Now that I am eating healthy, (but not often enough) everyday, I am concentrating on rebuilding my body from the core (inside) outwards.  There is a lot of information floating around the world as to what excercises will make you fit, lean, stronger, flexible or just get your heart and blood pumping to improve overall health.  I typically get bored easy, which makes it more interesting for me to find and do exercise or activities that I enjoy doing for any period of time. 

I’ve decided to focus on working from the core out; which means exercises that can usually be done at home using your own body weight with controlled and concentrated repetitions.  This includes stretching, pushups, situps, body lifts, lateral movements and many other combined excercises with a some fitness props.  Initially I was going to purchase an eliptical machine and some other home gym equipment but decided that if i wanted a gym workout, I would go to the gym and use the best equipment on my body.  For the daily excercise routines I do at home, I’ve collected some simple fitness aids that have been around for a long time and are used regularly in a pilates gym or excercise class. 

In addition to my 3 mile a day (minimum) walk or jog (depending on my energy and motivation levels), here are the things I am doing at home to get healthy and the results I hope to achieve by doing them: 

1. Skipping, using a mini-trampoline or rebounder stimulates the lymphatic system, which consists of millions of tiny channels that parallel our network of blood vessels.  The lymph channels transport fats and other substances around the body and helps with the elimination of waste products from cells. Unlike blood, which has the heart as a pump, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump. It relies on exercise and deep breathing to keep it moving.   I spend alot of time sitting down when I work on my computer or when playing long hours at the poker tables during tournament time.  Additionally, stress causes shallow breathing, which can further reduce lymph flow. The end result is sluggish lymph flow, leading to frequent colds and flu, tiredness, and increased risk of chronic disease.

Skipping is said to be one of the easiest ways to target lymph flow (although any exercise will help).  It takes a bit of getting used to, but I enjoy doing it at home or sometimes at the gym. The mini-trampoline, or rebounder, is another option. Five minutes every morning and night is just enough to get the blood moving without enduring any cardio activity. 

2. Balancing My Workout with calm and controlling excercise

100 year old practices such as tai chi, qi gong or new ones like pilates and yoga improve flexibility and balance. They use breath, mind, and body to restore energy, reduce stress, and calm an agitated mind.

3. Target the Core

The body’s “core” - the area around your trunk and pelvis, including your abs and your low back - is where your center of gravity is located. Targeting these muscles not only gives you toned abs, but they support your low back. Over time, a weak core can make you susceptible to poor posture, low back pain, and be injury prone.  Traditional abs exercises, like sit-ups and crunches, focus on the rectus abdominis, but it’s important to work all the core muscles because one weak area can cause poor posture and make you susceptible to injury. The best core exercises involve moving your limbs while stabilizing your abs.

My favorite tool for working the core muscles is the stability ball. It’s effective because you have to balance on the inflated ball while exercising (it looks like a big beach ball), which engages your core. There are many exercise videos available using the balance ball and I may even throw up some videos one of these days if I get around to it. 

4. Bands and Balls

Resistance bands and exercise, or balance, balls are two effective exercise tools that both work great together.  I’ve been learning dozens of excercises from my fitness consultant and trainer during the past few weeks.  Once I’ve perfected them and seen the results, I will post the “how to” for each excercise and the results associated.

Exercise ball - Performing exercises on an exercise ball enhances flexibility, balance, and co-ordination, and strengthens and tones muscles. Doing exercises on a wobbly ball builds a lean and strong core, which is the key to better posture.

Resistance bands - Resistance bands are another efficient way of exercising. You get more out of the return part of each movement compared to using free weights or machines.

While my spider senses were wrong on me winning the Caesars main event, I did manage to win a seat and get some good practice in before Foxwoods.  I came up unlucky against a hand i was in the lead with, but hey…that’s poker.  On any given sunday, even a broken clock can tell time twice a day.

 I’ve prepared myself with all the “good for me” snacks at trader joe’s and whole foods with a checklist of snacks and food for the trip so i dont deter from the garden path even while playing poker 12 hours a day on average.  The list for traveling includes:  Organic instant oatmeal with flax seed, organic mixed nuts, organic granola bars, organic trail mix, canned tuna in water and some dried fruit.  I’m also hoping foxwoods has some decent restaurants and some place to get some fresh vegetable and fruit juices made….otherwise its going to be a lot of water and dried foods for the next three weeks.

