Back in December I made a post with some basic tips about getting in shape. Tips that helped me and I thought would help others. I also asked people to leave questions in the comments.

I’ll answer some questions here, but first I’ll update you on…

My current situation:

I’m still at my goal weight (135 lbs) and have been working on building muscle. Abs, arms, chest, and a little in my legs and my back. I’m still going to the gym a minimum of five times a week. Muscle building is going pretty well. It’s a slow moving process but it really pays off when you see the results. To aid muscle building I’ve been drinking Newtek’s Pro5 protein. This stuff is DELICIOUS (I have the chocolate flavor). You drink it three times a day: in the morning, post work out, and before bed.

As for my diet: in the morning I’ll usually have the Jimmy Dean D-Light Turkey Sausage Whole Grain Bagel. THE MOST DELICIOUS HEALTHY BREAKFAST PRODUCT IN THE WORLD. I can’t stop eating these, which is why I have one almost every morning. On top of that, I’ll drink a mix of non fat milk, the Pro5 and Carnation’s Breakfast Essentials (the no-sugar-added version). The combo of the Pro5 and Breakfast Essentials makes a delicious morning milkshake.

Lunch time: I’ll mix it up. Usually a homemade sandwich, a Lean Cuisine meal, or a turkey burger. Sometimes I’ll get lunch at my favorite it’s-not-bad-for-you restaurant like Chick Fil A. I’m also lucky to have great healthy restaurants around here. Most notably: The Veggie Grill or Fitness Grill. Google them if you’re in the Orange County, CA area.

Dinner time: Something like lunch time. Sandwich, Lean Cuisine, Turkey Burger.

Snacks once or twice during the day: those 100-calorie packs or a Fiber One bar.

Now, is this the most exciting diet? Maybe not to you, but I genuinely like this kind of food. I hate healthy foods. I’ve never had a taste for them. Fruits, vegetables… ugh. Yes, I’m 4 years old. But I hope you get the idea of what I’m doing. Low fat foods, most pre-cooked. It’s an easy way to keep track of exactly what’s going in you.

Questions, answered:

From Julie:

“When you say to only drink water, tea and skim milk, does that mean no coffee?? I can’t live without my coffee. I’ve also tried skim milk and don’t like it…”

Okay, this was a big mistake on my part. I left out coffee – something I am a big fan of. I think coffee is fine to drink too, AS LONG AS you’re not adding any type of stupid cream in it. I drink coffee/iced coffee with non fat milk. The first couple times I had it I wasn’t a fan, but I quickly got used to it and now love it. Coffee can also speed up your metabolism – which is obviously very helpful when trying to lose weight.

From Samantha:

Should you work out when you’re sick (stuffed up, congested, coughy, snotty, gross)? I know that being sick you wouldn’t be able to run like, 10 miles or whatever, but should you at least try to do what you can or just let your body rest?

I would use that as an excuse to just rest. It can’t be good to work out when you’re SICK. If you just have a cough or a runny nose, take some DayQuil and hit the gym. If you’re SICK SICK – like fever sick – you’re body is actually burning more calories throughout the day to fight off your fever, so you’re basically working out by just laying in bed! Woo! Plus you don’t have as much of an apetite. So if you’re sick sick, don’t worry about going to the gym.

From Vicky:

Ooohh, these are really helpful actually. My question is; the only gym I have in my area is waay too extensive and I just can’t afford it. Instead, I choose to walk home everyday (that takes close to an hour), and I have weights and pulls that I use at home, do you think that will be good enough??

Walking an hour a day has got to be helping you. If you’re combing that with a good diet I would think you’re in good shape! Just keep up the good work with the weights that you have at home.

From Charee:

Hey Andrew! I was just wondering if you put any sweetener in your tea, and if so, what kind?

I really like Truvia. I don’t have any particular preference though. When I’m in Starbucks I always use Splenda.

From Arialle:

When you go to the gym, do you use the eliptical, stairmaster, treadmill, or a combination of the 3? How long do you work out and at what speed?

Since this blog post focused on the food, in my next post I’ll focus on answering what I do at the gym and why! Short answer: I use the Precor 100i at my gym. It’s a cross between an elliptical and a treadmill. It’s basically a flexible elliptical (it moves how you want).

From Katie:

I also have a weakness for late-night snacking insanity (goldfish) when I’m stressed. Any suggestions?

Read The End of Overeating – it’s a great book that sheds light on WHY THE HELL we want to eat snacks. The author argues that it’s not that we want the *food*, we want the 5 seconds of pleasure we get with the food in our mouths. This book helped me a lot.

Okay, that’s all for this post. If you have questions feel free to leave ‘em and I’ll answer them in the next Andy Active post!

I’ve been debating the best way to share with everyone the ways I changed my diet/lifestyle to get back in shape. I think “Quick tips” posts are the best way to do it.

Quick summary: I moved to SoCal in May 2008. I completely messed up my diet, and by November of the same year I was nearing 200 pounds (+55 lbs since moving). I couldn’t believe it when I finally stepped on a scale, so from then on I changed things up to get in the best shape of my life. It took close to a year, but now I’m finished with weight loss and it feels great. The next step for me is muscle building.

If you’re looking to get in better shape, I really hope these tips help you. Life has never been better, thanks in part to getting in shape. Feel free to leave questions in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.

- WATER. TEA. SKIM MILK. Do not drink anything else. Sodas – even diet ones – are complete crap and do nothing for you. Despite being calorie free, these things are still filled with random, mysterious ingredients that are working against you.

- Go to the gym 5 – 6 times a week. You are not too busy to spend an hour at the gym. The President of the United States goes to the gym. Are you busier than the President? If you’re fooling yourself into believing that, it’s because you’re lazy. Go right after class, go right after work, go the minute you wake up. As the folks at Nike say, “just do it”.

- Switch to fat free, low fat foods and stop snacking. This statement may seem obvious, but it’s one of the most important tips. These fat free/low fat foods aren’t the most fun to eat, but it’s part of the process. I highly recommend Lean Cuisine meals – they’re delicious and help you easily manage calorie intake.

- Buy a pull up bar for your home. To build muscle, the body must break down the existing muscles and rebuild them (that’s how it works in a nutshell). By rebuilding these muscles you’re also burning lots of extra calories after working out. This is why I recommend buying a pull up bar. Install one of these babies in your bathroom doorway. Every time you go to the bathroom, do 5 reps (start small, build up to 20 – 30 reps). I do this and it has provided quick results. Look forward to tight arms, more calorie building, and ABS! (yes I have my very own 6 pack)

Helpful? I hope so. Don’t forget to leave questions if you have any. Did you know I have a Twitter account for getting in shape? @AndyActive.