Day 3 ....Still kickin

So here we are folks, day 3 and still alive. I feel pretty good, a little soar from the workouts. This is seriously the first time in years that I have worked out, so Im feeling pretty proud of myself. I hope everyone that is reading this decides to workout along with me. We can all use some support when trying to lose weight. My wife Brenda is also joining in on this endeavor, so we both are each others biggest supporters. It's not easy to lose weight, I've done it before and it wasn't easy, but you get used to it. As you keep going you get stronger mentally and physically and you will start to be able to accomplish things in life you never thought possible, all because your confidence and self esteem is boosted. It's well worth the little aches and pains that come along with working out.

So, today I ate pretty much the same as I ate on day 1. The slices of toast in the morning, the sandwich in the afternoon and some chicken tonight for dinner. I can seriously eat those things everyday and not get tired of them. I am different than a lot of people though. I know some people that can't eat the same thing twice in the same week. I don't understand it, but people are strange. Anyways, when trying to lose weight, it becomes even harder to be able to explore all kinds of different foods, because you are trying to watch your intake. Although, there are a million different low fat, low carb, low everything cookbooks on the market with enough recipes inside of them to allow you to eat a different meal everyday for a month. CLICK HERE to find a good cookbook on EBAY.

I did the same exercise routine as I did on day 1, and I am feeling pretty good. My diet has been excellent so far, so I have no feelings of guilt. I am going to continue on this journey of fitness and health because I know I can and because it's time to make a change. Please join me.

Until tomorrow folks. Goodnight.


Get cookbooks at yard sale prices HERE ON EBAY


AND, If you don't like eating sandwiches everyday, but still want a brainless diet...CLICK HERE to try the Medifast Diet. You can get 1 week free, and lose up to 20 Lbs in 30 days.

Tips for Flawless skin, pimple free.

I saw a great article today and I thought I'd share it with everyone. I used to suffer from bad acne when I was younger, and there really wasn't anything good to help clear the face at that time. So, I thought I would share some really good insight on how to keep your skin and face looking great.


We live in a world today, where one's overall appearance has reached a level of ungodly importance. We are constantly looking for new drugs, pills or surgery methods to aid us in boosting our appearance and ultimately our overall self esteem. I think it is a sad reality, but a real one nonetheless. The pressure for kids and adults alike to have beautiful looking features such as hair, eyes, lips, body, and skin has reached new heights and isn't coming down in the least bit. People are paying ridiculous amounts of money for anything they can get their hands on to look younger than their peers or counterparts. The cosmetic and beauty industries are booming, making billions of dollars each year with new chemicals, and solutions that promise the world to consumers. In an age of high advancements and technology, I offer a few natural and easy ways to make sure you look as young and beautiful as you should, without making surgeons and doctors even more rich in the process.

My Tips for flawless skin - zit free

Eat a good amount of fresh vegetables and fruits daily. The more colorful the better. Watch what you eat closely as it plays a big role in your complexion and overall health. Also, try and consume some whole grains and lean meats. Try to avoid too many trans fats, and purchase foods in their most natural, unprocessed form. Need recipe ideas? Here are some fantastic ideas for low carb, low fat meals that are easy to make.

Get at least 7-9 hours sleep every single night. Your body needs to recharge and sleep does wonders for skin complexion. Less sleep leads to more stress, and more stress is very bad for the skin as you may already be aware of. Too many men and women are not sleeping enough, and their skin tells the tale. Also, to prevent wrinkles, sleep on your back (if possible) and use a satin pillow case to prevent creases on the face.

Try to take a Daily multi-vitamin to aid your overall health benefits. Ask your doctor which one is right for you.

Wash your face twice a day. Once in the morning and once before you go to bed. Use a cleanser of some kind, to whatever fits your skin type -- oily, normal or dry-- and in lukewarm water (never hot). Try to remember not to skip a face wash, as this is a very crucial part in keeping your face flawless all the time. It's important in the morning to remove any kind of dirt, oil, make-up or residue that may still be on your face from the night before. Ladies, wash your face before you apply your make-up. This is important and should be carried out everyday. The same can be said for not washing your face before bedtime. Don’t miss this important step either! Remove oils, daily grime (pollutants and toxins) makeup and clogging oils from your face before you rest. Your skin rejuvenates while you sleep! Your face will thank you for keeping it clean.

Try to exercise regularly. Exercise improves circulation through your whole body including the skin on your face. Even walking 3-4 times a week can make a huge difference. Better circulation gets your skin glowing and flawless.


