DAY 29 OF 365: ONE MONTH DOWN. ONLY 11 MORE TO GO

It’s hard to believe that today is the last day of January.  But then again, who am I kidding. I’m still in denial that I am 30 years old. A month into the challenge and I have never felt better. Who knew eating healthy could be this fun. Now that's not to say that I still don’t have cravings or every once in awhile dream of eating an ice cream sundae, because I do. I’m human, aren’t I? The fun part though has been trying new and healthier foods that I might not have given a chance a year ago.  At the same time, I am finding that I enjoy working out at the gym. It’s the best medicine for what ails me. No matter if I have had a bad day at the office, stressed out at home, or am having a craving for a piece of chocolate cake, the gym allows me to just work it out.  Well after tonight’s workout with JC, I am completely sore. We worked the legs and arms and even my finger are sore. On another note, I have noticed that my skin has gotten a little dry due to all the sweating and increased showers. My buddy Helene told me about this moisturizer that I am excited to try out this weekend. Dry skin and I don’t get along. Well, off to bed! I will be hitting the gym tomorrow for some cardio. I am aiming for the morning before work, but I have a feeling that I will be extremely sore, so it might be working out after work for me. 

DAY 28 OF 365: HEALTHY FOOD NEVER TASTED SO GOOD

I feel as if my taste buds have been awoken from a deep sleep and are taking me to a land that I have never been to; a world full of different tastes, smells and textures. Food has started to become more about taste and health to me, rather then about comfort and accessibility. Ironically, this is the same feeling that Julia Child had. I know this because I was the extras casting director on the Nora Ephron film, “Julie and Julia”. Food is what inspired Julia to become the master chef that shaped the American art of cooking and paved the way for cooking shows all over the world. The film was also partly based on a blog written by Julie Powell; The Julie/Julia project. Hmm, interesting. I worked on a film partly based on a blog about food. And here I am blogging about eating food, well healthy food and becoming a fitter and healthier me. Could be a good movie, maybe? Ok, enough day dreaming, back to the blog.
Growing up I was always a picky eater, giving my parents hell about ever trying anything new and if it was part of the vegetable family, good luck prying my mouth open. Even as recent as last year, I never wanted to try new things, sticking only with food I knew and was comfortable eating and preparing. I find now that it excites me to try new things, to figure out what flavors go well with each other. Even experimenting with recipes and incorporating different ingredients to see where I can take the already existing recipe. That is half the fun of cooking isn’t it? Mistakes happen all the time in the kitchen. That is how even the best of chefs create masterpieces with food. Tonight I decided to make a Kale stir-fry with peppers, caramelized onions, carrots and apples. It was actually quite tasty. There is no wrong way when it comes to cooking. It might not taste as good as you might like, but you learn from it and improve.
As a kid I grew up with sun tea. My mother would put tea bags in a canister full of water and would leave it out on the deck all day and in the evening we would have sun tea. So today I decided to pay homage to that and make my own brewed tea. It is actually better tasting than the powered ice tea mix that I also grew up on. All I did was add some fresh lemon slices and lemon juice and in no time I had a refreshing glass of unsweetened iced brewed tea.
I also hit the gym today doing an hour of cardio on the treadmill. There used to be a time that a half an hour on the treadmill would have killed me, but I pushed myself today. JC told me that in order to condition my body, I needed to push myself till I couldn’t physically go further, or as he likes to say, fail. So that’s what I did. I also worked on abs and while also focusing on stretching out my legs after running on the treadmill for an hour. After that I showered and headed home to enjoy that rest of my day as I cooked dinner and watched some movies. I deserved it. I worked hard!
Well, tomorrow is Monday and the start of another work week. They a forecasting another big snowstorm for the east coast, estimating about another 15 inches of snow on Wednesday. Just what we need. Well, till tomorrow.

DAY 27 OF 365: HELLO COLLARD GREENS. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

So today I realized that I love collard greens. I don’t know what I was so scared of them. I bought them last week with the rest of my leafy greens and they sat in my fridge because I was terrified to cook them. I was made to believe that they were going to be very difficult to cook and that after all the effort that I would put into making them that I would probably not like them. Well, let me tell you. They were extremely easy to make and even better tasting. Per “Greens, Glorious Greens” collards are a nutritional goldmine. According to the USDA composition of foods, collard greens outrank broccoli, spinach and mustard greens in nutritional value. A cancer fighting vegetable along with kale and broccoli, collard greens are low in calories, high in fiber, and rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium, and B vitamins. In a nutshell, collards are not only a healthy vegetable but they are tasty as well. Below is the recipe that I used for the collard greens. Try it out and let me know what you think. It can be found in “Greens, Glorious Greens”. I added the apples.

COLLARD GREENS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND APPLES

Serves 2 to 3

¾ lbs of collard greens (6 or 7 cups, chopped)

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

3 onions, sliced into thin crescents

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 apple, peeled and chopped

Salt to taste

Wash collards, remove stalks and stack 4 to 5 leaves. Slice into strips, approximately ¼ inch wide

In a large skillet or cast iron pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and sweet. Make sure not to burn. Add garlic and apples and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden.

While the onions are cooking, bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil in a 10 to 12 inch skillet with a lid. Add collards, cover and cook over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The greens are cooked when they are tender but still bright green. Make sure to add salt to the water. It will help keep the collards bright green. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Add greens to onions and garlic. Season with salt to taste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Serve hot, drizzled with additional olive oil if you dare.

You can find this recipe (without the apples) and many others in Greens, Glorious Greens. I definitely recommend buying it if you don’t already have it.
Today was my second session with my Nutritionist, Jessica. It was great filling her in on all my progress the past 3 weeks since our last visit. Last week Jessica chatted with me about the importance of leafy greens; this week we chatted about grains. What I learned today is that whole grains are some of the best source of nutritional support, containing high levels of dietary fiber and B vitamins. And, because the body absorbs them slowly, grains provide long lasting energy. So my homework is try all different types of whole grains and experiment with ways of preparing and cooking them.
Well, time for bed. I have a busy day tomorrow. I also want to take a class at the gym Sunday. I am thinking about going in for some cardio and then checking out a yoga or spin class. I also have some quinoa that Jessica gave me to try. Well till tomorrow.

DAY 26 OF 365: LA BOUND IN 4 MONTHS

So I found out the other day that my office is being flown out to LA in May for a corporate meeting and party. It’s kind of exciting since we are being flown out and put up in a hotel. Not many companies do this, especially in this economy. I will fly out Thursday and work from our LA office on Friday and then attend the party Friday night. Then I have Saturday and Sunday to enjoy LA, see the sights, and visit my buddy Diane. The exciting part is that this will be about half way through my challenge, and by May I should see a drastic change. What better way then to show off my LA body, well, in LA.
I have been working out with JC every Monday Wednesday and Friday night after work and then I go Thursday and Saturday by myself. Usually on the days I work out by myself I tend to do cardio and abs, but I have decided to venture into the land of the classes. Who would have thought that the gym offered so many classes? Some of them look intense, like the boot camp. I think I will leave that for another time. The name alone has me sore. But I would love to try out yoga and spinning. There is even a step class that I witnessed tonight, as I was weight training with JC. It looks like it involves a lot of coordination. I just might sign up for a class this weekend. Could be fun or very embarrassing.
Well time for bed. I have a busy weekend ahead of me. My building is installing a peephole in my door in the morning and then I am meeting with Jessica in the afternoon. Till tomorrow.

