Trops Diary
- Thread starter Trops
- Start date
Trops
New member
Day 17
4-26-08
Midnight Shift
This is depressing. The midnight shift is sucking all the momentum out of my regime. I havent worked out in two days. My diet is up and down. My sleep is ok, but between work and sleep and taking care of the kids, there just isn't anything left for exercise. I'd like to say that this energy sapping counts as exercise, but I don't think it does. I'm going to take off the midnight shift tonight for unrelated reasons, but maybe that will help. I think that the kids being out of school for this time, doesn't help, either. I have to be up by 2 to get them from camp, and that means that any little bit of time I might have had is just not there. If they were in school, I'd at least have till 3:30. Well, if I can get through this weekend without losing it, then I might be ok.
Food wise I have been doing ok, but last night I lost it. I went to a barbecue, and did real well. I didn't have any beer, but that was easy since I was going to work. The chips and dip were out, but I stayed to cauliflower with no dip. Then when that was gone, I moved to broccoli, but with a lithg dip. Then the meat came out. I was going to be good. I really was, but I ended up having a bit of steak (Oh, my god! that was good.) and sausage and peppers on a bun. Then I even had a piece of cake. This coconut coffee cake. So good and small that I had to have another. I was eyeing a third and was able to stop. I didn't weigh myself, but I don't feel optimistic about it.
Tonight I'm going to my mom's for my niece's birthday. Mom always cooks a combination of healthy and unhealthy and lets you choose. I'm going to make sure that I'm not starving when I get there. Maybe that will help.
4-26-08
Midnight Shift
This is depressing. The midnight shift is sucking all the momentum out of my regime. I havent worked out in two days. My diet is up and down. My sleep is ok, but between work and sleep and taking care of the kids, there just isn't anything left for exercise. I'd like to say that this energy sapping counts as exercise, but I don't think it does. I'm going to take off the midnight shift tonight for unrelated reasons, but maybe that will help. I think that the kids being out of school for this time, doesn't help, either. I have to be up by 2 to get them from camp, and that means that any little bit of time I might have had is just not there. If they were in school, I'd at least have till 3:30. Well, if I can get through this weekend without losing it, then I might be ok.
Food wise I have been doing ok, but last night I lost it. I went to a barbecue, and did real well. I didn't have any beer, but that was easy since I was going to work. The chips and dip were out, but I stayed to cauliflower with no dip. Then when that was gone, I moved to broccoli, but with a lithg dip. Then the meat came out. I was going to be good. I really was, but I ended up having a bit of steak (Oh, my god! that was good.) and sausage and peppers on a bun. Then I even had a piece of cake. This coconut coffee cake. So good and small that I had to have another. I was eyeing a third and was able to stop. I didn't weigh myself, but I don't feel optimistic about it.
Tonight I'm going to my mom's for my niece's birthday. Mom always cooks a combination of healthy and unhealthy and lets you choose. I'm going to make sure that I'm not starving when I get there. Maybe that will help.
yarmiah
New member
Don't beat yourself up. You DID make some healthy and positive choices, ones you would not have made before your new commitment to lose some weight and get healthy.
As far as exercise goes, you can only do what your schedule allows. Do what ya can striving for a minimum of 3x a week.
As far as the party goes, not having any sweets is a great idea, but if it's not realistic, do allow yourself ONE cookie. Consistently denying yourself little treats now and thing will lead to a binge.
Good luck!
As far as exercise goes, you can only do what your schedule allows. Do what ya can striving for a minimum of 3x a week.
As far as the party goes, not having any sweets is a great idea, but if it's not realistic, do allow yourself ONE cookie. Consistently denying yourself little treats now and thing will lead to a binge.
Good luck!
Trops
New member
Day 18
4-27-08
Took the day off
Yesterday didn't turn out as bad as I thought. I did get to the gym and really got a great workout. I did squats, then leg extensions and leg curls till I just couldn't do any more. Then I did lat pull downs and rows till I couldn't do any more. Then 20 min on the elipticore at a good pace. I was bouncing between 140 and 170 strides per min. and a resistance setting that went from 8 to 10. By the time I was done, I couldn't hardly walk. I was laughing at how weak I was just walking up the front steps to my house. There are only three steps. I guess that's a good work out.
We went out for dinner last night. Went to a nice restaurant, but I was good. I got the sesame coated tuna, rare, over spinach and sweet potatoes. Boy was that good. We went to another place for ice cream, but I didn't have anything. I was very proud of myself.
Today I started with a bowl of cereal, but then didn't have anything till dinner. Sushi for dinner. Man, I love sushi. I could have eaten twice what I did, but I was satisfied, so I kept it down. I didn't work out at all today, but my legs are still sore from yesterday. I'm hoping to get out running tomorrow, and hopefully Saturday's work out will help me with the running.
Oh, the scale this morning was 229.8. Good to see the 220's again. It's a big group, but with any luck I won't be here for too long.
