At Long Last (Shameless Self Promotion)...

After many years of spinning my wheels, I am proud to say... I am a podcaster! This is something I have wanted to for a very long time. I have bought equipment and made plans and gone nowhere. I tried to get something going at work and that has never really taken off. About a year a half to two years ago one of my best friends suggested we do a podcast. He and I have wanted to collaborate on something for years but he lived up north and I lived here. We planned it all out. We had a name, a logo, a format (kind of) and we were ready to go. Then we didn't. About a year ago another of my best friends off-handly mentioned his desire to do a podcast and would that be something that interested me. He and I got a bit further with ours, but still nothing. Finally, after growing tired of waiting, I decided to combine efforts and see if the three of us could pull this off. Erik had recently moved back to Texas so we had no more excuses. I gathered all my equipment, opened up a website and gmail account got the ball rolling. Soon we had a Twitter account and Facebook page and were scheduled to record the first episode. Before the first episode Erik suggested the addition of a fourth host. With the team in place it was time to record.

On February 4th we gathered around my kitchen table and recorded the first episode of Too Nerdy For TV. It was a blast. We all had a great time. There were some technical issues and it was wired so crazy with the equipment we had I'm shocked it sounded as good as it did. February 8th, despite some MAJOR problems from our web host, we were live with "The Saga Begins", the premiere episode of our show. We had planned to meet up again to record the second episode but life got in the way and we were still having some major problems with the site. We worked all the bugs out, found a new web host, got a proper domain, and finally got this beast some life.

We recorded two more episodes over the weekend and we are now live in iTunes. We are working really hard on this show and I am so excited to be in iTunes. We release new episodes on Wednesdays. We are a work in progress and we appreciate any feedback you can give us. Head on over to www.toonerdyfortv.com and check us out. Follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and subscribe to the show. I cannot say enough how proud I am of this show and how cool it is to have my name on iTunes. #humblebrag

\m/ IS NOT TRY \m/

Don't call it a comeback...

So last week I hit a wall with my workout. For some reason my motivation was GONE. I have been going hard core for 5 weeks and once I hit week 6 i just hit a wall. I talked to come friends and did some internal searching and I think I figured out what the problem was: I could not get out of my own head.

I did an update for 4 weeks which was half way through my program. I was not seeing the numbers I thought I should have and I was suddenly feeling like it was no longer worth it. I got up inside my dead and was psyching myself out. I have since realized that I was being stupid and it did not matter. I also Tweeted/Facebooked my plight to @GSPRushfit and for about an hour or so I became a Twitter celebrity. There was such an influx of support from random people on Twitter. It was humbling. No one said anything overly profound or motivational, it was just having the support from total strangers that kicked me back in to high gear.

I think part of my problem is that I weigh in every day. I have a 1/10 pound scale so I can see every change. That is good and bad. I know some people do not even weigh in or they only do out of curiosity. I am sure there is a split on each side of the fence for that. For me, it helps. It does motivate me and it helps me know what causes me to gain and lose. At the same time I was hoping for more dramatic losses by the numbers than I have seen. I understand the biology behind it and know that muscle weighs more than fat and this program is definitely building muscle. That does not always help. I am focusing on the inches and physical results over the actual weight numbers and I am doing great. I have two weeks left on this run. I am taking a couple of weeks off Rushfit after I finish to focus on my cardio. I have just about finished my homemade equipment and will have pictures posted soon. For now I am still pushing through and having fun. Can't wait for the end of week 8 to see where I am on my measurements and such.

\m/ IS NOT TRY \m/

Call me cheap if you want...

Short update today. Working on a few projects at home. I have a 4-day weekend coming up so I have some time to play around with some stuff. I am closing in on the end of Level I of Rushfit. I have three weeks left. Between now and the beginning of Level II I am trying to get some more equipment. I am looking to add the following items:

TITLE MMA Training and Fitness Dummy - $100 + $22 shipping = $122

TITLE Uppercut Bag - $90 + $25 shipping = $115

TITLE Double End Bag - $40 + free shipping = $40

Total for these items is $277. I am not spending $277. My using items around the house and some pseudo dumpster-diving I am going to be able to make all the items listed above for less than $50 (I think maybe even less than $30). I will post updates as I finish things. Short version:

Dummy = old carpet (wrapped in duck tape)

Uppercut bag = 50 lbs of play sand and old clothes in an old duffle bag. (possibly wrapped in duck tape)

Double End Bag = kids bounce ball (wrapped in duck tape)

I am really excited to get my "gym" finished. I have considered an actual MMA gym, but since I have no plans to actually fight anyone and I am just doing this for fun I see no need to pay expensive gym fees and the gas to get there (closest gym is 30 miles away). I will post pictures when everything is done.

