Rex Hudler

To both Rock and whitesoxfan101, I am not sure how you interpreted my post, but let me clarify. The only thing I intimated as normal was attrition after a transition with a new coach/program, especially one as difficult and dramatic (in terms of degree of change in system/style) as this one has been. What I did not intend to portray as the results on the field as being normal or expected. I did not compare Michigan to Alabama, wsfan101. Bringing up Alabama was strictly to illustrate that there is more way than one for a coach to approach such a transition. Nick Saban himself believes that it needs to be a "my way or the highway" approach if you want to turn things around quickly, but even he pulled back from that last year when every other week he was having players arrested/suspended because he had no depth. But he certainly cleaned up some messes after the season. Michigan will return to the top and I believe it will be with Rodriguez. But it will take some time. If another coach would have been brought in, we may be watching a Michigan team with Ryan Mallett, Adrian Arrington, Mario Manningham (less likely) and Justin Boren. That would make for a COMPLETELY different offense. This team has been beset by inexperience and injuries on offense. The defense has been unfairly burdened due to an offense that has been horrible. Think about it, 50+ plays for negative yardage on the season. At about the midway point of the season, 46% of Michigan's offensive plays went for 0 or negative yards. How in the hell can you succeed in that situation? The offensive line and QB are terrible, which makes designing any kind of potentially successful plays nearly impossible. They have had to resort to running 10 WR screens/swing passes a game in hopes that they can break one. Problem is, half the time the QB can't even lead the receiver correctly so he can catch it with forward momentum or catch it at all. Statistically this has been the worst Michigan defense of all time. But I think that is an unfair burden put on them because they have had no offense to support them. Don't get me wrong, it has been atrocious at times and Stevie Brown has to be the worst safety ever at Michigan. The reason he is the worst is that he makes a few big plays which are enough to fool you into thinking he has potential. But for every good tackly on Pryor (1st play) and interception (1st possession) there are three times as many missed tackles, bad angles and blown coverages. If he didn't mix in a few big plays, he'd never seen the field, so for a guy that actually plays, he has to be the worst! What I do like about this team is that they have never quit. They can look absolutely horrible and they don't seem to realize how bad they are and just keep plugging away. If they had any quit in them, they would have already laid down in this game and it would be 24-0 right now. I am not sure I really like the spread option offense that much, but I do respect Rodriguez' ability to coach and recruit. He'll be successful, but it won't be easy the first 2-3 years. This will not be a 2nd year turnaround success like Tressel and Saban pulled off. Next year will start with a new QB, a true frosh. There will be more bumps along the way, I just hope they don't continue to include losses to freakin Toledo!!!

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 03:45 PM) Didnt I just post the UM board/blog. Which one are you talking about? I didnt think he would just leave, especailly since everyone was saying it was a bout of depression. Edit, I see on his page today he said he had a change of heart, but still the other players metioned were still leaving. For the sake of the Big Ten, i hope the unrest in AA stops. Let's actually think about this with a little logic rather than trying to create drama and hey, let's mix in some fact too. I'll be happy to help you with this. 1. Zion Babb was kicked off the team - he did not quit 2. McGuffie still could choose to leave - but the rumors that started this week are solely based on the fact he has been hurt and he had to go home for a funeral. He returned to Ann Arbor Wed. night and is on the travel roster for today's game. He will get some time, but Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown (who were originally supposed to be the starters before injuries set in) will get the bulk of the carriers. They are by far UM's best two RB's right now. 3. DT Jason Kates left the team. No surprise as he was a career backup as well. 4. Artis Chambers rumors are flying. If he leaves it will be a playing time issue. He played early in the season, but has fallen off the radar in recent weeks. He does play special teams some, however. 5. There WILL be more players leave. This is normal in a coaching transition, especially one as radical in philosophy as Michigan has gone through. Some players leave initially, others leave after going through a year and realizing their isn't a great fit. 6. Don't be surprised to see guys like TE's Martell Webb and Steve Watson leave as they don't have a major role in this offense. 7. There will be seniors that do not come back for the 5th year, which happens every year. 8. There will be some other players that are not primary players that leave, not wishing to continue. Again, no big shock. 9. There has been some insinuation that some of the younger players have not bought in like Coach Rodriguez wants and are not giving the right amount of effort. I think this is somewhat natural and a dangerous consequence when you are recruiting so many players telling them they have a chance to come in and play right away. Recruits are not very realistic and they think they can come in and be a 4-yr starter. While Michigan has played a bunch of freshman, some are standing on the sidelines watching. A few may leave. 10. Coach Rod has said that any players that remain will buy in 100% both in terms of football and academics. There is some scuttlebutt that some players may not be taking the academic side seriously enough, which may cause some attrition and you will never hear about the exact reason why. To sum up, further attrition is expected. It was discussed in April and again in August/September. This is not unexpected to anyone that actually follows the program. But to insinuate that it is not part of the process is assinine. One can argue that UM and Rich Rod could have made the transition more smoothly. They could have done so by hiring a different coach or Rod could have done so by bending his philosophies more. Is that the right answer for the long run. Personally I am not smart enough to know for sure. I am confident Michigan will be back and Rich Rodriguez will be a successful coach there. Could he have done things differently? I'm pretty sure he'd tell you yes. But I also remember reading a few things that Nick Saban said at Alabama and he stated that in order ot have success your way, you have to take total control. He also admitted to that last season he had to make some tough decisions because of a lack of depth and there would have been some guys that would have been invited to leave had the situation not been what it was.

