Here's where I'm at:
One week: lost 3.1. Two weeks: lost 2.15/wk. Four: 2.2/wk. Eight: 2.1375/wk.
Trend line said 275.7 this morning. The scale said 271.8. Assuming two pounds a week, I'm 43 weeks away from goal weight. My loss rate has finally plateaued enough that goal weight isn't a year away every time I check.
Today I opened the treadmill with a 14 minute run and finished with three minutes of a planned five minute run. I'm now consistently running over half the half hour workout. I stop when my heart rate hits 170 now, so it is getting easier. (Even if it does still suck.)
On Wed, increased push ups and sit ups to twice daily on MWF and treadmill time daily M-F. Next week will be the first full week, we'll see how the body holds up. Feels fine after three days straight.
Here are notes I jotted down while sweating my ass off after a workout late June:
-----8<------
Me: Can I use those stairs to work out tomorrow?
S: Sure, you can use them.
Need to find a way to work out after
all day at ORD w/ airport food.
(Nachos, salad, bad Uno pucks)
Walked through double doors to stairwell.
Sheet rock, joint compound- steel steps.
on 15, up to 16; down to G, 3 minutes;
up to 16, 5mins; down to G 10 mins;
up to 16, 15 minutes down and up.
Still time left, up to 7-- done
time to cool down. Down to g
find a door. Opens to street and alarm
goes off. Quickly close. Walk around block to front door - FOB in - tell
guard about the alarm - he tells me good
job. Back to 1508, ask SO for pen- find
one on the counter- sheet of paper from fax machine- write
Steps up: Sheetrock, joint compound, black philips drywall screws. Landing with concrete walls, sheetrock again. door w/ a number, sheetrock, joint compound drywall screws. 5/8 Fire Resist___ can't make it out. Ugly patch, third floor, probably something from construction. 5 screws in a row.
7th was a wall- 14th
double wall-- 16th top, down is
hard with weak legs.
50 flights up
1 + 17 + 17 + 17 + 7
one extra to sidewalk
16 pu & situps
-----8<------
And now I can finally throw those notes out. If you made it this far through that drivel, you are to be commended. Thanks for reading.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Half way to goal.
Good grief, my thoughts are all over the place as I sit to write this post. I think I'm just going to dump some thoughts out there and then try to tie this thing together.
Weight update - Assuming clothes accounted for 5 pounds when I weighed in at 389, a 100 pound loss is 284. The trend line today says 291.9. I refuse to call the journey half way complete until the trend line says 284. Even so, the scale read 283.8 today. This is a record low for me and signals that I really am closing in on the half way point. Progress hasn't been consistent week to week but it keeps happening. (Weekly average loss for the last eight weeks: 2.1, four weeks: 1.85, two weeks: 3.3.) Increased activity has apparently made an impact.
Fitness - 17 real push-ups and an eight minute run to start the workout yesterday. The SO and I took a 90 minute bike ride this morning. I feel pretty strong all the time now. My energy gauge is no longer stuck on sedentary. To borrow a word I'm seeing frequently these days, I feel needful of exercise and activity. Especially on days when I don't have a scheduled workout. Clearly the fat reduction is making exercise easier but losing weight and/or exercising is making me crave more activity. Long bike ride today, ship wreck diving last weekend, and I'm thinking about taking up Aikido again on the evenings I can fit it in. I feel FANTASTIC!
Ritual - I heard someone talking about happiness and ritual on NPR last week. I think it was a Harvard professor. One of the points he made was that athletes don't have to think about working out. It's just something that they do. They walk in to the gym without thinking about it. I immediately recognized this as being a huge part of my success thus far. I consume 100 calories every day for breakfast with my vitamins. I do sit ups, push ups, and treadmill time Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays without fail. I eat in six hundred calorie chunks. My success is based not just on behavior changes, but on ritualistic behavior changes.
Impersonal support - When the DVR scoops them up I watch The Biggest Loser while on the treadmill. There is no more motivating television for this fat person. The images are all of fat people losing significant pounds from show to show. Yes, there's drama. Yes, there's the game aspect. But at the end of the day most of the people on that show make positive changes and see positive results. These total strangers continue to inspire me.
