Russell's Muscles

"If it's not raining, you're not training!"

Maybe it's just the grizzled veteran in me.

May do another Murph event tomorrow afternoon, Monday the 27th, ifwe can pull enough people together.

"The Murph" Official Host!

Join us at 0700 this Sunday at Fenton Park (come later if need be, I'll never leave anyone behind).

The Russell's Muscles Fitness Trailer will be out and the mile run/walk will be mapped out.

Come out to join in, walk and modify the workout, or just show your support.

Always remember the heroes that came before us, like Bring a name that you want to recognize as well.

Do some or give it your all but we'll all remember those that came before us to give us this wonderful holiday in the greatest country of this world!

All gave some, some gave all.
"The Murph" Official Host
Workout times available and we'll bring the equipment and set-up the workout/course.
Do some or give it your all but we'll all remember those that came before us to give us this wonderful holiday in the greatest country of this world!

Well, for anyone who read Sean's Russell's Muscles Monday post, you know I've stopped the carnivore diet. Happily. And, there's good news/bad news I'll share. My doctor appt on Friday was insightful, eye-opening, and affirming of some of why I didn't "thrive" on this diet as Sean did/is.

Good News:
* In total, I lost 15.5 lbs in the 6 weeks. I'm really proud of that AND really thankful. I feel more like myself again, just getting that initial weight off (more to go, but I'm OK even if it does come off! This body has been thru a lot over many years).
* Body fat percentage dropped by 3.5%! Big win to me!
* Some inflammation went down, and that combined with weight loss, has made it easier to walk, I feel lighter, and I'm more willing to get up and move around. 🏃‍♀️
* We tried different meats, different ways of cooking, and didn't depend on seasonings, but more of how the meat was cooked. We even tried "carnivore ice cream!"
* We did it. We set out to achieve a goal and we hit it. Together. And I think it has also brought us closer. 🙂 Another win. 🏆

Bad News:
* I continued to lack energy, or clarity of mind, and struggled to get enough calories in regularly, which only makes those two things worse.
* My sleep managed to get worse (didn't think that was possible)😫, and after a brief pause on heartburn and indigestion, it came back with a vengeance week 5 and 6.
* Because of this and other symptoms, my doctor said on Friday, "I don't think this is the meal plan for you; I don't think your body is doing well with high fat/high protein diet."
* But worse, she said she was concerned about my liver - too bogged to absorb the minerals and nutrients carnivore CAN offer, which is why I felt SO CRUMMY most of the time eating this way, so now we are focusing on new liver protocols and different restricted foods.
* But more bad news awaited me this week: my cholesterol shot thru the roof! Ugh. My LDL was already a bit elevated, and now it's 65 points higher. (Good to see my primary care spotted it and sent an urgent email...ha!). After meeting with the functional med doctor on Friday, this didn't surprise me, and I think it (both liver function and high cholesterol) is indeed all related!
* Despite all the hard news to hear and the recommendation to stop after great weight loss, it was validating that I was not thriving on this diet - it out logic to all the crummy ways I've felt, SO little sleep or focus or energy, etc., especially while I watched Sean handle it mostly with ease and being excited for just about any meal.

I'm starting a new path of yet a different way to eat, in hopes of healing this liver of mine and getting cholesterol under control. I AM thankful for each bite of the 4 strawberries I've had each of the last 3 days, and some grapes, and a bit of avocado tonight, and for COLOR AGAIN IN MY FOOD! 🎨 Ha.

(Picture is of my 1st "free" night's dinner, on the way to kid's practice, with my 4 strawberries! 🙂)

The finished the 6-week strong💪🏼 yesterday. One guess...is this Sean Russell or Becky's dinner tonight? 🥩🥚🤤

We will have updates and results from our journey tomorrow.

Perfection! I was too into my steak and later realized I should've taken a picture earlier of Chef Caveman's mmmmeat of the evening. Almost to our 6 week mark but when it's this good, why stop? Though Becky definitely has other thoughts, ask her how much time's left?

We have a winner of the fitness prize basket. It took a little bit to get it into her hands but her our winner. Elizabeth! She completed nearly every challenge and received a double entry by completing her final measurements, in which she lost BF while building muscle💪🏼 She's already excited for next year's Challenge. Congratulations!!