I have about half of THIS built, but I can't seem to figure out exactly how to finish it. With everything else I am making, it is not that big a deal.

\m/ IS NO TRY \m/

So this is what I've been up to...

I found some good videos on YouTube that highlight the workout I have been doing.











It has been intense, but fun. This one is my favorite:



I was not in any kind of shape when I started this and was able to do this program. It is hard, but there are plenty of modifications available. I definitely prefer this over P90X or Insanity. It seems more approachable and I like that GSP does the workout with you. Several times it is said "If Georges is have a problem doing this, there is not shame if you are."

SIDE NOTE: Some friends and I have started a podcast. Too Nerdy For TV. We are having some hosting issues but the first episode is available for download. It will be properly posted and on iTunes soon. Give it a listen. Thanks

IS NO TRY \m/

Before and After at 4 Weeks...

Here are my before and after pics after 4 weeks. I have also included some links to what I have been using to workout. Equipment, resources, etc.

Click to enlarge. Before on the left, after on the right

Click to enlarge. Before on the left, after on the right

Click to enlarge. Before on the left, after on the right

As you can see, after only 4 weeks there is a definite progress. As I said previously, I am half way through the beginner program. Below are some links to things that I use to help me along.

Equipment -
Most all my equipment comes from one of three places: Academy, Title MMA, or Title Boxing

Program -
As I said before I am using GSP Rushfit. All that is required is a set of dumb bells. I use a set of 5s and 8s. Start small. Trust me. Its about the reps, not the weight.

Motivations and Advise -
A great resource, at least for me, is Nerd Fitness. It is an interesting approach to fitness.

Tracking progress -
The best app out there for tracking your progress is by far LoseIt. It is vital to my success.

\m/

PS: This what I plan to reward myself with. If I hit 100 lbs each side plate will have the engraved, and instead of CHAMPION, it will say IS NO TRY. Not sure what I will do if I alter the goal to account for muscle gain. It is available from Title Boxing.

One month down, one to go...

Back in January, I started the Georges St. Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) RUSHFIT (@GSPRushfit) program. It is very similar to P90X and Insanity. I knew I needed to get in shape. Not even back in shape as I have never really been in shape to begin with. I did some homework and found RUSHFIT to be the best fit for me (no pun intended). I do not find the trainer to be annoying like Tony Horton and the program seemed much more approachable than others of it kind. Also, I am a big UFC fan and was intrigued by GSP doing the workout. I have completed the first half of the beginner program. I followed the program as best I could with my crazy schedule. I may not have done every workout the day it said to, but I did every workout for the week. I finished all but one workout (I got overheated) and it has been a major challenge. I would like to talk about why I decided to do this.

It is kicking my fat butt!!!

I have always been a big guy. I did what most big guys do, I developed a good sense of humor. I made them laugh with me not at me. I also developed a rather self-deprecating sense of humor. Make fun of myself so they can't make fun of me. I have been like this for as long as I can remember. Back in 2007 I hit 320 lbs. It did not bother me at that point because I was in a really bad marriage and my weight was not something I really cared about. Shortly after my (now ex-)wife and I started divorce proceedings and I sunk in to a deep depression. This was the end of June. Around September a friend made mention of how much weight I had lost. I got on a scale and had lost over 40 lbs. in less than three months. My weight continued to fluctuate over the next several years. I had lost a total of 60 lbs. on "The Divorce Diet" but slowly gained most of it back.

