Weekly Summary (Week Ending July 3rd)

For the week beginning on June 27th and ending on July 3rd

Sunday, 6/27:  Tennis (ball machine), 90 minutes
Sunday, 6/27:  Running (treadmill), 3.1 miles, 26:42
Monday, 6/28:  Tennis (ball machine), 60 minutes
Tuesday, 6/29:  Tennis (Singles Practice Match), L 2-6, 6-3. 1-0, 90 minutes
Wednesday, 6/30:  Tennis (Ball Machine), 60 minutes
Wednesday, 6/30: Tennis (Leage Match, Doubles), W 6-2, 6-4, 90
Thursday, 7/1: Tennis (Ball Machine), 60 minutes
Thursday, 7/2: Tennis (Lesson), 60 minutes
Friday, 7/2: Rest
Saturday, 7/3:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 60 minutes, 10.78 miles


Total:  597 minutes (9.95 hours)

Made some progress on the eating front.

Week 60 Summary

Sunday:  Tennis, Warm Up, 45 minutes
Sunday:   Denver City Open, 2nd round, L 2-6, 6-0, 60 minutes
Monday:  Rest
Tuesday:  Home Elliptical Machine, L16, 60 minutes, 10.26 miles
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Tennis (Lesson), 60 minutes
Friday:  Rest
Saturday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 7.29 miles.

Total: 270 minutes (4.5 hours)

This marks the end of my 5th 12 week cycle.  This cycle saw my exercise levels increase, I ran my first 10K and I competed in my first tennis tournament in 15 years.  However, I definitely caved into my cravings especially during the last 6 weeks.  Since I do not weigh myself, I am not sure what the damage is.  However, I still fit into my size 31 jeans.  It is two weeks until I take a big trip, so I am going to try to focus on my eating habits so I can lose whatever I gained. 

It is clear.  I have an emotional eating issue.  Big surprise.  Now, I just have to figure out how to deal with it.

I am now going to stop counting weeks.

Onward....

Week 59 Summary

Sunday:  Tennis (Ball Machine), 60 minutes
Sunday:  Home Elliptical Machine, 45 minutes, 7.44 miles
Monday:  Rest
Tuesday:  Tennis, Singles, L 7-5, 1-6, 3-10, 90 minutes
Wednesday:  Tennis, Warm-Up Hitting, 60 minutes
Wednesday, Tennis, League Match, Doubles, L 2-6, 6-7 (7-9), 75 minutes
Thursday, Tennis, Lesson, 60 minutes
Friday, Rest
Saturday, Tennis, Denver City Open, 1st Round Singles, W 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 150 minutes

Total:  540 minutes (9 hours)

I have a clear definition of the eating problem, just not root cause or cure.  Gaining slightly.  Need to buckle down before vacation in 3 weeks.

Week 58 Summary

Sunday:  Tennis (ball machine), 90 minutes
Sunday:  Tennis (mixed doubles league match), 90 minutes, W 6-3; 6-2.
Sunday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 7.42 miles
Monday:  Tennis (ball machine): 70 minutes
Tuesday:  Tennis (singles), W 6-2, 2-6, 10-7, 90 minutes
Wednesday:  Tennis (league match, doubles): W 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, 100 minutes
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 60 minutes, 10.23 miles

Total:  545 minutes (9.08 hours)

A great week from a tennis perspective. I beat the club champion in singles and one of the better doubles teams in doubles.

Still trying to get back on track eating-wise.  The sheer amount of time I am putting into exercise is the only thing keeping me anywhere near where I want to be weight wise.

Week 57 Summary

I made some progress on the eating front.  I am figuring out some of the causes and triggers of the emotional eating but am still searching for workable solutions.

Sunday:  Rest
Monday:  Completed my first 10K race in 57:40
Tuesday:  Rest
Wednesday:  Home Elliptical Machine, 45 minutes, 6.56 miles
Thursday:  Rest
Friday:  Rest
Saturday:  Tennis (team practice), 90 minutes
Saturday:  Home Elliptical Machine, 60 minutes, 10.85 miles

Total:  253 minutes (4.21 hours)

10K Completed!!

I have always wanted to run a 10K, I just never thought I could do it.  Today, I did!

I completed the BolderBoulder which is one of the largest 10K runs in the country.  I think about 53,000 people participated.  So, not only did I complete a 10K, I completed it at altitude (peak was 5900 feat).

I just received my official splits

Mile 1:  9:33
Mile 2:  9:13
Mile 3:  9:31
Mile 4:  9:26
Mile 5:  9:04
Mile 6:  8:59
Finish:  57:40

So, I achieved both of my goals.  The first goal was to run the entire time.  The second goal was to finish in under an hour!

