3 Things You Don't Know About Fat Loss

from Men's Health Magazine

1. Squats may burn up to three times more calories than previously thought, according to a new study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. They're also great for packing on muscle. Every workout in our plan features this classic move.

2. Aim to drop 20 pounds this summer and you can look great. Men who set higher expectations lose more weight, report researchers at the University of Minnesota Stick to the routines on this poster and you can expect to shed 4-5 pounds in your first 2 weeks, and 1 to 2 pounds a week in the months that follow.

3. The calories you burn in a 30-minute job may not matter as much as you think. More important is your calorie loss when you're not exercising. Intense weight training elevates your metabolism for 36 hours. So you lose weight all day, and build bigger muscles.

These are the things that I find helpful in my goal to hit 160 by the end of march. I'll continue posting more tips from articles that I find off of magazines and the internet.

Some of my friends who are reading my blog are already starting to join in on Project Sexy Beast and here are some of the stuff that I believe that could also help you guys attain your goal.

5/52 Light

5-52 Light, originally uploaded by marcogol.

This has been the topic of my Bible study group for the past few weeks. Discussing about the Light that would penetrate through darkness.

Matthew 6:22-23 (ESV)
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Having this said, if our eyes are filled up with Light, then we'll know the cobwebs that we need to brush aside our lives. We can now see what darkness couldn't reveal.

God Bless you guys.

The New Workout Plan

Alot of people that I know are already asking what I'm doing that made me strip off with the fats that hugged me all my life.
I guess it's starting to show and I can't deny... I'm loving the attention! haha.

Well here's the update... Before I started this, I weighed in at around 175-178 lbs.
Size 36 pants were the norm for me, and my stomach sticks out like a sore thumb on every clothes that I wear. The medium shirt that my mom bought me for Christmas almost popped when I tried it on. In short... I was chunky.

After 2 weeks (currently on Day 14) Size 36 needs about 8 belt holes to keep the pants on. The shirt my mom gave me suddenly fits me. And my stomach that hugged me since I was a kid is starting to say bye bye. In short... I'm no more chunky. Now people ask me... "What are you doing?" to which I answer... ALOT!

I've always wanted to reach my target weight which is between 150 - 160 lbs. This year I just started to push myself to reach 160 by the end of my birthday month, which is March. So that should be a clue for you guys... if you're going to get me something (nudge nudge wink wink). To spice it up, I made a bet with a few friends. If I reach this goal... I might get a new shirt from either Topman or Zara and Board shorts from Billabong (I'll definitely going to need a new one now that my old ones are coming off as I swim). If I lose these bets, I'm going to get a friend new shades from Charles and Keith, her choice, and treat someone to dinner in Outback. Now that's motivation for you. This is a bet that I CANT lose.

Now... to answer the question "what am I doing?" here's the workout plan.

Monday - Basketball
Tuesday - Boxing
Wednesday - Boxing
Thursday - Boxing
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Basketball
Sunday - Rest

Now that's on top of my usual 30-45 minute walks from the condo to the office during workdays. And of course, you can't go on with losing that much weight if you're not following a strict diet. Here's the 10 commandments I gave myself.

1. There Shall be no other meat besides White (Chicken and Fish)
2. Honor your Fruits and Vegetables
3. Thou Shall Not eat anything Oily
4. Thou Shall Not eat anything Fried
5. Thou Shall Not eat anything high in Sodium
6. Thou Shall Not eat anything high in Sugar
7. Thou Shall not drink sodas and juice
8. Thou Shall avoid fast foods
9. Thou Shall not covet your neighbors food
10. Thou Shall not have any meals after 7pm

These commandments are strictly followed unless compromise is really needed. There are no other choices and you are already starving, yes I will rather eat what is not allowed than starve. Starving is still a no-no. Like right now, I'm in a meeting in a client and SBC Ensymada is served for snacks. Even if it's filled up with butter, cheese and everything that is not allowed, I'd still eat some because they gave it to me.

