Gasman's Journey to Fitness

gasman said:
Some on this forum have been measuring success by the scale, and some by inches, I've been losing weight, but I think I feel best about the improvement of my fitness level. I would really like to get to a place where I can participate in high intensity sports without gassing after 10 minutes (squash, hockey, soccer etc.).
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This is exactly where I am at. I have an ideal "number" in my head but most importantly I want to be strong w/ good cardio. Would love to start coaching hockey and playing pickup games and get compeitive again.

Ultimate frisbee too!
 
So I am going to be away from town this long weekend, and will not be at home for my weekly weigh in.

I'm thinking of two alternatives...

1. Skip the weigh in this week, and do it on the usual time next week.
2. Move the weigh in to Monday evening (which would be similar conditions)

I am leaning towards option 1. Although I really like my weekly weigh in, it might be fun to skip a week and then see a "big" loss the next time... who knows maybe I would even be in the 280's!!

What do you think?
 
Go HARD and really focus on eating well and running and weigh in next week. You will be surprised. I bet.

ps. posting some before pics on my log for humliation purposes and motivation.
 
So it's Tuesday, I think I have survived the long weekend.

We went and visited my parents and My Mom is one that loves to cook, and always has "snacks" out.

I was a little nervous that I would fall off the wagon during the visit, but I stuck to around 2300-2500 calories daily, and I still got my run in on Friday, Sunday and Monday.

I skipped the weigh in on Sunday (as I wasn't home) and I'm hoping for some significant losses next week (even hoping to cross into the 280's. (I was 295.6 a week ago, I am hoping by Sunday to be in the 287-288 range.
 
It's my wifes birthday today, and I'm cutting out of work early to celebrate with her. I made a great desert yesterday from my "Eat, Shrink, and be Merry" Cookbook, honestly if you don't have it, it is a fantastic book for healthy spins on traditionally fatty food. I've yet to have a bad dish from it yet.

Last night I made a berry trifle.

Angel food cake, home made custard (skim milk, coconut milk lite, skim evap milk, and custard powder), with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. I sprinkled mint on the top and it looks delicious.

As for me, I've been fairly successful the past two weeks, eating between 2000 and 2500calories. I also haven't skipped a run yet either! I am getting excited about my weigh in on Sunday, it's been two weeks. I've had to get a new belt, and my shirts are definitely roomier. I'm really hoping to be below 290.

Talk to you guys on Sunday
 
It's Sunday and the weigh in is complete. I didn't do as good as I had hoped, but I did have a weekend away at the parents house and my wifes birthday to contend with.

My official weight was 289.7lbs so 6lbs lost in 2 weeks! not bad, I was hoping for 8lbs but I know I didn't eat good enough to earn it.

So I'm under 290 for the first time in 3 years. my first goal was 275 by August, but If I can keep 3lb/week up I should hit that by early July. Then I will be that much closer to my second goal which is 250 by December. My wife and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in December, I would love to be 250 for that trip.
 
I signed up for the June challenge this morning. I am optimistic that I will be in the 270's by July, and that would be fricking fantastic.

I had one more small victory, if you want to call it that, on the weekend.

On Saturday it was rainy and cold and my wife and I did not want to take our little daughter out in the cold, so we decided to pack up and head to the rec center to go swimming (well walking around the pool with the baby on a floaty, can hardly be called swimming, but I'll make the stretch)

We had been at the pool for all of 10 minutes when I noticed that I no longer had my wedding ring! GASP! Lifeguards and other folks at the pool were great, but we couldn't find it. There is a happy ending though, I found the ring at the bottom of my gym bag, turns out that it just fell right off as I was changing.

This might not seem like much, but even if I don't notice too much of a change in the mirror, I do notice it in my belt, in my pants, my shirts, and now in my fingers. I am definitely getting "smaller". I'm just not sure if I should get my ring resized now or wait till the end of summer when I'm at my goal weight.
 
The results are in, and it is my single biggest week to date...

I lost 7.5lbs this week!!! thats more than I lost the previous two weeks combined.

Here's what happened differently this week.