Sean:
* Able to focus on workouts more, so gained 1+ lb of muscle and lost nearly 1 lb of fat.
* Consumed plenty of protein and fat for protein synthesis stimulating muscle growth.💪🏼
* Looking forward to running the Cardinals 5k this weekend. No carbs, much less carb-loading so it'll be interesting how I'll do (though pretty short run from my usual road races).🏃🏼‍♂️
* I've been free of migraines this week(!) My quality of sleep remains about the same.
* I still think meat tastes great and I've been enjoying cooking different ways along with different varieties of meat.🥩🥓🍗
* I enjoy seeing my wife's happiness🥰 when she talks about the improvements she's seen with her body.

Becky (clearly the wordier one):
* Scale results: just about the same as last week, not significant change.
* To be honest, I'm struggling with this way of eating/living. I see the results, I see the benefits, but I am truly sick of meat. At the same time, we haven't gotten nearly as creative as the "carnivores" out there, but this way of living takes time, the ability to cook pretty much any time you want to eat (unlike a sandwich, salad, fruit, etc.). I'm not sure this is realistic for someone who works in an office, is on the road, or even has work meetings to attend regularly.
* I was pretty worn out this week, felt similar to week #1.
* I'm realizing I'm still not eating enough. These carnivores EAT a TON of food, and typically in 1 or 2 sittings. Many do not eat 3 meals and they do not snack. I work from home, so it's been hard to not snack and to not CRUNCH into something (seeds, nuts, pretzels), and time-consuming to cook up meat all the time.
* Still, tho, I think my results would have been better this past week if I had been able to eat more calories (of protein and fat).
* Speaking of fat, carnivores are saying you have to truly eat ALL the fat - fat with the steak, the drippings from cooking their meat, even literally eating sticks of butter - it not only fuels us, but there are so many nutrients in it (so HARD for us to wrap our heads around that, right? (Note: NOT Sean - he'll eat it ALL)). Even if I throw out all that we've been taught about "how bad" those fats are for you, I just literally cannot stomach it - the look or the chewiness in my mouth. If I could consume the fat, again, I think I'd be seeing bigger results.
* Interestingly, I do go to bed with a full stomach - it's visible (why not on Sean?!) and most mornings, especially when I've had a good amount of food the day before, it's like it melted off! Before this diet, I was bloated ALL the time...didn't matter what I ate. I slept with a heating pad every night, but really haven't too many nights of these last 5 weeks. On the mornings when I still feel like my stomach is full or even bloated-looking, I think it's from eating too late (all too often in our house) and not enough sleep during the night.
* My sleep still hasn't improved :( and I don't feel particularly energetic. Again, I think I need more calories.

* This Friday, I'm back to visit with the doctor who suggested this in the first place. Sunday will be our 6 WEEK MARK! (I am WAY more thrilled than Sean, who's been utterly delighted with this way of living/eating.) I'm curious how to "come off" this diet, and, truthfully, fearful she's going to say, "I think you should give it 6 more weeks." I'm also getting some bloodwork done next Mon to see if any levels have changed. I'll share!

How about a couple of bacon and cheese sandwiches...of course style. Instead of bread, I sandwiched the bacon and cheese between two patties of ground sirloin.

The added a little variety to make things interesting. Lobster a couple nights ago, parmesan crusted chicken and today tried frying up some giblets in butter while devouring a whole chicken. Becky wasn't as impressed with the variety. Finishing up week 5. We're in it to win it!

Everyone Join Russell's Muscles, family and friends at the Tough Mudder! I'm attending Sunday, April 28th at 10am with my family.

100% DISCOUNT for the event, $115 OFF! Pay for your parking and insurance only. Get a great swag bag with a shirt, viking hat, finishers medal.

Event is selling out fast. It's fun, challenging (but if you can't or don't want to do an obstacle you can walk around it) and a whole lot of smiles. Did I mention 100% off?

Use code: RussellsMuscles100

Pictures is when I attended a few years ago in IL as well (10 minutes from downtown St. Louis).

Russell's Muscles family and friends, have you ever wanted to bring back the kid in you? How about work as a team, build camaraderie, have some laughs while making memories? An obstacle course with mud puddles with a group of friends is just what you need!

has received a Tough Mudder discount code ...100% DISCOUNT! April 27 & 28. How many want to join us? Invite your friends friends too if you like.

update on our week 4 measurements.

