Ping's Clips - Mickey

   This is just good stuff. Enjoy!


Ping Says: "Micky was The Penguin too! You watch now!"

Let's Build Something Together.

 

 I have an idea and I need your help with it. I want to create a workout. Now, I have more than enough resources to go ahead and do this on my own, but I would rather do this with all of you. You, you wonderful, sexy readers you.

     This workout should have one very specific goal; Burn Fat. Most fat burning workouts that I've done in the past or that I've looked at recently all have the same basic premise: Multi-muscle exercises that jump around from one muscle group to another, performed in circuits, no rest between exercises, lite rest between sets. It's that kind of workout that has been proven to stoke the metabolic fire, in turn shredding up fat. 

     So, that's our formula. All we need now are the exercises...that’s where you come in. 

     Tell me what your favorite exercise is. People have recommended workouts in the past and I intend on doing them. Right now though, I want to create one with your help that will become a FKC official workout. I want to take the exercises you tell me about and look at them carefully. Then I'll consult with some professionals about how to make these exercises work best together. Then I'll share the finished routine with you. Then I'll begin using the finished routine for myself. Then I'll be really sore, but ya know, good sore. 

   So that's it. Gimme your ideas and let's build something together. Below is one of my favorite exercises that will probably make its way into the workout along with yours. Thanks and have a happy Wednesday kids.

   

Disclaimer - I am obviously not a trainer or fitness professional of any kind. I'm simply a big dude from Pennsylvania who is trying to be less big. That's it. Before beginning any new workout routine you should consult with your physician. Be safe and be healthy.

 

   


   
   

Diets?

 

   A couple weeks back after writing a post titled, The Battle Plan Part 1, I received several messages from folks who wanted to share their recommendations about diet and exercise.  One message was from my friend and loyal FKC reader, Greg. He told me about a book called, The 4 Hour Body. He said he'd had success with its diet and exercise program and that I should take a look at it. That afternoon I went out and bought a copy.

   I'm American. That means that the second anyone says that they have a super-fast way to lose weight, I'm all ears. The 4 Hour Body promises quick results should you chose to follow their program. The book's weight loss outline follows something called, The Slow Carb Diet. It's essentially this: Six days a week eat only lean protein, legumes, and vegetables. The seventh day, eat as much as you want of whatever you want and drink as much as you want of whatever you want. On the cheat day it's also recommended that you sneak exercise periods in there now and again to keep your metabolism going. So long as you follow this plan the author claims that you can lose roughly 20lbs in a month without exercising. I'm seriously considering taking a shot at this.

   Here are my hesitations. a) I hate legumes. Hate em. b) How long can you possibly keep something like this up for? c) What happens once you go off the diet?

    Remember The Atkins Diet? I remember seeing folks following it like crazy when it first showed up. I too dabbled in it back in college when I was on a health kick where I was steadily losing weight and then out of nowhere I plateaued. I remember losing 7lbs in one week while I was on Atkins. I also remember having headaches, feeling sluggish, and generally being miserable. A few years back I was reading an article on fad diets, I believe in Men's Health, which made me dismiss Atkins and Diets like it all together. I'm sorry that I don't remember the name of the person who said this, but I just can't forget what they said, "Only in America will people believe that bacon is healthier than an Apple."

   When I reformatted the blog I made a promise to myself that I would approach diet and exercise different this time. No crazy plans, no crazy promises. Slow and steady wins the race. This month has been pretty good, certainly better than the several before it. I'm looking forward to gym today as well as my run. My plates are filled with more fruits and vegetables. I lost a notch on my belt. That being said, I want to step it up. I want to move this along a bit. 

  My question to you; Are there diets, crazy or otherwise, that have worked for you? Do you like them? Why do you like them? What happened when you stopped them? Has anyone else looked into The 4 Hour Body approach?

You know the drill. Comment or Facebook message. You thoughts and opinions are always valued more than you know dear reader friends. Thanks and everyone have a good Monday.

Ping's Clips: Rudy

   Your Ping's Clip today comes to you courtesy of one of the greatest football movies of all time.

After your workout today be sure to ask yourself, "Who's the wild man now?!"

Ping Says, "You watch the Hobbit!!!"

CI - 8/20 - 1654

CI - 8/21 - 1905

CI - 8/22 - 2403

CI - 8/23 - 1993

One for the Kids

       
       Watch the video below. At least the first half.

     

       Greg Giraldo. One of my favorite comedians of all time.

     

   Over the past few weeks I've been doing quite a bit of research on weight loss, nutrition, and obesity. Know what? We're a country full of fat fucks. Know what else? Our children, the leaders of tomorrow, the future, and our shining stars...are sadly just as unhealthy. That bothers me. 

   I don't have kids, not sure if I want kids, rarely think about kids with the exception of my niece who is a thankfully at a very healthy weight. However, since I've been doing all this research on getting healthy, I've grown slightly concerned about all my little chunky comrades across the U.S. who at some point during their back-to-school shopping this year will take a moment and wonder, "What's husky mean? And why does it say it on my jeans?" I understand. I used to be a fat little kid. Truth be told, I still am in some ways. If all goes well and I lose some lbs, no matter how many, part of me will always be a fat little kid.

       I am not qualified to give advice about how to talk to your child or any child about getting healthy. What I can do is tell you what it might be like for them. 

       

      For me it started when I was really little. I remember being like four or five, and sitting in my pediatrician's office. Dr. Landau. He would always come into the room and the first thing he would do was pinch what is now my gut and say, "Whoa, what's this? Guess there's a spare tire in there." Every fucking visit. Poke my fat, insult me a little, get a vaccination shot, hand me some candy on the way out.

       I have dreams, fantasies really, of being able to travel back in time into my own consciousness. The same way they did in that shitty movie, The Butterfly Effect. I would enter own mind with my thoughts as they are now, only inside the five year old version of myself. I would go back to a doctor visit day. When that bald schmuck walked in the room and pinched my side, before he even got the first flicker of an insult out of his mouth, I'd raise my pudgy finger and let him have it. "HEY!! I'M FIVE!!! FIVE, YOU INCONSIDERATE OVERPAID PIECE OF SHIT!!! YOU'RE DOING PERMANENT DAMAGE TO ME!!!" 

