DAY 241 OF 365: HAPPY HUMP DAY!

I have never been so happy for Wednesday to get here. It means the week is almost over and I am that much closer to my three day weekend! I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend since Irene ruined last weekend. I was lucky, however some of my friends were not. Waking up to a flooded basement is not the best way to start the day and the anxiety of the approaching storm sure doesn't make the weekend relaxing. But, it is over and time to move on.
This morning I woke up a little sore in my chest and arms, and I was concerned that would affect my session with JC. However, JC told be to push through the pain and concentrate on the final outcome. So I did and you know what? He was right. Sometimes I find that I use the "Pain" as a crutch to slow down or not give it my all and I think JC has finally figured that out. So now he just says, push through it Dave. I might feel like death while I am working out with him, but afterwards I feel alive and ready to conquer the day. So now I am off to bed. Another busy day at the office. I think tomorrow I might try and get up early and make myself a green juice. What better way to start off the day. Till tomorrow.

DAY 240 OF 365: TIP OF THE DAY

Today's tip of the day involves pizza. So if you have not had pizza in over 7 months, and you have changed your diet and eating habits, it's not a good idea to have a slice of greasy pizza. Even if it was paid for by the office because you were still casting at midnight. It will only lead to stomach pains and gas. I should know. Well friends, it is time for this gassy casting director to hit the hay. I am meeting with JC in the morning and I will have to workout harder to make up for the fact that I had a piece of pizza. Lets just hope by the morning I am not as gassy as I am right now! Till tomorrow.

DAY 239 OF 365: GETTING BACK INTO THE CHALLENGE

So for the first time after working crazy hours and getting no sleep, I finally feel like I am back in this challenge. I woke up this morning, feeling rested and relaxed, ready to start the day with a good workout. I even juiced some cucumbers, kale and apples for a nice juice before heading over to meet JC at the gym. This morning we focused on upper body and arms. JC increased the weight and I pushed myself till I had nothing left in me. I think after about a month of hell, my body was ready to get back to the challenge. The hard part is learning how to balance my hectic work schedule and the gym with still have a social life. I find that after a long day at the office the last thing on my mind is working out. But I am working on it. Just another thing to add to the challenge. Well, my bed is calling my name. Till tomorrow.

DAY 238 OF 365: I SURVIVED

So I spent today cleaning up the mess that Irene left behind. Not a pretty site. But of course Irene had to create trouble for Gods Behaving Badly for Monday, so I spent the afternoon and evening trying to fix the mess that she had created for me. Needless to say, it put me in an even worse mood than the actually storm herself. Well, I am off to bed. I am meeting with JC in the morning and I am sure it will be a sleepless night since I will be stressed about tomorrows filming and my extras making it to set. What a great start to the week. Till tomorrow.

DAY 237 OF 365: MY DATE WITH IRENE

So today was pretty much spent preparing for the arrival of Irene. You know, that little hurricane making her way up the east coast. I spent the day filling up buckets of water and placing them in the shower incase I lose running water. I filled water bottles and pitchers of water and placed them in the fridge and also made fresh brewed ice tea. I even pre-made meals for quick and easy eating. At the same time, I got into this cleaning mode and began getting rid of things that I had been hoarding. I had no idea how much crap I had been holding onto. It was like I cut out all of this fat that I was storing in my condo.
The thing about a storm is that as terrifying as it can be, it is also kind of calming. I am sitting here in my comfy chair with some pillows and a blanket, listening to the rain and watching the lightening. Fingers crossed that the power doesn't go out though. That would be the end all. For now I will enjoy the calm before the storm. I am assuming that I will be asleep for the brunt of it. I am hoping for the best, especially for my friends that have basements. The best outcome would be that there will be no flooding horror stories to tell in the morning. Well, I am headed for the couch to enjoy the rest of my movie then off to bed. Till tomorrow.

DAY 236 OF 365: TGIF

Well the weekend is finally here. The only downfall is that a hurricane is approaching, turning my much needed weekend into a stressful event. I have stocked my fridge with water and I have buckets full in the shower for flushing the toilet and washing dishes. I have candles,  non perishable food and a flashlight. I even have an emergency survival kit that I my company gave me. I would say for my first hurricane as a homeowner, that I am prepared.
I had a great workout with JC this morning. I was hoping to hit the gym tomorrow but they are closing due to the weather and the impending hurricane. So it looks like if I want to workout it will in my home. That's OK. I will enjoy a nice leisurely morning with some coffee and a movie and maybe even attend a hurricane party at a friends. So Irene, I will not let you ruin my weekend. Come rain, wind or flood, I will enjoy this weekend! Till tomorrow. Oh, and if I don't update the blog, it is just because the power has gone out and I am trying to preserve power.

