Day 730

Friday, January 23, 2015, marked 730 days into my restarted fitness journey.  2013 was mostly about losing weight.  2014 continued along that path, but then became more about getting fit.  I ditched the scale and concentrated on developing my physique, with mixed results.  My ending weight for the year was practically the same as the first year’s, staying at around 50 lbs. of total weight loss.  So, while I didn't gain much weight, I didn't lose any either.

On the other hand, the body shaping / muscle development went really well.  There was noticeable development in all of the muscle groups.  I decreased my body fat and reclaimed clothes that I hadn't worn in years.  I said “Goodbye” to the “Big and Tall” clothing section in 2014 and “Hello” to spandex workout gear.

My diet improved over the first year.  Finding and using the MyFitnessPal app and site was a very important part of that.  Before I started using it, I’d been regaining some of the weight that I’d lost.  The app made me take a hard look at what I was eating.  I made the adjustments and took off 14 lbs.

I've been pretty consistent with my exercise program, usually getting in a minimum of three workouts a week.  Diet, while better, is still not what it should be.  I’m indulging myself a bit too much, taking in too many fat calories, even though I mostly stay within my caloric goals.

My imperative for 2015 is to research healthier alternatives and incorporate them into my diet.  I need to create better meal plans that include healthier between meal snacks.  I see this as my final hurdle to maximizing my fitness and reaching my health goals.

Speaking of which, the goals that I set for 2014 were to:
…incorporate the dietary lessons learned on the fast into my normal diet.  I had enough success here to do no harm.  More focus and effort will be required to actually meet this goal.

…get my waist size down to a size 32.  I didn't make this one, though the last belt I bought was a size 34.  Even though I didn't make goal, I consider that a win.

…have a visible “six pack.”  I give myself “honorable mention” on this one.  I've done a lot of core work and, sometimes, I can see hints of them.  More incentive to trim the fat that’s covering them.

…further refine and develop my musculature.  This has been a win.  I’m very happy with my progress in this area.

Some Non Scale Victories from 2014

I feel stronger and healthier.  I seem to be more resistant to colds and the like, with faster recovery times.

Picking up a 35 lb. dumbbell and having to check the weight markings because it felt like I’d grabbed a 20.

Discovering Cardio Kickboxing.  Aside from the intense workout, I've learned some pretty cool punching and kicking combinations.

Upping my overhead barbell press to 110 lbs., dumbbell curls to 55 lbs and pec deck to 170 lbs.

Goals for 2015

My goals for 2015 are pretty much the same as I set for 2014.  The main lesson that I've learned (relearned?) is that to be truly successful, I must fully incorporate all three fitness pillars:  Proper diet, exercise and rest.  Doing two and a half will only get me so far.

Through the grace of God, I've come a long way in these past two years.  Even with not fully meeting my goals, I've been successful.  I’m stronger, fitter, and healthier, with more energy and stamina.  I've met new people and made new friends, both online and off.  Best of all, my dedication to the process motivated my wife to create a schedule and start hitting the gym herself!

I’m looking forward 2015’s successes and hoping that you’re finding yours, too.  Beast mode on!

Reps and steps!

Staying the Course

Not a whole lot to report these week.  It was very much like last week, as far as exercise and diet go.  The early part of the week was busy, with no time to get to the gym.  I did well on with my allotted calorie count, though I did exceed it once.  I got in three Zumba classes, two weight workouts and spent a little time on the walking track.

I've upped the resistance in a few more exercises.  I've been able to do 100 lb military (overhead)

barbell presses.  I moved up to 40 lb single arm dumbbell flies and got in some 60 lb dumbbell curls, but my form wasn't good.  I also added some straight arm press downs to the mix.

The gym mirror has been pretty motivating lately.  I'm starting to see the muscles working as I exercise.  That pushes me to work them even harder.

I'm still getting lots of encouragement and acknowledgement on my weight loss and body shaping, which I truly appreciate.

I learned a couple more weight loss terms:

The Whoosh Effect:  Presumably the body pulls water into the muscles and out of other tissues (fat cells).  In lean individuals, appearance is often drastically improved.

ONEderland:  You've fallen below 200 lbs and are in the "100's."

I think that I have a shot at making ONEderland by Jan 23, 2015, which will be the two year anniversary of the start of my current fitness journey.  I'm not overly concerned about the weight total, but it would be a nice milestone to achieve.

18 Months Into My Personal Fitness Challenge

Sometime ya just need to flex!

Today marks eighteen months since I restarted my person fitness challenge.  I took the day off from work to “celebrate.”  I went in to the gym early, did a Zumba class and a workout.  After finishing up, I headed to a clothing store to do some shopping.

Since I have a wedding to attend and all of my suits are now too big, I finally broke down and bought a new one.  Now for the good part:  The regular fit suits didn't work for me.  The jackets fit, but the accompanying pants were too large.  I had to buy an athletic fit suit!  I haven’t worn an athletic fit suit since I was in my twenties!

Finished with the shopping, I went home to change and headed back to the gym for more weight training and a second Zumba class.

Looking back over this time, my initial feeling was that I’m not as far along as I thought I’d be at this point.  But, upon further reflection, I think that I've done pretty well.

