A Little Self Evaluation

I managed to resist a number of temptations over the week.  For the most part, I ate lean for breakfast and lunch.  For dinner, I practiced portion control.  The workouts went well and I even tried cardio kick boxing, which is no joke!  We went hard for the entire hour, with no breaks.  I managed to get in an hour of resistance training afterwards, but I was tired when I finished.  Even so, the scale showed a two pound increase for the week.

I decided to try “the pants test,” to get a second opinion.  I tried on some of my smaller pants and found them to be a little snug.  So, this lets me know that I did get a bit larger.  It’s hard for me to determine if my waist has gotten bigger or if I’m gaining size in my hip and thigh muscles.  I've really been hitting legs.  Using a weight belt has taken some of the strain off of my lower back, which enables me to increase the amount of weight and number of sets when I squat.  This is just something that I'll need to keep aware of.

I cropped this picture of myself from a larger image.  I liked the image because it was taken from a completely candid shot.  No posing or standing completely erect or tightening the gut. It provided a nice opportunity for me to evaluate myself in a relaxed state.

The Evaluation

I've been focusing (obsessing?) on my gut, which I really want to flatten.  As I've mentioned before, I sometimes see it as being larger than it actually is.  The photo shows it as still pudgy, but certainly not as big as it was a year ago.

I can see growth and development in my biceps and forearms.  My chest area looks tighter and more developed, too.

I think that I’m in a good place, right now, progress wise.  As if to emphasize this, I ran into an acquaintance, at the gym, who I hadn't seen for a couple of months.  He was impressed with the progress that I’d made since our last meeting.

It also appears that my “dimples of Venus” have become deeper and more noticeable.  After doing some research, I found that this is probably partly a benefit of my increased core and lower back work.

We took the grandsons to the beach, the same day as the photo was taken.  To get down to the beach, you have to use a long flight of stairs.  On the way back from the beach, the three year old was tired, so I scooped him up and headed up the stairs.  I passed some people on the way up.  It wasn't until the rest of my group had reached the top that I realized I wasn't winded at all.

Finally, I thought I’d share a funny moment from the gym.  I was on the elliptical machine, flipping through television channels, when I happened upon one of my favorite comedies, “Blazing Saddles.”  People must have thought that I was crazy, as I was laughing all the way through my set!

Weight loss to date: 44 lbs.