A word from the wife

I never thought my first blog would be about diet & exercise. I always dreamed of being a beauty blogger...Maybe someday!

I'm also now in my fourth week of DDP Yoga, and yes I'm in love, not just with DDP but with the actual program. Ever since I had my first daughter 7 years ago, I've been meaning to get around to getting the baby weight off. Well that never happened! The cliche "I'm too busy to work out and diet" has forever been my excuse.

Not a day goes by without me dreaming of the good old days before kids when I danced 4 days a week, could eat whatever I wanted and was in damn good shape.

As I read what I've already written I realize that maybe professional blogging isn't in my future, but I hope that someone reads this and cares or can relate.

Anyway, DDP has finally given me something that can make me feel good about myself again. Something my husband and I can bond over, that is great for our minds and bodies. We enjoy cooking healthy, and we througholy enjoy the workouts, even when they get really hard.

I am down about 5lbs so far, and even thought its not a lot, and not as much as Scott, it's huge for ME. Every time I say no to sweets or junk, it's a little victory for myself.

It's going to be a long road ahead, but I have finally stopped feeling sorry, and I'm starting to feel....hopeful :)

Entirely Unamused

Tomorrow is a day I look forward to all summer long. Once a summer we load up the car and head north to Canobie Lake Park in Salem, NH. Now, I'm often accused of being a big kid and this is a prime example of why.

I love amusement parks. The more rides the better. Roller coasters, flume rides, Ferris wheels, flying swings and hell even the nauseating Turkish twist...Bring'em on! Another reason I love amusement parks is the food. Fried dough, hot dogs, fried chicken, french fries m(See a patern?) and do not forget the beer!

This is what's leaving me less than amused. All that food is not included in my current lifestyle and to be honest, besides the beer I don't really even want any of it. I think it is just the carnival atmosphere that tricks me into thinking I want it. It is like when a person quits smoking. They feel goos and do not even have a craving...until they drink, then all bets are off. It's a trigger. So I have made a decree that I will not be indulging in the trans fatty debauchery of Canobie Lake Park, but you can bet your ass I will be having 1 beer! Because not even apple pie is as American as Anhueser-Busch and Amusement Parks.

I'm only human!

Proof of Progress

Owning my life, one day at a time!

3 down!

3 weeks down and a lifetime to go!

Sunday Morning Service

When someone asks me if I went to church this morning this is my answer

Silencing the Critics

It's Thursday of week 3 and for the most part everybody in my day to day life is aware of my new found commitment to the DDP Yoga system. But when I see someone that i may not see in my daily travels and they ask me about my current workout regimen and I tell them it's yoga, their left speechless. Not because yoga is bad or ineffective, but for the most part it is totally out of character for me to be doing it.

For most of my life all my workouts have consisted of hitting either something or one and not pushing up into down dog. When I think of it, it sometimes makes me laugh a bit because they are right, the old me would never do yoga, not even DDP's.

But that's the point, isn't?

This is not just a change in my body it should be a change in me. Eating habits, sleeping habits and overall life habits. I am striving to be better than I ever have been and if that means making some "out of character" choices I have no doubt that in the end I will be better off for the experiences had. So to all the critics out there who don't like change, or don't think I will stick with until the end. I dedicate this portion of my journey to you.

Flexibility and Balance

And no the title of this post doesn’t have anything to do with the key attributes of a Yoga Master.  I’m talking about the flexibility and balance one needs to find the time to become a Yoga Master.

Yesterday Joelle and I woke up at 6:30 AM, hit snooze and decided that a 6:45 start to the day would work just fine. Unfortunately no one told our 1 year old that. As we headed down stairs for our morning DDP Yoga session we heard a noise. Like 2 frightened teens in a horror movie, we exchanged nervous glances. We knew what terror awaited us and there was no turning back!

In reality our toddler was awake and morning Yoga was officially canceled. This didn’t mean no Yoga, just a slight adjustment in the schedule. We both were looking ahead to a 10 hour work day, then we had to pick up the kids from day care and take the ½ hour trek home. Our new Yoga start time was approximitely 9:30 PM. Not ideal, but it had to get done and we were damn sure gonna do it!

