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Ten Things I Learned: #7 Eating Healthy Is Expensive But Worth It

December 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I really can’t believe it has been almost a year since our family joined in on Jeff’s Crazy Idea. Some days the kids would say it seems like 20 years. Some days, not long at all.

I have learned some things that I had no idea about twelve months ago.

Like bacon and guacamole taste fantastic together. Who knew? Seriously, did you?

Guac and Bacon

But the one thing I am asked about constantly is “Doesn’t it cost a ton of money to eat well?”  The excuse I gave, and hear often when we talk about our lifestyle change is is this one:

“Our family simply can’t afford to eat that way.”

[Read more...]

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Ten Things I Learned – #8 There Is Still An Athlete In My Mind

December 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I grew up playing sports

I grew up playing sports – all the time. Football with the neighborhood kids, shooting hoops for hours on end, I even tried baseball for a while and managed to find a spot on the tennis team at one point. From 4th grade through high school I played basketball in competitive leagues and for my school (and I am old enough to have played in the short-shorts era). While I might not have been great one, I was an athlete.

The athlete in my mind

Where did that athlete go?

[Read more...]

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Ten Things I Learned: #9 Healthy Becomes A Habit

December 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Healthy Becomes A Habit

Healthy Habits

I had never thought about health as a habit. Smoking was a habit, biting your nails was a habit, but health? Than shortly after we ended the Whole 30 (and I figured out you can do anything for 30 days), I discovered that eating healthy had become a habit. It wasn’t something I obsessed thought about, it was just something we did. It had become our lifestyle, not something we went out of our way to do.

Developing Healthy Eating Habits

Experts say it takes anywhere from 30-60 days to develop a new habit. For it to be ingrained in your routine and become part of your lifestyle. We found that for us it was about 45-50 days of eating healthy. After that, we didn’t think about it as much. It wasn’t weird to go shopping and skip over all the junk. The cravings were gone, and it was the rare exception when we ate something that wasn’t Paleo. This was a huge change from the deep-fried, fast food, high carb diet we were used to. [Read more...]

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It’s Been 11 Crazy Months – A Crazy Idea Update (Video)

December 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I can’t believe it has been 11 months already, and those 11 months have had their crazy ups and downs, life changes and challenges. And though it’s been a while since we updated the blog, I wanted to share where we are as we wrap up the year of this crazy idea.

 

Crazy Idea Update – 11 Months

We would love to hear how your crazy idea is going in the comments.

 

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Crazy Idea 6 Month Update

July 21, 2012 By 3 Comments

I really can’t believe it has been six months since we started this crazy idea. Some days it feels like it was just last week and some days it seems like it was so long ago. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m feeling better than I have in years. I can’t believe the difference in my energy level and how my body has changed (photos below). I’m still working out 4 days a week at Ed’s Gym – though some weeks it has only been 2 days due to travel and conferences and such.

As for our diet, we’ve stayed pretty much with a Paleo style diet – though we have added in a few cheats such as an occasional Nutella snack or corn based product.  We are still eating insane amounts of fruits and eggs and after six months show no signs of getting tired of those.  [Read more...]

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Hitting The Weights

July 10, 2012 By 1 Comment
Weights at Ed's Gym

Hitting the Weights

 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted and given an update on the progress of my crazy idea. A lot has happened since the last post, crazy wildfires here in Colorado Springs, the busy-ness of summer, life. Today I wanted to give you a glimpse at how my workouts have changed the last few weeks. The biggest part of that change is hitting the weights a little harder.  Here’s a rundown of what the past few workouts at Ed’s Gym have looked like for me. [Read more...]

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Fitness for Father’s Day

June 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Nothing says you love dad like giving him fitness for Father’s Day

It’s been a little while since we’ve updated the blog but wanted to take a second to let you know about a Father’s Day deal that Ed from Ed’s Gym is offering right now. If you haven’t found that perfect gift for dad, I can’t recommend this highly enough. We even did a little video for Ed to help promote this special.  Check it out and give Ed a call. Tell him you have this Crazy Idea!

 

 

 

 

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What does a session at Ed’s Gym look like?

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

Some of you have asked “What does a session at Ed’s Gym look like?” So today, I’m sharing my workout schedule for this week.

Each workout begins with a warm-up period that looks something like this.

Warm-Up

5-10 minutes of self-myofascial release
50 Criss-Cross Jumping Jacks
Band Pull Aparts 25/25
Hip-Opener 30/30 seconds
Hindu Push-Ups X8
Shoulder Slides Against Wall X12
Fire Hydrants 10/10 each leg
Hip Thrusts w/ Reach 8/8
Ankle Mobility (Knee to Wall) 15/15
Knee Pull Ups To Chest 10/10
High Kicks 10/10

After the warm up, we move into the workout for the day. Here are some examples of what we’ve been doing this week. The difficulty of each exercise is crafted to the individual’s ability. [Read more...]

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4 Months of Craziness – Time for Another Update

May 8, 2012 By 3 Comments

I can’t believe that it has been 4 months of craziness since we started this thing. They say time flies when you’re having fun, and while not every minute has been fun, I can say that overall the experience has been a blast. A huge shout out and thanks to Ed from Ed’s Gym for all he has done to push me and keep me moving forward. Big thanks also to Julie and the kiddos for the motivation and support and for putting up with some of the not-so-stellar days. And to everyone reading the blog and engaging on Facebook and Twitter. So many of you have shared encouraging words and your own updates. It’s been great knowing that some of you are also taking on your own crazy ideas.

So, here’s the down and dirty. A report on the progress since Jan 8.  (You can also check out the 30 day and 60 day comparisons)

Waist at umbillicus: Day 1: 48.75, Day 120: 40.5, Difference -8.25 inches

Hips: Day 1: 42.5, Day 120: 41.5, Difference -1 inches

Chest: Day 1: 47, Day 120: 42.75, Difference -4.25 inches

Around Shoulders: Day 1: 54, Day 120: 48.5, Difference -5.5 inches

Mid Thigh: Day 1: 23.25, Day 120: 23, Difference -.25 inches

Bicep: Day 1: 15, Day 120: 13.5, Difference -1.5 inches

Neck: Day 1: 17.75, Day 120: 16.25, Difference -1.5 inch

That’s a grand total of 22 inches lost in 120 days.

When I stepped on the scales Day 1 I weighed in at 263.8 pounds, today I stepped on the scales and weighed in at 223.4. I’ve lost 40.4 pounds in 120 days.

I can’t believe how much better I’m feeling and how much more energy I have. As I mentioned last week in a post, I feel like I’ve hit a bit of a plateau with the weight loss. Time to keep my eyes on the long term goals and keep at it.

The rest of the post comes with the same warning as the previous updates. For those of you who haven’t eaten yet, or will be eating shortly, proceed with caution. I’ve included some before and after pics and I don’t have a shirt on. So if you want to continue, get out those sunglasses again because my tan-less, flabby body may cause irreparable eye and psychological damage. [Read more...]

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The Craziness Continues – An Update on Jeff’s Crazy Idea

May 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

Hi everyone! Just a quick video update as we approach the four month marker for my crazy idea. Check out the video to find out about the 120 day update, our Paleo diet, my frustation with hitting a plateau, running adjustments, another Whole 30, and what to expect in the upcoming weeks.

Thanks for stopping by Jeff’s Crazy Idea today. I would love for you to share your thoughts and any updates on your crazy idea in the comments below.

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