DJ John Land

The Ring of Fire... The Ring of Fire. Oh...this is supposed to be a Paleo/Workout post... The last two weeks didn't seem to drain me as much; this week is a far different story.  Energy levels are quite low this week, no clue as to why.  Every workout this week so far has thoroughly beaten me up (figuratively speaking, of course).  I'm hoping to see a spike in energy when I get back to the gym on Friday.  Tomorrow is a night off.  Friday should be another conditioning-type workout and hope that my recovery day will be beneficial for that and Saturday's strength workout. Diet-wise: staying on the path.  My bathroom scale needs a battery so I can't report on any numbers, but I'm liking what I'm seeing in the mirror.  Progress continues moving favorably...yay! I'm tasting a Shamrock shake...maybe this weekend...

Week #7 of the challenge is underway.  The past weekend saw a few cheat meals, and I'm back into the Paleo-swing-of-things.  Monday and Tuesday this week went well.  I don't foresee anything this week that can throw a wrench into the works.  Overall, staying the course. The workouts this week are going okay.  Monday saw a conditioning challenge and I was able to complete it in 21 minutes, 30 seconds.  Last night's strength/conditioning was more of an ass-kicker than I thought it would be, and throughout the entire workout I wanted to go down in weight from the 24 kg bell I was using, but hung in there.   My body is still feeling it today, which I suppose is a good thing.  My shoulders are the achin'! Looking forward to "springing ahead" on March 10th.  Now if the temperatures and weather would follow...

It was a sense of the familiar with a side of strangeness.  Nearly four months after Hurricane Sandy had done her cooch dance around these parts, we finally were able to walk along Ocean Avenue in Belmar this afternoon.  The town advertised specific businesses that were open along the thoroughfare.  I had driven to Ocean Avenue the other day, but the barricades were up prohibiting pedestrian and vehicle traffic.  Al wanted to check things out. We walked down 8th Avenue toward the beach, and saw folks walking and jogging along Ocean Avenue. We assumed it was okay to walk along the beachfront, and proceeded to walk south. A police van was constantly patrolling the area, basically making sure that everyone stayed on the western side of the street and on the sidewalk.  We walked down to the south end and back.  In a nutshell, there was a lot of cosmetic damage to many of the homes and businesses.  One home had some major structural damage, and an overh...

Well, the end of Week 6 of this challenge is drawing near.  It's funny how quickly the time is passing.  It continues to go well overall; I haven't had any serious cravings and I've been staying pretty close to the Paleo path. Seafood was incorporated into the diet this week, between tilapia and shrimp, with either a side of Asian veggies or peas.  I haven't been overly creative with dinner-time meals; the stuff I'm making is pretty basic and can be quickly thrown together in at most 30 minutes. I registered for a Paleo cooking demo in April that one of the guys from the gym is hosting.  Looking forward to that. The workouts this week had some peaks and valleys.  Though I felt a bit tired on Tuesday, I got through that workout like gangbusters with great energy.  Yesterday, though I did okay, I still felt somewhat sluggish through the entire workout.  This morning's strength workout went better. Today at work saw a tremendous challenge: a co-wo...

We now head into Week #6 of the challenge!  Doing good so far and now down a waist size!  Size 36 now (I haven't seen this since late 2001).  Enjoyed a couple of cheat meals - one on Valentine's Day (did you really think I'd go Paleo for dinner at the Franklinville Inn ??), and I had a hankering for Italian yesterday.  Didn't overdo and feel good today. I'm looking forward to tonight's training at The Training Room .  They're starting a new 4-week block of training and new challenges abound. I'm taking a slightly different approach this week on the diet: meal planning.  With gas prices what they are (thanks big oil business interests), heading out for lunch as often as I was is going to be more curtailed now.  Trenton doesn't have all that many places around the office...and frankly, I don't feel safe walking along State St. these days. I picked up some frozen tilapia at ShopRite on Saturday and I'll be doing that, along with veggies,...