This is one of the trials that being parents of 2 kids and having full time jobs throws our way. Being single and fit is easy. Having kids, jobs, household duties to take care of and staying fit takes flexibility and balance. Sometimes it’s an inconvenience, other times you’re just tired from your day to day insanity. Either way, being in this together with my wife makes it doable. We support each other and help to secure the flexibility and balance needed to achieve actual flexibility and balance!

The 1st 8

I don't have any words of wisdom or quirky anecdotes today but I can tell you that since starting my lifestyle change 2 weeks ago I have officially lost 8 lbs! It's just astart but is a great reaffirmation that my commitment is paying off and will continue to do so as long as I am consistent and dedicated!

I am owning my life!

You Have an Ab!

I wake up today, ready to start week 3 of DDP Yoga and Joelle looks at me and says, "You have an Ab!"

Now I know I have 5 more to produce but that was a great way to leave week 2 in the dust and attack #3! At the end of week 4 I'll post my before and after progress pics.

It's Not a Diet!

I'm  2 weeks into DDP Yoga and I have dropped 6 pounds. You would think I'd have nothing to complain about right? 

Where's the fun in that?

To be honest it's not so much a complaint as it is an annoyance. As the weight loss becomes visible people are asking how I am doing it. So naturally I attribute my in progress transformation to DDP Yoga. 

Then I am inevitably asked the dreaded question, "What diet are you on?"

So I explain the nutrition program and politely tell them that it is not a diet. They in turn usually come back with, "We'll you've modified your usual eating habits. That's a diet."

When I think about it I can't really blame these people for thinking this way. People attribute moving or starting a new Job as a lifestyle change. They don't think of exercising or nutrition overhauls in the same light. But if they would just take the time to check out a program such as DDP Yoga they would realize that nutrition and exercise should be a long term commitment to a lifestyle change, not a passing fad they commit to on January 1st and let fade away by the start of Spring. It took me 29 years to figure it out, so there's still hope for everyone but in the mean time let me reiterate...

IT'S NOT A DIET!

Excuses or Motivation?

Some people use working 50 hours a week as an excuse for not working out...

Sitting here all day 5 days a week is my motivation to get off my ass and do it!

Split Decisions

We're 10 days strong into out journey to own our lives and
have been faithful to a T! Hell, I even brought my 7 year old to Smackdown last night and didn't touch as much as a french fry. The diet has become habit, which in turn has now become our lifestyle. And it feels good!

But what would a major life change be without another unexpected hurdle?

For the first 4 days of DDPYoga we worked out together and it was awesome! For the last 5 however, it has become a bit more difficult to do that. Since Friday we have each been flying solo with our daily's. Joelle has Mondays and Wednesdays off. I have Sunday and Tuesday. And we both have other responsibilities all the time!

I know what some of you are thinking. "Oh. Wow! You have to workout alone. What a challenge!"

And I hear the sarcasm loud and clear, but hear me out. When you go through an experience like this with a partner there is an extra layer of accountability. Cheating yourself is easy, but cheating yourself and having someone else call you out on it? That's powerful. So what we have been doing is finding other ways to push eachother. If we can't workout with eachother we'll prepair one anothers lunches for a certain day. Take a little bit of the burden off one another. You gotta get creative!

That reminds me, have I ever told you about flexibility and balance?

The Sign of a Good Workout

Hot Yoga

It's 94 degrees at 10:40 am and I just finished DDP Yoga's Fat Burner on the deck. I'm melting!

Photo Evidence!

So on yesterday I posted about "The Struggle". Well today I give you photo evidence of my 1st transformation.

At our wedding in 2007

Training for a fight in 2011

This transformation is my motivation to do it again with DDPYoga. Although I am not nearly as heavy as I was in 2007 I can still be a better me.

The Struggle

If you've read our previous posts you know that I (Scott) am a 29 year old husband, father, (former) collegiate athlete, cage fighter and a human version of the board game operation. But what you don't know is I used to be fat. Really fat!