4-27-08
Took the day off
Yesterday didn't turn out as bad as I thought. I did get to the gym and really got a great workout. I did squats, then leg extensions and leg curls till I just couldn't do any more. Then I did lat pull downs and rows till I couldn't do any more. Then 20 min on the elipticore at a good pace. I was bouncing between 140 and 170 strides per min. and a resistance setting that went from 8 to 10. By the time I was done, I couldn't hardly walk. I was laughing at how weak I was just walking up the front steps to my house. There are only three steps. I guess that's a good work out.
We went out for dinner last night. Went to a nice restaurant, but I was good. I got the sesame coated tuna, rare, over spinach and sweet potatoes. Boy was that good. We went to another place for ice cream, but I didn't have anything. I was very proud of myself.
Today I started with a bowl of cereal, but then didn't have anything till dinner. Sushi for dinner. Man, I love sushi. I could have eaten twice what I did, but I was satisfied, so I kept it down. I didn't work out at all today, but my legs are still sore from yesterday. I'm hoping to get out running tomorrow, and hopefully Saturday's work out will help me with the running.
Oh, the scale this morning was 229.8. Good to see the 220's again. It's a big group, but with any luck I won't be here for too long.
Trops
New member
Day 21
4-30-08
Day Off
Boy, midnight shift sucks! I've been doing the midnight shift for years, decades, and I never realized just how much it sucks the life out of you. Maybe it was because of not sleeping right, or not drinking coffee, or whatever, but I ate very little and still didn't drop. Yesterday, my last night shift, I had one bowl of cereal, a cup of tea, two scoops of vegetarian chili, and a diet ice cream sandwich. I worked out shoulders and back, then treadmill for 20 min. After that, my weight this morning was up over a half a pound. Now that sucks!
Today I'm off, so I started with coffee and cereal for breakfast. Had to mow the lawn, then I went out for a run. It felt very good. I felt like I had so much more energy. I know that I'll be down tomorrow. Or the next day or whenever. I don't feel so sapped. Funny how stepping on the scale can make you feel the opposite of how you really should feel.
The run today went like this:
ran 3.7 miles
39 min 28 sec.
hr 176
5 min hr 124
Morning weigh in 230.6
No blisters today. I'm going to try again tomorrow if the weather is nice. Maybe I'll get up to four miles.
4-30-08
Day Off
Boy, midnight shift sucks! I've been doing the midnight shift for years, decades, and I never realized just how much it sucks the life out of you. Maybe it was because of not sleeping right, or not drinking coffee, or whatever, but I ate very little and still didn't drop. Yesterday, my last night shift, I had one bowl of cereal, a cup of tea, two scoops of vegetarian chili, and a diet ice cream sandwich. I worked out shoulders and back, then treadmill for 20 min. After that, my weight this morning was up over a half a pound. Now that sucks!
Today I'm off, so I started with coffee and cereal for breakfast. Had to mow the lawn, then I went out for a run. It felt very good. I felt like I had so much more energy. I know that I'll be down tomorrow. Or the next day or whenever. I don't feel so sapped. Funny how stepping on the scale can make you feel the opposite of how you really should feel.
The run today went like this:
ran 3.7 miles
39 min 28 sec.
hr 176
5 min hr 124
Morning weigh in 230.6
No blisters today. I'm going to try again tomorrow if the weather is nice. Maybe I'll get up to four miles.
yarmiah
New member
Don't lose focus or motivation. Keep in mind weight will fluctuate, and when it does, it is super frustrating when you work so hard and the scale dosnt reflect it. What I have learned is no matter what . . if you know you are eating right and exercising . . just keep doing it, the scale will "cooperate". Also, there are other ways to measure success: your energy level, the way your clothes feel, inches, etc. Also another reason the scale may show those numbers is possibly you are not eating enough? The more you exercise, the calories your body needs- if not, it will retain in fear of an upcoming "starvation".
Keep up the good work!
Trops
New member
Day 22
5-1-08
Day Off
Today was a good day. Woke up and weighed in at 229.8 Back in the 220's. I hope that I don't go up again. Hey, with any luck, I'll never see 230 for the rest of my life. Well, maybe. I had a bunch of errands to do this morning, and I wanted to go for a run, but the motivation just wasn't there. I decided to go mountain biking instead. What a run. It's just so much fun. Too bad that it's dependent on dry weather, or they close the trail. 1 hour biking. My heart rate just got up to 155, but it was 145 for the most part. it came right down to 100 minutes after I stopped. That's pretty good.
Food today was also good. Cereal and coffee for breakfast. An apple on the way to the trail. Two bananas after the ride. A bowl of cereal as a late lunch. Meat loaf and roasted veggies for dinner. I didn't eat a lot, but right now I'm stuffed.
If this is what my healthy for life plan is, this is going to be great.