Cheers.

Week 56 Summary

Sunday:  Tennis, ball machine, 90 minutes
Monday: Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 7.24 miles
Tuesday:  Running (treadmill), 6.21 miles, 47:45
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Tennis Lesson, 60 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Tennis (team practice), 90 minutes

Total:  333 minutes (5.55 hours)

Still need to get eating under control.

Week 55 Summary

Sunday:  Tennis (USTA Doubles Match), 4-6; 6-2; 6-2, 120 minutes
Monday:  Rest
Tuesday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 90 minutes, 14.5 miles, 1020 calories
Wednesday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 60 minutes, 10.85 miles, 800 calories
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Tennis (team practice). 90 minutes

Total:  360 minutes (6.0 hours)

Same eating issues.

Week 54 Summary

Sunday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 6.96 miles.
Monday:  Running (Treadmill), 5.0 miles, 47:01
Tuesday:  Rest
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday:  Tennis (lesson), 60 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday:  Tennis (team practice, doubles), 90 minutes

Total:  242 minutes (4.03 hours)

Still struggling with emotional eating.

Week 53 Summary

Sunday:  Running (treadmill), 4.0 miles, 38 minutes (5K at 28:30).
Monday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 60 minutes, 8.47 miles
Tuesday:  Tennis (Doubles League Match), 6-3; 7-5, 80 minutes
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday:  Rest
Friday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 7.43 miles
Saturday:  Tennis (team practice), 90 minutes

Total:  313 minutes (5.2 hours)

More of the same.  A decent working out week and struggling with emotional eating.

Week 52 Summary

Sunday:  Tennis (Mixed Doubles), 4-6; 6-1, 10-7 (modified tie breaker in lieu of 3rd set), 105 minutes
Sunday:  Tennis (Singles -- completion of delayed match), 6-2; 3-6; 6-10 (modified tie breaker in lieu of 3rd set, 45 minutes.
Monday:  Home Ellipitical Machine, Level 16, 60 minutes, 9.04 miles
Tuesday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 60 minutes, 8.59 miles
Wednesday:  Rest
Thursday:  Tennis (lesson), 60 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday:  Tennis (practice doubles sets), 120 minutes, 5-4, 7-8 (5-7)
Saturday:  Tennis (league match, doubles), 60 minutes, 6-3; 6-0
Saturday:  Home Elliptical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 7.05 miles

Total:  55 minutes, 9.25 hours.

Another decent week of exercising.  It is nice to see the home elliptical workouts increasing to 60 minutes on some days.  That will certainly help with the 10K.

Different week, same story.  I am still struggling with overeating (to the point of binge eating).  The extra exercise is helping to temper the impact of my eating, but I need to get it back under control.

This marks the "end" of 52 weeks.  My actual anniversary of when I started this journey is Monday.  That will be quite an accomlishment.

Cheers.

Week 51 Summary

A bit more of the same this week.  Decent exercise and not meeting my calorie goals.

Sunday:  Running, 5K, 29:32
Sunday:  Tennis (Mixed Doubles):  4-6; 3-6, 90 minutes
Monday:  Home Elliptical Machine, 45 minutes, 6.44 miles
Tuesday:  Home Elliptical Machine, 63 minutes, 10.3 miles
Wednesday:  Tennis (Ball Machine), 90 minutes
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Rest
Saturday:  Rest

Total:  307 minutes (5.28 hours)

I basically blew off my eating plan on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

This week is Week 52 and on May 3rd I will celebrate my one year anniversary of getting back on plan.  I definitely need to string together several good days to get back to a good spot.

Anti-Jared/PriorFatGirl Challenge Results

Below is the email I sent to PriorFatGirl and Anti-Jared after I completed their 60 minute workout challenge today.


What a great challenge!


This is the first online challenge I have done since I started my weight loss journey almost a year ago. Originally, I was going to use the StairMaster at the local rec center. But, when I realized that I had never gone an hour or more at the maximum level on my home elliptical machine, I changed my mind. I paid a lot for that elliptical machine back in 2001 and it has saved my rear three times.

You see, I was dumb enough to get trapped in the yo-yo diet cycle. To get out of the latest "yo", I have had to lose about 90 pounds. I started on 5/3/09 and dusted off the elliptical machine. I know both of you like going to the gym. As a matter of fact, so do I. But for me, I cannot tell you how I would have made it to where I am without my elliptical machine at home. I still haven't run out of workouts that I can do on that machine.

So, I had to "honor" it by using it for this challenge. This HAS to be the end of my yo-yo's.