• Staying committed to the process for eighteen months is a cause celebration in and of itself.  It hasn't always been easy, but I've managed to stay pretty consistent.
• I think that I’m more comfortable with how my physique is developing.  I’m trying not to put so much pressure on myself in the quest for my goal state.
• While I may occasionally stumble, overall, I continue to make progress.

One of the best things that I've done was to kick the scale to the curb.  Not worrying about “making weight” has been pretty liberating.  There are plenty of other, more motivating ways to track progress.

The “Little Things”

Sometimes, it’s the little things that provide the strongest motivation.  Here are a few.

• Sitting comfortably in an airplane seat.
• Buying a smaller belt.
• Catching my reflection and thinking, “Not bad.”
• Not shopping in the Big and Tall section.
• Handling heavier weights.
• Noticing females checking me out.
• Putting on old clothes and finding them to be too big.
• Being asked about how to lose weight.

…and the best one of all…

• Catching my wife checking me out when she doesn't think that I've seen her doing it!

Well, Day 730 will be the next major milestone for me.  I’m looking forward to getting there!

Day 365

Day 365.  A milestone.  One year ago today, I restarted my fitness journey.  It feels simultaneously like a long time ago and a short time ago.

I started out the morning with a breakfast of fresh fruit and nuts, followed by a tall glass of ice water and a multivitamin.  I didn't work out the day before and had gone to bed early.  I wanted to be fresh and rested for today’s session.  I took the day off from work because I wanted to work out early in the morning, when fewer people would be in gym, giving me better access to the equipment.

When I leave the house, it’s snowing and streets are covered.  The temperature is 10 degrees Celsius, not counting the wind chill factor.  I take this as a good sign.  The weather conditions should make the gym even emptier this morning.  I ask God for travelling mercy and head off to the gym.

As I hoped, the gym floor is pretty empty.  I move from station to station with no waiting.
After I get home and weigh in, I’m surprised to find that I've gained 3 pounds, while still on the fast.  I’m going to assume that the gain is muscle mass and move on.  I know that I've definitely lost some inches!

Unfortunately, I didn't formally track my weight loss from the start of the process. This chart shows my weekly progress for the last twenty weeks.  As you can see, there were plenty of ups and downs, but the peaks were always followed by a deeper valley, so don’t get discouraged!

I've heard it said that fitness is the poor man’s plastic surgery.  After assembling my before and current pictures, I’d strongly agree.  You can’t really tell how well you are doing without the comparison photos.  Many times during the process, I would have doubts as to whether or not I was making progress.  From these photos, I can tell that I have.

Before & Current: Same clothes

Before & Current:  With a bit less belly!

Before & Current: Holding my approximate weight loss

I know that I have more "squish" that needs attention, but for today, I'm celebrating the progress that I've made to date!

Accomplishments

In the last twelve months I've…

…lost 49 pounds, going from 271 lbs to 222 lbs.
…burned 107,800 calories.
…lost one shirt size, going from XXL to XL.
…lost three pant sizes, going from size 42+ to size 36.
…gained more strength, energy, endurance, and stamina.
…become more proactive in my healthcare.

Lessons Learned

I've learned that…

…it is essential to make a plan and to track your progress.
…setting short term and long term goals is vital to success.
…it actually takes much less food to get full than I thought.
...pounds lost are less important than muscle gained.
…consistent effort is key.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I thank God for giving me the tools to make my progress possible.  Next, I thank my wife for her love, support, and participation.  I thank all of my instructors and trainers for their help and insights.  Thanks to all of my family, friends, and acquaintances who gave me encouragement.  Thanks to the strangers who gave me positive feedback just with a look or a smile.  Thanks to the folks who shared their fitness stories on the internet.  They provided lots of information and inspiration.  Finally, thanks to those who wished me less than well.  Those vibes got turned into workout fuel!

Goals

My fitness goals for the next 365 days are to…

…incorporate the dietary lessons learned on the fast into my normal diet.
…get my waist size down to a size 32.
…have a visible “six pack.”
…further refine and develop my musculature

Thanks to all who have been following my journey.  I hope that it has provided some inspiration in your own fitness quest!

Weight loss to date: 48.8 lbs.

Still Making Progress

Another week of the fast down.  We did well on the fast up until the weekend, when we face-planted.  I plan on adding another day or two to the prescribed time to make up for it.

I lost 3.2 lbs this week.  It’s obvious now that I’m not going to finish this fast with the type of numbers that I had when I did it the first time.  I hope that’s because I'm not carrying as much fat now as I was then.

I've been feeling the effect of the diet in my workouts.  My energy has been down, so it’s been difficult to work at my usual levels.  I cut back on the cardio and so that I could concentrate more energy on the resistance training.

Milestones

I finally hit the 50 pound mark!  Even though I've been more concerned with losing inches than pounds, this felt good!

I started wearing the next smaller pant size this week.  That means that I've lost three pant sizes in a year’s time!

Motivation

I’m seeing some reduction in the belly area.  Others have noticed, too.  I’m getting more questions on how I’m doing what I’m doing.
 
Thursday, January 23, will mark one year since I restarted my fitness journey.  On that day, I plan on posting photos and numbers, along with a wrap-up of the year, lessons learned, and my goals going forward.

Weight loss to date: 51.8 lbs.