'If you're hungry at work, try water first. If you're hungry at home, screw.'
Since I just can't bring myself to hit the gym, I guess I should post something.
I did work out today, just some calisthenics things at home that I got from last month's Esquire. They're very simple but totally strenuous, combining strength and stamina training. And together you work shoulders, core, legs and butt -- in a word, everything. If anyone's interested in the workout, I can post it later.
It's part of their "The Better Man '07" feature, and it's got a lot neat tips in it. I think I may buy the book "You: On A Diet" by Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, as it looks very interesting and tries to use your body to its full potential, to kickstart nature and then let it do most of the work to get healthy.
(My favorite one right now, regarding the brain: The hypothalamus contains a sort of hunger regulator called the satiety center. Chemicals regulate whether you feel hungry or full, and fight it out in the hypothalamus. The satiety centers register not just desire for food, but also desire for our other three main behavioral drives: thirst, sleep and sex. "Often what we register as hunger is actually a desire for one of these. So if you're hungry at work, try water first. If you're hungry at home, screw." My plan, then, is to be the most hydrated, horny man I know.)
I went to the gym yesterday, and I'm sure I overdid it. After about 45 minutes of free weights and weight machines, and some abdominal stuff, I got on the elliptical to do some strength stuff. After 5 minutes, I felt like I was gonna vomit (I don't care what anyone says -- if you feel absolutely nauseous, STOP), so I stopped. On top of the Esquire exercises at home, too.
So today is that wonderful fire spreading across my limbs and back, as I can feel each muscle recuperating and rebuilding It's not the exercise that makes you fit or makes you lose weight. It's when your body's recovering from exercise.
Why am I doing this? Mostly to maintain, since my doctor says everything is in great shape, I am in a good waist size for my body type (less than half my height) and while I'm no muscle man, I'm decently muscular while still compact and lean. (Though a good bit of my body is hidden beneath body hair, but I ain't shaving/waxing unless I'm suddenly modeling or entering the porn business.) Maybe at some point I'll want to have a break through to another level of fitness, but I don't think I care to put in the work, since I surely have enough time in my day. But at least I can get back to making vegetables account for half of lunch and dinner, dropping desserts, drinking lots of water, and eating walnuts, carrots and yogurt for snacks.
In this same Esquire I read something about junk bond fuckhead-turned-nutrionial nut Michael Milken, a big-time eater who wanted to eat better not still eat the same shit, and has spent millions developing substitutes for everything; he swears he can make a healthy reuben you'd mistake for the real thing, and chances are a vegan could eat it. (The author changed his eating habits to Milken's and lost a ton of weight, but this article is nothing like you'd see in People or Self.)
I wanted to try out a variation on my whole wheat pancakes based on a Milken recipe. So I cut out the butter and sugar, and the only thing close to fat I used was canola oil cooking spray on the pan. I also added oatmeal to the batter along with wheat.
The pancakes cooked nicely, but without butter or sugar they were on the bland side. Now I know why Milken's recipe called for fruits. Some berries would add the sugar and sweet I want, so I'll do that next time. I may miss the butter in the batter, but with some vanilla and some berries, I doubt I will.
Still, with all the fiber and no cholesterol (used vegetable spread), I have been totally full since 12:30 and doubtlessly will be for a few more hours, as the digestive system doesn't want to let go of the fiber and therefore slows down food absorption. Rock! Breakfast is good for you.
I should go out for a walk or something, but it's getting late and I have to be at work at 5. Maybe I'll just read some more and finish packing since I leave for Philly after work tomorrow night (!).
I finished "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe," full of more Douglas Adams' British sci-fi philosophy, and a good deal of sadness. If I had read the book when it first came out, I would have been furious clamoring for the next one, wondering how Arthur and Ford were gonna get off prehistoric Earth (they had to) and what happened to Zaphod and Trillian. Luckily I am reading Rosemary's compendium of the first five stories, so I went right into "Life, the Universe and Everything." Liking it a lot so far, especially the idea of the Somebody Else's Problem field, where you can place something in a level of existence where people don't expect to see it, and so they don't.
It's been nice reading either in the morning or mid-afternoon, either at home or out in the park, and maybe catching a light nap before work. I could do more of this when I work at night, but on my days off I want some excitement.
On my off days, if it's not too much money I may do some exploring. First stop (thanks again, Esquire): Getting a cheeseburger at Shady Glen Dairy Stores in Manchester, where the cheese extends out onto the grill to make a chewy cheese crust of a patty melt. I also want to visit the Mansfield Drive-In, but I sure as hell ain't going alone. Maybe I'll Craigslist a movie buddy, if Rosemary doesn't get up here first?
Anyway, packing is nearly done. I packed "Casino Royale" and "Pan's Labyrinth" on DVD so Rosemary can have her Daniel Craig/Sergi Lopez sandwich. We'll probably watch "Casino Royale" at my parents' house since I don't think they've seen it, and this time I'll get to give my mom a ride in Mr. Sexxx E. Carr. Trying to see my high school friend Nick and his mom Debbie (it's been 2 1/2 years, gasp), and a lunch with the lovely Carly may percolate. I should go visit my sister, so maybe I'll make that happen, though it would be better/easier is she just came to my parents' house, but she likely won't. (Long story -- nothing bad, just a long story.) Rosemary and I plan to attend Sugar Town at Tritone on Saturday night, and angela_la_la's barbecue Sunday. And we want to fit in some Pennypack Park time as well, and maybe seeing Jesse and Raymel again.
Tonight at work I need to wrap up some loose ends, and then tomorrow it's cruise through/kick ass at work until the whistle blows so I can race to Philly.
