Online Healthy Lifestyle Challenge Update #2

8/29/08 Posted in Featured News Online Healthy Lifestyle Challenge  |  0 Comments

Healthy & Fit Magazine is excited to announce the Online Healthy Lifestyle Challenge. This Challenge is unique because our sole challenger, Rick Audas, will not only check in monthly with Healthy & Fit readers, but he will have online updates and progress reports published here to compliment the magazine updates. His Challenge started in July. His final reveal will be in the January 2009 issue of Healthy & Fit. Be sure to check out his progress at healthyandfitmagazine.com. You can even leave comments and words of advice.

Interviews for the week of August 28, 2008:

THE CHALLENGER: Rick Audas, 50, 6’4”, 298, former MSU tackle, executive vice president, AXA Advisors: 

How has the challenge been for you? Has your outlook changed on how much work needs to be done? The challenge has been great. My outlook has not changed since I took on this challenge. I knew it would take some work for me to meet my specific goals.

Eating continues to be a challenge. What are you doing to make healthy changes? Just trying to eat better foods and less. Also trying to not eat out as much whenever possible.

Are you enjoying the workouts? Workouts are great. Justin is a great trainer and keeps things interesting by incorporating different programs every week when we meet and Playmakers keeps me supplied well with workout attire and shoes.

What is/was easier: working out with D1 athletes or with Justin? There is no comparison in working out with with D1 Athletes and Justin. Besides the fact that I am 30 years older it is more of personal challenge one on one challenge versus a team challenge.

What are some of your short term goals? My short term goal is to really focus on getting more training sessions in on a weekly basis.

CERTIFIED WELLNESS CONSULTANT: Nancy Mesko, wellnessforum.com, 517.449.0098 :

How many calories are you trying to keep Rick on per week? I have never been an advocate for counting calories. I like to focus more on QUALITATIVE versus QUANTITATIVE. Rick has successfully lost weight on many “calorie counting” diets and they do work however have never produced permanent weight loss. I have been focusing on getting Rick to look at the totality of his diet and eliminate or at least minimize high fat/low fiber foods. That being said he does need to understand raw almonds and avocados are qualitative foods however you cannot eat an unlimited amount.

Besides soup, what are some of the other meals that are working for Rick’s diet?  Veggie Burgers on Sprouted Wheat Bread with mustard and onions with baked sweet potato fries. Still lots of veggies from local produce. Greek Salad made with chopped Tomato, Peppers, Onions, Cucumber with White Balsamic Vinegar/Olive Oil/Oregano for dressing (can add chickpeas to this salad to make it more of a meal) HOLD the Feta!!!. Large Green Salad with Salmon Salad with whole grain bread.

What are the changes in the diet that seem to be working? Rick has been a bit more AWARE and eating at home whenever possible. This is his biggest challenge as he has that busy social calendar!!!

What are some of the short term goals you’d like to have for Rick? Short term goals for now are to just continue to get the bad foods minimized and out of his diet and the good foods in. He is still not eating often enough during the day which leads to being hungry at the end of the day.

THE TRAINER: Justin Grinnell, Michigan Athletic Club, 346-8888: 

How has the challenge been going? It has been going very well with Rick. He has been motivated and ready to work when we meet; however, he needs to get going when he is not training with me. He has been getting some long walks in, but not enough strength training and interval training like we talked about. Rick has a beautiful place up north, and the long weekends up there are tough. It is hard too stick to a game plan, so for that, I can’t wait for Labor Day to come and go. But then, football season comes around. Rick is a former MSU football player, so as you can see life gets in the way, but he has to stay disciplined.

Has he shown improvement?

Each week he has improved in many areas, so I am happy so far. In a few weeks I expect to see a better effort, especially on the food thing.