DAY 25 OF 365: THERE'S ALWAYS TIME TO WORK THE ABS

So I start the day now with working the core and abs. I dedicate about 30 minutes each morning to stretching out my core and working the abs muscles. By starting my day off like this, I feel full of energy and ready to conquer the day. It is also a great way to put in a quick workout if you are not able to make it to the gym. With my job, there are sometimes where I work late nights and just can’t make it to the gym on time. This is a great way to workout in the comfort of your home. With JC I have been doing a mix of cardio and strength training to maximize muscle gain and accelerate fat loss.
Life is a total body adventure; and a happy, healthy body is a body in motion. If you can’t make it to a gym, or if you can’t afford a gym membership, there are so many things that you can do. Biking, hiking, skiing, even walking are things to help you accelerate fat loss. I used to be one of those people that after a long day, I just wanted to come home, schlep on the couch with some junk food and a soda and watch TV or a movie. Now I find that I want to be more active and be outside. Granted, right now with 15 plus inches of snow, I would prefer to be at the gym or in the comfort of my own home, but still, I want to be active. I have also done the math and by making my own lunches and bringing snacks to the office I have saved roughly $70 this week. Just by packing lunches. So not only am I eating healthy, I am saving money at the same time. Not bad.
This weekend I am looking forward to taking a class or two at the gym. I would love to try out yoga. Jessica is a yoga teacher so I might ask her advice. All I know is that anyone that I have ever seen come out of a yoga class has had an amazing body! What’s great about gym memberships is that they offer all of these free classes. So if you have a membership to a gym, take advantage of this. Switch up your routine. Just like your body can get tired of eating the same thing, it can also get tired of working out the same way. Spice it up. It’s also a great way to meet new people.
Well, off to bed. My call times are out for Law and Order: SVU and I am ready for bed. TGIF tomorrow. Thank God. Hopefully we can get through a day without any snow. One can hope. Till tomorrow.

DAY 24 OF 365: YOU NEED TO FAIL IN ORDER TO SUCCEED

So today JC told me that he specialized in failure. Pretty ironic since I was trying to succeed at this challenge and not fail. But he explained to me that in order for my body to rebuild the muscle I had to fail. That was the only way that we were going to build muscle and get my body back into shape. Boy did I fail today! JC handed me my ass on a silver platter. By the end of the workout I felt my legs and arms giving out. At one point I had to stop the workout because I started to have a muscles spasm. After about 5 minutes of stretching it out, I was back to my training. Now don’t get me wrong, I am sore and I hurt all over, but I have never felt better. I have more energy and I don’t tire as easily as I used too. I am starting to see a change in my arms and legs; a little more definition. Others say that they see a big difference, but I don’t yet. I think it is because I am more critical about what I want to achieve and I also see myself everyday. It also helps that I am eating allot healthier. I doubt that all the ice cream and junk food that I was filling my body with was helping.
So as I write this I am looking out the window at the mini blizzard that is occurring. It is only January 26th and we have had twice as much snow as we had last year. That means we have 3 more months of this weather. Now, I love the snow. Everyone loves a good snowball fight and sledding, but this is enough. I feel like there is a snowstorm every week. Well, I better invest in a dog sled team. I am probably going to need them to get into work. Ugh, I am now realizing that I meant to pick up snow boots after the last snowstorm. Yep, forgot about that. Looks like I will be making the trek in the snow in my pumas. I am sure that will be fun. Well, off to bed. Should be interesting going to work in the snow. Till tomorrow.

DAY 23 OF 365: WORKING HARD FOR THE BODY

So last night was the first time since I began this challenge that I actually had trouble sleeping because of how sore I was. My entire body ached and it wasn’t any better when I woke up. I felt tight in my shoulders and legs and my back felt as if someone was punching me constantly. JC said that this was probably going to happen and I guess it was about time I felt this pain. At least now I know that I am working hard. I guess that saying is true. “ No pain no gain”.
Nothing exciting happened at the office today. Just a normal day of casting extras and prepping the next episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I will say though that I am over the winter. Don’t get me wrong, I love the snow but enough is enough. It snowed again today. Not much, but enough to give us a dusting. They are calling for snow and ice tomorrow and then more snow this weekend. How I long for the days of shorts and t-shirt weather. My buddy Diane moved out to California and I felt myself daydreaming about lounging by her pool as I sip I nice cold glass of fresh brewed ice tea. Then of course I am awoken from this daydream by the sound of my phone ringing; knowing that on the other end is an extra looking for their information for the next day.
Today I enjoyed a nice Mesculin salad with grilled chicken and fat free lemon vinaigrette and some low fat blueberry yogurt. Quite tasty. I also made myself an afternoon smoothie as a snack that I enjoyed with a nice pear. As I type this I realize that this might sound boring, but it is a way for me to track what I eat in the day. Almost like a food journal. It is funny how some of my co-workers are getting on the healthy bandwagon. It’s not the entire office, but hey, even if it is just one person that I have motivated, that is still great. My hope is that this blog will spread and people will start to check it out on a daily basis and it will motivate them as well to join the challenge.
Well, time to get ready for bed. I have a crazy busy day tomorrow. I have to get up early to get to a Law and Order: Special Victims Unit production meeting for the next episode and I also have a training session with JC tomorrow night. I am praying that when I wake up tomorrow morning that I am not as sore as I was today. One can hope! Oh, and tonight for dinner a tried another version of the Broccoli Rabe recipe that I posted yesterday. So I prepared it pretty much the same way but instead of roasted red peppers I added sun dried tomatoes and substituted the water for lemon juice. I also added fresh shrimp to the broccoli rabe. It was great. I am sure that if you don’t like shrimp you could add grilled chicken and it would taste just as good. I am looking forward to meeting with Jessica on Saturday and filling her in on all my progress since we last spoke. Well, time for bed. Have a great day tomorrow and remember; if you are willing to invest so much in your careers and monetary things, why not invest the same in your body! Till tomorrow.

DAY 22 OF 365: GREENS, GREENS AND MORE GREENS

So it felt great today to not have to buy my lunch. Well, with the amount of food that I bought I shouldn’t have to buy lunch for a month. Ok, maybe not that long, but I have allot of food. The best part though is that it is all healthy food. Jessica would be very proud of me. Actually, I am proud of me. Not to pat myself on the back, but it is week four and I have never felt better. I have more energy, I feel more motivated, and I actually enjoy going to the gym and working out.
So last night I prepared baked chicken that I baked in Chicken Broth. I also brined the chicken for four hours in a citrus brine to make the chicken moist. So for lunch I had an arugula salad with some of the baked chicken. I also brought in the broccoli rabe with roasted red peppers and garlic. I was worried that it wouldn’t taste as fresh the next day, but it actually did. If anyone is interested, below is the recipe. Try it out and let me know what you think. I am looking forward to trying out a new way to prepare the broccoli rabe.

BROCCOLI RABE WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND GARLIC

1 pound of broccoli rabe (about 6 to 7 cups chopped)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 roasted red pepper diced

Water as needed

Salt to taste

Chop off about one-inch of the base of the stalks of the broccoli rabe and discard. Slice the stems into one-inch pieces and coarsely chop the leaves and florets.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl around to coat the pan. Add garlic and cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn

Add the broccoli rabe and toss to combine well with garlic and oil. Stir in the roasted red pepper.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of water. Or substitute one tablespoon of water for a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Cover and continue to cook until the broccoli rabe is tender but still bright green, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust the heat if you need to avoid burning.

