The Great American Challenge has begun; NYC, Mass, New Hampshire, Vermont, upstate NY, and Virginia Beach.We arrived in NYC at night on the 17th of Oct, checked into my room and were on the streets by 11:00 that night.My first stop was a night view from the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State building; cost was around 100.00 dollars for 2 and IMO a tourist attraction worth seeing.
The tales of NYC being a city that never sleeps seems to be true, at 2:00 in the morning; the streets were full of the tantalizing aromas from fresh baked bagels, pretzels, and pizza.The street vendor and corner markets always seemed to be doing a thriving business selling their delicious delectables.I was pleasantly surprised to find a ready availability of fresh healthy foods in every food eatery I visited.Crisp garden salads and fresh fruit were on offer at every buffet I saw on display.
I had my food hit list to help guide me through the city and I am a bit disappointed that I was not able to visit a great deli but I did manage to have a few successes.I ate Rack of Lamb, it was delicious and worth the cost, Cesar Salads seemed to be everywhere, Cheese Cake was every bit as creamy and delicious as I remembered and hoped for.The Maine Lobster was sweet, tender and memorable. The Alaskan King Crab Legs were sweet, tasty and huge.I discovered a fantastic burger in Norfolk Virginia, it was called a Garbage Burger and it was; big, firm and delicious.The waitress, Michelle was great and suggested a couple of desserts I had not thought of; banana cream pie, and fresh baked macadamia nut and chocolate chip cookies hmmm so delicious.
The stories of the American streets being filled with out of shape and overweight people in my opinion is greatly exaggerate.I toured the 5 boroughs of NYC, Rock port Maine, and several small villages in New Hampshire, and Vermont.We walked the beach front in Virginia Beach, and everywhere we visited I saw people in motion, aware of what they were eating and focusing on being fit.
There seems to be a gym on every block in NYC one of which I visited named Boom Boom it was busy, well equipped with plenty of free weights, aerobic and cardio equipment, the locker room was comfortable and clean but it did not offer a sauna.I tried to buy a day membership at a couple of gyms but was turned away before I was told to go on line to get a free 3 day pass to 24 hour Nautilus, which offered both sauna and steam room.
The North East has a health awareness program in progress; McDonalds sells fresh fruit and yogurt!The menus in small diners and full service restaurants I visited printed calorie values on their menu and almost all had a low calorie selection to choose from. I was also pleased to stop in a breakfast diner and read a shocking count of 2,400 calories next to a popular big breakfast, this means people who are eating big and fat are making a conscious choice to do so and no one can say:” I didn’t know, it’s not my fault”.
A killer burger
On this first leg of the GAC I spent a great deal of time driving and had very little opportunity, to train but there were plenty of gyms available. Being on the road no longer means being away from exercise and easy access to healthy food choices.
The results for GAC part 1 is a victory, great food, and wonderful memories with no weight gains.
Today was an exceptionally hectic day because it was a travel day from Koh Samui Thailand to NYC which meant I was up and into my morning routine at 3:00 A.M. . . . Six hours later I was chatting to my wife on our flight to Bangkok about the importance of having a personal understanding with one’s self.
Giving thanks
I am always more reflective when I have alone time with D.I honestly believe that she is my divine gift; a reward for never losing faith and never giving up on my pursuit of a better me.During these moments of self examination, I embrace warm feelings of gratitude for being led to her. Before moving to Asia, I was no angle and I did many things that I am not proud of as well as making many decisions worthy of shame however I learned to accept the truth and myself. During my studies of self awareness I was taught how to prioritize the important things in life and discovered the rubbish bin for useless matters such as guilt, blame and shame. Clarity in thought and vision has been the catalyst to seeing my dreams materialize.
night view of NYC from Empire State Building
This morning instead of enjoying my quite alone time in a sauna, I was in an aero plane on the way to new opportunities and adventures.In my opinion self communal time is the most valuable gift I can give myself.This is the time when I do a personal inventory and check in on how I am feeling, not just emotionally but physically too i.e. is my body feeling any pain and if so where?What muscles feel strong and which ones feel weak?I chose to do my personal exam in the sauna because the heat helps release muscle tension before I train and the warmth also tends to clear my mind and stimulate my creative juices; 80% of my ideas come to me while I am in the sauna.