Put limitations on how much you drink alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine can ruin your sleep patterns in turn making it tough to get regular beauty sleep. Stop drinking completely if you are a pimple face, and limit yourself if you have mild acne. This might be the deal breaker for your face. If you do drink alcohol or caffeine, avoid them four hours prior to bedtime if possible.


Try to not get so stressed out, emotional and environmental. Emotional and environmental stresses can destroy the complexion of your skin. Emotional stress produces an elevation in the hormone cortisol. This hormone is unhealthy long-term for your body and skin. Environmental stress like putting yourself through extreme weather conditions, pollutants, chemicals and germs can create major breakouts. Environmental and emotional stressors trigger acne, eczema and shingles, as well as wrinkly skin.

Don't smoke drugs and tobacco. Smoke from cigarettes eliminate vitamin C in your skin, which is needed for maintaining healthy collagen and a smooth, youthful looking complexion. Carbon monoxide combines with hemoglobin (the blood's oxygen carrier) and reduces the blood's capacity for carrying oxygen to the organs and, your skin as well.

Drink Plenty of water. Water is essential for healthy looking skin, and a shortage of water could bring on some major pimples. This tip could be a deal breaker in acne removal, so make sure to drink up.

Keep your hands washed and off your face. Lets admit it, your hands aren't always so clean and touching your face when your hands aren't clean is definite no if you want flawless skin.

Keep what you put inside of your body healthy. As you can tell from reading this article it makes a huge difference in your complexion. Stay out of direct sunlight for long periods of time, and always remember to wash your face twice a day.

You don't have to get surgery to look great, you just have to live a healthy life style, and looking great will be icing on the cake. Don't stress over skin problems, instead try to live a healthier lifestyle in general. It's not just the overweight population that needs a healthy diet anymore. Everybody can benefit from a good diet and exercise.

Thanks for your time.

Other recommended reading on this topic:

To learn more about preventing acne and other skin blemishes, CLICK HERE.

Check eBay for medications

For insanely good deals on ProActive Solution at Ebay, CLICK HERE.

To see the program I used to quit smoking cigarettes a few years ago, CLICK HERE.

Day 2, Cardio.

Tonight is cardio night boys and girls. Let the fun begin. Try not to think of cardio as such a bad thing. Try to have fun while you do it, because if you are pessimistic about the whole ordeal, then you will have that much worse of a bad time. Trust me. After about 2 weeks of doing cardio at my house, I am going to start rotating in days where I go to the racquetball club, and play some ball. Racquetball is probably one of the best ways to burn calories while having a blast. I change my shirt after every game I play because it is always drenched in sweat, always. Even when I was a little skinny guy back in the day, I still could sweat with the best of them. Sweating is one of the best parts of working out. There is something about breaking a good sweat on the racquetball court that I love.

The very first thing I'm going to do tonight is stretch a little bit. Stretch my legs the most because I'm going to be using them the most. My calves will also receive a good stretch. Get nice a limber before jumping on the treadmill.

So like I said in the previous post, the next thing I'm going to do tonight is hop on the ol' treadmill and start a nice walk/jog pace for about 20-25 minutes. Really make sure you get in some good warming up time on the treadmill before we get into the exercises.

To start a 'knee up', put both your hands in the air, then in one motion lift your right knee and touch it with your left elbow immediately followed by your left knee and right elbow. Do this for a good 30-45 seconds.

When 30-45 seconds is up, immediately follow with some running in place. Nothing crazy, just a nice jog/run pace to start with. I know it seems a little "wussy" for me to be running in place, but I find the results to be anything but.

After I run in place for 30 seconds, I immediately go to jump roping. I am going to jump rope at an easy pace. I am not going to try to set the world record for jump roping. I just want to do them good enough to feel a great burn in my whole body. (which I did) The burn felt great and I'm ready To repeat the last two exercises.

When I'm done repeating said exercises I'll throw the rope down and get in a ready position. The 'ready position' (see picture) in this case, is like this: right leg in front of the left leg, knees bent, back straight raise your right leg and do a front kick and bring your leg back to its original spot. Thats 1 rep. Do 30-45 seconds worth of reps.

After I do that, I immediately go into knee thrusts, they are like 'knee ups (see above paragraph) but you start from the ready position when you do Knee thrusts. You would start standing upward doing 'knee ups'. Get the difference? If not, hit me up and I'll give you better details. Ok so, Knee thrusts, they are great. They are like sit-ups standing up. They work nicely.