I’ve hit my target and comfortable weight of 170lbs and dont think I will go below it.  I feel healthly, look healthy and my body is able to endure long walks, bike riding and runs without feeling fatigued, so i think I’m in the healthy weight range and will eventually research what the ideal weight is for my height and age.  Being healthy is a million times more important than being thin; I’ll be posting my findings on where to formulate the ideal weight/age calculations.

Today I spent a couple of hours at the gym and did an hour on the eliptical machine and did a speed workout using universal machines with little rest between sets.  This helps to shock the muscles and enhance both strenth and endurance in the body; Its a great cardio workout too. 

Today was a gorgeous day at the golf course in Boulder City, even though my equipment wasnt cooperating with me and I almost hit some golfers on the fairway next to us.  Its been a couple of weeks since i played golf and my stroke counts sure showed it.  Regardless, I had a fantastic day with a good friend of mine, who had a decent day of “follow the ball” with moments of greatness….CJ hit a couple of pars and had some good chances to birdie.

I’ve been staying consistent with daily exercise, doing something every single day; walking, running, cycling, golfing or doing chin-ups and playing tag with my son at the park after school.  My body strength continues to improve and my weight is staying stable, even after eating some bad restaurant food yesterday.  

Its been sometime since the family went out to eat restaurant food, so we decided to go to one of our favorites (pre MC), called the Asian Buffet.  Typically they have a good range of food with lots of fish and vegetable dishes and even some mid-grade sushi.  However, yesterday turned out to be really bad as I could taste the MSG seeping through the tuna sashimi and the rest of the sushi tasted like it was a week old.  What I’m not sure is if the food has always been like this and I couldnt taste the food quality before, or yesterdays food was just a bad day to come in.  I’m going to try it one more time before closing the book on Asia Buffet, but suspect my finely tuned taste buds had something to do with it.  Things just taste different now.

Today was an exceptional day with slight overcast, a bit of wind and perfect temperature, so I decided to go for a long bike ride across the city.  I’m usually not very good with directions and I have even less of an idea regarding good cycling roads vs. bad ones.   Throwing caution to the (head) wind i headed North East and decided to ride over to my good friend’s house in the hills.  My friends live aproximately 25 miles away from my place and this is the longest i’ve ridden in over 19 years. 

The last time i wrode 50 miles i was doing triathalons in 1998 and was 19 years old…a long time ago.  The ride was relatively painless going there, however coming back was a bit more enduring.  The climbs werent crazy but steady and the wind coming back always seemed to be in my face no matter which direction i wrode.  I managed to break my chain during the ride back, but was fortunate enough to be close to bike shop when it happened, so i cruised right in and got it fixed on the spot.  I was exhausted and hungry when i got back home so i ate some nuts then went to meet my wife and son for some thai food.  I ate some papaya salad, extra spicy, along with some tofu soup and spring rolls…a perfect way to end the day.  My body is tired and I got a bit of sunburn on my lower legs…but it was a great day of riding high and pushing myself  hard to get to my next goals.

October 5th, 2007

This weekend should be a doozy.  I arrived in Toronto on Thursday evening and got some decent rest before the festivities started.  I didnt eat a whole lot on Thursday as i spent most of the day riding airplanes.  Food for the day consisted of nuts and juices for breakfast, lunch and dinner as i didnt want to break away from my diet.  I know this weekend will be way off the food path; especially compared to what i’ve been eating for the last six weeks. 

This morning I decided to go for a small jog/walk through smallville (small city in Canada), where my best friend and his new bride will be living.  A small jog turned into over 10 km and I found a golf range to hit some balls near the end of the run. 

We all picked up our tuxes and my pant size was 2 inches less than when i initially measured 3 weeks ago.  I anticipated being down 2 sizes, but not 4.  Luckily the tux pants have a waist adjuster, so it was easy enough to make smaller, making everything fit perfect.  It was a good day overall as i did not expect to get in so much exercise during the trip or burn off any fat…but i’m very glad i did as the evening (bachelor party) was a mix of high caloric foods and beaucoup de alcohol.  It turned out to be a very late night, getting to bed around 5AM; a little drunk and very tired. 