Good morning, and Happy Valentine's Day!   Now that that's out of the way, onto yesterday's Paleo and Conditioning festivities... Diet continues to go well.  Breakfast was scrambled eggs (w. sauteed red onions and shredded carrots).  Brown-bagged lunch yesterday (did stir-fried-in-EVOO asian veggies with jumbo shrimp), and dinner was the Paleo version of the Bali Bowl at Fins . (Congrats to Fins on their 10th Anniversary...Mazel Tov!!) Workout last night went well...the conditioning "Adipose". Got up this morning and did the early morning strength workout: "Wo/Man-Maker" Complexes.  That went very well.  Surprisingly, I did well considering not having the best night's sleep, and then doing a 6AM class.  Did the following weights: Set 1 : 18kb / 5 reps Set 2 : 20kb / 5 reps Set 3 : 22kb / 5 reps Set 4 : 24kb / 5 reps Set 5 : 26kb / 5 reps KB Swing/cardio finisher at the end. (Did 20kb for Swings, did skier for the cardio) Nice way to...

Absolutely delicious!  Here's the "Michigan Madman" seated next to Occupy-supporting and gay founder of the Pink Martini at the State of the Union address last night.  How poetic. Looks like "Cat Scratch Fever" has set in... (Ganked from JoeMyGod )

Thirty days into the challenge now.  Pretty much adapted to eating this way.  Feeling pretty good also, and the workouts continue to improve. I'm not sure if my bathroom scale is awry, but I saw an uptick in the weight this morning.  Not sure what that's about, but I'll weigh myself again on Thursday morning.  Not back to where I was by any means but need to stay on course. Meal breakdown today: Breakfast : 2 HB eggs and coffee Lunch : Salad from ShopRite, with basically the same stuff as yesterday, except did grilled chicken instead of turkey Snack : Grapes, almonds, cashews Dinner : Broiled chicken with veggies Tonight's workout went very well.  Doing better with pull-ups...yay! Grade for day: A

There was some good news in the goings-on about the Avon Pavilion and the business owners who rented the space: the town is renewing their lease for the next 10 years.  The town had originally voided their lease in January once the structures were demolished from the damage from Sandy.  The tenants had an agreement and threatened to file a lawsuit against the Borough if they didn't reconsider.  Well, the town blinked, and the previous tenants have their lease renewed. It didn't make any sense that the town would withdraw their lease in the first place.  They are good tenants, and by the far, the best ones who ever occupied the space (that I'm aware of).  They converted the place into a nice restaurant, and kept it well-maintained, clean, and made it very successful.  If you have a good tenant, why not try to hold onto them? And now the big question:  Why the requirement for an additional 200 square feet of bathroom space?? Here's the article fr...

Week 5 of the challenge already!  Things diet-wise and workout-wise went great today! Got back on track from yesterday's cheat.  Started the day with a partial breakfast-on-the-go... hard-boiled eggs and some fresh fruit from the Wawa (Magnolia, NJ).  Ate the eggs in the Dashboard Diner, and had the fruit once I got to the office.  So far, so good. Needed to run over to the ShopRite in Hamilton to pick up Olive Oil and made up a nice salad with the following:  fresh roasted turkey breast, greens, carrots, red onion, broccoli, peppers, and a scoop o'balsamic (in a to-go cup).  I think I'm going to become something of a regular there...their salad bar has lots of good (and good-for-you) stuff and costs less than Saladworks .  My "big-assed-salad" from Saladworks costs in the neighborhood of $12 USD, whereas a loaded ShopRite one runs about $8 or $9 depending how much meat I put in. I've been tasting Chipolte lately, and I may do it some time th...

