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Start of a new Challenge

So this past Saturday I was out with some friends and a new challenge was issued. Can Frank be a vegetarian for 1 year. Of course being the drunken fool that I am, I immediately accepted. So starting 7/27 I will be going 100% sans meat.

Now there is very little thought amoungst my friends that I can actually do this, however I am committed to experience new foods and live a meatless life. So here are my ground rules:

No red meat
No white meat
No seafood
I can eat eggs though.

So as today is my last day of meat eating for 2009, I devored a handful of bacon, a 1/2 lb burger and enough chicken enchilladas to hopefully last me until 2010. I will update this blog every other day or so with my successes or failures and what I am finding that is good in non-meat land.

Thanks guys and check back to see what is new.

Long Awaited Transformation Update

So.. I have been kicking my own butt around the gym the last 3 months.. here are the stats:

Weight - 223.5 lbs...

I still have 23 pounds yet to go, but I am feeling pretty good. I have been through 4 belts already, and am already on the look out for a new belt.. anyone have any good suggestions?

I recently purhased a road bike and am now up to about 35-40 miles per ride.. its a great workout plus you see some great real estate. I will post some new pics of myself later on... until then you will just have to make do with your imagination.

Transformation update 1

So here is a quick update with my progress:

Weight 251
Pant Size 38

I have changed a bit of my workout routine:

Day 1
Cardio (25 mins)
Deltoids
Lats
Abs

Day 2
Cardio (25 mins)
Biceps
Triceps
Calfs

Day 3
Cardio (25 mins)
Chest
Back
Hams/Quads

Day 4
Cardio (25mins)
Abs

Another good suggestion I got was to start a journal, which hopefully I can just do on this blog. I will also start taking body measurements around my bicep, chest, waist and thigh. At some point, I will probably stop losing weight in which case these measurements will help show progress.

So far so good..

Body Transformation Journal

Hey Guys

Long time.. but the focus of the blog is going to be changing from a life kind of updates to my body transformation journal. I am started working out 6 days a week and trying to eat much better.. ie here is my out lawed list of stuff:

NO:
Fast food (anything that does not get served with metal silverware)
Soda
Candy
Chocolate
Any type of desert really

Eating more of:
Fruit
Veggies

Plus here my weekly workout plan. At first I am focusing on dumping the extra weight (about 60 pounds) and then building the muscle. I am about 6ft tall.

Day 1:
20 mins cardio (working toward 5K distance for short term goal)
Biceps
Triceps
Deltoids
Traps

Day 2:
20 mins cardio
Chest
Back
Abs

Day 3:
20 mins cardio
Quads
Cafs
Hamstrings

Repeat with day 7 being an off day.

Current weight 260, pant size 38
Goal weight 200, pant size 34

I will update weekly...

Life Update for the Big Indian

So in the next couple days I will officially make my off program job choice. For those who don't know the past 2 years I have been in a training program that rotated me through GE Healthcare and the US. It was a pretty fun ride, brought me out to South Carolina, DC, NYC, Indianapolis, Chicago and all sorts of other fun places. As I was working through this decision in my head, I came to realize its the first real decision I have had to make. I didn't as most people dont, have much choice over my high school. College wasn't much of a choice, gotten in to only 2 schools, and only was really financially viable. My internship with GE was the first offer I got, I actually cancelled all the other interviews. I got my offer for the training program in September of my Senior year.. no other interviewing was done. This time its different.

I got two great opporunties... I won't talk specifics because I feel like I have talked through them way to much over the last couple days. Explaining them to all my friends and family. The general concensus is that there is only one choice. From the outside, one of the jobs is far and away a better opportunity both professionally but mostly personally. It would require hours, but not to much more then my 40. I could work from home or remotely, I would have a ton of flexibility when it came to when and how I worked, and the manager of the team seems to have a lot of time devoted to development and mentoring. All of these are huge pluses that everyone I have talked makes it the job to choose. The other one is a little bit more difficult. Its the dream job of its kind though. The hours would be long, possibly 7 days a week going into the end of the year, demanding working enivironment with a staff that is truly understaffed. It would require tireless hours, percision, tough decisions and a high level of emotional and phyiscal committment. The manager, all be it a great guy - intellgent, on top of his game, and someone who really cares, just doesn't have as much time to mentor and develop his employees as the other does. This role is all work and little recognition outside of the group.. but everyday I would come home with a sense of accomplishment of success, of contribution. I have done a job similar, so I know the vast unnotice rewards. I am not sure I am just trying to be noble by defending it, but as I started to lean toward the first mentioned role, I got sick to my stomach. It just doesn't feel right to turn down this one. Maybe its the job I was meant to do, maybe its the job that I feel I have been building thus far for, maybe its just because I feel like after 2 years on a manufacturing training program I need and owe it to myself to take a role in manufacturing, but maybe its just pure stupidity thinking that its noble and giving to take a job I know will be tougher, when I can make the same doing a lot less with much less stress.

All I know is as things progress, I am not sure what to do. The clarity I had yesterday has somewhat turned into regret today. Its weird because as much as I thought I knew myself, it seems I really don't, that in making this decision on what is the best for me personally, I am turning my back on who and what I am.. who and what I enjoy.. or maybe I am just blowing this out of proportion, I will have plenty of opportunities to make this kind of choice and to enjoy and regret it, to have jobs that kick you when your down, and have those you can do in 20 hours.

So I guess with what I thought was clarity, came confusion. What I thought a decision came a choice. I don't think I would regret taking the mfg job.. I can find the first job in 2 years again.. but will I regret taking the first job, knowing I could have done the mfg job?

Amsterdam and Munich

So... its been a while.. Eric and I got caught up in the excitement that is known as amsterdam. it was a pretty fun time. We did the Heinkien experience (did you Heine has their e trademarked its called a smiling e) the FOAM musemum a cool gallerz of foto art, and did the Anne frank house. I was amazed at the house, it was much bigger then I thought, but also housed 8 people. it was kinda cool to hear from people who actually lived through the holocaust and new her their thoughts on it (both her dad and her best friend contributed to the exhibit) Also her actually diay was there. As for the rest of the night time activities you will have to ask us personally.

Munich was very cold adn rainy when we got here.. no surprise I guess.. last week it was 24 celisus (78 F) but we arrive adn in comes the rain and cold. We took a night train from Amsterdam here, and as we got off two polezi come up to us and ask for our passports. they then take us to their on site station, ask for more ID, search our persons (no strip search ladies) and then search our bags for contraband.. none of which eric or I had thank god. After about 1 hour they let us go with a enjoy Munich and sorry bout the hassle. I can appreciate their position, but it still kinda sucked. funny story now though.