Interpersonal support - It is huge when someone asks, "Have you lost weight?" or "My goodness, how much weight have you lost?" This sort of positive reinforcement that comes out of left field just helps to keep me on track.
Personal support - No, we're not talking jockstraps or braziers here. My significant other has been so very supportive. The pantry is stocked with snacks and foods in amounts highly compatible with my 100+600+600 diet. Dad asks about my weight every day he swings by the office to visit and encourages me no matter if that days change was up or down. An old friend and I have a competition going on Fridays. Everyone in my life has been so greatly supportive.
So... Things are good on the fitness front. I'm approaching half way to goal weight and more fit than I have been in years. At first, this was all thanks to redirecting personal anger and frustration toward forcing myself to develop exercise and eating behaviors-- I've since come to recognize as ritualistic-- that caused success. Positive messages from media, friends and family have very strongly reinforced those lifestyle changes. And you, dear readers and commenters, you too have helped to cause my success. As always, thanks for reading.
Weight update - Assuming clothes accounted for 5 pounds when I weighed in at 389, a 100 pound loss is 284. The trend line today says 291.9. I refuse to call the journey half way complete until the trend line says 284. Even so, the scale read 283.8 today. This is a record low for me and signals that I really am closing in on the half way point. Progress hasn't been consistent week to week but it keeps happening. (Weekly average loss for the last eight weeks: 2.1, four weeks: 1.85, two weeks: 3.3.) Increased activity has apparently made an impact.
Fitness - 17 real push-ups and an eight minute run to start the workout yesterday. The SO and I took a 90 minute bike ride this morning. I feel pretty strong all the time now. My energy gauge is no longer stuck on sedentary. To borrow a word I'm seeing frequently these days, I feel needful of exercise and activity. Especially on days when I don't have a scheduled workout. Clearly the fat reduction is making exercise easier but losing weight and/or exercising is making me crave more activity. Long bike ride today, ship wreck diving last weekend, and I'm thinking about taking up Aikido again on the evenings I can fit it in. I feel FANTASTIC!
Ritual - I heard someone talking about happiness and ritual on NPR last week. I think it was a Harvard professor. One of the points he made was that athletes don't have to think about working out. It's just something that they do. They walk in to the gym without thinking about it. I immediately recognized this as being a huge part of my success thus far. I consume 100 calories every day for breakfast with my vitamins. I do sit ups, push ups, and treadmill time Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays without fail. I eat in six hundred calorie chunks. My success is based not just on behavior changes, but on ritualistic behavior changes.
Impersonal support - When the DVR scoops them up I watch The Biggest Loser while on the treadmill. There is no more motivating television for this fat person. The images are all of fat people losing significant pounds from show to show. Yes, there's drama. Yes, there's the game aspect. But at the end of the day most of the people on that show make positive changes and see positive results. These total strangers continue to inspire me.
Interpersonal support - It is huge when someone asks, "Have you lost weight?" or "My goodness, how much weight have you lost?" This sort of positive reinforcement that comes out of left field just helps to keep me on track.
Personal support - No, we're not talking jockstraps or braziers here. My significant other has been so very supportive. The pantry is stocked with snacks and foods in amounts highly compatible with my 100+600+600 diet. Dad asks about my weight every day he swings by the office to visit and encourages me no matter if that days change was up or down. An old friend and I have a competition going on Fridays. Everyone in my life has been so greatly supportive.
So... Things are good on the fitness front. I'm approaching half way to goal weight and more fit than I have been in years. At first, this was all thanks to redirecting personal anger and frustration toward forcing myself to develop exercise and eating behaviors-- I've since come to recognize as ritualistic-- that caused success. Positive messages from media, friends and family have very strongly reinforced those lifestyle changes. And you, dear readers and commenters, you too have helped to cause my success. As always, thanks for reading.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Two-Something
Yesterday I may have finally passed a significant milestone. My weights yesterday and today were 298.6. The trend is still at 302.8 but I think there's a good chance that I will never, ever weigh three-something again. Hard numbers wise, this milestone is nearly meaningless. It is totally arbitrary, but none the less still has this strong psychological impact. Two-something is a long, long way from three-something. Perhaps it's the same psychological impact of when an odometer flips to a one with all zeros behind it or even when we hit the year 2000.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Six gallons, 299 pounds, and iron.