Season to taste with salt and serve hot.

Enjoy. I know I did! 

Well, time for bed. I am sore from my work out tonight with JC. It was total body workout tonight. By the end my back and arms were sore and I was covered in sweat. Ironically as I was typing this blog, I turned on the TV and watched the new episode of 90210. Well till tomorrow. Stay Healthy!

DAY 21 OF 365: STOCKED FRIDGE MEANS LOTS OF MEALS TO PREPARE

So today was a busy day for me. I thought since I had so many healthy groceries that I would make myself some lunches for the office as well as prep some dinners for when I get home. This way I can save money and still eat healthy! I made sure to get plenty of healthy snack options for the office as well. I have the normal fruits and vegetables, but I also added some new snacks to the mix. I went and bought hummus and cut of broccoli heads to dip in it. I also made another batch of Kale chips. I can’t get enough of them. They are so simple to make and so good for you. I bought some fresh pears as well apples and oranges. You can never go wrong with fruit. I stocked up on organic frozen fruit so that I can make smoothies at the office. I bought different types of fruit so that I can create different types of smoothies. All I have to do is add the fruit, bananas, and non-fat yogurt, blend them together and in seconds I have a fresh smoothie. I wanted to mix it up this week with my meals and snacks so my body doesn’t get bored of eating the same thing over and over again. Jessica, my nutritionist said that one of the pit falls that people run into when they go on diets is eating the same thing. By doing this, your body will start craving what it is not getting and the urge to slip and binge is allot higher. This way, I make sure that my body is getting all the things that it wants and needs to get through the day, especially with my vigorous workouts.
I met my buddy Marcus at the gym this afternoon for some Cardio. I did 35 minutes on the treadmill and then 40 minutes on the Elliptical. I worked on my abs as well and then called it a day. I didn’t want to push it since I was still sore from my workout Friday and I am meeting with JC Monday night after work. So home I went.
The one thing that Jessica said for me to do was to try different leafy greens and try preparing them different ways. What’s amazing is that Leaf vegetables are typically low in calories, low in fat, high in protein per calorie, high in dietary fiber, high in iron and calcium, and very high in phytochemicals such as vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein and folic acid as well as Vitamin K. What does that mean? In a nut shell, Incorporate Leafy Greens into your diet because they are good for you and incredibly healthy. The fun part is trying to figure out new and exciting ways to prepare them. So tonight along with prepping grilled chicken, and cutting up and bagging different vegetables I also tried a new recipe involving broccoli rabe. It is certainly not the easiest Leafy green to prepare and it is very pungent and sometimes bitter. Some may be scared of this green, and I should have been, but I wasn’t. I was excited to try it since I never have. I picked a recipe involving broccoli rabe, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and roasted red peppers. It took about 20 minutes to prepare and cook. You have to watch in constantly so it doesn’t burn, but other than that, a piece of cake. I feel like the roasted red peppers and garlic off set the bitter taste of the Broccoli Rabe. I definately enjoyed the taste and packed it away for Lunch tomorrow. I just hope that it tastes good the next day after it has been reheated in the microwave. I guess I will find out tomorrow. Fingers crossed. If you are interested in the recipe, go out and by “Greens, Glorious Greens”. An amazing addition to your cookbooks. Most of the recipes, besides the ones that Jessica is giving me, are from this book. Not only does it provide exceptional recipes, it also provides you information regarding the Greens that you are cooking with. Well, time for bed. I have a busy week ahead of me. It’s hard to believe that it is already week four of my challenge. Time is flying by.

DAY 20 OF 365: THE FRIDGE IS NOW STOCKED

So today was a busy day for me. I was awoken this morning when my cell phone started ringing at 7:50am. Now I had planned on getting up at 8am anyway since the desk that I bought from Crate and Barrel was being delivered between 9am and 12pm. So when my phone was ringing at 7:50am I was worried it was an emergency. I mean, who would be calling me so early. Well, it was the delivery guy calling to say that they were here, with my desk, more than an hour early. Now, I am not the best handy man. I am the type to pay the extra fee to have it put together. Unfortunately, that was not an option at Crate and Barrel. Not the best trait, but I am being honest. So after the guys dropped the boxes off, I began my adventure into building a desk. Not as difficult as I thought. So after about an hour my new desk was all put together. I also had a fresh direct order delivered today. My fridge is now stocked with fresh fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and plenty of protein. I also ordered all the ingredients to make healthy smoothies. The only problem is that I don't own a blender. Maybe next time I should check to make sure that I own the necessary equipment needed to make my smoothies. Guess the next thing on my list of things to do is to buy a blender!
I have to admit that my new favorite snack is Kale Chips. Very tasty, healthy and simple to make. All you need is one bunch of Kale, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sea salt and in less then 15 minutes, you have homemade Kale Chips.
Take your bunch of Kale and wash and dry it. Rip it up into pieces and place in a zip lock bag. Drizzle a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle in some sea salt. Shake it up and place it on a baking sheet. You want to pre heat the oven for 350 degrees and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the edges are nice and crispy. So give it a try and let me know what you think. It is a perfect and healthy substitute for regular potato chips.
As expected, I am still sore from my workout the other night with JC. I am really feeling it in my arms and especially in my back. So I opted to take it easy today and get caught up with some chores around the house. Sunday I will be doing a cardio and abs day at the gym by myself. The best part though is that JC taught me some abs exercises that I can do at home. So I can start my day off every morning with an abs workout before leaving for work.
My night ended with seeing “Gruesome Playground Injuries” with Pablo Schreiber and Jennifer Carpenter. The show was incredible. I was drawn in from the very first scene and every aspect captivated me including their use of the set. The tone and design of the show were amazing and the performances of Pablo and Jennifer were so deep and powerful that you left the theatre debating what happened after the curtain closed. You wanted to know what happened to these two characters and you followed them on this journey. The actors portrayed these characters starting at 8 years old all the way till they were 38 years old. That in itself is an incredible feat and these actors made it believable
So if you are in the city and have the chance to go see a show, check out Gruesome Playground Injuries. You will not be disappointed!
Well I am off to bed. Another busy day tomorrow and of course the big Jets game is tomorrow night. So till tomorrow. Stay healthy!

DAY 19 OF 365: EVERYBODY NEEDS A PERSONAL DAY

So I took today off since my episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit was not filming. It was an opportunity to get caught up on some cleaning and laundry and some other household chores that I always push off till tomorrow. You know that feeling of I will do it tomorrow, which never happens.
I should have slept in, but I am so used to getting up early, that I was up by 8am and showered and ready to hit the ground running by 9am. I have been procrastinating on getting a fan/light in my bedroom and I finally bought one last Sunday. So today I had them install it. What a difference it makes in the room. Little by little I am starting to make my place feel like home. The big thing though was that I finally placed a fresh direct order that will be arriving tomorrow morning. I ordered fruits and veggies and all kinds of fun healthy food. I went through my Green, Glorious Greens cook book and picked out a couple of recipes that I wanted to try out, so I made sure that I picked up those ingredients. I also had this amazing mango salad from this Tai restaurant the other day that I am excited to recreate. It consisted of Mangos, Red Peppers, Red Onions, Cucumbers, Arugula and Pineapple with lemon vinaigrette dressing. It was amazing. I would never have thought that it could have been that good. I guess my taste buds are starting to come alive. I will start to post some recipes on the blog that I enjoy so that you can all try them for yourselves.
I had my workout with JC tonight. I was still feeling a little sore from Wednesday night, especially in my legs. Tonight we worked my core but concentrated on my upper body and chest. It is kind of pathetic that I can barely do pull ups, but then again, my upper body is extremely weak. By the end of the work out my arms were shaking. I have a feeling that I will be in pain tomorrow morning. But I am not giving up. I am pushing through the pain, keeping in mind my goal.
Well, off to bed. Another busy day tomorrow. Plus my desk arrives! The only downfall is that I have to put it together.

