My Secrets?

Okay, so I've had a lot of people ask me "What did you do to lose so much weight?" I've given some tips and advice without laying out anything specific. So, for anyone who's interested here's a practical guide that I follow which has enabled me to lose 145lbs over the last 2.5 years and Teresa to drop almost 90lbs.

New daily habits:
In a word, water. Lots of water. Take the first 2 weeks, or more if you can take it, drink nothing but water. At least 2 gallons a day. Be prepared to spend a lot of time at the beginning peeing. Like every 15 to 20 minutes. Trust me, its worth it when your body fully hydrates and stabilizes. This habit alone will give you more energy and help you to sleep better.

Get moving, even if its just a little at a time. Start with taking daily walks if you've not had much exercise lately. Most of the people who read this though aren't THAT sedintary. So, crank up the cardio and get to 40 minutes a day at least 4 days a week. The earlier the better because getting to that target heart rate in the morning will keep the metabolism hot all day and you'll burn more calories with your regular daily activities.

Once you have the cardio going regularly, say after the first 2 weeks, start getting some resistance training in there. Yes, that means lifting weights or using those elastic bands to get your muscles working against each other. Afterall, what good is being thin if you look like a slender bag of oatmeal. right? Depending on what kind of results you're after you'll want to spend at least a half an hour a day resistance training all the way up to 3 hours a day 4 times a week. (I'll post my weight lifting routine at the end of the post)

Addressing food:
Sodium...this is probably the biggest issue for most people I know. Daily salt intake should be in the neighborhood of 1200mg a day. You'll need to do your homework on this one because sodium is hiddden in everything. Just a single bean and cheese burrito from Taco Bell contains 1200mg of sodium! So, start reading labels people! Watch the dairy products because they have massive amounts of sodium hidden in them!

Calories: I'm sure everyone knows the only way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit in your daily diet. You have to burn an extra 3500 calories to lose a single pound. So, if you eat 200 calories less per day and burn and extra 300 calories than normal you will lose a pound a week.
Start here: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm enter into your weight your goal weight not your current weight. You'll need to adjust your daily calorie intake to sustain your goal weight...eventually, not from the start (This will give you an idea of how you'll be eating when you reach your goal). I tried in the beginning to just eat the calories for my goal weight and got sick then eventually binged and blew it. So, you want to take this in stride. You didn't gain the extra pounds overnight, it's not going to come off overnight so be patient! Always be patient! A little each day will get you to your goal.
The calorie formula I use is to take my current weight and calculate the daily caloric intake to maintain 75% of my current weight. Once I reach that weight I recalculate to set a new goal. My best results have come in increments which I will discuss after the menu plan.
Regardless of what you've read in dieting books or on the web, counting calories is still the best way to go. Proteins should make the largest portion of your food with carbohydrates coming in second. You should plan to eat most of your carbs earlier in the day so you don't go to bed with a belly full of carbs. Carbs are our energy source and if you sleep with a carb load in your tummy it all turns to sugar and ends up as fat. Now, fat calories you need to be careful with because you absolutely need to have some in your diet without going overboard. 2% Cottage Cheese, raw almonds (about 15 per serving), do some searching online for the foods you like that'll have enough fat calories with less sodium to keep you going through the day.

Daily Menu:

Breakfast:
1) 1 piece of toast with 2 tablespoons of low sodium peanut butter, a half an apple a cup of coffee, water, tea or non-fat milk. (If you want juice then have it and skip the apple)
2) Half a bagel with 1 tablespoon of low-fat cream cheese or butter, half a banana and beverage (see breakfast 1 for beverage choices)
3) 1 piece of dry toast, a poached egg and a slice of cheddar cheese, half an apple, banana or grapefruit and beverage from the list.
4) 1/2 cup of oatmeal (not instant) flavored with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and cinnamon to taste, half an apple or banana and beverage from list.