The pint of blood I left behind last week apparently puts me at six total gallons donated. I hope that one of the benefits of a more healthful life is that I'll end up being one of those people that donates 20 or 30 gallons before they make me quit due to some age ailment. I suppose I'll have to volunteer to work the desk or canteen at that point. If a needle in your arm for ten minutes doesn't bother you and you can deal with several highly personal questions, then please consider donating blood today with the Red Cross or whoever handles that in your neck of the woods.
One of those personal questions they ask donors is their current weight. I was at 308.8 that day and am always honest because other people's lives are on the line. Unfortunately, their automated program requires a supervisor override for those folks over either 299 or 300. The nurse wasn't sure which. Either way, it's a very real possibility that I'll be under that mark when they call again to set up an appointment in eight weeks. That makes me smile.
However, there is a matter of concern. One of the pre-donation tests they perform is for iron levels. I have been at the low limit these last two donations. I am adding a women's daily multivitamin which contains iron to my morning routine. I was already taking a multivitamin for men, but it doesn't have iron listed on the label. Given that I'd like to get up to 30 gallons some day, I sure hope that does the trick.
As always, thanks for reading.
One of those personal questions they ask donors is their current weight. I was at 308.8 that day and am always honest because other people's lives are on the line. Unfortunately, their automated program requires a supervisor override for those folks over either 299 or 300. The nurse wasn't sure which. Either way, it's a very real possibility that I'll be under that mark when they call again to set up an appointment in eight weeks. That makes me smile.
However, there is a matter of concern. One of the pre-donation tests they perform is for iron levels. I have been at the low limit these last two donations. I am adding a women's daily multivitamin which contains iron to my morning routine. I was already taking a multivitamin for men, but it doesn't have iron listed on the label. Given that I'd like to get up to 30 gallons some day, I sure hope that does the trick.
As always, thanks for reading.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Q2 Report Card
2006-10-02 - 389.2 - Peak weight.
2007-01-02 - 351.6 - First quarterly checkup.
2007-04-10 - 317.3 - Second quarterly check up.
Blood work improved. Hopefully it's not an anomaly. Everything but the cholesterol stuff is in the desirable or normal range but it's improved too. Doc and I agreed that six months is soon enough for my next visit.
A few quick numbers. The trend line has me at 313.9 today and I was at 370 on 5 Nov when I started recording daily. So, I'm averaging 0.334 pounds/day or 2.34 pounds/week. With 130 pounds left to travel, I'm looking at 389 days to goal weight. Calculations for last week (1.8 ppw) and and last month (1.28 ppw) demonstrate this slowing progress. Using that miserable four week average, goal weight is 721 days way. Someone please remind me not to go hog wild again. It is a little frustrating that I have been a year away from goal weight for months but everyone said progress would slow.
Ran for 4:00 at 5.0mph yesterday and HR peaked at 175bpm. I return to walking if I hit 180 or feel strained. Until a week ago I'd been doing modified push-ups on and off because I could only do three real ones. Managed 7 real push-ups yesterday. I am getting stronger but shedding pounds has made exercise much easier.
2007-01-02 - 351.6 - First quarterly checkup.
2007-04-10 - 317.3 - Second quarterly check up.
Blood work improved. Hopefully it's not an anomaly. Everything but the cholesterol stuff is in the desirable or normal range but it's improved too. Doc and I agreed that six months is soon enough for my next visit.
A few quick numbers. The trend line has me at 313.9 today and I was at 370 on 5 Nov when I started recording daily. So, I'm averaging 0.334 pounds/day or 2.34 pounds/week. With 130 pounds left to travel, I'm looking at 389 days to goal weight. Calculations for last week (1.8 ppw) and and last month (1.28 ppw) demonstrate this slowing progress. Using that miserable four week average, goal weight is 721 days way. Someone please remind me not to go hog wild again. It is a little frustrating that I have been a year away from goal weight for months but everyone said progress would slow.
Ran for 4:00 at 5.0mph yesterday and HR peaked at 175bpm. I return to walking if I hit 180 or feel strained. Until a week ago I'd been doing modified push-ups on and off because I could only do three real ones. Managed 7 real push-ups yesterday. I am getting stronger but shedding pounds has made exercise much easier.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Travel and social eating.
