Mid Week Recap

So the paleo diet is still underway (3 days down, 53 days left) and I have made minor adjustments since the first day.

In my first post I discussed how I was low on energy by mid-day and knew I needed to increase my carb intake. Since Monday, I've better managed an appropriate protein-to-carb-to-fat ratio and no longer feel the energy depletion. When I was on a similar diet for my body building competition last year, I felt very low on energy to the point where driving home from work at any hour was dangerous because I might fall asleep at the wheel. I've added more fruits and veggies and will be soon adding more healthy fats into the daily meals.

The weight is still where I want it to be, but I feel tighter and clothes feel looser. I know I'm burning/losing fat and building muscle again (which is good). My next weigh in won't b for another week and a half so keeping the meals up, hitting my calorie goals and managing cardio will all be important in the next several days.

Today's workout: Arms
Now Playing: Memphis May Fire - Without Walls

Song of the Week

I really can't get enough of this song...

Letlive - Muther

Have a suggestion for the Song of the Week? Leave it in the comments!

Day 1 Paleo Diet in the Books

So yesterday was my first day following the paleo lifestyle, and I quickly learned I need to make some adjustments. On average, I need to consume somewhere between 2,100 to 2,400 calories to make it comfortably through the day. With this new lifestyle, all processed carbs are eliminated and to be honest, they were a large part of my previous diet.

Around 4 pm yesterday I was over 1,000 calories away from my target and feeling very run down. To hopefully better plan for longer day today, I've included much more vegetables and more specifically sweet potatoes. I'm hoping the extra two servings will help keep the energy up for my 15 hour day at work.

Yesterday, another trainer and I took my measurements and found my starting point.
Body Fat = 9.9%
Weight = 157 lbs

I really don't want to lose too much weight, so managing the right portion sizes throughout the next eight weeks will be very important. I'm limiting cardio to only 3 days a week and no more than 30 mins per shot. I want to go no where close to as lean as I did for my body building show (<4% BF), so keeping the cardio light and the diet right is very important.

Yesterday's Meals:
Breakfast
2 Eggs
1 Cup Strawberries
1 Small Coffee Black

Mid Morning Snack
Turkey
Banana
2 Eggs


Lunch/PreWorkout
Grilled Chicken
Sweet Potato

Post Workout
Chicken
Banana

 Late Afternoon Snack
Almonds
Turkey

Dinner
Chicken
Spinach
Mixed Veggies

Late Night Snack
Almonds

WORKOUT
Shoulders
10 Min Low Intensity Cardio
1 8:24 Mile Run

Song of the Day: Story of the Year - The Black Swan

Checking In, In Queenstown

Hey everyone! I'm writing from the adventure capital of the world - Queenstown, NZ! The first ever bungy jump was invented here and that's exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow! Since I last wrote, we stayed in Franz Josef where we had the opportunity to walk on a glacier - Fox Glacier. It was an awesome experience for sure and one I'm very happy I had the chance to do. This picture was taken when we were at our highest point on the glacier.

 Yesterday a few of us took a trip to Milford Sound. The ride there had some incredible views (this whole trip is filled with awesome views), but yesterday we a bit more majestic. Here's some pictures from the ride up there. All were taken with my iPhone.

 This picture is when we were on the boat in the sound. Our captain took us right up to a giant waterfall and we got soaked! I laughed when I saw this picture, so I figured I would share!

Today we'll be doing canyon singing and then bungy jumping tomorrow before we head off to Dunedin! I have over 1,300 pictures from this trip to go through, so when I get back home I'll be sure to share all of those! For now, the iPhone will do! Hope all is well! Stay strong!

Now Playing - M83 - Couleurs

Greetings from Christchurch

Hey everyone! About to call it a night here in Christchurch.  Tomorrow morning we head down to Franz Josef. The ferry ride over from Wellington this morning yielded some great photos and I can't wait to post them when I get home. For more up to date pix, check me out on instagram (MikeScic).

Tomorrow is just a travel day so there's not too much going on - possibly some hot springs at night!

The diet has been pretty good while on the road.  I packed a lot of nuts, fiber one bars, trail mix and granola to fill the gap between stops and major meals. Workouts have been limited to body west exercises, but I'm hoping tomorrow to set up the TRX.

Wifi is a bit limited down here, but I'll do my best to write as often as possible! All the best!

10,355 Miles

That's how far it is from my family in the USA to those "down under. " The last four days has been a humbling experience to see how deeply rooted we all are.  When I arrived in Melbourne this past Sunday, family I've barely talked to on Facebook were at the airport waiting for me with open arms. 

I spent the last four days getting to know my family that I've been missing out on for 28 years, and trust me when I say that four days is no where near enough to make up for the years gone by. It was a incredible experience hearing all the stories from each aunt, uncle and cousin of how the family came about in Australia and the memories they have of my grandmother and grandfather back in Sicily. This trip is only a few days old and it already has become a memorable one. 

As I write this 39,000 feet in the air on our approach to New Zealand, I can't help  it to think of how incredible it would be to untie my grandmother with her sister and my father with his cousins. Hopefully some day soon, we'll all get to experience that event. 

To anyone in Melbourne reading this who I had the honor of meeting and spending time with - thank you. This trip was a bit last minute and unexpected, but you managed to work out time with me and I am truly grateful. As we all kept saying, "I wish we had more time," but this isn't "goodbye," this is "see you soon!"

Now Playing - Grouplove - Itchin' on a Photograph

Day 2 In the Books!

So everyone will be happy to hear, my luggage did arrive yesterday afternoon. As expected, time is flying here. Two days already gone, but they have been great. When I first arrived, several of my cousins picked me up from the airport and took me to their house for an awesome lunch where I was able to meet more of my family I've never talked to before. It's wild to think that there is this whole extension of around 150 cousins in our family that we have been away from for so long.  Four days here is no where near enough time to try and make up for the years of little communication.

The fist night, some of the guys took me out to the local Casino where we enjoyed some cocktails and gambling. I actually won $150 which is better than I ever really do at home in the States.

Yesterday, two more f my cousins took me around Melbourne to see Capt Cook's cottage, the botanical gardens and St Kilda. I got some really good pictures I hope to post later this week. Today, we'll be heading south to the coast and see some of the beaches and I'm sure I'll get some nice pictures there. Tonight we have a large family dinner out at a restaurant and tomorrow we'll get to see more of the city of Melbourne.

Time to get my morning workout in before the day starts! Hope all is well!