DAY 271 OF 365: ROAD TRIP

Taking the night off from blogging tonight. Spent the past 3 hours driving in the pouring rain down to South Jersey. I am one tired guy. So off to bed and I will fill you all in on my mini road trip tomorrow. Sleep tight and stay dry!

DAY 270 OF 365: MY LAT MUSCLES ARE KILLING ME

OK so it got so bad that I had to go to the doctors and we know how I feel about the doctors office. At one point it even hurt if I was running or walking. Needless to say the soreness and pain got to the point where I had to put aside my fear and dislike of the doctors office and get some relief. It came in the form of bio-freeze, my new best friend. Now the smell is a little annoying, but boy does it make to tenderness and pain subside. I took it easy this week and did not workout with JC on Wednesday due to how sore I was. So we shall see how I fare tomorrow morning with him. Well, I am off to bed. The bio-freeze is on and I am ready to let it do it's magic. Till tomorrow.

DAY 269 OF 365: TIP OF THE WEEK

Never a good idea to go out drinking with friends after work when you haven't had a drink in over three months. It will never end well and the next day you will be paying for it. Needless to say I should have listened to this advise. Tomorrow morning will not be a pretty one. Till then. Sweet dreams!

DAY 268 OF 365: THIS MUCH CLOSER TO GETTING MY LIFE BACK!

So today, Gods Behaving Badly officially wrapped production and my work load just got a little lighter. Now don't get me wrong, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit still keeps me busy, but I now have more time to devote to the challenge at hand; getting this body tighter! So as I am sure you all know, I didn't get much sleep last night with the whole I left my keys in the office bathroom issue last night. Actually I only got three hours of sleep, give or take, seeing as I was up at 5am so that I could be on the set this morning. I must have had three cups of coffee just to feel like I could function, but I did manage to avoid the junk table at craft services and only frequent the healthy side of crafty. You know, the side that hardly ever has people near it. So I enjoyed some fresh fruits and vegetables as well as some organic granola, fat free yogurt and egg whites. The rest of the day was spent preparing for my SVU production meeting tomorrow morning as well as a meeting that I have Saturday at my College. I don't want to jinx myself so I am not going to spill the beans just yet, but if things go as planned, this could be very big for me. Anyway, I think that I am going to call it a night since I am meeting with JC in the morning. Time is flying by and I need to get this body tight and toned! Till tomorrow.

DAY 267 OF 365: LEFT MY KEYS AT THE OFFICE

Ok so basically I got home after a long day at the office to discover that I had left my keys at the office. I know I know. Spare keys. It also didn't help that it was after midnight. So I gasped, yelled and stomped my feet and headed back to the PATH train. I decided to spend the money to take a cab back to the office and then back to Jersey City because it would be quicker. Especially since I have to be up at 5am to be on the set of Gods Behaving Badly. Looks like I will be running on fumes tomorrow. Anyway, $100 later, I am headed back home with my keys, a lesson learned, and an empty wallet. Well, till tomorrow.

DAY 266 OF 365: ANOTHER WEEKEND BITES THE DUST

So Sunday has come and gone again and before I know it my alarm will be going off signaling the start of another work week. Now while I worked today I did manage to end the night with some juicing and abs work. I am meeting with JC in the morning and I need to talking to him about this muscle tightness on my left side. I am assuming it is from all the abs work that I have been doing, but whatever the reason it is annoying. OK, well I am going to relax a bit before heading to bed. Till tomorrow.

