Still in Week 1

I struggled a little over the weekend. Due to conference and other stuff that I was trying to get done, I ended not working out on Saturday. However, my eating wasn't so bad on Saturday until I came home from the Priesthood session of conference to see that Tiffany made sweet rolls! I told myself, I could have a little, becuase I really had been pretty good that day even though I didn't exercise (well, we did go on a walk for about a half hour, but that was it). Sunday, I ate decent, but the kids had all sorts of candy (a bribe to get them to sit quietly while we watch conference) and I ended up tasting a couple of swedish fish. Only a couple, but it was more than I should have.

Monday, I worked out and ate well. We had some fattening pulled pork for dinner for close but I tried not to go back for seconds and succeeded, but I had too many cream puffs which was ok, but not as many as I had.

Tuesday, due to close, I ended up not working out, but did pretty good on the diet and today, I worked out well and have thus far been good on the diet as well.

I already feel better. Amazing are the effects of a few good choices in your life. Fun will be when you feel the clothes a little looser or when you feel like you have to go down a notch on the belt. Lets keep it up.

Cheers,

Nathan

Day Two - Session Two

OK.  Here I am Day 2 of this new session of weight loss.  It is still easy at this point.  I have the determination and the wits about me.  I need to be careful to be sure I eat enough, I wonder if I didn’t eat enough yesterday.  Based on my count and an estimate at that, I ate close to 1800-2000 calories yesterday.  With my exercise and resting calorie expenditure, to have maintained I could have eaten 4500 calories.  So, if I consumed 2500 less than I could have, (and if I continue this), I will have dropped 20 pounds by the end of the month.  Which I don’t think is really healthy.  If I am really trying to sustain this,  I need to eat a little more, closer to 3000 calories a day when I exercise. 

 

Well, in any case, my spirits are good about this and I continue to go forward.  I walked into work today and saw donuts on the table for the taking.  It really didn’t even give me a pause.  Of course I won’t eat a donut.  Two months ago, it also wouldn’t have been a thought.  I would have had that donut in my mouth.

 

But no more, at least not until I drop what I need to and even then, very seldom.

 

Well, I worked out today for another hour and a half.  The difference this session vs. last time, I am trying to really put a good weight workout before cardio.  Perhaps nothing that is going to make me huge, but I get a good sweat producing weight workout before I really sweat it out on the cardio equipment.

 

Today, due to a blister that started forming yesterday, I spun for half of my cardio and walked the other half.  By early next week I will be running for 10 – 15 minutes of the hour.  Every week after that I will add another 5 minutes so that by the middle of December, I will be running for the full hour.  However, there are days that I may not run, and will spin, or step or due to timing or location, maybe a taebo type workout at home (like Wednesdays that Tiffany goes to the temple and I won’t have time to make it to the gym).

 

Nathan

A New Start

So, almost two years from when I first started my weight loss, I start again.  Today being day one.  However, there are a few changes to my program.  First off.  My ultimate goal was to get down to about 222 pounds or more accurately 215 pounds which would be one third less of me from when I started.  Before I go into my ‘new’ program, here is how I did before.

 

I started well for the first three or so months.  I did alright during the Christmas season, but I am sure I ate more than I should have, and though I did really good about not cheating, I think I may have had some Christmas candy that grandma sent.  I shouldn’t have, but I did.  But I still lost pounds through the month of December, 5, if I remember correctly.  I was doing alright going forward.  My cardio got to the point where I was running six to seven miles a day.  A normal day would have been five, but I often did more.  At which point some friends got wind and invited me to run on the ragnar relay team.  I wasn’t sure, but due to my goals, I figured it would help me go the right direction.  So I signed up.  However, I think that came to the detriment of my weight loss plan, as silly as it sounds.  I stopped focusing on my diet and cardio plan and started focusing on trying to prep myself for this run.  I would run more than I probably should have and started to not worry about my diet.  It went to show that you really need to stay focused, because even though I was doing excersize, I didn’t focus on the weight loss.  Well, suffice it to say that although I have continued on and off to excersize, my diet has taken a hit as I went back to eating the sweets and fat that I tried to get rid of. 

 

So now I start again, before the candy season starts.  Because I love candy.  Not just a little bit, but sometimes I just don’t know when to stop.  So, I just need to cut it out completely, which is probably better for me than having just a little any way.

