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Mission Best Ever Update

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It has been some time since I have updated my progress regarding Mission Best Ever. Unfortunately, due to a rather bad ankle injury and my arthritis flare up, things have not gone as well as they should. I have not been able to complete my Y3T training plan as a direct result of both things. I managed to get through 2 of the 3 cycles I had planned. I definitely dropped some fat and now I am below 20% (19.8%).  My new ending date is March 19, 2016. I added a complete 12 week period to this goal, but the goal remains the same–to be in the absolute best shape of my life.

The Goals

I thought it would be a good idea to give a specific set of goals (minus scale weight, which I really don't care about). Thus, here are my goals for this mission.

Body Fat %: 10%
Biceps: +1.5″
Abdominal Area: -3.0″
Quads: +2.0″
Chest: +2.0″

I am going to have to bust my ass to reach these goals, but they will guide me towards being in the best shape of my life.

Keep Track of My Goals

You can continue to come back here to follow my progress. You can always visit The Mission Best Ever page to see what is up with my progress. I promise to post at least weekly to update you all. Also, feel free to follow me on social media using the links in the sidebar to find me.

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Where Are You Right Now?

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Where are you right now?

Where are you right now? No, I don't mean your location, where are you in relation to your goals? How are you doing? What can be improved? Today i am going to take you through a list that I use to get myself on track.

Tracking Your Results

The answer to “Where are you right now” involves tracking your results. You've set some goals and are working towards achieving them, but how are you doing? By tracking your results you will be able to answer this question at any time. I personally track body fat percentage, weight and circumference measurements. These things all show me a trend. Yes, I am fully aware that it is difficult to measure your own body fat, but it isn't the exact number I am looking for, it is a pattern of results. As long as I track it consistently each week, the results are meaningful. Am I increasing or decreasing the number. As long as the numbers are going in the direction I want we are good.

Making Adjustments

One goal is very important to clarify and that is: are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat? Yes, I know you want to do both and while I agree it is possible, it is more realistic to look at your goals in terms of one or the other being a priority. If your goal is to lose fat (get lean) and you notice that your fat loss number is slowing down, you should look at your cardio and your weight training intensity. Is it time to increase the amount of time spent doing cardio? Should you be more intense with the weights? Make the adjustments that make the most sense to you in relation to your goal.

Don't Be Afraid

People set these goals and then get scared when the numbers say they need to eat more. Yes, eating more can definitely still help you burn fat. It depends upon how your body is responding to the calories and exercise you are throwing at it. More calories may be warranted. Stop being scared. Just do what your body is telling you it needs. You won't go wrong listening to the results your body is producing.

Realize Results are Always Produced

I have spoken to clients who tell me they are “not getting results” and I shake my head. Yes, you are getting results. You will always get results. You just are not getting the results you want. Don't get stuck int he “I am not getting results crowd” but rather, join the “I make adjustments so my results are where I want them” crowd. Ultimately this is all up to you, so make it work.

Where Are You Now?

At this point answering the question originally posed should be easy. Knowing what to do next should also be easy. Just get yourself in the right mindset and the world is at your beck and call.

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Menu Planning Strategies

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Menu planning strategies are plentiful, but not many break things down into simple steps. I intend to break the mold on that. Whether you want to lose weight, lose fat or get into competition shape, menu planning strategies are what you need to accomplish your goals.

Before I begin I want you to understand that menu planning isn't what you might think. In fact, I am going to explode the myths you've been holding on to. This is important because if is the key to all of your success with physique transformation.

Counting Calories

So many people have come to believe that menu planning involves counting calories. To an extent they are correct, but the key is that they don't seem to grasp the right way to count calories. Counting up the calories of your meals as you go along is not what I am referring to. I advocate planning your meals at least the day before and counting the calories and macronutrients as you do so. This makes the job easy because you don't have to track as you go along, you just have to stick to the menu planning you already did.

Picking a Strategy

I used to follow the “bro” mentality for eating. I would minimize the number of foods I could eat and stick to it. Now I follow a flexible diet. I can eat what I want and when I want as long as it fits my macros and my calories. I plan ahead each day for the next day's meals. I cook the food and pack it in containers that can travel easily. This takes away a lot of the problems I used to face. If I know that I am going to have lunch with my co-workers tomorrow, I plan all other meals accordingly. The goal is to hit my macros consistently.

Using a Meal Tracker

Again, like the calorie counting, I don't enter my food as I go, I simply enter my menu planning ahead of time into the app (My Macros+) and edit it during the day. If I miss a meal, I edit it out of the app. If I eat something unplanned I edit the app. In this way, tracking what I eat becomes easy.