DAY 265 OF 365: HOLY CRAP ONLY 100 MORE DAYS TO GO

OK, so 100 days may seem like a lot, but I still can't believe that 265 days have passed. I feel like only yesterday that I embarked on this new healthier fitter me. I told you that I have been crazed at work lately and the days have been long and hectic and have not left much time for anything else. I have made sure to continue to work out and eat healthy but a stressed life is not a healthy life. I am hoping that after this week that things will start to calm down. Gods Behaving Badly wraps this week and then I will just have Law and Order: Special Victims Unit left. I am sure that it will only be a short time before I start another project, but at least for a few weeks there should be a sign of calmness.
I am starting to get nervous that my mid section will not be ready in time for the photo. Now don't get me wrong, I have slimmed down, but I have not tightened up. That just seems to be taking for ever. I am going to try every morning to do some core work or at least 50 crunches every morning before work and working out with JC. Maybe if I add that to my morning ritual I can start to tighten up this core. I am sure it doesn't help with all the late hours and not having a regular routine that my body can get used to. Not to mention all the coffee that I drink just to stay awake. But, the coffee does help me stay regular. Oh, and speaking of regular, I am starting to have regular breakouts again. Ugh, for the longest time my skin was looking so good and breakout free. I guess that is also a side effect of the stress. Anyway, I need to get back to catching up on my TV shows and then it is off to bed for me. Another day at the office tomorrow. You know what they say; No rest for the weary.

DAY 264 OF 365: TGIF

So the weekend is finally here. But, surprise, surprise, I will be working this weekend. So I will have to make the best of it and try and squeeze in a trip to the gym and some juicing in between working. The only good thing is that I can at least sleep in a bit tomorrow morning since I am not going into the office till noon. So I can get up, work on some abs exercises and then make myself a nice green juice before heading into the office. Thank God this movie wraps on Tuesday! Well I am exhausted. I am just getting home now and it is well past midnight. I did have a great workout with JC this morning and I actually think he was able to work out that kink that I had in my shoulder that was causing that numbing pain down my arm and hand. Ok, time for me to head to bed. I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this. Till tomorrow.

DAY 263 OF 365: TIP OF THE WEEK

OK, so here is my tip of the week. Spend an extra 20 minutes a day and prepare your lunches/dinners to bring to work. I have noticed so many people in my office spend so much on expensive, and not very healthy take out, when they could be saving money by packing a lunch. I don't know about you, but I am on a budget these days, so anything that I can do to save money and still eat healthy, I do it. I make sure to bring my mid day snacks, lunch and lately, dinner to the office. That way I can control what I eat and I am not forced to eat whatever is cheap and will deliver.
I am meeting with JC tomorrow, and even though I am drained from another hectic work week, I am excited to kick some ass at the gym. I am more determined than ever to tighten up this core and make these abs appear. I know I am harping on this, but damn, getting abs is not easy and trimming down the mid section is even harder! I wish I could say that I was at home as I type this, but I am still at the office. Alas, it is 10:46pm and I am sure I will be here past midnight. Even worse is that I will be working another weekend. Yes folks, that is a second straight week of working without a weekend. Gods Behaving Badly wraps on Tuesday, but I have a feeling that I will be finding another movie on my schedule very soon. I know, I should be grateful that I have a job, but I kind of wish I had a life too. OK, I digress. I need to get back to work so that I can get out of here and home to my bed. I need some sleep before meeting with JC in the morning. Till tomorrow.

DAY 262 OF 365: SORE

OK, so I had my session with JC this morning, however, I was a little tight and sore. I have this knot in my shoulder that is causing this numbing feeling down my left arm and hand. It is  a weird sensation but it hinders me working out, especially lifting weights. JC tried to help adjust my shoulder and for the majority of the day it was better, but the numbness is back. I have also noticed some soreness in my side and back. Looks like I might need another massage to get all the kinks out. I am certainly not opposed to that!
The days are still long and hectic at the office, but I am pushing through it hoping that by next week my work load will decrease. Well, I am off to bed. It is almost 1am and I am quickly fading. Till tomorrow.

DAY 261 OF 365: LONG DAYS AND LATE NIGHTS WILL NOT STOP ME!

So I am back to working crazy hours again but I refuse to let that throw a wrench in my healthier fitter me challenge. Now granted, I am exhausted and somewhat cranky, but I am still juicing and eating healthy and kicking ass at the gym. I even fit into my skinny jeans the other day. The ones that last fall I could even squeeze myself into. Now that was an amazing feeling!
On the juicing front, I have noticed that I am juicing so much more. The other day I juiced Spinach, Celery, Parsley and a green apple. Refreshing and surprisingly good. I even contemplated bringing my juicer to work. We'll see how that turns out. Well, I need to get back to work. Looks like another late night at the office. I wanted to take a break just to fill you all in. Till tomorrow.