October 6th, 2007

Today was a chill out day, I went for a walk through town in the AM and went into Toronto for a body massage with the groom-to-be and his good friend Jaakko, who also flew in from Tokyo for the wedding.  I ate well today, mostly fruit and veggies but unfortunatly found out I am definitely allergic to eggs.  I’m not sure if its the yolk and the egg white or both, I’ll do some additional testing when i get home.  It was easy to figure out that i was allergic as my throat became instantly inflamed and a became to secrete mucous from my lungs.  It sounds worse than it is, as I’ve had these symptoms for years prior to the MC diet and changing my eating habits. 

October 7th, 2007

Today’s the big day for the last man standing.  Ron is the last fraternity brother from University to be married and enter the family life….good fun living!  Last night was relaxing, we watched a few movies, 300 and Premonition and today we are heading to the hockey hall of fame in downtown Toronto.  I dont remember ever going to the Hall of Fame as a kid so it should be fun to see my hockey idols and the memorabilia.   I had a great breakfast and drank the purest pomegrannite juice I’ve ever tasted; it was lightly pasteurized and full of nutrients…good for the liver!

The hockey Hall of Fame was unreal!  It took me back to the tender of age of 5 - 10 years of age when my hockey idols Ken Dryden, Gerry Cheevers and Tretiak were all goalie gods.  These were the first guys I ever looked up to in my early childhood and would always remember even today.  Walking through the hall brang memories of street hockey, a puck in the chin and staying up late to watch Montreal Canadian hockey games on TV at my grandmothers…those were the days.

October 8th, 2007

The wedding was a huge success!  The chapel was a perfect size for just under a 100 people and very quaint.  Although the day wasnt sunny, it was overcast with no rain so we were able to get in alot of pictures, indoor and out.  It was everything a wedding should be with great people, good food and great times.  I particularly enjoyed seeing many of my college friends from 15 years ago, most of whom i didnt recognize, all hanging out with their wives. 

I finally ate some beef after 6 weeks of not having any meat and it tasted kind of strange, although it was a great peice of cow.  I honestly dont see myself eating much meat of any kind except for fish for the next while as i dont like feeling bloated or stuffed, and that’s how i feel after eating beef most of the time.

I way over drank this weekend as well, so I’m officially off alcohol for the next 3 months to reset my system and help to restore and repair my liver.  Lots of water, supplements and lemon juice for the next while should do the trick.  I’ve read its best to drink freshly squeezed lemons into water and drink it first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything else.  After drinking a full glass of lemon juice you can eat 15 minutes later, preferebly something like oatmeal or wheat toast to get your liver jump started naturally.

Oct 9th, 2007

Heading back home to Las Vegas today to see the family; its almost been too long as i miss them terribly after about 2 days.  I went for a quick jog up and down the hotel stairs, which was about 20 flights and felt it in my calves and legs.  I also ran over to the local gym to do some weights, but decided to do more cardio instead and ran on the eliptical machine for 20 minutes.  I’ll eat fruit and some nuts today only to get my calories back down and hopefully into a proper eating routine of fresh juices and some good food in the days to come.

October 10th, 2007

Glad to be back home and see the family.  My son is so funny about seeing me after a long period of time; he tries to act cool like he didnt miss me at all.  I think he does it because he doesnt like me gone for too long periods of time and expresses it by being cool and non-chalant about it; he’s something else.

I had a liquid breakfast (grapefruit juice) along with some oatmeal this morning and went for 3 mile walk/run around the circle; it feels great to be home again.  Salads, fruit and some vegetable juice made up my food intake for the day with a nice korean dinner consisting of brown rice, kimchi and some seaweed soup….my favorite.

October 11th, 2007

I’m finally back on the supplements 3 times a day with the exception of Spirulina and Chlorella which give me super amounts of energy all day long.  I’m reserving to take these algae superfoods when my workouts and weight begins to plateau.  I figure i will work out regularly and see how much more i can lose before having to make some changes in my exercise program and/or diet.  Research has told me that changing things up on a regular basis and staggering supplements can really help to keep your system on its toes, so that’s my mission for the next 3 months while i try to acheive my next set of goals.  Today I rode my bike around the circle in the evening and took a walk in the morning for a total of 6 miles of combined cardio.