Next I go to side kick, just like front kicks, except you are kick to the side. Keeping your arms up in the ready position (see picture). When you do sidekicks, focus on really working your side abdominals. They are a great workout for that area. Abs are so incredibly key in racquetball. They stronger the abs, the harder you will hit the ball. I'ts all about abs, legs and back in a racquetball swing. I don't swing with my arm when I play racquetball, my arm just follows as my body whips it around and I snap my wrist at the very end. Thats a full blown racquetball forehand, in a nutshell.

Remember, I am doing these at a very low impact pace. I am not trying to over exert myself in any ways shape or form. I just want to get a nice sweat and get my heart rate going at a pace it hasn't been at in years. That, along with my new eating habits are they keys to helping me lose the most weight.

After I am done repeating the front kicks, knee thrusts and side kicks 3 x, I am ready to stretch it out. Let your body stretch and your heart continue to pump while you stretch, aiding to your losing even more weight. When your heart rate has gone down, and you are done stretching, you are done with cardio for today. Cardio is going to be like this every other day for the next 6 days or so. I will take a day off for rest. Racquetball will also be incorporated into my cardio routine at some point, but right now I'm starting out slowly and doing these exercises mentioned. Well, I am going to get ready for bed. I did have some pretzels, and a banana to snack on as well as ate some rotisserie chicken, same as I had last night. was very delicious. What did you have? Let me know. Comment me if you are actually reading this. I would like to say hello.

See ya tomorrow, bright and early. Later. Feesh

Some good stuff to check out while on your diet:
If you are looking for a low carb, low fat cookbook for some ideas, try the one I use. Click here


Get everything you need to start playing racquetball RIGHT HERE.

Day 2...a little sore this morning.

So, needless to say I was sore as hell this morning. I had forgotten what a workout doing push-ups could be. I'm not going to dwell on my being sore though, because this was the first workout and it's probably going to just get worse over the course of the next two weeks. Oh well. If you are in the same situation as me, you should take some time and stretch it out in the morning. I just did some light stretching as soon as I peeled myself out of bed. It makes you feel a little better, and it gets your heart going early a bit, which is never bad. I had some water after I stretched and I grubbed 2 pieces of toast and a banana for breakfast. I would probably eat more, but I just don't have the biggest appetite in the morning, so I don't fight it too much. I do however make sure I eat something in the morning to 'break the fast' between last nights dinner and todays breakfast. Get it? Alrighty then. For lunch I made myself a sandwich, because they are delicious and they don't ever get old to me. If they don't have the same appeal to you as they have for me, try something else. If however, you can take a little repetitious eating, then by all means join me. I go light on the mayo, and thats about it. Add all the veggies and condiments at your hearts desire. Mind you, don't put a block of cheese, and a stack of bologna on your sandwich. Turkey, a little ham, chicken and so on. You get the drift, just nothing fatty. So thats what I've eaten so far today, and I'm really not hungry at all at the moment. I'm sure when 3 o'clock rolls around at it's usual time, I will start to encounter some hunger issues. Until then I'm good.
Today is cardio day. I will start after work but before I eat dinner. That is just the way I do things. I am going to start by taking a mild jog on my treadmill. I purchased one last year around christmas time on ebay, and unfortunately I am barely starting to get any use out of it. Better late than never I guess. If you don't have a treadmill, I really would recommend you getting one. They are sort of big and bulky, but mind folds up to save space. They make all kinds. Here is a link to Ebays treadmills, they have great deals year around. After I lightly jog for about 20-25 minutes. I am going to do some low impact exercises that are easy to do, but gets your heart-a-pumpin. It will be nice and easy, your soreness will probably subside for a few while your body is pumpin, but probably come back as you cool down. Be aware that being sore is a good thing, and if you feel this way it means you actually succeeded in working yourself out properly. If you don't feel sore, you are a either a finely oiled machine that is way too advanced for this workout, or you didn't do the exercises right or to your maximum potential. If you are on either side of the 'not sore' spectrum, find ways to fix this issue. Ok folks, until tonight.


We are not going to cover abs for a week or so. If you would like to get a jump start on abs, then Click Here and get the ab routine that I will be implementing.

Day 1 workout, not so bad...feeling pretty good.