5-1-08
Day Off
Today was a good day. Woke up and weighed in at 229.8 Back in the 220's. I hope that I don't go up again. Hey, with any luck, I'll never see 230 for the rest of my life. Well, maybe. I had a bunch of errands to do this morning, and I wanted to go for a run, but the motivation just wasn't there. I decided to go mountain biking instead. What a run. It's just so much fun. Too bad that it's dependent on dry weather, or they close the trail. 1 hour biking. My heart rate just got up to 155, but it was 145 for the most part. it came right down to 100 minutes after I stopped. That's pretty good.
Food today was also good. Cereal and coffee for breakfast. An apple on the way to the trail. Two bananas after the ride. A bowl of cereal as a late lunch. Meat loaf and roasted veggies for dinner. I didn't eat a lot, but right now I'm stuffed.
If this is what my healthy for life plan is, this is going to be great.
Trops
New member
Day 24
5-3-08 Saturday
Evening Shift
I didn't do a diary yesterday, mostly due to laziness. I should have, but I kept thinking that I'd get to a workout later, and then I'd write one. I'll try to do an update here. Yesterday, food wise, was weird. I didn't have breakfast because I got up a little late and had to rush the kids out to school, then there was a bunch of things that I had to do and, you know the drill. Come 2:00 and I haven't eaten a thing except a cup of coffee. I munch two apples and head to the cigar bar for a smoke before work. Tobacco does keep the appetite in control, so I suddenly wasn't hungry. I left for work, and it's like a hour later and now I'm starving. I make a sweetpotato and mushroom three egg white omelet on a flax seed wrap. Very good, but not a full day's worth of food. Later I had bowl of the vegetarian chili and put some on another flax seed wrap, and had a tall glass of skim milk to drink.
I ended up not doing any exercising at all yesterday.
Today I slept in. I got up and weighed myself and I was 226.6! Very happy. I had a late breakfast/early lunch of two bowls of cereal. I got to work, and the weather doesn't look good. Overcast and cool. Perfect for running. I also found a pair of running shorts that I bought two years ago. They are the skin tight ones that leave nothing to the imagination, but I where a pair of cut off sweat pants over them because, really, no one wants to see that. Anyway, I'm jogging my half mile course, which is slightly more then half a mile, and I figure that I'll do 4 miles. I did 3.7 the other day, so four shouldn't be too much more. I get to the 4 miles and I'm thinking that I'm not really winded. I keep going and the next thing I know I am finishing up 5 miles!
I stop because I'm feeling a little twinge in my ankle, but I'm still not winded. Tired, yes, but not winded. Wow, I can really do this. Who knows, maybe 10 miles is not out of the question. Here are the stats:
5 miles
54 min. 36 sec.
hr 174
5 min hr 122
Now, of course, I'm not hungry, but I'll make something for dinner. Probably a mushroom and onion omelet and a spinach and tomato salad.
5-3-08 Saturday
Evening Shift
I didn't do a diary yesterday, mostly due to laziness. I should have, but I kept thinking that I'd get to a workout later, and then I'd write one. I'll try to do an update here. Yesterday, food wise, was weird. I didn't have breakfast because I got up a little late and had to rush the kids out to school, then there was a bunch of things that I had to do and, you know the drill. Come 2:00 and I haven't eaten a thing except a cup of coffee. I munch two apples and head to the cigar bar for a smoke before work. Tobacco does keep the appetite in control, so I suddenly wasn't hungry. I left for work, and it's like a hour later and now I'm starving. I make a sweetpotato and mushroom three egg white omelet on a flax seed wrap. Very good, but not a full day's worth of food. Later I had bowl of the vegetarian chili and put some on another flax seed wrap, and had a tall glass of skim milk to drink.
I ended up not doing any exercising at all yesterday.
Today I slept in. I got up and weighed myself and I was 226.6! Very happy. I had a late breakfast/early lunch of two bowls of cereal. I got to work, and the weather doesn't look good. Overcast and cool. Perfect for running. I also found a pair of running shorts that I bought two years ago. They are the skin tight ones that leave nothing to the imagination, but I where a pair of cut off sweat pants over them because, really, no one wants to see that. Anyway, I'm jogging my half mile course, which is slightly more then half a mile, and I figure that I'll do 4 miles. I did 3.7 the other day, so four shouldn't be too much more. I get to the 4 miles and I'm thinking that I'm not really winded. I keep going and the next thing I know I am finishing up 5 miles!
I stop because I'm feeling a little twinge in my ankle, but I'm still not winded. Tired, yes, but not winded. Wow, I can really do this. Who knows, maybe 10 miles is not out of the question. Here are the stats:5 miles
54 min. 36 sec.
hr 174
5 min hr 122
Now, of course, I'm not hungry, but I'll make something for dinner. Probably a mushroom and onion omelet and a spinach and tomato salad.
Trops
New member
Day 25
5-4-08 Sunday
Double Shift (Day shift and Evening)
This morning I weighed in at 226. Very happy. One more pound and I'm down 20. That'll be nice. When I last decided to lose weight, it was two years ago. Then I just made good choices on food for the most part, and went to the gym every now and then. I did well, and got down to 217 at the absolute lowest. That was right before Easter, and we went on vacation right after that. I ended up gaining back 5 lbs in one week, and was bouncing between 225 and 230 for the rest of the summer. I didn't exercise at all after that Easter, so eventually, two years later, it was all back. This time will be different. I don't have a specific end point in mind. I'm just going to change for good. This is it, forever. Sure, when I'm down in weight I'll have a nice steak every once in a while. I'll probably drink more, too, but it won't be an "off the diet" thing, though.