Lunch:
All lunches should start with a full cup of steamed broccoli before you eat anything else. Do not add any sauces, salts or butter to the broccoli. Broccoli is cheap and whats called a thermogenic food which means it contains less calories than it takes to digest it. Broccoli specifically contains 30 calories per cup but your body uses 120 calories just to digest it. This is a great catalyst to creating caloric deficit.

Lunch should optimally be your heaviest meal of the day as you'll have more time to burn it off before you go to bed. I don't usually have a set meal for lunch and dinner but I'll give you some examples.
The first thing I want to emphasize is that eating a meal is just that...a meal and not a feast. You shouldn't eat until you feel stuffed. When you're eating and you no longer feel hunger then you're done eating. now, keeping that in mind, allow yourself room to indulge once in a while. If you adhere to a strict no-nonsense diet without ever indulging then you'll innevitably lose patience and give up all together.

Sample Lunch: Again, start with 1 cup of steamed broccoli...
1) roasted turkey sandwich with 1tablespoon of mayonaise, a slice of cheddar cheese, a handful of plain potato chips and 2 16oz. glasses of water.
2) 1/2 can of dry tuna, 1 tablespoon of mustard, pepper, granulated garlic on a piece of dry toast, 1/2 cup cottage cheese. 2 16oz. glasses of water.
3) Wendy's 99 cent double stack, value fries and 2 16oz. glasses of water

Sample dinner: Yes, more broccoli, steamed...
1) Broiled or grilled sirloin steak (3-6 oz.) or boneless, skinless chicken breast seasoned with granulated garlic, pepper and a dash of salt. Green salad (no iceburg as it has no nutritional value, try romaine!) with low fat dressing.
2) Tilapia fish fillet marinated in white wine with granulated garlic, pepper, paprika and lemon juice baked in oven. Steamed veggies, 1 cup wild rice pilaf. Green salad with low fat dressing.
3) Grilled or baked pork tenderloin seasoned with pepper or low sodium marinade (A serving is about the size of a deck of playing cards), steamed veggies. Green salad with low fat dressing.

Desert: A scoop of ice cream or sherbet or a small brownie or 2 regular sized cookies.

Last advice on eating: Try to make sure you're done eating by 7pm. or at the least 2 hours before you go to bed. Drink water with every meal. After 2-3 weeks you can have a can of diet soda once a day but you should plan on abandoning regular soda all together. If you pay attention you'll be amazed at how many empty calories a day you are drinking in soda, milk, juice, and other beverages. Not to mention the amount of sodium you're drinking.

Exercise:

My routine:
Monday: Cardio, 1 hour in the morning, 2 hours of Kung Fu in the evening.
Tuesday: Weight training, chest, triceps, abs. Cardio: 1 hour Kung Fu.
Wednesday: Weight training, back, biceps. Cardio: 1 hour Kung Fu.
Thursday: Weight training, shoulders, traps, abs. Cardio: 1 hour Kung Fu & 1 hour Tai Chi.
Friday: Weight training, legs, glutes, calves.
Saturday: Cardio 1 1/2 hours Kung Fu.
Sunday: Rest.

Weight Lifting Routines:

Chest:
Flat bench press (4 sets of 10 repetitions), Incline bench (4 sets of 10 repetitions), Decline bench (4 sets of 10 repetitions).

Triceps:
Tricep extentions lying on back(4 sets of 10 reps), standing tricep extentions (4 sets of 10 reps), Dips (2 sets of 25 reps)

Abs:
Decline crunches (set bench to decline position and have partner hold legs so when you lie back your head is below your feet.) crunch upright straight for 25 reps), Decline twist crunches (25 reps on each side: Sit up and twist elbow to opposite knee for a single rep on one side), Leg raises lying flat on back (15 reps on each leg), Side crunches (2 sets of 10 reps on each side).

