My "Before" Picture

I thought about looking really sad and turning my picture black and white like those infomercials.  That way my after picture would look really awesome...but I'm too much of an exhibitionist to look sad when Jessica's taking pictures of me in my skimpy black trunks.  Originally, I thought I'd wear tighty whities for my picture, but Jessica said I looked too much like that guy who shoots Bruce Willis in the beginning of the 6th Sense...if you don't remember what he looks like, he was a really skinny white guy in tighty whities. 

As for my goal.  Per Russell's instruction, I'm going to work out 3 times a week doing pretty much the same workout routine, although I might mix up some cardio in there every now and then.  My goal is to increase my overall strength by 25% by Christmas. Russ says that that's an ambitious, but not impossible goal...I told him that I try to make a living selling rice pudding.  I eat "ambitious but not impossible" for breakfast.  That's one of the reasons I'm so skinny.  I should try wrapping it in bacon.

Right now I'm working most every night until pretty late, so either I'll stay up a little later and work out or I'll get up in the morning and do it.  I'm also going to drink 6 raw eggs every morning for breakfast like on Rocky...not really, but I might have Jess record me doing it once just to see if I can.  Tomorrow's the 1st, so I hope you're all getting ready for this thing.  Good Luck!

Bye-bye couch

After consulting with Lil' Russ, I am starting a program of bowflex weightlifting and pilates.  I don't have an actual daily program from him yet but should get it by tomorrow.  Just want to be stronger, more flexible, better endurance and leap buildings in a single bound.  Honestly though, at this moment I'm totally dreading the whole upcoming routine - but that's the devil talkin'.  For some reason, Dennis has not yet been formally invited to "a trimmer grimmer", so his plan is to tag team with Aaron.  He'll gain the weight, Aaron gains the other stuff.  I want a cookie.

The dentist yanked my sweet tooth

So this is my last semester of classes... hopefully, if I pass them all. Taking 19 credits (which includes four physics classes and two math classes) doesn't leave me with a whole lot of spare time.  For the most part, Amanda and I have worked our schedules out to where one of us is watching Ashlyn while the other is in class.  There are a few hours during the week though that Amanda's mom and a friend of ours watches the baby.  

It seems as though when I'm not watching the baby, I'm either sleeping or getting my homework done.  This has been an inconvenience to my regular morning work out sessions.  So, I figured that I'd take a different approach on this trimmer grimmer approach and go without eating processed sugar for the three months.  There's a few good perks for doing this: One, I'll have to eat healthier, more fruits and vegies. Two, if I ever get the diabetes I'll be able to look back on this time and tame down my cravings for sugar. I'm sure there's a few other good perks to doing this that Russ could elaborate on.

In addition to this, I'll help keep Amanda motivated to stick to her work out schedule, and may even participate in it.

P.S. 

If you go to mypyramidtracker.gov You can enter in how much and what kinds of food you eat and the types of exercise and how long you do it for - and good a fare evaluation of your calorie intake vs. how much you burn.  There's a few other neat features too that you can do on the website.  One thing I've done has been to record (with some effort) the amounts/types of food i ate each day, as well as everything I did (this included how much walking I did, studying, all activities) for a week.  It was really neat and would definitely be worth taking a look at.

Really thinking about my goal

Okay, so I've mentioned to most of you that my goal was going to have something to do with my weight...like I wanted to gain 5 to 10 pounds by Christmas. But after talking to Russ a bit, I think I'm changing my mind. 

I've weighed about a buck fifty since I stopped cutting weight after my junior year of high school wrestling. The most I've ever weighed in my life is about 158 and the only reason I weighed that much was because I had just eaten a really big meal and I hadn't pooped in 3 days.  

So I was thinking that a goal to gain some weight would be awesome, even if it's a Bizarro world kind of a goal. I know that some people can gain 5 pounds in a single meal (I'm thinking of you, Max...really the kid is an eater), but gaining weight is really hard for me. I really just don't get hungry very often. Russ says that some people naturally eat only as many calories as they burn, so unless my stomach gets bigger or my metabolism slows down, gaining weight is going to be tough.

So I was thinking that either I eat a cube of butter every morning, which would make some great YouTube videos, or I change my goal a little. I'm now thinking that I should just forget about weight because my body has got a pretty good handle on that already.  Instead I'm focusing on strength and cardio. We have a little exercise center at our apartment complex and I'm going to set some goals to increase the amount I can lift or pull or whatever. I may do some kind of running goal as well...like I have to be able to be able to chase Gunnar for an hour when we get together at Christmas.

I'll have my official goal figured out by the 1st. And when you guys see me at Christmas, I won't be wearing tight shirts to make it look like I have muscles...I just might actually have them!

By the way, Eitan is officially on board this thing!  I talked to him today and he and Rhonda are thinking of doing some kind of a yoga goal and then they'll lead the family in a yoga class at Christmas time. Just seeing Dad getting into a downward dog position would be totally worth it for me.

Hope all your goals are coming along well, and if you're having any trouble figure out what to do, you should TOTALLY talk to Russ.  He's been doing nothing but studying this stuff and detailing cars for the last 3 years, so he really knows his stuff.

Jess' Recipe = YUM

Jess. Please post more recipes! Renae made this for lunch, and it was yum, yum, yum.

