Once More Unto the Breach

It's still cold and snow covered around here, but I got all of my scheduled workout sessions in, except one.  I pushed myself a little more than usual this week, which led to some of the best sleep that I've had in a while.

I've also decreased the weight that I've been using on my squats.  I've opted to go lighter and focus more on the technique.  This has helped me to go deeper into the squat, really working the muscles.  I'm careful not to drop below parallel, that is, keeping my thighs parallel to the ground.

I don't know if I've mentioned it, but, I'm kind of a tech guy.  I like trying out various gadgets and gizmos.  I recently bought a Pebble smart watch.  I went for the original black and white e-Ink display model, not the new color one.  I read that all of the Pebble watches would eventually be upgraded to the new operating system, so I settled on the less expensive model.  One of the things of interest to me was that the watch came with a Jawbone app called Up for Pebble.  It functions independent from the phone, so I can wear the watch when I workout, just like I would a fitness band.  I haven't used it long enough to form an opinion about it, but I'll pass along my observations as I go.

The Delicious Debacle

I was mostly on track with my diet up until Friday.  We had an early morning celebration at work which involved baked goods.  I went to lunch with a colleague and enjoyed a plate of bu'n thit nuong, a Vietnamese dish that has become one of my favorites.  For dinner, we met with friends over St. Louis style spareribs.  The evening was capped off with vanilla ice cream over a warm brownie, topped with whipped cream.

I attempted to offset Friday's excesses by keeping below my calorie goals and not eating back any of the 2400 exercise calories that I'd burned on Saturday and Sunday.

Non Scale Victories

I was told that in addition to my lost weight, it looked like I'd lost 10 years, too.

One person told me that it seemed like I'd lost more weight, while another remarked that my arms looked bigger.

Goals

I'm still dealing with the belly issue.  It's smaller, but still not gone (Yeah, I know that brownies and ice cream don't help!).  I haven't really set any mini goals lately.  I still don't have one in mind, but I'm sure that something will come to me soon.

Reps and steps.

The Amazing Shrinking Sleeves

Another frigid week goes into the books.  Despite feeling the need to hunker down and hibernate, I made it to most of my workouts.  It wasn't easy, though.  There were days when I really had to push myself to leave the house.  Sunday was the hardest.  I wasn't able to get to the gym.  I had to hit the driveway instead.  Eighty three minutes and eight hundred fifty nine calories later, I had it cleared.  I definitely felt the effects of my snow shovel workout in Monday's Kickboxing Cardio workout.  I didn't work the kinks out until midway through the class.

The diet went okay for the week, but it was a bit of a struggle.  The cold had me craving mass quantities.  I didn't go over my calorie goals, but I ate back more of my exercise calories than I'd planned.  This week started out on the same note.  Breakfast has been the hardest meal to control.  I know that I'm consuming way too many carbs during breakfast.  So, I know what I need to do, I just have to make myself do it.

Now, about those sleeves.  I've been noticing that the sleeves on some of my dress and sports shirts seem shorter, stopping above my wrist.  I know that my arms aren't growing.  I've had these shirts for a while and they've been washed several times, so I don't think that they've shrunk.  I think that my shoulders have gotten larger, which makes the sleeves sit higher.  I have mixed feelings about this.  One the one hand, I'm glad that the resistance training appears to be showing results.  On the other hand, I'm a little annoyed that I'll need to buy more shirts!

Reps and steps!

The Gym Versus the Weather

For these last couple of weeks, my workout story has been mostly about the weather.  It's been cold and snowy.  Some days, it was not about desire or motivation.  It became about clearing a path through the snow.  Last week, I cleared my driveway three times.  As I type this post, the temperature is -4 degrees F.

Fortunately, when I've made it to the gym, I've been able to do some quality workouts.  I even reached a few personal bests:  I worked through the entire stack of plates on the pec deck, curled 110 lbs on the preacher curl bench and moved up to 40 lbs on my standing dumbbell flies.

My diet has been okay.  I made better choices and practiced portion control.  My weight seems to have plateaued again.  I'm considering doing seven to ten days of Daniel's Fast to get things moving again.  For now, I'll continue to tweak the plan and stay the course.  Full disclosure:  I did treat myself to a late dinner splurge meal on the way home from a dance, last Friday evening.  It was a decadent and delicious Po' Boy with Cajun chips.  I regret nothing! LOL!

