to be the feature film. Additionally, the game options were not good at all. I brought my Mac on board and was ready to plug into the never failing air power - but they had AC in the seat. Getting plugged in was clumsy - as you have to insert and twist at the same time. My power adapter is just not made for that! The power died a few times - and my battery became drained - leaving me no entertainment options to speak of about 5 hours into the flight.

After passing the time napping a bit and reading, we arrived in Tokyo about 4:25 PM. I sprang to action, managing to get down the stairs from the upper deck and quickly made my way to immigration by using stairs instead of escalators. I arrived first and was quickly welcomed into the country. Baggage always arrives fast in Tokyo so I was quickly through customs.

I rented a mobile phone this year in Japan - as opposed to renting it in the US before I departed. The ABC mobile place provides a service with FREE incoming calls - which is really nice! I then made my way down to the JR station and caught the 5:14 PM Narita Express to Tokyo Station. 

At 6:45 PM I arrived at the Courtyard Tokyo Ginza Hotel! (Must be some kind of record!)

The Joy of the Equinox

The Equinox Fitness finally opened in the South Bay - and this is very exciting news. The one thing missing in my life was the club experience at the Lifetime Fitness I used to work out at in Phoenix. Once my project ended, so did my visits to the Lifetime and the sought after club experience.

Now, I have it all back!

FOUND in Tokyo

Well, I arrived yesterday at Tokyo station on the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka. I was so happy to be back! Tokyo feels like home now. Like a familiar old sweater you pull out of your drawer to bring you some form of comfort. Funny part is just a few days ago I was just as lost in Tokyo as I was in Osaka. 

Last night I did what any tired vacationer should do -- I rested. I actually didn't even go out for dinner, as I have a pretty good supply of Pure Protein bars and shakes - enough to keep me fed for 3 weeks away from civilization in fact.  So, I settled into the new re-designed room here at the posh Courtyard Ginza Hotel and watched V for Vendetta on DVD. May seem boring to some but not to me!

Today I got up early once again and hit Sushi Dai. I met a very nice dude from New York in queue who said he was in town writing a piece for GQ on Tokyo dining. I didn't get his name - I'll just chalk him up to another single serving Sushi Dai queue friend and leave it at that. The sushi was delicious of course!

I stopped at Starbucks on my way home and acquired a Grande Christmas blend. It was 7 AM and I was already pretty satisfied with the level of my activity for the day. I worked on a short film I'm doing on this vacation - and another one that is a surprise for Princess. She arrives tomorrow and I want everything to be perfect of course. (Even though her film won't be done until I can get home to LA)

Tonight I just got back from eating at one of my favorites - Tofuro. I found it with no trouble at all, quite confidently venturing pretty far from the hotel on foot to do so. 

Tofuro is an Izakaya place - quite simply, one of the places that serves tiny dishes with big beers to salary folks on their way home. I ordered many dishes and they were all delicious - but none was more delicious than the Creamy Tofu. Delivered in a presentation that looks like a perfectly formed round scoop of pure white vanilla ice cream, it is an absolute delight! Some fresh ground Wasabi and special sauce makes it go down pretty easy. I found that it is best to use your chopsticks to cut it in half and then flip both sides over on their flat side.  Much more stable this way than trying to work with a slippery ball of hard tofu when you are not gifted at chopstick use. 

Three beers later I got my check and hit the road back to the hotel. The remainder of my waking hours tonight will be spent watching Fight Club - hence my single serving friend reference above. :)

Peace out from Ginza...

JH 

Osaka 2007 - Night Two

Tonight I decided to search out the perfect Osaka dinner. I left the hotel and with map in hand, began to navigate my way to Negiyaki Yamamoto. The Sought Item? An Osaka delicacy called Okonomiyaki - which is basically best described as a cross between a pancake and an omelet. 

So, according to the map, I should have been able to walk there within 10 - 15 minutes. Two hours later, I was tired, very hungry, and terribly lost! To put things in proper context - being on vacation in a foreign land is all about hitting the streets and getting lost. Japan is great for that! There are very few street signs and no addresses. And, most likely, the name of the place you are looking for will have a sign that is completely written in Japanese.  Lastly, even though I know how to ask for directions, I'm not fluent enough in the language to be able to understand the directions - which turns out to be an exercise in patience. 

