I could use a little help with a friend who’s in a fair amount of distress and doesn’t know where to turn….and I know that you, as being part of the greatest audience in the world, would be only too glad to help!
I like to think I have the words to inspire people to do more about their physical appearance and mental outlook….but there are times when those challenges are quite daunting, even for little ol’ me, and this is one of them!
Here’s the deal…..I have a friend named Carlo. Nice guy. I met him years ago when I worked at the New York Country station. At the time, he was a broadcasting student taking a class that a friend of mine was teaching. Carlo and I bonded right away, both of being of a working class Italian background. At the time, Carlo weighted around 500lbs. He’d probably tell you he rivaled the guy who played JoJo the Whale in the movie “A Bronx Tale”.
Anyway, since that time, Carlo lost 300 of those pounds…mainly with the help of some gastric bypass…but also through modifying his diet and some exercise.
Since that time, he’s taken up stand up comedy and has a nice little thing going for himself. What is not working out for him right now is his love life! The other day he called me to tell me that he’s at wits end trying to deal with the flab that he’s accumulated from the weight loss….and it’s because of that that he feels as though he looks like a “sharpee” when he’s undressed. I guess he’s had a few ladies recoil in horror at the sight of that! What to do short of putting a bag over their heads?
That’s where you come in.
I could tell him that he’d need to work on firming up whatever flab he’s got around his waist with sit ups and crunches…and I’m sure you’d agree that he needs to continue exercising. But I’m sure there has to be a medical component in working out his situation as well.
As I’ve so often said, whatever you can offer by way of suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
If you’d like to reach out to him personally, I’ll give you his myspace address:
It’s http://www.myspace.com/clemenzascafe
As always, thanks for taking the time to read this. I’ll give you my own progress report in the next blog.
Ray
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
What's the point.........
Yesterday you may have heard both Casey and me talking about how hard it was to get out of bed in the morning, and Casey saying to himself something like, "....what's the point?"
Funny stuff.....yet it rang true for me, and I'm sure may have even rung true for you too!
In one way or another, I've said the same thing to myself just about every morning.
Not counting the fact that we all have to get out of bed and either work, or get the kids off, or whatever it is that you do in any given day......here's the point of getting out of bed and either hitting the gym, or doing whatever you do to exercise.
You're giving thanks.
Oh, I know.....you don't want me to get all spiritual on you, but it's true!
My grandmother used to say in Italian something like, "....as long as I can get out of bed in the morning...", or in other words, when I get out of bed, I'm ahead of the game.
You're giving thanks, despite whatever ailments you have, despite whatever your head is telling you about wanting to stay in bed a little longer....you're giving thanks for being housed in the body you have.
I've shared with you the fact that I don't think mine is perfect....not by a long shot. I have the love handles to work on.....not to mention the "man boobs"....and still have to work around the "polio leg". But I do appreciate what I have, and the work that I've done so far to get to where I am. In fact, as of this morning, the scale at Elite says 181. So the goal is very much in sight!
I give thanks that I'm able to see how destructive taking your good health can be. I saw that in my dad, who died at the age of 70, ravaged by diabetes that he never took care of. I saw how it caused him to loose toes.....how his circulation practically shut down....how he could barely walk; and I made a promise to myself that I would never let myself get that way. Believe it or not, he really was a healthy man, but all the bad habits he'd allowed himself throughout his life eventually took their toll. I know he could have lived past 80 if he really made the effort. But he took his good health for granted.
I can't afford to take mine for granted. As it is, my cholestoral runs high, and I need to stay on top of that daily. You, like me, can't afford the luxury of taking for granted whatever good health you have, whatever good health God, genetics, divine providence, or whatever you want to call it, has given you.
Give thanks for what you have......or in the words of William DeVaughn in that 1974 soul classic...Be Thankful for what You Got......(though you may not drive a great big Cadillac, blah , blah, blah.)
So the next time you feel like telling yourself, "...what's the point?".....just remember, the point is to be thankful that you have what you do, and work from there.
Thanks for reading this, for sharing some of your stories with me, and for your continued encouragement!
Ray
Funny stuff.....yet it rang true for me, and I'm sure may have even rung true for you too!
In one way or another, I've said the same thing to myself just about every morning.
Not counting the fact that we all have to get out of bed and either work, or get the kids off, or whatever it is that you do in any given day......here's the point of getting out of bed and either hitting the gym, or doing whatever you do to exercise.
