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.