Food is There, and We Eat...

I just read this article that talked about kids and their snacking habits. It's easy for me to say that there is a problem now that I'm 27 and at high risk for heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, but kids need to change their eating habits. As recently as a four years ago, I ate like complete crap and as a result I got fat. Not obviously fat like I was morbidly obese, but in retrospect, I have no idea how I got so fat. Right now I weigh 155 and I'm arguably the healthiest/fittest I've ever been. 4 years ago I weighed an astonishing 184. I can't imagine 30 pounds on me right now, especially since I still have fat to burn.

Here's what happened...In middle school and high school, I ate like crap. I mean crap. My mom didn't pack me a lunch and my school didn't provide a healthy option for me (or any option for that matter - we had no hot lunch despite me running for Student Council on a mission to get hot lunch) so I ate whatever I wanted. Generally this constituted a couple bags of chips, a couple sodas and a Big Texas. This was lunch probably 3 times a week and the other 2 days was pizza day. This continued until my senior year of high school when we finally got rid of the guy who brought in crusty sandwiches and overpriced milk (his name was literally The Sandwich Man) and replaced him with a local mexican restaurant once a week, Subway twice a week and pizza twice a week. This bad eating continued into college and finally when I started drinking my metabolism slowed down and fat started creeping in. I was 125 lbs when I graduated high school and 130 when I turned 21. Beer and late night food quickly turned that into 150 and years and a lack of basketball or any real excercise slowly turned that into 184.  I was a beast. But then Other Guy and a few friends that are as close as brothers called me out on being fat and I started running and quickly lost 20 pounds and hovered around 165 for a few years until this last year when I was training for my half marathon and dropped to 148. Ive worked my way back up to 150 but I now run, eat right (though I do have my days of complete indulgence like this Sunday when Mark Twain and I will probably eat an entire cake while watching the Oscars) and I've maintained a solid 155.

My point is this, kids need to learn to eat right at school. I loved vegetables as a kid and if the option were there for something tasty and healthy, I would have happily eaten it. Kids need to eat better and schools shouldn't provide any option of things that are unhealthy. They should have juice and milk and water and fruit at school and not cookies and Coke. Obesity is an epidemic and needs to be stopped while it's still somewhat unacceptable to be fat, but the more people that get fat and lazy, the closer we get to Wall-e being the future.

Go big or go home. Get out your running shoes...

-M, p, z & shredder

Couple More Movie Things...

I'm sure most of you don't care as much about any of this nonsense as I do, but oh well, I just wanted to mention a couple more things.

First is a story that happened over the weekend you may have heard about. Kevin Smith (director of such terrible movies as Clerks, Clerks II, and every single movie he's made) was kicked off a Southwest flight because he was too fat. This is great on so many levels. I love that he got kicked off because I think he's incredibly annoying, a bad director, a worse writer, an awful actor and a huge lard ass. The gist of the story is that he was flying standby and they let him board but then realized he was too fat to sit in one seat so both he and anyone next to him would be comfortable so they kicked him off. He blogged about it and whined like a true douche (what kind of loser has a blog?) and Southwest issued an apology and refunded his money, which is pretty much where the story ends. His new movie Cop Out, is the first time Bruce Willis is going to be in an 'action' role and I have no interest in seeing it. It looks terrible. I may sneak into it to see Sean Williams Scott, who had me at hello, but other than that the movie is going to blow.

Moving on. This story was sent to me yesterday about the Avatar Blues. At first, the title made me think what I had already been thinking, that seeing other movies after that incredible 3-D experience just isn't the same. But it wasn't. It was about how people fell in love with Pandora and the Na'vi and are now depressed that it isn't real. Some people contemplated suicide. This is too much. People are ridiculous. This is an actual quote someone posted on a message board, "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' " Are you f*cking kidding me? Apparently a lot of it stems from how beautiful Pandora is and how Earth could be like that to which my only response is: seriously? I mean, seriously? Earth could not be like that. Humans are not the Na'vi. Get a f*cking life. If you care so much about the environment, try recycling. Try and eat less. Try to not be so crazy.

Good grief. Go big.

-M, p, z & shredder

Sun and Beer...

Clearly I haven't blogged in a while. I have actually been on a bender. Or rather, the bender to end all benders. Me and a couple friends made some new friends just as the weather was starting to get nicer and the next thing we knew we were drinking every day. Waking up, taking care of business as fast as we could only so we could start drinking at the earliest possible time and not sleeping until we passed out at 3. It was nice. It reminded me of the last year(s) of undergrad. Usually I feel too old to drink more than one night in a row but for some reason I just trucked on through.












Brown Guy said it best, "Jesus Christ, Marty. I don't care what you say, that IS NOT the Fountain of Youth. (Get your old a$$ down from there!)"