You're giving thanks.
Oh, I know.....you don't want me to get all spiritual on you, but it's true!
My grandmother used to say in Italian something like, "....as long as I can get out of bed in the morning...", or in other words, when I get out of bed, I'm ahead of the game.
You're giving thanks, despite whatever ailments you have, despite whatever your head is telling you about wanting to stay in bed a little longer....you're giving thanks for being housed in the body you have.
I've shared with you the fact that I don't think mine is perfect....not by a long shot. I have the love handles to work on.....not to mention the "man boobs"....and still have to work around the "polio leg". But I do appreciate what I have, and the work that I've done so far to get to where I am. In fact, as of this morning, the scale at Elite says 181. So the goal is very much in sight!
I give thanks that I'm able to see how destructive taking your good health can be. I saw that in my dad, who died at the age of 70, ravaged by diabetes that he never took care of. I saw how it caused him to loose toes.....how his circulation practically shut down....how he could barely walk; and I made a promise to myself that I would never let myself get that way. Believe it or not, he really was a healthy man, but all the bad habits he'd allowed himself throughout his life eventually took their toll. I know he could have lived past 80 if he really made the effort. But he took his good health for granted.
I can't afford to take mine for granted. As it is, my cholestoral runs high, and I need to stay on top of that daily. You, like me, can't afford the luxury of taking for granted whatever good health you have, whatever good health God, genetics, divine providence, or whatever you want to call it, has given you.
Give thanks for what you have......or in the words of William DeVaughn in that 1974 soul classic...Be Thankful for what You Got......(though you may not drive a great big Cadillac, blah , blah, blah.)
So the next time you feel like telling yourself, "...what's the point?".....just remember, the point is to be thankful that you have what you do, and work from there.
Thanks for reading this, for sharing some of your stories with me, and for your continued encouragement!
Ray
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Man boobs, bahnz' a nahnz', and Beach Haven
For an "alter kacher" like me, which is to say, a guy over 50, the persistent problem I have to have to deal with is my man boobs and something I like to call "bahnz ah nahnz".....translated literally from the Neopolitan dialect as "stomach in front".
Oh how to get rid of it.......not an easy task! Maybe it's just easier to live with what I've already accomplished and own the fact that, in these 2 areas, genetics work against me.
Nah......too easy an out!
So, to that end, diet plays an important role. Outside of my one "cheat day", which was yesterday at Beach Haven on the Jersey Shore (which I'll tell you about in a little bit).....I've been sticking to the following regimen:
Muscle Milk protein shake after my morning workout (consisting of blueberries, a banana, some nonfat yogurt, and skim milk.
The rest of the shake at 11 AM.
Lunch is whatever my wife made the night before....broken up into 2 meals.....one at 1:30, and the other at 4.....and then dinner at 8. We keep the simple carbs like bread and sugar out, and add as side dishes vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and spinach. Occasionally I'll have a glass of red wine with dinner. As of this morning, my weight is at 182.
Now for the Beach Haven part of the show.
There is an incriminating video that'll verify this.....when my sister sends it to me, I'll post it.
I will say this......even if you have "performance anxiety", you can turn into a Pavarotti just by having one of these sundaes. Well worth the trip!
Note to Diane:
Sounds to me like you've worked out a very manageable plan for yourself. Here's what's going to set you back....and it's a problem we all have to a degree........eating late! I try not to eat past 8PM but my hour are such that most nights we go to 8:30 or 9. I'm not happy with that, but it is what it is! What I try and do is supplement with some fruit later on to pick on, instead of cookies or ice cream. That's where you'll see a difference...at least I think so.
Note to Brian,
Thanks for the kind offer......we'll hook up this coming Friday and see how it all goes.
Note to the chervinators:
Both of you have always been most encouraging.....I really do appreciate all the kind words and suggestions you've given me. It's because of guys like you that I write this, and make every attempt to stay true to it.
Oh how to get rid of it.......not an easy task! Maybe it's just easier to live with what I've already accomplished and own the fact that, in these 2 areas, genetics work against me.
Nah......too easy an out!
So, to that end, diet plays an important role. Outside of my one "cheat day", which was yesterday at Beach Haven on the Jersey Shore (which I'll tell you about in a little bit).....I've been sticking to the following regimen:
Muscle Milk protein shake after my morning workout (consisting of blueberries, a banana, some nonfat yogurt, and skim milk.
