Cord's Quest

Hey there Cord, I am so happy to hear you are on the mend. Your measurements are looking impressive so hopefully you can focus on the positive and not worry that you have been sick, and not able to exercise or really care about what you are eating *if anything*
Im going to start taking my measurements as well.... the scale is ok, but If i can see inches coming off, ill be more motivated.
Take care
Michelle
 
brazenlysasse said:
Hey there Cord, I am so happy to hear you are on the mend. Your measurements are looking impressive so hopefully you can focus on the positive and not worry that you have been sick, and not able to exercise or really care about what you are eating *if anything*
Im going to start taking my measurements as well.... the scale is ok, but If i can see inches coming off, ill be more motivated.
Take care
Michelle
Click to expand...

Thanks, Michelle.

I think taking measurements is a great way to chart your progress. So much more telling than just the scale. And, during those times when the scale doesn't move (or goes the wrong way), sometimes the measurements keep going down, and that helps.

I'm taking a multiple path approach to measure progress. The scale, the tape, body fat, just looking at myself (although I can't see any change yet), and how my clothes fit (better already). Oh, and also comments from others are helpful too.
 
woohoo! looking good cord!:hurray: the good thing with numbers is that they don't lie! that's some really good steady progress!

Cord the Seeker said:
Once a month I've been getting out the ol' tape and doing my measurements. That time has come again.


-------- 02 April -- 30 April -- 29 May
Chest: ---- 55 ----- 52 ----- 51
Waist: ---- 53.5 --- 50 ----- 49.5
Hips: ----- 52 ----- 51 ----- 50
Upper Arm: 17 ----- 16 ----- 16
Forearm: --13 ----- 13 ----- 12.5
Thigh: -----31 ----- 30 ----- 29
Calf: ------20.5 --- 19.5 --- 19.5
Neck: -----17.5 --- 17 ----- 16.5

Current weight: 287 lbs (starting weight 311 lbs)
Body fat: 36% (using the most pessimistic of several measurements, and rounding to the nearest 1%)
The body fat is a new measurement for me, so I don't know what my starting value was.
Click to expand...
 
Okay, between a road trip involving sundry restaurant food, and my recent illness, my food and activity log pretty much disintegrated. However, I started recording everything again on Thursday.
I know I didn't eat particularly badly, and even at the restaurants I was somewhat controlled (no soda, yes I ate fries, and battered salmon, but I didn't get refills on the fries, so that's worth something). While I was sick I didn't record my food, but I probably underate if anything, and was eating a lot of protein - my body was just always wanting protein, probably to fight the illness.

So, back on track now in any event.

May 28

Breakfast - 6oz steak, 1 slice ww bread w/almond butter, 1 cup milk

Lunch - 2 cups cereal (Heritage O's and Spelt Flakes), 1 cup milk

Supper and snacks - 2 mini pizzas (ww pita, buffalo sausage, skim mozza),
1 pear
heap o' raw veg - carrot/celery/spinach/snap peas
1 cup ice milk

Exercise - 65 minutes nordic walking

May 29

"breakfast" - 1 iced cake doughnut

second breakfast - 2 scrambled eggs, 2 big slices whole grain bread w/butter, one with peanut butter, smal side home fries, green tea

supper and snacks - 2 nectarines, 1 Save-On chicken pie, big heap o' raw veg - (spinach/celery/carrot/cucumber/snap peas/tomato

late evening craving - 1 6oz steak, 4 perogies

Exercise - 40 minutes walkiing, 20 minutes NordicTrack (which really makes ya sweat)
 
Hey, I just read through the first half dozen pages of your diary, and I must admit, you're on fire! :) Definitely on the right track, despite various obstacles (like not quite losing quite what you wanted early on, overeating or undereating, getting sick, etc.) you kept going. That's awesome! You motivate me to work that much more diligently toward my own goals.

With that said, I'm sorry about your recent illness. I'm hoping that I'm not coming down with something myself. I'm hoping it's just allergies. Because I know from experience that when I'm sick there is nothing I like more than to lay on the couch eating anything and everything until I'm so stuffed I can't even move anymore. Ick.
 
Good to see you're over the illness and getting back into the swing of things. You measurements are dropping nicely. How's the motivation going? Looking forward to getting stuck back into it?
 
pixienerd said:
Hey, I just read through the first half dozen pages of your diary, and I must admit, you're on fire! :) Definitely on the right track, despite various obstacles (like not quite losing quite what you wanted early on, overeating or undereating, getting sick, etc.) you kept going. That's awesome! You motivate me to work that much more diligently toward my own goals.