I maxed out the level and set the timer for 61 minutes. The extra minute was ceremonial but I knew that I had never done an hour at maximum resistance. When I started, I wasn't sure how hard I was going to try to go. After about 15 minutes I noticed I was feeling pretty good. I checked my distance and determined that I had a shot of cracking the 10 mile barrier. Then, I kicked it in gear. As I approached 60 minutes, I noticed that I had a chance of breaking the 10 mile mark in just under 60 minutes. In fact, at 60 minutes, I had covered 10.1 miles. At the end of 61 minutes, I had covered 10.3 miles.

I realize that elliptical machine miles are not the equivalent of miles you cover when you run. But, this is definitely a personal best for me and I can honestly say I left it all on the machine today.

Since I am training for a 10K at the end of May that I hope to finish in less than 60 minutes, this was a perfect workout. Completing a 10K (regardless of time) will be a HUGE milestone for me.

I do not have the courage that each of you have. So, I have not attached pictures of myself -- but, I am a sweaty mess. Instead, I did attach a picture of the screen on my elliptical machine showing 61 minutes completed and another picture showing 10.3 miles completed.

I believe I signed up for this challenge on both of your blogs before I realized you were both trying to recruit people. Please count me however you like. Also, I believe one of you is doing a drawing for a Polar watch. If my name comes up, please donate the watch to charity or pass it on to someone else. I feel blessed enough today.

Anti-Jared, you are right. My favorite sentence is now "I will take those jeans in a size 31 and that shirt in medium".

I hope you both reach your recruiting goals for this challenge and I hope you crush your own 99 minute workouts.

Cheers.
David

Week 50 Summary

I will definitely stop counting weeks after I reach the one year milestone.  I continue to struggle with my eating.  That is definitely where I need to focus.  It seems that either I stick to my 1600 calorie a day plan or I eat everything in sight. 

This has been a problem since I came within what I think was 2 weeks of my goal.  I have to find some balance.  Why am I not letting myself cross the finish line?

I am making up for the lack of balance (sort of) through exercise.  I continue to do well in the department.

Sunday:  Tennis (ball machine), 60 minutes
Sunday:  Tennis (mixed doubles practice sets), 120 minutes, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.
Monday:  Home Eliptical Machine, 45 minutes, 6.53 miles
Tuesday:  Tennis (singles), 90 minutes, 6-1; 4-6; 0-1 (6-10).
Wednesday:  Treadmill, 36:50, 4 miles
Thursday:  Tennis Lesson.  Mostly a discussion of the mental side of the game.  20 minutes of light hitting
Friday:  Rest
Saturday:  Tennis (team practice), 60 minutes
Saturday:  Tennis (preseason singles match), 60 minutes, 6-3, 1-0 (delayed due to rain)

Total (rounded):  492 minutes, 8.2 hours

I was really hoping to win the singles match on Saturday.  We might finish the match today though Monday is more likely.  I also have our first mixed doubles team match today.  It would be a significant milestone to get wins in both matches.  Though, focusing on some of the technical changes I am making to my game needs to be my goal.

Today, I did my first run that was not on a treadmill.  I measured a 5K course in the neighborhood and ran it for the first time.  I completed the course in 29:32.  It was certainly a different experience than running on a treadmill.  It makes me wonder if I am going to be ready for a 10K by Memorial Day.  I am not sure if I could have run that course twice today.  However, it certainly was easy to simply go outside, run, and walk back inside.  That saves the time it takes to go to the gym (and the $5/day charge at our local rec center).

So, now my home machine contains an eliptical machine and an outdoor 5K course.

I am proud of what I am doing from a fitness perspective.  But, I have to get my eating under control or I am going to lose the progress I have made.

My exercise plan for the week is:

Today:  5K run, Mixed Doubles Tennis
Monday:  45 minutes on the Elpitical Machine
Tuesday:  61 minutes on the Stairmaster machine as part of the Anti-Jared/Prior Fat Girl Challenge
Wednesday:  90 minutes with the ball machine
Thursday: 45 minutes on the Eliptical Machine
Friday:  4.5 miles on the treadmill
Saturday:  either rest or tennis practice

I am on the road the last half of the week so perhaps I can use that time to get my eating back on track.  I am going back to my 1600 calorie per day plan this week to drop the few pounds I have put on.

It is also clear that some of the other things I want to post to this blog are going to have to wait until May when I have more time.  Between family obligations, work, coaching, tennis, and other fitness activities, it is clear that I am overcommitted.  Some things will start easing up after this week.  In mid-May, I will likely find myself with a lot of time on my hands and will spend more time on this blog.

I thought I had set up this Spring to be a time to relax and have fun.  It has turned out very differently and I need to figure out why.

Cheers.

Week 49: Summary

I guess I am still counting weeks and since we are coming up on the one-year anniversary of my decision to get fit again, I know I will be counting for at least a few more weeks.