So at this point I commend anyone who is actually following my routine in any way shape or form. That means that you are somewhat serious about continuing this venture. Before I go into the exercises I did tonight, I just want to let you in on what I ate today. This morning, like I said before, I ate some toast. Just plain rainbow Iron kids bread toast. No butter this morning, just because I wasn't in the mood, but if you like a little tiny tiny tiny bit just for a little flavor, then I guess. I'd really rather you not though. Maybe some low fat, or lite butter or something like that would be better. For a snack at around ten o' clock in the morning, I had a banana and some pretzels. Pretzels are low in fat and can really curb the appetite. For lunch, I had a delicious foot long subway sandwich. I had Turkey and ham on white bread. No oil or vinegar and easy on the Mayo. A perfectly healthy lunch, and I was quite satisfied. I didn't have any chips but every now and again I throw in some baked Lays for a little extra. It doesn't matter. You may just have to workout extra hard that night. So, for dinner I had a rotisserie chicken from the Super Market. They make delicious whole chickens spiced up and ready to eat for like 5 bucks. They are healthy and contain large amounts of protein which is good for you. They also don't have much carbs at all, which is good because we all know Carbs are better consumed in the morning, not so much later. With the chicken I had some pretzels and some vegetables. Thats it. The pretzels have some carbs but I don't care. If I snack on anything from now until I go to bed, it will be some more chicken or nothing at all.

My exercises. I did a quick 30 minute long workout with my resistance bands.
Round 1.

*Please do these exercises at your own risk. If you're smart enough to get on this website, you're smart enough to know whether you can handle an exercise or not. Use common sense here folks, if you feel faint or dizzy, then please stop. Get some water, and take a long walk or something.

Stretch. If you don't know how to stretch, I would consider looking it up online. For all of you that were born on this planet, let continue. Stretch nice and long. Don't be rushed. Feel a nice burn. Stretch your legs real good as well as your arms. If you people absolutely need a picture on how to do this, email me and I will literally send you a picture example of me or my wife doing the exercise as soon as possible.

Next exercise Push-ups (standard). I started with some push-ups. Easy one's, nothing crazy. 8-10 of them to start (because I'm way out of shape) Start with at the push-up position - go down slowly touch your chest to the ground and slowly come back up. It's a very deliberate motion. No 'herky jerky' movements going on. These are standard push-ups. Place your hands about 6 inches wider than your shoulders when doing these. Breathe out on the way up, and in on the way down on these.

Next exercise Back flies. I grab my resistance band, I grab both ends with my hands, I twist the band to make it a shorter motion. I step on the loop and I do back fly's. Back flies are easy. You bend the legs a little bit, hold the handles with your palms facing each other and pull back to utilize your shoulder blade. Really try and feel your shoulder blade pulling the resistance, and doing all the work. It's important that you get maximum resistance on your back. Pull back, hold it for about a second then slowly bring your hands back to start. Your going to stand with one leg slightly in front of the other on this exercise. Remember to keep your legs bent and your back straight on this exercise. Breathe out on the way up and in on the way out on these. Do 8-10 of these, whatever you feel comfortable with.

Next Exercise shoulder flies. Stand holding the to handles. Stand on the cable that is on the ground. Position your arms so that they are parallel to the ground, and life up till your wrists are even with your shoulders, hold it for one second, and bring your arms back down. You may have to twist the resistance cable and stand on the loop to get good resistance on this exercise. You be the judge of that. Keep your head up and your back straight on all of these exercises. Do 8-10 like I did. You'll start feeling good soon.

Next are standard curls. Step on the cable with both feet. Grab the two ends with each hand, and do your standard curl motion. Working your bicep muscles and isolating them as much as possible. You want to go ALL THE WAY UP, AND ALL THE WAY DOWN when you do this exercise. No herky Jerky motions, your body should stay completely still when doing these. The more your body moves, the less isolation on your muscle, leaving you to remain a weak sauce. Like the tortoise and the Hair taught us long ago "Slow and steady wins the race". They were exactly right on the money. The slower you do these exercises, the more you'll get out of them. Don't rush, you have to do them correctly to see any kind of result. So, if you're confused..email me now, I'll send you a picture or a movie of me doing them. Not hard though.

Next exercise are One arm kick backs. These are a triceps exercise. All you do is throw one end of the cable on the ground, hold one end in your right hand hold the cable palm facing up right by your ear and elbow bent in front of your face. In this position, you now raise the handle up using your triceps muscle to do this, hold for a tick, and bring it back down. 8-10 times. Do them slowly and correctly.

Next Exercise, Lunges. Lunges are easy stand straight up, arm at your sides. Take a big step with your left foot right in front of you, and stand back up where your left foot left off. Turn around and repeat with right leg. Easy. Simple. Lunges are tried and true and really really work your legs if you do them correctly. None of these work if you don't do them right. It's difficult to just describe these exercises to you, and the internet just isn't that cool, so like I said before I would have to send them to you via email, so get at me.

When you are done with your lunges, take a 30 second water a towel break and then repeat all of the steps 2 more times. Don't kill yourself doing these...It's day 1. If you can't picture the exercise in your head, don't make up an exercise, write me and tell me to clarify. All right. When you done with all 3 circuits, stretch again for another several minutes, then your done. For today. It was so so easy wasn't it. No brainer stuff.