With that said, I'm sorry about your recent illness. I'm hoping that I'm not coming down with something myself. I'm hoping it's just allergies. Because I know from experience that when I'm sick there is nothing I like more than to lay on the couch eating anything and everything until I'm so stuffed I can't even move anymore. Ick.
Click to expand...

Thanks, pixie - I'm really motivated to do this. I want to watch my daughter grow up. I want to be active in her life. I also just want to be the person I always wished I was. I'm not exactly an athlete trapped in a fat body, but I am an active person trapped in a fat body. Maybe an athlete will emerge when I come out from all this flab. :)

Hang on - my daughter wants me to tell you (not necessarily you specifically, but the people on this forum) that she and I are going to go for a walk up the hills in our neighbourhood today.

I'm glad you found some motivation in reading my blatherings!
 
Feenix said:
Good to see you're over the illness and getting back into the swing of things. You measurements are dropping nicely. How's the motivation going? Looking forward to getting stuck back into it?
Click to expand...

Hey, Feenix.

Yeah, I seem to be pretty much better. At least I am no longer letting it slow me down.

I'm totally back on track. Just finished 45 minutes on the total gym plus 30 minutes on the NordicTrack. Now I am having breakfast (chicken caesar pitas) before starting a day of yardwork.
 
Hey Cord, Glad to hear you are feeling better now! You are doing great in spite of a few adverse times lately, you should be very proud of yourself for jumping right back into it now you are better :D

Take care, have a great week!!!

:waving:
 
Kori said:
Hey Cord, Glad to hear you are feeling better now! You are doing great in spite of a few adverse times lately, you should be very proud of yourself for jumping right back into it now you are better :D

Take care, have a great week!!!

:waving:
Click to expand...

Thanks, Kori! You too!
 
Couple more days of updates:

May 30

Breakfast - steel-cut oats with hemp seeds and agave nectar

Lunch - 2 nectarines, 2oz honey roasted peanuts, 1/2 a pear (noticed it was bad halfway through and tossed it)

Supper - 6 oz organic lean beef sausage,1 cup mashed potatoes with butter, steamed broccoli, 1 corn muffin

Dessert - 1/2 cup ice milk

Exercise - 30 minute fast walk for my lunch break. Had plans to get some exercise in the evening but by the time my daughter was in bed I was too tired.

May 31

Today was totally exhausting. I started the day all fired up to workout, and afterwards did a pile of yardwork.

Pre-workout snack - 1 corn muffin

Breakfast - 1 whole wheat pita cut in half and stuffed with: 3/4 tomato, spinach, 3 oz chicken strips, lt caesar dressing.

Lunch - 2 slices bacon, some melted cheese, mushrooms and onions (my wife ordered a plain buffalo burger and got a loaded one, so i ate the extra stuff), 1/3 of a buffalo burger, 1/2 an order of fries (finished the family's leftovers, but didn't order anything for myself).

Post-yardwork snack - 1 cup ice milk

Supper - Save-On chicken pie, a few oven fries

Dessert - 1/2 cup milk, 1 chocolate cake doughnut

Exercise - 45 minutes on the total gym plus 30 minutes on the NordicTrack
Then several hours of miscellaneous yardwork, including assembling a porch swing, tearing up a lot of sod (that really works your shoulders), and hauling garbage. Followed by a walk with the family in our hilly neighbourhood, 20-30 minutes, at my 5 year old daughter's pace.

I'm pretty tired now. Going to bed.
 
It's a whole new month!

In order to reach my 90-day goal, I have to lose 7 pounds by the end of the month.
In order to beat my friend who is doing Jenny Craig, I have to lose 12 pounds.

