by Matt Robinson | Jul 24, 2018 | Exercise & Body, Food & Nutrition, General, Journal
Where do I begin? I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I’ve posted here. I know Google hates lame, dormant websites – don’t we all!? And I’d like to say that there has been a reasonable excuse for not taking the time to stay updated, but that’s all it would be – an excuse.
Looking at My Fitness Pal I see that since I began my journey – about 6 years ago – I’ve lost 73 pounds! I still feel like I have a long way to go, but the past month things have really picked up for me. Specifically I’ve started eating a Keto diet. Actually, I started December 2nd 2017 but I’ve been off and on MANY times over the past 6 months or so…June 30th I started again and wanted to really give it a chance.
So in the past month I’ve dropped 14 pounds, don’t have cravings, have LOTS of energy and look forward to every meal. The first few days were kind of tough – cravings and such – but after that I seemed to hit a stride. I think fathead pizza has been my saving grace! lol…
I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a few years ago but had to stop because of injury and things to take care of at home. I’d like to get back to that, but I’m taking it slow right now. My first goal is be consistently going to the gym and make that a routine!
Overall the past few years have had their ups and downs, but I’m pushing forward and the future looks bright!
by Matt Robinson | Jun 9, 2015 | General, Journal, Triumphs
After about 3 years I finally got back in the pool yesterday. As a teenager I worked as a lifeguard – I loved swimming! (I wasn’t a fan of the distance stuff, but none-the-less I still enjoyed the exercise)
I was expecting it to go worse than I thought. 3 years ago I worked up to swimming about 40 laps continuously. Yesterday I swam 24 laps continuously! I was impressed! Mind you, I’ve lost about 55 pounds since I last went swimming – that definitely helps!
I love swimming mainly because it’s such a great cardio workout and it’s easy on my body. I’ve been having soreness in my shoulders so I wasn’t sure how it would go, but after a few laps my muscles got warmed up and it felt amazing!
If you haven’t tried swimming and you’re having difficulty with the impact your body goes through with regular cardio, I would encourage you to at least consider swimming. It’s relatively cheap, easy on the joints and gives a GREAT workout!
photo credit: 062 via photopin (license)
by Matt Robinson | Apr 13, 2015 | Journal, Lessons
The power of consistency can’t be overstated.
I think of all the lessons I’ve been learning lately, this is the one that hits me the most. You need a plan. You need discipline. You need many, many things! But just having those things isn’t enough sometimes.
Think about this. All water has to carve through stone is consistent movement over time. That’s it. It’s only tool is movement. To just keep moving and flowing and carving.
Taking the tools you have (diet plans, exercise plans, support, motivation etc…) and USING them are more important than HAVING them.
I mean, it’s great to have a plan posted on my fridge for me to see – but if I never USE that plan, it’s worthless.
Some would argue that having the plan is the first step(maybe I’VE said that! lol … I’m thinking now that it could be the millionth step, but if you don’t use it you’ve just wasted a million steps.
Its the DOING that actually gets results. And for each person that decision is an individual one. Only YOU can decide when you’re going to use the tools you have to create the life you want.
So I’ve been using the tools I have and have been creating the life I want. I’m not losing tons of weight – but I’m losing weight. I have set-backs, but I keep going. And in the end my consistent effort is going to pay off.
So will yours.
My weight-loss progress over the last year. Looks a little like a consistent waterfall!
Just keep moving.
Just keep going.
Through bad days.
Through great days.
Through joy.
Through grief.
Just. Keep. Moving.
photo credit: Upper Kent Falls via photopin (license)
by Matt Robinson | Oct 13, 2014 | Journal
I told a few people earlier this week that I started juicing. One person pretended to push a needle into his arm – no, I’m not taking steroids!