       It wasn't just him though. I come from a big extended family. Uncles, Older Cousins, and family friends loved giving me shit about my weight as a kid. I guess they thought it was harmless, maybe just a bunch of bullies who never grew up themselves. When you're little though and any adult you look up to makes fun of you...it sucks. It sucks badly. At that age you have no way to defend yourself. No ways to strike back or even at the very least make some kind of joke where you can shift the attention somewhere else. You just take the hit. Then you take your blanket, a juice box, and a half dozen Dunk-a-roos over to the television and hunker down for the rest of the day because the Super Friends aren't giving me any crap about my weight right now.

    I was primarily raised by my mother and my grandmother. Although I know for a fact that they were concerned about my weight, I'm not sure they ever really knew how to deal with it without hurting my feelings or depriving me of food. We're Italian by the way. If you didn't know it, my people equate food with love and my family loved me very much. So much so that the extent of talking to me about nutrition was, "Honey, you need to stop eating so much junk food. It's not good for you. Do you understand? Good, now have another plate of lasagna." 

   My weight, especially now, is not my family's fault. Not even close. Also, whatever references I may make to my family or my childhood in this blog, now and forever know this; I had an incredible upbringing and was raised by wonderful people who I love very, very much. My biggest gains came in my twenties. I was long out of the house and on my own. Plus, back then childhood obesity wasn't the epidemic it is today, especially in a place like Pennsylvania. If a kid was big back then, he or she was just big. Noting to get crazy over. Just keep an extra box of popsicles in the freezer and all is well. Things are different now though. This is a very real problem our kids today are facing. These unhealthy kids will grow up to be unhealthy adults and then they'll have to start a blog when they turn thirty to keep them in line about how they take care of themselves. Lemme tell ya, there's probably a better way.

   Again, I don't have kids and I know very little about them. What I do know, is that it's much easier to adopt healthy habits early on in life. The older you get, the harder it becomes. 

  If there’s a little one in your fam with a weight problem, here’s my advice on how to deal with it based solely on my own experience.

a. Don't make fun of them. They're KIDS. Got that? They don't have the intellectual capability to handle it. No matter how harmless you think that joke might be, in the end all you're saying to them is, "Hey, you're different than everyone else and not in a good way."

b. Get them involved in something athletic. Football, basketball, soccer, dancing. (I was required to take a ballet class in college because I was a theater major. Think what you want, those broads have some rockin bodies.) Like I said in an earlier post, I wrestled for one year. Even though I was absolutely terrible, I dropped 40lbs in one season without missing a sandwich. Team sports, wish I played more of em.

c. If you're their parent or guardian, give them the best choices you can food-wise. No matter how old we get, the food we eat when we're young will stay with us and provide us with some sense of comfort as adults. One of my all-time favorite foods is the Egg McMuffin. Why? My grandparents would take me to McDonald's every Thursday morning when I was a kid. Whenever I take a bite of one, and I haven't since I started this blog, it takes me right back there. People who eat when they're stressed, which is what overweight adults tend to do, go right for that thing from childhood that makes them feel safe. Let that thing be apple slices with almond butter, not chips and soda.

d. Set the best example you can. I know that's easy for someone like me to say, I can barely take care of a house plant, but do your best. It's for your kids.

That's all I got. Like I said, not an expert. But I can’t keep a blog called The Fat Kid Chronicles and not address this major problem at least once. Want advice from some experts? Follow the links below and then talk with your family physician. 

http://www.parents.com/kids/teens/weight-loss/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-losing-weight/

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html

http://fatfightertv.com/blog/2009/02/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-obesity/

Okay, now back to iPhone Apps and Movie Clips.

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Blue Monday

     It's around noon on Monday. I'm coming off of a weekend of, well...too much I guess. Saturday I hosted a bachelor party for a good friend of mine. Most of the day was dedicated to either eating or drinking. I did a lot of both. My hangover yesterday was epic. I order to battle it I sought comfort in more terrible food and drink. Last night I went a birthday party for a good friend of mine in Williamsburg that ended at roughly 4:00AM with a baked me purchasing enough processed, chemically enhanced food at my local bodega to put a gorilla in a sugar coma for a week. 

     I have a clear picture in my head of myself from last night standing in front of the bag of nonsense I bought just before I went to bed last night. Luckily I only ate about a quarter of it before I took a step back and literally said to myself, "I can't do this." I threw all that was left in the trash. I know that sounds wasteful. I was raised to never waste food so it's rare that I make a move like that. However, a year or so ago I read an article in Men's Health talking about tossing out what you're too stuffed to finish versus eating it so to not be wasteful. The article said the following and I think about this phrase quite often. "Even if you consume the food so as not to be wasteful, it's still going to waste...as fat in your body."  

    How do I feel today? Not too good. My veins feel like salt and oil are coursing through them. My stomach is still kind of a mess and my general sense of moral is low. The older I get, the more sensitive I become to what goes into my body. I've been feeling great these last few weeks since I started the blog. It's a combination of the exercise, the healthier foods, and all of your support and well wishes. I've spent most of my mornings these last few years feeling like I do right now. After these last few weeks, I know that there is a better way to move through life. Although I over did it this weekend (And I planned on it. Just look at the previous post.) I had no idea it would come back to me so hard. 

   All I can do now, all any of us can ever do when we slip and fall, is pick ourselves up and move forward. I've stated in previous posts that this blog is also a journal. I felt it would be disingenuous to not talk about how I feel at this moment. To document it so I might remember it and in the future, avoid it. I wish there was something more positive here for you today reader friends. I wish there was something funnier, but this is what today is. All I can do is promise myself that tomorrow I'll do better.

Have a good Monday.

Fruit Salads and Dancing Girls

     In keeping with all that I've been striving toward, I woke up on the early side this morning. My breakfast was a whole grain English muffin and some fruit. Oh, and lots of water. Then a run through Fort Greene. What's next for today?

      I'm about to drink enough beer and whiskey to put Chewbacca down. I'm gonna eat pizza til I'm stuffed. I'm probably gonna hafta pull a twenty dollar bill out of a stripper's secret place with my teeth.

     No, I didn't hit Powerball the other night. I'm simply hosting a bachelor for a friend. Although I've been working hard to make positive changes in my life, sometimes ya just gotta say "Fuck it. Today is just gonna be what it is." For so long I thought that change is an all or nothing thing. If I eat or drink crap today, then the week is shot and I'll just try and start over again in a few days. 

    It doesn't have to be like that.