My collegiate football career ended with a spinal injury. When I realized after rehabbing my injury, that I would never play again depression set in. I ate and drank a lot. And with my new found laziness and depression the pounds came on quickly. In just over a year I went from a 20 year old with under 10% body fat at 210 pounds to a 250 pound bag of mush. That however was just the beginning. I soon was the recipient of a series of knee surgeries (3 in 2 years) that left me with very limited mobility. I was still eating way too much, though the drinking had subsided.

At my peak weight, I was over 300 lbs and I had no idea how truly out of control I had become. That is until I saw my wedding pictures. I didn't recognize the man smiling along side my wife. I was embarrassed and ashamed, when I think back on it I still am. But the night is darkest before the dawn and the embarrassment was just the kick in the ass I needed to get back to the old me.

Because my mobility was limited I joined Weight Watchers and started eating right. It worked. In just 6 months I was down 40 pounds and could start work outs again. Then I was down to 230 pounds and joined an MMA gym with my uncle. Now the weight started melting off and in another 6 months I had my first cage fight at 205 pounds and I won! I continued fighting over the next couple of years ending my run with a main event fight for the New England Middleweight (I was now fighting at 185) Championship in Boston. After that fight life got a little more hectic (we had another baby) and I realized a year later that I needed another knee surgery.

I had the surgery in April of 2013 and am still recovering. Unfortunately  I have gained some weight back (I am 228 pounds) and am having pain issues with my knees. This is what led me to DDP Yoga. I want to become lean, mean and agile again. I'll be damned just one week in if I'm not well on my way. So watch out 30, I coming at you better than ever!

The Beginning of the End

July 4^th 2013, the beginning of the end.

A bit dramatic I know, but it really was the beginning of the end. I ordered DDP Yoga the Friday prior and was awaiting its arrival. In the mean time we had a decision to make. Start our clean living before we started the program or get it all out of our systems, live it up for America’s birthday and go out with a bang!

We chose the latter.

Nutritionists would probably cringe at the idea but I read somewhere that most addicts get extremely high before entering rehab so I applied that principle to our lifestyle change. We used the holiday weekend as a final farewell to our glutinous ways. It was truly the beginning of the end of our former life, both physically and mentally. We ate and drank to our hearts desires, until we woke up Monday morning. The workout kit had arrived and we hit it hard!

In a way I think that going over the top before we started the diet made us realize how poorly we were eating. The energy change we have experienced just 5 days into the program is astounding. Fresh fruits, veggies, some good protein and crazy amounts of water have given us new life! To say we are refreshed in mind, body and spirit is an understatement.

If you are about to change your lifestyle let me suggest that just one more time you eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we DIET!

Long Overdue

It was long overdue.

I was collegiate football player and MMA fighter (2-1 record). Keyword…WAS. In the midst of these activities I accumulated the injuries that inherently come with athletic glory. Kind of a yin and yang type thing. In less than 15 years I amassed 10 knee surgeries and even at the age of 29 I could feel them taking their toll. Something had to change. I had to change.

It was long overdue.

She was a seasoned dancer who enjoyed success on the dance floor and benefited from the spoils of a dancers life. All the work she put in in the studio lead to healthy lifestyle and dancers body, both of which she enjoyed. Then the real world came knocking and 7 years and 2 kids later, the weight would not come off as easily as it did before. At 26, she knew something had to change. She had to change.

This is our story. My name is Scott and the “she” above is my wife Joelle. We are hard working parents with full time jobs who just have not been able to find a fitness program that works for us and our lifestyle.

Until now that is.

When running and high impact workouts were no longer an option for me because of my knee problems I went in to research mode. What I found was DDP Yoga. It worked for those who were in far worse condition than I (Arthur is our hero!) and Joelle already had a love for Yoga, but with high prices and no time to hit a studio she could not pursue it. I took the plunge, ordered the program and just 4 days in, with the help of the dietary guide and a strict regimen of 6:30 AM sessions in the living room, we are on our way to owning our lives again. We invite you to come along for the ride. It may get bumpy and may not always be easy, but the reward of a better life for us and our family far outweighs the risk.

Here's to owning our lives!