Jordan, here is a little thing I picked off a website I get daily tidbits from. I would definitely make sure you are getting enough calories (I think sometimes I am (guilty of not getting enough) and this is the exact reason I suggest cheat meals periodiccally. You have to make sure you don't allow your metabolism to adapt to what you are doing. I'm not sure how heavy you are, but I would suggest a minimum of 1500-1700 calories a day. With the workouts you are doing, in all honesty you probably need 2000-2250/day. Otherwise you are really going to eat into your lean muscle tissue and your body can break down due to fatigue, renedering your workouts much less effective. FRIDAY: IT'S YOUR BODY, BABY Are You Eating Enough? I know this isn't what you're used to hearing this time of year, but it's important to make sure everyone's got it straight. You're all trying not to go over your allotted calorie amounts for the week, but how many of you aren't eating enough calories? It may seem like a bright idea to cut a hundred or so calories from your diet each day, but that's a dangerous — and incorrect — assessment of your dietary needs. It is absolutely 100 percent essential to eat enough calories! If you don't, it will destroy your metabolism. It's like telling your body that you're starving. If your body thinks it's starving, your metabolism will shut down. Not eating enough calories will also force the body to cannibalize muscle and hold on to fat. The body considers muscle to be expendable during periods of starvation, and it considers fat to be necessary to insulate your organs for survival. Finally, a deficit of daily calories will lead to a horrible cycle of yo-yo dieti ng. You'll starve yourself and end up losing muscle, and when you begin to eat the right amount of calories, your body will pack on the pounds in anticipation of another "famine."

Jordan, just remember that while doing an extreme plan may work, it will increase the likelihood the weight will come back once your lifestyle changes. I understand where you are coming from, I would just warn you to mix in a little normalcy so that you can better transition to be able to maintain your new weight. Aside from that, keep up the good work. I hope you get where you want to be. As far as me, I've been stuck right at 100 lbs for about two weeks and it has frustrated me. Nonetheless, I weighed myself this morning expecting to see the same and was surprised that I had lost 6 pounds this week to get down to 256, making the total loss 106 pounds. I'm hoping I can lose 2-3 this week before Thanksgiving so I can be close to the 110 lb goal I set.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Nov 15, 2008 -> 03:47 PM) I think I'm gonna take your advice. I'll do whatever it takes to get this crap off. Anyway, another 5 hours put in today. I don't know how I'm doing this. I feel really good right now. I just hope it lasts. I'm tempted to take a peak at the scale. But I'll be pissed off if I haven't lost at least 5 pounds. First of all, what the hell are you doing at the gym for that amount of time? What are your workouts consisting of? Second, i'd definitely recommend you weighing yourself, but doing so no more than once a week, preferrably in the morning. I choose Friday mornings because I am most likely to splurge with fattening foods on the weekend and stay disciplined. Your weight will fluctuate during the week, so don't be tempeted. But you don't want to wait until New Year's. Celebrate your successes, but don't get your panties in a wad if you gain a pound or two in a particular week. Consistency and the long term is what you are trying to accomplish. Lastly, plan on cheating on said diet. Mix in a high calorie meal that you are craving at least once a week, preferrably the day or the day after you weigh in. A high calorie meal will keep your metabolism honest, and keep it from adapting to what you are doing. Your metabolism will adapt to the food you put into your body.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Nov 14, 2008 -> 12:56 AM) I root for all the programs at NIU and Illinois, but I definitely pay closer attention to the non major (sports other than basketball and football basically) programs here at NIU. I think that's natural though since it's my actual school and I know more athletes here, whereas I just have rooted for Illinois since I was a little kid. Ditto Evansville and Indiana for me

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 09:57 AM) You guys should all try being vegan for 30 days like Oprah. I guarantee you will lose weight. I lost 20 lbs in no time when I became vegan. Why the hell would we want to do that?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Nov 10, 2008 -> 04:23 AM) Thanks a million@Rex. That is exactly the kinda info I was looking for. I'm 25, and never have had a problem with weight until I started drinking. So I don't have a whole lot of knowledge on healthy foods (besides the obvious), what's good, what's not, ect. And this dietdirect.com site looks to be the s***. I'll definitely be ordering some stuff from them in the next few days. Thanks again. PM me if you want to know some of the specific products I have tried and regularly buy

One of my favorites......

