NBA Finals: Game 4 Preview

Game 4 is tonight! I’m happy that I don’t have to wait 2+ days to watch another game. As Cleveland prepares themselves to even up the series and Golden State looks to go home with a 3 games to 1 advantage. Before we get ahead of ourselves here, there are many questions to be answered.

Will the Cavs come out like they did in game 3?

They were tough on defense. On offense they appeared to be the on their A-game. This trend started early on in game 3. If the Cavs can come out the gate with the same intensity, Golden State watch out! Cleveland will need to get some more help out of their bench. Then again when you’re playing as good as Cleveland did and do such a great job at shutting down the other team’s key players, who needs a bench?

Will Kevin Love play?

It is said that we will know if Kevin Love will be able to play by the time he arrives at the “Q”. His status is TBD.

Is Cleveland Better Without Love?

They did go 4-0 in the games he didn’t play this season. They also thumped the defending champs in game 3 without him. If Kevin Love plays and Cleveland loses we’ll find out the truth to that question.

Which Stephen Curry will show up?

Maybe he was disappointed about his “Chef Curry Suburban Dad kicks”. Maybe this is Curry’s way of saying that he’s supporting Donald Trump. I’m sure these’ll be a hit at the next rally! (LOL) All jokes aside, Stephen Curry needs to shake off that voodoo and start cooking like Ayesha…but on the court…and not in those “Chef Curry 2s“. In Curry’s defense he did go 24-0 in white shoes this season.

Klay? Where art thou?

Dubs fans are really hoping Klay’s thigh is fine. He disappeared in game 3. Once he left the game and headed to the locker room, it was as if he stayed in there. Hopefully, the trainers were able to get him fixed in time for game 4. The Warriors can’t afford a “Klay Thompson Disappearance Act.”

Will Steve Kerr tweak his game plan?

With Love out the lineup you cannot attack the Cavs the same way. It’s not rocket science and I think the Dubs coaching staff is well aware of it. Tonight we’ll see if Kerr decides to switch things up a bit in time for tip-off.

Will Kyrie deliver?

Kyrie, like Klay Thompson for the Dubs, has to show up like he did in game 3. Kyrie shot a slightly about 30% in games 1 and 2. Game 3, he came out and shot almost 50%. There’s a big difference in 20%. If Kyrie can continue shooting in the mid-to-upper 40s, Cleveland will be in better shape. He just adds another arsenal to their firepower.

What will Jeff Van Gundy say this game?

Van Gundy is like the Bernie Sanders of the analyst squad. Some of the things he says and suggest are head scratchers whereas, some things are quite thought provoking. I find his “Van Gundyisms” pretty amusing. Like, “If Kyle Korver blocks your shot there should be a penalty box you go to,” or saying that Dorris Burke was “on fleek” then went on to attempt to quote DJ Khaled by saying “Like I told the streets, blessed up.” If it isn’t a funny quote it’s his rule suggestions. He hates the Hack-A-“insert terrible free throw shooter here” rule and would like to reform the fouling out rule. One day in my lifetime, I may be lucky enough to see a Van Gundy rule enacted.

Questions…questions…questions. All will be answered at 9 pm!

Cleveland’s Resurgence

Following two double digit loses in Oakland, Cleveland had some answering to do when they arrived back in Ohio. And they answered! LeBron James became “LeBron James” and took a more dominant approach to game three. With Kevin Love out of the lineup, the Cavaliers were without one of their key players. That didn’t stop Cleveland from jumping out to a commanding first quarter lead which they never let up from.

LeBron James shot the ball more than he did in game one or game two. Kyrie Irving played a key part in the win. He demanded the ball and made his shots count. J.R. Smith was back at it, hitting contested jumpers. Cleveland played like a team whose backs were against the walls. Game three for Cleveland was just as important as a game seven. It was a must win for them.

The Cavs were able to contain Stephen Curry. He ended the game with an un-Stephen like box score. Despite his 19 points, he had 6 turnovers, 3 assist and 1 rebound in 31 minutes. The glaring stat here…six turnovers!

At times it looked as if Curry had “checked out”. Most people who have played basketball can attest to times when they’ve “checked out”. For Curry, it’s the equivalent to having a bad day at work. You’ll have your days when you’re in the “zone” but there’s always the exact opposite to that.

We can lament on the fact that Curry had a bad game or praise the Cavs for their play in game three. They attacked on offense and their defense was the stingiest it has been in these three games. The Warriors couldn’t find the bucket early on while the Cavs were full on the home cooking. In this game the Cavs were just more prepared.