Being the weekend, it's easier to do a run or jump rope on my lunch break. Unfortunately that twinge I felt in my ankle yesterday is still there. It feels like a slight sprain, so I laced up my ankle pretty good, and it's doing ok, but I do not want to put any real stress on it. Being that I'm working a double shift, there is no time to go to the gym. I'll have to see if there is something that I can do here instead. I'm a bit bummed, but slightly relieved. I mean, even though I really enjoyed the run yesterday, it was more that I enjoyed the accomplishment then the actually doing it. When will it get to be fun? Mountain biking, now that's fun. Running; not fun. Jumping rope; not fun. I figure that when I'm 30 pounds lighter, it will be easier and therefor more fun, but till then it's torture.
Food wise, it's been ok. I made a sweetpotato, onion, and mushroom egg white omelet on a flax seed wrap for breakfast with two cups of coffee. I'm hungry now, so I think I'll make something with the chicken breasts that I brought. Don't know what, yet.
I've been killing some time reading all kinds of posts on this forum. On the whole, I really like it. I like the community and how people are really helping each other. There is some really good advice given on here. Unfortunately, it seems like it's either the way of the general consensus, or you are just flat out wrong. I'm mostly talking about the idea of total calories vs. calories burned. Sure, if you use more calories in a given time then the amount that you ingest in that time, and take water weight into consideration, you will lose weight. I think that a part that is overlooked is the idea of spreading it out throughout the day. A person is much less likely to eat something compulsively if his/her blood sugar levels are up. Less or no cheating means fewer calories consumed, and more weight lost. I mean, if I just eat one 1800 calorie meal and nothing throughout the day, I'm going to be starved. Suddenly the things that I would be avoiding would be finding their way into my mouth. Suggest this in some threads and you get slapped by the local gurus.
I also don't agree with the idea that you can't build muscle while being at a calorie deficiency. Why are my legs and arms getting larger while my weight and waist are going down? I make sure to mix up strength training and cardio, and really try to eat something right after I workout. Mention this elsewhere and you are challenged to show scientific proof, not anecdotal evidence.
I used to listen to a radio program where this guy advocates not listening to the conventional wisdom when it comes to fat loss. He has a lot of good things to say. I wrote Steve, the local guru, about the show and I felt like he was grilling me. He didn't check out the link himself, but wanted me to defend the guy's methods and such. I felt like he was picking apart my words rather then listening to what I was saying. For example, I told him that one idea is that the more muscle you build, the more weight you will lose because you will burn more in the off hours. He came back with that idea is ridiculous because with more muscle you will weigh more. Sure, but what it really means is that you will burn more fat and have a fat loss. I don't know if he knew what I meant or not, but come on. I'm not an expert, and I'm sure that there is heaps that is just over my head. I cannot defend the practices, but I thought that Steve would give it a look over. Nope, the guy is a guru who doesn't know what he's talking about. And for him, guru is an insult. That's the attitude that I perceived. On the one hand I felt a bit let down, but I guess it's a way of judging the people who are giving advice. You can take it or leave it.
My thing now is to keep doing what I'm doing. Lose another 30-40 pounds of fat. Maybe bulk up a little and then post my pictures. Let people look at what worked for me. Let people know that it can be more then just eating lean cuisine and keeping a running tally on calories.
Well, that's enough of a rant for me.
5-4-08 Sunday
Double Shift (Day shift and Evening)
This morning I weighed in at 226. Very happy. One more pound and I'm down 20. That'll be nice. When I last decided to lose weight, it was two years ago. Then I just made good choices on food for the most part, and went to the gym every now and then. I did well, and got down to 217 at the absolute lowest. That was right before Easter, and we went on vacation right after that. I ended up gaining back 5 lbs in one week, and was bouncing between 225 and 230 for the rest of the summer. I didn't exercise at all after that Easter, so eventually, two years later, it was all back. This time will be different. I don't have a specific end point in mind. I'm just going to change for good. This is it, forever. Sure, when I'm down in weight I'll have a nice steak every once in a while. I'll probably drink more, too, but it won't be an "off the diet" thing, though.
Being the weekend, it's easier to do a run or jump rope on my lunch break. Unfortunately that twinge I felt in my ankle yesterday is still there. It feels like a slight sprain, so I laced up my ankle pretty good, and it's doing ok, but I do not want to put any real stress on it. Being that I'm working a double shift, there is no time to go to the gym. I'll have to see if there is something that I can do here instead. I'm a bit bummed, but slightly relieved. I mean, even though I really enjoyed the run yesterday, it was more that I enjoyed the accomplishment then the actually doing it. When will it get to be fun? Mountain biking, now that's fun. Running; not fun. Jumping rope; not fun. I figure that when I'm 30 pounds lighter, it will be easier and therefor more fun, but till then it's torture.