The rest of the shake at 11 AM.
Lunch is whatever my wife made the night before....broken up into 2 meals.....one at 1:30, and the other at 4.....and then dinner at 8. We keep the simple carbs like bread and sugar out, and add as side dishes vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and spinach. Occasionally I'll have a glass of red wine with dinner. As of this morning, my weight is at 182.
Now for the Beach Haven part of the show.
Outside of the dangerous undertow at the shore yesterday....we had a blast! A couple of margaritas at the tiki bar...and a stop at a place called Show Time for ice cream made it a fine day. I had the "Music Man" sundae.......fudge, walnuts, whipped cream, lots of vanilla ice cream, and peanut butter to boot! What makes this place a trip is not just the sundae, but what you have to do once you've ordered it and start schiaffing it down! You have to sing about it at the waiter's prodding. We had a kid named Walter be our server. He dimed me out and had me sing a parody of "Macho Man" by the Village People, with the lyrics, ".....music, music, music man....I gotta have my music man."
There is an incriminating video that'll verify this.....when my sister sends it to me, I'll post it.
I will say this......even if you have "performance anxiety", you can turn into a Pavarotti just by having one of these sundaes. Well worth the trip!
Note to Diane:
Sounds to me like you've worked out a very manageable plan for yourself. Here's what's going to set you back....and it's a problem we all have to a degree........eating late! I try not to eat past 8PM but my hour are such that most nights we go to 8:30 or 9. I'm not happy with that, but it is what it is! What I try and do is supplement with some fruit later on to pick on, instead of cookies or ice cream. That's where you'll see a difference...at least I think so.
Note to Brian,
Thanks for the kind offer......we'll hook up this coming Friday and see how it all goes.
Note to the chervinators:
Both of you have always been most encouraging.....I really do appreciate all the kind words and suggestions you've given me. It's because of guys like you that I write this, and make every attempt to stay true to it.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The numbers don't lie.....
....and the numbers are (as of 7/9/08)
weight: 185
body fat: 22 per cent
The goal for the next 3 months is to get the weight down to 175 and the body fat percentage to roughly 15 to 16 percent.
To accomplish this by October 9th, here's my plan:
Workout 5 to 6 days a week, a different muscle group every day, and cardio for 30 minutes every other day. For instance, Monday I boxed with Chris at Elite for approximately a half hour; then did chest and back. Yesterday I did abs and arms with Brian at LA Boxing....no cardio. Today back at Elite with Chris for shoulders and some abs, plus 30 minutes on the elliptical. I also had him take the measurements you see above, and gave him what I thought would be a reasonable timeframe to accomplish the goals.
The other part of it, and it's not easy by a longshot, is diet.
Mornings consist of a cup of black coffee before the workout....and a protein shake after the workout. Midmorning I'll finish off what's left of the shake.
Lunch usually consists of whatever we had the night before...minus the carbs. For instance, the other night we had stuffed peppers....so I'll have some before airtime, and eat the rest at around 4 or so. My wife makes them with some chopped meat, a little sauce and some rice.
And since today is Wednesday, right after the show we'll go ballroom dancing for an hour, after which we'll have dinner. I think now would be a good time to order the fruit platter.
As I've mentioned before, we'll see how it goes. So far I've seen a bit more definition....and my libido certainly hasn't suffered. Trust me.......if there's one great side benefit to all of this, it's the libido aspect.
Let me know how it all goes on your end, and feel free to post your suggestions.
weight: 185
body fat: 22 per cent
The goal for the next 3 months is to get the weight down to 175 and the body fat percentage to roughly 15 to 16 percent.
To accomplish this by October 9th, here's my plan:
Workout 5 to 6 days a week, a different muscle group every day, and cardio for 30 minutes every other day. For instance, Monday I boxed with Chris at Elite for approximately a half hour; then did chest and back. Yesterday I did abs and arms with Brian at LA Boxing....no cardio. Today back at Elite with Chris for shoulders and some abs, plus 30 minutes on the elliptical. I also had him take the measurements you see above, and gave him what I thought would be a reasonable timeframe to accomplish the goals.
The other part of it, and it's not easy by a longshot, is diet.