Draymond Green wasn’t the same person who went off for 28 in game two. He was unable to make the same moves, make the same passes and have the game tilted in his favor. For those who thought the series would be done in four games, you were very wrong.

It should be a rule: “If LeBron is healthy, you cannot write his team off.” Simple as that! Everyone saw what LeBron and his minions did last year in the finals without Irving or Love.

Cleveland essentially has been the black hole for sports. The Browns have struggled year after year. They are just getting from underneath the whole Johnny Manziel saga. The Indians have not been legitimate contenders for a while (correct me if I’m wrong). Cleveland’s last triumph in the sports world may have been when Shawn Porter beat Adrien Broner in an unanimous decision. With one game in the win column for the Cavs their fans have reason to be excited, but should not forget that it is a seven game series.

Expect to see Golden State come out much differently. Like I said previously, this series is about matchups. It seemed as if Richard Jefferson tapped into his New Jersey Nets days. He looked like the better fit in the starting lineup compared to Kevin Love. It would be interesting to see how head coach, Tyronn Lue, has his lineup for game four. Kevin Love will either be back or very close to returning. Do you stick him in the starting lineup or do you keep him out? That is the question.

Come, Friday June 10th at 9 pm each team will be faced with many questions which they’ll be responsible for answering to. The big questions being, Can Cleveland continue playing like they did in game three or will Golden State wake-up and shake off the jet lag?

*pictures taken from http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2016/06/lebron_james_cavs_warriors_gam_1.html. I do not own these pictures, Thank you!

The Wonderful Election of 2016

Please excuse my political informalities. I’m not big into politics but I do have eyes and ears. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, which makes America so great. It’s funny how this country was founded to escape the tyrannical hand of the British government. People traveled across the Atlantic searching for freedom. Once Independence was won, those who won their freedom turned the tides onto the other people living in the country and subjected them to years of being more-or-less a prisoner.

The purpose of this post is not to argue about racial injustice or anything in that matter. It’s about the upcoming elections and the wonderful candidates we have running. These candidates are so wonderful that many have even entertained the idea of moving out of the country. What’s comical about it is that Americans have been adversed about allowing political refugees into our country but we are so quick to disperse when faced with any type of political headache.

Donald Trump, the infamous real estate mogul who created his empire from a small loan of a million dollars. He’s the same person who wants to build a wall to keep the “Mexicans” out and would like to identify Muslims by having them wear some type of identification. Sounds a bit crazy if you ask me. Before I start bashing Mr. Trump, I’d like to say that his outspokenness is one trait that I admire in him. I’m not saying I love the guy, but his ability to speak his mind despite it not being the popular idea is a very commanding trait to have. We are required to have tact today’s society. People are sensitive creatures and words have power. Although, I like the fact that he can voice his opinions and thoughts so openly, there is a time and place for such a censor-less person. As a political candidate running for president…I’m not sure that this is the right position for such a person.

America is a melting pot. It’s full of African-Americans, Arabs, Asians, Latinos, Whites, Indians, etc. We have to learn to live together. Shielding away a group of people because of their beliefs, culture, race or color is ludicrous. Is America’s real problem the amount of illegal immigrants taking these heavily desired jobs? Or is America’s issue the terrorist? Because everyone knows all Muslims are terrorist right?

I find both these issues to be a cover up for what the real issues are. I don’t know all Muslims, but I know quite a few. There are bad Muslims and good Muslims. Same as there are good and bad Christians. In America (and maybe in the world in general) we are subjugated to stereotypes. You can thank the media for that. Mexicans are either migrant workers or in the cartel. Arabs are terrorist or womanizing pigs. African-Americans are thugs and criminals, Asians do martial arts and excel at math and Whites are stuck up and arrogant power hungry people. Right? Wrong! Have the media tell it, that’s what you’ll see.

20th March 1922: Members of the white supremacist movement, the Ku Klux Klan standing by an aeroplane, out of which they dropped publicity leaflets over Washington DC. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

I guarantee there are no Muslim, Ku Klux Klan members. The Ku Klux Klan terrorized the minorities for their own gain in attempts to “Make America Great Again” in their eyes. I’m sure many Ku Klux Klan members owned a bible or attended church. They ~~were~~ are a domestic terrorist organization. If some can be identified as Christians does that make all Christians domestic terrorist? If all Christians are not domestic terrorist then all Muslims certainly cannot be terrorist. It’s uneducated ideology that brings us to these assumptions. That and close mindedness.