Food wise, it's been ok. I made a sweetpotato, onion, and mushroom egg white omelet on a flax seed wrap for breakfast with two cups of coffee. I'm hungry now, so I think I'll make something with the chicken breasts that I brought. Don't know what, yet.
I've been killing some time reading all kinds of posts on this forum. On the whole, I really like it. I like the community and how people are really helping each other. There is some really good advice given on here. Unfortunately, it seems like it's either the way of the general consensus, or you are just flat out wrong. I'm mostly talking about the idea of total calories vs. calories burned. Sure, if you use more calories in a given time then the amount that you ingest in that time, and take water weight into consideration, you will lose weight. I think that a part that is overlooked is the idea of spreading it out throughout the day. A person is much less likely to eat something compulsively if his/her blood sugar levels are up. Less or no cheating means fewer calories consumed, and more weight lost. I mean, if I just eat one 1800 calorie meal and nothing throughout the day, I'm going to be starved. Suddenly the things that I would be avoiding would be finding their way into my mouth. Suggest this in some threads and you get slapped by the local gurus. I also don't agree with the idea that you can't build muscle while being at a calorie deficiency. Why are my legs and arms getting larger while my weight and waist are going down? I make sure to mix up strength training and cardio, and really try to eat something right after I workout. Mention this elsewhere and you are challenged to show scientific proof, not anecdotal evidence.
I used to listen to a radio program where this guy advocates not listening to the conventional wisdom when it comes to fat loss. He has a lot of good things to say. I wrote Steve, the local guru, about the show and I felt like he was grilling me. He didn't check out the link himself, but wanted me to defend the guy's methods and such. I felt like he was picking apart my words rather then listening to what I was saying. For example, I told him that one idea is that the more muscle you build, the more weight you will lose because you will burn more in the off hours. He came back with that idea is ridiculous because with more muscle you will weigh more. Sure, but what it really means is that you will burn more fat and have a fat loss. I don't know if he knew what I meant or not, but come on. I'm not an expert, and I'm sure that there is heaps that is just over my head. I cannot defend the practices, but I thought that Steve would give it a look over. Nope, the guy is a guru who doesn't know what he's talking about. And for him, guru is an insult. That's the attitude that I perceived. On the one hand I felt a bit let down, but I guess it's a way of judging the people who are giving advice. You can take it or leave it.
My thing now is to keep doing what I'm doing. Lose another 30-40 pounds of fat. Maybe bulk up a little and then post my pictures. Let people look at what worked for me. Let people know that it can be more then just eating lean cuisine and keeping a running tally on calories.
Well, that's enough of a rant for me.
Trops
New member
Day 26
5-5-8
Evening Shift
Well, yesterday evening wasn't so bad. My ankle was still twinged, so I couldn't go running or jump rope. I decided to just go out for a walk. Because I'm at work it was a short walk over and over. Usually I'll do a round every hour. Last night I did a long round 5 times over. I counted the steps on the last round and I got 1063. I measured an average step to be just about 36 inches, so that puts it at about 3190 feet for the extended round, or .6 miles, give or take. On the next to last round I grabbed a 50 lb sack for the walk. This was good, but I think that if I had a harness of some kind I could take two sacks. That would make a real good exercise. I was thinking that this sack is what I'm carrying around that I really shouldn't be. It was a nice metaphor.
I made a chicken and onion wrap that was really good. When I got home I was still hungry, so I had a bowl of cereal then bed.
Today started off good. Weigh in at 224.6. Very nice. That's 20.4 pounds in four weeks. Not a bad start. With some luck and determination I could be under 200 by summer. That would be really cool. Breakfast was a bowl of cereal and coffee. Then I went to a friend's to see his new apartment. Just hung out till I had to leave for work. Didn't eat anything there. He and his wife were talking about lunch and I said that I had to leave for work. I got to work, now it's 4 PM and I haven't had anything since about 9:30. I make another chicken and onion wrap and I'm good to go. I do some work and check out some stuff, then it's 7:30 I haven't worked out or anything. I figure I'll jump rope. My ankle is feeling ok. Not great but ok. I get ready. I'm trying to psych myself up for a good long jump and I start. Not 100 jumps into it I give up. My ankle is just threatening to get much worse. Better to stop before it does.
Now what? I can't go running, or jumping. I walked yesterday and besides it's getting dark. I figure I'll try some stairs. There is a stair in the pack that I measured to be 13.5 feet up; 15 steps. It's pretty steep. I do that ten times, then a one minute rest. Five sets with a minute in between. No handrail on the way up, just on the way down. After the 5 sets I'm ready to drop. 19 minutes and a hr of 173 by the end. 5 min hr 123. Wow that kicked some ass. I was a bit afraid of missing a step due to being tired.