DAY 260 OF 365: 15 HOUR DAY AT THE OFFICE

OK, so yes, it was a 15 hour day at the office today, but at least it started out with an intense workout at the gym with JC. We worked on upper body, biceps and back. Who knew there were so many back muscles. And let me tell you this, my back looks damn good! All kidding aside, I have definitely seen a huge transformation in the muscle definition in my upper body. Still trying to tighten up my core, but hey, I have pecs now! You can actually see them threw my shirt. So, the rest of the day was spent at the office. You will be happy to know that a week from tomorrow wraps Gods Behaving Badly and hopefully also my hectic schedule. So, with that, I bid you farewell. It is after 2am and I have to get up in less than 6 hours. Till tomorrow.

DAY 259 OF 365: FALL IS OFFICIALLY HERE

So the windows have been opened, the air conditioner has been turned off and the jeans and long sleeve shirts have been unpacked. So yes my friends, fall is officially here. Now even though that means more clothes to cover up the body, it does not mean that I can slack off of this challenge. If anything, fall means that I need to work even harder with this challenge. There is Halloween which means candy, then Thanksgiving and Christmas which means lots of food and sweats and before you know it, Day 365 will be here and I will be taking the infamous photo. So that means game time people. I need to kick it into high gear and get this body tight and ripped.
I spent the day at the office, surprise surprise, trying to get ahead which never seems to be the case. But, I was at least able to get done what I needed to and then get home for the usual; laundry, bill paying and food prep for the week. I even slipped in some juicing. Today I juiced pears, cucumbers, celery, lime and parsley with some spinach. I even went to the market and picked up some fresh berries and fruits and froze them for fresh smoothie in the morning. Needless to say, my fridge is stocked with healthy goodness for the week. So with that I am signing off tonight to finish getting ready for another hectic work week at the office. On the bright side, Gods Behaving Badly is wrapping next week, which means there is an end in sight to the craziness, but also a wrap party! Till tomorrow.

DAY 258 OF 365: BACK WITH THE TIP OF THE WEEK

So I have been swamped at the office and working crazy hours again. But I have still made it to the gym and have continued to live my healthier lifestyle. I just had to take a break from blogging. Those few minutes a night that I would normally blog, I used for extra time sleeping. It helped! But here is my tip of the week. If you are working out extensively and lifting weights such as myself, then I suggest a monthly massage, and a deep tissue massage at that. I went for a deep tissue massage today to workout all the kinks and soreness and holy shit was I tight. The first half hour of the massage was spent with the therapist kneading out all the kinks and knots in my back. At one point I wanted to cry but afterwards I never felt better. The point is, when we lift weights we are tearing muscle in order to build muscle. It is important that we stretch out after working out and if you can afford it, get a massage once a month. If I could afford it, I would be getting one once a week, but, I have to pay the bills. Well, I am off to bed. I spent today at the office and I will be back there tomorrow. And to top it off, fall is really here. I had forgotten what 65 degrees felt like. I actually had to pull out the jeans and light weight jacket today. Till tomorrow.

DAY 255 OF 365: TAKING A LITTLE BREAK FROM BLOGGING

So the work load has picked up again and for my own sanity and not to bore the few that read this, I will be taking a mini break from blogging. I will return on Saturday when I get home from work. I would rather take a break from blogging then have you read my rants about my crazy long hours and pure nuttiness of my job. Thanks for understanding and chat with you all on Saturday. Over and out.