DAY 18 OF 365: 3 DAY WEEKEND!

So I know that I said I was going to go grocery shopping today, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I over slept this morning so I was rushing to get out of the house and get to the office. I grabbed an apple and a granola bar and was out the door. Once at the office, it was just another day. Since my episode of Law and Order: SVU is not filming on Friday I decided to take the day off and get some housework done. I was hoping to get some grocery shopping done on my lunch break at Trader Joe’s, but a busy workday kept me from that. So it looks like I will be adding Grocery shopping to my list of things that I need to get done on Friday.
I have to admit that I am still sore from my workout with JC yesterday. I am finding that my legs are a little tight and my arms and shoulders are sore. So because of this I opted not to go to the gym and do cardio. Instead I headed to my buddy Marcus’ after work to help him with some packing. I decided to save the cardio workout for Saturday since I have another session with JC on Friday.
After helping Marcus with some packing/moving we ordered some dinner and watched “The Social Network”. Great movie. If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend checking it out. The writing is spot on and the score of the movie is incredible. I would actually buy the soundtrack just to hear the score. Had a great tone to it. For those of you wondering, “The Social Network” is the story of Facebook. We all know what Facebook is, and if you don’t you should really climb out of the hole you are living in. It was cool sitting back and hearing the story of how it came about and the people that were responsible. The drama behind it is actually fascinating. Who would have thought there was such a back-story? And so many lawsuits.
Well here I am at home typing my blog, feeling like I accomplished nothing today. I guess that could also be due to the fact that I just watched a film about college students who created a 58 billion dollar company. If that doesn’t motivate a person to become the best that they can be I don’t know what can. So even though I have tomorrow off, I have allot to accomplish. Now I just need to stay focused and make sure that list is all crossed off. Including my trip to the grocery store to stock my fridge with some healthy food. And, ingredients to try out some of the recipes from Greens, Glorious Greens. Well off to bed. Also, looks like more snow tomorrow.

DAY 17 OF 365: STARTING TO SEE A DIFFERENCE

So people have started to say that they see a difference in my appearance. However, I can’t seem to see any difference. I guess that is because I see myself day in and day out. My trainer even said that he sees a difference. Well, that was the only motivation that I need. Now we all know what my goal is, but the one thing that I really want to achieve is to lose the double chin. I have had it almost my entire life, and I hate it. It shows up in pictures, in the mirror, hell, it goes everywhere that I go. So once my lovely double chin vacates my body, I will know that the exercise and healthy life style are really starting to work.
So tonight JC really upped my routine. Everyday he asks me about what I ate, my water intake and how I felt after the workout. Well, I always say I felt fine and no real soreness. Well that was a big mistake. JC said that my body is recovering great so in order to increase muscle growth and strength in my core; we had to push my body even more. That meant new exercises and warm up techniques that we had not done before. I had sweat poring down my face within 15 minutes of my workout. My heart was pounding and my legs felt like they were on fire. Not only did they feel like they were on fire, they were screaming at me. The thing about JC is that he pushes me. He will not let me fail. It is that motivation that will keep me going. After the workout I showered and headed home. I felt so sore and all I wanted to do was just sit down when I got home. And that is exactly what I did. I put out my call times for Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and I passed out, forgetting to blog. So that is why I am blogging about yesterday this morning. I promise, I will get better at remembering to blog before the day is over. I just have to get used to this. As I type this post, my legs are so sore as are my arms. I have a feeling that today will be a rough day at the office. Oh, the pain we go through to stay in shape. Till tonight! Stay healthy and fit!

DAY 16 OF 365: ICE/RAIN STORM WITH NO UMBRELLA EQUALS A SOAKED ME

So today we had another Snow/Ice storm on the East coast. The thing is, it wasn’t a surprise. The news had forecasted this storm and I had known about it for a couple of days. Now a smart person would check and make sure they had an umbrella. Not me. I even thought about stopping at the Duane Reade on my way home from the gym last night to pick one up, but I said to myself, no reason to pick up another umbrella. You have one at home. So this morning when I woke up and it was sleeting and freezing rain outside, guess what I couldn’t find? That’s right, an umbrella. I didn’t have one. So I was forced to walk to the PATH train with no umbrella. Needless to say, when I got to the office this morning I was soaked and cold. So what did I learn? Next time a storm is forecasted buy an umbrella.
I was planning on going to Trader Joe’s today during my lunch break to go grocery shopping but unfortunately with the snow, ice and rain, I opted not to. So it looks like I will be doing my grocery shopping on Thursday. Since I wasn’t able to do my shopping this weekend, my kitchen is almost bare. Besides, I am also excited to make some of the dishes in my Greens, Glorious Greens cookbook. I am also looking forward to my new desk arriving on Saturday. The only thing that I am not looking forward to is having to assemble it. I am getting better at doing it myself and putting things together, but there is still that part of me that would much rather just pick up the phone and call someone to do it for me.
Tonight I was a bit lazy, as I was feeling sore from my workout with JC the other night. I came home and cooked dinner and put in a movie. Nothing better than curling up on the couch with a home cooked meal and a good movie on a cold night. Every so often you need a night like that. Well, as I type this post I feel myself fading. Off to bed I go. I am have early day tomorrow and then another session with JC after work.

DAY 15 OF 365: BACK TO THE GRIND

I have to say that Mondays are the hardest day for me. When that alarm goes off, I must hit snooze about three times before finally getting out of bed. But alas, when my alarm went off this morning, I knew it was the start of another workweek. It also meant another extensive workout with JC! I usually hit the gym either Saturday or Sunday, but because I was at the Inn this weekend, I didn’t. So I knew that this workout was going to be a tough one.
After getting into the office, I did some research on the computer and found out that on average, we drink about 450 to 550 calories a days. Can you believe that? One frapacchino from Starbucks is about 290 calories. I can only imagine how many calories I used to drink in a day. Remember, I was a heavy soda drinker and I also enjoyed my morning Carmel Macchiato from Starbucks. Thank God I cut that off and switched to water and tea. Now don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy coffee and I am going to start reintroducing coffee back into my diet. Just not with all the sugar and cream I used to add. And I will be sticking with basic coffee and not the fancy cappuccinos. I don’t want to go back to drinking half my caloric intake. I think that is where we go wrong.
As far as work went, it was just a normal day. Nothing out of the ordinary. It is actually a slow time at the office. Usually we start picking up again around February and March. Right now I am happy with my one show.
So after work I headed to my session with JC, which like I thought, was rough and intense; but in a good way. We worked allot on my legs and my core, integrating upper body workouts in as well. I have to say that the warm up routine that we do before every workout really gets me going. To me, it is more like the actual workout then a warm-up, but hopefully once I get some muscle built up it will start to feel like just a warm-up. We have been increasing the weights and reps on the machines, which is great to see. Especially since when I started I could hardly do any. My upper body strength is still not that great, but it is getting there.