DAY 235 OF 365: JUICING STARTS THE DAY OFF GREAT

So last night my good friend Helene made me an amazing green juice with kale, apples and celery. This morning I started off the day with a juice of watermelon, lime and a sprig of kale. There is something to be said about juicing. I feel more alive and also healthier. I am looking forward to having a full weekend, even though it will be during a hurricane. But hey, no matter what, I won't be at the office. Well, I am off to bed. I promise to liven up the blog with recipes and my experiences in preparing them. I just need to get through this last hectic week and I will finally be back to normal hours. Well, normal hours for me that is. Till tomorrow.

DAY 234 OF 365: ANOTHER GREAT WORKOUT AND OUT BY 7:30PM

So I started the day off with a great workout with JC. I have a lot of catching up to do but it feels great to be back in the gym. My main goal these next two months is to really tone up the mid section and abs. I have seen the definition in my legs and arms and even my chest, but the I feel like the hard part is really going to be the mid section. They say that is the hardest place and the last place to lose the weight. Here is hoping that I can prove them wrong. On the bright side, I was out of the office tonight before 7:30pm! I know, hard to believe. I didn't even believe it at first. But I am not one to question it. Now lets just hope that is the start of the early nights. I might be reaching on that, but one can dream. Speaking of dreaming, it is time for me to call it a night. I have a busy day at the office and I am hoping to get out on time again. Till tomorrow.

DAY 233 OF 365: SPOKE TOO SOON. ANOTHER LATE NIGHT AT THE OFFICE

Ok, so lesson learned. Do not get too excited and jinx yourself, because if you do you will end up spending another late night at the office. At least I have a session with JC in the morning to make up from the lack of movement from my desk this evening. Still eating healthy and I even had a green juice before heading to the production meeting for the next episode of Law and Order: SVU. Speaking of the production meeting, I by passed the crafty table which was full of candy and donuts and went right over to the fruits and vegetables. Wow, the old Dave would have filled a plate full of candy and sweets and sat my fat ass down and ate it all, and when I was finished, went right back up for seconds. But the new Dave grabbed some fruit salad and some water and headed to my meeting.
So here I am at 11:30pm still casting away but I can say that I ate healthy today. Well, back to work! Till tomorrow.

DAY 232 OF 365: I'M BACK!

That's right ladies and gentleman; I'm back! After a short stint in the depression ward of my head, I have re-joined the world of the living and I feel better than ever. I woke up this morning at 6:30am after a peaceful nights sleep, ready to hit the gym with JC. Now, I was a little rusty but I gave it my all. It is going to take a bit to get back to where I was, but with my determination, I'll get there. I am already looking forward to the weekend, hoping that I will get a chance to catch up with friends. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen my friends in about a month. That is a long time to go without seeing them. Especially for someone like me that enjoys the company of my friends. I was just getting the hang of our poker nights!
Tonight I made it home before 11pm, a nice change from my nights of getting home at 2am. Oh, I don't miss those nights. Especially the PATH ride home. There are truly some characters that ride the PATH train at those hours. Anyway, I came home and made a nice dinner and enjoyed the latest episode of The Big C and took it easy in my nice comfy lounge chair. Tomorrow is my last production meeting for Law and Order: Special Victims Unit before we take a mini hiatus for the summer. It could not come at a better time. Hopefully it will allow me to get caught up on the movie and get some prep done. Not to mention allow me to have my weekends back! But the bigger picture is that I need to get back to the gym on a regular basis. I lost some valuable time in this challenge due to my crazy hours and I have a lot of catch up ahead of me. Well, I am up for the challenge. Night all! Till tomorrow.