Quite by chance, blind luck, and/or both, I finally came across a place that could be it - and a quick match of the phone number confirmed it! I ordered my okonomiyaki with pork - and the normal batter includes some squid. It is topped off with some delicious sauce. They then serve it to the heated surface in front of you - keeping it perfectly warm while you eat it. I also ordered a medium draft beer as the perfect accompaniment. 

Nara 2007 - The Sake Pilgrimage and the Deer

A short train ride (about 45 minutes) from Osaka is a very lovely country city called Nara.  Today I decided to journey there for two purposes - 1. The perfect Sake; 2. The Deer;

Allow me to expand on those two: 

Purpose 1 - Last year we had a lovely Sushi dinner in Ginza at a place called Kyubei. They served us Harushika Sake and it was the best Sake we ever had. We researched and found out the Sake is from Nara. So, planning for this pilgrimage was a year in the making! I would goto Nara and acquire the Sake, and then move on to purpose 2.

Purpose 2 - Nara is an area heavily vested in tradition. They have a lovely temple area that is completely surrounded by Deer. The Deer are tame (although a little persistent) and people buy feed for them and the Deer swarm like bees trying to get some. Most interesting is the Deer have been living in this park for over 1,300 years and are thought to be sacred messengers of Shinto deity Takenomikazuchi-no-mikoto.  Until 1637, killing one of these divine Deer was a capital offense and carried the death penalty. 

I have to say Nara is one of the unique places in the world and it is a pleasure to visit.

Tokyo 2007 - Night One

Tonight I adventured out to Shinjuku. I started by taking a taxi to the Park Hyatt Hotel. I found my way up to the 41st floor lobby.  I found it quite dark but imagine that is so you can see the view better - which is remarkable. I followed the signs to my desired destination - The New York Bar.

Located on the 52nd floor, the bar was once very dark like the lobby. Many well dressed couples sat looking out at the unbelievable views and listening to the jazz band. The band had a lady vocalist who sang mostly jazzed up christmas carols. She used a lot of scat singing and was very talented.   Although she was different than the singer from Lost in Translation, the setting was the same. I scanned for Bill, Scarlett, and Sophia but they were not there! lol

I finally got seated. (I seemed to be ignored for a while by the fast moving hostess who ran to and fro.) I ordered Kirin Beer (my usual choice) and then another. I then looked on in envy of the individuals who were eating delicious looking foods and asked for a menu. They have a very complete menu of high brow bar food. I found an interesting item titled 'Soft Shell Crab Tortilla' and I ordered it. It came with a delicious Lemon Aioli for dipping. The tortilla was served in four small tubes. It was the perfect size dish and very flavorful. 

I paid my bill and moved back to the ground floor (2nd Floor actually) and found a very helpful Hyatt staffer to give me walking directions to Shinjuku station. She told me it was a 10 - 15 minute walk and it was.

I walked around the side streets around the station and was propositioned by ladies representing hookers. It was kind of funny! One lady said something to me and I stopped to ask her to repeat it. She said, "Massage?" I replied, "No, thank you." The two ladies with her laughed and said I was very polite.  Well, at least I have that going for me! 

I boarded a train and arrived at Ginza station. A short walk later I was back in my hotel room.

Tomorrow I am going to meet up with my cousin in law who speaks perfect english. A conversation with another human who isn't a hotel staffer? Brilliant! lol

Tokyo 2007 - Day One

I woke up today at 3:30 AM. Why? Because all people visiting from the USA are supposed to do that.  It is kind of like the law. We are then all supposed to pull ourselves up out of bed and walk to the Tsukiji Fish Market.  

I arrived at 4 AM and got in queue (yes, a queue at 4 AM) for Sushi Dai. I must place my next statement in the proper context by stating -  1. It may be something about just arriving to Japan, 2. being the first day of vacation, 3. the long wait in queue at 4 AM, 4. the feeling of the warm sushi bar after you've been out in the cold, and/or 5. drinking beer at 5 AM - Sushi Dai is the best damn Sushi - period. Everything served was masterfully prepared and perfect. And, I can't wait to go back next Thursday!! (And next Saturday)

After Sushi Dai I came back the hotel. It was 6 AM. Although I felt I should crawl back into bed for some more sleep, after a video call with Princess over Skype I felt like getting back out to the streets. I decided I would take a river cruise on my favorite river - Sumida-gawa. 

