J Boxer's Blog

Barracuda & Sharks

2010-06-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

Went free diving again today. This time I planned ahead and got an underwater camera. I'm still not ready for shooting, especially in 40 feet of water. Diving was much easier today. I consistently made it to 30 feet - very close to touching bottom on a few dives, but the pressure was getting to me.

Two major hurdles today. I dove with a barracuda. I took some snapshots, but none came out well. Everytime he saw the camera, he smiled at me and moved in my direction. Guess he thought the camera was food. I also saw two sharks in the water on multiple occasions. I think it was the same two just running circles. At first it freaked me out, but I was able to get back in the water and scope them out again.

We saw a huge bait ball on one side of one of the wrecks. It was really cool. It was about 10 feet x 12 feet over this mound and about 2 feet thick. Very cool.

Free Diving Progress

2010-05-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

I made it into the Gulf on Sunday. We dove 5 wrecks, and I consistently made it to 25-30 ft in 40-45 feet of water. I saw my first goliath grouper, and my buddies hooked up with two amber jack at the same time (34 lbs & 39 lbs). Very cool day!!

Under the Weather

2010-01-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Today was killer. I ran into two major pitfalls at work at 4:30. My frustration level was very high. I am also getting a sore throat and feeling worn down. The class tonight was rough, and I was suffering. I hit my peak for about 30 seconds, and it was great. Amazing and freing. All my stress was gone, and I never saw the bag swing so much. The class did what is needs to do for me. Releive stress and build confidence. I am practically dying now due to exhaustion and muscle pain, but I love it.

THANK YOU!!!!!

Progress Continues

2010-01-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

Slight delay in the weight loss due to a major work change this week. I was pulled in to long hours and a ton of very intense thought exercises. I missed the gym twice, and I was not given time to get decent lunches. I should be back on track this week. Either way, I was able to maintain rather than gain.

As far as free diving, the weather refuse to cooperate. I am hoping saturday will get me in the water. So far the breath work is improving. I can hold one minute with no prep and little effort. I can hold 2 min consistently wih minor prep. My PB is still only 2:36, but it is an improvement. I beleive I will hit my goal of 3 min. by the end of the month.

Progress

2010-01-10T07:57:00.001-08:00

So far the diet is going well. Not following the plan completely, but enough to show progress. This week, I will increase vegetable intake and reduce meats. This should help boost the metabolism. I plan on dropping below 200 this week. Started at 207, and down to about 201 as of a couple days ago.

I found that monitoring your weight everyday can be more demotivating than motivating. Your body fluctuates too much. The best diet and work out day could result in weight gain due to strained muscles, water retention, etc. Every few days will show progress or slips in the goal. Most importantly, if you have done this a few times, you know if you are on track or faltering. Step up - you don't need the scale to tell you that you have reverted to your old habits.

Free diving is still on the first steps. I had plans to dive this week end, but the weather didn't agree. Freezing temps and 6-8 waves. Cold is ok, but the waves make it too difficult on the boat.

Breath holds are going well. I started at less than a minute at Christmas time, and I can hold for 1:30 without really any prep. I can do over 2 with prep. My personal best (PB) is 2:20. I hope to break 3 minutes by end of the month. This will give me plenty of safety margin when typical dives are a minute or less locally. Only a few steps away from my goal of sitting on the bottom of the gulf watching the grouper and hogfish swim by.

Diet Sux

2010-01-06T17:49:00.000-08:00

I hate dieting and being really strict on food intake. This is one of my biggest challenges. I will pull through this, but I really want to go to one of my favorite joints and have extra some fried food and a few extra drinks.

Weight Loss Again

2010-01-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

Yep. It's that time again. I weighed in at 207 last wek. Terrible. I am targeting 185 again. It was a great weight. Much lighter on the feet - "float like a butterfly".

I have started eating better and exercising more often. I am planning to hit 195 by end of January and 185 by end of February. This should be easy as I have done it before, but it is very frustrating as I love to eat. I can gain wieght with no issues, but I really need to deprive myself to lose.

I will be at 185 by end of February. I'll keep you posted.

A New Start

2010-01-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

Glad to hear something is resetting. Life has been hell...ready to pull it all together this year. The plan is to set some hard goals with real requirements to get healthy. I have been off my game due to many personal issues, but this year's goals will trump the personal catastrophes. I will win this year regardless of the fan and its problems.

I have several new hobbies in mind to make the journey more interesting. I have been researching them, and saving for the equipment required. I should be underwater, literally, by the end of January.

Recovering Quickly

2009-10-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

The shoulder was diagnosed as a Slap Tear. Quite a bit of pain, but rehab was thought to do the trick. Three weeks of rehab, and the shoulder was feeling much better. Just made it back to the gym about 3 weeks ago. Minimal impact on the bag, but still getting a great workout. Two months away from the gym, and you would think I was starting all over again. I forgot how much pain there was after a good work out.