When traveling, I lack discipline and motivation to regularly work out. Even when my father was seriously injured not long ago, I still-- having had very little sleep-- got up and walked on the treadmill the next day. But I just don't seem to care enough to consistently get it done while in a hotel.
When I hit the road on Sunday I was at 313 which was three pounds below trend. By Friday, I'd eaten my way up to 320 which was over three pounds above the trend. Several folks came down for that first week. We went out for lunch and supper every day. But once they left, I was eating alone and fell back in to that familiar 100+700+700 rhythm. By Wednesday I was down to 315 and a pound below the trend.
Interesting how that worked out, no? When left to my own devices in a city that is not home, I still fell in to counting up to 1500 calories a day. But with the opportunity to break bread with my friends and colleagues also comes this odd sort of willing sacrifice where I choose to eat more and differently simply as a part of sharing that time with those people I care about. I think it's most frequently the same reason that I overeat when at home. I guess that cultivating relationships with co-workers, friends, and family is just worth temporarily overeating to me. Perhaps it's because I know I can just get back on my 1500 a day plan later to make up for it.
Yes, as you can tell by reading this, I packed the scale. To be specific, I took the battery out, taped it to the scale, and then packed it. It was part of what put my bag overweight and made it cost an extra $25 each way. It was worth every penny.
One of the highlights of this trip was not having to ask for a seat belt extender on the airplane. For a while I was getting close to needing an extender for a standard coach seat. I have needed one for the commuter planes for years but this trip I had four or five inches to spare. Also, I used to have to guard the seat back button by putting my fingers on either side of it or my cell phone next to it during takeoff and landing to make sure my fat leg didn't depress it. Now my leg doesn't even touch it.
This Good Friday morning was good to me with a record low of 312.6 which puts me back where I was before I left home: three pounds below the trend line.
The significant other and I have both lost significant amounts of weight. So, to mark our achievement, we've decided to have a "two something" party this summer. Named to mark my crossing the 300 mark from "three hundred and something" to "two hundred and something". Since there will be friends and family around, I expect I'll eat more than 1500 calories on that day.
Happy Easter to those who celebrate it and happy weekend to those who don't. Thanks for reading.
When I hit the road on Sunday I was at 313 which was three pounds below trend. By Friday, I'd eaten my way up to 320 which was over three pounds above the trend. Several folks came down for that first week. We went out for lunch and supper every day. But once they left, I was eating alone and fell back in to that familiar 100+700+700 rhythm. By Wednesday I was down to 315 and a pound below the trend.
Interesting how that worked out, no? When left to my own devices in a city that is not home, I still fell in to counting up to 1500 calories a day. But with the opportunity to break bread with my friends and colleagues also comes this odd sort of willing sacrifice where I choose to eat more and differently simply as a part of sharing that time with those people I care about. I think it's most frequently the same reason that I overeat when at home. I guess that cultivating relationships with co-workers, friends, and family is just worth temporarily overeating to me. Perhaps it's because I know I can just get back on my 1500 a day plan later to make up for it.
Yes, as you can tell by reading this, I packed the scale. To be specific, I took the battery out, taped it to the scale, and then packed it. It was part of what put my bag overweight and made it cost an extra $25 each way. It was worth every penny.
One of the highlights of this trip was not having to ask for a seat belt extender on the airplane. For a while I was getting close to needing an extender for a standard coach seat. I have needed one for the commuter planes for years but this trip I had four or five inches to spare. Also, I used to have to guard the seat back button by putting my fingers on either side of it or my cell phone next to it during takeoff and landing to make sure my fat leg didn't depress it. Now my leg doesn't even touch it.
This Good Friday morning was good to me with a record low of 312.6 which puts me back where I was before I left home: three pounds below the trend line.
The significant other and I have both lost significant amounts of weight. So, to mark our achievement, we've decided to have a "two something" party this summer. Named to mark my crossing the 300 mark from "three hundred and something" to "two hundred and something". Since there will be friends and family around, I expect I'll eat more than 1500 calories on that day.
Happy Easter to those who celebrate it and happy weekend to those who don't. Thanks for reading.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Calculators
My sister asked me to post the calculators I like.
Ideal weight calculator with multiple formulas.
Weight maintenance calculator.
Ideal weight calculator with multiple formulas.
Weight maintenance calculator.
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