This was an excellent week from an exercise perspective but I did fall off the wagon a bit from a nutrition perspective.

Sunday: Tennis (ball machine), 90 minutes

Monday: Home Elpitical Machine, 45 minutes, Level 16, 5.99 miles (perhaps my worst distance ever at that level)

Tuesday: Tennis (singles match), 4-6; 2-6, 90 minutes

Wednesday: 5K Run, 27:22 (a new personal best during this weight loss period and nearly two minutes better than my last 5K)

Thursday:  Tennis (ball machine), 90 minutes

Friday:  Soccer, 30 minutes (this was supposed to be a rest day, but I had a blast playing a little bit of soccer)

Saturday:  Tennis (drop-in drill), 90 minutes
Saturday:  Tennis, league match, doubles, 6-3, 6-1, 60 minutes  A victory and my first league match in 15 years!

Total:  522 minutes (8.7 hours).

Today, I used the ball machine for 60 minutes followed by two hours of mixed doubles practice matches (6-4. 6-0, 6-4).  When I got home I was completely spent.  I fell asleep and woke up and ate everything in sight.  Clearly my body needed more nutrition than the 1600 calories per day I had been having. 

I simply wish I didn't just eat every piece of junk in site.  That was the first "off the wagon" experience in quite some time that did not involve alcohol.  I think the lesson here is to listen to my body and eat more on days like today.  But, either I have to eat more of what I know is good for me or if I am going to go "off the wagon" I should go get something that I really enjoy instead of just eating whatever junk is around.

The nap did me good and we watched Hot Tub Time Machine this afternoon.

I was going to make Monday a rest day but I think I will work in an eliptical machine session early in the morning to try to make up for what I ate today.

My tentative exercise plan for the week is:

Monday:  Eliptical Machine
Tuesday:  Tennis (Singles)
Wednesday:  4 mile run
Thursday:  Tennis (lesson -these are pretty technical so it will be a light day)
Friday:  Tennis (Singles)
Saturday:  Tennis (Mens League Practice Session)
Sunday:  Tennis (first Mixed Doubles league match)

I also went crazy shopping this week.  I needed a new suit and a new navy sport coat.  I also found a few casual items that I like.  For the first time ever, I am trying "dress denim".  That term may be an oxymoron.  But, some I picked up some really nice new jeans that should look pretty good.

I need to put a couple of good weeks together from an eating perspective.  I really need to focus on getting comfortable enough to get on a scale.

Cheers.

Ups and Downs

This has been an up and down week.

Sunday: Tennis (ball machine), 90 minutes
Monday: Home Elpitical Machine, Level 16, 5.99 miles (perhaps my worst distance ever at that level)
Tuesday: Tennis (singles match), 4-6; 2-6, 90 minutes
Wednesday: 5K Run, 27:22 (a new personal best during these past weeks and nearly two minutes better than my last PR)

So, I am obviously getting my exercise in. However, I almost blew the eating part on Sunday and I completely blew it for about 30 minutes last night. Same thing -- alcohol was involved. I have got to get this under control.
Exercise should be great the rest of this week and this weekend. Ninety minutes of tennis on Thursday, 90 minutes on Saturday and 150 minutes on Sunday. I do want to sneak in another run.
Lets hope I make good eating choices the rest of this week.

Cheers.

Weekly Summary

Week 48 is over and I limped over the finish line of this milestone. 

My workout summary is below:

Sunday - Rest (Cold)
Monday - Rest (Cold)
Tuesday - Rest (Cold)
Wednesday - Home Elpitical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 6.69 miles
Thursday - Tennis (lesson), 60 minutes
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Rest

Total:  105 minutes (1.75 hours)

From an eating perspective, I was at or very close to my goal of 1600 calories per day every day except for an acceptable happy hour on Tuesday (2000 calories) and a ridiculous free day on Saturday (unlimited calories).  I can handle what happened on Tuesday, but the wheels came off on Saturday.

There is definitely a pattern to these unplanned free days.  Alcohol. 

It isn't the calories of the alcohol itself, but if I have a few drinks (and at this weight, all it takes is 2-3 drinks before I feel terrible the next morning) and I am hungover the next morning, then I just start eating.  So, if I know the cause, I should be able to fix this.

From an exercise perspective, the cold definitely forced me to cut back.  I don't mind that too much since this is the first time I have been sick in almost a year.  I still could have gotten in my "minimum" of 4 workouts if I had pushed myself just a little bit on Friday and Saturday.  This is only the 3rd week out of the last 48 weeks that I haven't made my 4 workouts per week goal.  In fact, I have been averaging 5 workouts a week during this process.