 

Well, here are my rules.

Cardio 6 days a week.  1 hour a day.  It can be split into 2 or three different times if I have to.

Calories burned do not matter in that time.  However, I should be focusing on increasing my output as my body makes its improvements.

Lift Weights at least 4 days a week.  This will be structured with different muscles on different days.  Legs are included in this (because sometimes I don’t want to because I feel weakened before cardio).

Diet – eat small(er) portions.  Don’t have seconds.  No cookies or sweets for desert except on Saturday or Sunday, but only for desert and not as a snack.

Have healthy snacks throughout the day.  Apples, bananas, grapes, peaches, fruit, vegetables and maybe sometimes some lowfat crackers.  The key is to eat on these things rather than other high calorie items.  But, even with these, I need to be careful not to eat too much.

Eat regular.  Meaning, I am not (at this point) looking to eat fish or to weigh my chicken or the like.  The key is to make this a way of life and not something that is a short term fix for a long term problem.  If I have to weigh my food, I will not end up doing it forever.  Because I know I wouldn’t.  I am not going to set myself up to fail.

Write down how I did each day.  I don’t need to write everything I eat, because those are the details that make me lose.  I need to see the big picture.  Think about what I eat and add it up throughout the day.  However, write about it each day.  Even if it’s a quick note.  This keeps me at least thinking about it.

Get excited as I see the weight being lost.  Celebrate (but not with food)!

Weigh myself once a month.

Starting weight – 285 pounds (which means I have lost 37 pounds from the original start date, which is so much better than maintaining or gaining weight.

Goal – 245 pound by April 3, 2010.  40 pounds over six months (185 days)  (about .22 pounds per day or about 760 more calories expended each day than taken in).

If I make this goal, I will then be just over 20 pounds to take off from there.  At which point I will put into place the plan to lose those final pounds.

 

Please help me to reach this.  The more people reminding me the better.

 

Nathan

Days 11-20

I have done well for my second week. I worked out almost every day (I missed Tuesday). I felt pretty good. Then came the sickness. The family got sick starting Saturday and I started feeling close to getting sick. In the past, I often get sick two weeks after starting a workout program. I wasn't about to, so I slowed down the pace until I can feel like I can get back into the groove. However, I have retained my eating habits. With any hope, by Thanksgiving, I will be back up to my one hour a day workout.

The sad thing about this "sick" week is watching the whole family get sick. Especially Logan. He really looked bad. But he is now looking much better and we still may get to celebrate Thanksgiving after all.

Fred

Body for Life

Cameron sent me his body for life book and video. I started to read it. I think it is good. However, I don't think I will start that yet. A lot of what I see is that it helps those who are somewhat fit, just trying to get to that next level. Sure, there are some that are probably in my boat, but I am not ready yet for that. I feel I need a couple of good months under my belt before I try anything else. Maybe it is just stubborn me, but whatever I am doing, I continue to feel motivated and since it is early enough in my training, I don't want to mess with something that seems to be working. However, I think I may try this down the road to jump kick things when I start to plataue. Thanks Cameron. I do appreciate your help and encouragement. I will let you know when I start this program.

Fred

Day 10 of 419

Today was a good day. After having a bagel for breakfast, I went out and worked in the yard as the November weather was great. After mowing the lawn and weeding, working up a good sweat, I had a small lunch, the other half of my salad I didn't eat last night. I then ended up working out. I decided instead of running five miles, I would ride the recumbent bike for a half hour to change things up, then get back on the treadmill and pound out another 2.5 miles. I did, and picked up the pace. It was good. Although I don't trust the workout computers on those things, according to them I burned over 1000 calories in my workout. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Maybe more, maybe less, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that I did something. I am sure this is key. Just doing something.

I know there are many ways of working out and trying to lose weight. Some methods may be better than others, but the fact that I am doing something is great. It feels good. I am glad I am doing something about it.

Day 9 of 419

Today, I did not work out. I had it planned, but I just didn't get up in time. So I avoided food. But not that avoiding food does good things to your body. So although I limited my food intake, I did not expend what I was hoping. That and as a family, we decided to go out and eat, which I had just half an asian salad at mimi's cafe. It was good. The experience was good. The kids are great at restaurants.

I know I may have days like this where I did not find time to work out, but I will just continue the next day.

Fred