Well we have come to the end my friends.  We all knew it was coming.  So here is what I would like to cover in this post:

1. My follow up BIA
2. Options for this blog’s next step
3. My thanks for your continued reading

Here is my 3 month BIA results:

• Weight: 169, Height: 72″, Age 29 – about 1 pound up from last BIA
• Phase Angle 7.3 – down .6 from last BIA
• 14.5% – down .4% from last BIA
• ICW – 63.8% – down 2.1% and ECW – 36.2% – up 2.1% from last BIA
• MSQ – 7 – down 6 from last measurement

Overall, I am a little disappointed in myself with these results although they are not a surprise.  My goal was to increase my phase angle, it went down, increase my ICW and it went down.  But my MSQ went down with is good, meaning less symptoms, and my body fat percentage has continued to come down, which is just fine. Clearly the stress of the last 2 months affected me and now I will sit and evaluate my goals moving forward.

The Next Step

I thought I would provide a couple options for the next few months of this blog and let you choose.  Here are my thoughts and these options are not the only options I am considering, so if you have additional ideas, please share.  But I would love to see a simple comment from as many readers as possible to help me decide on which direction to go.  The simple comment can be a simple Option 1 or Option 2, this being of course the option you like best.  Nothing more is needed, in fact if you want to keep it to one keyboard punch, the number 1 or 2 would be just fine

Option 1 – 1 post per week
- week 1: Fitness Post with an exercise video and exercise tip
- week 2: Nutrition Post with a recipe and nutrition tip
- week 3: Health News with updated articles and my comments
- week 4: Testimonials from past clients

Option 2 – 1 post per week with 2-3 of the sections below in each post
- Health Insight radio show summaries with link to archive for easy listening
- Weekly health articles (in news, publications, other websites) and my comments
- Book and movie reviews – health related of course
- Nutrition & recipe ideas
- Exercise & fitness ideas

Thank You

I want to sincerely thank you all for following me over the past 90 days.  The feedback I received and the comments posted were very helpful and reason for my continued commitment.  I enjoyed this blog very much and learned a little about myself.  As a health coach, and one who utilizes food logs to help clients change their diet and life, keeping 90 days worth is a good measure of a diet and any shortfalls.  I also witness first hand the effects of stress and what sacrifice really means.  I love to exercise, and felt like I have missed more in the past 6 months than I did in the previous 6 years.  But the sacrifice I refer to is something good (exercise and its benefits) for something better (school and an exciting future as a DO).

I wish you all the best in health and hope you continue to follow the transition of this blog and continue to learn, be inspired, and inspire yourself.

Sincerely,
TJ

Well I kept my diet logs through Saturday, so I figured I would just share it as one last daily nutrition post.

• Chocolate Greens Bar – while fishing!
• 10oz Organic Decaf Coffee – while fishing!
• 3 Eggs Overeasy with Brown Rice Toast
• Oat Crackers and Hummus
• Salad – veggies, dates, balsm vin dressing
• UltraMeal with Water
• Apples and Carmel Dip
• Dinner at Neighbors Tom & BJ’s – Bison burger, green beans, grilled potatoes & onions, homemade zucchini bread, and 1 small square of fudge.  Thanks Tom and BJ!!

Could have used more veggies today, but I guess 4-5 servings is alright

What a great start to our relaxing and rejuvinating weekend.  I caught lots of fish this morning, and mostly bass.  Here are a couple of the pics.  If it looks funny, its because I used my tackle box as a tripod and set the timer to take the pictures.  After 10 seconds, my forearms were starting to get tired with all that weight

Today’s diet was great and I even took a nap.  It was a perfect day!

• New Organic Greens & Berry Bar from Trader Joe’s – I got up at 5:30am to fish, and brought it out on the boat with me.
• 12 oz organic decaf coffee – Nothing like me, on the lake, with the fish biting, eating a bar, and drinking a cup of fresh, and tasty coffee.
• Oatmeal with banana and almond butter
• Grapes
• Salad – mixed greens, veggies, berries, dates, and sesame ginger dressing
• Rice cake with almond butter and jam
• Apples and carmel dip
• Chili with veggies (celery & peppers) and oat crackers
• 3 more of the Mary’s Gone Cookies from Tuesday’s post with almond milk

Although today marks the last day of the original commitment, I am planning on posting one more day of diet and fishing and will also post my ideas of what this blog can transform into and let you comment and help me decide.  So tune in tomorrow when I post my last couple entries of this fun and educational blog.  Additionally, tomorrow (Tuesday) I will be doing a BIA and posting my changes from 90 days ago.  Same bat time, same bat channel – Wham!  BAM! Smack!  POW!

Since I kept my diet logs through day 91 (I wasn’t sure which day was day 90), I figure I will go ahead and post it.  So you get a bonus post shortly!  Today’s diet was all about convenience, since we had lots of preparation to do before leaving for Ely.  We have been planning this trip for a couple months and are looking forward to some family R & R.  I did not exercise, but felt like it physically due to the stress of trying to get out of town.

Here is what I ate today:

• Creamy Buckwheat with almond butter and banana
• Medical Food Smoothie
• Watermelon
• Green Smoothie – greens, banana, apple, and berries
• Curried Lentil and Rice Salad – from the Wedge deli
• Cliff/Luna Bar
• 10oz Organic Decaf coffee
• Apples & Carmel Dip

I got up this morning (Wednesday) and had a great lunch workout.  I worked my shoulders, back, and core.  In the afternoon, I met with my mentee and went for a nice bike ride around Cedar Lake a few times.  It was a great day of exercise.