Sean:
-Down 1 pound and it was in body fat
-No change in muscle, next week this should change because of my additional workout plan from a certified personal trainer (I know a guy if anyone's interested) 😉

Becky:
-Down another pound
-Not only lost 4 pounds of body fat
-But gained nearly 2 pounds of muscle💪🏼
-From week 3 to 4 went down 2.2% body fat! 😲

The picture is pretty accurate btw.

With Becky Rockett

We're a little behind in our 3 week update, so this will be a 3-and-4-ish week update:

Sean:
* Still enjoying/loving meat.
* Gained 1/2 pound.
* Busy week, not as much time to workout, sleep or focus solely on the diet (tho kept with it!), just did life.
* Wasn't well-rested, but felt plenty of good energy during classes and workouts.
* Going into week 4: More ability/time to focus on eating, working out and trying different recipes.

Becky:
* Still waiting for the cravings/longings for food to stop. They aren't! I want ALL the things! 😉
* Halfway mark to the 6-week goal! Feels both doable AND daunting at the same time.
* They say to "eat until your full" and "eat whenever you're hungry; there's not really a lot of tracking you have to do." But I don't always want to eat(!), so it's tricky.
* Feeling sluggish and worn out this week. They say exercise is key to this diet, even walking is vital.
* 1/2 pound loss, had hoped to continue the weight loss trend, but still thankful. Actually lost a full pound in my torso (so gained a little bit elsewhere) and it's noticeable to me! Win!
* My double decker "muffin top" is down to a SINGLE one and it feels SO much better. Win!
* TBH, having the scale tell me "only" .5 pounds instead of the significant weight loss of the last 2 weeks, was like unlocking a new level of needed perseverance. I was keenly aware of how motivating positive feedback can be...a confidence booster that also makes it easier when saying no to the fun foods. So this week required another level of 'digging deep' and staying the course, reminding myself often that 11.5 lbs total IS still great!
* Goal for week 4 is to try to implement some exercises. I still cannot do much physically, but we're learning this way of eating IS meant to include physical activity... It's primarily fats and proteins, and the energy is there to be used!
* Bonus: nearing the end of week 4, even tho I don't feel like I've lost more pounds on the scale, now the single muffin top is diminished! WIN!

(Updates on week 4 tomorrow)

We're a little behind in our 3 week update, so this will be a 3-and-4-ish week update:

Sean:
* Still enjoying/loving meat.
* Gained 1/2 pound.
* Busy week, not as much time to workout, sleep or focus solely on the diet (tho kept with it!), just did life.
* Wasn't well-rested, but felt plenty of good energy during classes and workouts.
* Going into week 4: More ability/time to focus on eating, working out and trying different recipes.

Becky:
* Still waiting for the cravings/longings for food to stop. They aren't! I want ALL the things! 😉
* Halfway mark to the 6-week goal! Feels both doable AND daunting at the same time.
* They say to "eat until your full" and "eat whenever you're hungry; there's not really a lot of tracking you have to do." But I don't always want to eat(!), so it's tricky.
* Feeling sluggish and worn out this week. They say exercise is key to this diet, even walking is vital.
* 1/2 pound loss, had hoped to continue the weight loss trend, but still thankful. Actually lost a full pound in my torso (so gained a little bit elsewhere) and it's noticeable to me! Win!
* My double decker "muffin top" is down to a SINGLE one and it feels SO much better. Win!
* TBH, having the scale tell me "only" .5 pounds instead of the significant weight loss of the last 2 weeks, was like unlocking a new level of needed perseverance. I was keenly aware of how motivating positive feedback can be...a confidence booster that also makes it easier when saying no to the fun foods. So this week required another level of 'digging deep' and staying the course, reminding myself often that 11.5 lbs total IS still great!
* Goal for week 4 is to try to implement some exercises. I still cannot do much physically, but we're learning this way of eating IS meant to include physical activity... It's primarily fats and proteins, and the energy is there to be used!
* Bonus: nearing the end of week 4, even tho I don't feel like I've lost more pounds on the scale, now the single muffin top is diminished! WIN!