But, today marks the beginning of a new week.  I am already on track eating wise and I am scheduled to play tennis for the next three days.  I am going to have to double up on one of these days and get a good 5K run in to keep my cardio fitness up and to continue training for the 10K on Memorial Day.

Based on how my size 31 jeans fit on Friday, I haven't lost any real ground.  However, since I still won't get on a scale, I know I haven't crossed the finish line of this weight loss phase yet either.  I know that if I had buckled down over the last two weeks, I would have been hopping on a scale today.

Week 48 is important because of my Body For Life experiences in the past (very positive by the way and I keep meaning to write about them) I still tend to think of weight loss/fitness in 12-week challenges.  So, this marks the end of my 4th challenge. 

The fact that it has taken 4 challenges to get where I am today reflects how bad things got.  When I did my first BFL challenge in 2001, it took 2 challenges to get where I am today.  When I gained it all back in 2003, it took 3 challenges plus 4 weeks and I was at a very good place but not quite as far as I am now.  Now, I am pretty much back to where I was in 2001 and maybe in even a little bit better shape.

Taking this one week at a time works for me.  I am getting a little bit tired of counting weeks but maybe I need to do so until I get on a scale and declare the weight loss phase to be over.

Cheers.

Oh Sh*t

Wow, I got my first comment!  Somebody is actually reading this?  Now that I have a bit more free time there are lots of things I want to write about.

Something that has been in the back of my head for a while is a post from Jack Sh*t.  http://jackfit.blogspot.com/2010/03/whys-wherefores.html

In his post, Fullov asks a lot of questions that begin with "why":

The one I have been thinking about is:
If you’re making it, if you’re succeeding on this weight-loss journey, tell me why this time is different than all the others?

The truth is, I don't know and some days it scares the Jack out of me.  All puns aside, I truly get scared as in "Where I can buy Xanax on the street?" scared.

The reason is started this blog was to create a journal for myself to help me maintain and improve on what I have done so far.  I also want to share data on what I am doing both to keep me accountable and to help others if they find the data useful.  This is a diary of what has worked for me so that I do not forget it.

I know that the simple weekly weigh-in data provided by PriorDaddy the Anti-Sh*t, excuse me, I meant Jack Sh*t and Fat Daddy (http://fatdaddyrantsblog.blogspot.com/) has been incredibly useful to me since I have refused to get on a scale since I started this journey. The genuine inspiration and courage shown by the Anti-Jared (http://theantijared.blogspot.com/) and PriorFatGirl (http://www.priorfatgirl.com/) and the Winning Loser (http://losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com/)  amazes me on a daily (diary) basis.

Anyway, back to the question raised by Fullov.

Again, I don't know.  I have been a yo-yo dieter since my teens.  I was always the "fat kid".  Of course this was the 70's definition of "fat kid" so as I look back it wasn't as bad as it seemed.   As a country, we are setting new standards for "fat kid" every day (a topic for another day). 

Actually, it was as bad as it seemed.  Once I figured out how to lose weight, I did.  Over and over again.

I do not know what truly made me get started on May 3, 2009.  I know I made the decision to give this one more try.  I figured the time would pass fairly quickly and I would rather deal with the problem of how to maintain as opposed to figuring out the real reason I was quickly approaching 250 lbs (I am somewhere around 160 now).  This is definitely the better problem to have, but I am scared because I can't tell you why this time will be different. 

I do know that if I fail this time and my weight bounces back up, I will gain about 150 lbs.  That is scary.  Fear and greed are the two strongest motivators of human beings.  Perhaps that fear will be my answer.  I hope there is a different answer because I don't like living in fear.  But, I also didn't like being a human bean bag chair either.  So, Fullov, I can't answer your very good question.  But, I have put myself in the best position possible to do so.

Cheers.

Getting Better

This cold has been a real pain in the ass.  I didn't work out on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.  I finally felt well enough to workout yesterday.  I did 45 minutes on my home eliptical machine at level 16 and went 6.69 miles.  Today, I played tennis for an hour.

I am fairly proud of my eating this week.  Sunday was 1675 calories, Monday was 1600 calories, Tuesday was 2000 calories (I enjoyed a normal happy hour), Wednesday was 1610 calories, and so far today I have had 600 calories and I am on track for a good day.

Tomorrow will be 90 minutes of tennis with a ball machine and Saturday will either be a 5K run or a tennis match.

Cheers.

Not bad for Week 48, Day 1

Unfortunately, for the first time since I started this journey I have to admit that I have a cold.  I really was hoping to go a full year without being sick.  I have felt colds coming on a few times during the past year, but I was always able to take care of them with one day of rest.  This one didn't go away after one day.  Oh well, I will just keep resting my body and in a few days I should be back up to speed.