DAY 231 OF 365: A MUCH NEEDED DAY OFF

After almost a month of non stop work, I finally had a day off. It felt so nice to sleep in, enjoy a cup of coffee while I read the paper and catch up on some TV. I had to see what happened on True Blood and even though I new what happened, I had to watch the latest episode of The Big C that I missed.
I had a fresh direct delivery today that stocked up my fridge with fruits, vegetables and healthy food. I even made some organic ice cream and sorbet and made myself a nice green juice. Tomorrow morning I have a session with JC, and for the first time, I will actually be well rested and ready to bust out an awesome workout with him. I feel like that last month I have fallen off the band wagon of the healthier fitter me challenge and I have to catch up to where I should be. I only have four months left till I have to recreate that photo and I still have a lot of work to do to tighten up this body! There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel with my work load, and even though I will still be extremely busy, I will actually be getting some sleep and not just mini naps after work. Let me tell you, you can not function on only 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night. You start to feel as if you are floating above you, watching yourself make stupid mistakes. Well, fingers crossed that that ended on Friday.
So, I am back to the world of the living. Time for me to pay some bills before starting another work week. Till tomorrow.

DAY 230 OF 365: AND NOW I SLEEP

Good night! I will chat with you all tomorrow. My body needs a good nights sleep!

DAY 229 OF 365: I MADE IT HOME BEFORE 9:30PM!

So I actually made it home tonight before 9:30pm. I was able to sit down on the couch and put on the TV and just relax. It sounds silly, but it was what I needed after a long and hectic week. Now, I have to go to work tomorrow, but on Sunday, I can rest. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I get Sunday off. And technically I should only have to work half a day tomorrow. Well, fingers crossed I only have to work half a day.
The exciting part of getting home early was that I was able to do some juicing. I even juiced some fresh lemons to make lemon sorbet. The only downside is that my fridge and cabinets are empty. So no snacks and no coffee in the morning. Well that's ok. It just means I have to go grocery shopping. Well, I am tired and ready for bed. Just knowing that I get to sleep past 7am makes me want to go to bed even more. Till tomorrow.

DAY 228 OF 365: YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

So once again I am working late at the office. But now there is a light at the end of the tunnel as far as these crazy hours. Friday night is the last night shoot of Gods Behaving Badly and SVU goes on hiatus for two weeks starting next week. You know what that means, right? That means I might actually have a life! I was so excited that I went ahead and purchased more sessions with JC since they were having a sale on training sessions at the gym. I do love a good sale. Anyway, I will be working late tonight, but at least it is looking promising that I might actually have a day off this weekend. Maybe I can even make a trip to the grocery store and stock up my fridge with some fresh fruits, veggies and healthy food! I am back on track! Ok, well back to work for now. Till tomorrow.

DAY 227 OF 365: TIP OF THE WEEK

So, tip of the week. When you want a nice dessert that is not only good but healthy, try grilling your fruit. Nothing like fresh peaches or pears grilled to perfection. Add a little balsamic vinegar to take it up a notch. Well I am home from work and I am ready for bed. We had new assistants that started today so fingers crossed that they are a quick study and they can help lighten up my work load. Night!

DAY 226 OF 365: I NEED TO GET BACK ON TRACK

Ok, so the late nights and early mornings and the no days off are really starting to screw up my whole Healthier Fitter Me Challenge. My sleep patterns are off, my eating habits have gone to shit and I am pretty sure that I look like a zombie. There have been times that someone has been talking to me and I am literally falling asleep staring at them. I am hoping that in the next couple of weeks we will get some much needed support in the office and I might actually get a day off. As soon as that happens, my ass is back to the gym and working off the couple of pounds that I feel I have gained back from working all these hours. I have been living on coffee for the past month and though I have been juicing and eating fruit, I have not been as healthy as I should be. I must admit that there are some days I get so busy that I forget to eat lunch and before I know it, it is 8pm. Not good! Well, time to get back to work. Extras don’t cast themselves! Fingers crossed that I am out of here before 2am. Till tomorrow.

DAY 225 OF 365: ANOTHER LATE NIGHT

Stuck at the office for another night in a row. It is 1:13am and I am just getting done. At least I worked out with JC this morning before my SVU meeting. Well, about to head home. Till tomorrow.

DAY 224 OF 365: I HAVE THE RAINY BLUES!

So guess where I spent my Sunday? If you guessed the office, well Ding, Ding, Ding. You are correct! The only good thing about it is that it was raining so it wasn't like I was missing much. Well, I guess I could have spent the day juicing and working out at the gym. I am hoping that this craziness will end in the next couple of weeks and that I can get my life back. Its pretty sad when you think about it. Today is day 21 of working without a day off. But like I said before, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Let's just hope that it doesn't drive me insane or worse yet, taint my name in the business. That is really my worst fear. Being this busy and letting something fall through the cracks and messing up. Fingers crossed that that does not happen. Well, time for me to get back to work. It is 9:50pm and I am still at the office. Oh god, and to think it is only Sunday. Till tomorrow.