Finally! Glad to be back!

Time Off & No Luck

2009-08-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Looks like a pretty substantial injury. Six (6) weeks out of the gym with no major improvement of the injury. I don't expect to be landing a cross anytime soon.

So the tide turns. Life always ebbs and flows...this is just a dip in the tide, a trough in the wave. Investment in other portions of my life will have to trump my strong desire to continue in my training. At this time, I just need to heal the shoulder and figure out how to stay in decent shape during the rehab.

Repeat Pain

2009-07-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

Back in April, I had significant shoulder pain. I worked through it via back and shoulder exercises. Of course, once I was back to normal, I reverted to the same training routine. Again, I have substantial shoulder pain, which is probably due to unbalanced training (i.e. no back or rear shoulder work outs). It is time to try the same recovery plan. My goal is to avoid a repeat in another 2 months.

Diet and Weight Goals

2009-06-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have been doing well eating foods that fit "fuel", but I have not been doing a good job of monitoring my portions. Over the last 2 months I have moved from a great weight of 183 back up to about 192lbs.

In order to get back on track, I have joined up with a group of fellow workers to lose some weight. As a reminder of the pain and agony of unhealthy eating, several of us have vowed to eat to gain weight for a week prior to our diet. This should help to serve as a reminder of the misery it is to be unhealthy. I usually revert after a couple of months to less portion control resulting in weight gain. I am hoping this week will remind me to never venture down that path.

Bottom line, starting Friday I will be on an aggressive diet, and I "will" have abs by end of summer.

Stay Present

2009-05-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

I have found that it is very difficult to keep my life balanced. While focusing on exercise, work and home slip. Focusing on work, home and exercise slip. Throw some education into the mix and everything falls apart.

...An endless balancing act.

It is great to notice these challenges; it permits you to rebalance. In the past, I was not present enough to notice the fluctuation of priorities and the issues that were arising. Now, although I find it very difficult to stay in the moment, I understand that it is important to focus on the present and not focus on a goal while letting time slip. Stay present, but plan and focus on goals and self improvement. Time will pass, make sure you improve as it passes while enjoying today.

Second Wind

2009-04-23T17:05:00.001-07:00

After a week off with time to allow the muscles to relax, I am feeling much better. Two rough classes this week and still feeling very energetic without a ton of soreness. Perhaps I just reached a limit where I needed a week to recover. I will keep this in mind for the next time my mind starts to drift towards the downward spiral - maybe it is just a mental signal that I physically need a rest. Back in the game...

Discouraged

2009-04-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well - it's been about a month since trying to reinvigorate myself towards this commitment. It has been very difficult fighting through physical pain via exercise while fighting many work and personal issues as well. Physically, I am still fighting a sore shoulder that seems to be related to a non-balanced exercise routine. The problem seems to be that boxing focuses a lot on the chest and front of the shoulder, but my routine doesn't balance this with sufficient back and rear shoulder exercises. This has caused significant pain in my shoulder, but mainly when my muscles are tight for a day or two after exercise. The new plan is to hit the back and rear shoulders hard and consistently to see if I can rectify this issue. I may revert to reduced boxing, but I will try a strict workout schedule for about 2 weeks first to avoid losing any forward progress on my overall conditioning.

Refusal

2009-03-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Refusal to give in; fighting for more. I have been on a roller coaster of pain, frustration, and emotional battles. I am fighting to keep up with the daily chores of life and maintain a good training regime. I refuse to be beaten. This pain and irritation has made everything difficult, but I will fight through it. I am determined to figure this out and get back in the game. On the brink of defeat but bouncing back...Think positive...

Falling to Pieces

2009-02-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Well… can anything else go wrong? For the past two weeks, I have been physically challenged. I jammed my thumb during our knife fighting class, contracted some sort of crazy flu, sprained my finger, dislocated a toe, and severly cramped one of my trapezius muscles causing shoulder pain.

Needless to say, I have failed to keep up with my daily exercises for about two weeks. I am recommitting to my daily routine this week.

Maintenance

2009-02-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

Maintaining a current exercise routine and diet has been difficult. Stress from work and additional scheduling conflicts have made exercising and sticking to my diet difficult. I ended up with some sort of cold last week, which limited my workouts to only one. That is not anywhere near enough to maintain a good regimen. I will be fighting to stay on track this week, and I am hoping that I will be able to be back to 3 times a week starting next week.

Meditation

2009-01-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

My wife and I have been researching meditation. In the past, I always thought of meditation as a simple breathing technique for the reduction of stress. In reviewing a few websites, reading a couple books, and attending a few classes, we have found that meditation reaches far beyond simple relaxation. There are forms of meditation that delve into self-reflection, contemplation, and emotional analysis. We plan to continue to review and practice meditation to aid in our own personal development as well as to aid in stress reduction to improve our overall health and resilience to the complexities of life.