After the session and stretching out the muscles I headed home, showered and relaxed. I did have something to eat when I got home. After a workout like that I needed to give my body some protein as it was repairing the damage that I did to the muscles during my workout. Well, time to call it a night. Busy day ahead of me. Oh and yeah, we are having a snow/sleet/ice/rain storm tomorrow. Gush, don’t you just love winter? Till tomorrow.


P.S. Sorry this post is late. Had some issues posting last night so I had to post this morning.

DAY 13 & 14 of 365: TRIP TO THE INN

Sorry that I didn’t post the other day. I went up to the Jedediah Hawkins Inn with a group of friends for a buddy’s birthday and I left my Mac at home. It was so nice to get away for the weekend and spend it with friends. Every once and awhile, you just need to be cut off from the outside world and enjoy your surroundings. And that’s just what I did. If you want more information about the Inn that we stayed at go to www.jedediahhawkinsinn.com
The Inn was in Long Island surrounded by area vineyards. We left early Saturday morning and arrived in the early afternoon. After a quick bite to eat we all checked into our rooms. That in itself is an interesting story. Seeing as I was busy and I kind of forgot to book my room, my buddy Marcus and I were forced to share a room since the Inn was booked up. Now, each one of the rooms has a name. There is the Cider room, the Cocoa room, the Sage room, and then the room that Marcus and I were staying in; The Rose room. Needless to say, our buddies busted our chops the entire weekend. Making it worse was that there was one queen size bed; the room was entirely pink as were the sheets and comforter. I will never hear the end of that.
Once we were all checked in, we were picked up at the Inn by an Escalade limo and driven around to local Vineyards to do wine tastings. We toured 3 vineyards while we were there. Thank god for spit buckets. Though I did feel bad using them. The views at the vineyards were amazing. I am actually excited to go back and enjoy their decks and patios in the spring.
When we returned to the Inn we relaxed for a bit before heading to dinner. The chef at the Inn happens to be the White House chef from the Clinton term. Amazing food is the only way to describe it! I watched as my friends enjoyed an appetizer called the “Fever Dog”. I watched in horror. Let’s just say it is a heart attack waiting to happen. But from the smiles on my friends’ faces, I could tell it was worth the heart attack. Great conversation and a few too many drinks (not me), some amazing memories and stories were made! Lets just say one of us fell down 2 stairs; after proclaiming he was the one here best capable of going down them.
We retired to the Speak Easy downstairs for the evening before calling it a night. I was exhausted and after a bit passed out. We were awoken in the middle of the night by a loud thump, to which Marcus calmly said, “It was an earthquake.” Well, we both agreed that that’s what it was and went back to bed. We later conquered with the rest of the gang that it must have been a pile of snow that slid off and hit the roof of our room.
The next morning we all met for a gourmet breakfast before packing up and heading home. There is something to be said about getting away for a weekend. It just relaxes you. We work so hard during the week, sometimes even weekends, that when you can get away and enjoy time with friends, you just need to do it. I was good and stayed healthy for the most part. I did toast my buddy for his birthday with a glass of red wine. But, now it is back to my routine of working out and working towards my goal. Till tomorrow.

DAY 12 OF 365: GREENS AND VEGETABLES = GLOWING SKIN

So a co-worker of mine said that my skin was glowing. She said that she could see a big difference in my appearance. I have to admit that my skin has never looked this good and it is due to the fact that I have replaced coffee and soda with water and added fruits and vegetables into my diet. It’s funny because I thought I would miss soda and sweets, but I actually don’t. They say that by cutting out soda out of your diet, that you will drop pounds quickly and they are right.
It has been a busy workweek this week and my weekend will be just as busy. I am leaving tomorrow for a buddy’s birthday tomorrow morning. A bunch of us are spending the night at this old inn in Long Island and touring some wineries while we are there. Should be a fun time. I will make sure to post some photos on the blog.
I must admit that I am extremely sore from my workout with JC tonight. We worked the entire body from the core to the lower and upper body. I have never felt this sore. It even hurts to type right now. We did some abs exercise tonight also. They are really easy and something that I can do in the morning before leaving for work and even when I get home. I am going to try and figure out how to post some flip videos on this blog next week so that I can do some video posts. Well, must go. I just heard the dryer buzz, which means it’s time to fold the laundry. Till tomorrow.

DAY 11 OF 365: 11 DOWN, 354 MORE DAYS TO GO

So it is Day 11 of the challenge, and I am still going strong. I wake up everyone morning still focused on the goal at hand; a healthier and fitter me. Oh, and of course a 90210 body to recreate the Trevor Donovan photo.
It has been a hectic workweek and with going to the gym after work, I haven’t had a chance to go grocery shopping this week. I am still eating healthy, but I wanted to go shopping and start trying out the recipes that Jessica gave me as well as some of the recipes in “Greens, Glorious Greens.” I am hoping that when I get back from Long Island on Sunday I can head over to the Grocery Store and pick up some fresh greens and other healthy groceries.
I have a session with JC tomorrow night after work and then I have to come home and pack since we are leaving early Saturday morning to head to the Bed and Breakfast in Long Island. Should be a fun weekend. Our buddies have arranged for us to do a series of wine tours and have even rented a limo to drive us in style. The hardest part is going to be touring these vineyards and not being tempted to drink all the wine. I can’t lose sight of the goal. And don’t get me wrong; I am not giving up drinking totally. A nice glass of wine here and there is fine. I am just trying to cut back on the alcohol that I consume. I will take some photos of the Inn and post on the blog. Supposedly the food is amazing and healthy.
On a non-healthy note, what is up with the new Zodiac Signs? There are so many conflicting stories, and this morning it was a hot topic of the office. I don’t know about you but I am keeping my “Gemini” sign. It suits me very well and I refuse to accept that after 30 years of being a Gemini that all of a sudden I am a Taurus. No disrespect to the Taurus, but I am a Gemini!
Well off to bed.

DAY 10 OF 365: WORKING HARD FOR THE BODY

So today’s blog will be a brief one. A busy workweek combined with extensive workouts has me exhausted.  I have to say if anyone is in the Jersey City area and wants to join a gym, please check out Club H. The staff there is amazing and the gym itself could not be anymore immaculate. They even have their own spa and health food bar complete with healthy shakes. When you have a gym like that, it makes it all the more motivating to go and work out. We upped the weights today in my work out session and even added some new machines to the routine. I also have noticed that my skin has never looked this great. I think it is in part to the 9 to 10 glasses of water I drink a day. I also don’t miss soda. That was one of the easiest things to give up. The hardest still would have to be the sweets. But, I have replaced those sweets with snacks like fruits and vegetables and even hummus. Jessica is going to teach me how to make healthy fruit sorbet, which is going to be great when it starts getting warmer. If you would have told me 2 months ago that I would be forgoing sweets for healthy snacks I would have laughed in your face.  Now look at me!