So, I found my way to the Tokyo subway and took the Ginza line to Asakusa. I went at a slow pace because the river cruise place doesn't open until 9:30 AM with the first boat leaving at 10 AM.  So, I went to the Asakusa Starbucks to attempt to order a Grande Coffee - which was very easy! (Grande Cohi Kudasai)

The boat left with the same punctuality as the trains and I was off floating on the river. The windows were too dirty to take good pictures so I just sat back and relaxed. After my round trip journey was complete I had a lovely pork cutlet for lunch and, you guessed it - I found my way back to the Ginza line and got off at Ginza station. A few rough wrong turns aside, I got back to my hotel room and got Princess back on Skype.

Please stay tuned for the next entry "Night Two"...

Tokyo 2007 - The Trip and Night One

I arrived to the airport about 60 minutes before boarding time. Just enough time jump through security and to stop by the duty free and do some serious browsing. I purchased my old Gucci scent.

I boarded the plane and got situated into my bulkhead  United business seat. I was immediately offered some orange juice and my sport coat was whisked away. I took off my shoes and stored them with my luggage in the overhead. And, I sat down waiting for take off. 

After takeoff I got my usual refill on my juice and some nuts. True United fashion. I selected the beef for my entree and it arrived well heated and it was delicious. Even though I just watched in Tuesday night, I watched Bourne Ultimatum on the in flight during dinner, which I found to be surprisingly simplistic for today's standards (the entertainment system - not Bourne). 

I had a very restful 11+ hour flight - except for the young boy who was seated right behind me. It seemed that he had a hard time finding his "inside" voice. But, no worries.

When I arrived at Narita I was shocked at how close the gate was to the immigration. I remembered from last year a very long walk on many moving sidewalks. But, I really breezed through in no more than 10 minutes. A quick stop for my bags (they came out right away) and I was off for customs - which took about 15 seconds. 

I struggled with my rented mobile phone for a little while - as I thought my SIM card would allow me to use my number in Japan. But, I could not get it to work.  So, I'm just using the number that was provided with the phone. Once I got through struggling with how to put a "+" in front of my desired number, calling Princess was a breeze. I woke her up to tell her goodnight. 

Off to the JR station to catch my Narita Express train. I stopped at the kiosk in true veteran traveler fashion and quickly acquired my ticket.  I got to the platform and my train was waiting for me - ready to board. I stored my bags and found my seat. I arrived at Tokyo station a little more than one hour later.

I grabbed a cab and headed to the Ginza Tobu Hotel - a hotel which has had many names. It is currently a Courtyard by Marriott. I checked in and got up to my room.  I waited five or ten minutes for my Platinum arrival gift to come. I ordered Beer, Nuts, and Fruit. (When I travel for business I typically take the points instead of the arrival gift.)

After some Japanese TV, I got in the shower with the intent of getting cleaned up and then walking to Andy's Shin Hinomoto - a lovely Japanese pub run by a dude from the UK. (Yes, that would be Andy.) I finally found it but Andy, although happy to see me again, was unable to seat me because they were far to busy.  So, I walked back to the hotel - stopped at AM/PM for a sandwich and some water - and went back to my room.

Uneventful? I think not!

Six Months in Review

This blog entry is an e-mail I sent to a collegue. I think it works as a blog entry, as I am asked to send information about my transformation. So, at this stage, a summary entry about my program may be appropriate. So, here we go!

I got a lot of inspiration from the Body for Life Program. Although I modified it slightly, it is very easy to follow and explained very well on the site.

I eat 6 'meals' a day. The reason I eat 6 times is it increases my metabolism. It also ensures my nutrition matches my needs for that day (depending on exercise schedule). It also I am not ever horribly hungry when I sit down to eat -- being hungry is bad when you sit down to eat and they drop that damn bread basket in front of you!!!