I think I'm going to have a spinach and cauliflower salad and I'll probably skip the cereal tonight. I'll have to hit the gym before work, but I really wanted to go to the cigar shop for a smoke. We'll see what happens.
5-5-8
Evening Shift
Well, yesterday evening wasn't so bad. My ankle was still twinged, so I couldn't go running or jump rope. I decided to just go out for a walk. Because I'm at work it was a short walk over and over. Usually I'll do a round every hour. Last night I did a long round 5 times over. I counted the steps on the last round and I got 1063. I measured an average step to be just about 36 inches, so that puts it at about 3190 feet for the extended round, or .6 miles, give or take. On the next to last round I grabbed a 50 lb sack for the walk. This was good, but I think that if I had a harness of some kind I could take two sacks. That would make a real good exercise. I was thinking that this sack is what I'm carrying around that I really shouldn't be. It was a nice metaphor.
I made a chicken and onion wrap that was really good. When I got home I was still hungry, so I had a bowl of cereal then bed.
Today started off good. Weigh in at 224.6. Very nice. That's 20.4 pounds in four weeks. Not a bad start. With some luck and determination I could be under 200 by summer. That would be really cool. Breakfast was a bowl of cereal and coffee. Then I went to a friend's to see his new apartment. Just hung out till I had to leave for work. Didn't eat anything there. He and his wife were talking about lunch and I said that I had to leave for work. I got to work, now it's 4 PM and I haven't had anything since about 9:30. I make another chicken and onion wrap and I'm good to go. I do some work and check out some stuff, then it's 7:30 I haven't worked out or anything. I figure I'll jump rope. My ankle is feeling ok. Not great but ok. I get ready. I'm trying to psych myself up for a good long jump and I start. Not 100 jumps into it I give up. My ankle is just threatening to get much worse. Better to stop before it does.
Now what? I can't go running, or jumping. I walked yesterday and besides it's getting dark. I figure I'll try some stairs. There is a stair in the pack that I measured to be 13.5 feet up; 15 steps. It's pretty steep. I do that ten times, then a one minute rest. Five sets with a minute in between. No handrail on the way up, just on the way down. After the 5 sets I'm ready to drop. 19 minutes and a hr of 173 by the end. 5 min hr 123. Wow that kicked some ass. I was a bit afraid of missing a step due to being tired.
I think I'm going to have a spinach and cauliflower salad and I'll probably skip the cereal tonight. I'll have to hit the gym before work, but I really wanted to go to the cigar shop for a smoke. We'll see what happens.
Trops
New member
Day 27
5-6-08
Evening Shift
Busy day today. This morning I got up and weighed in. 225.6 up a pound. That sucks, but I'm not bummed about it. I know that it's going to go up and down. Yesterday I was real good with eating. Maybe a bit too good. Don't know. I'm going to try to get some more food in me today and see how that does.
I had a bunch of things to get done this morning, and of course once you start one thing, three more popped up. I did get some of the important things done. Now my tomorrow is booked up doing the rest. I had hoped to hit the gym and then go to the cigar bar before work. No luck. As it was I only had about twenty five minutes before work to hit the guy, then stop at the bank. Not much time to do anything. I went in and did a quick hard leg workout. Squats with varying weights till my form was suffering. Then the leg extension machine and leg curl. Back and forth on those with no rest. Damn, that really makes my legs feel like jello. I'm still feeling it, but not as bad as last week.
I had coffee and cereal for breakfast. Only one cup of coffee. (Maybe that has something to do with low energy or whatever.) Lunch was a bean burrito. It was a frozen one, but hey, that's what I had. F made it up, so hers had sour cream and cheese. Mine had four baby carrots sitting next to it. Bummer!
When I got to work, I made a big smoothie. 6 oz. of LF yogurt, one cup of skim milk, one banana, half a mango, a heaping spoon of peanut butter (all natural, just peanuts and salt) and a tsp of honey. Blended with ice till smooth. Wow, that was good. Filling, too. I'm going to have a spinach and cauliflower salad later. I might grill up some chicken to go on top. Get a bit more protein. I'm also going to try to get more water in me.
So, I've done it. I called my mom to see if she has any 5k's coming up. She's been running them pretty regularly, but I haven't heard that she's doing any recently. I was right. She said that she doesn't have any lined up. I told her that I've been doing some jogging and I'm thinking of doing a 5k. She was all excited. I have never done one. Now I'm sure that she'll be all mother son bonding and all that.
The real problem is that I know I'm slow. I just want to get it done. Now here I am worried that my 63 year old mother is going to beat my ass. That's not to mention if any of the other runners in the family decide to go, too. My little sister did a marathon last year and her 5k times are real good. My niece was ranked something like 14th in the nation as a junior in HS and is breaking all kinds of school records. (Senior year is next year) Here is old uncle Trops plodding along. "Come on, Trops, You can do it!" Yeah, that's what I want to hear.
On the good news, my ankle is feeling really good. I think I'll give it one more day before I try running on it. Maybe I'll try to jump rope a little, just to see how it goes. probably won't, though.