Back:
Reverse back extentions (2 sets of 20 reps straight + 2 sets of 20 reps with lateral twists)
Kneeling Saws, kneel on one knee with dumbell in one hand and lower then raise like you were sawing a board (4 sets of 15 reps on each side)
Lateral pulls, lie on bench with weight in both hands and elbows bent at 90 degree angle then lower hands back behind head and pull the weight back over you towards chest without straightening arms (4 sets of 15 reps)

Biceps:
Standing curls (2 sets of 10 reps, pause holding bar with arms locked at 90 degree angle for 10 seconds then 5 more reps)
Preacher curls (4 sets of 10 reps)
Standing extended curls (same as standing curls but with hands further apart so at top of curl elbows are close to body than hands to help create bicep "peaks")

Shoulders:
Military press (4 sets of 10 reps)
Dumbell presses (4 sets of 10 reps, change hand position with each set so palms face towards you for a set then towards the front for a set and repeat)
Plate lifts (Sit upright holding weight plate with both hands, raise overhead without bending elbows and back down = 1 rep: 4 sets of 10 reps)
Standing butterflys (4 sets of 15 reps)

Traps:
Shoulder shrugs (4 sets holding dumbells: 1 set straight up, 1 set backwards shoulder roll, 1 set forward shoulder roll, last set straight again)

Legs/Glutes:
Squats (4 sets of 10 reps)
Lunges (4 sets of 10 reps holding dumbells)
Reverse leg curls (2 sets of 10 reps)
Leg extentions (4 sets of 10 reps)

Calves:
Standing calf raises (4 sets of 50 reps with weights)
Sitting calf raises (4 sets of 50 reps)

Okay so that's everything. Find your reasons for getting into better shape, write them down and read them everyday. Keep your motivations at the front of your mind. Remember, the meals I wrote down are just a sample. Make sure to measure out your portions to meet your daily caloric goals and adjust when you reach goals. If I can offer any more advice, answer questions or whatnot just hit me up on facebook!

Vancouver Paranormal Special Investigations Meeting Announcement

This week's meeting will be held at the usual location this Sunday at 3:30. Please remember your laptops. We are having a potluck as well. Watch your emails for meeting outline and make sure to let me know if you can't make it.

You decide if it's true....