My usual meal intake are seen on my (almost) daily VLOGs. You'll see that I only eat wheat bread for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, fruits/bagels for snacks and veggies for dinner. I take alot of water and banana in between since Banana's help alot to lessen your sodium.

I would also like to share my mentality when it comes to going against the commandments. I would like to introduce "1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back" Mentality. This is in ratio of my workout with my food intake. It's simple, write this down.

Whenever I work my butt off and sweat it out, It always equates to taking a step forward.
Whenever I compromise, even if it's just for a small serving, it would always equate to two steps backward.

This mentality always pushes me to workout more when I eat something that I shouldn't eat. I remember that day that I was in a client that served a Regular Yum for breakfast, T-Bone steak for lunch, and Brothers Burger for snacks. These meals are within 2 hours intervals. After our meeting, I went straight to the boxing gym and went for 6 rounds of boxing (2 more from the usual 4) then went for another 30 minute swim after. That's how guilty I feel whenever I compromise. Sometimes succumbing to these circumstances makes me want to cry. This is how dedicated I am to my goal (160 lbs by the end of March).

This plan has worked for me so far. It's giving me good results aswell. With alot of encouragement from your friends, painful results if you lost your bet motivation, and alot of discipline... you can probably get these results too.

Again, I began this program on the 15th of January 2010. Today, 28th of January 2010 marks my 14th day and I've already lost around 8 to 10 pounds. I started around with weight fluctuations between 175 and 178 lbs. I'm now carrying the weight of 167 (based on my weigh in this morning). 7 more pounds towards my goal of 160. And my friends, 160 is just a beginning... I still want to push to 150 lbs by the end of this year. I'm done being the chunky guy. Time for a change.

Additional Reminders:
Measure your waist line before you start.

Weigh yourself daily at the same time. (I do it before I eat breakfast usually around 6am)
By this way you can see how you're keeping up with the program.

Only have one mode of measurement. I use Wii Fit because you can easily see what your weight is compared to the weighing scale that usually hold small numbers and lines.

Be aware that you'll be burping and passing gas... ALOT!
This is, according to some reading, because of your stomach probably shrinking from its usual bloated state.

When you're hungry eat something.
We don't want to suffer from ulcer.

Stay safe, healthy and sexy!
Encouragement!!!
-MDJ

Day 13: Post 9 Rounds.

After a 2 day back-to-back boxing training. I'm pooped, exhausted and fatigued. I slept at around 8:30 pm and never looked back.

Even right now as I type this blog, I still feel tired.

Anyway here's the log of Day 13.

Weighed in the morning (as seen in my previous VLOG) Wii Fit clocked me in at 168.5 lbs.

Ate wheat bread for breakfast

Ate fish and a few rice for lunch

Snacked on a bitesize dark chocolate Toblerone, Banana and a pack of Sky Flakes.

Veggies for Dinner.

It's all worth it. Because when I weighed in this morning (1/28/2010) Wii Fit clocked me in at 167 lbs. All worth it!!!!

Pushing it for glory! Woohoo!

Today I might opt to just go for a few laps in the swimming pool... or I might just box it out again, we'll know later. See ya!

Day 12: 9 more rounds of Boxing

Day 10 was a Sunday rest. Diet was still intact with some compromise. It's just hard when I'm in my parents house, home-cooking is just that awesome. Good thing in the condo I have my wheat bread, bananas and salad.

Day 12 was my Monday Basketball day. Went to work and had a good egg breakfast with tuna. We went to the client that served us pansit and chiz whiz'd sandwhich. Played ball then ate KangKong and Beef Siomai in Chowking (bad move...)

Day 13, Tuesday and that meant Boxing day. At work I just had a sandwhich for lunch and a bagel for my usual 3/4PM snack. Went to the gym around 5:40ish and went for 9 rounds of boxing! Awesome awesome. Core workout was tough with the medicine ball... my trainer rolls that ball on my belly hard! let's me harden up my core and rolls it there hard! haha anyway here are my vlogs for the day... and my weigh in this morning.