Since I will probably be a bit limited in my exercise for a few days, I really have to watch what I eat.  I count calories every day.  Now I do it without really thinking about it.  I eat a pretty limited variety of foods, so I have memorized most of the calorie counts.  My goal during this weight loss phase is 1600 calories per day.  Yesterday, I consumed 1675 calories.  I tried to keep it at 1600, but a small snack of tortilla chips pushed me over the limit.  No big deal.

Since I was resting yesterday, I didn't train.  I have a court reserved with a ball machine tonight so I will get in an hour of tennis.  I want to focus on a few technical things so it won't be a cardio workout, but it will get me moving a little bit.  I will also be watching my calories very closely today.

Cheers.

Weekly Summary

Don't worry, this blog won't only include weekly summaries.  But right now that is all that I have had time for.  Week 47 is over and my exercise summary is below.

Sunday -- Rest
Monday -- Precore Eliptical Machine, 45 minutes, level 14, 4.0 miles, 540 calories
Monday -- Stairmaster, 20 minutes, level 9, 103 floors, 260 calories
Tuesday -- Precor Eliptical Machine, 90 minutes, level 14, 8.5 miles, 1200 calories
Wednesday -- Tennis (drop-in drill), 90 minutes
Thursday -- Rest
Friday -- Tennis (singles -- 3-6, 4-6), 90 minutes
Saturday -- Tennis (drop-in drill), 90 minutes
Saturday -- Tennis (ball-machine), 75 minutes

Total -- 500 minutes, 8.3 hours

Overall, this may have been one of my best weeks for conditioning.  It was also one of my worst weeks from an eating perspective.  On Sunday and Thursday, I completely let go and had total "free days".  I have only had a handful during the past 47 weeks, but several have cropped up lately.

I now have the house filled with good food and I will make eating right my focus this week.  If I had a scale, I doubt it would show a loss this week.  However, I still feel like this week was a victory.  When I had my "free days", I was afraid I was letting go and going to return back to my old habits.  However, I don't seem to be doing that.

For reasons I hope to post later this week, finishing week 48 will be a major milestone.  I had been planning on weighing myself (for the first time in almost ten years) next Sunday.  I am not so sure about that any more.  I know I won't weigh myself until I am sure that the number won't bother me.  I am not quite there yet.

Today will likely be a rest day.  I have come down with a mild cold.  The last time I was sick was last April 15th.  I went on this diet on May 3rd and was hoping to go a full year without being sick.  I don't think this will be a bad cold, but I think I need to let my body rest today.

I did find a yoga studio in town and have printed off their schedule.  Hopefully, sometime during the next month I will try yoga.  I also am going to try free passes at two local gyms.  I am not sure if I want to pay for a gym membership on top of my tennis club membership, but if I use the gym only five times a month, it will be cheaper than going to the local rec center.  Plus, it increases my options. 

I have targeted a 10K run on Memorial Day.  We'll see.

Cheers.

Weekly Summary

Well, week #46 is now complete.  Here is my workout summary

Sunday - 3.1 mile run in 29:02
Monday - Tennis (ball machine), 90 minutes
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Eliptical Machine, Level 16, 45 minutes, 6.83 miles
Thursday - Tennis (ball machine), 90 minutes
Friday - Tennis, Singles 6-4, 1-6, 3-6, 110 minutes.  What a horrible loss
Saturday - 4.5 mile run in 43:15

Total Minutes (rounded):  407 (6.78 hours)

It was also a decent week from an eating perspective until last night when I just let go completely.  During this long journey I have only completely let go about 3 or 4 days.  Based on how I feel now, I think it is out of my system for a while though it will probably take me most of the week to recover.

I can't believe the loss I took in tennis on Friday.  At the same time, 46 weeks ago I was sure I was never going to play tennis again.  I just have to keep everything in perspective.

The 4.5 mile run is not a typo.  I did it on a treadmill.  My intention was to run 4 miles.  I tried something I had seen someone else do last Sunday, I put a towel over the screen on the treadmill so I couldn't see how much time had gone by or how far I had run.  Then, about 10 minutes into my run, I decided to run until I had listened to 10 songs on my iPod.  Boy was I glad when the 10th song was finished.  I pulled off the towel and saw that I was 4.4 miles into my run.  I pushed it another tenth of a mile to hit the 4.5 mile mark.  I think I am training for a 10K race at the end of May.  I am certain I could have gone 5 miles at the pace I was running at today.  If I do go for the 10K, I want to be able to enjoy it.  But, I am not going to break my rule about running.  I don't go running unless I want to.  Perhaps I will run 3 times this week or I might not run again for 3 weeks.  I have to keep my exercise fun.