Well kids, its time for me to say goodnight. I'll see ya in the morning.

Feesh Out.

Getting back into Racquetball. "Tricks and Secrets"

So, I've decided to start writing a weekly article on Tricks and Secrets to winning racquetball. I figured since I played for so long and at such a high level, might as well share some of this tips I learned along the way. So, I will be posting those articles on this site as well, so that you all can benefit from the tips as well as the article readers. I will also link the article for you so that you can read those if that what you so desire. So here's the first lesson called "The down the line shot"...If you (my readers) have any questions on any of these lessons, feel free to comment me and I will address your issue. Thanks,


Drilling the 'Down the line shot'

Drilling or 'practicing' different racquetball shots and variations of those shots is a crucial part of becoming a great racquetball player. Knowing what to drill and how to drill is so important for beginners that are trying to succeed in racquetball. Remember, Practice alone doesn't make perfect. Rather, Perfect Practice makes perfect. Write that down. Ingrain that quote in your mind. I am going to now tell you one of the most basic fundamental 'shots' in racquetball in this lesson, and later lessons cover more advanced shots.

The Down the line shot
When I was competing at a high level, I would practice this shot first of all my drills. This shot is one of the best and most important shots in the game. (you can screen legally) This shot when done correctly is virtually 'un-gettable'.

To practice this shot, first go stand on the first solid line in the court.(the one closest to the front wall)Face the sidewall square to assume the correct racquetball swinging stance. Next, stand an arm and racquets distance away from your forehand sidewall wall. Hold the racquet up ready to swing with your racquet hand, and hold the racquetball in your other hand. Now, gently underhand toss the ball in front of you so that you have to take a step into it to hit it. Don't swing until the ball is in between your ankle and your knee. Strike the ball flat with your racquet so it hits the ball no more than 5 inches above the ground at the front wall. The ball should return off the front wall and bounce AT LEAST two to three times before crossing the first solid line. Do this drill and the first solid line, the middle solid line, the dotted line, and the back wall 50x's forehand and 50x's backhand. That is called a 'down the line kill shot'. Remember, you don't have to hit the ball hard. Try these drills first with a nice easy swing and a nice follow through. I will cover how to hit the ball hard in later lessons.

Once you have mastered this shot, try it from other spots on the court. Start playing around with different angles and shots to experiment different shot types. Racquetball is a very geometrical game, and knowing where the ball is going to end up is key in winning. The 'Down the line' shot is the 'foundation' swing for every forehand shot in Racquetball. The backhand shot is quite different but the technique behind the swing stays the same. Don't use your arm to swing the racquet. It is all about hips, legs, abs, back and wrist snap. If you can practice enough to acquire some of these qualities then you are on your way to becoming a great competitor. Your forehand swing should become second nature to you, and you should be able to utilize the same swing from anywhere on the racquetball court.

I used to hit 50 of these perfectly before I would move on to the next drill. If you mess up at all before you hit 50, start back at 1. It's tough, but it will give you a flawless 'down the line shot' on both forehand and backhand.

Note: If your backhand is weak, drill it more strictly. Allow fewer mistakes to train it.

Lesson #2 will be 'the pass shot'

Click here if you are looking for racquetball gear. It's where I get all of my Racquetball stuff

The time has arrived....Day 1

So, I had 2 pieces of toast this morning with some water. Thats right I ate bread and water for breakfast. ) It was actually wheat bread and it was tasty. I don't usually add anything to the bread I just toast it. I have been known to put a little tiny bit of margarine on it, but thats it. If you can get some low calorie bread you can have more than just two slices, maybe 3 or 4. I have no intentions on starving myself on this diet. I am going to eat every meal, and snacks in between, because if I didn't I wouldn't lose weight. It's plain fact. Too many people starve themselves thinking they are going to 'lose hella weight' quickly. Contrary to that belief they are actually setting themselves up to fail because as soon as they cheat or fold the pounds are going to come back 10 fold. Take my word on this, because it has happened to me. Anyways, I am going to Subway for lunch and I'm going to have a Turkey and Ham foot longer. Light on mayo, and no oil and vinegar. Everything else is cool to grub on. I'm not getting chips, instead going to have some pretzels to curve that craving. Day 1 of any diet usually sucks. Actually the first 2 weeks are going to be real bad. You are going to want to give up. You are going to want to cheat and eat some Christmas goodies. I would advise not to. I am not going to. So, you shouldn't either. Later, today I am going to describe the exercises I am going to be doing tonight when I get home from work. They are going to be real easy at first. It's going to be low impact just getting started, nothing crazy. We wont be doing anything you haven't done when you were in P.E. in high school. This should really be a breeze even for an impatient Fat guy like myself. Alright Folks. I will plug in some more later. Mean while, it is DAY 1 so stick with me.