Day 12: 1/26/2010


Day 13: 1/27/2010 6am Weigh in

4/52: Today in History

Today in History, originally uploaded by marcogol.

My brother assembled these guys way back. He has this little WWII diorama on his shelf so I decided to shoot em shooting at each other.

Hope you like the 4th installment of my Project 52.

Day 9: >170 and the Daily Dose

Day 9 (1/23/2010)

I weighed in yesterday morning at our weighing scale here at home... this scale tagged me as 178 just last Saturday... since the pointer was near 180... I'm pretty sure it's about that.

The awesome thing was... yesterday when I weighed in... It was behind the 170 line!

Detailing what I ate the entire day.

Breakfast: Small serving of rice, scrambled eggs, spanish sardines
Lunch: Beans, Beefsteak (didn't eat that much)
Snacks: Bananas, Wheat Bread/Spanish Sardines, Small serving of Spaghetti
Activity: Basketball
Dinner: Banana!!!!

Day 9: Morning Gladness (After seeing the dial go behind the 170 line)


Day 9: Vlog

Day 7: 6 more rounds!

Day 7.

After a tough day 6, I thought I'd get back to my usual diet on Day 7.

Little did I know the office served up lunch (Buddy's Pansit Canton and Pork Barbeque).
I had a few Pansit and 1 stick of BBQ. Small serving of spag in the afternoon to set the pace.

I brisk walked myself from the office (taking the stairs from the 10th floor down) to the condo (a good 30 minute walk) and changed quickly to head off to the gym.

Worked myself to another 6 rounds of boxing and gruelling core-workout.

Went home to eat a banana, drowned myself in water, a pinch of fish, and a few greens with cucumber to wrap the day up.

To sum it all up... I feel exhausted. Perfect for my rest day today.

Day 6: The boxing gym and the vlog

Day 6 was a bad day in terms of diet.

We had a whole day meeting with a very generous and hospitable client. If it was any other day I would've loved them very much!

So I had 4 slices of wheat bread for breakfast, tea and water (loads of em).
Sometimes I can't imagine how much water I chug down in 1 entire day.

And right when I arrived at the clients meeting room... Jollibee greeted us good morning.
It was a Regular Yum (TLC) regular fries and regular coke. Though I ate the burger and fries... I didn't get to chug down the drink.

Lunch arrived and it was a thin slice of, what I think a poorly cooked, T-Bone steak. Didn't eat that much of the steak and didn't get to eat that much rice.

So the meeting pushed through and a few more hours later... mid-day snacks arrived... and it was a Brothers Burger. I ate it. To much dismay... I ate it.

I wrapped the day up inside the boxing gym. Pushing myself for 6 rounds! with alot of running and sweating in between.

Ate veggies for dinner (with balsamic vinegar as dressing... yum.) with tomatoes and hardboiled eggs.

So that wraps up Day 6!

weighed myself at 6:00am this morning (1/21/2010) on the Wii Fit board, and I didn't gain nor lose a pound... Could've been better... could've been worse.
The 6am Weigh In


The Boxing Gym


The Wrap Up

Day 5: Project S.B.

Day 5: 1/19/2010

So this is day 5 of our Project S.B.

So here’s the charts of what was eaten and done during the day.


Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs/Tuna/Whole Wheat Bread
Lunch: Mediterranean Chicken Sandwhich from Olivers (a half of it)
3 pm Snack: the other half of the Sandwhich
Activity: 45 Minutes of Swimming
Dinner: 2pcs Whole Wheat Bread w/ Cream Cheese and Banana

I also passed by the boxing gym that day and finally enrolled. So today (1/20/2010) I’ll start looking out for gears that I could use for boxing. Wraps and Gloves. They’re selling gloves over there in the gym for 2 grand. I guess I can manage to get some there if I don’t see any Everlast brands in Toby’s later.