DAY 254 OF 365: WORKING OUT AT THE OFFICE

Since I am cooped up in the office for the majority of the day working, I try and take time throughout the day to exercise. I tend to do crunches in the late morning before eating my lunch, and then I walk the steps of our building in the afternoon before my late afternoon snack, which usually consists of fruits and veggies. I have noticed that I am starting a trend at the office, because my co workers have caught on and are following in my foot steps. Now if only our manager would stop buying candy and sweets and leaving them in the kitchen. It is the worst thing to be stressed out and be in close proximity to chocolate. So now I keep almonds in my desk for those such occasions.
I am meeting with JC in the morning for one of our sessions. I need to chat with him about coming up with some strategies for how I can tighten up this core. I want to slim down and get these abs showing. I missed showing them off in the summer, but there is still the polar bear club! Oh and this weekend I am going to work on cleaning up my recipe for lemon cucumber sorbet and as soon as I perfect it, I will be sharing it with you. I think I just need a few more tweaks and it will be perfect. Well, I am off to bed. Early morning with JC then off to the office to cast and prepare for my production meeting for the next episode of Law and Order: SVU. Till tomorrow.

DAY 253 OF 365: START THE DAY OFF WITH SOME GREEN JUICE

Nothing gets me going more than a tall glass of green juice. There is something about it that just gives me the energy to push through the day. I have been trying different combinations lately, but my favorite still has to be cucumbers, celery, apples, and lemon. But, you don't just have to stick with greens. I also love juicing watermelon, mint and some limes. Either way, starting off the day by juicing can really motivate you while giving you the much needed nutrients to get through the day. Not to mention, your skin will glow. I should know. I have had less breakouts and my skin has never looked better. The only thing different that I am doing is juicing.
Today at the gym, JC and I concentrated on back and legs. I did everything from squats with weights, pull ups, rows and bench presses. I must say that there is a huge change in the definition of my body. I can see my arms and calves taking shape, and my strength and endurance has increased. I am still waiting for my six pack to miraculously appear, but until than, I will continue my crunches and core work.
In other news, I have some exciting announcements to make in the coming weeks. As soon as it is official, I will share with all of you. It doesn't really have to do with the challenge, but it is still exciting. So I am looking forward to sharing. Well, I am off to watch The Big C. Tonight's episode features the swim team which my associate and I worked extremely hard to cast. Such an amazing show and I am honored to be a part of it. If you have Showtime, tune in. You won't be disappointed. Till tomorrow.

DAY 252 OF 365: I NEED TO GET MOTIVATED AGAIN

When I started this challenge I was so motivated with this drive to achieve my end goal. But now I feel as if I am flying on auto pilot. I get up, I go to the gym, I go to work, I get home and go to bed and then I do it all over again. I am eating healthy and working out but I have lost the drive. I don't know if it is the fact that I have been working crazy hours, or that I have not seen my friends in for ever, but whatever the case, I am unmotivated and slightly depressed. Ok, now don't get all worried for me, I am not that kind of depressed; just situational depression. I even considered the fact that I needed a change and I decided that I was going to shave my head, except I didn't feel like leaving the house. It could also have been the fact that I ended up having to work from home, but the point is, I didn't even feel like leaving the house. So this week, my goal is to get my drive back!
On the healthy side, I have decided that I love roasted vegetables. From root vegetables, to broccoli to tomatoes, everything tastes better roasted! My tip would be always have extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar in your pantry, along with some herbs and spices, for the perfect roasted vegetables. Now the only way to salvage tonight would be to lounge on the couch and watch the season finale of True Blood! Till tomorrow.

DAY 251 OF 365: A RELAXING SATURDAY

Nothing better than sleeping past 8am and not waking up to a screaming alarm clock. That's always the worst. Getting awoken from a deep sleep by a loud annoying buzzing sound. But this morning my phone was turned off, the curtains were shut and I didn't set the alarm clock. The only alarm that I needed was my body telling me when it was ready to wake up. When I did wake up, I made myself a nice breakfast before heading to the gym to work out with JC. We concentrated on legs and arms this morning. I was surprised at how busy the gym was this morning, but I guess everyone had the same idea. After working out, I headed home to shower and enjoy some coffee while getting some work done. Always better to bring work home than have to head into the office. I even found time for some bill paying and laundry. Of course I did some juicing today and even tried out a new sorbet recipe. I made my normal lemon sorbet recipe, but this time I added a cup of cucumber juice. Quite refreshing. Not only is it a refreshing drink, but it is also a satisfying dessert. The night ended with a nice dinner, a glass of wine and a movie. If only every night could be that relaxing. Well, time for bed. Till tomorrow.