On a non-health related topic, I am very excited for my new desk to arrive and even more excited for the new chair and ataman that I purchased. I feel like the best part of owning your own place is starting to decorate it and make it your own. Those are going to be my two big purchases of the year. Bit by bit, I am starting to turn this condo into my own. Little touches here and there.

I am meeting with JC again Friday night at 8pm since I will be going out of town with friends for my buddy’s birthday this weekend. We are all staying at a Bed and Breakfast and doing a series of Wine tours. Should be a blast. It will be nice to get out of the bustling city for the weekend and be able to relax and have fun with friends. And yes, I will still be eating healthy while I am there. I will also not be drinking. I said that I would have one glass of red wine to toast his birthday, but that is it. Will power! I am starting to really feel the difference from working out and eating healthy.

Well, off to bed. Up early tomorrow to prepare for a production meeting in the morning and then a busy day at the office. Never a dull day in the world of extras casting.

Till tomorrow.

DAY 9 OF 365: CHANGE BRINGS OPPORTUNITIES

So this challenge is not only about being healthier and fitter physically, but also being healthier mentally. When I say that, I am trying to do more and experience more in life. I found that over the years, I focused too much on the past and present, focusing on what I didn’t have, rather then what I had achieved. I wasn’t open to change, and I stayed where I felt comfortable. So along this journey of becoming the fitter me, I am also going to become the overall healthier me.

While waiting for the PATH train this morning, I read a quote from the late John F Kennedy. “ Change is the law of life. Those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.” That rings such truth. We spend so much time thinking about the past and focusing so much energy on the present, that we can sometimes miss what is right in front of us; opportunities to better ourselves and those around us.  Life is too short to worry about past mistakes and misfortunes in the present. Challenge yourself to enjoy and live life. Don’t take for granted the little things.

I also started following Trevor Donovan, the 90210 actor that this challenge is lightly based on, on twitter. I thought it would be a gateway into his life. See if he tweeted about any workout routines, any information that would help me with the challenge. It has been quite comical. He is actually pretty funny. More insights and statements, rather then workout routines, but I definitely enjoy his tweets. The one tweet that I did find insightful today was “Every opportunity has a shelf life, so use them before they expire.”  If you think about it, life presents us with opportunities every day.  What we do with them is a different story. Life is constantly changing and we can both change with it and take the opportunities that are in front of our eyes, or we can be safe. Staying with what we know and are comfortable with, becoming extinct in the process. It is something that I am realizing that I did. I had so many opportunities to further my career, or become a healthier me, but instead I feared change instead of embracing it. I let the fear of the unknown hinder me from moving forward. I let myself be comfortable with where I was, and I allowed it to be my crutch. The best part about this challenge is that it will allow me to embrace change and learn from past mistakes. Hopefully, for those of you that are reading my blog, you can also learn from my mistakes and use it as motivation to become the healthier you.  For anyone that is interested in following Trevor Donovan on twitter, he is @trevdon

The rest of my day was spent casting extras and pulling photo submissions for a production meeting. Just a normal day in the world of extras casting. On a more exciting note, my “Greens, Glorious Greens” cookbook arrived from Amazon. I am so excited to tryout some of the recipes. I think Sunday I will pick up some green leafy vegetables and test out some of these recipes. I will post my favorite recipe with some photos. Also, a before photo has been taken and I will upload it to the blog on Sunday as well.  Not the most flattering photo, but it will do.

My day ended with a trip to my local bar, The Lamp Post. No I did not drink. I actually met my friends Bill and Ruxy for Comedy night. They had some local Comics perform for the bar. No cover charge, and no minimum drink required. I was quite surprised at how packed the bar was. Everyone once and awhile, it’s nice to be able to meet up with friends and just laugh. Like I said, never take the small things for granted.

Till tomorrow. 

DAY 8 OF 365: JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY

I usually dread Mondays. The start of a new workweek and the feeling that the weekend went by too quick to even remember, usually frustrates me. But not today. I got up early, made myself some breakfast and tea and actually watched the news. The topic of course was the impending snowstorm that is expected to drop anywhere from 9 to 15 inches of snow starting Tuesday night into Wednesday. As much as I love snow, and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE snow, I am getting a little tired of having to trek into work in it. I would prefer to have a blizzard Friday night into Saturday so I can actually enjoy it. But, that’s not what this Snowstorm has in mind. So off I went to work.

On my way to the PATH train I hit a little icy patch and slipped. It was one of those slips that you know it is coming and you try to stop it from happening only to make it worse. I fell flat on my ass. I quickly looked around to see if anyone saw and thank god no one was around to see. So I ask you this. If you slip and fall on ice and no one sees you, did you really slip and fall? You decide.

Once at the office it was just a normal day of Extras Casting. Nothing crazy. You will be happy to know that I made a nice healthy dinner Sunday night and had leftovers. So instead of buying lunch today I brought in the leftovers. So not only did I eat a healthy lunch, I saved about $12. (What it usually costs to buy lunch in the city) I also received several healthy recipes from Jessica, my nutritionist, regarding cooking and preparing green leafy vegetables. I am definitely looking forward to trying out these recipes.  I am so excited that I actually want to go to Trader Joe’s right now and go shopping for the ingredients needed. Also, if there is a Trader Joes in your neighborhood, they have great prices and assortments for fresh produce. I also enjoy shopping at Fresh Direct. They also have great prices and fresh produce and it is even delivered to your door. You can’t beat that!

My day ended with an extensive workout with JC.  I find that I am completing the warm up session quicker, enabling us to get more into our workout. We have been concentrating on working out the leg muscles in order to build up my core. We have also been working out with weights; increasing the weight and reps. The funny part is, is that JC tried to describe to me that in order to build the muscles, we need to have micro tears so that the muscle could repair itself. The problem was that I get queasy when I think of blood, and when JC mentioned micro tears in the muscles I associated that with blood and got queasy and faint. Great Dave, you look real macho getting faint at the description of Micro tears. Well after a good chuckle, we finished my workout and I showered and walked home.

As I am typing this blog I am feeling extremely sore in my arms and legs. I am sure I will be feeling it tomorrow at work. But I will push through it, knowing that in order to achieve my goal, I need to work through the pain. Also, while I was typing this blog, I was watching an episode of 90210 to motivate me.  Once again, a show full of hot bodies. But I keep telling myself that if I keep up with it, by summer I will start to resemble one of those hot bodies! Till tomorrow my 14 followers. Be healthy!

DAY 7 OF 365: WEEK ONE COMPLTE

So today was a day of rest. Feeling sore from my workout Saturday morning, I pretty much stayed low key and rested today. I did some cleaning around the condo, caught up on laundry and watched a movie or two. OK, I was lazy, but every once and awhile you need one of those days. A day to recharge and prepare for the work week. I am meeting with JC Monday, Wednesday and Friday night this week since I am going to be going away for the weekend.  It's a buddy's birthday and and a group of us are all going to this Inn in Long Island. Should be fun and a true challenge to the healthier me. I have stopped drinking so this will be the real challenge; can I be around friends who are drinking, and not drink myself, but still be fun. I think I can!
Well, off to bed. I have a busy week ahead of me. And yes, I will be posting before pictures and measurements soon. Good night and stay healthy!

