It Was A Pretty Good Week

The gym is replacing the floor in the exercise room, so the various classes have been cancelled for about ten days.  I've been walking the track as a substitute cardio session.  I may also put in some time on the elliptical machines for the duration.

I'm still using the fitness trackers.  I'm finding that they do provide motivation to be more active and to get more sleep.  The syncing between the Pebble and the Up app has still been missing steps, but not as many since tried a suggestion that I found in the Pebble forums.  There was another suggestion on how to force a manual sync that I plan on trying.

If the soreness in my upper back, shoulder and chest muscles are any indication, then the swimming classes are going well.  I plan on adding time in the gym's pool to my regular workout schedule.

Speaking of which, the workouts continue to improve.  I think that I've settled into a pretty good groove lately.  The decrease in my caloric intake hasn't seemed to affect my energy levels, like it has in the past.  In fact, I was able to hit some new maxes on a number of exercises.  My current favorite is preacher curls.  I added fifteen additional pounds to that exercise.

I updated my fitness goals in the MyFitnessPal app.  The new calculations reduced my caloric goals by sixty calories per day.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty good with my progress.  I may even hop on the dreaded scale after this morning's workout!

Reps and steps!

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!

Burn, Calories, Burn!

Monday was a great day for a walk.

I got in a couple of walks on Monday and Tuesday, my workout rest days.  I did five days of weight training, four Zumba classes, and a Cardio Kickboxing class.  If I haven't mentioned it before, the Cardio Kickboxing class can be pretty challenging.  We punch, kick, bob, weave and jump non-stop for an hour.  It's definitely a stamina builder.

Keeping the food diary (Myfitnesspal) continues to go well.  Now that I have about forty days worth of data entered, the reports become useful.  In addition to tracking calories, I can review other intakes, such as sodium, carbs, fats, and protein, enabling me to make adjustments to my diet, as necessary.  The amount of data that the site gives you access to is amazing.  Data becomes knowledge and "Knowledge is Power."  That power translates into better management of my fitness/weight loss plan.

Calories Burned

An example of the reports is the Calories Burned chart.  The chart illustrates the calories that I burned last week while exercising.

Exercise Calories Burned Last Week

9/8 - 9/9:  Walking

9/10: Weight Training/Zumba

9/11:  Weight Training/Cardio Kickboxing

9/12 - 9/14:  Weight Training/Zumba

Motivation/Non-Scale Victories (NSV)

Thursday evening was unseasonably cool, so I grabbed my jacket on my way to the gym. It was noticeably big on me. That was an unexpected win. The bad news is that it's my favorite leather jacket. The good news is I get to go shopping for a new, smaller one!

On another cool day, I grabbed a long sleeve fleece jersey to wear.  I hadn't worn this particular shirt much because the stitched lettering irritated my chest.  Turns out that the stitching wasn't the real problem.  The real problem was how tightly the shirt fit.  Tightness isn't an issue this season.  Plenty of room now.

A Gym Public Service Announcement (PSA)

When removing the pin to change the weight on a stack of plates, make sure that the bar that is connected to the cable is not heavier than the lightest plate. I took a thump to the head by forgetting this rule. Luckily, my head is hard, the bar was light, and it didn't have far to fall.

I also managed to get distracted and catch my fingers beneath a dumbbell.  Again, it was only a slight injury.  No real damage done.

That's all for this week.  Hopefully, the coming week will go smoothly.

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.

A Little Experiment

Even though it started out below zero again, I had a pretty good workout week.  I got in most of my workouts, plus an extra Zumba class and a two hour snow shoveling session, which resulted in a .4 lb weight loss.

Some people have told me, that to them, my weight loss seemed like it happened all of a sudden.  I didn't pay much attention to it until I happened to mention it to my wife and she said something that surprised me.  She said that even though she’s been watching the process, it did seem to her as if I had a sudden weight loss.

This got me thinking.  I went back and looked over my spreadsheets and charts.  I remembered that I first started hearing these type of comments after the fast that I was doing in January.  Armed with this knowledge, I've decided to try a little experiment.  I’m going to incorporate elements of the fast into the majority of my meals next few weeks.  I’d like to see if I get a similar reactions at the end of next month.

An Interesting Article

Something to consider.

