Good Luck in achieving your goals

I want to help all of you achieve your weight lifting goals. I did some great things in '04 that I can share with you. I also made some mistakes that I hope to share with you..... so you won't make the same mistakes. I am soooo focused and feel soooo good about the future. Everything is in place to have a wonderful year....Ok now I will let you in on my diet and training goals for '05 Physically I want to reduce body fat from 15.8% to 12%. Ok...I know you may be thinking .......gee John...... that is only 3.8%. Well, let me tell you that that 3.8% is huge when you get down to the teens. Every percentage point requires better diet and better training technique At 15.8% you look and feel good!! But at 12% you look and feel GREAT! (I must admit that don't know this from personal experience, but I hear it from the experts in health and fitness). To do this I will: 1. Eat smaller portions. Since the surgery my stomach continues to expand, and if I keep pushing it, the surgery benefit will keep decreasing. 2. Cut down on coffee and diet soda...Yea, I know there are supposedly off the diet of us WLS people, but they have found there way back into my diet. So first cut back on these and eventually elimimiate coffee and diet soda. 3. Significantly reduce the simple carbs like bread and crackers. It would be unrealistic to say eliminate so "significantly" reduce is a good goal. I do need carbs for fuel when I do heavy cardio...but not right before bed...lol.. Replace carbs with veggies 4. Encourage the entire family to exercise and diet properly This involves me to lead by example. Buy and cook healthy food for the entire family. Training goals Cardio- Cross train and increase intensity maybe even do a ½ marathon in 05 Weight training Stay basic. Hard... heavy.... and simple. Scrap the toning program Flexibility I really need to increase flexibility by adding yoga or pillaties (not sure how to spell) to my program Spirituality start to meditate and learn to "listen to my body"..... I know its deep stuff but I think its all part of the mind body experience. I have other personal and financial goals "like spend more quality time with wife"....but that list is too long to share....lol Good luck to all of you in achieving your goals in '05!!

I really need to sit down and write out my goals... But overall my primary goal as far as weight training, etc. is to compete again this year in powerlifting. I want to at least by August. I really feel good about my diet. That has not really been a problem area for me. I really do watch what I eat closely. Plus adding that I dump very easily kinda keeps me in check. My primary goal is to be more consistent with my workouts. It is hard sometimes, and I have learned not to make myself feel guilty if I miss them, but by the same token, I really need to remember that it is ok to put me first. I am not the most "organized" record keeping person in the world either. Maybe I should add that to my list too. At any rate, I am going to keep them short term and attainable. That's the key to success...

Thanks Valerie.... I will be cheering you on in August in competition!!

Thanks John! Actually that competition is at the Ohio State Fair! It was the first one I ever competed in, so it feels like I have come full circle! I am excited. If I can get close to my body weight up on that bench I will have achieved Nirvana.... Val