Mornings consist of a cup of black coffee before the workout....and a protein shake after the workout. Midmorning I'll finish off what's left of the shake.
Lunch usually consists of whatever we had the night before...minus the carbs. For instance, the other night we had stuffed peppers....so I'll have some before airtime, and eat the rest at around 4 or so. My wife makes them with some chopped meat, a little sauce and some rice.
And since today is Wednesday, right after the show we'll go ballroom dancing for an hour, after which we'll have dinner. I think now would be a good time to order the fruit platter.
As I've mentioned before, we'll see how it goes. So far I've seen a bit more definition....and my libido certainly hasn't suffered. Trust me.......if there's one great side benefit to all of this, it's the libido aspect.
Let me know how it all goes on your end, and feel free to post your suggestions.
Monday, July 7, 2008
this is the starting point.......
So now we begin the march to "diesel by December". Seeing is how I'm at the advanced age of 56, it's not gonna be easy, not by any stretch. But since I have a little bit of a jump....hopefully it won't be as difficult as I'm making it out to be. And the fact that you'll be along for the ride pumps me up to stay true to my goal.
The first step is to try and shed 10 pounds of flab. (You can probably see it around my middle....it's always been a problem.) Next step is to try and bring down my cholestoral numbers....which at the moment are at around a 250. I'm trying to accomplish both with a diet rich in protein.......a shake in the morning after my workout.....then another at around 11 when I'm on my way to work. Lunch will consist of whatever we ate the night before.....usually chicken or pork. For instance, tonight we'll be having my favorite...stuffed peppers....so that'll be lunch for tomorrow as well. Thrown in some fruit after dinner, and that pretty much rounds out the diet for the week. Weekends are another story. I'll get into that in the next blog.
Here's what I did the past week with my workout:
I started on Sunday the 29th of June with a lower body workout consisting of:
dumbell squats, kettle lunges, lower back hyperextensions, side hyperextensions, pike ups, hangman, medicine ball rotations, and "good morning" with a 45 lb kettlebell.
Monday the 30th I worked with Chris LaRocca from Elite in Manalapan and we worked our shoulders and arms. Tuesday I worked with Brian Wecker at LA Boxing in Marlboro and we worked primarily legs and abs. Wednesday back to Elite to do chest and back. Thursday I took the day off. Friday back at Elite to do some abs and back.
Saturday I took off again. Sunday at Elite for cardio (20 minutes on the Eliptical), squats on the smith machine, barbell deadlifts, some planks, and oblique crunches.
Then this morning at Elite with Chris for 20 minutes of boxing, plus chest and back.
Like I said at the top, this is the starting point.....we'll see how it goes. Just the fact that I'm blogging means I have to keep it up. You're watching!
Ray
7/7/08
The first step is to try and shed 10 pounds of flab. (You can probably see it around my middle....it's always been a problem.) Next step is to try and bring down my cholestoral numbers....which at the moment are at around a 250. I'm trying to accomplish both with a diet rich in protein.......a shake in the morning after my workout.....then another at around 11 when I'm on my way to work. Lunch will consist of whatever we ate the night before.....usually chicken or pork. For instance, tonight we'll be having my favorite...stuffed peppers....so that'll be lunch for tomorrow as well. Thrown in some fruit after dinner, and that pretty much rounds out the diet for the week. Weekends are another story. I'll get into that in the next blog.
Here's what I did the past week with my workout:
I started on Sunday the 29th of June with a lower body workout consisting of:
dumbell squats, kettle lunges, lower back hyperextensions, side hyperextensions, pike ups, hangman, medicine ball rotations, and "good morning" with a 45 lb kettlebell.
Monday the 30th I worked with Chris LaRocca from Elite in Manalapan and we worked our shoulders and arms. Tuesday I worked with Brian Wecker at LA Boxing in Marlboro and we worked primarily legs and abs. Wednesday back to Elite to do chest and back. Thursday I took the day off. Friday back at Elite to do some abs and back.
Saturday I took off again. Sunday at Elite for cardio (20 minutes on the Eliptical), squats on the smith machine, barbell deadlifts, some planks, and oblique crunches.
Then this morning at Elite with Chris for 20 minutes of boxing, plus chest and back.
Like I said at the top, this is the starting point.....we'll see how it goes. Just the fact that I'm blogging means I have to keep it up. You're watching!
Ray
7/7/08
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