DAY 6 OF 365: GREENS, GLORIOUS GREENS

There is something about getting up early.  It may suck getting out of bed, but once you are up, you feel fresh and alive and ready to conquer the day. I got up at 7am Saturday morning so that I could make myself a nice breakfast before heading to my 9am session with JC.  Had a nice glass of OJ, some eggs with rye toast and some fresh fruit. Once at the gym we did our normal warm up routine, which if I might say, I have gotten much better at. The workout today was upper body strength as well as working the legs to gain strength in my core. We actually worked muscles in my back that I never even knew existed.   What I love about JC is that he pushes you and makes you want to be at the gym. In an odd way, he makes working out fun.

After showering I headed home to do some work at the house. You will appreciate that I finally disposed of my Christmas tree. The poor thing was so dried out and dying that it actually started to smell. It was sad to see it go but I think it was time to finally put the last of the Christmas decorations away. Funny thing is, that without the Christmas tree in the living room, it is so bare.  I bought a new chair to put where the tree was but it doesn’t arrive till March. Is it bad to just put of a picture of the chair in that corner so it doesn’t look so bare? Just a thought.

So today was also my first session with my nutritionist Jessica. I never would have imagined how much I could learn regarding my nutrition and eating healthy. Who knew that Green leafy vegetables have more calcium then milk? I didn’t? Today was an introductory into what the program would be like. I answered questions regarding my family history and health and then we discussed Greens. She recommended that I purchase the cookbook “Greens, Glorious Greens”, which is an entire book about how to cook and prepare every type of green leafy vegetable. Good thing I like my greens, or this would not be a fun! I actually learned allot about cravings and eating, and especially that Jessica was not about what I shouldn’t eat, but rather what I should and could eat. Finding the healthy alternative. She also mentioned that she would come over to my place and organize my cabinets so that healthy cooking would be easier. Not to mention cooking lessons in my own kitchen. This got me really motivated. It wasn’t about creating a new eating routine. I could still enjoy the foods I loved. This was more about portion control and healthy alternatives.  The best part is that I was given an assignment. She had bought me Kale and told me to experiment with how to prepare it.

So as soon as I got home I went on Amazon and purchased my copy of “Greens, Glorious Greens”, which arrives on Monday. I also cleaned my Kale and began to think of how I wanted to prepare it. I had a fresh lemon so I decided that I would Sauté it. I took my Kale and ripped it into smaller pieces, put in my frying pan with the juice of one lemon, a little olive oil and seasoned it with some salt and pepper. It was amazing! I could have eaten it as a side dish or even as an afternoon snack. The best part is that I am sure there were tons of ways that I could have prepared the Kale and that will be the fun part of reading the cookbook. New and interesting ways to cook and prepare greens!

The night ended with seeing Black Swan with friends. An amazing movie that I recommend you see. Till tomorrow. Good Night!

DAY 5 OF 365: TGIF

So today's blog is going to be a short one as I am beat from a busy work week that also included intense gym work outs. I must admit that I am extremely sore but alas I still went to the gym tonight. Since I didn't have a session with JT I actually went to the gym with my buddy Marcus. Tonight was just an hour of cardio. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill and the 30 minutes on the bike. I didn't want to over do it tonight since I will be meeting with JC tomorrow morning at 9am.
I will also be posting before photos of myself on the blog along with my current measurements so that we can track my progress. I had allot of people telling me to do this so I will post them this weekend. Just to for warn you, these photos will not be pretty. I am thinking that they will be "The Biggest Loser" style photos. By the way, tomorrow is my first meeting with my nutritionist so I am excited to start cooking some of the healthy recipes she will be giving me.
Well, off to bed. Busy day tomorrow. Good night!

DAY 4 OF 365: CRAVINGS

So it's Day 4 and I am still having cravings. I guess this is what happens with an addiction when you go through detox. My body is wondering where the soda and fried food and sweets are and why they have been replaced with fruits, vegetables and this thing called water. I was on the PATH train this morning and I realized that it was pure laziness that got me to this point. I could have been working out at the gym this entire time but instead I opted to just go home and watch TV or go out and drink with friends. I could have been cooking healthier dinners and making healthy lunches to bring to work, but I went for what was easy and convenient instead of taking the time to actually prep and prepare the meals. It became all about convenience instead of health. I found that instead of walking outside of the office to get lunch, I ordered in and had it delivered. I would even go to sets to check in the background and would go to the craft service table to grab some candy or chips, rather then take the time to make a sandwich or a salad. I became lazy and allowed my body to do the same.
So instead of challenging myself, I have a challenge for my 11 followers. Pick out a healthy recipe that will not only be fun to make but will also be healthy and enjoyable. Take the time to enjoy your kitchen and make that amazing recipe come to life. What I have found is that if you make the process of cooking fun, you will want to keep doing it. The one reason that I love my new Condo is that I have a huge kitchen; something that I didn’t have in my apartment in Manhattan. Let’s make cooking fun again. It can even be fun if you invite friends over and allow them to partake in the fun of making dinner with you. Post the recipes that you make and let me know how they turned out. I will do the same. Let’s help each other cook healthy in 2011.


PS, I am still sore from my work out yesterday with JC. Recouping tonight so that I can hit the gym tomorrow for some cardio before my Saturday morning session. Off to bed. Looking forward to hearing your comments and also hearing about your recipe and adventures in the kitchen.

DAY 3 OF 365: ACHES AND PAINS AND MOOD SWINGS OH MY!

So I feel as if I am in total Detox. This is the 5^th day without Coffee, Sweets, and alcohol and I am starting to feel it. Now I must admit that I was expecting this to happen since I am quitting cold turkey, but the mood swings are a little too much. I have been a little snappy with some and the other night I put the TV on and found myself getting emotional when the news came on. I literally sat down and felt myself getting upset when the news covered a story of inner city kids talking about how they were upset about their arts program being cut. I am serious. Here I am a 30-year-old man crying because the arts program was cut! Wow, diets can totally change your hormones. Ok, enough about this, lets talk about my day.

So it started off like the rest of the week, healthy breakfast, nice mid day snack and then a lunch of organic lentil soup and a smoked turkey sandwich on whole-wheat toast. Now, tonight was my first real session with my trainer. I made sure to eat dinner an hour before I left work for the gym. My trainer, JC, is great. He has trained pro football players, major athletes as well as professionals such as myself. We started off warming up, so he said. For me, it was more like jumping right in. I had told him that my main goal was to get leaner as well as building up my muscle mass and increase my upper and lower body strength. We did a lot of squatting and lunging and some other exercises that I am not sure how to explain. All I know is that mid way through warm up I was dripping sweat and feeling a burning sensation in my calves. The best part was when JC explained to me that in a couple of sessions I should be able to do all of the warm up exercises that we did together, back to back without stopping. He also explained some other warm up techniques that we will be incorporating into the routine; one of which was dragging weights back and forth and the other was flipping over monster truck tires. Hmm, I hope that he realizes that he is training me and not a pro football player. But who knows, maybe after a couple of sessions that will be me!

