Questions and Answers

It has been a good week, lots of bike and eating the correct food! I will tell you that I am looking forward to ending the first 30 days of my eating plan. I cut out all grains for the first 30 days to help my body get in the mode of burning fat for energy. It also was a very restricted carb time - only certain fruits and veggies. Now I will start to reintroduce these back into my diet - in the right amounts!!

I have been receiving a ton of emails and comments asking questions about "My Plan." So, I will take a few moments and try to answer them. But first, let me make it very clear that I am not an expert in weight loss or nutrition. "My Plan" is just that - "My Plan!" If you are interested in getting started, you need to develop "Your Plan." Talk to your doctor and then with a trainer and/or nutritionist to determine what will work best for your body.

OK, disclaimer out of the way....lets move on.....

Question: What diet are you doing?
Answer: Short answer - South Beach. Longer answer - I'm not just dieting, this is a "lifestyle change." I'm not thinking about what happens when I get back to eating normal....this IS normal eating. What I was doing before was not normal. In my body, carbs turn into instant sugar and then (if not used for energy) fat. So, for me, I need to eat carbs that take the body longer to digest - high fiber, multi-grain breads and foods that provide carbs and protein together like nuts (mmmmm...cashews).

A quick note: Take a few days and learn how food works in your body. Don't just start eating some plan someone puts in front of you but find out WHY this plan should work. When the low-carb craze began a few years back, I took some time to find out how foods are processed by these amazing God-created machines. It really helped me understand WHY I should (or shouldn't) eat some foods.

Q: What exercises are you doing?
A: Right now, I am just doing the bike for 15 minutes per day. I will be starting some mild strength training in the next couple of week (or as soon as I sit down to watch the DVD that shows me how to work the big, rubber bands I will be using). Jimmy Page ("Fitness Guru") says that you just need to get moving, especially if you are like me and lead a fairly sedentary life.

Q: Does your wife get up with you?
A: ......(sorry, can't catch my breath from laughing so hard!)....No. Seriously, Stacey has had to deal with her husband getting up in the middle of the night for almost 20 years. She has learned to sleep through it all and unless she wanted to get up, I would never ask her. She has a full day in front of her (homeschooling, work, etc.), so she needs her rest!

Q: Have you had to give up anything to start this plan?
A: I guess it depends on how you look at it. I have had to make sure I am in bed earlier to be able to get up an hour earlier to workout. That has meant that some TV shows have cut out (not a big loss) but also some time to be with Stacey. On the other hand, my energy level has increased which means when we are together - I am there - not in a carb-fueled coma.

Q: How can I find out more about getting healthy and/or contact Jimmy Page?
A: Check the side on the blog and you will see the "Places to Visit" section. Click on the link to Jimmy's FCA website and you can subscribe to their FREE Online Wellness Magazine, Weekly Exercise Program, and Weekly Fit Tips! You can also, email Jimmy at jpage@fca.org.

As always, thanks so much for your encouragement! I feel your prayers when I don't want to pedal one more turn. Weigh-in tomorrow!

Talk to you then,

Mike