Tomorrow is the 1st day of our lives people.

So, tomorrow is the day my friends. That dreaded day is upon tonight at midnight. Get all that pizze, pasta, McDonalds, all that nasty garbage stuffed into your face tonight because tomorrow those things will not be on the menu. Tomorrow I am going to post what type of exercise I am going to do, as well as the food I am going to consume. I have done this before, and it's going to work people. You just have to have a tiny tiny microscopic bit of will power. That's it. Goal attained. It's not as hard as people say, although there are going to be some crappy moments in the first week when you'd rather just pork on a burger or a slice of P. (pizza) So, eat up. Glutton yourselves. Eat a bag of Oreos in a bowl of milk. Put Mayonnaise on your pizza, Add Sour cream to your Rocky Road, because this is your last night of flatulence. Tomorrow I am going to be writing sometime in the morning. I'll let you guys in on what I'm going to be doing as far as that goes. We are going to start out with a circuit routine that I used to do in my racquetball days. Good stuff here. I hope you've picked up your resistance bands and dumbbells also, as we are going to need them tomorrow (the first day). Tuesday (the second day) we wont need these items, as it's official cardio day, and we will just be doing aerobic exercise. If you don't know what aerobic exercise is....look it up. Research this word, you are on the internet after all. Laziness is no longer accepted here. Now, go out and do the damn. I'll check back in tomorrow folks. Later.

If you are looking for a low carb, low fat cookbook for some ideas, try the one I use. Click here

2006 US Open - Jason Mannino vs. Jack Huczek (Game 5, pt 1)

2006 US Open - Jason Mannino vs. Jack Huczek (Game 4, pt 1)

2006 US Open - Jason Mannino vs. Jack Huczek (Game 3, pt 2)

2006 US Open - Jason Mannino vs. Jack Huczek (Game 2, pt 2)

As you can see, these men are in fantastic shape. They have cat like reflexes and their stamina is that of a horse. These guys are unbelievable athletes, and should respected as such. This is the kind of shape we are going to be in at the end of our journey.

2006 US Open - Jason Mannino vs. Jack Huczek (Game 1, pt 2)

Here is the first game of a classic Racquetball battle.

Get everything you need to start playing racquetball RIGHT HERE.

Eye Protection, glove for grip, and a decent racquet are key to getting started.

Pep Talk.

So, I sort of lagged yesterday on a few things, but all in all it was a fine day. I am looking forward to starting said 'journey' of losing weight with whoever is down to join me. Right now, its just my girlfriend who is down. What a damn shame. Monday, I am going to be posting the first days workout routine. It will include exercises pertaining to the resistance bands and or dumbbells, whichever you choose to use. Now, unfortunately I am going to have to describe these exercises to you to the best of my ability so that you can do these exercises correctly and you don't have to wake up with back pain the next morning. I'm sure if you absolutely have to see an example of how I do it, I can make a little video or picture for you. No biggie, just let me know. I will also try my hardest to post what I eat every single day of the week, so that you can copy me or not cope me, or make fun of me etc. I dont care. My diet is going to be relatively repetitive as far as what I eat on a weekly basis. Let me just for warn, a lot of sandwiches will be consumed on this diet. Sandwich galore, if you will. Fear not. Because you will learn to love said sandwiches for they are worth their weight in gold. Ok so; I hope everyone that might be reading this has given up Soda, candy and all that other junk we've talked about, right? Alright. In the mean time start walking around briskly here and there. Do something, move around. Shoot some hoops, ride a bike play with your kid....Whatever you want. Just don't sit on your ass all day. I'm just sayin. Fecious Outro.

Jason Mannino and Cliff Swain US Open 2006

Here is an example of how to play Racquetball the right way. These guys are in tip-top shape and have to stay that way year round. This is the type of shape we will be in at the end of our stint. Enjoy.

What Im 'sporting' for the journey.

I will be sporting your basic athletic clothing. No special type attire is necessary for the low impact workout we will be starting. Like I said before, you have enough space in your living room to to the workouts we are going to be doing so there is no need to plan on putting on your parka and beenie just yet. When we start adding some cardio like running, jump rope etc., later then heavier clothes will be needed. Right now, we are basically just going to be moving around and getting used to the different exercises and concentrating on doing them correctly. So, if you don't have the necessary equipment needed to start this venture, by all means get out there and get this stuff. Fecious, out.