Now, the only fat I purposefully take in now is cream in my coffee (venti americano). I used to consume an 800+ calorie Venti Mocha. Now my coffee has only 40 calories and it is a real treat that I look forward to. :) I say "NO" to butter, creamy sauces, sour cream -- basically the 'extras' that your body does not need. But, I eat delicious food! (fajitas, steak, sushi, lots of fish, etc.)

I also take supplements that help me a ton.

First, I take a 'thermo'. These supplements usually contain some form of chili pepper and actually slightly increase body temps -- burning more calories for doing the things you do throughout the day. They also contain a natural caffeine based stimulant but not so much it makes me shaky. The best one is Hydroxycut Hardcore. I've also used the EAS ThermoDynamax but it fails to compare to Hydroxycut Hardcore.

Second, I take Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is a naturally occurring 'good' fat and by taking it, your body does not hold on to 'bad' fat. This increases the burn of the unwanted fats. I take the EAS version. (Sponsors of Body for Life program)

Lastly, I take Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB). This is a naturally occurring metabolite (found in grapefruit, alfalfa, and catfish). This helps muscles combat protein breakdown, assists in muscle repair and supports increased endurance. My workouts are much better when I take HMB and it allows me to recover much faster. In a nutshell - The better your body uses protein, more fat will be burned. I also use the EAS version of this.

For exercise, I alternate days between cardio (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) and strength training (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). For strength training, I alternative upper body with lower body - and focus on core training on each of the strength training days. So, this way, my body has three days to recover before I train the same part again. Strength training burns the fat around the muscles -- and continues to burn fat for a lot of time after the workout is over.

Working in Philly now and am trying out a new gym tonight.

Peace -- :D
JH

Phase 3, Week 3, Day 3 -- Recovery

Well, the past few weeks have been a little rough! I did something to my right knee that I can't quite trace down. For the past two plus weeks it has been very sore, especially when I walk stairs. Then, a little over a week ago I slipped and almost fell down some stairs while attending the Primetime Emmy Awards. I caught myself on a metal railing, which drilled right into my rib cage and this has caused me some real pain. Additionally, I twisted my left knee and hit my Achilles tendon. Needless to say, and going back to the first sentence of this paragraph, the past few weeks have been a little rough!

After a week of trying to work through the pain in both legs and my ribs, I decided to take the day off from cardio this past Saturday and rested Sunday as well.

We were really busy this past weekend. On Friday night we went to see Muse at the Verizon Amp in Irvine. On Saturday night we went to Oktoberfest at Alpine Village in Torrance. And, Sunday night we went to see Wicked at the Pantages in Hollywood. PHEW! Busy, busy, busy.

Peace out... :)

JH

America is a Gum Chucking Nation (AKA The Saga of the Gum)

It is true I love to chew gum. Something about that wonderful explosion of flavor -- and the fact I've been trying to beat my addiction to nicotine gum for years. But, my issue is not with those who enjoy chewing gum -- it is what happens to the wads when people are done with them.

Fact is: America is a Gum Chucking Nation. People throw their gum, spit their gum, and most disgustingly, put their gum under tables or chairs. I mean, there is nothing more disgusting to me than going to pull your chair in only to place your hands on someones freshly pressed, still soft chewed gum. Parking lots and roads are spotted with smashed pieces of spit out gum - now black little discs made up of someones saliva. Gross.

One big joke in America is how strict Singapore is. We tend to make fun of their silly little laws and excessive fines. But one law I love is NO GUM! There, you can be fined or worse for just chewing gum because this activity, and product, is banned in Singapore under the "Regulation of Imports and Exports (Chewing Gum) Regulations." Except for chewing gum of therapeutic value, the "importing" of chewing gum into Singapore was absolutely banned.

In 2003, there were closed door meetings between George W. and the leaders of Singapore. The issues on the table were the War in Iraq and, you guessed it, chewing gum. Of course, Wrigleys sent their lobbyists to the then-chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, to get chewing gum on the agenda of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (because of course the gum consumption of some extremely tiny Asian island nation is so important to them). Ridiculous.

But, back to America and my personal gum rules. Many years ago when someone asked for a piece of my gum I usually have a brief moment of apprehension. This wasn't because I was being sellfish --well, allow me to explain.