DAY 250 OF 365: I MADE IT THROUGH THE CRAZINESS

So it is Friday and I survived the crazy work week. I had to switch my session with JC to tomorrow since I had to be on set early today. I looked like a mental patient on set this morning and by 12pm I was bouncing off the walls with the amount of coffee I had. The good thing is that the work that I need to catch up on I should be able to do from home, so at least I will have a resemblance of a weekend. What I am looking forward to the most is relaxing. This entire week I have been going at warp speed and with the lack of sleep I am finally feeling it. So, on that note, I am going to bed. Tomorrow is a new day to conquer. Till then.

DAY 249 OF 365: LATE NIGHTS ARE BACK

So the late nights are back. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is midnight and I am still here at the office. I even had to move my session with JC tomorrow morning to Saturday morning since I will be here late tonight and then on set tomorrow morning. I am pretty sure that I will have to work this weekend also. Sigh. Just when I thought things were going back to normal. Well, like they say, this too shall pass and then I will be back at the gym kicking ass and juicing up a storm. Ok, I need to get back to casting extras. Till tomorrow.

DAY 248 OF 365: GREAT WORKOUT

Had a great workout with JC this morning. I am starting to achieve personal bests and that is the not only a great feeling but also a motivation. I am a competitive person and if it means beating a personal goal, I will push to achieve that. I am definitely gaining strength in my legs, which is where I feel I am the weakest. Now if I could just tighten up this core. Maybe I need to start doing more cardio to trim down.
Well, I am home now from work and going to make myself some dinner and relax with some TV before calling it a night. Till tomorrow.

DAY 247 OF 365: MISSING SLEEPING IN

The best part of having off is sleeping in past 9am. It has become a luxury for me. During the work week I tend to get up between 6am and 6:30am when I am working out with JC and then usually around 7am if I am not meeting JC. This morning however I was up and out of the house by 5:30am. I made myself a nice green juice, had some fruit salad and was on my way to set to check in the extras for Law and Order: SVU.  Those are the mornings that I dread. For some reason, knowing that I have to get up early, I toss and turn and never have a relaxing sleep. I would have hoped that with my healthier eating and exercising, that it would have stopped, but I guess it is just anxiety. But I am home now after a busy day and I am winding down before calling it a night. Tomorrow I have a session with JC and then off to work to cast more extras. Never a dull day. Till tomorrow.

DAY 246 OF 365: GOODBYE SUMMER; HELLO FALL

So as I watch the minutes on the clock pass, I am realizing that the summer is waving goodbye to me. I wish it wasn't, but I have to accept that fall is here. The scary part is, that in 3 months my challenge will come to an end and I will have to recreate the infamous photo. Am I ready? Not even close. But, that just means that I have to concentrate and work harder. Take this morning for instance. I busted ass with JC and I have the sore muscles to prove it.
I went grocery shopping this afternoon and stocked up on fruits, vegetables and all the healthy things that I will need to make it through another busy work week. I even found time to organize the mess that is my closet. I tend to hoard things and today seemed like the perfect day to cleanse and get rid of it all. But I ended the day with a nice dinner and a green juice. I will give you the recipe and you will have to let me know what you think.

1 Fuji Apple
2 Cucumbers
1 Green Pepper
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 Tablespoon of Kale Juice
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Quite refreshing. If any of you have tried a green juice and have the recipe, I would love to try it. I actually bought a book full of recipes that I am trying out. Will post my favorites. Maybe, a recipe each night. Well, I am going to relax with a movie before heading to bed. I need to be up at 5:30am to be on set for Law and Order: SVU. Back to the grind. Till tomorrow.