Jobs being given to illegal immigrants is not the issue. These illegal immigrants aren’t occupying high ranking positions or in lucrative careers. They are doing the work that Americans simply don’t have a desire to do. What about the thousands of jobs being outsourced to Mexico, China and India? What about the international workers who are being brought in by large companies to work for them? A wall is superficial barrier that exudes power and authority. Kingdoms in the Medieval times created walls to keep their enemies at bay (i.e. Game of Thrones). It’s not like the movie World War Z where like the zombies, the immigrants are trying to compromise the gates. It’s just not like that. I wonder who would be working on the wall anyways? Immigrant labor? Who knows?!

Donald Trump who probably do best in a time when closed minded thinking was far more acceptable. Maybe in the 40’s or 50’s his ideology would of sufficed but in today’s more progressive society when need to learn to get along and co-exist instead of excluding and targeting on a few minority groups. No one can say for sure what Trump’s impact on the government would be. However, one can hypothesize that if Trump does become president that we’d be in far worse shape than we are now. Then again, most candidates would put us in far worse shape than we are now. The ideal Utopia is not realistic.

Trump is the easy scapegoat. The easy target. With an unfiltered mouth, terrible hairdo and absurd suggestions, it makes sense that he’d be the one with the large KICK ME sign. What about the Democrats? I don’t want you to think I’d give them a pass either.

Hilary Clinton…a name synonymous to Bill Clinton (our 42nd president). Bill had a love/hate relationship with the citizens. Some loved him for what he did in office while some hated what he did in office. On one hand I’m happy to see that over 9o years after the passing of the 19th Amendment that we have a real chance at seeing a woman being elected as president. While on the other, Hilary may not be the right woman for presidency.

Hillary has many of her own issues. On the plus side of things she has a political background, however, her stance on issues may leave proponents and those on the fence to scratch their heads. Then comes the whole e-mail scandal. I’m not a hundred percent knowledgable about the whole ordeal but when it comes to our national security and the measures put in place to insure it, there’s no wiggle room for misconduct. With threats looming all over the world, it’s important to have a candidate that we can trust. We don’t need a president handling TOP SECRET documents from their personal account. I could go further in depth on Hillary’s political stance on various topics but that’s not what I’m addressing. It’s simply about who we have running for president.

I’m not rooting for either candidate. I’m lost in this whole political “show” going on. The next four years will be quite interesting to say the least when either Trump or Clinton takes office. Each candidate feels like their just chomping at the bit for the power the presidency entails and not in a good way. I didn’t forget about Bernie Sanders either but is he still legitimately in the running? We’ll speak on ol’ Bernie later. For right now I’m just focusing on some of the outlandish things I’ve heard.

Trump’s antics are a bit overboard when compared to Clinton’s. No one knows what the outcome will be in November. Why worry? Just think – in 2020, we will be honored to have Kanye West running for president! This whole political thing is becoming a joke!

Can Cleveland Rebound?

Down two games to none, the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing an uphill battle. In the two games played at the Oracle Center, Golden State had Lebron James and the Cavaliers’ number. I foresaw the Cavaliers losing in the Bay Area but not in the type of fashion that they did. The Cavs lost back-to-back games by a total of 48 points. With the possible loss of Kevin Love for game 3, the Cavaliers are in a bit of “pickle”.

Before the series, I kept saying that matchups would be key. A mismatch can provide for some big advantages. Last year, Cleveland was without Kevin Love and lost All-Star point guard, Kyrie Irving in game one. LeBron put on his superman cape but despite his valiant efforts his team fell two games shy of hoisting the O’Brien trophy.

This year, Lebron didn’t have to wear that cape (or so he thought). Love and Irving were healthy and ready to go. They added deep shooter, Channing Frye to potentially tap into his inner Robert Horry. Their head coach, David Blatt, was let go in favor for Tyronn Lue. Everyone saw as Cleveland dismantled the Detroit Pistons, whacked the Atlanta Hawks and gave Drake and the Toronto fans something to cheer about as they gave up two games in the six game series. At the end of the day, Cleveland made sure to take down their foes from across the border.

Golden State was supposed to be here. They won 73-games, best regular season record in NBA history. Oklahoma City Thunder had Golden State on the edge. Reminiscent of Oklahoma City they choked. Giving up three straight games to bow out of the Western Conference Finals.