By the way, for all those who think I can't do this, I did 52 minutes on the elliptical this morning and three sets of my "Perfect Pushups" along with some sit-ups. GREAT way to start the week!

I've chosen the elliptical as my cardio of choice because I can read a book while exercising and not get sick. I have a goal to read one hour a day of a business book, so combining the two activities seemed like a logical choice.

Treat yourself !

How cool, nothing motivates me like a competition :)

When I am eating healthy, it always helps when I don't feel deprived of good food, along with accomplishing a personal goal (tbd) I though I could also help contribute to the Trimmer Grimmer cause by including some healthy and more importantly, yummy recipes. I promise, these recipes are easy, affordable and turn out beautifully so I dare you to try them.

Angel hair Pasta con Pomodoro

1 package of Buitoni Capallini (Angel hair) Pasta ....(found in the cheese, meat and pasta section in your local grocery store) because fresh pasta always tastes better.

2 cups of cherry tomatoes(sliced in halves and or quarters)

2 cloves of minced garlic (buy it pre-minced in the produce section of the grocery store)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of sugar

Small bunch of Fresh Basil (coarsely chopped) 4 leaves should do it.

Parmesan or Romano or Mitzithra Cheese (whatever suits your fancy)

Salt and pepper to taste

Ok...Cook the pasta per package directions...around 6 minutes in salted boiling water

While it's cooking...

Saute the garlic in olive oil 'til golden, add the cherry tomatoes and sugar, adding salt and pepper to taste.

When the pasta is cooked, drain (saving 2 cups of pasta water) and add the pasta to the tomatoes in the saute pan along with the 2 cups of retained pasta water.

Finally add the roughly chopped basil, toss and serve garnishing with your favorite cheese.

Now don't deprive yourself of the yummy rustic bread to compliment the pasta but a fabulous slice of whole wheat bread toasted and dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar is the ultimate healthy choice.

Bon Appetite! Love Jessie

The Rules Of En-shape-ment

A note before reading: If you have ideas/suggestions/changes for rules - please post them in the comment section! Thank you my family.



RULES:

1.) Everyone participating needs to consult with a health professional or Russell before starting in Trimmer Grimmer Program/Contest. Not to say that Russell is not a health professional - he is. And he has generously offered to consult each of us on our health goals at the very reduced rate of $10 per person! Do it now! The deadline for you to talk with him and set your goals is October 1st! Russ will help you with your goals but keep in mind that they should be concrete, measureable, attainable.
His phone # is: 918.576.9729

2.) No being critical of others. This includes but is not limited to calling someone (besides Andrew) 'fat butt', 'cellulite face' or telling them they should 'just give up and wear sweat pants to church'. Also, no saying any of these things about yourself. And no comparing yourself to someone else and feeling sad. So sad that you try on all of your skinny clothes and then cry on the floor and decide to eat rocky road ice cream in the bathtub alone in a moo-moo.

3.) Posts to this blog should be about YOU, about your health goals and things you're doing and interested in or things that are helping you improve your health. This can include exercise strategies, inspiring anecdotes, recipes, DYI liposuction tips, laxatives etc. Wait - scratch the last two. Do not post about someone else and what YOU think they should be doing.

4.) Everyone should try their very best to post to this blog at least ONE time a week. And to make comments of encouragement or bewilderment on the posts of others. If you do not blog, expect that someone you are related to will be calling you to remind you and/or get info from you to post on your behalf.

5.) Everyone participating should submit a before picture (okay, that can be optional) along with their goals. Please email both to me before October 1st and I will set them up on the blog for you. No photoshopping guys! (Save that for the after pictures.)

6.) The Trimmer Grimmer Wimmer, I mean, Winner (he or she who has accomplished the greatest percentage of her or his goals) will be declared on January 1st, 2009!

7.) Have fun! Or if you don't want to have fun then at least be funny about it. I am totally serious. This is a rule.



Here's one my and Gunnar's before pics. One of my health goals is going to involve upper body strength. I think Gunnar's goal will include being able to find his belly button with more ease.

Do It To It, Lars

Aaron and I were talking recently about how both of our families want to get into better shape. Jess has been working out already and trimming up beautifully after baby Max. I want to tone up and get my guns back. Chris wants to loose a few pounds and Aaron wants to (NEEDS to) gain a few kilos. . . or seven.



BUT, it's hard to do. And it's hard to be consistent. And it's hard to turn down that Little Debbie snack pack when it's staring you in the face with all it's delicious trans fatty temptation. So, we thought "Hey, let's set up a blog and get healthy as a family!" And then dad suggested, "Hey, let's turn it into a contest!"

So - that's what we're doing. We're going to fight the 'Grimmer-big-gut-no-butt' and 'Clarke-vice-versa together!' All of us Grimmers and in-laws, who want to participate will be asked to set specific, concrete and measurable health goals. (We're thinking of giving Russ some consulting work). Then, you will need to post to this blog at least once a week to keep us abreast and/or a-moob of how your progressing on your goals - as well as any weight-loss health tips you may have.

And the person who accomplishes the greatest percentage of their goals by a certain date (TBD) will be the WEINER!

Each of you should have been sent invitations to author this blog and I hope that you will. Let me or Aaron if you have any questions or ideas! Thanks.