Being Consistent

Nothing works overnight. You have to be consistent over the long haul. It takes time to see results, but the results are worth the wait.

How to Execute Menu Planning

The steps for menu planning are quite easy.

  1. Decide on a methodology. Will it be “bro” eating or will it be flexible dieting? Whatever you choose, be prepared to stick with it for some time.
  2. Plan your menu at least one day in advance. Do more if you have time, but the bare minimum is 1 day in advance.
  3. Enter your plan into an app for tracking food consumption. Check the numbers and adjust your plan so that you meet your goals.
  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 daily.

By doing this type of menu planning you increase your likelihood of success greatly.

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The Best Shape of My Life!

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One of the stated goals of Fitness Exposé is to help people get into the best shape of their lives. I have developed a program that does just that and I am going to be the guinea pig over the next 90 days. I started Mission Best Ever on  October 17, 2015 and it will end on January 16, 2015, my 51st birthday. At that point I will be in the best shape I have ever been in. It is the start of something big for me and for Fitness Exposé.

Mission Best Ever: Starting Point

I started out this journey at 261.4 lbs and 25% body fat. I let myself go after my last mission and I am upset with myself for it, but this time I am going to get into even better shape than the last time. I am going to show off the hard work I have done to gain muscle. Below is my starting set of photos. I will be updating this weekly.

Mission Best Ever - Day 7

Mission Best Ever: The Goals

I am not making a body weight goal because I don't really feel that it matters. I am making a fat percentage goal because I want to be as lean as possible.

Goal Description
Body Fat Percentage 10%
Workouts I have trained every single day of the 90 day mission
Nutrition Plan IIFYM with carb-cycling – 3500 calories

Mission Best Ever: The Training Plan

I am going to be using Y3T for the first 9 weeks and then a full body HIT routine for the final 27 days.  I have used Y3T in the past with great success. When handled properly it really leans me out and builds muscle.

I will use the off days to get some cardio in, so that means 3 days per week of cardio. I am planning to do some of this in the gym and some of it outside (if weather permits). I have found that I need cardio in order to get into the shape I want. My body doesn't do well with just weight training alone. I am a little impatient, so I will do the cardio, but keep an eye on myself so that I am not overdoing it.

Mission Best Ever: Supplementation

I am going to start out using the Commander Go Pack from 1stPhorm as a test. I am very interested in seeing how well it works in the first 30 days and will review the product for you on this site at the end of those 30 days. I will also be using a multi-vitamin from Kirkland and protein powder in addition to all the solid food I can stuff down my throat.

Mission Best Ever: Motivation

I have reconnected with a group of people over on Facebook and will be participating on a daily basis. I find that helping encourage others really also motivates me. It is something I both enjoy and need. I am looking forward to seeing the results these people achieve and will be cheering them on the entire way.

Mission Best Ever: Blogging

I thought about creating a separate blog to chronicle my results, but decided this was going to be the place. You can follow my progress by bookmarking https://fitnessexpose.com/category/mission-best-ever. Visit that link regularly and you will see my progress.

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Protein Shake Recipes for Muscle Building

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_protein-shake-recipes

Protein shakes are an easy way to help you get the calories and nutrients you need in order to build muscle. Today I will give you a couple of my favourite recipes for protein shake success.

Why Use Protein Shakes?

Some people go overboard and use protein shakes for so many of their meals. I am not an advocate of that approach. Instead I believe you can and should use protein shakes to get the extra nutrients into your system so as to help build muscle. Too many protein shakes means not enough real food. When you aren't taking in enough real food you lose the thermogenic effects of digestion.

Plain Slushy Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 scoop protein powder (use your favourite flavour)
1/2 cup of ice
3/4 cup of water

Directions

Mix ingredients in a blender
Blend on high until ice is crushed
Enjoy your nice icy shake

Berry Slushy Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 scoop protein powder (use your favourite flavour)
1/2 cup of ice
3/4 cup of water
1 cup of berries (use your favourite)

Directions

Mix ingredients in a blender
Blend on high until ice is crushed
Enjoy your nice icy berry shake

Berry Dairy Protein Shake

Ingredients

1 scoop protein powder (use your favourite flavour)
1 cup of water
1 cup of berries (use your favourite)
1 cup of Greek yogurt

Directions

Mix ingredients in a blender
Blend until smooth
Enjoy!

Variations

You can try many different ingredients to give variation to the above recipes. Try adding some green veggies like spinach or kale. If you are doing a post-workout shake replace water with some kind of fruit juice.It will give you a nice insulin spike. I also add oatmeal, fresh fruit, chia seeds and milk to my shakes. It all depends upon what I am looking for. Give it a try.

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