The Paleo gods are officially putting me to the real test: the Shamrock shakes are back . And guess who won't be partaking (much). On the way back from Al's brother's last night, we passed by a McD's and saw they had them. We didn't stop (we were on our way back from Al's brother's birthday celebration), but all I kept thinking was not being able to "partake in the shake". Maybe on a cheat meal... The sacrifice is worth it... The sacrifice is worth it... The sacrifice is worth it... (Rinse and repeat...) Anyway, did okay yesterday. Gym was closed but we took a nice walk down to the beach in Avon, to the north end of Bradley, then up to Main St., and then back home. Ate well for the meals too. Breakfast was a couple of scrambled eggs and some grapes. Dinner was a chicken dish (gluten free) at Ruby Tuesday with spaghetti squash and a lot of salad. Didn't do as well at Al's brother's, but since I had planned for it as a ch...

Today saw a day off from Paleoville.  Need to get back on track on Monday.  I'll stick to the plan for breakfast and lunch tomorrow, but I think we're going to check out Porta in Asbury Park for dinner tomorrow evening. Did the challenge workout this morning.  I wasn't overly thrilled by my completion time, but the important thing was finishing the workout.  It went like this: 10 sets, descending ladder starting with 10 reps and working down to 1 rep for the last set.  The exercises were: KB Swings Squat Thrusts KB Cleans KB Thrusters (squat with overhead press) KB Snatch 1/2 Burpees Dinner was the filet mignons I bought a couple weeks ago; they were teh awesome! Grade for day: C- Update : Didn't make it to Porta

This morning I cheated a bit for breakfast.  I was running a little behind schedule and I didn't feel like eggs, so it was a stop in Bing's for a roll with butter and coffee.  The one thing that's interesting is that although I enjoyed it (shoot, it's been a few weeks since I've had this for breakfast), it seems as if my body has adapted to the Paleo Way.  By the time I got to work, my stomach felt a "little heavy", and really, it wasn't a substantial breakfast by a long shot. Went back to the Paleo Way for lunch - had a bowl of chicken chili.  Kept me full throughout the afternoon. Tonight's workout went very well.  There seems to be some increased strength.  We did descending strength ladders tonight.  And without further ado: Exercise Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 KB Deadlifts 24 kg. / 10 reps 28 kg. / 8 reps 32 kg. / 6 reps 36 kg. / 4 reps 40 kg. / 6 reps Double KB Shoulder Press 20 kg. / 5 reps 22 kg. / 4 reps 24 kg...

  Well, looks like there's some pointless snow heading our way. Yes, it's nice to look at, but only for a day. It's more a nuisance more than anything else. To top it off, we're supposed to get strong wind gusts in our area. Looks like this may put a crimp in our plans this weekend. If the gym doesn't open, no biggie; I have a 22 kg. kettlebell at home.  Maybe the "two-minute torture" workout for tomorrow morning!

Another day in Paleoville... Continuing to stick to the plan, but I have to admit that there are times when it gets old.  We're 25 days and within a few days of completing Week 4.  33% of the way through the challenge.  Down 6 lbs. since starting the challenge.  All in all, things are going well this week.  For some reason though, I'm craving anti-Paleo Italian.  It's been months since I've had pizza... Anyway, the day's eating went well, although I skipped breakfast.  I just didn't feel very hungry this morning.  Lunch was strange too.  I wound up having a hamburger patty and scrambled eggs at the Princetonian Diner with an unsweetened ice tea.  Dinner was some spiced-up, broiled chicken (thanks Rich for introducing me to the Peruvian Chile Lime Seasoning from the Savory Spice Shop !)  Ate some pistachios and an entire bunch of green grapes... Tonight's conditioning workout offered a couple of options, but I chose to keep t...

Skip day from the gym tonight.  Good to recover a bit and rest up for the next three days of workout fun. I decided to attempt the Pistachio Pesto Chicken Pasta dish on my own.  Picked up all the stuff from the Foodtown in Belmar - they had most of the stuff needed.  They didn't have unsalted pistachios nor any pre-shelled ones.  I just bought a bag of the shelled ones.  While de-shelling them, I concluded that heading over to the Costco or Wegmans (where they would most likely had the pre-shelled ones) would have been a far better option after all.  It took awhile to do that task, and it wasn't the most stimulating experience of my life. The other thing I was nervous about was cutting the squash.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the greatest with sharp objects.  Since I'm typing this, I completed that task with all my fingers intact and without any lacerations.  Yay! How'd it come out?   Pretty good for the first attempt!...