  • No birthdays or other get togethers,
    ate vegetarian three times this week
    (Piled high veggie pot pie with sweet potato crust, and Falafel (homemade), and then leftovers)
    Started hydrating again, for some reason the past two weeks my water intake fell, this week I made sure to down atleast 4L/day
    Ran Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - Extra day was for the Fallen 4 memorial 5K fun run, which I completed in 31:52 while pushing my baby in the stroller, as well as all of the water bottles and purses belonging to by wife and mother in law.

I feel great, a little crazy that the weight loss was that much, but I'm sure it will even out next week.

Perhaps if I hit my middle goal of 275 I will post a before and "after" my real goal is 250 but I would love to be 220-230, but I can only dream of that.

I'm contemplating putting some weights into the routine for the "walking" days. Just buying some plates, and a couple of bars, I will use a stability ball for a bench.
 
Well 1.8lbs down last week, nothing close to my 7.5lb mega week but then again, I shouldn't be expecting to see a lot of those. I have started to get lazy in the past few weeks. I am still counting calories, and running, but I haven't been drinking near enough water, and I haven't been posting my food Diary. I will resolve for the next two weeks to post daily in my diary, the food I eat and the exercise I do. I will also resolve to drink 4 litres of water at work + water in the evening at home. I will re-assess in two weeks.

so starting with Yesterday Sunday June 13:

Breakfast: 526calories

1/2 english muffin with Peanut Butter and Homemade Jam (no sugar)
1 piece of Whole Weat bread with Peanut Butter and Homemade Jam (no sugar)
1/4 sugar free blueberry muffin
6 ounces of Orange Juice

Lunch: 684calories
1.5 Salmon Salad Sandwiches
2 Apples

Dinner: 470calories
Venison Pie (turned out delicious, and my wife like it to, looks like I may have invented another way for her to eat wild meat.
Green Salad with Thai Peanut dressing

Snacks: 429 calories
Prepackaged snack cracker
1/4cup raisins
Low Cal Microwave Popcorn
1 piece of Bread with Peanut Butter.

Total: 2079calores

Exercise: 5.6kms running 8.8km/hr ~700calories
 
So here Goes

For Monday June 14, 2010

Breakfast (220cal)

Mini Wheats + Skim Milk

Lunch: (410cal)
2 Turkey sandwiches on Weight Watchers whole wheat bread (WWWW Bread)
2 cups of Green Salad with 2 tbsp of Balsamic Dressing
1 yogurt
Dinner: (525cal)
1.5 servings Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Polka dot Rotini (From Crazy spoons)
2 cups Green Salad with 2 tbsp of Thai Dressing

Snacks (1045cal)
2 apples
20 - wheat thin crackers
1 snack bag of smart pop popcorn
1 pita with Peanut butter
1/4cup raisins

Total: 2200cal in

I ran 32:45s and did about 6kms.

A good day, I snacked a little near the end and added an extra 300 cal (see pita +PB + Raisins. I will need to spread out my snacking a little better so I don't get that 9:00 urge.
 
Well done bud!

Great seeing you running! I'm still not comfortable running...afraid I'm going to trip over my lung!

You'll be at 250 by December....I'm willing to bet on it. Congrats on how far you've already come! Thats less than 2 lbs a week....You'll smoke it at the rate you are going!

Take care!
 
Thanks for the encouragement Flumes.

Nice Avatar pic by the way. Are you into photography? I just started myself and I am still playing around and learning the camera.
 
Food Diary for Monday June 15

Breakfast (320cal)
Mini wheats
1/3cup skim milk
1/4 cup currnats

Lunch (455cal)
2 tuna sandwiches on WWWW Bread
Green Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
1 Yogurt

Dinner (635 cal)

Spicy Broiled Salmon
1 cob of Corn
1/2 cup carrots with dill
1 cup cooked Basmati Rice
2 tsp Becel Margarine (for the corn)

Snacks (662cal)

2 Apples
10 Wheat thin crackers
Low fat microwave Popcorn
1 Pita with PB

Exercise : 45minute Walk - Brisk Pace.

Thats all for now, see you tomorrow.
 
Here's my day for Wednesday June 17th.