After warming up, we moved to weights and the machines. I have to admit that after the warm up session I felt a bolt of adrenaline! I actually felt great.  However, after the hour training session was up I was one sore guy. Now what happens next will make you laugh. I headed back to the locker room to change, and the lock on the locker broke. It wouldn’t open. I looked like an idiot cursing at my lock and pulling at it. It was only 5 years old. How could it break! I am pretty sure that the guys in the locker room thought I was a lunatic or trying to break into someone’s locker. So I had to go to the front desk and have them cut my lock off. That’s right folks, they had to come in with those huge cutters and cut it off the locker. There I was with sweat dripping down my face from the extensive work out I had just done, and they cut off my lock while about 5 guys watched. After that I showered, got dressed and headed home. I am still sore as I type this blog.  I am really looking forward to Saturday and meeting with my nutritionist.  I look forward to what she has to say about healthier eating. The best part is that my trainer and nutritionist are working together to create a regiment for me.  Well off to bed. On a sad note, I said goodbye to one of my best friends who is moving to LA tomorrow morning. Please send her good thoughts! She will be missed. Also, Spread the word; tell friends and family to follow my blog. I promise, I will make it exciting. I am even pondering getting a colonic. Thoughts on that?

Day 2 of 365: NO COFFEE = HEADACHE

So I have avoided coffee for the past 4 days and this morning my head finally reminded me. That’s right; I woke up this morning with a lovely headache. Now I knew that this was a possibility since coffee had become one of my main food groups. However, I trudged forward, made my green tea and got ready for work. This morning I enjoyed a granola bar and some fresh fruit with fresh squeezed orange juice. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I bought juicing oranges and used the juicer that my sister bought me for Christmas and made myself a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.

As I walked to the PATH train this morning, I took notice of the new restaurants and businesses that were getting ready to open. Kind of exciting since I was now a home owner and Jersey City. It also means cool new places to frequent in the neighborhood. After taking all this in I got on the PATH and in 30 minutes I was sitting at my desk ready to cast some extras.

As far as work goes, it was just a normal day at the office. Nothing out of the ordinary. You will be happy to know that once again I stayed away from the left over ruins of Holiday tweets and opted for healthier snack, like apple and orange slices, almonds and even a granola/fruit parfait. For lunch I enjoyed organic vegetable and tomato soup with half a lemon grilled chicken sandwich with cucumbers and mixed greens. I also began drinking more water. Does anyone know the suggested amount of water to drink a day? Would love to know.

After work I headed home and had a nice chicken stir fry that I made myself. Fresh vegetable and chicken that I marinated in fresh lemon and lime juice, threw in a little thyme and rosemary and yummy in my tummy. After cleaning the kitchen and paying some bills, I headed to the gym for some cardio action. Now today was not a session with my trainer. This was just the treadmill, a like mike action and myself. After working out for a little over an hour, I headed home.

I have to admit that I am a little nervous for my first real session with my trainer. Even though I met with him on Monday, we really didn’t work out. Wednesday will be the first time in over 5 months that I have worked out at the gym. Let alone had someone watching me and holding me accountable for working out. But I guess that’s why I hired a trainer. I wanted there to be someone to hold me accountable for going to the gym. I feel that it is easier to go to the gym and work out when you have a workout buddy. Someone that is, waiting for you, depending on you to show up. In this situation, I hired the trainer and if I don’t go and give it my all and push myself, it’s like throwing away money. And that my friend is something I never do. Well, off to bed. Looking forward to hearing your comments and suggestions. Till then, good night.

DAY 1 OF 365: STARTING FRESH

 So today began my challenge; to be the better, healthier, fitter me. I have to say it started out great. I began my day with a cup of Green Tea instead of my normal 2 cups of coffee. I also made myself some eggs with some fresh fruit and granola. That might not sound like a huge change to some, but on a typical day, my breakfast might include 2 cups of coffee with a pop tart or if I am lucky a bowl of cereal.  Now I must admit that I have been drinking coffee since I was a freshman in High School. It has gotten to the point where I can drink anywhere from 4 to 6 cups a coffee a day. Usually I will have 2 cups of coffee while I get ready for work, and then I will have about 2 to 3 cups of coffee while I am at the office.  So the fact that I went all day without a cup of coffee is an amazing feat for me. 

So after my healthy breakfast I headed into the office. The rest of my day went as usual. Just a typical day full of casting and the occasional call from production. The only change was that my lunch was a healthy salad that consisted of grilled chicken, walnuts, craisins, blue cheese, and apples, with a honey balsamic dressing. Not to mention my snack break was a few orange and apple slices with a handful of almonds. Now don’t get me wrong, the chocolates and sweets that were left over from the holidays tempted me, but I stayed strong and enjoyed my healthy snack.

I was also able to schedule my first session with my Nutritionist for this Saturday at 1pm. I am excited to see the regiment that she has in store for me. The best part is that she will be giving me recipes for healthier meals. And if there is a favorite meal that I like that she doesn't have a recipe for, she will create a recipe for the healthier version.

So after finishing what I needed to get done at the office, I headed to Club H for my first session with my personal trainer, JC.  The session was basically a strategic meeting regarding how to set up my routine.  We chatted about what my goals were and what I wanted to get out of my work out. General questions were asked about my health and any predisposed health issues and then I was on my way. We schedule the first official work out for this Wednesday night at 8pm with another session on Saturday at 9am. Let the soreness begin! Well, I hope I didn’t bore you guys too much. I promise, once I get the hang of this blogging, I will try and make them more exciting. Also, any suggestions or tips would be appreciated. Especially any LA fads that are going right now, let me know. I mean this is called the 90210 experiment.  

The night before the Challenge Begins

So this is the first official entry to my blog but the Challenge actually begins tomorrow, January 3rd 2011.

Let me start by telling you a little about me. My name is David M Waldron, and I am a Casting Director in Manhattan.  I recently turned 30 and about 2 months ago purchased my first home. I could not be happier. I have a great career, an amazing family, and a group of friends that seem more like family.

Recently I was up waiting for my call times for the NBC Series that I am currently working on and I was skimming the channels for something to watch. I came upon the CW's updated 90210. I must admit that in the 90s I was a fan of the original, so I thought what the heck. Let me check it out.  After about 5 minutes in, what I realized was that I was watching a series full of fit and hot actors playing high school students, some of who were closer to my age then the characters they were portraying. This hit me hard. Here were these actors, who were fit and in shape and looked hot. Why couldn't I look like that? No really, why couldn't I? So then I thought with the right team behind me I could. So I have hired a great nutritionist to help with creating a healthier diet. I have hired a personal trainer that is going to create an exercise routine fit for the stars. I set a deadline, well, because I like a challenge and I don't like to lose. What better motivation could that be. There is also one other part to this challenge. You see the actor on the series who is close to my age, Trevor Donovan, also posed for a picture a couple of years ago. The last part of the challenge is that on the 365th day, I will be recreating this photo. Below is what I will be recreating.

No I do not own this photo and have no right to it, so please do not repost it.

Go ahead, make fun or judge me. But this is a man that is so comfortable with his body and has pride in it. That's what I want. I want to feel hot in my body. I also know that he was a model when this photo was taken. All that does is motivate me even more.

 So why am I doing this challenge? Some of you may think that this is just a stunt; a way to get attention and maybe your right. What I know is that the my uncle died in his forties from a massive heart attack and my father has suffered one as well. I realize that I have some markers (thanks diane for teaching me about them) that aren't on my side and genetics doesn't help either. If I want to be around for another thirty years, I need to get healthy. Thats means changing my diet (which for years included an over abundance of ice cream, candy and well, you get the picture) and set in motion an exercise routine that has my muscles and body working towards the healthier and fitter me! So join me for this journey as I experience what it means to truly be the better version of me.