I upgraded my phone to a Samsung Note 4.  It came with S-Health fitness apps installed.  I've turned on the pedometer to track my steps.  The goal is to reach 10,000 steps per day.  That's been pretty hard to accomplish in this weather.  I'm averaging about 4,000 steps per day, not counting the steps in my fitness classes.  The app sends a notification if I'm inactive for a long period and reminds me to move.  This has come in handy at work, where I ride a desk.  I get up and walk for a couple of minutes instead of sitting.  I've also used the heart rate monitor.

Overall, I feel good about how things are going.  It's great to feel strong and healthy.   I thought about that on trash day, oddly enough.  In the first picture, you can see some trash bins.  I'd piled up so much snow from shoveling that I couldn't reach my tree lawn from the sidewalk to place the trash bin.  I took the bin to the street side, grabbed it by the bottom and the handle that the garbage truck uses to empty it.  I then hoisted it onto the snow mound.  The shape of the bin made the lift a little awkward, but the weight was not a problem.

Well, now I need to decide whether I'm going to brave this wind chill warning of -25 to -30 degrees and hit the gym or do a more limited set at home with the weights that I have here.  To be honest, home gym is looking pretty good!

Reps and steps!

The Body is an Amazing (and Confusing) Machine

In previous posts, I've mentioned that I believe that adopting a more fit lifestyle has made me more resistant to these “bugs” that are going around.  I believe that has also boosted my body’s ability to recover.  Here a couple of very recent examples.

Last Monday, I started developing a mildly runny nose, which led to a little throat irritation.  I was feeling less than a 100%, so I decided to skip the Cardio Kickboxing class.  That night, I took some cold medicine and went to bed.  When I woke up the next morning, I felt exhausted.  I lay in bed for a while, waiting to see the feeling would pass.  It didn't, so I took the day off from work and went back to sleep.  I finally woke up again after 11:00 AM.  I felt better, but not great.  I took it easy the rest of the day.  I was feeling more like my usual self by bedtime.  When I woke up the next morning, the symptoms I was having were pretty much gone.

Around the end of November, I was at the gym, doing some bench presses.  One lift went awry and felt pain in my left elbow.  I was able complete the move and rack the bar, but the area was incredibly sore afterwards.  I soon discovered that direct pressing movements were going to be out of my workouts for a while.  So, I had to remove exercises like military presses, tricep pushdowns, pushups and flat bench presses from my routine.  Fortunately, movements like flies and angled presses were unaffected by the injury.  I was able to work around the injury and continue my workouts.

As time went on and my elbow felt better, I reintroduced some of the pressing movements, using small amounts of weight.  I gradually increased the weight, taking care to stop when I felt pain.  Last week, my bench press was approaching normal levels for the first time since the original injury.  As I locked out, I heard a kind of popping noise and I thought, “Oh crap!  I've really done it now!”  To my surprise, my arm felt great.   I’d expected pain, but I felt relief instead.   I finished the set and did a couple more, adding weight as a test.  Everything was fine.  What I think happened was what I thought to be an elbow strain was probably a dislocation, which popped back into place during the exercise movement.

In both instances, illness or injury, the discomfort was manageable and the recovery fairly quick.  I’m even more of a believer now.

Exercise and diet for the week went well.  When I couldn't eat my healthiest, I practiced portion control.  I didn't eat back most of my exercise calories this week, anticipating doing a little damage at a Super Bowl Sunday spread.

My best moment of inspiration for the week came from my four year old grandson.  He was looking at pictures on my phone and came across a recent “before and current” comparison photos.  He pointed to the image on “current” side and said, “Pop-Pop, that’s you.”  He pointed to the “before” image and looks at me with a confused look.  He asked, “Who’s this other Pop-Pop?”

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!

Sweat Don’t Lie

I had originally planned for this post as a reflection of last year and my goals for this year.   Then I remembered that on January 23^rd, I'll be at the two year anniversary of my fitness journey.  I decided to save my reflections for that post.

I will say this, 2014 ended up seeming like a “set-up” year.  I feel like I've laid the foundation for real success.  The only thing left to do is to put in the work to make it happen.