    Balance. The Lost Ark of The Fat Kid Chronicles. Most of my week was about running and fruit salads. I'm gonna let the rest of today be about Booze and Cheesy Carbs...and probably strippers.

    I hope everyone has a great Saturday.



CI-8/17/2012 - 1935
CI-8/16/2012 - 1874

Hospice/Chasing Whimsies

 

     In the post, The Debt I Owe, I mentioned how I thought that some volunteer work on the reg would be a good idea. Specifically, something where helping to feed others is the main focus. The restaurant I work at, as well as some of the others in our group, take food a few times a month over to Beth Israel Hospital and feed hospice patients and their family members. I went on Tuesday for the first time.

    Like so many experiences in this life the visit was a combination of emotions. Most of the patients in hospice care are not going to get better; they're simply trying to get comfortable. As my fellow volunteers and I took food into the rooms, we saw some very sick people surrounded by their kids, husbands, wives, and friends. Everyone doing their best to make peace with what was happening. All I and the others could offer was a smile and some good food. Hopefully a tiny bit of comfort, if only for a few moments. It was humbling.

   We tend to walk around avoiding the ideas of death and dying, trying to constantly push away the notion that we're not promised tomorrow. In the movie, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, (A FKC Endorsement) Joe Cross travels around our country, as he's on a 60 day juice cleanse, talking to folks about their eating habits and lifestyle. Many of these people obese, living a fairly sedimentary life. He asked them if they would ever consider a juice cleanse for themselves. Nearly everyone said no to the idea. When he asked them why, almost everyone had the same answer, "I don't wanna not live, man." The irony of it all was ridiculous. People over doing it on food that's absolutely terrible for them, taking years off their lives, all because they don't want to, "Not live." I get it though. How long have I been doing that same shit?

    Life is short friends. Too short to never have a slice of pizza or a bowl of ice cream again, but also too short to be constantly filling ourselves with the kinds of food that lead to all sorts of health troubles.   The reason this blog came about was because I began to recognize my own problems and unhealthy ways. Every single one of us will face death someday, but why contribute to it any more than we need to? Seeing those patients in the hospice center reminded me that someday we'll all deal with our own end and we don't know when or how that will be. Right now at this moment though, we're here. While we're here, let make sure we're being good to ourselves. Eat some vegetables, go for that run, sign up for that iron man. Why? Because we don't wanna not live, man. 

    Below is your Ping’s Clip for the day. I posted this awhile back so for those of you who are already familiar with this please forgive the repeat. This is all I could think about after my hospice visit. I heard this clip a few months ago and I still think about it every day. From one of my heroes, Mr. Kevin Smith.

Ping says, "Mike looks like Kevin Smith! You Listen Now!!"

CI-8/15/2012-2478 

The Battle Plan: Part 2

      I fucking hate exercising. I really, really do. I’ve never ever, not once in my life, been excited to exercise. I wish I was. God, how I wish I was one of the crazy bastards who spouts phrases like, “I can’t wait to go running tomorrow! It’s gonna feel so good, bro.” Is there something I missed? Does running, lifting, spinning, rock climbing, or boxing ever feel like a massage while you’re doing it? The only thing I’ve ever thought to myself when I’m doing any of that shit is, “Please be over! I want my couch! Can that girl see me crying?” I never feel good during a workout. However, the second it’s over, I feel great. I feel reborn, accomplished, energized, and well…happy. Then, I carry those feelings with me for the rest of the day and they help keep me from doing stupid shit. For example getting baked and buying Cool Ranch Doritos, Queso Dip, a box of Dots, and a pint Cake Batter Ice Cream. (Actual bodega purchase last month.)

      Given the fact that I hate working out, but I need to make it ritual for several reasons, I want to get the most out of it in the shortest amount of time possible. I also realize that it’ll take time for my body to get used to it again and that overdoing things too early and rushing back into crazy routines you’re not ready for is the path to injury and fatigue. Here’s the plan I’ve begun. I’m going to be looking for suggestions, ideas, and feedback. Please comment, post on my wall, or facebook message me. I can comfortably dedicate four days a week to working out. I’d love to be at five and six days in the future. For the moment, I’m pleased as punch if I make hit my four day a week mark.

Here’s what I got so far:

    The 5K runner app for the iPhone. I’m really, really digging this. I set the app to the appropriate day, turn some music on, and every couple minutes the app tells me when to run, when to walk, and when to stop. The workouts at the beginning take roughly half an hour. I use the app every other day. It takes a little more than 8 months to complete all of the workouts. What I really love about it now thought, is that the workouts are one minute bursts of running, followed by one minute rest periods where you walk instead of run. The reason I like that, aside from the little breaks, is that I’m not only working on running. I’m interval training.

    Nearly all of the literature I’ve read about getting back in shape over the past few months points to interval training as the quickest way to stoke the metabolic fires. Most of you already know this, but Interval training is simply one form of exercise or another broken up into ever changing segments of work and rest. Men’s Health Magazine, a FKC endorsement, consistently refers to interval training as one of the best ways to burn up fat. Click here for a classic interval workout.

    In addition to the running, I gotta hit the weights. Believe it or not, I have a lot of muscle. It’s simply buried deep below the surface, kinda like the Titanic. I just need to raise that shit. I don’t want to put on mass obviously, just shred the fat for now. Below is a Men’s Health get back in shape workout that I’ve used, well…every time I've tried to get back in shape these last couple years. It’s always works right up until the point where I fuck it up by skipping a day here or there, then another, and then before you know it, “Yeah hi, Papa John’s? Yeah, do you guys sell that garlic sauce in anything besides the little cups? I have an empty growler here, can I just come down there and fill this hog up?” Anyway, this is my work out between the 5K days.

5 minute warm-up & active stretching

Squats

Push-ups

Triceps Pull Down

Shoulder Press

Lat Pull Downs

Upright Row

Dumbbell Curls

Hamstring Curl

Leg Extension

Bridge

Perform all exercises, 10 reps each, one after another with no rest in between. Rest 2 minutes between sets. Repeat two more times for a total of three massive super sets. Finish with 20 minutes of light cardio and static stretching.

So, this is what I have as my workout for the moment. I hope to try out all kinds of different exercises and workouts over the course of this journey so that I can share them with you. This is what I’m working with for the time being. Like I said before, I invite your advice, comments, and ideas.