I did work out today, just some calisthenics things at home that I got from last month's Esquire. They're very simple but totally strenuous, combining strength and stamina training. And together you work shoulders, core, legs and butt -- in a word, everything. If anyone's interested in the workout, I can post it later.
It's part of their "The Better Man '07" feature, and it's got a lot neat tips in it. I think I may buy the book "You: On A Diet" by Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, as it looks very interesting and tries to use your body to its full potential, to kickstart nature and then let it do most of the work to get healthy.
(My favorite one right now, regarding the brain: The hypothalamus contains a sort of hunger regulator called the satiety center. Chemicals regulate whether you feel hungry or full, and fight it out in the hypothalamus. The satiety centers register not just desire for food, but also desire for our other three main behavioral drives: thirst, sleep and sex. "Often what we register as hunger is actually a desire for one of these. So if you're hungry at work, try water first. If you're hungry at home, screw." My plan, then, is to be the most hydrated, horny man I know.)
I went to the gym yesterday, and I'm sure I overdid it. After about 45 minutes of free weights and weight machines, and some abdominal stuff, I got on the elliptical to do some strength stuff. After 5 minutes, I felt like I was gonna vomit (I don't care what anyone says -- if you feel absolutely nauseous, STOP), so I stopped. On top of the Esquire exercises at home, too.
So today is that wonderful fire spreading across my limbs and back, as I can feel each muscle recuperating and rebuilding It's not the exercise that makes you fit or makes you lose weight. It's when your body's recovering from exercise.
Why am I doing this? Mostly to maintain, since my doctor says everything is in great shape, I am in a good waist size for my body type (less than half my height) and while I'm no muscle man, I'm decently muscular while still compact and lean. (Though a good bit of my body is hidden beneath body hair, but I ain't shaving/waxing unless I'm suddenly modeling or entering the porn business.) Maybe at some point I'll want to have a break through to another level of fitness, but I don't think I care to put in the work, since I surely have enough time in my day. But at least I can get back to making vegetables account for half of lunch and dinner, dropping desserts, drinking lots of water, and eating walnuts, carrots and yogurt for snacks.
In this same Esquire I read something about junk bond fuckhead-turned-nutrionial nut Michael Milken, a big-time eater who wanted to eat better not still eat the same shit, and has spent millions developing substitutes for everything; he swears he can make a healthy reuben you'd mistake for the real thing, and chances are a vegan could eat it. (The author changed his eating habits to Milken's and lost a ton of weight, but this article is nothing like you'd see in People or Self.)
I wanted to try out a variation on my whole wheat pancakes based on a Milken recipe. So I cut out the butter and sugar, and the only thing close to fat I used was canola oil cooking spray on the pan. I also added oatmeal to the batter along with wheat.
The pancakes cooked nicely, but without butter or sugar they were on the bland side. Now I know why Milken's recipe called for fruits. Some berries would add the sugar and sweet I want, so I'll do that next time. I may miss the butter in the batter, but with some vanilla and some berries, I doubt I will.
Still, with all the fiber and no cholesterol (used vegetable spread), I have been totally full since 12:30 and doubtlessly will be for a few more hours, as the digestive system doesn't want to let go of the fiber and therefore slows down food absorption. Rock! Breakfast is good for you.
I should go out for a walk or something, but it's getting late and I have to be at work at 5. Maybe I'll just read some more and finish packing since I leave for Philly after work tomorrow night (!).
I finished "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe," full of more Douglas Adams' British sci-fi philosophy, and a good deal of sadness. If I had read the book when it first came out, I would have been furious clamoring for the next one, wondering how Arthur and Ford were gonna get off prehistoric Earth (they had to) and what happened to Zaphod and Trillian. Luckily I am reading Rosemary's compendium of the first five stories, so I went right into "Life, the Universe and Everything." Liking it a lot so far, especially the idea of the Somebody Else's Problem field, where you can place something in a level of existence where people don't expect to see it, and so they don't.
It's been nice reading either in the morning or mid-afternoon, either at home or out in the park, and maybe catching a light nap before work. I could do more of this when I work at night, but on my days off I want some excitement.
On my off days, if it's not too much money I may do some exploring. First stop (thanks again, Esquire): Getting a cheeseburger at Shady Glen Dairy Stores in Manchester, where the cheese extends out onto the grill to make a chewy cheese crust of a patty melt. I also want to visit the Mansfield Drive-In, but I sure as hell ain't going alone. Maybe I'll Craigslist a movie buddy, if Rosemary doesn't get up here first?
Anyway, packing is nearly done. I packed "Casino Royale" and "Pan's Labyrinth" on DVD so Rosemary can have her Daniel Craig/Sergi Lopez sandwich. We'll probably watch "Casino Royale" at my parents' house since I don't think they've seen it, and this time I'll get to give my mom a ride in Mr. Sexxx E. Carr. Trying to see my high school friend Nick and his mom Debbie (it's been 2 1/2 years, gasp), and a lunch with the lovely Carly may percolate. I should go visit my sister, so maybe I'll make that happen, though it would be better/easier is she just came to my parents' house, but she likely won't. (Long story -- nothing bad, just a long story.) Rosemary and I plan to attend Sugar Town at Tritone on Saturday night, and angela_la_la's barbecue Sunday. And we want to fit in some Pennypack Park time as well, and maybe seeing Jesse and Raymel again.
Tonight at work I need to wrap up some loose ends, and then tomorrow it's cruise through/kick ass at work until the whistle blows so I can race to Philly.