This dish was brought to a recent potluck and was an absolute hit! Pistachio Pesto Chicken Pasta Enjoy!

Though the morning started a little rough, I'm feeling better and a little more energized by the time I get to the gym in the late afternoon.  I'm back in the swing of things in Paleoville, but there's this tendency of not being particularly hungry in the mornings, to feeling moderately hungry at lunch, where a nice salad does the trick to get me through the afternoon.  By the time the workout is done and dinner arrives, the appetite is borderline ravenous and I feel like I overdid it slightly.  Not feeling like a stuffed turkey or anything, but feeling quite full, but all the while keeping it Paleo. Tonight's workout was tough, but I got through it fine, without the feeling like I got a beat-down...yay! Breakfast (in the ole Dashboard Diner...of course): 2 hard boiled eggs, coffee Lunch : Large salad with a smattering of balsamic ( greens, grilled chicken, carrots, yellow & red peppers, broccoli, red onion) Dinner :  Shrimp with sauteed veggies, and some...

I've had a few folks from the gym and the potluck I attended on Saturday night ask about the Chicken Chili recipe.  The credit for this chili goes to Ina Garten .  This is the first chili I ever made.  My brother and I went to the Giants / Eagles game the end of December and brought it as part of our tailgate.  It was a hit not only with him, but also with some folks we hung with in the parking lot.  It's Paleo-friendly too! Mise En Place (I love this term and practice it when I cook!) : Olive Oil 2 red bell peppers, large dice 2 yellow bell peppers, large dice 2 cups yellow onions, diced (about 3 onions) 2 tsp. garlic, minced 4 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on 1/4 cup basil, rough chop 2 28-oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes, pulsed about 7 times in a food processor or crushed by hand (you may need to do this in two batches) 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. chili powder 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. fresh...

No doubt about it, I ate so horribly yesterday that I need a detox.  Though the food was yummy...really really yummy, last night's sleep only amounted to four hours, and getting out of bed was a lengthy and painful chore this morning. So what was on tap for the Super Bowl shin-dig?  Let's see: deviled eggs , shrimp cocktail , roast beef sub , chicken chili , nachos , pretzels , chicken wings , cheesecake , brownies , chocolate chunk cookies , and um, some vegetable sticks .  Is your mouth watering??  Mine is from merely writing this! There were plenty of leftovers - the non-paleo friendly stuff went to the office.  The cheesecake was consumed by fellow coworkers within a couple of hours; the cookies were gone in mere minutes. Who knew folks would eat this stuff first thing in the morning?? Today, I skipped breakfast (was in NO mood to eat) and had a "toned-down" salad at Saladworks.  A toned-down salad = a standard 5-ingredient salad as opposed to my ...

(Original FB Post Date: February 3, 2013) Here's the down-low for the weekend: Had a nice time at the Primal Potluck. Sampled lots of good food, and experienced spaghetti squash...loved it!! Did okay with the eats, and enjoyed hanging with the folks outside the gym. Grade for Saturday: B Sunday: best forgotten. Monday will require a lunchtime cardio workout in addition to the normal workout at the TR. Grade for Sunday: H

(Original FB Post Date: February 1, 2013) The energy levels weren't great this week. Though the workouts went okay (meaning I got through them), I wouldn't say I got through them like gangbusters. Tonight's conditioning was tough to get through, and I don't recall feeling as beat up when we did the same workout 4 weeks ago. I'm not sure what it is exactly, and I hope to see an improvement next week. Despite the energy issue, progress here in PaleoLand has been positive. Since the start, I'm down about 5 lbs. (hopefully my bathroom scale isn't f'ing with me) and that's encouraging! I haven't really been craving anything too badly, except for pizza. Maybe when Week 12 is completed...hmm... Did pretty good today diet-wise but skipped breakfast. Did a big-assed-salad today at "The Works", and had pork chops with peppers and onions for dinner. Snacked on some nuts - almonds and cashews. Superbowl Sunday is shaping up to be very non-p...

