From >450 to <160 lb by 2022

Very nice improved run times! Looking at your dogs I can see why they were getting excited when you first started running--they must be so happy you are joining in the fun!
 
LaMaria said:
Those are some lovely dogs! Not sure you'll beat their run time though :p
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liza said:
Very nice improved run times! Looking at your dogs I can see why they were getting excited when you first started running--they must be so happy you are joining in the fun!
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Thanks! They do love to run, but they are sprinters and are ready to go home after 2-3 miles of running.

Err2 said:
I'm bumping up my calories again, this time to 1850. The exciting news, if you can call it that, is that my macro goals will become 45% carbs, 35% protein, & 20% fat which now fall within the "Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range" of 45-65% carbs, 10-35% protein, & 20-35% fat. Fiber will be increasing from 30 to 35g too, though I've already been hitting that 9 out of 10 days anyway.
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So I went through the spreadsheet again and from my weight loss over the last 3 months my metabolism seems to be speeding up. This is the opposite of what I expected - at best I hoped it would stay constant as I maintained lean mass - but typically metabolisms slow down after massive weight loss. I have two possible hypotheses:

1) as I'm losing weight my Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (the spontaneous movements made throughout the day) are increasing above my former sloth-like standards

2) With colder temperatures, both at night sleeping & when outside exercising, my basal metabolic rate is increasing just to keep my warm. This would be a temporary/seasonal effect.

At either rate, I need to increase my calories even more than I have already so beginning tomorrow I'll bump up my calories from 1850 to 2000.


On the disappointing side, I've resigned myself to taking blood pressure medicine again. I had 3 weeks of good BP without any meds at all, but the last two weeks it has been elevated and that's too long to keep sticking my head in the sand. Hopefully I'll be able to come off them for good after further weight loss.
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Felt pretty crummy all day, didn't feel like getting out of bed, felt weak when exercising, felt faint when showering... Took my BP and it became clear why:
20210126_220641-1.jpg

I've been taking half a pill - 10mg - but will try 1/4 pill for the next few days. If that doesn't work I'll have to get with the doctor (or NP) and try some other medication or just live with having slightly elevated blood pressure half the time...
 
Whatever the reason is, it's great that you can further increase your calories! Can't find a decently credible article about it on the quick but there was a rash of claims a couple of years ago that sleeping in a colder room would let you burn over 100 kcal (can't remember the exact number) more than sleeping in a warm room. The same may be true for exercise.
I hope you'll be able to solve the bp problems; those suck.
 
4th week of 2021 check-in. These are weekly averages:

-- JAN 06 Dexa scan: 28.6% body fat --
Week___Weight_NavyBF_highBIA_lowBIA_Lean_Fat_Calories
JAN 01-07: 244.5__30.9%__31.9%__N/A____167.8_76.8__1811
JAN 08-14: 239.9__28.8%__32.6%__27.4%__169.3_70.6__2190
JAN 15-21: 236.3__27.4%__31.9%__27.3%__169.0_67.3__1834
JAN 22-28: 234.4__26.4%__30.6%__26.0%__170.3_64.1__1884

Timed 3 mile run:
Dec 08: 38:39
Dec 10: 38:40
Dec 14: 37:20
Dec 16: 37:25
Dec 18: 33:47
Dec 22: 37:07
Dec 24: 36:06
Dec 28: 32:48
Dec 30: 34:25
Jan 07: 41:47
Jan 19: 31:52
Jan 21: 29:17

5K time:
Jan 23: 32.29
Jan 28: 31:20
 
5th week of 2021 check-in. These are weekly averages:

-- JAN 06 Dexa scan: 28.6% body fat --
Week___Weight_NavyBF_highBIA_lowBIA_Lean_Fat_Calories
JAN 01-07: 244.5__30.9%__31.9%__N/A____167.8_76.8__1811
JAN 08-14: 239.9__28.8%__32.6%__27.4%__169.3_70.6__2190
JAN 15-21: 236.3__27.4%__31.9%__27.3%__169.0_67.3__1834
JAN 22-28: 234.4__26.4%__30.6%__26.0%__170.3_64.1__1884
JAN29-F04: 231.4__25.5%__30.3%__25.9%__169.5_61.9__2103

No improvement in my 1 mile or 5K run times last week, but I did run my first ever 10K in 72:13. I'm doing a 12-week plan to try and run a <60 minute 10K which means I'm doing a lot more cardio and thus need to increase my calories again, currently to 2250.
 
Running 10k is always impressive in my book but even more so at your current weight!
 