(Updates on week 4 tomorrow)

winner Julia Biderman dropped the largest percentage of body fat and by a comfortable margin!💪🏼 The battle between 2nd and 7th was separated by only .7% (less than 1%).
This is what Julia said after collecting her cash prize!💲💲
"I am so excited to be this year's 9-week fitness challenge winner. I really focused this year on being more consistent and dedicated to cutting out adult beverages and snacks in the evenings. This was definitely a challenge for me!
It is so awesome to be part of a supportive fitness community. These friendships have greatly helped my motivation to continue to focus on the benefits of reaching my fitness goals."

Champion is...
Announced in a couple of hours and the Prize Basket Winner announced this evening.

Our Texas Roadhouse dinner out.
Becky ordered the 12oz NY strip🥩 and I had the 16oz sirloin🥩, we asked for no kitchen seasonings but added sea salt at the table. The steaks came with 2 sides so Becky ordered fries🍟 and baked potato🥔 to-go for the girls back home. I ordered the baked potato🥔 to-go too but was loaded and toppings on the side (as shown with steak). I ate the toppings with my steak except the bacon which I mixed with my other side, a house salad minus the lettuce, tomatoes and croutons. 🧀🥚 We washed it down with a glass of refreshing water. 🫗

First time Becky and I are dining out on the . Texas Roadhouse, details on how and what we ordered later. Oh it's been interesting and I thought a little fun too. 🥩

Carnivore Diet Recipe: Went with meatballs today, two different ways. The meat was ground beef, pork and veal. The first was mixed with shredded cheddar and wrapped in bacon. The second batch I mixed shredded cheddar, ground pork rinds and precooked bacon bits. Both were cooked in the air fryer at 350° for 15 minutes.
A little different meal than the usual. Becky liked the second batch better and I preferred the first ones with the bacon wrapped.

Last week to get your measurements. See where you started and finished. For those who rather not, remember these are for your eyes only and we can always revisit your results because they're saved on this machine. Use the results as a confidence builder or motivation maker.
I have scheduled contestants measuring on Wednesday and Thursday, you can come to me or I can come to you.
The largest Body Fat % Drop and the random Prize Basket winners will be announced on Sunday.

Carnivore Diet Recap - Weeks 1 and 2!

Sean:
WEEK 1:
* Migraine the first day, lesser headache second day.
* First few days - wondered if I could do this diet. Also, how do I maintain this meal plan while needing to cook for/feed 2 teenagers?
* Sluggish for first week, started feeling energy come back going into 2nd week.
* Watched scale daily, losing about 1 lb per day average. 7 lbs total lost, start of week 2. (Had to keep Becky's progress quiet/from her - see below.)

WEEK 2:
* Energy is back (workout and daily life).
* Headache but not debilitating migraine.
* Experimented with more foods week 2: fish, some cheese varieties.
* Cravings still there. Tough not to taste test food for kids, or be the usual "garbage disposal" for the family. Hard not to snack on things!
* By end of week 2, 11 lbs lost. Lost body fat and gained 1/2 pounds of muscle by the end of week 2.

Becky:
WEEK 1:
* The first 3 days: hard, pretty awful, SO nauseous: not sure if the migraine I had caused the nausea, or the food changes caused the headache that led to nausea.
* Had a pretty strong food aversion to all the meat...and the chewing (and chewing). Some meals I just had to muscle thru and eat as much as I could. Chicken was a quick no-go a couple days in: terrible without seasoning (we're technically only supposed to season with salt, some say a little pepper is Ok. I need more on my chicken!)
* I honestly felt like the smell of meat was coming out of my pores...that *I* smelled like meat. Literally, showers felt cleansing!
* Midweek, I (we) gave up hopes of doing "strict" carnivore, meaning ONLY meat and eggs...some people incorporate cheese, and this became my lifeline. We started "treating" ourselves to a slice of cheese, after dinner, just to cleanse the pallet. We refer to it as "dessert" and we both know what we mean. (Which feels both determined (yay!) AND pitiful all at once. 😃)
* Felt a surge of energy by day 4 and a teeny, tiny morsel of "OK, I can do this" (which is fleeting some days!).
* While I DID weigh in, I refused to look at the scale. I didn't feel like any weight had dropped off, and I needed perseverance going into the next week...I couldn't afford to be discouraged if I hadn't lost any weight, or even worse, gained some from just eating meat. See week 2.