Last year my son and I were playing and I was told that I was "too fat to be a Power Ranger." Now I know he did not mean it, but it hurt. So I started working out. I used the LoseIt app to track my calories in and out and did really well. Then life happened and I stopped working out and tracking my meals and such. I use the excuse that I had to get an Android phone and at the time there was no Android app, but I could have made it work. I made myself a promise the day I was dubbed "too fat to be a Power Ranger" that I would never break 300 lbs. again. I tracked my weight off and on and always made sure that stayed true, but was not really trying. I tried boxing right before my wife and I divorced and LOVED it. I was always a wrestling fan and boxing seemed to be a cool way to work out. I also am a huge UFC fan, which is what attracted me to Rushfit.

I am not sure what led me to get things going now. It's not a New Year's Resolution. I have been planning this for a few months and would have started back before the holidays but it was the holidays and we were travelling a lot, and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, I joke that just in case the world ends in December this is my last chance to be in shape. I call it my "fat free apocalypse". I just finally found some motivation to make a change in my life. In the last month I have lost about 10 lbs and around 3 inches on my waist. I have a goal to reward myself when I hit 220 lbs. since that is 100 lbs. below my heaviest. I have since realized that I am building a good deal of muscle so I am not sure when I will reward myself. I will make that decision when the time comes. In the mean time I am going to keep plugging away and take my lead from Master Yoda...

In Defense of Android (Part the 2nd)

Previously, on Geek in the Heart of Texas... My EVO crashed and I had decided to try out a custom mod. Around this same time I was given a tablet to test drive...

So I had been researching custom Android mods for a while and had come to the conclusion that CyanogenMod was the way to go. I read up on how to flash the rom and was ready. Using Revolutionary, I rooted my phone and flashed CyanogenMod 7 (CM7). It was like I had a brand new phone. I was amazed at how much better CM7 was than the stock HTC Sense UI. I found no issues with apps or anything. It made me love Android that much more. I have played around with jail breaking and iPhone and was not really impressed. This is so much better.

Around this same time I was given a Viewsonic GTab to play around with as a potential gift for my grandfather. The stock rom and UI is TERRIBLE. Five minutes after using it I went searching for a new mod. I decided to go with CM7 as well. Now it is a bit buggy being a tablet and a custom mod, but it works beautifully. I have used my iPad less and less since getting this tablet. If I can figure out how to load my eboks on it, I may not have much more use for my iPad. I would love to get my hands on a proper Android tablet, but this one it pretty slick.

Overall, my experience has been wonderful. My biggest obstacle was how to get out of Android what I was getting out of iOS. Below is a list of things I needed my Android to do that my iPhone/iPad did and how it solved it. Many times the solution works better on Android...

Sync Contacts, Calendars, Email, etc.: I use Gmail and Google Calendar. With my iPhone it was hard to keep my Gmail contacts clean because my Amy (my iMac) always wanted seemed to duplicate entries. I used iCal and had the same results. Android syncs to the cloud seamlessly and I have no problems with duplicate entries.

Sync Music: iTunes does not sync with Android well, and OSX even less. I use Amazon Cloud and Google Music. Prefer Google Music.

Apps: on this, they are about even. Although I do like that I can buy and app from Amazon from anywhere and download it later. Such as at work where I do not have wifi or a good signal. I can buy an app on Amazon and download it when I get home. I no longer have to wait until I have a signal or get back to Amy to buy apps. I can buy it right then and don't have to worry about forgetting.

eBooks: I still use my iPad for iBooks. I have a really good reader on my GTab, but I am still struggling with adding content. iOS wins that round.

Storage: I CAN UPGRADE MY STORAGE! I recently bought a 32GB card for my phone. With iPhone you must decide at that moment what storage space you want and hope its enough. Also, I can take the card out and load it as an external drive to manage files if I need to.

Podcasts: Recently, as in this week, I have found a podcast aggrigator that will download my podcasts directly to my phone so I do not have to carry around a separate device for my podcasts. This can be done in iOS as I understand it, but this keeps me from having to carry more than one device.

In closing, I love iOS. I loved my iPhone. I love my iPad. Android serves my purposes better. Hopefully if you are on the fence about whether to go iOS or Android, this helped a little. Now that the iPhone is on Sprint, I have been asked several times if I am going to go back to an iPhone when my upgrade comes around. No, I am not. Android works for me and I can't see myself going back to iOS for my phone.