October 12th

I havent missed a day of doing some kind of exercise since coming home and i’ve made a promise to myself to keep that going.  Its mostly been running, walking or cycling since the weather is so perfect and i dont see a need to go the gym for awhile as i really want to lose another 5 lbs before gaining some muscle.    My weight is sitting at 175lbs since the wedding and I’m very happy with that as i expected it to rise up near 180 after eating more foods and out of my routine.  My target weight for the end of the year is 170lbs and i want to do it by eating more meals per day and incrementally increasing the amount of miles i run and bike everyday.  This will raise my metobolic rate naturally and strengthen my body inside and out.

I began writing on two topics today and couldnt complete either one.  None of my thoughts were clear and concise as they usually are, however i did manage to get in over 10 miles on a bike ride.   Its no surprise that where my brain left off, my body picked up the slack and pushed me to get something accomplished today.  Perhaps i’ll try to get in some additional exercise (go for my evening walk) as i cant put a sentence together today to save my life.   

I also found myself to be a bit snappy and irritated today for whatever reason, i’m wondering if there is a nutritional deficiency somewhere…I’ll see how i feel tommorrow.  Goodnight.

 The official results are in with pictures to follow: 

Current Weight:  170 lbs                 Previous Weight: 190 lbs

Current Waist:  32 inches                Previous Waist:  36 inches

Next Month Goals:

Weight 165lbs, Waist 30 inches, improve neck and back problem by working on core excercises and finding back and neck specialist; ride 40 miles (total) per week on the bike; workout minimum of 2 times a week at the gym to improve body core strength; register to cycle in a charity fund raiser of at least 40 mile race or run half marathon by the end of the year or beginning of January 2008.

Today I’m a month old from my old self to my new start - beginning.  My body continues to respond well with everything i am doing as I continue to be allergy free as i introduce different foods back to my system with no arthritis or pain in my wrists and hands (severe issue prior to the program).  The only issue that continues to hinder me is my neck and back pain that has been chronic for years since a car accident in 1997.  

I am on the hunt to find a healer, specialist and or chiropractor to help me with these issues and think if i find the right person I could be healthly across the board without any pain killers, drugs or surgery as recommended by many physicians over the years.

In two days it will officially be one month since i started the MC diet, eating better and exercising.  Raw foods and juicing is coming to an end as i’m beginning to transition over to solid foods and my system is ready.  I’ll continue to have liquid breakfasts and/or lunches for at least one of my meals in the day as i particularly like it.  This weekend however, i am doing another cleanse;the liver and gallbladder cleanse, which i will do after my in-laws leave and return to Korea.  It’s a little bit more scientific than the Master Cleanse, and i will document the ingredients and the step by step process once i start on Saturday.

On an exercise note, i’ve been cycling more and more the last few days increasing my mileage to 6 miles a day; 3 miles with my son in his trailer and 3 without him attached. I  havent weighed myself for over a week and i’m interested to know where i’m at since i’ve started to eat more solid foods and more daily calories.  I’m not asconcerned with my weight as I am with just being healthly; although the two work hand in hand.  What i dont want to do is become spastic and obsessive about my weight.  My philosophy is to eat well, exercise and keep a good balance, enjoying everything in moderation.

On a golf note, i played the Rio Secco Golf course in Henderson today and got my first Eagle!  Now i’m ready for the PGA tour….in my dreams!  It’s days like these that keep you going at the things you arent really good at…but on any given sunday…even a blind squirrel can find a nut.

Sept, 23rd 2007

I spent the entire weekend playing golf with my Father in Law and have finally begun to eat some “unpurified” foods while i was away from home.  For breakfast i had some fish, red potatoes, scrambled eggs and alot of fruit; and lunch consisted of chef and seafood salads.  I still havent eaten any meat yet, and I’m not going to introduce any meat, dairy or alcohol until after my liver cleanse is complete which i plan to do the last weekend of this month.  The solid foods i’m eating are processing well as i’m not eating large portions and eating slower to allow my digestive system the time it needs.  This makes a big difference as i dont feel bloated or stuffed after eating and often have some nuts or granola bars a few hours later.

I got some exercise and golf practice as the fairways were cart path only due to overseeding season; i walked most of the courses on both Saturday and Sunday getting in some decent cardio.

I have an intense week ahead with my trainer as we plan to push things up a notch on the intensity levels; my body as had a couple of weeks to adjust incrementally.  I will be going to the gym Mon, Wed and Fri of this week and playing Golf with my father in law in between those days, so it should be a great week of physical activity and improvement on the body shaping side of things.