Care free fun is something that everyone should get to relive before they get too old to do it. Not like I had any real hardships or anything that being carefree was an escape from but, an relief from monotony is always a good thing. My life is about to take yet another move this summer when I get back to NYC and it got me thinking that I am really excited to be settled for a bit. I have been moving around for so long that I forgot what it was to be living in one place with a single purpose. Though obviously my life is still in the air, no job, no apartment, no roommates, no idea about anything really, it will still be nice to be living in a place I can call home. At least for a while. Not sure how long I will be in NYC but definitely as long as it takes to establish myself as a person in the film industry. Not talking Oscars, just enough credits where I can get a job that is fun and doesn't include the word "assistant."

In other news, nothing is new in my life. I got some new shorts but thats about it. I have been deliberating if I should lose a little more weight for the past few weeks. On one hand I am at 165 and I really like the weight that I'm at. But on the other I have been working out for 4 months now and my abs are a lot tighter than my rice tummy would suggest. The problem with losing more weight is that I think I look too skinny. Like I did in high school. Granted I am 40 pounds heavier than when I graduated but still, it's such a fine line between being just right and being too skinny. I decided that I am going to get down to 158 and that should be good. It should take me about 2 weeks to get there but I think that's going to be my ideal compromised weight. Not too skinny, but also no pinching an inch on my stomach.

Other than that I'm out. Stay up. I'll try and get back on a roll but we'll see how that goes. As always, go big...

-M, p, z (she's growing her hair back!!!!) & shredder

oh ps - Iron Man. Go. Now.

Run Forrest, Run...

While I was in DC over new years I had a conversation with Brown Guy about running. I used to run for 1 mile and call it quits. I wasn't necessarily dead tired after a mile, but I was bored and satisfied and sufficiently out of breath that I would call it a day. I went for a short run in his gym and was back at his apartment in about 15 minutes. He asked why I only run 1 mile and I told him the above reasoning. He proceeded to tell me that I could run 10 miles. I told him he was insane and wondered who in their right mind, aside from some dude in Kenya running a marathon, would want to run 10 miles. I told him 1 was my usual and 2 was my max. I hated cross country running and never even really liked track for that matter. But recently I've realized that it may not be all that ridiculous.

This year is turning out to be the year of healthy choices for me. Aside from my diet change, I've also upped my usual runs from 1 to 2 miles and Friday I decided to push it to 3 miles. I was definitely tired. There was also no way I could have possibly made it 10 miles but I wouldn't doubt 4 or even 5. I've also realized that what I eat has a direct correlation to the amount of energy I have at the gym. Sounds obvious right, but I have never actually put it into practice before so only now can I really see the light. In the past I would eat like I used to do normally, nothing bad for you, just lots of indian food, mostly rice and chicken and vegetables, and then I would try and run on that. Bad idea. It was part of the reason I was tired. Now I have found the wonderful joy of cliff bars and yogurt and it's not hard for me to run a few miles.













This is what came up when I googled running...





The reason I mention this is that no matter what I do (not including a drastic change) I am going to weigh in the mid 160s. I'm currently at 162. Still I actually dipped almost to 160 but that was sort of an anomaly. With my height 160-170 is pretty normal and my previous desired weight of 160 was erroneous because I forgot to take into account that muscle weighs more than fat and as I burn fat and gain muscle it's only natural I'm going to gain some weight back. I guess there's not really a point to this blog but I would like to know how far people have ran. I might have done more before, but currently since I can't remember ever doing so I think 3 miles is the furthest I have ever run. I know some people who read this ran cross country and I'd be interested to know not only how far but what people's times were. It took me about 27 minutes to run 3 miles. Not very good. It's averaging a 9 minute mile. Anybody gonna beat that?

Go big

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - State of the Union tonight. Pretty excited that this is GWs last year in office. Also, just a reminder that Super Tuesday is in 8 days so if you people are fortunate enough to live in a state that has a primary/caucus that matters (still mad at Michigan) please go vote. Spend this week figuring out who for and do it.

FYI...

Just a reminder my show airs tonight. It's on Discovery Health. Check it out. I don't get that channel so tell me if I look fat..
Here's a link

Fit to Live
Friday, January 11 at 8pm e/p

News events put harsh realities of life in front of us every day. At any time, we could face a crisis, and accident, a natural disaster. We may not think of fitness as a survival factor in these situations. But ask yourself: do you have the basic endurance, strength, and agility to escape a disaster zone? If you had to climb 12 flights of stairs to be rescued from the roof of a burning building … could you do it? Hoist yourself out of a broken elevator … could you do it? Carry an injured co-worker to safety … could you do it?

In a radical new television program, five people will take the test that could save their lives… and take on a whole new approach to fitness. Are you Fit to Live?



-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - I don't have cable so if someone out there gets discovery health and feels a burning desire to tape it for me, I won't stop you...

What Makes Me Tick...

So aside from cutting down my chicken intake this year and getting into better shape, I also am going to try and be more open. I have been accused, and rightfully so, of being a very guarded person. I don't really share my feelings with people, mostly because people like to tell you what those feelings mean and there's nothing worse than someone telling you what you are thinking. But in an effort to be more open I am going to start letting people in on the little things in my life that make me unique, or at the very least make me who I am. It should be pretty easy. It's just basically a list of things I like and dislike and also things about me that you may not know.