I get all my work out gear and clothing at eBay, and so should you.

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Choose your weapon.

So I have come to the conclusion that the quickest and most efficient way to shed those tough first few pounds, is to incorporate the resistance band, and or some light weight dumbbells. They are both relatively inexpensive but can melt those pounds 'like butta'. So, I am obviously going to have to give you an example of a workout using these tools. I have a 'circuit' regimen that I used to use back in the day when I played competitive racquetball tournaments. It incorporates legs, biceps, chest, back, triceps and stretching. You can do all of these exercises from the comfort of your own living room and it should only take about 25-30 mins to complete said workout. So, before you decide you don't want to join me on this realize that it's really not all that hardcore to start with. I will be giving you step by step instructions on how exactly to perform these exercises in order to get best results. Also, I will be posting what exactly I am eating every single day, so that you can mimic my results. Mind you, I am not going to take any supplements right away, just a daily vitamin to start with. I dont want to get all crazy right away. I plan on fully committing to this plan, and whoever is down to join me, I would LOVE for you to comment me and I will help you through the entire process. I have done this before from scratch, and I fully intend on doing it again, but helping others along the way. We are not only going to improve ourselves physically, but mentally as well. We are going to practive having patience when it comes to 'instant gratification' and hunger pangs. I plan on starting this journey on Monday the 3rd of December. There will be no looking back from that point. I have already started saying no to many junk foods across the board. On this diet there will be no Fast food, No soda (or diet soda) and a little sugar. I am not going to tell you to starve yourself, or to not eat with the family at holiday. I am going to urge you to watch your portion size on these days. This is a time when eating becomes a social 'fun' thing to do, and not a way to energize your body. Be careful around this time of year as its known for being a time of 'porking'. This is Fecious, signing off.

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What's this got to do with me?

Well, because of the fact that I don't actually posses the ability to be patient I thought this was a quality first post for me. My impatience has actually been my downfall as to why I'm a little overweight these days. I need instant gratification, and If I can't have that then why the hell am I doing this shit? That has been my attitude for exercise, work, and pretty much any situation you can think of where patience is a virtue. I used to play very competitive racquetball or 'tennis is a room' as most people know it. I was in great shape. I could literally play eleven or twelve games of R-ball before I started to show fatigue. I was a savage back in the day though. Today is a much different scenario. I am going to have to start from scratch again. Something my patience doesn't really want to allow me to do, but Im going to do it anyway. I am going to record this journey via the internet via this blog. I am going to prove myself wrong, fat guys can have patience, even when pre-genetically chosen to be impatient. This is not all I am going to record though. There is so much more that I have to share beyond my shallow dreams of being in good physical shape again. I am going to have to convince you that I am also back in good mental shape again. I'll will be updating this blog to enlighten you all and hopefully give you an understanding on how to start from scratch with life. How to overcome life's obstacles even when you already think it's too late. I am Fecious. Follow my lead and keep your eye and mind on what matters most in life, which hopefully we can agree are family and friends, health...etc.

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Do you have Patience?

Patience

This is a trait that comes into play in developing any 14 Focal Points of Success.

You've heard the more common sayings regarding patience: Patience is a virtue; All things come to those who wait; To everything there is a season . . . But lets take a look at a few that expand upon this theme. Get inspired, if you will.

How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? ~William Shakespeare, Othello, 1604

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. ~Chinese Proverb

Patience is also a form of action. ~Auguste Rodin

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. ~John Quincy Adams

Patience is the companion of wisdom. ~St. Augustine

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience. ~George-Louis de Buffon

We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world. ~Helen Keller

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones

Just the other day I was talking to a friend about success and the importance of perseverance or patience. Remember, success here means a particular mindset not what’s in your bank account. Many have been successful" but have lacked money or seen it come and go. Many have also struggled for some time before finding success. And this lengthy struggle is the key reason a great majority don’t succeed. It's the difficulties that cause problems. Many even get motivated but never get going, never mind keep going through the struggles. After the euphoria of the motivational seminar, workshop, coaching session, reading / viewing of inspiring books and tapes have worn off, what remains is you . Not that you shouldn’t get help from family, friends, peers, and gurus, but it is mostly up to you to keep yourself going (see focal point #3: Self-reliance).

Lets hear what the definitive expert on success, perseverance and patience has to say:

I discovered, from the analysis of over 25,000 people, that men who succeed in an outstanding way, seldom do so before the age of forty, and more often they do not strike their real pace until they a re well beyond the age of fifty" (emphasis added) (Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich).