DAY 223 OF 365: I LONG FOR THE SATURDAYS OF THE PAST

You never really realize what you have until it is gone. In my case it is the weekend and well, a life. I know that this blog has kind of turned into a depressing healthier fitter me, but how was I to know that this would happen with my job. I mean, I never saw three casting directors giving their notice, nor did I see my work load doubling. But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. So I will embrace this obstacle and I will come out stronger, ready to head back to the gym and a healthy lifestyle. And who knows, maybe this will make me stronger when it comes to my healthy lifestyle. I mean, it has taught me determination and patience and lets face it, it has taught me that I can handle a lot and keep going strong. Well, I am home and I have some laundry and bill paying to catch up on. I know, it is 9:30pm on a Saturday night and I am going to pay some bills and fold some laundry. What an exciting life. Till tomorrow.

DAY 222 OF 365: SLEEP

Sleep - a word that I wish I did more of! Tonight I made it home by 1:30am and as I type this I am laying in bed ready to sleep. In six hours I will be up and heading into the office for what I am sure will be another long day. I am hoping to get caught up at the office Saturday and Sunday as next week is a heavy extras week for me on Law and Order:SVU and Gods Behaving Badly. I am dreaming of the day when I will be able to leave the office before 8pm and be able to hang out with friends on the weekend. It is the light at the end of the tunnel for me! Well, I am off to bed. Another long day at the office tomorrow. Till then.

DAY 221 OF 365: ANOTHER LATE NIGHT AT THE OFFICE

So once again I am getting home at 1am after another long day at the office. The sad part is that I will once again be working over the weekend. I feel like I am running on fumes and at times during the day I find myself falling asleep
staring at my computer. Well, I need to call it a night. Till tomorrow.

DAY 220 OF 365: JUST CHECKING IN

So it is another late night at the office. 1am and I am still here. So, this week and next week my blog will be very brief. But I at least wanted to say hi! Ok, bye. Till tomorrow.

DAY 219 OF 365: ITS 12:48AM AND I AM STILL AT THE OFFICE, THANK GOD I LOVE MY JOB

Late nights and early mornings are really starting to affect my healthier fitter me challenge. The only bright side is that I actually love my job and enjoy the shows that I work on. This season of Law and Order: SVU has me working harder than I ever did, but at the same time I have never felt more creative. Then there is The Big C. There are no words to describe the amazing show. I really lucked out in landing two amazing shows to be a part of. Well, I have to go back to casting. Hoping to be out of here in twenty minutes. I have a big meeting to prepare for tomorrow night. Till then.

DAY 218 OF 365: IT'S ONLY MONDAY & I AM ALREADY EXHAUSTED

So I was up and out the door this morning by 6am to be on set in Brooklyn. It is now 1am and I am just getting home. As you can imagine I can barely form sentences I am so tired. Having worked the entire weekend I have had no time to recharge or relax. I ended up having to cancel my sessions with JC this week because of how busy I am. Well, fingers crossed I make it out alive this week. Hell, I hope I make it out sane this week. Till tomorrow.

DAY 217 OF 365: THE SUNDAY NIGHT BLUES

So I wish I could say that I had an exciting day, but I can't lie. I spent the day at the office working hard for the money. One of these weekends I will actually have a weekend. I may be reaching, but hey, I can dream. At least I made myself a healthy shake and some cucumber juice before heading to work. Well I am home now and I am about to curl up into bed and call it a night. Two casting directors gave their notice last week so my work load has doubled. Just when I thought I couldn't work harder, I found out I could. Tomorrow I will be up and out of the house by 6am so that I can be on set in Brooklyn. Till tomorrow.

DAY 216 OF 365: BALANCING WORK AND A LIFE IS NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK

I am used to a busy work week and then having my weekend to recharge and hang out with my friends. Lately though, all I do is work. Which begs the question, how do you balance a busy work schedule with a social life?