Years ago we lived in Spokane, Washington. At the time, there was just me, Tree and Andy (who was a little over a year old then). I worked several jobs to try and get us on our feet. We were living with my In-Laws in their basement.
One of the jobs I had was security for a contract company. I enjoyed the job enough working in downtown covering the Federal Courthouse and Post Office which shared the same city block.
From time to time I was called in to do extra jobs, usually for just a night or two. Sometimes it was plain clothes security at the local arcade or helping with the closing shift at a nightclub. One afternoon I received a call from Ken, my supervisor at the security company.
Ken asked me to cover a graveyard shift at ‘the house’. I had heard about the house for sometime but was never asked to work a shift there. Now it was common knowledge that the house used to be an asylum back in the day. Ken explained to me that everyone was required to work one and only one shift there each year. He kept apologizing that I was drawn for the graveyard shift and that he only expected me to make a single pass through the property around 3:00.
I asked him why 3:00 (I had a suspicion why) he answered that that’s the time when most complaints about noise were made. The rest of the night, he not only offered but suggested that I stay in my car with the engine running, radio on and doors locked.
He gave me the address and I jotted it down before going to sleep so I could be up all night. Tree was disappointed as it was supposed to be my first night off of work in almost a month. But hey, we needed the money.
That night, it was dusk actually. I drove to the property which looked like a big old house as I approached it up the long driveway lined with trees and brush. I wasn’t even at the entrance to the gate when my senses went almost on fire. I had to pull over and gather myself. The hairs on my arms were standing on end and I had an instant nail driver headache. Oh, it was going to be a long, long night.
I relieved the officer that was on duty who warned me to just say that I had walked the interior of the building but to instead stay in my car if I knew what was smart. I didn’t bother to ask him why. I could already see the shadows in the broken windows. This property was crawling with entities and none of them were happy.
I began my log of the night in the car as I ate my dinner and listened to the radio. I spent some time focusing on dampening my receptors as best as I could. Before I knew it, the sun was set and the cold air had moved in. A wispy fog crawled on the ground which was pretty normal for this area.
I called in on the 2 way radio for check in as I had done each hour since arriving. I didn’t get any answer. My heart skipped as I checked the time to see that it was 3:00. I tried the radio one more time but didn’t get the expected response. Grabbing my flashlight and the keys from the ignition I got out of my car. A few deep breaths to calm myself later I went to the door of the house.
I must’ve stood at the front double doors for a full 2 minutes before I put the key in the lock. As soon as I opened the door I heard loud banging from up the stairs. My veins went icy as I froze listening. Adrenaline pumps through me in what had to be massive bursts. Forcing myself to move, I entered the building leaving the doors blocked open by placing a rock at each door to hold them open. (Hey, I’m not stupid sometimes a quick escape path is necessary!)
The banging upstairs was intermittent but loud and disturbing. I told myself that it was probably something being blown about by the wind. As I approached the stairs I saw a young man halfway down them looking at me. Having been able to sense and see entities since a child I recognized what he was right away. The big question, the important question, was did he know he was an entity. Many of them don’t realize they aren’t among the living anymore and I don’t particularly like being the one to tell them that. It’s never greeted with enthusiasm though I can’t blame them.
I started towards the stairs and he turned and ran up to the second floor. After reaching the second floor he was, of course, nowhere to be found. The air was dense and musty like many old buildings. I could smell mold and taste despair. I didn’t know what had specifically gone on in this place in the past but it was strong enough to leave a stain behind for all to see if they wanted to.
A careful search of the upstairs revealed nobody and nothing responsible for the banging noises. I tried to keep my eyes focused so as not to acknowledge the spirits I saw in most of the rooms. Each one, there were 8 in all the upstairs, was re-enacting a personal horror over and over again. The sobs and moans pulled at my heart as my feet grew heavy. At the end of the main hall the very air was thick and syrupy. It was almost like swimming without water and even though it was a chilly October morning I was sweating profusely. My heart was pounding and I was sure at any moment my skull would explode.
Finally returning to the stairway, I saw the young man on the stairs again looking up at me. His eyes were hollow and sad…he knew. My heart went out to him and I decided to try and speak to him.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He cocked his head sideways slightly before answering, “You can see me?”
I nodded slowly knowing what was coming next.
“Can you help me please?” He pleaded looking desperate.
“That depends on what you need help with,” I said carefully.
My experience has been that offering to help a ghost can become a seemingly endless string of tasks that probably won’t accomplish anything in the end. After all, what they really need to do is let go and move on in the universe. If they aren’t ready for it, they’ll never let go no matter what gets finished here for them.
“I’m lost, I don’t belong here. Tell me where to go.” He begged.
“I’m not the one you should ask.” I said back to him, “You need to seek the lord and pray for his guidance and the answers, I sure, will be revealed to you.”
He never answered but merely vanished from my view. That’s when the banging started back up from behind me. Horrendously loud screams filled the building and my skin prickled. Fear iced my blood again as I ran down the stairs to find the front doors closed and locked. Fumbling for the keys and heard whispering voices begin to grow louder. Turning around to face the foyer I was greeting with at least a dozen ghosts wandering aimlessly around. Most had on hospital gowns or pajamas. A couple looked to be wearing medical uniforms stained in brown splatters.
My experiences in the basement, I’m sorry to tell you, I will not share. Rest assured, I left that house and was surprised to find my supervisor standing outside looking for me. He had tried his key but the doors wouldn’t unlock. One look at me and he sent me home. We never spoke about what happened there that night.