Silence is golden; no meaningless chatter and no obstructions to peace and harmony. Clearing the mind of needless noise and static opens the windows to clear pictures of what is and what could be. With practice I have learned to find silence in construction zones as I have discovered quite comes from within.
Every day is a new beginning; there is no universal law that says life is a continuum.If we find that we are going in a direction that does not lead us to where we want to be, we can change course as simple as changing course. The value of communal time is it allows us the opportunity to soul search and embrace truths that are life and a part daily living.
Sunrise is the communion of sunshine and the white light of forgiveness, wellness and aspiration. Forgive yourself of all past wrong doings, let go of guilt, shame and blame and embrace each morning with laughter, a smile and pep in your step.Every day is full of ripe opportunities to be plucked from the trees of prosperity.Adventure is just waiting to happen.
Over the next few weeks I will be blogging while I am traveling to different parts of the United States, where I will be food tasting and participating at various health and fitness centers located in the cities I am visiting.
Miami
Denver
This will be an extended tour of the east coast; I plan on spending about 3 weeks there and a couple of weeks in the mid west; Colorado and Kansas City. I’ll be visiting New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Washington D.C., Virginia, N. Carolina, and both coast of Florida.
Kansas City
Once again I am faced with the challenge of travel and weight control.Normally I would not be too concerned if this was a simple trek to another location in Asia; I could control my meals easily enough but this is a trip home which means traveling directly into the belly of the beast of tasty trans-fats.
The Challenge: How to maintain or drop my weight and enjoy eating everything I want?
Make a Plan:
1.Stay Active: Make sure to continue to do my daily training.This will probably require the most conscious effort as I will be driving for long stretches of time and sightseeing. Also I will need to formulate a the calorie intake before I partake to insure I burn enough during training to allow me to eat as I please.
2.Know what I want to eat: This too requires a bit of planning asit is determined by cravings for desired taste and texture.The good news is my palate has changed since I moved to Asia consequently I crave vegetarian and micro biotic foods too. My wish list for the first leg of this tour is below.I believe as long as I stick to my list, limit snacking to healthy foods such as fruit and nuts and keep the portions under control, I can stay under 3,000 calories per day, burn the excess off in training and walk away from NYC and the North East at a push weight.
NYC food hit list:
·Cheese cake from Juniors on Broadway
·Vegetarian from Havana Central in the theater district
·Chinese from Wu Laing Ye in Mid town east theater district
·Rack of lamb from Becco’s Italian restaurant in the theater district
·Pizza from Patzeria Perfect Pizza W. 46th Street.
·Sushi from Ruby Foo’s on Broadway
·Monster size deli sandwich from Carnegie Deli
·Hamburger from Burger Joint mid town west
·Hot Dog from Gray’s Papaya
·Milk Shake from Toscanini’s in Cambridge, Ma
·Fresh Maine Lobster in Maine
Thirty days of extended travel for business or pleasure is long enough to undue any healthy habits I have in place and one month is long enough to rekindle and develop any unhealthy behavior I have put to bed long ago.In preparation for this trip I have quit smoking, started eating a high protein vegetarian meal plan and gone off the booze.I am projecting the heavy fats that I plan to indulge in while in NYC will be enough of a shock to my system that my body will flush them instead of store them. I expect to eat what I please but I will pace myself so that each treat is a dining delight.
Being on the road for a Fat Man in Paradise has the potential to be an extremely stressful and destructive situation.I am aware of my weaknesses and I believe I have the power and self control to make this journey a prosperous, fun filled and successful venture.
The coming weeks will be full of pictures, movies and updates, enjoy the read.