5-6-08
Evening Shift
Busy day today. This morning I got up and weighed in. 225.6 up a pound. That sucks, but I'm not bummed about it. I know that it's going to go up and down. Yesterday I was real good with eating. Maybe a bit too good. Don't know. I'm going to try to get some more food in me today and see how that does.
I had a bunch of things to get done this morning, and of course once you start one thing, three more popped up. I did get some of the important things done. Now my tomorrow is booked up doing the rest. I had hoped to hit the gym and then go to the cigar bar before work. No luck. As it was I only had about twenty five minutes before work to hit the guy, then stop at the bank. Not much time to do anything. I went in and did a quick hard leg workout. Squats with varying weights till my form was suffering. Then the leg extension machine and leg curl. Back and forth on those with no rest. Damn, that really makes my legs feel like jello. I'm still feeling it, but not as bad as last week.
I had coffee and cereal for breakfast. Only one cup of coffee. (Maybe that has something to do with low energy or whatever.) Lunch was a bean burrito. It was a frozen one, but hey, that's what I had. F made it up, so hers had sour cream and cheese. Mine had four baby carrots sitting next to it. Bummer!
When I got to work, I made a big smoothie. 6 oz. of LF yogurt, one cup of skim milk, one banana, half a mango, a heaping spoon of peanut butter (all natural, just peanuts and salt) and a tsp of honey. Blended with ice till smooth. Wow, that was good. Filling, too. I'm going to have a spinach and cauliflower salad later. I might grill up some chicken to go on top. Get a bit more protein. I'm also going to try to get more water in me.
So, I've done it. I called my mom to see if she has any 5k's coming up. She's been running them pretty regularly, but I haven't heard that she's doing any recently. I was right. She said that she doesn't have any lined up. I told her that I've been doing some jogging and I'm thinking of doing a 5k. She was all excited. I have never done one. Now I'm sure that she'll be all mother son bonding and all that.
The real problem is that I know I'm slow. I just want to get it done. Now here I am worried that my 63 year old mother is going to beat my ass. That's not to mention if any of the other runners in the family decide to go, too. My little sister did a marathon last year and her 5k times are real good. My niece was ranked something like 14th in the nation as a junior in HS and is breaking all kinds of school records. (Senior year is next year) Here is old uncle Trops plodding along. "Come on, Trops, You can do it!" Yeah, that's what I want to hear. On the good news, my ankle is feeling really good. I think I'll give it one more day before I try running on it. Maybe I'll try to jump rope a little, just to see how it goes. probably won't, though.
Trops
New member
Don't know why I even talk to them. 
daiseeangel
New member
DO NOT worry about your times!!!
I was obsessed about my times for a while, and it got me down. I am not a fast runner at all! I was pretty upset about it until the bf gave me a reality check. He reminded me of how I couldn't even almost run 3 miles before I did the program! I'm not in it to win it, I'm in it to prove to myself that I can do it!! The adrenaline of being in the race really helped speed up my time, too.
Just put your focus on all the new things & distances you are able to accomplish! It feels so much better to proud of your achievements than to be upset about what you need improvements on!
I was obsessed about my times for a while, and it got me down. I am not a fast runner at all! I was pretty upset about it until the bf gave me a reality check. He reminded me of how I couldn't even almost run 3 miles before I did the program! I'm not in it to win it, I'm in it to prove to myself that I can do it!! The adrenaline of being in the race really helped speed up my time, too.
Just put your focus on all the new things & distances you are able to accomplish! It feels so much better to proud of your achievements than to be upset about what you need improvements on!
uyis11
New member
Wow, you've dropped that first 20 lbs pretty damn quickly! I hear a lot of people say that losing weight fast is bad and this and that because it's not sustainable, but I tend to disagree. As determined as you are, it's simply a cause and effect situation and you are adding all three elements of diet, cardio, and resistance training.
The first 20lbs I lost was in about 6 weeks and now it's slowed to about 10lbs every 4 weeks and now this 4 weeks will probably be even less. If you aim high and walk the walk to get there, I don't see any problem with it.
I find it interesting that you get so many different types of cardio exercise. I basically only use an elliptical machine nowadays. It's been kind of the de facto machine for me since running gives me ankle/knee problems and shin splints. I think running is just not the exercise for everyone because it's so hard on the joints. Keep up the good work!
The first 20lbs I lost was in about 6 weeks and now it's slowed to about 10lbs every 4 weeks and now this 4 weeks will probably be even less. If you aim high and walk the walk to get there, I don't see any problem with it.
I find it interesting that you get so many different types of cardio exercise. I basically only use an elliptical machine nowadays. It's been kind of the de facto machine for me since running gives me ankle/knee problems and shin splints. I think running is just not the exercise for everyone because it's so hard on the joints. Keep up the good work!
Trops
New member
Thanks, I'm trying to keep my body a bit mixed up as to what to expect. I think that I tend to get into a rut with the same thing, and then it's less effective. That's my theory. Maybe I'll call it Trops' Theory. Nah, that sounds stupid.
