The 2011 #NoFatChristmas Challenge!
Everyone has been there. I have. You have. They have. Yeah. Like I said. EVERYBODY. Let me set the stage...
It's Christmas morning. You open presents. You eat. You spend time with your family. All is well. You tuck the kids/dogs/cats/other species of critters into their bed(s), and sit down with your laptop to relax. THEN IT HAPPENS...
You open up the photos you took throughout the holiday on your shiny new digitial camera - but something is amiss! Surely there is something wrong with the lens! There must be! In every photo, you look 20 pounds heavier than you thought you were! WTF?!??!
Then you realize what happened. The weather started getting colder, the desserts more delicious, and somewhere between the turkey on Thanksgiving and the cookies on Christmas morning, you fell of the fitness wagon! AGAIN! Damn it!
I know this because it has happened to me. Not once, not twice, hell, not even thrice - but for YEARS I shuddered each and every time I looked at a Christmas photo. NEVER AGAIN.
So here is the plan. We are going to join forces this season and help each other through what is easily the toughest time of year to either get into or stay into shape.
The Rules
Starting December 1st, you must:
- Take an initial weight and waist measurement
- Keep track of all calories consumed and/or burnt each and every day
- Workout for at least 7 hours a week
- Check in with the challenge by posting these activities to the #NoFatChristmas hashtag
- Help all others who rock the #NoFatChristmas tag to stay on task - we are a team!
I know what you are thinking! What do I win if I lose the most pounds or inches! Drum roll please..... NOTHING! There are no winners and losers here. And actually - you get something MUCH BETTER than nothing. You get to wake up Christmas morning knowing that you gave yourself the BEST gift you could have - a healthier you! Those who complete the challenge will also be immortalized on this website with a sweet digital plaque designed by your's truly! :)
So who is with me? Comment on this post to officially throw your hat in the ring. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it so we can all have a #NoFatChristmas together! :)
Did You Miss Me? Cuz I Missed all of You!
Holy crap has it been awhile since I updated the site. I am sorry. BUT - I have an excuse! A-HA! (not the band - though they rock)...
I have been super busy working on opening my own business and keeping things together between my work and home life. So busy, that both my blog and my workout routine have been neglected...
WELL NO MORE! 
I am proud to say that I have been at the gym with the wife for the past three days and it feels great, not to mention I will be running my FIRST sanctioned 10K this Sunday! Crazy!
Thank you all for sticking by during the slow times, and you can bet the blog will be back in full-force starting Monday! I know I can count on my fitness friends to help me through the tough times and to help me stay on track!
Prep Bowls: Your Adversary in the Battle with Portion Control
1 Cup, 2 Cup, 3 Cup - BUNCH!
Today I received an email from one of my readers asking how I was able to successfully get my portions controlled. After settling down from the pure excitement of actually having someone send me a question via email (I know - lame!) - I thought to myself, "Self - Maybe it's time to start a In the Kitchen with Miller segment on the blog - and now here we are, all live and in 3D. $13 please. Wait. Nevermind. Sorry.
Anyway - I wanted to share something that my wife bought us about two years ago. They are made by KitchenAid (they look a little different now) and are called Prep Bowls.
My set consists of three bowls (1 Cup, 2 Cup, & 3 Cup) that are labelled on the bottom and each have air tight lids.
I use them when dividing up food to quickly ensure that I am only eating the suggested serving size of whatever it is I am eating. For example, I love cheese curls. Instead of messing around with measuring cups, I just grab the 2 cup bowl (which is the suggested serving size) and fill it up. Done.
Sound simple? It is. Simple and effective. These Prep Bowls help me stick to my Golden Rule when it comes to portion control that I try my best to stick to each day:
Never eat from the bag or container the food came in. There's no way to be nice about this, so I am just gonna let that asshole "Fat Miller" say it.
<FatMiller> Don't be a dumb ass. I mean it. I love you all too much for that. You know as well as I do that neither of us is going to eat one serving out of a bag of chips, box of cookies, or carton of ice cream. There is a reason they show the serving size on the package. Really. Believe me. I know - I didn't want to believe it either, but it's true. Live by it. Don't eat two portions and wonder why you didn't reach your goal or get a tummy ache. By putting it into a prep bowl, you've measured out the serving, and when it's gone, it's gone. </FatMiller>
Whew! What a dick. But he is right.
Another important thing that comes from using these for awhile is that you become more aware of how "much" a cup really is. A lot of times I would short-change myself and think I was eating more than a cup of something only to find out I could have ate more.
Let's work "smarter" on getting into shape and not "harder"...
Do have a question for me, Fat Miller, or Skinny Miller? Just send us an email at: questions at retroactiv dot com
Retroactiv. Featured on “Quality of Life Publication”…
Be sure to head over to the Quality of Life Publication and show them some love for featuring us on the front page today! It's awesome to see so many positive people helping to spread the word about my journey. Hopefully it inspires others to start theirs as well...
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Being Healthy is a Journey, Not a Destination
When I decided to take control of my health, I originally had a goal. That goal involved losing weight. However, as I began to work to reach my goal - one thing became very apparent - I started to LOVE to workout. At first, it was horrible. Coughing up phlem, sore knees and arms, and generally feeling like shit all the time. Trust me - when you first start out - you will NOT like it.
Eventually, however, I reached a plateau where it was no longer a chore to workout - it was fun. Instead of dreading going to the gym or running at the park, I began to look forward to it. That's when I began to realize that, losing weight and getting into shape is a journey, a never-ending quest to stay fit, and in turn, stay happy. It is not a destination or someplace you get to and stop. It's a place you reach, and once you get there, you realize "holy shit - I feel amazing!" After that it's about maintenance and STAYING in shape so that you don't end up exactly where you started - fat and miserable.
This summer marked the first time in many years that we attended a water park as a family. I previous years, it was because "I am broke" or "I am too busy", or my favorite, "It's Not Fun". Right. Like careening down a water slide on an inner-tube with your family isn't a blast? Who was I kidding. I was fat - and didn't want to be seen with my shirt off. I can tell you now that we went to the waterpark twice this past summer - and we had a BLAST. We had so much fun that we are planning on going quite a few times this summer.
Now that I have reached this point in my journey, I have come to a revelation. After 15 years of working at a desk creating and managing interactive experiences - I want more. I want to inspire people. I want to help people. I want to show people that their "no I can't" attitude can be changed with hard work, perseverance, and a little motivation.
In April, I am proud to say that I will become a NETA Certified Group Exercise Instructor. Being healthy is a journey, not a destination, and I cannot wait to see how the next part of mine unfolds. A special thanks goes out to my amazing wife for all her love and support...
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- From Dream to Reality: My First Sanctioned 10k
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