DAY 245 OF 365: THANK GOD I HAVE MONDAY OFF

How is it that the weekend has already come to an end? Thank god for Monday being a holiday. I feel like my body was on recharge mode and because of that, I was lazy and did absolutely nothing. Well, not nothing. I did get some work done and then there was the cleaning and bill paying, but nothing really fun. I did make it to the gym at least. So, it looks like tomorrow will be a busy day. I am meeting with JC in the morning, and then I need to go grocery shopping and then home to put out the call times for Law and Order: SVU and Gods Behaving Badly. And then after that, I have to make meals for the work week.
As far as the challenge goes, I really need to concentrate on toning up my mid section. I am finding that as much effort as I put into it, toning up the mid section is not easy. All the abs work that I do, just does not seem to make a difference. I am hoping that one morning I will wake up to a tight six pack, and not Coors Light! So that will be my motivation tomorrow morning when JC is pushing me and I feel like giving up. I will think about how great a six pack will look on me. Well, it is Sunday night and you know what that means! True Blood! Till tomorrow.

DAY 244 OF 365: HOME COOKED DINNER AND A MOVIE

It has been a while since I made a nice home cooked dinner and actually sat down to watch a movie. I have to say, I definitely have been missing out. Now this morning I slept in a bit and had a leisurely morning enjoying my coffee and getting caught up with some chores around the house. I even made time to hit the gym for some cardio and abs. The only thing that I was not able to do was have my fresh direct delivered. So it looks like tomorrow morning I will be making a trip to the grocery store. But, I guess that is kind of better than fresh direct. There is something to be said about picking out your own groceries and produce. I know that fresh direct can save me time, but I do enjoy grocery shopping. The only down fall is that I find I spend more when I go to the grocery store. Hmm, maybe I just shouldn't go shopping when I am hungry. That could be the issue. haha
The rest of the day I spent getting caught up on work. Sometimes working from home doesn't really feel like working, which in a way, makes it go by quicker. I also found time for brainstorming for my new pet project. Once I finalize a couple of things, I will fill you in on it. For now, fingers crossed that things play out in my favor. Well, time for me to curl up on the couch and enjoy my movie. Till tomorrow.

DAY 243 OF 365: TGIF

Well it is finally here! TGIF guys. I have been looking forward to this three day weekend all week. There was a point today that I thought it would never get here. The day started off with a total body workout with JC and ended with a late night at the office. I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and enjoying a relaxing labor day weekend.
I messed up and forgot to place my fresh direct order and now there are no deliveries available tomorrow. So it looks like I will be heading to the grocery store instead. I want to pick up some fruits and greens for juicing and also some ingredients to try out a couple of new recipes. Then it is off to the gym for a little cardio before heading home to enjoy a relaxing night with a movie and a home cooked dinner. Till tomorrow.

DAY 242 OF 365: THAT MUCH CLOSER TO A THREE DAY WEEKEND

I still can't believe that today is September 1st. Where did the summer go? It has been 9 months since I started this challenge and I have to admit that this last month I have been derailed. Between my hectic work schedule, lack of sleep, and my less than healthy eating, I fell off the healthy band wagon. I am happy to say though that I am back in it to win it. But now it is time to kick it into high gear and get back on track. This weekend I plan on taking advantage of the extra day off by hitting up the gym. There are a couple of classes that I want to take and there is always time for cardio and abs work.
This morning I started the day off with a nice tall glass of greens. I juiced the following:

1 Bunch of Kale
2 Cucumbers
2 stalks of celery
2 apples
1 lemon

It takes a little getting used to, but boy does it change the way you feel. I love juicing and I recommend it for anyone looking to add a little health to your day. I purchased a book about juicing and I am looking forward to trying out some recipes this weekend. I will post my favorite recipes this weekend. Well, I am off to bed. Meeting with JC in the morning for our session. I find that on Friday's he pushes me the most.  So I need all the sleep I can get. Till tomorrow.