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 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)

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.

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.

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.

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.