Busy, busy, busy

I have not abandoned this project, but have been very busy recently. Here are some updates:

1. Ran in my first 5K race on August 27th. I came in 73rd out of 82 entrants. I learned that I'm a jogger, not a runner YET. The difference in running at 5:30 AM versus 8:00 AM in south Alabama is huge temperature wise. I learned that I could dig deep even though my body was crying "no more". I was highly motivated to finish strong with all the previous finishers watching(and cheering my name which was very cool) and to ABSOLUTELY NOT BE LAST. Yes I'm competing more against myself but I do have my pride.

2. Currently I am down to 260 lbs. from 292 in June. I have been jogging, changing my eating habits(see below), working out at the gym, and taking Advocare nutritional supplements for energy and to be sure I get the core nutrition my body needs to maximize its efficiency. For more on the supplements you can go to http://www.never2late4u.com/ to order or for my contact information. I would be happy to help you design a plan to help you achieve physical success according to YOUR goals. I do sell the products but would assist you with your plan for no charge whether you purchase anything or not. If you are interested I can also help you with a plan to achieve financial independence working part-time at your own pace.

3. I have started my own business (mentioned in #2). Of course I want it to grow faster but with the small amount of time I have available I guess I'm doing OK.

4. Eating habits change: I work 11-14 hours a day on an 18 wheeler making deliveries to homes and businesses. I drive anywhere from 200-400 miles while making 10-20 deliveries most days. I am allowed a 30 minute lunch break but rarely take the time off as I am more concerned with getting the deliveries made. Occasionally I do take it if I see it will not prevent me from getting all my deliveries made. Anyway my food needs to be fast and portable to eat within the parameters of my job and my pride in doing everything possible to never bring deliveries back. Sooooo I said all that to illustrate why my current plan IS my current plan.

I eat every 1-2 hours. This keeps "meals" small and quick, my metabolism burning(stomach sees food and calls for action-over and over), and enables my energy level to be maintained as I get in/out of the tractor and trailer in the Gulf Coast weather(smothering humidity right now).

When I go home at night my wife has dinner cooked and I eat whatever she prepares BUT my stomach has gotten used to small portions so I eat less.

Now what do I eat during the day? I believe every person is different and every NATURAL food has value. I have more or less created my own system from 3 low carb plans (Atkins, The Maker's Diet, and the Caveman Diet). For the most part I stay away from high processed carbs (containing white flour, white sugar, and/or a lot of ingredients I can't pronounce). I do eat some occasionally especially bread for a sandwich but here are some of my typical "meal snacks":

Peanut butter on celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli (all raw). Also ranch dressing on same but watch the ingredients-some have LOTS of sugar. I also dip in the tuna mixture listed below.

Any raw fruit in its natural state or canned fruit packed in water or its own juice. NOTE: most dehydrated fruit has lots of added sugar to the point I can't enjoy the flavor of the fruit itself. I usually eat 4-5 servings a day. I stay away from drinking much juice because you are getting calories that don't fill you up.

string cheese(1 or 2 per day), tuna fish packed in olive oil(better flavor to me than water packed) with a spoon of mayo and dill cubes, nuts(smoked almonds are my favorite), Mini-Slim Jims(high sodium so be careful if you need to watch your intake), boiled eggs.

I also use Advocare Meal Replacement Shakes for a quick breakfast and their snack bars, breakfast bars, fruit & fiber bars, etc. for quick, filling,  nutritional meal snacks.

Drinks:

I cut out coffee(a little with lots of cream/sugar was my recipe in a 32 ounce CUP haha), a 2 liter bottle of Gatorade mixed at home per day, and ALL diet sodas-my wife and son are diabetics so I drank these to make shopping easier for my honey. I cut the first two out due to the calories and the diets because they seem to make me want to eat more.

NOW I drink lots of water, Advocare Spark-a sugar free mental focus energy drink, and limited milk and juice.

That's it for now, I will try to be a little more diligent about posting. It would help if I knew whether someone was actually reading this.