The gum I chew is either Eclipse or Dentyne Ice. The reason I choose to chew these brands of gum is because they are packaged in blister packs and it is very easy to put my already been chewed (ABC) gum pack into the pack. Although I keep the streets cleaner, I'm viewed as strange for disposing of my gum in this nature. And, even more strange when I refuse to just hand over my pack of gum to someone. I simply don't want the individual to begin to dig into one of my ABC blister pack sections -- because that would be awful -- and I don't want to have to explain my gum disposal methods.

My solution? I just carry a lot of gum. An example: While still seated at lunch, I tend to slam a 'clean' pack down on the table and while people reach for it I steal a piece from MY pack. Quite sneaky I know -- but no worries about people touching my pack. And, the streets remain just a little cleaner and my mind remains a little clearer.

And, I think this whole blister pack gum disposal method should be law in America -- but that won't happen because America is a Gum Chucking Nation.

Phase 3, Week 1, Day 2!!! New Phase, Old Ways!

Well, phase 2 was a learning experience for me. I've undergone my transformation at blocks of 12 weeks at a time... each one representing a phase. In phase 2, I changed my habits a bit and my results were not as good as Phase 1. So, guess what? For Phase 3 I am going back to the Phase 1 routine. Makes perfect sense!!

To date I have lost 21% of my Phase 1, Day 2 body weight. Moreover, I have dramatically increased my strength, endurance, and overall health. Although I expected to be further along by now, I'm extremely pleased with the results thus far.

Here are the top 5 highlights to date:

1. My waist size is down over 6 inches and I was able to buy very sexy jeans and look awesome in them. (Now, these even fall down on me unless I'm wearing a belt)

2. I've been through 2 belts thus far. And, I'm on the last hole of my current belt so that number will grow to 3 soon!

3. I have yet to cheat on my diet. Granted I drink my coffee with cream now, but I don't eat any sweets, fast food, or anything that can be categorized as 'bad for me'. (However, the 1/4 teaspoon of half and half does bring me more pleasure than I care to admit!)

4. I stopped my Starbucks Venti Mocha addiction in its tracks. I now drink a zero calorie Americano from time to time. (Remember, I was so obsessed with the Venti Mocha I named my company after it -- lol)

5. I can run now. I like to run and I'm getting better at it every time.

People now come to me for fitness advice, which kind of makes me laugh. All I tell them is what should be obvious to everyone: eat less, exercise more. Not pioneering anything here. But, I'm also not discounting what I've either because I've worked my butt off for the past 6 months!

Esby and I look at pictures of me from the UK -- I was kind of skinny when I got there but I just kept expanding. I remember how we ate over there and it makes me sick today. Junk food, excessive beer/booze drinking, and 2 AM trips to the Kebab stand. Add this to nearly no exercise and you have the perfect recipe for life changing body degradation!!

So, as I move along in this journey, I'm going to try to remember to blog every week like I used to. Even though almost nobody reads this, I credit a lot of my success to this blog and I really need to ease off on the Facebooking -- at least long enough to scribe some mindless rantings on a regular basis.

Sunday we go to the Primetime Emmy Awards -- and I'm going to look a lot better than last year!! Well, at least thinner anyway!

Peace out! :D

JH

The Saga of the Dust Bowl

Yes. The venue for Rock the Bells was changed to one of my least favorite places in the world. The Hyundai Pavillion at Glen Helen. The name sounds friendly enough. I mean, I have nothing against Hyundais or Pavillions.

We call the Hyundai Pavillion the Dust Bowl. We vowed a few years back, after spending the day in the Dust Bowl... without shade or easy access to viable food or water... that we would never go again. Well, we went again. Now, not even Rage Against the Machine will draw us back!

Upon our arrival, I remained optimistic about our excursion. We had VIP tickets. We were going to have a glorious air conditioned, shaded tent that we could hang out in. We would be showered with VIP ammenities, like a cool Rock the Bells back pack. Once we checked in, all those things came true. We were chilling out in the tent on leather sofas, drinking pretty decent 'concert' Margaritas, listening to the artists talking to the fans. We went out to the 'upgraded' food stands and got a couple burritos. They were delicious. After a little while, we decided we'd go walk around the performance area with our 'ALL ACCESS PASS'. This is where the night took the first turn for the worse.