There has been so much written about ways to trigger motivation that to write about it almost feels like beating a dead horse consequently I am simply going to share what I have learned about myself and readers may or may not relate.
the way out
From a very early age there was only one thing I was certain of; I was meant to be somewhere else. When I was a youngster and going to school I was not a good student, an active member of the student body, an athlete or an outcast, I just did my time, had some fun and tried to understand why I felt like I was waiting for something else.
mom, me at age 19, 78kg/172lb
I was blessed with a very accepting and supportive Mother and Father who always made me feel they believed in me no matter how many mistakes I made.The Parents of my two closest friends were also encouraging and open minded and because they treated me with respect rather than suspect, I felt a bit more secure and inspired to dream big dreams.
My staff photo in Sanur Bali
My 13 yrs old son and I were talking about what motivates us to take action.As a parent to a young man and in the role of his sage I wanted to be careful what I said.I thought back to my youth and the answer came to me, immediately, clear as day without a second thought.
I get motivated when:
1.I’m told I can’t do something.
When I am told, that I am dreaming and that what I want to do cannot be done, that is like putting fuel on my fire.I don’t like being told that I cannot accomplish what I want and that motivates me to take action.
2.I’m being underestimated.
The greatest gift someone can give me is to underestimate me, I love it. Please underestimate me when it matters and I will come on top 90% of the time.Being underestimated floats my boat and puts wind in my sail.
The older I get the fewer challenges come my way consequently I realize it is up to me to challenge myself.It is interesting in, that time, place and purpose change but the motivation, is as it was and always has been; a quest to find greatness.
Pops and me at age 28, 95kg/209lb
To study is to learn, to experience is to know.People can read about the agony of defeat and the joy in victory but there is no substitute for experiencing the emotional highs or lows of either.Life is meant to be full of meaningful exploration whether that is a walk in the garden, watching children play, or riding a bike 20 miles if it is what we determine to do for ourselves it is what is meant to be and the right thing to be doing.
music motivates me
At the end of the day we all have the choice to sit and let the days pass us by or to be active, and make the most of each day as if it is our last day.I choose to live my days, my way, always.
When I was in my late teens I was invited to a religious meal at the family home of my Jewish roommate.That was the first time I had ever tasted chopped chicken liver; I made such a pig of myself I was never invited for a return visit.As a child being raised in the farmland of Mid America, my mother used Cows liver as a nutritious source of iron for my sisters, dad, me and our pets.
Kansas City Steak house
For most of my life I have considered Liver a food source and until recently have given very little thought to its vital function as a human organ and quite frankly I find its function easier to understand when I think of it as an auto part.
Shelby concept Car
If the liver was an auto part it would be part of the fuel management system.
A.Fuel filter
Detoxification, metabolizing and secreting of drugs, alcohol and other toxins
B.Converter
Turns the food we eat into fuel for the brain and body
C.Fuel regulator
Stores vitamins and minerals and release them into the system as needed
In a nut shell everything from air pollution, drugs, alcohol and food ends up being filtered, processed, and refined for discard or delivery by the liver. Given this information it is not hard to understand the term “liver abuse” and why there are some common liver diseases.
1.Fatty Liver
This happens when people are overweight, diabetic, have high cholesterol or triglycerides or abuse alcohol.
2.Cirrhosis
This happens from too much alcohol intake and at its most serious level leads to liver failure.
3.Drug injury
The liver processes all medicines and chemicals before converting them for delivery to the body, some drugs have the ability to attack and damage the liver.
4.Hepatitis
There are 5 viruses that can cause this A, B, C, D and E
This typically results in severe liver damage
Rocky mountain high
Easy ways to take care of your liver:
·Balanced diet: rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins
·Limit Alcohol:Booze hurts, dump it or limit it.
·Beware of medication: take it only as directed and beware of supplements
·Train regularly: exercise will reduce the fat levels your liver must deal with.
·Wash your Hands: Just like mother said before you eat and after the toilet
The Liver is such an important part of my body that I feel a bit ashamed of how much I have abused it.Uncontrolled drinking binges, extended periods on a wide variety of chemicals, cigarette smoking, over eating, and overweight. By all accounts I have been abusing my live in one shape or form for a minimum of 45 years.Having said this, one constant I have had through thick and thin is time in the gym which in my mind validates; consistent and regular body movement can retard and prevent liver disease and damage.