With the added man power Cleveland has this year, they should be able to put up a fight. Like, Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier in ’71 – “The Fight of the Century”. Instead, the Golden State Warriors are looking like Ali in the Sonny Liston rematch.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we must remember that this is the NBA. This is the Cleveland Cavaliers with the best all-around player in the world in LeBron James, uber-talented guard Kyrie Irving and the man they traded their #1 draft pick (Andrew Wiggins) for in Kevin Love. They are going back home to the “216”. There’s no place like home! It could be a whole other story by game 4.

I’m no Charles Barkley, Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy. It doesn’t take an expert to see that Cleveland is in matchup hell. While James is being hounded by Andre Igoudala or Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson is handling Kyrie Irving. Kevin Love continues to channel in his inner shooting guard and linger around the perimeter making it easy for Andrew Bogut to man the paint against Tristian Thompson. Stephen Curry handles the other guard and Draymond can concentrate on taking advantage of his matchup against Kevin Love.

Then comes the bench. The Warriors bench has been able to manipulate Cleveland. Shaun Livingston’s length is wreaking havoc while Iman Shumpert’s hair struggles to resemble a hair-do. The Warriors are so hot right now that it’s making everyone thirsty.

So what does Cleveland have to do to beat Golden State?

LeBron…be LeBron!

When you’re the best player on the court you have to act like it. Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals, LeBron shot 38 times. Game 2, he put the ball up 35 times.

What about this year? Game 1, he shot the ball 21 times and game 2 only 17 times. Simply put, LeBron shot more times in game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals than he has in the two games in this year’s finals.

What’s the difference? Last year, Cleveland was without Love and Irving. Timofey Mosgov had a bigger impact but ultimately, Cleveland was tied 1-1 in the series last year and the games were much closer. Either LeBron takes over or his team will falter…yet again.

Limit Turnovers

The more turnovers you have the less likely you are to win. That wasn’t the case in game 2. Despite, Golden State’s 20 turnovers they were able to do more than squeak out a win. If the Cavs want a legitimate chance at rebounding from being 2 games behind they can’t turn the ball over as much. Twenty is a lot of turnovers but so is 17. The Cavs had 17 turnovers in game 2 and LeBron had 7 of those! You simply can’t do that especially when going up against the reigning NBA champs and arguably one of the best teams in NBA history.

Where’s the bench?

Richard Jefferson is the grandfather of the time. At 35-years-old he’s an old man in the NBA world. That didn’t stop him from being the best player off the Cavs bench. Surprisingly (so far), he’s the leading scorer off the bench. Where’s Shumpert, Frye, Dellavedova? Maybe put Shumpert into the starting lineup to try to have some fire power off the bench in J.R. Smith. He was the Sixth Man of the Year in 2013. Obviously he thrives coming off the bench as he did last year with the Cavs. They simply don’t have the production off the bench to compete.

No love for Kevin

Kevin Love has been beaten, battered and bruised during his short stint in the NBA Playoffs. The playoffs were a mirage in the distance for him while he was in Minnesota. In his two years with Cleveland – he’s made it past April but staying on the court has been his biggest hurdle. Last year, he was injured in the Boston series. This year, the “power guard” has been able to keep on the court but still hasn’t played like his former Minnesota Timberwolves-self. A blow to the back of the head by a Harrison Barnes elbow might leave Love out of the lineup for game 3. A very IMPORTANT game 3. Kevin is going to have to find some love in the playoffs if Cleveland is to challenge Golden State.

It’s all about the GREEN!

Draymond is the X-factor. Cleveland shut down the “Splash Brothers” in game 1. They still suffered a loss. Golden State’s bench was far more superior. Game 2, Draymond went Draymond. He’s not the same Draymond he was last year. He might be even more effective this year. He has the staunch defensive poise and put his offensive skill on display in game 2. His energy is contagious and he’s a workhorse on the court. Taking a page out of Dellavedova’s 2015 Finals Handbook when he was the pest on the court. If the Cavs can’t contain him then they’ll be looking forward to June 23^rd earlier than thought.

With the Cavaliers heading back to Cleveland they’ll be working out the kinks. Tyronn Lue is a new coach, so was Steve Kerr last year. Cleveland got the players they needed and now that everyone’s (mostly) healthy there can’t be no more excuses. I’d hate to see a sweep after such a great series in the last round. I’m not looking for the lack of sports on TV until football rolls around if this series becomes a short one. Luckily, I’ll have the Olympics to watch after the Warriors give Tyronn Lue and the Cleveland Cavs the Allen Iverson Treatment.