Only the first one is important, but the second would be nice too. :)

June 1

Breakfast - steel-cut oats with hemp seeds and agave nectar

Lunch and work snacks - 1/2 order Save-On oven fries, 5oz BBQ salmon tips, 1 orange, 1 pear, 1 apple

Afternoon post-work snack - 4 graham wafers

Supper - I love my daughter. She is 5 years old (turns 6 end of July) and she asked "Dad, for dinner can we have plain pasta and steamed vegetables?"
Why, yes we can!
1.5 cups pasta, steamed veg (broccoli/carrot/corn/peas/green beans), 1/4 cup tomato sauce, raw veg (snap peas, cucumber)

Dessert - 1 cup ice milk (I'm starting to get way too enamoured of the ice milk)

Exercise - 30 minute walk at work, 50 minute walk in my hilly neighbourhood before dinner.
 
oh man you can hit those goals. thansk for the post in my thread. i amactually doing pull ups with my legs straight out, and man does that work you abs, theya re constantly sore! i'll soon be hitting my halfway goal at 265, then my 20% lost goal at 264 lol. i'll probably just round when i hit one and celebrate both, but that won't be fore 2-3 weeks, so please look forward to it!
 
Way cool. I'm looking forward to seeing you hit that goal!

I'll be reaching 25% lost in 4 pounds, and hitting my initial goal in 7. That should also take 2-3 weeks.

We can celebrate toegther.
 
wow 25% that's awesome!!! good luck with those 7lbs. I totally know that competitive feeling of wanting to beat your friend but good for you to have two sets of goals. Very realistic.

by the way: hope you enjoyed your walk with your daughter-such a wonderful way to spend time together.
 
Hi, PEC, thanks for stopping in!

My daughter has just started wanting to come with me for the walks - she is becoming quite interested in my health initiatives.
Obviously we don't go fast or far by may standards, but that's not really the point. We have a lovely time, and she gets excited that she is getting "exercise", and that I am, too, "because it's healthy and you want to get smaller?"

She's so cute.
 
Thought I'd drop in and say hi. I am now following your diary :)
i see you lost your initial goal weight in half the time!
 
18% said:
Thought I'd drop in and say hi. I am now following your diary :)
i see you lost your initial goal weight in half the time!
Click to expand...

Well, I'm still 7lbs from my original goal, but yes it has been quicker than planned. That is mainly because I was being conservative, and didn't want to set goals too high, just in case.

Thanks for dropping in!
 
Cord the Seeker said:
My daughter has just started wanting to come with me for the walks - she is becoming quite interested in my health initiatives.
Obviously we don't go fast or far by may standards, but that's not really the point. We have a lovely time, and she gets excited that she is getting "exercise", and that I am, too, "because it's healthy and you want to get smaller?"

She's so cute.
Click to expand...

aaawww - my youngest likes to exercise and go on walks too...she has a buddah belly so she knows we are eating healthy and exercising to make our buddah bellies smaller...

She loves exercising with me.
 
June 2

Went a little stray from my plan for today - ate a lot of meat and not much veg. Otherwise okay.

Breakfast - steel-cut oats with hemp seeds and agave nectar

Lunch and snacks - 6oz bbq salmon tips, spinach and tomato salad (no dressing), 1 apple, 1 cookie
I have this idea that I ate some kind of mid-morning snack but didn't write it down. Seems odd. maybe it was just that cookie.

Supper - 12 oz steak, 2 oz bbq salmon, tiny amount of broccoli and asparagus, whole wheat dinner roll.
I had this plan that I was going to make a veg plate but I never got around to it.

Dessert - 1/2 a chocolate cake doughnut (would have eaten a whole one but my wife sighed and looked wistfully at it, so she got half)

late night snack - 5 graham wafers, 1.5 cups milk

Exercise - a good day for getting up and moving about. Slack day at work so I took three 30-minute walks throughout the day.

After dinner, I went down to the civic centre and bought a one-month pass which gives me free access to the pool and the fitness centre. Went into the fitness centre and quite frankly felt lost and out of place. So I decided to just fool around on some of the machines for a bit:
5 min on the elliptical (easy to use but I don't like it all that much)
15 min on the stair machine (enjoyed that)
10 min on the rowing machine (this is awesome, I just wish the tension went a bit higher - I will have to make up for that with speed)
bench press machine - 100lbs, 2x10 and 1x6
cable crossovers - 40 lbs 2x10
lat pulldowns - 60lbs 2x10
like I said, just mucking about a bit

Was totally intimidated by the free weights, and don't even know what most of the other machines do yet. Funny, I used to use free weights at home (when I still had some) and was fine using them, but it is totally different to do so in public.
I have requested a session with a personal trainer to help me figure out a decent programme, and hopefully show me how to use all this stuff.

Edit: oh, yeah, weigh-in is Thursday. Tried the scale at the rec centre but it is too banged-up and never settled down to a proper reading.
 
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