The key phrase here is outstanding way"--not just men who succeeded but did so to a great degree. Now, this may have happened for a couple of reasons. One, they succeeded to a great degree because that was their main desire (and we know that desire, planning, focus, and specific outcomes or goals are necessary for outstanding success rarely does it just happen); two, they succeeded to a great degree because of the hard earned experience (read, failures) and understanding they garnered along the way (read, patience). Remember, you can have a lot of experience, but if you don’t learn from it, you've wasted a lot of good opportunities.

But another point to consider is that those who succeed greatly are oftentimes calculated risk takers, and they are also of the happily unemployable subset, meaning that their goal is so entrenched in them that they don’t have any backup plan." To risk one must have patience. Risk takers are committed to the point that they will work through financial, emotional, social, and other deficiencies to obtain their goal. They have burned their bridges and see no alternative except the prize they’ve got their eye on. And the how" is often not know but discovered along the way. Many have tried again and again (Abraham Lincoln failed in business twice and failed to get elected eight times) before meeting success. And those who achieved greatly were not afraid to fail greatly.

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."-- Robert F. Kennedy

Here's some additional quotes that will hopefully inspire you with persistence and patience.

"Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours."-- Dale Carnegie

"The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them."-- Jim Rohn

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes."-- Oscar Wilde

"There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go."-- Richard Bach

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."-- John Quincy Adams

"The reward of suffering is experience." Aeschylus

"There's only one thing that can guarantee our failure, and that's if we quit."-- Craig Breedlove

"Great minds have purposes; little minds have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; great minds rise above them."-- Washington Irving

"Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward."-- Henry Ford (emphasis added)

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity."-- Louis Pasteur

That’s quite a few quotes so let me summarize for you: to achieve great things is to risk great failure; true happiness never lies in staying within your comfort zone; failure is an option, its the best way to learn and we were put here to fail . . . and learn; failure is a part of the equation, learn from it; failure doesn’t mean quit, it means observe carefully your failures, learn and grow; if you don’t get out of your comfort zone you will remain small in mind, character, and effectiveness in helping others; it is not fear that is the problem but your lack of desire to embrace it and defeat it.

Let's get back specifically to patience. And if you know of patience, its purpose, how to manage it, use it to the best of your ability and understanding, as you continue to grow and use it, you will develop all that you have been looking for: inner strength, self-confidence, self-esteem, character, and attract people to you who will be inspired and guided by your inner goodness and greatness.

But be careful, if you don't have patience, life may force it upon you. Many feel that it is these situations that present us the best learning opportunities. Marc Lerner (interesting last name) is one of these people.

Lerner is a man who contracted multiple sclerosis and because of the disease was inspired to create an info-marketing business to help others with their personal difficulties. He helps veterans with post-traumatic syndrome, cancer and AIDS patients, the mentally ill homeless. Because of Lerner’s difficulty with poor vision, memory problems, and other handicaps, he feels that he has been on a journey that has taught [him] incredible lessons." And instead of being soured on life, he took a positive approach, slowed down, examined his situation and became empowered. You can read more about him and his program at Life Skills Inc. (lifeskillsinc.com).

I have known of others who have contracted serious diseases and gone back to simplifying their lives, reconnecting with passions and hobbies that spoke to these people of their much greater significance only after being slowed down by the disease.

I know a busy and successful woman who upon contracting cancer said, I dont have time for this." Her lack of understanding of what she has to learn from life may be the sole reason for her having to slow down."

Time and time and time again, I have seen people slowed down not only by disease but by divorce, disaster, unemployment, and so on, only to come to a greater understanding of priority and purpose. What is most important and why they are here.

Patience allows us to be as the Zen Buddhist who sees through the insignificant to that of the significant and eternal beyond. It is the conundrums, puzzles, even jokes, that the Zen Buddhist uses to look beyond the conventional to the truth of greater significance and longer lasting purpose. His main ally being patience.

If you find that you are stressed, impatient, unhappy, sad, remorseful, negative, shouting, cursing, complaining, finding only and solely the bad in life, you, my friend, need to sit and listen. Take the time to listen to the answers that are aching to come out to you, so powerful and necessary that they manifest themselves painfully if ignored, asking for release to greater understanding, peace and purpose.

In this world that has forgotten its humanity and depth of character as it wades beneath the din, the shouts of the huckster and his message of want, you must look to the peace within moments of patience to the answers brimming to come forth, those that if ignored, may take your life for lack of release.

Don't be one of those who has to be struck down in order to listen. I know. I have been there and back. I have been there and back. Listen now. Create the time for calm and peace. Embrace patience and listen to what you can learn.

Article by: Jeffery P. Brown.