We went to the Orchestra Pit access. At the Dust Bowl, this is the closest you can get. Only VIPs are supposed to be in there but the area had been closed by the fire marshal because there were too many people in there. A quick look down into the area revealed that the people there were not VIP ticket holders, as they had no wrist bands on. We were told we can access the area through another entrance and were told to go there. We found space to cram ourselves into a small walkway that provided us a view that was completely obstructed by a huge pillar speaker / monitor stand. We waited in the area for Wu-Tang Clan to finish up, and then the crowd loosened up a bit and we got closer... but we were still restricted from accessing the lower loge area, and more importantly, were not permitted access to the Orchestra Pit section. In other words, the promoters of this concert basically committed FRAUD! We were simply not permitted to enter areas we had every right to be.

Then, the night took an even worse turn!! (Yes, this is a saga series blog entry!!)

When Rage Against the Machine was about to take the stage, we encountered exceptionally rude assholes. First, a guy was digging his nails into my arm trying to move me to squeeze his way past. (For those of you who have been in a mosh pit, you can understand how hard it is to move forward). I told the guy, quite forcibly, to stop grabbing me. He of course acted really tough. Seconds later, someone tried to push pass Princess. Quite forcibly. The man kept saying, "My Father is right there!" There was no room for him to move through, his Father reached past Princess and started to try to pull him through. (The 'son' was about a 300 pounder!) This was followed by Princess' # 1 self defense mechanism... her BLOOD CURDLING SCREAM! The man then proceeded to verbally assault her and squared off like he wanted to physically assault her!! (Princess is a tiny 100 pounder)

Here we go... it takes another WORSE turn!

When the lights went down, and everyone behind us yelling the traditional 'pit' chant "RUSH THE STAGE, RUSH THE STAGE" -- Then, the expected crown surge came, where the people in the back begin to push everyone, with hopes of loosening up the crowd and forcible moving any security barricades that are up. Then, the event staff sprayed MACE on the entire area we were in. The people in the front were basically maced right in the face. This loosened up the crowd even more and just made the surge more successful.

Now, let's go over that again. The event staff, at a concert, making most likely close to minimum wage, are now empowered to spray MACE on people? Although we weren't close, we definitely felt it, and we were not doing anything but trying to survive in the crowd surge.

The event staff, provided by a company called Contemporary Services Corporation, have absolutely no right to use any type of weapons against people who paid to be at an event. The fact they feel empowered to do so is an example of the type of bullshit that our society has learned to put up with.

I wonder what Damon Zumwalt, the President and CEO of Contemporary Services Corporation, would have to say about it? Give him a call at 818-885-5150 and ask him how he would like to pay $160 to be maced in the face.

(No, neither Princess or I wasn't maced in the face, but other people with wrist bands were.)

To be continued...

Phase 2, Week 7, Day 4

My transformation is still going strong. Esby and I are still in Arizona and I'm working out 6 days per week. Last weekend I was in Michigan visiting family. It was kind of stressful to see so many people but I survived!

This week we had bad storms in Arizona. We have gotten into Monsoon season here. I didn't know Arizona had monsoons but we witnessed one first hand. It is like a bad thunderstorm with huge downpours and lots of loud thunder and bright lightening. The one added benefit is the dust storms that go along with it. We walked into Lifetime through a dust storm and it is really uncomfortable!! Lots of sand in the eyes and such. I'll have to remember my dust storm goggles next time.

Because of the storm, San Carlos Bay (our fave Mexican seafood eatery) lost power. We avoided going there this week, as Esby managed to point out: "What do you think happened to all that fish that was in the freezer?" Good point. But, we still managed to get sick this week, both of us suffered from flu like symptoms most of the week. But, I still managed to work out every day.

Tonight I have cardio which I'll do after my return home... it has been two long weeks! I've been doing a lot of abs lately and my stomach hurts because of that. Add flu like symptoms to that and you get one unhappy camper!

Tomorrow I have 1-800-GOT-JUNK people coming over to clear out the trash in our garage. I've decided it is far overdue. Once that chore is done, I'm going for a short bike ride to try out my new speed play pedals I bought. It's been far too long since I've cycled on a regular basis and now that I am down over 50 pounds, it is time to RIDE!