Vancouver PSI Meeting

Members of the Vancouver PSI Team please respond. We would like to schedule a full team meeting this Sunday at our house. Let's see about getting the ball rolling and maybe do a potluck to nibble on while we meet!

Settle in children....

Sally will always hold a special place in my heart though I cannot tell you why. Perhaps because she was so playful even if it was sometimes inconvenient. Dark strands of hair always hung about her shoulders framing her young face of pale skin and startlingly blue eyes. Sally was only 8 or 9 as memory serves and she loved to run in the grass before I had met her. The most important thing to tell you about is that Sally is dead though it never kept her from wanting to visit.
We found Sally, or rather our youngest daughter found her, in a duplex we rented some years ago. They used to race each other up and down the hallway and laugh together. Sally was particularly fond of hiding our shoes when she was upset and wanted attention. At least, that was before she figured out that I could see and hear her. After she figured that out I had an almost constant companion whether I wanted her there or not. At least she was considerate enough to leave me alone in the bathroom.
Most nights she'd come tickle my feet when I was sleeping to wake me up so we could visit. She'd talk about how she couldn't wait for the Spring time and wanted to feel the warm breezes on her face again. It broke my heart to listen to her go on and on about what she wanted to do when she was 'done being grounded to the house'.
We really didn't talk about what she thought she was grounded for. Digging for too much personal information often leads to requests for help from the dead. Something I very much would like to avoid when I can. I never had the heart to tell her that she wasn't going to get to go outside ever again. I held her hand and offered words of encouragement that she should look for a way to move on but denial is a strong force in the minds of those no longer living. If she had been willing to accept what had happened to her (I always felt she died of a debilitating disease and had physically wasted away on the property long ago) she would be able to see her way forward to the next life. In a way, she chose to stay a little girl spiritually and it kept a veil of deception over her.
There are a lot of stories I could tell you about my time with her. About how she loved to sing late at night to the baby next door or when she got so mad that she shredded my wife's femenine hygiene products. But in the end, I'll choose to say that I will always feel sad that I couldn't help her move on and I feel like I left a scared child all alone in that duplex when we moved away.

Vancouver Paranormal Special Investigations

So, after a lot of years of talking about it, our group is going to start paranormal investigations. It's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Those of you who truly know me understand what that means. If you are a skeptic and want to belittle me/us I'll tell you to go ahead and save your breath. I've heard the arguments and your logic. My experiences tell me different and I'll say that it takes the smaller, fearful mind to deny that which cannot be held in your hand.
(With that out of the way) I'll share a bit about us and what we want to accomplish....
Many people are plagued with experiences they cannot explain. From depression, anxiety and dread to the more extreme and terrifying physical occurances. Many of these people are afraid to speak up and don't know where to look for help. Granted, since the fairly recent explosion of Paranormal Investigative shows have spread across the television and Internet this isn't as taboo as it used to be. It is our hope, even our mission, not to just document proof of the paranormal but offer assistance to resolve the issues causing such events.
We aren't experts and don't pretend to be. My personal explorations through various sources and experiences lead me to feel that we can reasonably offer this gift to those in need.
So, for those of you who may come to read this blog, please look forward to finding some very interesting stories about our investigations in the near future. That's not to say that my personal blog here will become just that but until we organize enough to create a website I will share my experiences here!
If you feel you would like for us to investigate the unexplained in your life or maybe you feel you have something positive to contribute please leave a comment with a way to reach you.

A place for my head...

Hello and welcome to my new blog. My name is Craig Clement. I'm a husband, father, martial artist, aspiring writer, PC specialist, paranormal investigator, physical medium and clairvoyant. It's a lot of titles some of which will cause you to question me. I'm used to it. Everyone tests me. Anymore I just tell them 'no' and will eventually prove myself.
I will use this space to speak my mind. To share short stories, some true and some not. It'll all really depend on my mood at the time. I'm told I can weave a good tale that a person can picture in their mind as they read. I will strive to be as vivid as possible in the future so come back often for updates!