Hope everyone has a good Wednesday.

CI-8/13/2012-1931
CI-8/14/2012-1950

The Debt I Owe

   
      I must say that's it's been really inspiring and heartwarming to have people coming up to me or writing me and saying how much they enjoy the blog and that they're rooting for me. It's a wonderful thing. However, I think it's necessary to go ahead and acknowledge something before I write another word about a fitness app or my favorite Cliff Bar flavor. 

      There are people all over the world, in this country, in my city who starve every day. I believe a study done less than two years ago revealed that 1 in 6 American children are food insecure. They simply don't know where there next meal is coming from. How are we the fattest country in the world, yet we can't even feed our own children? That is fucking tragic.

       It can't help but bother me that there are people near and far who don't know how they're going to feed their family tomorrow, and I'm sitting here like a fat bitch patting myself on the back for finally eating the amount of food that a normal person should eat. "Throw me a parade everyone! I only ate one omelet for breakfast this morning! Build me a monument because I didn't down a pint of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch for breakfast! Awesome!!" 

        I'm exaggerating of course, but you understand what I mean. If you added up all of the unnecessary stuff I've eaten over the years, how many people could have had a hot meal that otherwise would have gone without? If I dedicated just one night a week to helping out at a soup kitchen or a food bank, instead of sitting on the couch with a joint and enough Chinese Food to feed a small village on the other side of the world, how many people could I have helped? 

      The Fat Kid Chronicles is about my search for balance. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Something that helps me sort out all that goes on in my head as I try to fix some serious problems. I've heard many times that keeping a food/exercise journal is a great way to monitor your progress. That's what this is for me. It's helping me keep myself honest. You reading it, is helping me keep myself honest.

      Looking back over these last few weeks I've realized something. I owe a debt. I owe a debt to people everywhere who were going hungry, when I was over doing it. There are food banks, soup kitchens, organizations everywhere dedicated to feeding those struggling to find their next meal. I think I need to spend some time there. (The volunteers are allowed to eat the food too, right?) KIDDING!!! Just kidding everyone. I'd hate for things to get too serious around here.

       The company I work for deliver's food to hospice patients and their families a couple of times a month. That's where I'm going to begin. If you know of organizations out there who need volunteers, shout em out. I'll be doing some research myself these next few days. This is one debt I need to pay off…unlike my student loans. They gave all that money to someone going to school for THEATRE. Where the fuck did they think I was getting the coin from to pay that shit back? Kidding! Just kidding American Education Services. This month’s check is in the mail.

I hope everyone has a Happy and Healthy Monday. 

CI-8/12/2012-1875

Ping's Clips: Your Daily Dumpling of Motivation

  Today Ping brings us a clip from a man who I can honestly say is one of the reasons I became an actor. A great inspirational speech from a sorta okay movie.

Ping says, "You watch Al!!!"

CI-8/11/2012-1679

The Battle Plan: Part 1

      

      Since I've changed the format of The Fat Kid Chronicles people have either been writing me, or calling me, or coming up to me and saying, "Hey I read the blog and I have a couple of ideas for you." Let me tell you something, that is wonderful thing. I want dialogue to come from this. Some folks will come and offer advice. People have offered to train me. I've gotten recommendations on new fitness apps and all kinds of new healthy foods to try. All great stuff.

     Have you guys ever seen the movie, Angus? I've seen most of it on TBS at one point or another. I remember wanting to see it because James Van Der Beek was in it and I was a big Dawson's Creek fan in high school. (Yeah, I know what I said. The Creek, seen every episode of that shit. Big deal, wanna fight about it?) Anyway, Angus. There's this line I remember from the flick. I couldn't find the exact quote on IMDB so I'm paraphrasing here, but the lines go something like this. 

   The girl Angus likes, this cheerleader, is having a bit of a breakdown at the end of the movie and confesses a secret to Angus. She looks at him at one point and says, "I'm bulimic. Do you know what that is?" Angus responds, "Of course I know what that is. I'm a Fat Kid!" 

   I don't consider myself an expert on anything...okay, maybe Dawson's Creek. Seriously though, I’m certain that over the course of my journey toward a leaner me I'll learn a great deal about health and nutrition that I didn’t know before. However, being that I too am an Angus style big dude, which after typing that I realize sounds like the next burger creation coming from McDonald's this fall, I too know quite a bit about fitness and nutrition. I've been educating myself about it since I was in junior high. I sadly just decided to not apply any of it...until now.

   Let's talk about a battle plan. Let's talk about how exactly I plan to make this work. Now I know that once I list some of the ways I’m going to approach this, some of you will say, "No Mergs, that's not right." That's okay! I invite you to disagree. If you think you have a better idea, let's hear it. I also know that some of these ideas may not seem like enough. Some of them don't seem like enough to me, but remember that the point of this approach is starting small and then building on those successes. Like my man Kevin Smith says, "You gotta do the little goals too. Sometimes you just gotta lay the bar down and step over it, so you can feel accomplished.” Okay, here we go.

The Food

    Someone told me once that nutrition holds roughly 90% of the keys to weight loss. I agree. 

    First, let's create a caloric deficit. Some folks will say that you shouldn't count calories. I disagree. I think it's a must especially in the beginning. I've spoken to nutritionists, I've plugged my stats into a new app that I'll talk about in a moment, I've read up. I can take in 2400 calories a day, and stay the same weight. That's what it takes to run my body for one day. We all know that in order to lose weight we must take in fewer calories than we burn. So, I'm looking to take in just under 2000. Even without exercising, that number should technically be low enough that I would drop a pound or two a week. I'm hoping that with the workouts it'll be two to three pounds per week. That's the neighborhood I want to live in.

    There's an app for the iPhone called, "Lose It!" I's essentially a fancy food journal. It allows you to keep track of caloric intake as well as carbs, protein, sodium, and so on. It's super easy to use and I'm giving it a FKC endorsement. (I think it’s tragic and hilarious that the abbreviation for my blog is the jumbled version of KFC.) I'll record all I take in on the app. Along with that, okay deep breath; I will list my caloric intake right here, every day.  The letters CI/The Date/The Number, will be listed every day, starting today. 

    Now, let's make those calories count. I'm going to allow myself just about anything so long as it doesn't put me over that limit. There are two terrible key things that I've gotten rid of in the past week. Soda, including diet soda, and fast food. For some reason those two monsters have crept back into my life over these last few months and the extra calories I've taken in from them are ridiculous. Neither of the two provides any nutritional value and I've felt quite good about ditching them. 