Peace out... :)

JH

Phase 2, Week 3, Day 4

Next week my diet is changing slightly. Although I've been sticking to the diet for a while now, I am going to be adding more protein. Also, Sushi Tuesdays are OFF!

Eating Sushi alone is one thing. I used to go to Sushi 101, eat a brown rice, a few pieces of nigiri, and some seaweed salad. That was good for me. Sushi is the kind of food you share... meaning a big combined order is made for the whole table and we all dig in. But, since my Sushi Tuesday has become a more "group" affair, the temptation of fusion rolls made with fatty contents and sauces has become too much for me to handle. This week, I ate until I made myself sick. So, until further notice, my Tuesday dinner plans will become a private matter!!

I'm also adding Whey Protein to the mix next week. My lifting has become pretty intense and my muscles are screaming for more food. Without enough protein, muscles begin to cannibalize eat other for fuel. So, a heavy arms day becomes good for the arms, but bad for the core and legs. Then, when I work my legs, they eat my arms. Its really that simple. So, next week I'm going to be increasing my protein calories, my cardio intensity, and my lifting weight to achieve greater results.

Esby and I started to shoot hoops after the workout. We both pretty much suck at basketball, but it was fun to work up a sweat chasing after the ball and just shooting it around a little. It sure beats going back to the hotel to sit around!!

Next week I may try to go for morning hike or two. An easy 45 minute hike may be able to replace boring gym cardio all together. But, I'm worried about twisting my ankle or jamming my knee so I will tread safely.

My next public swim suit event is on July 14th (Day 6, Week 6). I'm expecting to be down another 7-9 pounds by then and I MUST hit that goal!

Running to the airport now!

Peace out... :D

JH

Ferrari's New Raincoat!

Ferrari got a new raincoat today!

Phase 2, Week 2, Day 6...

I have successfully completed Phase 1 of my transformation. In total, I lost over 35 pounds in my first phase which ran for 12 weeks, ending the week of May 21st. I planned to do this in phases so that I can properly measure results and make any changes that are required.

My concentration for this phase is still my lower back and my stomach, but I have added some additional exercises that allow me to increase my fat burn. For the next 8 weeks, I will adding a circuit training complexes regiment. I did it on Tuesday for the first time and I thought it was kind of easy. But, when the pain came on Wednesday I knew it is not messing around.

Complexes are basically quick burst exercises that really make your body work hard for brief periods of time. The objective: Move between exercise series as quickly as possible, only resting as you move from one series to the next.

First, I started off with Squats. I lifted 330 pounds in 1 set of 6 reps.

I then quickly moved on to Chin Ups, also running 1 set of 6 reps.

Then, I moved on to using a set of 12.5 dumbbells, doing Lunges with a Overhead Press (basically: 1. Stand with weights over your head; 2. step forward with one leg; 3. Bend the leg you stepped forward with until the other leg is parallel with the ground; 4. Return to start position, quickly, pushing the weights back up over your head.) I repeated these in 2 sets, 1 for each legs, with 6 reps.

The exercise I was most interested in seeing if I could do was next. Push ups, on barbells, with a row in between. A normal push up but you are holding onto the barbells. Once you have completed a push up, you lift the weight up with one hand, then change hands on the next push up. I quickly knocked out 12 push ups (with the rows), of course almost falling over a few times!

Lastly, I did Cable Wood Chops, 6 per side. (Pulling the cable as if you were, well, chopping wood!)

All in all, this whole thing took me less than 10 minutes to run through. I felt a little guilty, like I wasn't working out hard enough, so I did a complete abs package. But, as I wrote above, the complexes really work, because on Wednesday and Thursday I was incredibly sore in places I haven't been sore yet.

Bring on week 3!

Peace out... :)

JH

Week Eleven, Day One

Wow. Just two more weeks left in Phase I. Sitting at LAX waiting for my flight. I found the shortcut through the security maze today and I'm pretty happy about that!

Tonight I'm going to work arms and core. I've only got two weeks left until Hawaii and I can't wait! I've certainly hit my target to be "swimsuit ready" by the time I jump in the Pacific Ocean for a week of snorkeling.

Battery is dying!

Peace out... :D

JH