(Original FB Post Date: February 1, 2013) Forgot to write my daily status last. But, better late than never. Did okay yesterday, but still had the hunger issues last night. Had scallops and peas last night for dinner. Then snacked on cashews. Went to bed feeling kind of full. This morning though, I weighed in. The scale read me as 221, meaning a 3 lb drop this week. Not sure whether its accurate, but my pants feel more loose. Hmm. I did pretty well for last nights workout. Did windmills and double-snatches for the first time. Tough...the double snatches are challenging, but kinda fun. As far as the windmills, I thought I'd be feeling it more than I am right now, but I'm not feeling any discomfort or pain. Did I do them right?? Grade for day: B

(Original FB Post Date: January 30, 2013) Did much better today with the diet. Woke up very tired this morning however, and did not feel well. I suppose that was my penance from last night's fall from grace. As the day wore on I felt better. Had a hunk-o-fritatta for breakfast. A kind of Mexican chicken stew-ish thing (this recipe was posted in the gym's FB group) for lunch. Dinner  was salad with non-marinated grilled chicken at an Irish pub. For snackage - had apple slices, cashews, and some grape tomatoes. Today was a skip day from the gym. Probably for the best since I was quite tired today. I normally skip one day during the week and on Sunday, so no harm, no foul. I'm thinking haddock for dinner tomorrow. Grade for day: A

(Original FB Post Date: January 29, 2013) Things started okay today and ate well for breakfast and lunch. I got very hungry tonight, and did not stick to the program, thus resulting in an unplanned cheat. I'm disappointed in myself and I feel a bit crappy physically. Maybe this was bound to happen at some point in the game, but it's important for me to shake this off, and take corrective measures to avoid  another situation like this. I wasn't going to make the daily entry tonight, but that also would have been a mistake. Documenting this experience, no matter a triumph or a tribulation, is keeping things honest, and hopefully a learning experience when seeing the entry on my FB wall at a later time. Maybe I'm not eating enough during the day. I throw in a small snack of nuts mid-morning but sometimes wind up not eating from the time lunch is done until after 6:30 - when I get home from the gym. That's kind of a stretch, and might explain the level of ...

(Original FB Post Date: January 28, 2013) Week #3 now underway. Enjoyed the two cheat meals this weekend, but now it's back to the Paleo spirit. It'll be Sunday before I do another cheat meal, but well be worth the wait. Had scrambled eggs and grapes this morning...yum! Did a salad from the Shop Rite for lunch. Their salad bar is pretty good. And more reasonable than Saladworks! Tonight's wor kout was a cardio blast. We had to pick two apparatuses to do...mine was the rower...and the AirDyne bike. The AirDyne bike is pretty...damn...tough. The legs are really feeling it. Took the brother out for his birthday...Applebees. I kept it Paleo-friendly (of course)...and did the Bourbon chicken/shrimp...omitting any butter-related sauces and subbing onions and shrooms for the potato products. All in all a good day.

(Original FB Post Date: January 27, 2013) Well, just wrapped up cheat meal número dos per la settimana. And it's back to business immediamente! Feel kinda full now, but enjoyed the grub and should be ready to take on the 7-day-stretch before The Superbowl Cheat Day. All in all did good this week. Performance at the gym could have been a tad better a c ouple days, but I'm looking forward to rocking it out tomorrow afternoon. I'll be well-rested by then and should do okay. We did take a nice walk today, and I stuck to The Paleo Way for breakfast and lunch. Tonight's cheat was good ole home cookin' with friends...pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, and biscuits...and amaretto cheesecake. Again, didn't overindulge but enjoyed myself.  Ready now to take on Week #3 of the adventure. Cheers!