The thing that got me thinking about this was my partial OCD. Though self-diagnosed, I am pretty sure I (along with many other people) have a slight case of OCD. In my case it presents itself in quirky forms that I think are necessary but others find pretty annoying. For example I have to arrange the dishwasher in an exact way every single time. Cups go in the upper left, mugs in the upper middle, bowls in the upper right, Plates go in the lower left facing right in order from largest to smallest. Pots go in the lower right and pans go on the lower right edge. Silverware is to be divided evenly between all six compartments. There cannot be more than one type of utensil in each compartment. For example if there are 6 spoons 5 knives and 4 forks, the different utensils would be divided evenly between the compartments with none containing more than one of each type of silverware.

That has become part of my routine and I don't mind doing it. It happens subconsciously as most of my habits do. I don't mind doing the dishes (which I scrub and wash completely before putting them in) but for some reason people get mad when I rearrange the dishes they claim to have done; but in my mind they aren't done right unless it's my way. Anyways, the reason I bring this up is that sometimes, like today, my mind blanks. I forget my routine and am left dumbfounded. I have a routine of how I dry off with my towel after the shower. I'll spare you the boring details but basically there is a set number of rubs per each section of my body and a specific order in which I do them. But today, as sometimes is the case, I forget what I am doing. So I end up standing there unable to dry myself because I don't know how. I try and remember my routine but my mind draws a blank and I sit there getting cold with no idea how to properly dry myself. It sucks. It is pretty much the worst actually. The only thing worse than not drying off after a shower is getting out of a warm toasty bed in the morning when it's freezing out.

Anyways, that's part of me in a nutshell. Crazy like a fox. As always, get your feet off the ground and reach for the stars. Pain heals, chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever. Go big or go home. Carpe diem. Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it. Life's short, live large.

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - To keep you updated on my fitness, I started at 174 towards the middle of last month, lost 8 lbs by christmas, gained 2 back over New Years (mostly Sparks and Tilt weight) and then lost 2 after I got back. Back at 166. My goal is 160. I think that should be pretty good. It's a fine line for me from being too skinny and being too fat but I think 160-162 is a good weight for me to hover around.

Slowing Down...

So further evidence that I'm getting older is the fact that everything is just that much harder on my body. About a month ago or so I noticed I was starting to pack on the pounds and while I wasn't close to hitting my fat peak when I was 182 lbs, I was at a slightly unsettling 174. I decided I needed to lose some weight immediately and figured 10 pounds this month would be enough. When I was at 182 I was 22 years old and it took me 3 weeks of running a mile every other day to lose 15 lbs. This was only about 3 years ago so I thought it should take about as long to lose 10 lbs. It hasn't. I've only lost 8 lbs and to do that I've not only been running more than a mile just about everyday, but also I changed my diet. I have 2 days left before I leave for DC for new years and hopefully I can lose those pounds.

It's strange to start thinking about my health when it seems like just yesterday when I was in high school eating 3 bags of chips, cookies and a coke for lunch. But I'm getting older and if I don't start doing it now it will only get harder the older I get. Now I have to cut back on carbs, I try and not put salt into anything I cook, I have only been drunk once in the last 2 months and I cut out fast food which turned out to be the hardest thing. I have never really been one to eat a lot of fast food, it's not that great and it extremely bad for you. But as I had pretty much been living in my car and on the road and city to city from August to November I had grown accustomed to getting a regular fix of chicken nuggets and spicy chicken sandwiches. It's been a while since I've had any fast food and while I feel great I find myself craving the aforementioned golden nuggets of pure deliciousness more often that not.













Also as a reminder of my age, I was knocked over playing basketball 2 days ago and my back and ass were sore the entire day yesterday. I had to take 2 Tylenol to not wince every time I moved. It was ridiculous. I have never been so sore from one seemingly innocuous fall. I remember recently feeling the same after a trip to Florida when I got pounded by some waves and I vowed to regain my body of my youth by falling a lot and building up tolerance for it but that's a pretty lame idea. Falling sucks and I don't really want to do it anymore.

Anyways, I'm going to try and get out the few blogs I have been to lazy to write before I take off to DC on Sunday so look for many blogs over the next few days. Go big and stuff..

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - Last year one of my 'resolutions' was to cut out all meat but chicken and seafood. I have done that pretty well. I had a few slip ups when I ate things that I was unaware that had pork in them and also amended the resolution for include turkey. But other than maybe 5 meals I stuck to my convictions and it's pretty awesome. Chicken, even though it's the greatest thing on the planet, is also not that great for you. So for this year I plan on slowly phasing it out. Eating more seafood and less chicken. I am going to try and cut back from eating it pretty much 7 days a week (usually twice a day) to no more than 7 meals a week. It sounds like it's still a lot but if you think about it there's 21 meals a week and I'm only having chicken in 33 percent of those meals. Hopefully I will have about 10 that include various types of seafood and turkey and then at least 4 or 5 that are vegetarian.