   I'm also going to try to drastically reduce sweets and any refined sugars, white flours, and starchy carbs like my friend the potato. I'm also going to cut down, but not cut out, dairy. Let's now up the intake of vegetables, fruit, and lean protein. Breads, pasta, and rice should be brown whenever eaten. Coffee, tea, and club soda will be my drinks of choice. Also, water. Lots and lots of water.

   The booze...I mean, why does everything awesome in life have to be bad for you? I'm going to keep it to one day a week and be much more sensible about it. It too will be recorded. The truth is, booze is just horrible for you. There are no health benefits other than the one glass of red wine a day thing. It's just empty calories that fuck up your metabolism and pack on the pounds. It has to be closely monitored if weight loss is going to happen. So, I'll still see my friends Mr. Daniels and Mr. Jameson, just not as much.

   Also, let’s break the meals up. Six small meals a day is annoying and not convenient for me personally. Four meals a day works better. Also, I go to bed around 2:00AM every day. That being the case, let's make the last meal of the day happen no later than 9:00PM.

So, that’s where I’m starting with the food part of things. Like I said feedback is welcome. As far as the exercise portion of the show, I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to tell you about that. Right now I gotta run. I want to hit the gym before work.

Enjoy your Saturday gang.

The Fat Kid Chronicles Presents: "Ping's Clips."

  Ping, our mascot, (If you don't know how Ping ended up with me please see The Panda Story post) has demanded his own little piece of the blog. In order to shut him up, I'm giving it to him. Ping's Clips, will be little dumplings of motivation handed out every few days in order to give us all that little extra shot in the ass.

 When I think about great acting only three names comes to mind: Daniel Day Lewis, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Sly "Motha-Fuckin" Stallone. Watch the video below to see the Italian Stallion land some knowledge like it was a right hook.

Ping says, "You watch this now!!!"

Re-channeled/A Fat Kid Endorsement.

     As I've been shuffling along toward a healthier me, I've been trying to figure out when exactly I should begin exercising again.
     I was having a conversation with someone today, someone I'm close with, and we were chatting about the blog and life in general. It was a nice conversation, until the end. This person made a comment, an attempt at humor, that turned out to be quite hurtful. It stung a great deal to be honest with you.It ruined whatever good mood I was in today and I wasn't quiet sure how to deal with it. Should I call them back and yell at them? Should I write them an angry e-mail? Should I smoke a bowl and try to forget it. Should I smoke a bowl, go to Shake Shack and try to forget it? No, not today.  Today, let's try something else.
    Weeks ago I downloaded an app for my iPhone called, 5K Runner. The app is designed to take someone who hasn't worked out in quite some time, and lead them little by little over the course of eight weeks to being able to run a full 5K. I was walking around my apartment upset from the earlier conversation, trying to figure out exactly what to do, and I noticed my phone sitting in front of me. I grabbed it, my Nike's, my ear buds, and headed for the park.
    On my way to the park and turned on some Eminem and opened the 5K app. I hit the day one workout button and a voice came on over my music and said, "Walk briskly for five minutes." I did. After the five minutes were up the voice came on again and said, "Begin running." After a minute the voice came on again. "Slow down and walk." It repeated this pattern over and over. I began to forget about why I was so upset earlier. I remembered that no one in this life gets to define who you are, except for you. I stopped thinking about that bullshit comment from earlier, and started thinking about my breathing. I kept reminding myself to keep my core tight. Pretty soon the voice said, "You've reached the halfway point." When my legs would ache I just reminded myself that pain is weakness leaving the body. Then before I knew it I heard, "Congratulations! Your workout is finished. See you in a couple days." If you have any desire to begin running, I highly recommend this app.
   Once I finished I was standing in front of the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument, the tallest spot in Fort Greene Park. I was covered in sweat. The sun was beating down on me and a breeze blew across my face. I let the warm August air fill my lungs. I looked over the trees, past the city skyline, and out at the Carolina Blue sky. I felt better than I have in months. The pain from earlier was gone, my workout was finished, I felt accomplished for the first time in weeks, and the only thought in my head was, "Let's see how many push-ups I can do."

The Panda Story

     There's a story that my grandmother has told me many times before. It's a favorite among friends and family. I thought I'd share it with you reader friends.

      One afternoon, when was about a year old, my Grandmother and my Great Aunt Josephine were watching me while my mother was at work. The decided to stop for lunch at a Chinese restaurant located on the town square in Wilkes-Barre that was owned by a family friend. A gentleman named, Ping.
       According to my Gram, Ping was AMAZED at how big I was for a baby. If you're ever lucky enough to hear me Gram tell this story, she'll swear my shoulders were just as big when I was one, as they are now. Ping was  apparently so enamored with my butter ball like form, that he asked my Gram if it would be alright for him to take me into the kitchen, so that he might show me off to his family. My Gram said, "Sure."
       I was then carried into the kitchen and sat on a stainless steel prep table. Ping's family and the other kitchen employees then proceeded to gather around and one by one gently poke and pinch my shoulders and legs as they marveled over roly-poly-ness all the while saying, "So big." I can only gather that fat babies in China are some sort of rare delicacy, like iguana tail or seahorses. Although I can't remember any of this because I was too young, whenever I think of this story a strange image flashes across my mind. Me, little Mergs, looking up at an awestruck Chinese man and his family, their eyes filled with wonder and smiles on their faces. My grandmother told me that before we left the restaurant, Ping and the family gave me a small Panda Bear to keep.
          Two weeks ago I was home in PA for a visit. I was at my gram's and she asked me to move something from the kitchen into her sewing room. In her sewing room is a shelf. That shelf is filled with all kinds of kick-knacks and small toys she saved from when I was a kid. As I was taking a moment to look over all these kick ass trinkets from my youth, like Superman and Luke Skywalker, I noticed something. In the back right corner, next to a piggy bank my aunt and uncle brought me back from Seaside Heights one year, was the Panda. Below is a picture. I never named him, but I feel like now is as good a time as any. I think I'll call him...Ping. He is now the official mascot of The Fat Kid Chronicles.

Have a good Wednesday gang.
       