(Original FB Post Date: January 27, 2013) Just a quick update today. Had coffee and took the 9am yesterday...the challenge. Did okay, but wish my endurance was better than it is. Used 20kb bell. Then came home and shoveled walk. Breakfast: scrambled eggs and bacon, with a Tbsp. of homemade applesauce. Since it was late breakfast, skipped lunch. I know...shouldn't skip meals. Dinner...cheat meal time...yay! PF Changs. Enjoyed myself and did not overindulge. Had a dessert too...those little thing to get a nice taste. Good meal and very nice time.. Down a couple lbs. weighed in at 236 at the start; now at 224. I'm good with that at this point. Grade for day: B- (for skipping lunch)

(Original FB Post Date: January 25, 2013) Can't believe I'm just a couple days shy of completing two full weeks of the challenge. Started the day off with the strength workout this morning at 6am - I was correct about it being the Bear. I felt tired when I did the workout and used the 18kb through the whole thing. Looking back now, I probably could have ramped up the weight a bit...at least doing  20 or 22. It was a good workout nonetheless, and Mike had given us a battling rope finisher with some different styles of performing them. After the workout, I came home and went back to bed for two more hours. Then had the last fritatta for breakfast and then headed up to Elizabeth for the dentist. Did lunch at Applebees in Woodbridge Center. Wound up having a Paleo-friendly version of Bourbon Chicken with shrimp, omitting anything having to do with butter or cream stuff, and doubled the veggies instead of potato. I need to give props to this franchise: they went abov...

(Original FB Post Date: January 24, 2013) Day off from the gym. Needed to recuperate and get a couple of odds and ends done...like getting a very-much needed haircut tonight. Have a late-morning appointment with the dentist, so a 6-in-the-morning workout will be the start of tomorrow's festivities. Important to get a good night's rest because a strength workout is on tap. I believe it to  be the "Bear Complex", but I won't know for sure until after midnight. It may be best to go on that assumption since it *is* an ass-kicker... Diet-wise a little better than yesterday, though I tend to be hungry in the early evening. I'm eating Paleo-friendly stuff (like almonds, cashews, cherry tomatoes, etc.), but I think I need to see what I can munch on to tie me over until dinner is done. Breakfast and lunch were the same...fritatta (breakfast) and a new big-assed-saladworks-salad v3.0 for lunch. v3.0 is simply swapping brocoli with avocado. It was okay,...

(Original FB Post Date: January 23, 2013) We're now 10 days in! Yee-haw! No more single digits...this is big time folks! Breakfast was a hunk o'fritatta and some green grapes. Lunch - had salad, but did the salad bar at the Giant. I'm probably better off making a salad at home, along with my own dressing. Had some cashews to snack on...though I think I ate too many. Need to control that. Workout - today was a strength ladder in groups of five. Started with legs (ugh) and a 32 kb bell. Did I mention that every part of my upper legs (esp. where the sun don't shine) are KILLING me (and not softly)? Worked up a good sweat though, and got through it Gangnam style :) Dinner - 2 broiled pork chops and veggies (and more cashews and grapes). I'm not sure why my appetite is back up, especially at night. Did a weigh-in this morning however and was down a couple lbs. Will follow up again on Friday morning. And yes folks, it was National Pie Day today. Totally abst...

(Original FB Post Date: January 22, 2013) Breakfast was one portion of the frittata I made last night. Out of the fridge, nuked in the microwave (about a minute and change I think), and enjoyed. Was pretty good. The chili from the other night mixed in gave it a nice edge. The next time I make this, if medium or hot salsa is Paleo (I'll double-check), I may incorporate that into the next one, along with some grass-fed ground beef and some veggies, and maybe throw some taco seasoning in it. Could be interesting...hmm... Lunch was the usual: BAS v2. I so need to break out of this rut, especially that Saladworks ain't cheap. Tomorrow will most likely be a salad from the Giant's salad bar. And speaking of not cheap: fillet of haddock...tonight's dinner du jour. I picked up a 1/2-lb at Kleins...for $8.00 (they get $17.99/lb apparently). Is this the norm?? I'm not a big fish eater and I am trying to incorporate it into the diet at least 1x/week. If I had made this fo...