Day 4: Project Sexy Beast

VLOGging the 4th day after playing 4 basketball games from 7:30 to 10:30. Tiring but fun!
Had a light breakfast on me, light lunch and no dinner but a couple of wheat bread to munch on and bananas in between games.

Everything else is water.

Now that I'm on Day 5... I feel effin weak! hahaha had a semi-heavy breakfast this morning noming on tuna, bread and eggs.

Day 4 (1/18/2010)

Project Sexy Beast VLOG's Day 1 & 2

Like I said, I'll try to bring you guys along (if you're interested) to my day to day stuff while I'm going through this Project. You'll see more stuff that I do when I get time to edit them. There are more stuff than just VLOGs.

I also took shots of our basketball training last week, and what I was going through while my friends were eating cupcakes and burgers right in front of me. Hah! Anyway I'm seriously going to push through with this and these are just some of the videos that I took.

I'm already in Day 4... and so far 4 lbs closer to our goal by the end of March 2010. Continue cheering me on guys! I need encouragement!

Here are my VLOG's of Project SB.

Day 1 (1/15/2010)


Day 2 (1/16/2010)

3-52: Weapon of Choice

3-52: Weapon of Choice, originally uploaded by marcogol.

There are times that you just have that "something to do" during days that you're feeling down.

Here's my weapon of choice. My guitar.

This is one of my usual ways to spend lull times at home. When the Internet is busted and not really cooperating with you.

Middleweight by March

Since this is going to be such a challenge. Bets are already flying as I embark on this hard endeavor. I’m going to try to document this stint every step of the way from day 1 to the last day of March before I head off to my vacations.

Stay tuned fellas! This is going to be interesting!

Management

One thing that my new job skills taught me is how to manage risks.

With any initiative, there are always risks attached, and for every project that’s something that you would want to avoid. So one thing that I do is to assess with my team what kind of risks are to be faced during the projects development duration.

Now, once these risks are seen, time for the team to see what to do when these risks suddenly shows up in your face. In this way you’re prepared when shit happens… and eventually you know that shit always happens… the only way that it wouldn’t be as shitty as it should be is if you’re prepared with tissue papers and diapers.

Anyway, with my latest adventure went into shambles, and like a good project manager, I’ve already set myself for that crash and would really help me get through this well.

Next Week: Boxing Class — I’m going to get to it again. Just a block away from my condo, this sounds doable. Emotional baggage is one hell of a burden to carry, what better way to throw it out by tiring yourself to death and throwing punches on bags and mitts!

March: Family Trip to Cebu — This vacation week I’m heading to Cebu with my family. All my cousins would be there, fun sun and beaches.

April: A Probable Palawan trip with my homes — Pristine beaches, Clear waters… and marine life to throw your cares away.

May: A Probable Boracay trip with friends — Fun, sun, sand, beaches and good company.

A Probable HK trip with my family and another one with friends.

This year is going to be packed with work, tons of it, and fun… tons of it.

So this is a start for something new. Skeletons cleared out, questions (for me) finally answered. And just like what my bwoi Jigga would say… Ontothenextone!!!

as my bwoi Barney Stinson would say…

When I feel bad… I stop feeling bad and be awesome instead. True Story.

Prison Break

We all have those places that we would like to run to in order for us to run away (for the meantime) from the burdens that we carry on a day to day basis. I think there's just those days that you need to get away from them, there are days that you just have to stop thinking about anything or everything at the moment. We need that place where we can take a break from prison.

Prison, to me, is something that most of us call reality. I just think it's sad to call everything a reality, it beats the purpose. I just find it weird how we could update our status to 'back to the real world' after coming from a vacation. For me it's the other way around... It's more of a prison. We do time, and that time is needed to be done. Knowing that the routine you're in is considered to be a prison, you know that there's something that you need to get out from, there's something that you need to be done.

