Eat Like Jed

 Michael Bronco

 Exactly one year after settling in to our new home in Charleston, South Carolina, Holly and I decided to get our kids a dog.  They had been asking for one ever since we moved here, and now that the renovations on our house are done, and the kids are acclimated to their new schools, we didn’t have any good reason not to get a dog.  Besides, our house sits on an acre of land  that is perfect for a dog that needs room to run.

We headed over to our local animal rescue and found a handsome boxer mix who was found on the street several months ago.  He’s around eight months old now, and appears to be mixed with a little sheppard and perhaps a touch of ridgeback.  We named him Jedediah (Jed for short), after the cowboy character in Night at the Museum.

He had a slight sinus infection and some skin irritations when we brought him home and he was a little weak in his hind legs and butt.  He could barely even pull himself up on to the couch without our assistance.  This is to be expected for a dog who never had good nutrition as a pup, and who lacked the exercise necessary for a dog of his type, so we weren’t alarmed.  We knew that we could whip him into shape with some exercise and a better diet.  

He has really adjusted nicely to our family; he comes in to our room every morning to wake us up when he needs to go out, which just  so happens to be at precisely six a.m. (He’s definitely a Bronco),  and he only needed a leash for about two weeks.  We take him to the beach every morning to run in the surf and the girls take him to a tower in our neighborhood that overlooks the marsh so he can run up and down the stairs to get his glutes stronger.

We also put him on our “perfect diet” of sweet potato, fish or turkey, and broccoli, and in just  a month Jed has a near perfect coat, his sores are gone, and he’s able to pull himself up on to the couch. He can even jump into the back of Holly’s Jeep when we take him to the beach, and just the other day he pulled a thirty pound dumbbell across our yard that Holly had him tied to while we were working out. 

We occasionally add a little egg yolk and some lean beef to his diet but for the most part Jed eats just like the rest of the family, and it shows!

Once again, the power of a good diet has revealed itself - even if it is by a dog.  All it takes to be healthy is a solid nutrition plan, a little exercise, and lots of love!

Just ask Jed.

 

Charlene Circele - Managing partner of Bronco's Gym in Madison  

Charlene has twenty years of experience in Health and Fitness, is a champion bodybuilder; a former corporate executive, and is fluent in five languages!   So, if you've got a question on just about anything at all, Charlene can probably answer it! 

Q:  What's the quickest way to get results and lose weight? 

A:   The fastest, and the best, way to lose weight is to start!  Start watching your diet, and start a moderate and consistent exercise program.  Unfortunately, although we would all like instant results, deep-down inside, we also know that it doesn’t work that way.  In order to be successful at anything, you need to set realistic goals and pursue them with a defined plan.  So schedule at least 30 minutes of exercise into each day, and then, buy Michael’s DVD “Simple Cooking” and Holly’s book “Simple Kitchen” and learn what to eat and how to prepare it!! (Yes, that is blatant promotion, but they will guide you on your diet plan). And understand also that long-term results require a long-term commitment, and being consistent is the best guarantee for success.  Good luck!

 

 

 Here are some folks who have been making progress the Bronco Way!  Thanks for the notes guys.  We love to know how our advice is working so keep 'em comin'!!  (names have been hidden to protect the innocent:-0 )

Michael – great suggestions!  I actually just cubed up 4 sweet potatoes and am marinating them in a little EVOO, sea salt and pepper.  I’m then going to bake the big batch tonight so that I have a good stash for the week J    I also have eggs / spinach / chicken slices on hand as well! 
 
Thanks so much!  Hope you had a great weekend.
 
Best,
Meg (Triathlete, business woman, and high energy daughter of a very high energy father who is a rising star in the P90X Universe!)

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Michael,

Just to let you know I've been on the diet for about a week, feel good, never hungry, grocery bills are down, more energy, and have lost 3-4 lbs - now down to my ideal body weight of 108. I will press on and check my cholesterol level again October 1.