M.I.A. – Workout Journal

It’s been a few days (more like 11) since I wrote in my journal. These (almost) 2 weeks has been very eventful to say the least. I received a new job, really got emerged into this new novel I have been writing, been working on a video project with my siblings and have been trying to figure out other ventures to get myself into.

In the midst of all of that, I still adhered to my goal of losing weight and ultimately becoming more physically fit and healthy. Since I’ve started my workout regimen and better eating habits, I’ve lost six pounds! Now as minuscule as it may seem, seeing some type of progress is always rewarding.

My eating habits have improved a bit. In other words, I have not had any fried foods, candy, pop or anything fatty. Although, the best foods seem to be the worst for you I have felt better since cutting those out of my diet.

I made sure to get into the gym even on the days that I really didn’t want to go. I didn’t feel like running, lifting weights or anything on those days. Instead of working out, I wanted to relax and watch TV. But, last time I checked, relaxing and watching television did not contribute to my physical health. Maybe, my mental health but in the long run the TV and sofa would be there when I was done with my workout.

Sticking to a regimen is difficult. No matter what it is. It takes discipline and lots of it. Despite my negligence to write in my journal, I’ve adhered to a regimen. I read plenty of articles on what time to not eat after. One article I read was written by Deborah Enos on LiveScience.com. Enos writes,

“It takes about three hours to digest a typical dinner of about 600 calories that includes some protein, carbohydrates and veggies. If you finish eating around 6p.m. and then stay up to watch the news, by the time 9:30 hits you’ll be feeling hunger pangs.”

This was based on stopping eating around 6 p.m. which for me (and many others) is dang near impossible. I mean, I’m getting off work around 6 p.m. Personally, I don’t enjoy eating a large lunch while at work. Much of my eating comes after 5 or 6 p.m. We can try to live according to what the experts advise but it’s simply not realistic. I’m definitely not my dad who is always in bed by 9 or 10 p.m. For me it’s not possible. After a day of work, I have more work to do. My first job being writing. Which means I’ll be up well past 9.

So, instead of cutting off my eating by 6 or 7, I stuck to not eating past 10. I know it seems late but I’m not usually in bed until midnight or 1 a.m. Then there comes my other issue. Sleep. Getting enough rest is another part of being healthy and ultimately losing weight. I try. I really do try to get an adequate amount of sleep but that never seems to work out the way I would like it to. On a good day, I’ll get about 7 hours of sleep. That’s on a good day. Any other day it’s more like 6.

Having said all that, it makes it even more important to me that I make it to the gym and stay away from the delicious fried and greasy foods. I hit the treadmill/elliptical for at least 30 minutes, 4-5 days a week. After my cardio (and sometimes before) I take to lifting weights and doing aerobic exercises to strengthen my core.

This week has been difficult to eat right. Who can turn down barbecue chicken, ribs and mac n’ cheese? Memorial Day caused me to indulge a bit but, Tuesday I was back at it. Knocking off all those calories I took in the day before. Of course the gym was extremely humid. Five minutes in and I was looking like I jumped in the pool with my gym clothes on. Sweating is good though. As long as I have water nearby, I’d be just fine.

Water has become my best friend. I used to hate water. That tasteless, boring liquid! Since substituting water for pop and sugary drinks, I’ve felt a lot better physically. In addition to me feeling better physically, my workouts have become tolerable. I’m no longer cursing under my breath, 10 minutes in. Instead, I’m cursing underneath my breath at 20 minutes. Which is an improvement. Hopefully, soon, I’ll be able to stop cursing underneath my breath altogether.

I am beginning to feel much more comfortable with this lifestyle. I’m beginning to turn working out and eating healthier into a habit rather than a bi-weekly trial period. This is where it gets rough. Being able to stick to something like working out and eating healthier can be strenuous especially with the summer cookouts and holidays approaching. I encourage everyone who struggles with adhering to those habits to stick to it and have tenacity. Gains will come, even if it is shedding water weight.

Day 5

So after a much needed r&r day, I was back at it. I had promised myself that I was going to dedicate more time to working out today. That idea seemed to fade. More time working out? I have so much stuff I have to do. Or so I liked to tell myself.