I am still not ready to get on the scale yet and the overeating I have done in the last 12 hours isn't going to help. After eating all of that bad food, I feel like crap now.  In a weird way that does give me some confidence that I will be able to keep this weight off.  I really don't want to feel this way for a long time much less every day.

It is weird.  Whenver my stomach is a bit more than full either from eating too much or drinking a lot of water, I "feel" like I have gained all the weight back.  Sometimes, I even try on my "goal clothes" to make sure I haven't gained it all back.  Intellectually I know I can't gain all of the weight back in 12 hours but my emotions seem to enjoy screwing with my mind.

The Anti-Jared is right.  Approach every day like it is Day One and define your own perfection.

Cheers.

Weekly Summary

There has been a lot going on and I haven't had a chance to post for a few days.  Each week, I want to post a workout summary.  Here is the first summary.

Sunday - Tennis (Ball Machine) - 60 minutes
Sunday - Running - 2 miles - 18:49
Monday - Running - 3.1 miles - 30:10
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Tennis (Drop-In Drills) - 90 minutes
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Home Eliptical Machine - Level 16/6.43 miles - 45 minutes
Saturday - Tennis (Drop-in Drills) - 90 minutes

Total Minutes (Rounded):  334

My eating went fairly well.  I basically made up the extra calories I consumed on Monday night and stayed on plan for the rest of the week.  I am averaging 1600 calories per day.

I did accomplish one of my goals today.  I ran 3.1 miles in 29:02.  My goal was to get below the 30 minute mark.  I think 27 minutes is definitely within reach now.  If you see me start doing 4 mile training runs, it means I have decided to go for a 10K sometime this Spring/Summer.

I need more tennis time.  I am completely changing some of my ground strokes and now my timing is off.  Hopefully this week, I can get some quality time with a ball machine.  I also need to mix in one of my 20 minute High Intensity Interval Training sessions on my home eliptical machine.  It is also time to take another shot at the 1.5 mile run to see if I can get below 11:20.  Finally, I need to hit my standard 45 minute eliptical machine workout a little bit harder.  Anything over 7 miles is a good workout.  My record is just under 8 miles.  My last several workouts have been around 6.5 miles

I am getting very close to the point where I want to weigh myself.  That is a bit scary.

I promise more interesting topics later this week.

To My Belt, "Thank you for a job well done."

I ended up not working out yesterday.  I felt a cold coming on so I decided to give my body rest.  I am on the road this week and I am hoping to fight this cold off.  Also, I have the opportunity to play tennis tonight so I wanted to get as much rest as possible.

I did make up 400 of the extra calories I ate on Monday.   Yesterday, I only had 1200 of my 1600 calories.  So, I am 100 calories over for two days.  I can live with that.  I don't like borrowing from one day to pay for the previous day.  Over the past 311 days, I have only done that a handful of times.

I think this has to be the last trip for this belt.  Even though I am not at the last notch yet, the belt is clearly too big.  I will keep it around until I can fit comfortably into the last notch.  However, this weekend, I will buy a new belt that fits.  The old belt will go where dozens of pieces of clothing have gone over the past several months, into the donation bin. 

I love making trips to that bin.

I guess I am training for a 10K

Yesterday, I was able to get in a decent 5K run (30:10).  I really want to get my 5K time to at least 27:00 -- maybe even 24:00.  I have never been a big long-distance runner (not that 5K is really a long distance).  I am definitely built for sports that require short bursts of speed and quickness like soccer and tennis.  However, sometimes I like to run.  I have always thought about doing a 10K and have been slowly incorporating more running into my fitness routine.  I haven't made a firm commitment to run a 10K, but I suspect one may be in my future this summer.  I have some higher priorities; but if I can work my way up to a decent 5 mile run, I will probably go for it.  It will definitely be a one-time only thing if I do go for it.  I'd rather run sprints any day.

I didn't do so well on the eating front yesterday.  I ate good food, but I went 500 calories over my 1600 calorie/day limit.  Today was going to be a rest day, but I think I will get in 45 minutes on the eliptical machine to burn the extra calories I took in yesterday.

I really cannot wait to get to my goal weight.  It is week 45/day 3 of my journey and it is starting to drag on a bit.  When I get to my goal weight, I will be able to adjust my calorie intake and 2000 calories per day will not be a problem.

However, before I hop on a scale I need to:

1.  Fit a bit more loosely into my size 31 jeans.  I can't describe it, but I will know when I am there.
2.  Get to the last notch on my current belt.  I am using the next to last notch and I am about 66% of the way to the last notch.
3.  I want to run a 5K in 30 minutes or less.
4.  I want to get my 1.5 mile time below 11:30 (for reasons I will go into later, the 1.5 mile time is my real running goal.  I eventually want to get it down to 10:30).