(Original FB Post Date: January 21, 2013) Survived the first week of Paleo pretty well. I figure my overall grade a "B". It's going better than I thought it would. The two-cheat-meals-a-week allotment should carry me through the challenge, and not have me feeling resentful during this adventure. All in all, the energy levels are okay, with a couple of drops her e and there. Planning the meals out (and having a suitable back-up plan) should help managing the diet. I'm feeling optimistic about the second week. I had cheat meal #2 this morning at IHOP. The breakfast was pancakes, 3 eggs (scrambled), and 4 turkey sausage links. And two cups of coffee without paleo-friendly creamer. I won't see another cheat meal until Saturday night (PF Chang's)...but it's all good. I was off today (yay!) and slept in. We did breakfast kind of late-morning, which carried us to an early dinner of left-over chili that I'd made last night. Got ...

(Original FB Post Date: January 20, 2013) Off day from the gym. Slept in and sorta kinda skipped breakfast. Just had a coffee with the "so delicious" coconut creamer. Pretty good I must say. Had an early-ish lunch at Saladworks at Monmouth Mall before the 1pm movie (we saw "Silver Lining Playbook"). Came home and made a brisket chili (keeping it Paleo real...meaning bean-l ess). It took a few hours to cook, so dinner (for me) was chicken and veggies. Al had a sub from Mike's. We did sample the chili...I ate two bowls. Was kinda hungry again. The chili is very spicy, but it works for me (although I'd cut down on the cayenne next time around) All in all I think I did pretty well this week. It's not bad really, and with the two cheat meal allotment, it's actually very doable. The plan this week is to get in some variety, and incorporate some seafood. I'm not a big fish person, but I enjoy haddock and may do that a meal...

(Original FB Post Date: January 20, 2013) Sometimes paying down a debt (like a car) feels good. Other times (like the morning after a cheat night), it can be a beat-down. Saturday's 300-rep challenge workout was just such an experience. I had just woken up a mere 30 minutes earlier and headed to teh Training Room. Going through the warm-up was a HUGE indicator that it was not going to be simply a wal k in the park. Though I got through the workout in something like 22 minutes, I felt dogged tired and wound up napping once I got home and showered. Breakfast/Lunch was bacon and egg scramble, with leftover chicken chili...how's that for an combo! Wound up being quite good! About 4 hours later, dinner was seared chicken cutlets (un-breaded of course...that wouldn't be Paleo) and sautéed veggies. Did my DJ gig at the dance social. Lotsa dessert there (Al...you would have LOVED that), but I didn't partake in any (yay...go me). Post gig, had chi...

(Original FB Post Date: January 19, 2013) Started the day with a fun-filled conditioning workout at 6:00...in the morning. We had an option of the apparatus...I chose to do the skier this time around. (Note to self: it's much harder than the rower for longer distances) Ran (figuratively) home to get ready for work and realized, once I got to the office, that I forgot my breakfast at home . Since "Hungry John" = "Irritated John", it was suggested that I run (again, figuratively) to Neil's Place and get scrambled eggs (again). I had hoped to avoid eggs this time 'round, but again, one must do what's necessary. Guess what lunch was...big-assed Salad version 2. Color me predictable... Since Al and I had plans for the black tie car show in Phila (THE way to do the car show, btw)...I set that as the one of the two "cheat" meals of the week. All I'll say about that was that it wasn't Paleo friendly...and I *did* ha...