After going back-and-forth mentally, I finally decided to go ahead and get my workout over and done with. I love working out alone. I never really understood why I didn’t like to work out when it was crowded. Maybe I was a bit self-conscious of my weight. To some, I was not even overweight. I don’t need a scale to feel overweight. I can just feel it. I can also see why many people are discouraged to work out. Getting into the gym is tough, especially with a life going on. Many people get caught up in poor habits. Work and family life consume our time. Working out becomes a novelty rather than a necessity.

I don’t fault anyone who struggles with their weight. It’s all relative. You reach a certain weight or size that you feel is unacceptable. Once you determine that, you now have to push yourself to do something about it. If I sit here and complain on how difficult and hard it is to work out then nothing gets done. Just pointless complaints.

Now back to my workout. There was a couple in the gym working out. I don’t know why I thought twice about going in. We’re all there for the same reason, right? I noticed how my expectations began to dwindle. I went from wanting to do a full workout to only wanting to do cardio. Of course I began to conjure excuses as to why cardio would be the best decision.

“Nope” – That’s how all of it starts. The process of slacking off. First there’s a goal, for example: Getting a full workout in. Second there’s a drop off in the goal expectation, such as: Because there are people occupying some of the machines and weights, I’ll just do cardio. Third, there’s the repetition. If I choose to slack off in one aspect, I tend to do the same in another area. Fourth, there’s a repetitive cycle of goal setting and drop off until finally it is completed. Your goal is now depleted (because of the goal drop-off) and now we’re stuck in slack-off mode.

So now that I’m saying ‘no’ to myself, I have to push myself even harder. I’m going to do my full workout as intended instead of slacking off. I made my mind up…final answer.

I ran for 30 minutes. Surprisingly my back did not ache at all. Usually that was a common thing during my workout. Ten minutes in and I felt like Mike Tyson after he fought Clifford Etienne. This only motivated to go harder. There must be some type of progress achieved if my back wasn’t giving me problems.

Mike Tyson explains his hurt back.

Once again, after 30 minutes of jogging/mild sprinting I took the weights. I vowed to do a complete workout today. I dedicated a hour out of my day to work out and that was what I was going to do for the remaining 30 minutes.

In the next 30 minutes, I did burpees, squats, chest presses (incline and decline), curls, overhead rows and sit-ups. By now, I was looking like someone threw a bucket of water over my head. My face was red, sweat covered the bench and I could feel my body groaning from the workout.

So far so good. Today, I didn’t eat particularily poorly. Plenty of water, some Chipotle (I had a B.O.G.O. free coupon; I had to use it!), another smoothie, my vitamins and some Raisian Bran Crunch. I’m really trying with the whole healthy-food kick. I’m getting there slowly but surely.

I noticed some changes since my first workout that I’m proud of. No longer am I “dying” after 10 minutes, I am able to keep a faster pace for longer which means I’m able to work harder. This is all good. It’s what I call progress, as small as it may be.

It’s pretty funny because my little brother and I used to be on this healthy-living regimen years ago. He’d run miles a day and I’d visit the gym almost daily. Well like I said that was years ago. Recently, he was seen my one of our uncles who said that he was starting to “get big”. He texted me right away. It was the same uncle who made sure that he was the first to notice my belly. No one wants to hear that they’re getting big. I’m pretty sure the individual who has gained weight notices that they’ve gained weight. I’m sure a reminder of how much weight we’ve gained would surely make us run to the gym (sarcasm). My point being, that we all fall off but our goals that we once had can still be put in place and achieved. Because I really don’t want to hear him talking about my “belly looking like my dad’s” anymore.

Day 4

As you can probably tell, day 4 was my rest day. I rested a bit too much yesterday and didn’t even bother to write in my journal. So today, I don’t have any sweaty exploits to speak about. I know it’s saddening.

Even though I may not be on the treadmill or lifting weights, I still have to make sure I eat right. I can’t sit around and make excuses to why I went out to grab something to eat. Part of losing weight is eating right and not choosing the easy way out. An out I’m very familiar with.

I’m far from perfect when it comes to what I eat. It’s hard out here for a picky-eater. Especially one who is not “adventurous” in trying new foods. I started the day off with a smoothie. I’m not a big breakfast person but it is the “single most important meal of the day” (I heard someone say it like that once). So I started off with a pineapple, mango, strawberry and peach smoothie, a banana, a vitamin and to top it off a granola all-natural energy bar (might I add it was safe for vegans).

I didn’t have to work so I would have a few more food options at my disposal. Instead of snacking on chips and sour gummy worms, I snacked on grapes, bananas, strawberries, celery, a few hard-boiled eggs and some Greek yogurt! (YUM!)