I remember going to a friends house as a kid after church one Sunday. We sat around the table (I was probably 12 or 13) and we were served a roast dinner. What did we have to drink with this wonderful, salty meal? Tomato juice. I tried it…and hated it. This was my first introduction to juicing. After lunch I made my way to the washroom and cupped my hands under the running water to try and quench my thirst. Needless to say, I was NOT going to drink liquified tomatoes again.
But just because I had one bad experience doesn’t mean I should never try again. Right?
So I tried juicing again recently. What I’ve come to learn is that there is a BIG difference between Mott’s Clamato and REAL juicing.
So I read about juicing and even watched an inspiring documentary (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead) which was incredibly motivating! I’ve started to see the amazing benefits of including juicing into my life. Many years ago during a moment of weakness at around 1am I bought a juicer being advertised on TV – The Jack Lalane Power Juicer! It sat in storage for a LONG time.
So I dragged it out and plugged it in and started feeding it with all kinds of fruits and veggies. (I haven’t been brave enough to juice a tomato yet!) I have to say that some of the drinks I’ve made are actually pretty awful. Too much greens, not enough sweet flavour. My goal is to be able to make a totally veggie drink – but for now I’ve started easy.
My favourite juice so far is 2 apples, 1 carrot, a bunch of spinach and two oranges. I know there is a lot of fruit-sugar in that drink but I’m easing myself into things.
Let me tell you about the benefits I’m seeing. ENERGY. Just from one juice per day! Plus, I’ve had dry skin for a long time but after 4 days of juicing I’ve seen my skin starting to clear up. Awesome!
This isn’t surprising when you realize what’s really happening when you juice. The nutrients from the fruits and veggies are concentrated. Yes, you lose most of the fibre when you juice, but like I said earlier – this is something I’m incorporating into my life. I’ll get fibre from somewhere else.
I think most of us live in a state of nutrient deficiency. So it’s no surprise that when I’ve started to juice, my body absorbs the nutrients it so desperately is lacking. I’m not a juicing evangelist…yet, but I do see the benefits!
photo credit: bertholf via photopin cc
by Matt Robinson | Oct 9, 2014 | Journal
Losing weight has so many components involved that it can be a task just to figure out what those components are! The truth is, that while the concept of losing weight is fairly simple (burn more calories than you consume), the act of losing weight is as complicated a thing as anyone will ever attempt.
I was always one of the biggest kids in my class. I was picked for my high school basketball team because “we need someone of your size to get the rebounds”. And after college when I bought my first car, the pounds started piling on.
I’ve tried almost every diet pill and fad that you can think of. The Cabbage Soup Diet, The Atkins Diet, P90x, Body-For-Life, and on and on and on. I’ve tried shark cartilage, diet pills, smoothies, shakes, elixir’s and on and on and on again.
People SWEAR by these things. And you know what? I’m glad some of these options have worked for people. But I’m willing to bet (and I’m not a betting man) that there was something else at work in these people’s lives for them to make the transformation they made.
Sure, some of these options were catalyst for change, but the real change came from the desire to overcome, the support of those around them and consistently following a plan.
I believe these three things are essential in making a transformation. We are social creatures. We thrive in teams. The collective rules society. So when a person can surround themselves with people who will support and encourage them, along with the desire to overcome their obstacles and a plan to make that happen – I think great things are inevitable.
Over the past 6-12 months I’ve adopted these things into my life. The change isn’t coming fast enough for me to endorse a specific product or anyone’s diet plan – but I am making progress. This is a snapshot of the last 3 months.
July to September 2014
This represents about a 14 pound loss in the past three months. In the past year I’ve dropped about 40 pounds and am able to keep it off.
I haven’t used a fad diet. There are no special products I’m taking. I’ve simply decided to make some lifestyle choices that help me overcome my past – and I’m surrounded by people who care about me.
You can make a change. For the sake of the people who depend on you it’s important to make a change! But YOU have to decide. And when you do, I’m sure you’ll find all the support you need.
photo credit: Arya Ziai via photopin cc