Man loses 37 pounds by eating exclusively at McDonald's for 90 days

Weight loss to date: 47.8 lbs.

Fitmodo - The Science of Fat

Gizmodo posted a great overview article on The Science of Fat.

It touches on questions like:

• How the body stores fat.
• Where the weight goes when you lose it.
• And my favorite, how to boost your metabolism:

"The simplest answer is by adding muscle. Muscle tissue, at rest, burns two to three times more calories than fat tissue does. So while cardio is certainly important for your overall health and stamina, if fat burning is your goal, then focusing a little more on weight-bearing, muscle building exercises will likely yield better results, and faster. Not because it burns more calories while you're working out, but because it turns up your metabolic flame so that it burns more calories all the time."

For me, this is one of the most important takeaways / confirmations.  You must incorporate resistance training into your weight loss / fitness regimen.  Too often, I see heavier people doing endless aerobics and countless sit-ups.  In my mind, I'm urging them to pick up a dumbbell so that they can kick their metabolisms into a higher gear.

I think that this is a well written article, filled with great examples and information.  I definitely recommend that you give it a read!

Holiday Festivities

The holiday season started in earnest this week.  Lots of food and parties.  It took some doing, but I managed to keep things in check.  I ate relatively small portions and only had small desserts.  I tried to satisfy my sweet tooth with offerings from the fruit trays.  When the dust settled, my weigh-in showed 1.4 lb gain.

In spite of the scale, I view this week as successful.  I didn't overindulge and got in some good workouts.  The mirror and my clothes both show me that I continue to make progress, particularly in the traps, delts and pecs.  I’m also seeing more definition in my quads and calves.

I strained a bicep and had to rest it a couple of days.  It’s still a little sore, but manageable, as long as I cut down on the poundage.  I've also been fighting off a cold, which has left me feeling a little tired.

Inspired by an acquaintance at the gym, I've started stepping backwards on the elliptical machine for the last five minutes of the set.  It was a little awkward at first, but I'm getting my speed up.  I also had a conversation with some others, whose physiques I admired, about their diets.  They pretty much confirmed what I already knew:  I need to eat more vegetables.  I mentioned that I’m not a big fan of vegetables.  They told me that it was all about the preparation and suggested that I look up some recipes on the internet and give them a try.  I plan on doing my research, selecting a couple of recipes to start with and making them after the holidays.

Weight loss to date: 38.4 lbs.

Vaporizing The Pounds - 10

I stayed the same this week. No loss, but no gain either. Actually, I was satisfied with the results. I missed three days in the gym and my diet consisted of eating on the run. I managed to get things under control by the end of the week.

Motivation

I lost yet another notch on my belt, so I only have one left. In the interest of complete disclosure, I think I wore my previous belt longer than I needed to. When I bought my current belt, I started out in the middle, leaving three notches to the end. So, I've lost two notches in two weeks, which means I'm close to dropping another waist size.

My strength and endurance continue to increase. I'm seeing more of this physical changes due to resistance training.

On my last post, someone raised some safety concerns about my weight loss plan. This prompted me to do some research to make sure that I was on point. By and large, I found that I was doing okay. My research reaffirmed some things and I also found some new information.

Here's the nutshell version of my findings:

What is a safe amount of wieght to lose per week?
.5 -2 lbs per week for less heavy people, 3-4lbs for heavier people.

Eat Spicy Foods - There is evidence to show that spices, especially chili, can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50% for up to 3 hours after you’ve eaten a spicy meal.

Build Muscle - Increase the amount of muscle in your body. For every extra pound of muscle you put on, your body uses around 50 extra calories a day. This is because muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving. Your metabolism will remain elevated for up to 12 hours after you exercise.

Focus on performing strength-training exercises in order to build your muscle. Pair these exercises with regular aerobics programs, which will help you to burn excess fat and calories.

Aerobic Exercise - As well as the actual amount of calories burned during exercise – studies have shown that sustained, high-intensity exercise makes you burn more calories for several hours afterwards.


I searched on a variety of government, medical and fitness sites. Don't just take my word for it, do some research of your own. There is a lot of good information out there, but be careful of the "junk science" sites who promise quick weight loss after using their method or gimmick.

Weight loss to date: 24.5 lbs.