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Nov 8, 2008 -> 11:12 PM) I'm in this damn club now. I started working out yesterday. I went walking for about 90 minutes. Then I went to L.A. fitness for about two hours. Not bad for the first day. My goal is to lose 50 pounds. I don't plan on checking my weight every week. Especially during the holiday season. I don't want to get discouraged if I have a bad week every now and then. I don't plan on checking until the first of the year. But I will post my daily progress. Question for Rex or anybody in the club, what do your diets consist of? Obviously I'm cutting out the fastfoods, fried foods, pastas, beer, ect. I've decided to cut out meats for a while. I'm sticking to chicken (except fried), tuna, turkey, fish, samon. I'm gonna load up on salad, fruits and veggies. I'm done with soda and chocolate milk. Just gonna stick with water and powerade. Any other suggestions would be welcomed. Some foods I eat and how I approach my daily diet..... The biggest key is to balance your food intake. I pay attention to calories, fiber & protein mostly. I don't worry too much about carbs and fat, but I do glance at their content and factor that in. I don't worry about keeping track of any one category, I just try to make sure I am getting enough fiber and protein and balance the calories with carb and fat. Fiber Fiber is very important to overall health, but especially to weight loss. Fiber has sevreal functions. It helps bind the fat in your sytem and flushes it out. It keeps you regular which is good for overall health. There are many foods that contain fiber with vegetables being the primary source. Personally, I green beans are the only vegetable I et (I'm very picky) so I have to find fiber from other sources. Foods I have found with high fiber content are: a. FiberOne chewy bars - There are 4 or 5 flavors, but the one's I like best are Oats & Chocolate and Oats & Caramel. They have 9g of fiber each and only 140 calories. To me they taste damned near like a candy bar and they are not dry like many protien/cereal bars. I typically eat 2-3 a day. I buy the Oats & Chocolate at Costco in a 30ct box and they are much cheaper. b. FiberOne cereals are also good and very high in fiber. The fiber content depends on which one you buy, but be careful about the calorie content. Some of the "flavored" varieties are higher in calories and lower in fiber. I use skim milk and cut up a banana or add fresh blueberries to a cup of cereal. c. All Bran Crackers - They come in garlic & herb and multigrain flavors, but I have only had the garlic & herb. About 18 crackers contains 5g of fiber and just 120 calories. They are a great snack and go really well w/ some pepper jack cheese. d. Other foods such as whole wheat and multi grain breads are also good but I consider any fiber from them a bonus. I have also found that Nature's Own Healthy White - White Wheat bread. It tastes like white bread and the balance of its calories per slice, fiber and protein content equals or surpasses many whole wheat breads. Protein Protein is important to weight loss as it helps the body retain lean muscle tissue. Without proper levels of protein as you lose weight the body will burn both fat stores and lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle tissue is important for several reasons, but primarily because muscle burns more calories than fat. More muscle tissue will create a higher metabolism and burn more calores when not working out. Muscle does weigh more than fat tissue, so when losing weight and gaining lean muscle tissue they sometimes offset each other. I can often see the scale not moving downward like I want it to, but I can still feel my body shape and strength changing, which is the most important thing. It is recommended that protein intake (in grams) be about 75-100% of your ideal body weight. Those that are working out strenuously and lifting weights should be at least 100%. For example, if your target weight is 180 pounds, you should be getting 135 to 180 grams of protein daily. -- For me to attain that number and still keep my caloire intake down, I have been taking protein supplements. I found some tasty fiber bars and drinks on dietdirect.com. The drinks are typically 15g of protein and contain only 70-1000 calories with water and taste good. The bars are much better than other bars I have had in the past and contain about 150 calories. -- Obviously the primary source for protein is meat. Nuts are also a good source of protein, but have a high calories/fat content. The fats are primarly unsaturated so they aren't as bad as you would get with burgers, steak, etc. but it is easy to sit and eat way too many, not realizing how many calories you are eating. -- I eat more chicken and turkey than I used to, but I don't shy away from other meats. If I am jonesing for a steak, I throw one on the grill. Typically, I will eat that along with some fruit or something other than a heavy starch to keep calorie content in check. Again, it's all about balance. If you want a high caloire steak that will contain a lot of fat, adjust your diet accordingly that day with the other foods you eat. Samples of foods I eat: 1. Quaker Oats Weight Control Oatmeal - The weight control version has a better ratio of calories/protein/fiber than their other versions. I have never been a fan of oatmeal but these flavored versions are pretty damned good. I eat a bowl most every morning. I keep a bowl and a spoon at the office and mix the protein w/ the hot water from the coffee machine for a quick breakfast. 2. FiberOne protein bards - see fiber info above 3. Popcorn - 100 calorie bags for a snack 4. Fresh Fruits - Bananas, fresh pineapple, blueberries, apple slices (I don't eat whole apples). From time to time I will mix in an orange or some mango. 5. Premium Orange Juice - must say "not from concentrate" - From concentrate means sugar added basically 6. Grilled chicken breast - or if you must cook indoors, use Olive oil or Olive oil flavored spray Pam in a frying pan. 7. Wheat tortillas with chicken breast, mexican blend cheese and Taco Bell mild taco sauce 8. Wheat tortillas with turkey breast, cheese and barbecue sauce 9. Shakes - I mentioned protein shakes before, but for someone that likes chocolate milk try skim mile with Sugar Free Nestle Quick as an alternative. 10. Nuts - as a snack. I know almonds and other nuts are better for you, but I like basic peanuts and cashews better. Cashews are very high in calorie content so make sure serving sizes stay small. 11. Hershey's Dark Chocolate Sticks - I find them at Walgreens. Each stick is just 60 calories and the dark chocolate is rich enough that just one satisfies a craving for sweets. The milk chocolate sticks are good, but don't have the same richness so I was eating more than one, defeating the purpose. 12. Shrimp - high in protein, low in calories I have some combination of the above every day. I add other foods as needed. I try and make better choices if I am going out to eat. I get a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a burger for example. I stay away from fries for the most part. Personally, since I weigh myself every Friday morning, I tend to stay disciplined throughout the weak and stray on the weekends. I am not afraid to pig out on a burger or pizza or a big meal on a weekend. In fact, I look forward to it. Hope that helps. There are many other foods that work and are healthy, but being pretty picky I have found things that work for me.