Before I get into my diet for today, I have a correction, or maybe more of an add-on to share because I honestly forgot about it when posting Tuesday’s diet.  Lisa bought some Mary’s Gone Cookies (same company as Mary’s Gone Crackers) which are gluten, dairy, and egg free.  She thought a little celebration treat was deserved after my finals.  So I had two mini cookies with almond milk which I added to Day 87.  Sorry for the error

Today’s diet was good, but maybe on the short side of calories.

• Oatmeal with just Bananas today
• Medical Food Smoothie
• Watermelon
• Salad – greens, veggies, berries, sesame ginger vinaigrette
• UltraInflamX – with water (post workout)
• Spaghetti with veggies (peppers, cauliflower, broccoli) and rice garlic bread
• Dreamsicle Smoothie – banana, orange, almond milk, UltraMeal Rice vanilla.  This was a really nice change and almost just as tasty as the ice cream bars I used to love as a kid.

Today is day 87 of a 90 day commitment to this blog.  And since we are here, I am starting to contemplate where do I go from here.  I am certain I would like to continue this blog, but uncertain about its goal, content, and style. I would love to get all of your feedback.  PLEASE COMMENT on what you would like to see in a health blog.  How would you like to see this blog transform over the next couple weeks so you would continue to read it and refer your friends and family to it.  I really enjoy writing this blog.  I really enjoy reading all the comments and emails I get about it.  And so I would love to continue it, but was to make sure I do it in a way which serves as many of you as I can.  So PLEASE COMMENT about what you might want to see included in this blog (video, more pics, audio, testimonials, more of me ) or what kinds of topics and material you would like to learn about (medicine: I will do my best here, exercise, diet, child nutrition, stress, articles, ect).  Anything goes here, so comment away!  And thank you for your continued reading and support!

Today I got a good leg and core workout in.  I will no doubt be sore tomorrow.

I felt like I got in enough food today for the first time in a few days.

• Creamy buckwheat with almond butter and banana
• Medical food smoothie
• Watermelon
• Left-over pesto and pasta salad from yesterday
• Salad – broccoli, cucumber, strawberries, dates, sesame ginger dressing
• Medical food smoothie
• Vegetable Stir-Fry – lots of veggies and rice
• Mashed potatoes – russets steamed, rice milk, garlic, and sea salt
• 2 Mary’s Gone Cookies (chocolate chip) with almond milk

This weekend we are going up to Ely, MN for 3 days and what a much needed mini-vacation.  Tomorrow (Wednesday) I plan to work my shoulders, back, and triceps and Thursday – chest biceps and core.  Then I will do a little cardio up north and stretch and recover mentally and physically from a stressful 2 months.

We will plan for our meals and bring everything we need up there for the weekend.  While up there, I will not be posting, but will update it when I return.  Then I will announce the direction of the blog then!

Today was the day I have been looking forward to the last couple weeks.  I have been enjoying this short intense semester of learning Chemistry, but at about 6 weeks, I was about done.  So today I took my final exam, did pretty well (I think), and felt a load just lifted straight off my shoulders.  I did not exercise this morning, or today at all, I chose to sleep in instead (till 6:30am for a total of 8 hours).  I needed the sleep.

Here is what I ate today.

• Oatmeal with bananas
• 10oz decaf coffee while studying
• UltraClear/UltraMeal Smoothie
• Watermelon
• Salad – Huge Again: veggies, fruit, and my favorite dressing recently – sesame ginger dressing
• Cliff Bar – running errands and did not plan well so picked one up at the grocery store well there
• Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Pasta

Another short day on calories I would guess, but that is all right.  Tomorrow starts my summer and a new schedule, so its time to get Youge!  Or huge in bodybuilder’s language.  Well not really, but its fun to say and I am looking forward to fitting back up a little and putting back on the couple pounds I have lost the last couple months.

I love summer mornings in Minnesota.  I went for a short (9 mile) but fast bike ride this morning around Lake Calhoun.  It was exactly what I needed before a day of studying!

Here is what I ate today:

• Creamy Buckwheat with almond butter and banana
• 10oz – organic decaf Americano – studying at coffee shop
• UltraMeal/UltraClear Smoothie
• 3 Eggs, brown rice toast, small salad with veggies, fruit, and sesame ginger dressing
• Grapes
• Taco Salad – Greens, refried beans, rice, guacamole, salsa, peppers, and lots of yum!
• UltraMeal/UltraClear smoothie

Although I did not eat as often as I usually do, I ate more in each sitting since I knew I would be busy with my head face-planted in my chemistry book.

Another beautiful morning and a another great workout at the lake.  I did sprint intervals, lunges, tricep push-ups, behind the back dips, and 1 leg squats.  All of this without any equipment but a park bench.  It was a good, short, and intense workout.

Today’s diet was more of the same, but included perhaps the biggest salad I have ever eaten!  It was really good and filling!

• Buckwheat with almond butter and banana
• UltraClear/UltraMeal Smoothie
• Grapes
• Salad – romaine, brocoli, cucumber, peppers, cauliflower, strawberries, dates, sesame ginger dressing
• Rice cake with almond butter and strawberry jam
• 8oz organic decaf americano
• Spaghetti with vegetables and red sauce
• Vegetables & Brown Rice (Collin’s left overs from last night)
• UltraClear/UltraMeal Smoothie

Tomorrow I am planning on a bike ride early in the morning and then going to study for the rest of the day.

Today (Friday) was rest day from exercise, although I walked and stretched, and trained lots of clients (6) so I got some physical activity there too.

Diet was good and nothing out of the usual.

• UltraClear/UltraMeal smoothie
• Oatmeal with almond butter and bananas
• Watermelon
• Salad – same as yesterday and hmmm hmmm good!
• ABJ – 1 slice of brown rice bread (cut in half), almond butter, and superfruit jam
• Orange
• Vegetable Stir Fry with Brown Rice, Bragg’s, and Sriracha
• UltraClear/UltraMeal smoothie