     
     

The successes...sorta./Wrestling

I mentioned in an earlier post this week that I’d successfully lost substantial amounts of weight at few different times in my life. As I begin to make strides toward a healthier lifestyle, I think it’s important to look back on those times for a moment so we can see what it was that worked and it why as well as what lead me back to the point I'm at now.

Senior Year of High School

I am, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst wrestler to ever come out of Hanover Area Jr. Sr. High. It was fall of my senior year. I’d stopped playing baseball, the only sport I ever showed any promise at, the year before. That meant that as far as extracurricular activities went, building my tolerance for booze was it. I remember being at a football game one Saturday afternoon and chatting with two friends of mine who were star wrestlers at my school. They were talking about the upcoming season and one mentioned that they were without a heavyweight for the year. One of them said, “You should go out, Mergs.”

I had always been told growing up that there were certain sports I should have exceled at simply based on the way I was built. Football was one, which I never played because the thought of two a day practices during the summer seem beyond awful. Wrestling was the other. The fact that guys who were already stars on the team were telling me I should come out made me think that maybe this was something I could do. That Monday afternoon I went and talked with the coach. Tuesday, I was a wrestler. I’ve heard someone refer to wrestlers as the Navy Seals of high school sports. I agree. I was grossly unprepared for what was about to happen. The practices were grueling. Not only that, but I had no idea what the fuck I was doing. Everybody there was better than me by a mile. I got my ass kicked over and over and over.

I lost nearly every one of my matches. I was pinned in 13 seconds once. That’s some sad fast shit gang. I just didn’t have the passion for it the way the guys who exceled at it did. Plus, I was simply out matched by kids bigger and stronger than me who had been doing this their whole lives. The team and my friends were always very supportive, but that only went so far. I tried to quit about halfway through the season, but my coach wouldn’t let me. He said, “I don’t want to hear it. Go get dressed for practice.” Two weeks before the last match we were practicing with a team from another school. I was working with the heavyweight from the other school and at one point he went for a takedown that landed me on my elbow, which popped my shoulder out of it socket, and ended my wrestling career. To be honest though, looking back and knowing what I know now, I wish I’d started wrestling when I was ten years old. I wished I played football too. There’s something to be gained from team sports of that magnitude that will inform your life experiences for years to come. I wish I’d taken more advantage of them when they were available to me.

Even though I only won two out of twenty some matches that year, both wins were at a tournament mid-year, something else happened over the course of the season. I lost forty pounds. I also ate anything and everything. Two sandwiches at every lunch, an entire Papa John’s Pizza for dinner, didn’t matter. The weight still came off. Sure, I had youth on my side, but the reason for the loss was this. Intense, ever changing, full body workouts…that’s what wrestling is. My goal for the future is to look pull some of the exercises and routines I remember from practice, like stations or running the stairs, and integrate them into my workouts now. It’s too late for me to be a star wrestler; it’s not too late to train like one.

Sophomore Year of College

It was the end of summer. I was living at home heading for a second year at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Campus. I was roughly the same size that I am right now. A new gym had opened not too far from my house owned by a gentleman named, Sam Hyder. Sam was a bit of a legend in my hometown. A martial arts master. He was a world champ. If my memory serves he’d beaten both Billy Blanks and Chuck Norris in tournaments in the past. When I met Sam he already ran an established school called Hyder’s American Karate. The fitness center/gym was his newest endeavor. Sam was in ridiculous shape, highly dangerous, well respected, and one of the nicest guys I’d ever met.

My friend Mark had joined the gym about a month before I did and told me how great it was. He said I should come down and meet Sam. One day after school I drove over to the gym and did just that. Sam greeted me with a smile and a handshake and asked me what I wanted to accomplish. The fee for the gym was $25.00 a month. I signed up that day and the next afternoon I met with Sam for a workout. He took me through and explained exactly what my routine should be. Then he told me that I could always come to him for advice and for new exercises. No personal trainer first session free, but then blah, blah, blah bullshit. His attitude was simply, “This is my gym. If you want to learn and get in shape, I’m here to help.” A rare and wonderful approach to owning a fitness center these days.

I began to follow Sam’s workouts and pushed myself beyond what was required. In addition to that, I cut my calories down to about 1000/day five days a week. I’d eat what I wanted to on the weekends. Yes, I know that was stupid. 1000 calories a day is barely enough for a tree year old, let alone a nineteen year old male. I saw results though, quickly. Too quickly. 5lbs the first week. 7lbs the second. The third week I got a little lazy and skipped a few days. When I finally went back for my next workout Sam stopped me on my way to the locker room. “Where you been?” “I took a couple days off,” I said. “C’mon, Mike. Can’t be pulling that shit if you want this to work.” I could see how serious he was, almost disappointed in me. And for the next year, I didn’t miss a workout. I wasn’t eating enough and felt week and sluggish, but kept on going. Come the following August, I’d lost 110lbs.

110lbs. That is the equivalent of losing a model, a fly weight boxer, or Justin Beiber from around your middle. It was a good feeling, but short lived. I went off to Bloomsburg University that fall. I gained back roughly half of what I’d lost that previous year by the time June rolled around. The gain back was due from a number of things. New schedule, different environment, Nap’s pizza. Honestly though, the gain back really happened for one all-inclusive reason. I’d lost the weight too fast, and in a dangerous way. You would think that after losing 100lbs I’d be cut up, ripped, shredded…nope. My fat disappeared, but so did whatever muscle I’d had. I was weak, saggy, and I was starving myself. I protein bar, a bowl of Special K, and a sandwich were the only foods I’d consume in a day. On top of that I’d spend one to two hours a day, six days a week, at the gym. Also, I was taking the now FDA banned Ephedrine throughout the entire process. How long could anyone have kept that up for before they crashed?

Any fitness and health expert out there will tell that the road from fast food and processed sweets to vegetables and a healthier life is one best walked little by little. Small changes and slow steady weight loss are the keys to maintaining your weight once your goal is reached. This time I’m not trying to concern myself with how many pounds I’ll lose this week, or even this month. Let’s just take it a meal at a time and see what happens.

My 29^th

Last winter, just after my 29^th B-day, I took a stab at new diet for the thousandth time in my life. I dropped 30lbs between January 1^st and April 1^st. I ate clean six days a week and exercised 4-5 days a week. One day a week thought, I indulged. Every Sunday I was off from work. I would wake up, get stoned, order food, smoke more weed, order more food, puff-puff, go to the bodega for more food. I lived for that day. I thought I was on to something with that plan. I was losing weight, but still able to have my fun and smoke it too. Here was the problem though. Once, just once, I allowed that one day to be two. Then three, then four, and then, “Aw fuck it, I’ll get back to the gym next week.” After a while, well, here we are again.