Random thoughts/questions.... 1. If Oklahoma beats TTech and there is a three-way tie atop the Big 12 South, how is the tie broken? Head-to-head matchups can't come into play unless it would be a 3rd or 4th tiebreaker after one team is eliminated. 2. Michigan finally put together a nice game. Guess those players that (supposedly) walked out found what they were looking for. This is what was expected this season. A not too flashy offense and a solid D. I have no idea where this defense has been. I know the offense has not made it easy on them, but today was a completely different defense. They actually tackled. 3. For a time yesterday, I thought all was right again with college football at least for the day. Michigan won, Illinois lost, Nebraska won, Bama is at the top. But then the Red Raiders blew up that whole vision. They are a damned good team, but it just doesn't have the right ring to it when one talks about Texas Tech paying for the NC. 4. How about all the talk about USC? Funny thing is, Oregon State controls their own destiny in the PAC-10. Maybe USC should make sure they are going to win their conference before they start crowing too loud. That said, USC is the one team I would not want to play in a big game. USC - Florida has a pretty sexy ring to it for a NC Game, but a lot would have to happen first. 5. I know Notre Dame isn't that good, but they are better. What the hell happened with them getting shut out last night? 6. The question for the Big Ten is... comparatively speaking, which sport will they be worse in this year, football or basketball? Oh well, at least there is baseball sea.... check that, wrestling season coming up.

Gained a pound this week. Joined Gold's Gym this week and turned up the strength training a few notches, so I am good with that.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 6, 2008 -> 11:10 AM) You should submit a complaint to the Wolverine boards about their rumors and how you think they are stupid. Funny I didn't see mention of this at all on either of the premium boards.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 5, 2008 -> 10:28 AM) Rumor has it that several Michigan players walked out on practice and on the team yesterday following RR's meeting. Rumors are funny that way. That's not even close to true. That would likely be an embellishment based on this...... Rodriguez had a meeting with the team on either Sunday night or Monday. He told them despite not being bowl eligible their season was not over. he told the seniors it was not time to coast and that underclassmen would be evaluated every day, every practice and what they do now will have an effect on their status for next year (basically everyone is being evaluated now just like they would be in bowl practices). He told the players if they weren't up for this and weren't ready to put forth the same kind of effort every day, then to just not show up on Tuesday. Basically it was a you're either with us or you're not speech. Crazy thing......... There has not been one report of anyone not showing up Tuesday. Aside from some injuries, reports from practice have been very positive. Got anymore good ones????