With that defined, we all need to take a break from our prison cells. We all need to have that place of escape where you feel free. And mine would be the basketball courts. Surrounded by your friends doing the same thing that you all love to do... It's just perfect. Good game or bad game, you're away. And I just think it's awesome that we always schedule our games during Monday nights. In that way you get to anticipate something while having the Monday blues. After joining the group and being a regular Monday Night Baller, I anticipate Mondays... that just says alot for all you working peeps out there.

I hope everyone has theirs. Golf course, badminton courts, the streets to run with, or your own room where you can do your own stuff. All I'm saying is... take a break every once in a while. Keep your sanity and stop calling everything you dislike 'the real world'.

2-52: 2010 Resolution (Writing)

2-52: 2010 Resolution (Writing), originally uploaded by marcogol.

So I caved in. I got myself a Moleskine journal.

I figured that I might need something handy to write down the out of the norm rhymes and whimsical reasons.

Figured that I would log this down as the 2nd part of my Project 52.

Blast from the Past

Blast from the friggin past!!!!!!!!

These two sums up a big chunk of my childhood! My brothers and I used to play wrestling on my folks bed ending up with me, faced down... tapping out while my brother holds the Sharpshooter. I in return, do this to my younger cousins... It has become a legacy. The Sharpshooter has become an icon of our generation... so is this man... And it just gives you a different feeling seeing him back on the WWE stage... hugging it out with the other icon... HBK.

This moment, almost made me tear up, good thing I remembered that I'm a friggin 24 (turning 25) year old guy. I just clapped my hands in amusement.

Remember that old WWE commercial where you see this guy walking from the dugout and handing his pink shades to a kid? just like yesterday huh?

Anyway... It's really nice seeing The Excellence of Execution again...

Welcome back Bret “The Hitman” Hart…

The Best There Is…

The Best There Was…

and the best that ever will be…

Wii Fitting It Up in O-Ten

And here’s our new toy in the condo…

Hope I could keep up with the program. Day 2 is a huge success!!!

and that line is the body mass index drop from day 1 to day 2. I’ll keep this updated from time to time… maybe it could inspire all of you hahaha

My First Love

All of a sudden. Music is once as it was. I can appreciate songs as it is supposed to be appreciated, a brilliant mix of music and lyrics, a proof of human capability of having brilliant minds.

For long songs spoke to me as messages from outside my world tries to penetrate my thoughts, giving me a lingering hope that this should and this could. But for what it is, these songs, aren't my thoughts. They're owned by the ones who made it. I could just probably sit beside and relate with it, but should never call it my own. Those songs are theirs, their hearts being poured out for the world, or maybe for that one person who holds their worlds, and within that moment... they're free.

I found that the most liberating feeling in the world. Having to say anything that goes inside your thoughts that stir up mad emotions that somehow takes control of your being. This is why I write my poems, my blogs... heck... this is the main reason why I even try to write.

And now, in a way I have sung that beat that my heart made for years for the world to hear. In my case the person that somehow held my world to hear. I held nothing back and somehow liberated me. This time I know that the message of this song (figuratively speaking) was heard right. No mixed messages, no pronouns that could be directed to anybody else... Everything was about you and you alone...

And at that moment... I was freed.

Songs is as they are again, somebody's broken heart transformed to everyone's enjoyment. Somebody's crammed up thoughts transformed into tunes that you could bob your head while driving. Songs are again a mixture of music and lyrics and not something that would take control of me even as it speaks of something that is of me.

And with my guitar strings changed, maybe I could make one for myself.

1-52: One Tagaytay Night

1-52: One Tagaytay Night, originally uploaded by marcogol.

How was your new years guys? Hope everything went well.
As for me, I'm opening it out with a new set of resolutions and another project to keep me busy throughout the year.

After a failed attempt of a project 365 last year... I'll try it again at the start of this year. But instead of 1 picture a day... I'll do it 1 picture a week.

So here's my first entry for my new project.

This is a not so awesome picture from Tagaytay. If the Moon was just visible from where we were I wouldve taken something from that.

Anyway here's to an awesome year ahead! cheers *clink*