So, what’s to be learned from the past so that I can apply it to my future?

1.       If I’m going to work out, I’m gonna make it like a wrestling practice. Intense, ever changing, and challenging. I have no desire to spend an hour slugging along on an elliptical while I watch The Price is Right. Instead, let’s run the stairs and toss around some kettle balls. Let’s make the most of those few hours in the gym a week.

2.       Slow and steady wins the race. I’m not thinking how many pounds I’ll lose this week or even this month. I’m thinking about putting together my next healthy meal. I’m thinking about when exactly I can make my next workout happen. I’m thinking with filling my fridge and cupboards with nutritious food so when I’m hungry I’m surrounded with intelligent choices. If I can make these thoughts my reality from day to day, then hopefully everything else will fall into place.

3.       The line between indulging now and then and overdoing it is a thin one. I think life’s too short to say I’m never going to have mac and cheese, a hot dog, or anything wrapped in bacon ever again. Ya gotta space that shit out though. Be conscious of how often you’re eating it, savor it, and don’t overdo it.  

These are lessons I’ve learned from my past. If you have thoughts or tips you’d like to share dear reader friends, I’d love to hear them. Be well friends and enjoy your Monday.

The Green Monster/Everything in Moderation...Even Moderation.

I smoke weed. If you’re a friend of mine you’re probably saying, “Yeah, I know.” If you’re a family member, you might be a bit surprised and or even concerned. Hang on just a second though because it gets worse. I’ve smoked weed nearly every day for the last seven years, maybe more. I’m not really sure to be honest…because of all the weed. I tried it for the first time when I was in high school, but it wasn’t until college that I began smoking it on the reg.

I’m one of those folks who doesn’t consider weed a hard drug. Not even close as far as I’m concerned. It’s my belief that alcohol is a far more destructive drug then weed is. I’ve seen my best friends get so drunk that they’ve gone to blows with one another over NOTHING. I’ve never seen anyone get so stoned that they fight their friend, or anyone else for that matter. They just go to Taco Bell together. Nobody ever ate someone else’s face when they were high on grass. They just ate a cupcake. I believe it should be legal. I don’t know many people who don’t smoke pot. It’s everywhere, and I dig it.

I’m very particular about how I smoke. I only smoke if I have nothing important to do for the rest of the day. I never ever smoke before an audition, a rehearsal, a show, a meeting, when I write, or when I go to work. 70% of the time my first hit of the day is when I return home after my shift. After I get in my jammies and I’m in front of my TV, puff-puff-puff. Sometimes, when I have a day off, I’ll smoke and then head out into the world. On the actual day of my birthday this year, my buddy Brian and I woke up, got stoned, went to The Olive Garden, smoked, saw Harold and Kumar Save Christmas, smoked, came home, ordered Chinese food, and watched TV until we couldn’t laugh anymore. Sometimes, I have a day like that.

Why am I writing about this? Well, like most folks who get high, once I’m stoned I eat. I EAT A LOT. That may be why I fell in love with pot years ago. “Hey there big guy! You like pizza? You like General Tso’s Chicken? They taste good? Well then give em a try after puff of this!” Weed makes food taste better. It’s a fact. That being the case, why wouldn’t a carb lover like myself be getting high?

My daily smoke was all fine and good, until now. Until I decided that I need to make a serious change in the way I live my life. I cannot separate food from weed. The combination of the two has sadly become a great escape for me at the end of my day. Someone told me once that equal parts cocaine, heroin, and speed make up the drug ecstasy. Well, equal parts pot, TV, and delivery make up my own personal version of ecstasy. A high, a distraction, an escape…an addiction maybe. The combination of the three have become a way for me to forget about all the problems in my day to day, large or small.

                 What I’m wondering now that it’s time to stop trying to simply forget about my problems and instead actually start to deal with them, does the weed need to go? Weed didn’t make me unhealthy. Neither did pizza or ice cream. What made me unhealthy was me smoking weed and then eating pizza and ice cream ALL THE TIME. Can I make major changes in my diet and exercise routine and still smoke now and then? I don’t know. I’m not sure how to handle this yet. I’m open for suggestions, kids.

Speaking of suggestions, I would very much like to hear people’s thoughts on the following idea. Once a friend of mine said the following to me; “Everything in moderation…even moderation.” I love that idea. Sure, it’s probably because I’m a person who loves excess. More whiskey, another joint, let’s have two lobster rolls today. My overindulgence aside though, it kinda makes sense, right? I don’t want to go through the rest of my life without a burger, or piece of foie gras, or a scoop of ice cream, or a puff a weed. I love all those things. They’re…they’re fucking awesome to be quite honest. They’ve just become for me, an all the time thing, instead of a now and then thing, which is what they should be. What I’m getting at, what I’m wondering is, can you be on the road to greatness and still indulge now and again? If you do indulge, how should you do it?

So dear reader friends I ask you today for your help and guidance, as I’m sure I often will on our road ahead together. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the following two questions. Comment below or on fbook.

Do you think an unfit stoner person can make serious strides toward being healthy, and still smoke pot?

Do you think that with all of the major changes that will come regarding diet and exercise, I should leave one day a week to eat what I want, drink what I want and maybe have a smoke?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts gang, and I hope you have a great weekend.

Insanity

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - 

Albert Enistein

As I prepare to embark on a quest toward being a healthy human, and possibly being able to fit into a shit at H&M one day, I feel like it’s important to take a look at the past. Let’s take a minute and talk about what I know doesn’t work, so that I might be able to move forward and figure out what hopefully will work.

I have successfully lost weight, substantial amounts of weight, at four different times in my life. (Those times will be talked about in a future post.) I have attempted to lose weight and failed, hundreds and hundreds of times. Nearly every one of those times has gone down the exact way. Here is a sorta play by play of how my usual attempt at diet and exercise goes.