I am thinking it will take me about two weeks to get there.  When I do, it will be interesting to see how close I am to my goal weight of 155.  Depending on the results, I may adjust my goal weight because I am not sure how much smaller I want to get (I can't believe I just said that).

Yep, this is a weird way to approach weight loss (never getting on a scale).   But, it has worked for me.

308 Days and Counting

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I started this journey 308 days ago. Over the next few weeks, I will post the details of my various weight loss adventures over the years. This latest adventure is by far the longest and the hardest.

How much weight have I lost? I really have no idea.

I haven't been on a scale since 2002 and I do not even know what it said (more on that in future posts). I go by how my clothes fit. My current journey started with me wearing size 43 pants, dress shirts with an 18 inch collar, 2X t-shirts, and XL shorts.

I was one Bacon Double Cheeseburger away from having to start shopping at Big and Tall stores. I was one order of scattered, covered, and smothered hash browns away from not being able to fit into an airplane seat (and since I travel A LOT for work, that would have been a big problem).

Oh, I am 5 feet 9 inches tall.

Today, I wear size 31 pants, dress shirts with a 15.5 inch collar, large t-shirts, and medium shorts. Somewhere along the line I lost at least 1 shoe size.

How am I doing it? It isn't that complicated. I eat 1600 calories per day and I workout 5-6 days per week. No food is off limits. However, in order to not be hungry all of the time, you have to eat fairly healthy food (future posts will contain the basics of what I eat). Most of my exercise has been cardio.

So, I can't tell you how much weight I have lost. I have been at this for 44 weeks. I know I have lost more than 1 pound per week and probably haven't averaged 3 pounds per week. So, I am going to guess that I have lost about 80 pounds plus or minus 10 pounds.

How did I let it get so bad? More importantly, how do I keep it from getting that bad again?

One part of my plan is going to include weighing myself. Sometime before the end of this month I will go to WalMart, purchase a scale, and weigh myself. Of course it will be posted here.

My goal weight is 155 lbs. I know this is a good weight for me. It will be interesting to see how close I am when I weight myself for the first time. Once I weigh myself, I will figure out what my target weight is and try to stay within 5 pounds of that number. I will weigh myself every week and all of you will see if I am "maintaining" or not.

I hope you enjoy statistics since I am going to be measuring everything (well, almost everything) and posting it here. This blog is going to be my fitness/nutrition/wellness/goal tracking log. I think measuring everything is the only way I can transition out of weight loss mode without falling back into the habits that made sumo wrestling a viable career alternative.

During the past 308 days, I have not kept a fitness log. I do count calories every day. In fact, I am constantly finding old Post-It notes that show my tally for various days. I knew that if I stuck to 1600 calories and exercised hard 4 to 6 times per week the weight would come off. I was right.

However, now I need a new approach.

By the way, I hate the term "maintenance mode". Someone please give me a better term to use. I am not planning on maintaining. I plan on living. I also plan on getting fitter and achieving more goals. I strongly believe that if you are not moving forward, then you are moving backward. But, there are many ways to move forward besides losing weight.

Sunday was a good workout day. I got in 60 minutes of tennis with a ball machine (during this process I discovered that I had not gotten competitive tennis out of my system) and then I went for a two mile run in 18:49. Of course, before I left the gym -- swish.

This is definately the better problem to have as long as I solve it.

Welcome.

I am a man in my early 40's. I live in the United States. I was the fat but athletic kid in school. I have struggled with weight issues all of my life. I have been fortunate enough to have lost weight on several occasions. However, I have also been unfortunate enough to have gained it all back (and then some) each time.

Today, I am fortunate.

On May 3rd, 2009 after having gained significantly more weight than I have ever gained before I decided to take the journey one more time. Three hundred and eight days later I am closing in on my goal weight. I have been working my ass off for over 44 weeks and the work has paid off. I am thinner and in better shape than I have been in 10 years. It feels amazing. Yet, I am not done.

Now, I need to finish achieving my weight loss goals and figure out how to not only keep from gaining the weight back but also continue to improve my fitness and achieve more of my goals.

The purpose of this blog is to document my progress. I will be using this blog as a place to log my workouts, my weight, my successes, my failures, and whatever else comes to mind.

Why is this blog titled Three From The Corner? Well, whenver I workout in a gym with a basketball court the workout isn't over until I take a few shots and hit a three-pointer from the corner. Nothing (well, almost nothing) feels as good as being drenched in sweat after a great workout, launching a shot from the corner, and hearing the best sound in the world.

Swish.