With the end of the holidays, I've been working at getting back to my normal routine.  The exercise schedule was fairly easy to fall back into, diet, however, is another matter entirely.  Over the holidays, I indulged myself, probably too often.  It’s been jarring to go back to simpler meals.  I knew that I was in trouble when the market put the paczkis out early this year.  I bought a half dozen and ate three of them in one day!

One thing that has helped me to focus are the successes of some of my contemporaries who are on the same journey.  A couple have made amazing progress.  Their progress has helped to relight my fire to get this thing done.  I feel that while I've made progress of my own, I've been doing some “coasting,” especially in the diet area, which just adds unnecessary time (and calories!) to the process.

Sweat Don’t Lie

I've come to enjoy the exercise part of my regimen tremendously, especially as I see how the exercises are reshaping my body.  I try to leave it all on the gym floor when I work out.  Recently, one of the big guys approached me after I’d finished a set.  I’d done a class earlier and I was drenched in sweat.  He said, “You’re really getting’ it!” I laughed and said something like “Yeah, I’m doing a little something.”  He said, “No, sweat don’t lie.”  That recognition of my efforts felt pretty good.

I thought about that as the gym has been invaded by the “Resolutioners.”  The folks whose New Year’s resolution is to get in shape.  I've had to adjust my work outs because of the added members, but I haven’t been resentful of their presence.  I've been in a position to speak with and encourage a few of them.  Most will quit before the end of February, but a few will stay.   Maybe my encouragement will help.

Looking at the more rounded bellies of some of the newbies reminded me of my start nearly two years ago.  They also reminded me of how far I've come.

Reps and steps! 

The Return of an Old Foe and the Emergence of a New One

Well, it’s been about two months since I posted my last update.  I had a lot on my plate, both personally and professionally, in addition to the usual holiday commitments, which consumed much of my time.  This will serve as my “catch-up” post.

The Return of an Old Foe and the Emergence of a New One

I've been very pleased with my recent progress.  I've been receiving a lot of positive acknowledgement from others and it’s become more evident to my own eyes.  Sometimes success brings carelessness and not a little hubris.  Because I’d been doing so well, I started “rewarding” myself.  My old friend, Coca-Cola, was making regular appearances again at meal time.  Chips, cakes and pastries were finding their way back into the house.  Some of my clothes started fitting a little tighter.  That’s when I recognized my new enemy:  Complacency.  I was becoming complacent and that was going to eventually lead to a major setback.  I realized that while I was staying mostly within my calorie goals, the fat calories I was taking in weren't helping my cause.

As the saying goes, “You can never out exercise a bad diet.”  That was proving to be true.  I found that I’d picked up a few pounds leading into the Thanksgiving holiday.  I committed to eating more sensibly for the rest of the holiday season.  By better planning, I was able to enjoy the holiday parties and dinners, while re-losing the extra weight that I’d picked up.  My diet still isn't as clean as it could be, but it’s better than it’s been recently.  I’m just happy that I was able to recognize my mistakes and correct my course before I went too far astray.

Positives

Health:  Many of the people around me, at home and work, have been sick over these past few months.  A couple of times, I got a few of the symptoms, but they never fully took hold or lasted overnight.  I credit my healthier lifestyle with strengthening my immune system.  It probably also didn't hurt that I had gotten my annual flu shot!

Appearance:  I am enjoying the physical changes that I'm achieving.  It’s such a kick to see my muscles develop and to watch the fat decrease.  Others have noticed, too.  I've gotten compliments from the fitness instructors at the gym, acknowledgements from “the muscle guys” and kudos from others.  One of my most fun experiences of the holidays was seeing the surprise on the faces of some of my extended family at our annual holiday gathering!

Achievements

• I bought a new belt.  It was a size 34”.  When I started this journey, I was wearing a size 42”.
• I bought more sweaters and vests.  I used to hate how I looked in them.  I felt like a sausage!
• I burned the safety net.  I donated two leaf bags full of my larger clothes to charity.  No turning back now!

In my next post, I'll be taking a look back at how I did in 2014 and to finalize my goals for 2015.

A look back (Get it? LOL)!

Steps and Reps!