1.       It’s a Sunday night. (I always believe that a major lifestyle change of any kind should begin on a Monday. That belief will then in turn cause Sunday night to become some sort of all out terrible food fest that I lose myself in. Some ridiculous part of me believes  I’ll never taste any of this stuff again.) So, it’ Sunday night. In front of me are several empty Chinese food containers strewn about, or pizza boxes and wing buckets tossed around. Also, a half smoked joint. The following thoughts runs through my head as I lay in a food coma.

“Okay, tomorrow is the day. Set the alarm for 8:00AM. Oatmeal for breakfast…maybe a smoothie, then the gym. 30 minutes at the weights, 60 minutes cardio. Should be able to get to the gym five times this week. No carbs after noon. Protein shake for lunch, grilled chicken breast and broccoli for dinner. Eat nothing after 6pm. No problem. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. I got this shit. Now, let’s go the work on that pint of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch before bed.”

2.       8:00AM Monday. BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-Smack! Hit the snooze. Hit it again at 8:15, 8:30, and so on until 10:00AM. Okay, it’s 10:00AM. Still kinda early. Up and out of bed. First thought; “I could go for a breakfast sandwich. WAIT! No. Not today. Smoothie…oatmeal. Healthy. Let’s make some green tea and…oh no.” Proceed to have terrible shits from the incredible amount of crap that I ate the night before.

3.       10:20AM Struggle to make it through a bowl of plain oatmeal. Coffee. Second round of terrible shits left over from last night.

4.       11:30AM Stroll into the gym. Stretch. First thought upon seeing myself in the mirror. “How did you let this happen you fuckin cream puff? Why are you wearing a light colored shirt? Buy black workout clothes now! ALL BLACK!”

5.       11:50AM “This sucks. What the fuck? I used to be able to do so many push-ups. Is a push up over once my gut touches the floor? My arms are straight and my gut is almost touching the floor. I hate myself.”

6.       12:10PM On the elliptical. “Forty more minutes and I’m done. This sucks. I hate this so much…wow, look at her ass. That is alright. Focus on that ass, this will all be over soon.

7.       12:50PM Stretching. “She definitely caught me looking at her ass.”

8.       1:00PM Lunch. Small salad. Water. 300 Calories. Perfect.

9.       1:15 – 4:30PM “IM HUNGRY!”

10.   4:30PM Family meal at work. “Why do they have strawberry shortcake today? A little piece is-NO! No sweets! Chicken and salad only.”

11.   11:030PM Work is over. “Fuck I’m hungry. I should eat something. What could I have? Wait, no. Just go home and go to bed. When you wake up it’ll be breakfast. Today is over. You did good buddy. It’ll only get easier. Few weeks, you’ll be another person.”

12.   9:30AM Tuesday. Get out of bed. “Why do I feel like I’m hung over? Why do I feel so weak? I want an Egg McMuffin. This sucks.” (The reason for that hangover feeling is due to overdoing it at the gym mixed with not drinking enough water, and not eating enough. The combination of the three has been shown to produce symptoms similar to that of a hangover.)

13.   9:45AM “Fuckin fuck oatmeal. I hate this shit. What is that Quaker prick on the box smiling about? I don’t even want the rest of this.”

14.   10:15AM Five minutes into my workout. “I feel awful. I don’t want to do this. I’ll make it up another day this week.”

15.   12:00PM Making a salad. “What’s the point of life? Seriously, this is all bullshit. I have to eat this fucking bowl of yard waste. I hate today.”

16.   6:00PM Watching TV. “I should cook that chicken breast I bought. I hate chicken breast. I really do. I should order a pizza. I can always start my diet tomorrow, or next week even. Next week would be fine. Wait, no. I should eat the healthy stuff. Maybe the healthy stuff would taste better if I smoked some pot. Yeah, maybe a hit or two of weed will do the trick.

17.   6:02PM PUFF PUFF PUFF. BUBBLE BUBBLE BUBBLE.

18.   6.10PM On the Phone. “Hello, can I place an order for delivery. I have a coupon for a large pie, wings, and breadsticks…”

19.   11:00pm Full, stoned, in bed. “Well, there’s always next week. Yeah, next Monday for sure. Big lifestyle changes coming.”

                What’s to be learned by looking at this pattern that has become so familiar? When I decide to make any big change in my life, no matter what that change might be, if I decide to take it all on in one shot, I’m doomed. Now, maybe there are folks out there who woke up one day and said, “I’m going to become this,” and then drastically changed their lifestyle overnight and became that. Maybe some folks can do that. I can’t. Most people can’t. I wish I could. What I want, what most Americans want these days, is instant gratification. I want to change something and I want it to happen as quickly as possible. Quick fixes never seem to stick though. What I’ve been told by countless individuals, whom I respect, is that the road to health is a one best walked by baby steps. Small change that over time will produce big results. That’s what we’re shooting for friends. 

So, let’s start making some.

A Mission Statement

Okay, so what’s all this about? Here goes. Ever since I was little, I’ve felt like I should have been born a woman. KIDDING!!! Just havin a laugh you sick bastards. However, this does have something to do with furry man boobs. What I’m doing, what I’m about to do, is give The Fat Kid Chronicles a new mission statement. Here it is.

The Fat Kid Chronicles will now be the story, the 100% true and complete story, of my quest toward a healthier, stronger, faster, smarter, leaner, lighter version of Mike Mergo. In addition to that, I’d like the blog to be a resource/forum/idea board for folks out there like myself who are looking to take control of their health, their body, and their destiny.  

At this point I imagine most of you out there reading this are thinking one of two thoughts. 1) “This is great, Mergs! I wish you all the best and want you to get healthy, sir!” 2) “No way in hell you’re gonna make this happen you poor fat shit. I’ve heard this before too many times. Now go grab the Queso Dip and settle in for a late showing of Return of the Jedi, chubs.” If you’re thinking the first thought, thank you. If you’re thinking the second thought, you’re a prick, but I can’t say I blame you. If you’re thinking them both, then you’re me.

I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to make this happen. I’m not even sure where to begin at this point. What I do know is this; the road ahead will be very long. It will be a great journey taken over lots of very small steps. This post and the last one are pretty much the first two steps. It feels good taking them and I’m hopeful for what may come once many, many, many more small steps are taken. Right now the question is, “What’s the next small step? Then, what’s the one after that? And the one after that?” It can’t be just writing posts about what I intend to do. If people got fit simply by talking about what they intend to do, I’d be Ryan Gosling fit. Talk is never enough though. I need movement. I need action.

What I need is a plan.