WEEK 2:
* So tired of the house smelling like meat! 🤢 I can't seem to burn enough candles to get rid of the smell and I'm worried that our walls are going to be greasy from cooking So. Much. Meat. Eew!
* Shopping is hard. Quite literally, we can eat nothing in the store except some things around the perimeter, so we have to walk THRU to get to fish, meat, eggs, cheese.
* Jittery by mid-afternoon and evenings (unlike Sean, I can't really workout [still] and truly burn some energy). Not great sleep. This diet touts great sleep, so I'm ready for it.
* I'm tired of meat taste in my mouth...what I wouldn't give to chew on some gum! So, sometimes I'll put on mint chapstick just to smell NOT-meat and sometimes get a "taste" from it on my lips. Feels really pathetic and desperate!
* I'm super thirsty. All the time. I drink a ton of water, and it never feels like enough.
* I just want to CRUNCH on something (not chew) - like nuts, pretzels, seeds,...I miss all the crunchy stuff.
* Highlight of the week for food was "frying" cheese and making taco shells! Yum!
* I had 2 back-to-back work days where I wasn't home, and had to really work hard to plan what I was eating. Day 1: I shortened my time away, I made sure to eat enough breakfast, and brought hard boiled eggs and some bacon with me to eat during lunchtime. Day 2 was all-day meetings with clients: I was able to find scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, and then for lunch had a smash burger with cheese and a side of bacon. Mission accomplished! I also gave myself grace that any extra seasonings from the restaurants were minor for one day - the important thing is that I stuck with the meal plan!
* I finally started using the MyFitnessPal app, mostly so I could track fats and proteins...from our research, it's important to have upwards of 60 to even 80 percent calories in fat, the rest in protein. And, since I'm sick of chewing, it's helpful to remind myself I actually need to eat MORE food before the day is over.
* And finally: I got on the scale AND looked this time at the end of week 2. 11 lbs down (and had actually lost 6 lbs in the first week! Sean did a great job not telling me!)! Clothes are starting to fit a little better (I have much more to lose), and I DO feel lighter when I walk and move around, which I am thankful for.

It's important for us to share that I (Becky) have done elimination diets, under doctor's supervision, and some have lasted for 4-6 months. The main goal has been to reduce inflammation, with the hopeful outcome of losing weight (pounds and inches just keep stacking on), but so far, nothing has really worked. It's also important to note that due to a really crummy outcome of a surgery from 3.5 years ago, AND 2 consecutive frozen shoulder bouts, I haven't been able to do anything active. Some days are hard enough just to get out of bed and be an adult that day. So, while this diet was still suggested to me (by a different doctor), for the main purpose of reducing inflammation and joint pain, it has been my hope that some weight will drop off too. And I'm thankful that these hard first 2 weeks have seemed worth it on the scale (and my joints!).

We're here for questions and we hope this helps showcase some of the realities of this meal plan, in a transparent way!

Sean has often been found proudly taking pictures of his/our meal creations (or solutions), so perhaps we'll have a post soon where he shares some of those!

Steak and eggs tonight hit the spot. Fried up the steaks in leftover bacon drippings and gave it a crispy crust and perfectly pink on the inside. The eggs were leftover egg whites from the girls making a chocolaty dessert 😮‍💨 The things we do on the just to mix it up.
Becky and I will share some of our 2-week results and findings tomorrow. 👍🏼

is now complete! Schedule your final measurements and see just how far you've come. Keep up these good habits and revisit the page whenever you need a reminder. Two winners, one with the biggest drop in body fat % and the other the prize basket winner, picked randomly from all the challenges you completed; the more challenges completed, the more changes you have to win.

Before going further, let's detail our journey by sharing what our expectations would be going into the carnivore diet. Then, next post, we'll share how the first week went (yes, we made it one. Whole. Week. ...and we have thoughts and feelings about it!)

Sean:

* Wake up more refreshed
* Decrease migraines
* Lose body fat
* Expect to crave sweets (especially Oreos), nuts, fruit

Becky:

* I expect it to be hard but hoping I can just put my head down and stay focused
* Better sleep
* Lose weight
* Fix digestive issues
* Expect to miss chocolate, protein shakes, fruit and having a variety of food
* Also expect to feel "amazing" after the first 2 weeks, like "everyone" says.

Our thoughts and experiences from Week 1 coming soon!

The Carnivore Diet sure has its advantages, less cleanup! You don't even want to know how I cleaned the plate. 😋