(Original FB Post Date: January 17, 2013) Started today out behind the 8-ball...groan. Kept pressing teh snooze button on the iPhone starting at 5:15am...finally got out of bed at 6:30. This rendered me in a major rush as I ran out without having breakfast. So, today it was Dunkin's turkey sausage with egg sandwich, sans the muffin...so I forked it...ha ha ha... Lunch was the same thing as the other night with the guys...9 oz. sirloin with double-veggies. Tonight's workout was an ass-kicker: "Man-Maker" Complexes along with a 40/20 cardio/ab finisher. 5x5 with the following: Sets 1, 2, 3: 20 kb Set 4: 22 kb. Set 5: 24 kb. Had dinner at Fins A TropiCali Grill. I had the "Jacko Salad" (Paleo friendly version: whatever was not paleo-friendly was appropriately omitted). Thank you to the couple who was there from the gym (but unfortunately don't recall your names...I'm horrible with names) who recommended it. It was quite good...

(Original FB Post Date: January 16, 2013) Overslept today, but managed to have a Paleo-friendly breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs (3) with chorizo, and homemade applesauce. Lunch - "Big-Assed Salad Version 2" from Saladworks (again). What can I say…it's Paleo and I love it! Skip day from the gym. Looking forward to a good strength training tomorrow. Brady Bunch-inspired Di nner - Pork Chops, homemade applesauce, and sautéed veggies (asian mix). Findings - I'm thinking I need to get a little more adventurous with the cooking. I'd LOVE to get into some Thai dishes…since (I think) makes use of coconut and spices. I love, Love, LOVE Thai Curry Chicken! Is it Paleo?? Grade for day: Maybe an "A"...

(Original FB Post Date: January 15, 2013) This morning, I arose with a less-than-cheerful attitude about this whole Paleo thing. Though I started the day with 3 hard-boiled eggs as I had done on yesterday (along with the homemade applesauce I had made on last night), I had coffee. You might say - "that's not bad". Well…sigh…it wasn't "bulletproof"…it was regular coff ee with…uh…um…a *little* International Delight French Vanilla creamer. But before you faint to the floor by the shock of this, I believe I absolved myself from this transgression by being quite good the rest of the day… Lunch was "Big-Assed Salad Version 2" from Saladworks. It contained: *grilled chicken *diced tomatoes *broccoli *red onion *carrots *roasted red pepper *shrimp *spring mix greens *1 small scoop of balsamic vinaigrette **skip the roll **no feta cheese, since it's a violation of the Paleo plan Dinner tonight was at Applebee's. It co...

(Original FB Post Date: January 15, 2013) Well, I survived Day 1...not as bad as I envisioned. This is definitely going to be a learning experience, especially in the kitchen. I re-created two new recipes: Parsnip Puree (thanks Doug!) and Applesauce (thanks Patrick!). Learning new recipes is undoubtedly going to be the best part of the experience. I'm still feeling m y way around what I can/can't eat, and when to eat (like before/after workouts for energy or recovery), but that's all part of the learning process. Before I get into how my body reacted to things yesterday I need to state that I didn't have the greatest night's sleep Sunday night into Monday, so that has to be taken into account. I started the day with a Bulletproof Coffee. I'll admit that my energy levels were up in the morning and I felt pretty awake throughout the day. Still in the (early) "getting used to it" stage. Around mid-morning, had three hard-boiled ...

Hi there!  Welcome to my new blog at the newly established "DJ John Land"!  My name's John, and I'm currently 47 years old (as of February 4, 2013).  I'm originally from Elizabeth, NJ and currently living in Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ.  I'm an I/T professional, specializing in Web Application Development, and I DJ here and there on the side to make a few extra bucks and to give folks a good time at various events and parties.  In the last year-and-a-half, I've gotten into a kettlebell strength and conditioning regimen and have seen great progress since starting.  Finally, I'm partnered to a great guy (Al) and we've been together for over nine years. How did this blog come about? After the holidays, the gym started a 12-week "Primal / Paleo Challenge", where we'd follow the Paleo way of eating combined with the physical training.  I'd hit a plateau with my weight loss since the summer and thought participating in the challenge would b...