Am I the only one that watches Two and a Half Men after Big Bang and HIMYM?

QUOTE (Brian @ Nov 1, 2008 -> 08:14 AM) Go Georgia because... Here is the problem Brian. When you live down here in the middle of it, it is impossible to pick just one school. See the link below and tell me if you can really come up with a favorite!! Women of SEC football No nudity in link above

QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ Oct 31, 2008 -> 05:33 AM) Id recommend everyone not to go with plasma. Burn-in isnt that big of a deal anymore although still very possible. But the worse part about plasma is the color detiorates with use. After just 6 months of avg. use a plasma's picture wont be as good when you first opened it out of the box. If you want something that will look sweet for sports, get the 120hz on a LCD. That is simply false. The life of a plasma and LCD are the same. Not an issue. Burn in and 10,000 hour life are long gone with plasmas. A good plasma or LCD should last longer than a TV any of us will keep. Image retention on a plasma is a small issue, but it's not a big deal. I have had a couple of times where I had slight image retention and turning the station to a full HD signal all the time (like HD Theater) for about 10-15 minutes fixed it. Image retention is different than burn-in and is not a big deal. It's not a permanent thing. Simply put, get an LCD if you have a room with a lot of natural light or you can't control the lighting in the room (meaning it is going to be bright on the tv no matter where in the room you put it). If light is not an issue, then seriously consider a plasma. Check out both and pick what suits your eyes the best. But keep in mind that TV's in stores are generally set to vivid mode, which is ultra bright. When you get your tv home and adjust the setting, you won't end up in vivid mode, meaning once you take away some of that store brightness, you will be looking at the true detail of the picture. I personally found plasma to be more appealing, but have nothing against an LCD. I really liked the Samsung LCD's and the Panasonic Plasma's. I would have been happy with either ultimately.

Finally got there gentlemen! Down three pounds this week, breaking the century mark landing at 102. I'm happy so I decided to pig out on Chicago style pizza tonight! Feels good, but the journey is far from over.

Why wait until then and deal with that mess. Go here, pass go and save major $$. Buy this TV for this amount and I guarantee you won't regret it. The picture is freakin amazing! Buydig.com - Panasonic TH50PZ80U

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Oct 23, 2008 -> 04:27 PM) I'm taking a 3-team parlay this week: Auburn +3 (vs West Virginia) Georgia +2 (vs LSU) South Florida -4 (vs Louisville) Also, the over/under for Auburn/WV is 39. I'm taking the over... Any advice? Yeah, don't bet on Auburn!!! lol

I don't donate to my university at the current time. I do, however, donate to my High School. I went to a catholic HS and their yearly fund drives are very important. If I donate to my university in the future, it would likely be directly to the athletic department.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Oct 24, 2008 -> 01:26 PM) I am finding the show difficult to watch this season for some reason. I was not part of this thread but lost 35 from Jan through Apr and have held steady during the tough months (summer, Sox, beer). I need to control it through the end of the year and then hope to lose another 20 from Jan through Opening Day again. I think I have my life routine down after 37 years. Congrats on the 35 lbs! I haven't gotten to a maintenance level yet, but am confident I can do so. Keep up the good work.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 23, 2008 -> 01:35 AM) Rex, first off let me say you're doing one hell of a job. Do people even recognize you anymore? Second, what do your daily workouts consist of? I've gained about 30 pounds this year (damn drinking). I'm finally ready to get back into shape. Just wanted to know what you did to get so much weight off. Thanks. Thanks Jordan. This thread has become pretty slow, but several people pop in from time to time offering their encouragement. There are a few others that are still working to lose weight as well. But my situation was unique in that I had a ton to lose and the timing was right for me to commit, having turned 40 a couple of months after I started. This week I dropped 4 more pounds, putting me at 263, a total loss of 99 pounds. I really wanted 100, but I can't drop it as fast as they do on tv. I have to get to work, but this weekeind I'll go into a little more detail on what I am doing. When I pass 100 lbs next week, I'll try and put up a few before and after pics. Thanks to all who are still participating and for those of you providing support! Every little bit of motivation helps.

QUOTE (Brian @ Oct 18, 2008 -> 09:53 AM) Would it really be an upset if Michigan State beat OSU at home? Borderline for me. mild upset, maybe

Down three pounds this week. The century mark is putting up a pretty good fight, but I'll beat it. Five more to go.