During the course of the day, I ran a few errands, cleaned out one of the cars and a whole bunch of other boring stuff that wasn’t very interesting. I fought off the temptation of Coca-Cola, french fries and sugary sweets the whole day. Instead, I had water. When I wanted that mocha frappuccino I turned to a bottle of water. When I saw that $1 any size drink on the billboard for McDonalds I suddenly wanted a coke. But…I had a bottle of water.

For dinner, I had tacos (which I made) with some lettuce, tomatoes (I’m not a big fan of un-melted cheese), tortilla and some delicious water. I’m trying this whole half-healthy eating thing. I decided to ease myself into the healthy eating world. I tried jumping in head first. It only lasted a week. So I hypothesized that if I ease into it, I’d be able to stay on track for longer than a week.

I hadn’t weighed myself since I started working out so I saw no need to start now. I’d weigh myself in a couple weeks and see where I’m at. For now, I’m easing into healthy eating and working out. I was able to finish some writing, even though my journal never was touched, I did accomplish something.

Day 6, wouldn’t be a rest day and I’d be back in the gym. I figured I pick up my work out routine as well. Add in some more weight lifting and more cardio. My soreness was subsiding and I was awkwardly anxious to hit the gym.

Day 3

I slacked off. The morning came around I stayed attached to the bed. I could feel the aches and pain from the previous day. Maybe I’ll make this my rest day, I said trying to comfort my mind into agreeing that it was okay to stay in bed a bit longer.

It was my off day, so I would work out once I ran all of my errands. I had other things I had to do which were “FAR” more important than my daily workout. I just HAD to run to the store to get some hair moisturizer and batteries and I just HAD to play that one NBA 2K16 game. Oh, let’s not forget an interview to go to later on. There was just no time to work out.

Time passed. I wasted my day away getting unimportant items (even though the batteries were for my scale) and the interview proved to be only a waste of time. Yet another dead end. It always seems that on your days off the day seems to be on fast forward. Before I knew it, it was 5 PM and I was lounging lazily on the sofa watching re-runs of the First 48.

A whole day of lounging and lying around wasn’t going to benefit me in no type of way. The hours spent in front of the television wouldn’t make me feel better in the morning. Pain leading to gains is much more rewarding than relaxing and gaining (pounds).

I dug deep and pushed myself to get ready. I was not interested in going to the gym but knew it was a necessity. Just like many of us are not interested in going to work but you have to sustain a living, the same goes to working out. If you want to lose weight you have to put in the work.

Today, I decided that I’d take a rest on the weights for today and hit the treadmill hard. I’d dedicate my whole workout to cardio. The gym was humid, yet again. This only meant that I’d be drenched in sweat in about 5-10 minutes. I was ready. I stretched out making sure my muscles wouldn’t tense up on me after my work out.

I started slow, gradually speeding up until I was at a steady jog. I was surprisingly able to maintain this speed for some time. Usually, after about five minutes or so, I’d start breathing heavier. Not this time. Hopefully, this was a sign of improvement.

Shortly after 10 minutes on the treadmill, I began to feel it. There was an aching in my leg (just one) and a slight pain in my back. If I stopped because of a little pain then I’d just be copping out. If I wanted to feel good about myself, I would have to challenge myself to finish. That’s exactly what I did. I turned my music up and concentrated on breathing and less about the pain. I kept my pace, every so often I’d check the time. Doing so only discouraged me. For how tired I was, I’d expect to be at least three-quarters of the way done. Negative, I was just about halfway through.

Just like the day before, I was drenched in sweat. It poured off my forehead into my eyes, fell from my arms and dripped from my face. It was uncomfortable, but it was also uncomfortable to haul around the extra 30 lbs. One way of thinking of it was that I was halfway through and a lot further than I was ten minutes ago. If I was able to put in 20 minutes, I’d be able to grit through.

I didn’t pay attention to the time. Before long, I noticed that my workout was nearing the end. Twenty-eight minutes in. Only two more to go. I was hurting but it was manageable. I was just happy to be done. I did some seated rows, back and bicep exercises after jogging.

I know I slacked off today considering all I did was a brief weight lift and 30 minute jog. I was just happy to get off the couch and do something productive. Day 3 was over!

