MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26


Thanksgiving week is behind me and I feel I did pretty well. Getting through the holiday was a challenge in itself with all the good food sitting around. Today, trainer Travis wants me to step up my cardio workout…so it’s back on the treadmill for 30 minutes followed by 15 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes of weights. The last 30 minutes seem more like a sprint as Travis is doing his best to keep my heart rate up between 145-165bpm and has me going from the treadmill to the weights and back every few minutes. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink early followed by a Boca Breakfast Burrito later in the morning. (Boca brand foods are naturally made with less fat and calories and are found in the frozen food section at the store). For lunch, a Lean Cuisine Chicken Panini sandwich and Sprite Zero. Supper: Two hard-shell tacos made with Laura’s Lean Beef, fat free cheese, ketchup and lots of lettuce.


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27


Trainer Travis keeps me with the same workout I have done the past few days – mostly cardio with some weight training thrown in. It seems to be working but my legs get tired. I feel I could go a pretty good distance on the treadmill until I’m told to run or jog…it’s then I feel my legs tiring out after about 30 minutes. Today, Travis wants me to punch it up a bit and go for some 2 minute jogs at 4.5mph increasing my heart rate and then bring me back down to a slower walk at a lower incline. The key is to strengthen the heart by simulating going up and down hills. It’s also building my endurance. Travis says my heart is getting in better condition now as it takes longer to reach my target heart rate and it takes me longer to get sweaty and winded. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink and banana early followed by 2 tbls. Peanut butter with graham cracker later in the morning. Lunch: Chick-Fil-A charbroiled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun with pickle and lettuce…fruit cup and a Coke Zero. Supper: Baked chicken with green peas and corn on the cob, small salad.


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28


Wednesday weigh-in: 268 lbs. (net loss -15 lbs)
Can you believe I’ve lost 2 pounds and almost 4 inches after Thanksgiving? What this tells me – and the staff at Total Fitness – is that I’m getting back on track. Today, Travis has me spend about 40 minutes on the treadmill and the last 15 minutes doing reps in the weight room and even throwing around medicine balls (at least I think that’s what they’re called!) Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink and banana early followed by a Boca Breakfast Burrito later and orange juice later in the morning. Lunch: Healthy Choice Steak Tips with small potato halves and green beans. Supper: Wheat spaghetti with Ragu Healthy Heart sauce, salad with Thousand Island dressing, Pillsbury low fat Italian bread.


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29


For the first time since I began the challenge, I did an earlier workout today. I have Midday weather at 11 and a conference call at 1, so I decided the only way I would be able to get some gym time would be around 9am. Boy, did it make a difference!! I have always thought my best energy is early in the morning…but by 11am or 12noon, most of my energy for the day is spent…and that’s when I’ve been working out. Travis has me start on the elliptical wants to see if I can go at least 30 minutes there. Yesterday, I could go only 15 minutes before my knees and legs started hurting. Today…I go 40 minutes! I also brought my headphones where I could plug in on the machine and watch CMT videos. My energy was high, the music was good and I was in a groove that I had not felt until today. Maybe coming in early was the difference. It certainly was the emotional and physical boost I needed. After 40 minutes on the elliptical, I got on the bike for the last 20 minutes. Travis said I needed to keep the RPM’s around 90…I hit a stride and kept it closer to 100-110 rpm’s equivalent to running 4 miles! This indeed was the best overall workout day I’ve had so far in “the Challenge”. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink early followed by Jello 100-calorie Strawberry/Banana fruit cup with 8oz. orange juice late morning. Lunch: Lean Pocket Pizza with small salad. Supper: Broiled chicken breast with lemon pepper seasoning, lima beans and corn.


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30


Today I turn 45. I’ve lived 45 years and it’s taken me this long to really get in shape. But as they say…it’s never too late. Today, trainer Travis doesn’t let me off the hook just because it’s my birthday. It’s 40 minutes on the elliptical, 15 minutes on the treadmill and I volunteered about 5 minutes on the abdominal. Yeah, that’s right...on my own, I walk over to the abdominal machine and work it until it burned. Then I rested for a moment and burned it up again. It wasn’t done to impress Travis, rather it was my way of telling myself that I’m not about to slow down just because I turn another year older. Today’s Diet: Apex fit mix drink and a banana for breakfast, Mexican Lean Pocket for mid-morning snack…Subway 6” roast beef sandwich and Baked Lays potato chips for lunch. My birthday supper was at Longhorn Steakhouse where I had half…that’s right, half of a 7oz. Renegade steak with baked potato and salad. (What? No birthday cake? Nope!)


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1


It’s Christmas parade day across South Central Kentucky! This is the first of two weekends in which I will be going all day and having to eat out. Now, that doesn’t sound like a bad deal but I have to be careful what I eat and make the right choices that are not going to come back and bite me at next Wednesday’s weigh-in. I start the day with a Chick-Fil-A multigrain bagel and fruit cup with a Coke Zero. For lunch, we all stop to eat at El Mazatlan in Munfordville. I haven’t had any real Mexican food since I started The Allen Challenge and I was ready for it. I lost count on the chips and salsa (oops!) but I had a regular beef burrito with refried beans and Mexican rice. I asked for extra lettuce on my burrito and a little less cheese, so I think I did pretty well. We finally got to eat supper after the Columbia parade at Shoney’s in which I had a large salad with some fruit, a 4oz. flank steak with a baked potato, corn and lima beans.


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2


I’m running audio again at church this Sunday so I start the day with a good cup of coffee and breakfast is served at church. There’s lots of homemade goodies so I have to choose carefully. I eat a small piece of egg casserole and fruit but avoid the sweet rolls. For lunch I have leftover wheat spaghetti with Ragu Heart Healthy sauce. Shelia and I also have supper this evening at church as they have prepared a special Christmas meal for all the tech team members. There’s salad with roast beef and stewed vegetables (carrots, potatoes, green beans) along with sugar free apple, cherry and pecan pie. Don’t worry…I didn’t eat all three…I just had the apple.