Diet & Nutrition

2009-01-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

Our Coach's motivation to eat “fuel” has driven me to a strict diet, and it is beginning to pay off. I have started to minimize my simple carb intake and eliminate or significantly reduce my sugar intake. So far, I have been losing weight as anticipated (down 5lbs in 2 weeks). I still have a way to go to reach my ideal weight (180lbs), and it is not an easy task.

Additionally, I just finished reading a nutrition book that will supplement my diet in more ways than one. The text supported a lot of my previous knowledge on good eating habits, and it offered additional vitamin supplements that should aid in weight loss and several other conditions that cause me some minor inconvenience.

I would recommend this text as a great read to help get you on track for a healthier lifestyle. You will find that much of what you have been told is healthy may be misleading.

Crayhon, Robert, M.S. Nutrition Made Simple, A Comprehensive Guide to the Latest Findings in Optimal Nutrition New York: (1994).

Stick to it

2009-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

I am still working hard at keeping to the goals of the program. I am almost up to par on my exercise goals. I am on par with push ups, but still a little behind on the sit-ups. I mis-calcualted originally, but I should be caught up in one week.

If you haven't tried grappling, it is a great class. It is unbeleiveable exercise and sometimes a very humbling experieince. If you haven't started yet, I am waiting for more people to join the class. Get off your butt, and get in gear.

See you in class soon.

Diet & Exercise

2008-12-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

Our coach requires us to adhere to a strict diet consuming mainly "fuel" - excellent concept - practically impossible task, especially during the holiday season. I am starting to figure out what to eat, but attempting to limit what you eat to only the fuel required is much more difficult. Over-eating is very easy for me, and it kills my attempts at weight loss no matter how healthy my food choices. I am desperately trying to optimize fuel intake and minimize excess food intake to help cut some weight. I think the next step is to track calorie intake for about 3-4 weeks while continuing to monitor weight an exercise.

On a positive note, the exercise requirements for daily push-ups and sit-ups has not been nearly as challenging as I once expected. The initial goal is 500 of each per week, which equates to 100 per day 5 days a week. I have been doing quite well exceeding the current requirement striving for 700 a week. So far, I am up to 1800/1650 although I expected to be at 1900 per exercise. I plan to catch up by New Year's day.

Dehydration

2008-12-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

Did you know that neck & back pain can be caused from chronic dehydration. Don't believe it? When was the last time you were truly hung over - this can really affect your head - sometimes just due to dehydration and neck muscle cramping. I found recently that my intake of water was not as high as it might need to be, especially during the holiday parties. One boxing class two days after a holiday party, I still hadn't adequately hydrated causing significant neck pain and an unusual lack of sweat.

If you have unusual cramping and massive headaches that pound as your feet hit the ground - consider that your water intake may be significantly under what you need. Drink a lot of soda? This could add to your pain. There are a lot of articles out there that state you need 32 "glasses" of water to counteract one 12oz. soda. I know this well because I used to drink over a six pack of Pepsi or Mountain Dew each day. Now, I drink only water and green and black teas. This alone improved my life. Please review your current beverage intake and determine a hydration plan; without this under control, you may needlessly suffer from aches and pains.

Brutal Exercise

2008-12-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

The gym I attend does an excellent job of tearing down muscle to enable your body to rebuild for better fitness. Recently, I just started kicking, which has been a significant challenge - new muscles that haven't been used for years are targeted for repetitious movements. It is very rough to work through these initial aches and pains. Additionally, I have just started grappling. This is a whole new kind of tiredness and pain. Joints are a little more stiff when it is over, and muscles are a lot more exhausted. I will be in much better shape in about 4-6 weeks at this current pace.

Diet Changes

2008-12-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

This black belt program requires that you monitor your diet such that 90-95% of your food intake is considered fuel. I have done this in the past, but I usually have a weight loss goal and a time period of 2-3 months. This is more of a permanent change, which is very difficult to cope with at this time. For now, I am just going to approach this as a two month weight loss diet and hope that I can sustain this for the long haul.

Quest for a Black Belt in American MMA

2008-12-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

Week 1 - Almost five months of training down on the basics of boxing. Finally starting to feel able to get through a work-out without over exhaustion or heat stroke. The gym has helped me feel more open and energetic. The addition of grappling and kick-boxing have convinced me this is my new sport, and I will be dedicating a good portion of my time to improving my self while learning the techniques of MMA.

Step 1: Self Assessment - This began at the end. A quick eulogy exercise reminded me I have a long way to go to become who I want to be. I am working on solidifying my goals for personal improvement. In some cases, this has required deep inspection and commitment just to obtain the overall goal. Once complete with the main goals, I will begin breaking them in to smaller pieces of the elephant.