In the meantime, I will check in periodically.

Thanks a zillion.

K.. (One of the top Surgeons in the world - no kiddin')

 

Mike

Just a note to thank you again for your help this season. I did a sprint last WE as a tune-up for Philly and had a good race.  My bike and run were markedly better than last year over comparable distances and I had enough in the tank to hold off a challenge from a much younger competitor over the last 150 yards.  (Though my form suffered - see link to photo at bottom)

    I'm ready for the Philly Olympic and feel fresh rather than beat up.  You were right about starting sloooooooow and building fitness one day at a time over months.  At first I was impatient but now I see the wisdom of that approach.  Finishing a workout with something left makes you look forward to rather than dread the next workout.  And you were right about something else - bike and run technique equal free speed.  I didn't suddenly get 10 years younger but my times make it look that way because my technique got better.  Thank you Michael.  Pls give my best to the family.

Richard (Triathlete, Lawyer, Surfer, Musician, handyman, and all-around awesome guy!)

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 Hey M, thanks for sharing this with me and for checking in.

Yes I have crossed over into my next phase of fitness and health.  Im loving the new training focus and really had a smooth transition into my next phase of eating (Oatmeal, Bananas, Tuna, Salmon, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Asparagus, Strawberries, Blueberries, etc, etc,etc).  Overall it has been great.  I think what is most crazy is that my blood pressure is 119/70.  I have never seen numbers like that before-ever.  As you know, black men genetically are prone to HTN.  Even when I thought I was in decent shape I was still skirting around the 130-135/80-90 blood pressure range.  Not too long ago, broadly in the medical field that was still considered decent.  However, by today's standards if you are not at 120/80 you are considered atleast pre-HTN.  To be 36 and have a BP of 119/70-for me is amazing:).

Talk soon!

K ( Musician, Voice over artist, handsome as hell, great dad, inspiration to all who meet him, and one of Michael's favorite clients of all-time!)  Did we mention handsome as hell??

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Hey, good news to report.  I did Wyckoff tri a couple weeks ago and placed 3rd in my age group!  I had to check results twice to be sure since the highest I think I ever placed in that race was 13th.  Your tips came in super handy - 

 

Had best .5 mile swim to date in 18 min - I feel I can go faster, but just having a comfort level in the water and getting a handle on sighting is HUGE.  Proceeded to have great bike and run splits too - i'm trying to get to the Madison track one morning a week to focus on speed.  Getting faster AND not putting any more time in, just focusing on good quality efforts when I do - it's really working. 

 

Ran my fastest 5k in 22:38 - again, i think i can go faster w/ time and doing some of the drills we did that day at madison track.  best part of 5k wasn't my time BUT the fact that my husband and 10 yr old son did their 2nd 5k ever and shaved 6 minutes off their time finishing in 37 min - so proud of them and love that my family is getting into a fit and healthy lifestyle in a big way - my parents came too to stay w/ the 8 yr olds and they're inspired - all good.

 

So, my season results to date 6 in age group at NH Oly (no swim, changed to bike/run due to lightening), 3rd in Wyckoff and 2nd AG in 5k in FP - having dropped 13 lbs. since Oct is a plus too - new fast racing chassis makes a difference on those hills and stuff.  Off to get ready for Broncos - I do a little running w/ some hill work before my strength over there.

 

Thanks for your coaching tips - it's all coming together!!

 

Melissa  (Super Triathlete, Supermom, business woman, and very happy!)

 

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Hey Coach,

Hooked lately on Holly's cookbook.  Been preparing fish at

home for the first time and it's delicious.  Did I tell you I finally

had blood work done and my cholesterol levels are great, have to give

you and Holly lots of credit for that!  Thanks

J, (businesswoman, runner, dog lover, and a super-fun chick who should be living near the beach.)

 

 

 Hey, want some tips of your own?    Then don't be shy!  Send us a note and let us know what you need help with.  That's what we do!   And let us know YOUR success story!

 

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