LaMaria said:
Running 10k is always impressive in my book but even more so at your current weight!
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Thanks. I'm very slowly working my way up in distances in preparation for a half Ironman (70.3 which consists of 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, 13.1 mile run) in June and a potentially a full Ironman 140.6 in November.

I was surprised to learn that completing an Ironman after massive weight loss is not that unusual. Among many others, 5 contestants from the biggest loser have done so, as has a Texas businessman.

Err2 said:
I got tested for the IgG covid antibody and the test came back negative. It can sometimes take longer than 14 days for some people to produce antibodies, so I won't know for sure that my covid test was a false positive until I donate blood on the 1st and they run it for antibodies...
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So as a recap:

Jan 1: exposed to someone who later ran a fever.
Jan 6: everyone we came into contact with got tested for covid, mine was the only positive (the supposedly super accurate PCR test).
Jan 9: Still without symptoms, I tested again and was negative.
Jan 11: Needing 2 negatives to break quaratine, I tested again and was negative.
Jan 15: I tested negative for the IgG antibody
Feb 3: I gave blood and it tested negative for covid antibodies.

The CDC says any positive PCR test is a true positive, but I'm going to have to disagree and say that I had a false positive.
 
Definitely looks like it. You'll end up in the text books!
I'm not surprised people who lose a lot of weight consider Ironmans afterwards. A) because many people do a lot of cardio during weightloss anyway so it can feel like you're already halfway there with prep and B) once the endorphin hits from the scale drops wear off you may just needs another reward system and fitness goals never end.
 
Err2 said:
I did run my first ever 10K in 72:13
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That's awesome Err, way to go! Your running seems to be progressing quickly and I don't doubt you'll reach your less than 60 minute goal.
And nice to be working toward a half Ironman--it's good to keep the goals going to keep something to work toward. And since you used to do competitive cycling that seems like a really good place to head toward.
I continue to be super impressed with all your progress!
 
Thanks guys. Chipping away little by little...

Timed mile run:
Nov 15: 11:20
Nov 21: 11:13
Nov 28: 10:42
Dec 06: 10:18
Dec 12: 10:35
Dec 20: 09:59
Dec 26: 10:25
Jan 03: 09:24
Jan 16: 09:52
Jan 25: 09:00
Feb 08: 08:44
 
6th week of 2021 check-in. These are weekly averages:

-- JAN 06 Dexa scan: 28.6% body fat --
Week___Weight_NavyBF_highBIA_lowBIA_Lean_Fat_Calories
JAN 01-07: 244.5__30.9%__31.9%__N/A____167.8_76.8__1811
JAN 08-14: 239.9__28.8%__32.6%__27.4%__169.3_70.6__2190
JAN 15-21: 236.3__27.4%__31.9%__27.3%__169.0_67.3__1834
JAN 22-28: 234.4__26.4%__30.6%__26.0%__170.3_64.1__1884
JAN29-F04: 231.4__25.5%__30.3%__25.9%__169.5_61.9__2103
FEB 05-11: 229.1__25.3%__29.1%__24.7%__169.3_59.8__2268

With all the energy I've put into 10K training I've been slacking on strength training and I'm starting to notice. Time to make a bit more of an effort there...
 
Week 7. I did a little better with strength training, but I'm doing more 1+ hour runs & bike rides which the literature suggests accelerates muscle breakdown. I've increased my calories (currently at 2700 - up 1000 in the last month!) and I'm trying to eat something every 45 minutes on the bike, but I think I may start seeing my lean mass decline as I train for the Ironman late this year.

-- JAN 06 Dexa scan: 28.6% body fat --
Week___Weight_highBIA_lowBIA_NavyBF_Lean_Fat_Calories
JAN 01-07: 244.5__31.9%__N/A____30.9%__167.8_76.8__1811
JAN 08-14: 239.9__32.6%__27.4%__28.8%__169.3_70.6__2190
JAN 15-21: 236.3__31.9%__27.3%__27.4%__169.0_67.3__1834
JAN 22-28: 234.4__30.6%__26.0%__26.4%__170.3_64.1__1884
JAN29 -F4: 231.4__30.3%__25.9%__25.5%__169.5_61.9__2103
FEB 05-11: 229.1__29.1%__24.7%__25.3%__169.3_59.8__2268
FEB 12-18: 226.8__27.9%__24.0%__25.4%__168.6_58.2__2488
 
10K time:
Jan 31: 72:13
Feb 14: 68:40
Feb 24: 66:23

Chipping away - Garmin says it is "extremely confident" that I'll hit my <60 min goal by April 24 by continuing to follow its plan...
 
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