The past couple of weeks I have worked 12 to 14 hour days, leaving me little time to work out or for that matter, spend time with friends or enjoy a social life. I am sure I am not the only person that is experiencing this and wonder how do you have a life? Let's face it, if all we did was get up, go to work, come home and go to bed, well that would be one depressing life. And I for one, do not want to live that life. Well, I just got home from work and I am going to make some dinner, watch a movie and then call it a night. I have another long day at the office tomorrow. Till then.

DAY 215 OF 365: TGIF

Thank God It's Friday but I still have to work on Saturday and Sunday. Busy week at the office and it continues tomorrow and Sunday. I wasn't able to hit the gym this morning since I had to get to the office early for a meeting. I am still eating healthy but the lack of sleep is not healthy. I am hoping that after this month of craziness at the office that things will settle down, and I will get back to regular hours. For now I will squeeze in a workout when I can, even if that means abs on the living room floor when I get home at midnight. You have to do what you have to do, right? Well, I am off to bed. I have to be up by 8am and make my way into the office. Till tomorrow.

DAY 214 OF 365: TIP OF THE WEEK

So tonight I am tired but I wanted to leave you with this. Remember that if you are juicing, it is best if consumed within thirty minutes after juicing. After that the enzymes and antioxidants begin to die off. And remember, juicing is not only good for you, it is fun. I like to pretend that I work at a juice bar and I come up with new combinations. That's half the fun. Off to bed. Till tomorrow.

DAY 213 OF 365: TIME TO DRESS THE PART

So it was brought to my attention that I dress too casually and that I need to start dressing a little more appropriate for work. You know the old saying, dress for the job and it is yours. I know they are right, but I love my causal and comfy clothes. If I am going to work long hours, I should at least be comfortable. I must admit that I have yet to purchase new clothes since losing all the weight. I am kind of cheap and decided that I would hold off on buying new clothes until I have lost all the weight and have toned up. No point in spending money on clothes if I am going to continue to lose weight, right? I know, when it comes to stuff like that I am cheap. I decided that it was easier to wear belts instead of buying some new shorts. What can I say, I am one cheap bastard. Or, am I just a smart man who is budgeting his income?
This morning was another intense workout with JC. My legs are still sore from the workout. Today JC had me pull the weight sled, push the prowler and then bench press. We did three sets of that with a two minute rest period in between. We followed that with weight assisted pull ups.
Well, I am ready to call it a night. My legs are screaming and I am pretty sure that I will be passed out in less than ten minutes. Till tomorrow.

DAY 212 OF 365: START OFF THE DAY WITH SOME JUICED GREENS

So this morning I started off the day with a protein shake and a nice glass of fresh juiced greens. I juiced a cucumber, kale, a green apple and 2 lemons with a sprig of mint. The end result was a healthy blast of greens. As far as the rest of the day went, it was another busy day in my office. Between Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Gods Behaving Badly, there is no rest for the weary. I have made sure to stock the office fridge with healthy snacks and meals for the week, including fruits and vegetables, and even greens for salads. One thing that I need to work on is my technique at boiling eggs for hard boiled eggs. I think that I over boiled these eggs because it is really difficult to peel off the shells. If anyone has any tips or secrets to boiling eggs, let me know. I can use all the help I can get.
Well, time to call it a night. Early morning at the gym with JC tomorrow before another long day at the office. I am already looking forward to the weekend. Oh wait, I am working this weekend. Well, here is to my next day off, where ever it may be. Till tomorrow.

DAY 211 OF 365: HELLO MONDAY, HAVE YOU SEEN SUNDAY?

As soon as I blinked, Sunday disappeared and my alarm clock was yelling, informing me that Monday had arrived. I felt so comfortable in my bed this morning that I did not want to get out of it. But, I did. I made myself a nice protein smoothie while I paid some bills before heading to meet JC at the gym. This morning we worked on arms and shoulders. I have to say, I am really increasing my upper body strength. Who would have thought that scrawny little Dave would be sporting some biceps and doing chin ups without weight assistance. Now, I might have only done 3 sets of 7 chin ups, but, the old Dave couldn't even do 2 chin ups. So, I finished up my morning workout with JC and then headed into the office for the start of what is sure to be a busy and hectic work week. I was prepared though with healthy snacks and meals for lunch and dinner. I should warn you that my blogs might be short and sweet this week. I will be pulling 14 to 16 hour days at the office which means a tired and exhausted Dave. But hey, at least you know that I will be eating right and working out. I can guarantee you that. Well, I am off to watch True Blood and The Big C before heading to bed. I love DVR! Till tomorrow.