Breakfast (320cal)
Mini wheats, skim milk + Currants

Lunch (502 calories)
2 Salmon Sandwiches
Green Salad with Catalina Dressing
Yogurt

Dinner (391 calories)

Chicken Stir Fry
1/2cup rice with 1/2 cup bulgur

Snacks (810 cal)

2 apples
20 mini wheat thin crackers
low fat microwave popcorn
Pita with PB

Exercise: 5.5km 32:30min (-600cal)

Total Intake: 2025cal
Net Intake: 1424cal
 
just popping in to see how you are doing. your diet looks great and your getting 4x the exercise then me. so im bit jealous there. just not motivated to stay active.
 
size32someday said:
just popping in to see how you are doing. your diet looks great and your getting 4x the exercise then me. so im bit jealous there. just not motivated to stay active.
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Thanks for the support. My only advice would be to set a goal, mine was 5km in under 30minutes, and exercising 4 times per week, I gutted it through the first two weeks, and battled my own unmotivation. After 2 weeks I actually look forward to the running days. It's a great destresser.

Good Luck.

G
 
I'm a little late today, but it's 11:40 so technically I am still writing in my diary today.

Here's my Food for Thursday June 17th

Breakfast (457 cal)
Peanut Butter Toast - 2 slices (Thick Texas Toast) so good.

Lunch (400cal)
2 Sandwiches - Turkey on WWWW Bread
Yogurt

Dinner - (379 cal)
Honey Apple Dijon Chicken Breast
Corn on the Cob
Cauliflour puree (this is the absolutely best way to have cauliflour)

Snacks ( 578 cal)
1 Apple
1/2 cup Currants
Pita with PB

Total: 1815cal

Exercise: 35minutes walking.

I also had what I consider a big win, I met some old friends at a bar and sat there while they had guinness, nachos and wings.

I had three club sodas and no snacks.

thats one for the win column.
 
Friday June 18th.

Breakfast (325cal)

2 slices of Toast with PB

Lunch: (603 cal)
2 turkey sandwiches
1 cup WW Soup

Dinner ( 683 cal)

Spicy Chicken Stew
Steam Fried Noodles
Green Salad with Thai Peanut Sauce

Snacks: (637)

Skinny Cow Ice cream sandwich
2 snack bags of Popcorn
1/2 cup currants

Total: 2250 calories

Exercise: 30 minutes running at 6mph (about 600calories burned)

Ended up not snacking much today and I was way below my "target" calorie count of 21/2200 cals, so I had an extra bag of popcorn and a handful of currants.

I feel this was a pretty good day/week. I've been drinking plenty of water, and hopefully I should have a successful week. I'll let everyone know on Sunday.
 
Sounds like its all going really well Gasman! Keep it up! I'm impressed with your 30 odd mins 5km - especially pushing a baby stroller! I'm still up in the high 40s for 5km - although I've never done an actual race - this is just me running on woodland tracks and up and down hills. Maybe i'm just a slowmo!!!

I agree about running - I actively look forward to it - really clears the head and relaxes you doesn't it?
 
On the road yesterday, including a visit with the in-laws

And... Today is weigh in day, but I'll leave that for after the food diary... it is the best part.

Breakfast (400cal)
Toasted turkey sandwich

Lunch ( 625cal)
Edo Japan - Teriyaki Chicken (I included all of the calories from the website, but I only ate about 1/3-1/2 of the rice so I'm sure I am under.

Dinner (967cal)

Chicken Breast
Small Potato
2 tbls coleslaw
1/2 cup baked beans
3 tbsp of garden salad with dressing
1 Piece of Angel food Cake
2tbsp of whipped cream
1 peanut butter rocky road fudge square

Snacks (200cal)
handfull of pretzels.

Exercise - None really, walked around West Edmonton Mall for two hours, but we were on the road all day.

Weigh in...

Now for the Great news. I weighed in today at 274 lbs, thats 6.3lbs lost this week and a total of 40lbs since April 18th when I started this.

I have set a new goal of 250lbs by the end of September. Originally I was hoping for 250 by Christmas, but I think I can do better.
 
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