There’s so much to losing weight outside of exercise. It’s about eating right, getting enough sleep and (for me) keeping a positive attitude. The days of late night snacks and sugary drinks are over. I would have to limit my carbohydrates, eat foods that would provide me with the nutrients I need for the day. Caloric intake is another thing I have to watch. I have a pizza addiction. Knowing that all the best food (including pizza) is not necessarily good for you is depressing. But I have to rationalize that losing weight is ultimately worth more than slice of pizza.

Day 2

This morning was rough. I felt the pain from the day before and it made me think twice about working out. Laying in bed wouldn’t help out in the long run. I’d be better off just sucking it up and going in and doing my 45-minute workout.

It was a slow walk. Almost void of motivation. The only motivator was the fact that I made it out the house and it would be a discouragement later in the day, knowing I didn’t even go through with what I set off to do. Another cold May morning. I was getting tired of these types of mornings.

Empty gym, which means that I could do whatever I wanted to do. Yell, grunt, groan or cry, I didn’t have to worry about anyone looking at me crazy. I figured I do my workout in reverse today; weights first then cardio.

I focused more on my legs today. Yesterday was mostly arms and upper body. I decided to keep it simple, squats and lunges. Four sets of twelve, just to get the blood flowing. It hurt. Every bend, stretch, rep, set, all of it hurt. Every set, I was closer to the end.

Next was the elliptical. The first day it kicked my butt pretty good. That’s what happens when you choose to forget to work out. Thirty minutes and I’d be done. Finished! Finito! Fin! I pushed through, fighting through the aches and slight pain that shot through my back. Every second I pushed harder. The harder I work, the better I will feel.

Ten minutes in. My shirt drenched like I jumped in the pool. Just think how my shirt will be after twenty minutes. “I have to push through” I said to myself over and over. “I’ll be happy with the outcome,” I had to reassure myself.

You never really feel satisfied until it’s all over. The process is sweaty, stinky and painful. In order to see gains…or a loss in my case, this was all part of HAS to be done.

Twenty minutes in. Ten more minutes to go. My shirt stuck to my body, drenched with sweat. It was uncomfortable. The gym was humid which made me perspire even more. Twenty-five minutes in. I could see the finish line. I just wondered if my body had the same vision I had. Every movement had me aching. I’d take the pain if it meant no “charlie horse”. I worked out weeks ago, just like I did today. As soon as I hit the stairs in my house I was laid out like Lebron in the 2014 Finals. Sprawled on the landing ,helpless, sporting the ugliest Jordan crying face. Pain shot through my legs. “Lord, take ’em – take my legs!” It was painful. All I could do is grit and bear it. Definitely didn’t want a repeat of that.

Finally it was all over! I’d cool down and day 2 was over. I took a bit of a push early on but the feeling after was refreshingly sweaty and a bit stinky. I can’t wait until these workouts are piece of cake. I little less huffing and puffing, but until then lets focus on day 3.

Day 1

The alarm went off at 7:00 am. I was already awake. Oddly enough, I was ready to workout. It took no time to get dressed and teeth brushed. I threw a hoodie on and left out. It is way too cold for May. A few days ago it was nice, upper 60’s – low 70’s. That nice spring time weather. It was more like 30 – 40 degrees.

The gym is not too far of a walk from where I live. It’s a small gym but has all the things that I need to knock off some weight. I’m not shooting to look like The Rock just yet. There was an older man in there on the treadmill. I figured if this old guy can do it, so can I.

I was going to take it light today. I didn’t want to discourage myself on day 1. So instead of weight lifting I took to the elliptical. I’ve done the treadmill plenty of times. I thought it was time to change it up.

The 30 minutes spent on the elliptical was grueling. Mainly because of how out of shape I was. I pushed myself. Ten minutes in, I was wanting to take a break. I had to push myself, if I made it ten minutes the next ten would be manageable.

After 20 minutes, I was drenched with sweat- keeping up a steady pace. There was no need to slow down now, I’ve been going hard for 20 minutes already. Ten more minutes, that’s about 3 songs. I was tired, sweat dripped in my eyes and my back began to give me sharp pains. I’m not going to let a little pain interrupt my 30 minutes!

The cool down came quicker than I expected. I did it! Persevered through a strenuous 30 minute elliptical work out. It was a start. A beginning. If I want to be less tired in those 30 minutes, I’d have to work towards it. Maybe by week two I’ll be going for 45 minutes or maybe I’ll be able to get through the 30 minutes without any aches or “pangs”.

I did a few chest presses, plank to push ups, curls and triceps extensions. That would be it for today now off to get ready for work. That was day 1. Now time to focus on day 2!