Trops
New member
Day 28
5-7-08
Evening Shift
Today was something. I had a dentist appointment at 11, so I really couldn't get into anything physically between dropping the kids off at school and then, so I mowed half the lawn. Should have done the whole thing, but got lazy. Distracted by the computer. Had a bowl of cereal and coffee for breakfast. didn't get back from the dentist till almost 1, and I had to leave for work at 3, plus I had to do some things around the house and all. What I really wanted to do is go mountain biking. It's supposed to rain the next few days, so that's out for my days off (next two)
I had another bowl of cereal for lunch. I wanted something more substantial, but couldn't think of anything. The cereal that I've been eating is Go-Lean. I figure that my serving is more like one and a half. Then I put flax seeds on it. The Go-Lean has 13g of protein and 10g of fiber. Plus skim milk, which has 8 g of protein. That's 55 g of protein and 30 g of fiber just in two bowls. That's also 3 g of fat. The flax seed adds more, but I'm not sure what that is. I got to work and made a smoothie like I did yesterday. I really should eat something now, but I'm just not hungry. I will probably cook up that last piece of chicken with some onions and cauliflower or something.
Weigh in this morning was 226.2. Wah! going up? Two days in a row. I know it's just ghost weight. I don't really worry about it, because I know that tomorrow or the next day or whenever it will be down. I am a bit worried about this weekend. I'm off the next two days, and taking off Saturday. The next two days it's supposed to rain, and I'm going to have to take care of F because she's getting some minor oral surgery in the morning. It should be a piece of cake, but she'll be in quite a bit of pain. I don't think I'll be leaving her alone to go to the gym or anything. I'll see. Maybe after the kids are asleep, but if that's the case I'm supposed to go to a band mate's house for practice. I can bow out, but I missed last week, and I can surely use the practice.
The good news is that I did do a workout tonight. I jumped rope. I was thinking that I really shouldn't, but then my ankle felt good and I don't know when I'll get to work out again. Sunday, but that's a long time. So, I started jumping and my ankle felt strong. A couple twinges here and there, but I thought that I would work through it. I jumped 4000 jumps in just under 29 min. HR 177. 5 min HR 128 I wanted to stop at 3000, but originally I had thought that I might be able to do 5000. Maybe if my ankle was a hundred percent, but not yet. We'll see what happens next time. I felt really good having gotten it done. I was feeling like I didn't get a good cardio since Saturday, and now it's Wednesday. Also I don't know when I'll get to do another one till Sunday. I had to do something. Anyway, Yay, me!
5-7-08
Evening Shift
Today was something. I had a dentist appointment at 11, so I really couldn't get into anything physically between dropping the kids off at school and then, so I mowed half the lawn. Should have done the whole thing, but got lazy. Distracted by the computer. Had a bowl of cereal and coffee for breakfast. didn't get back from the dentist till almost 1, and I had to leave for work at 3, plus I had to do some things around the house and all. What I really wanted to do is go mountain biking. It's supposed to rain the next few days, so that's out for my days off (next two)
I had another bowl of cereal for lunch. I wanted something more substantial, but couldn't think of anything. The cereal that I've been eating is Go-Lean. I figure that my serving is more like one and a half. Then I put flax seeds on it. The Go-Lean has 13g of protein and 10g of fiber. Plus skim milk, which has 8 g of protein. That's 55 g of protein and 30 g of fiber just in two bowls. That's also 3 g of fat. The flax seed adds more, but I'm not sure what that is. I got to work and made a smoothie like I did yesterday. I really should eat something now, but I'm just not hungry. I will probably cook up that last piece of chicken with some onions and cauliflower or something.
Weigh in this morning was 226.2. Wah! going up? Two days in a row. I know it's just ghost weight. I don't really worry about it, because I know that tomorrow or the next day or whenever it will be down. I am a bit worried about this weekend. I'm off the next two days, and taking off Saturday. The next two days it's supposed to rain, and I'm going to have to take care of F because she's getting some minor oral surgery in the morning. It should be a piece of cake, but she'll be in quite a bit of pain. I don't think I'll be leaving her alone to go to the gym or anything. I'll see. Maybe after the kids are asleep, but if that's the case I'm supposed to go to a band mate's house for practice. I can bow out, but I missed last week, and I can surely use the practice.
The good news is that I did do a workout tonight. I jumped rope. I was thinking that I really shouldn't, but then my ankle felt good and I don't know when I'll get to work out again. Sunday, but that's a long time. So, I started jumping and my ankle felt strong. A couple twinges here and there, but I thought that I would work through it. I jumped 4000 jumps in just under 29 min. HR 177. 5 min HR 128 I wanted to stop at 3000, but originally I had thought that I might be able to do 5000. Maybe if my ankle was a hundred percent, but not yet. We'll see what happens next time. I felt really good having gotten it done. I was feeling like I didn't get a good cardio since Saturday, and now it's Wednesday. Also I don't know when I'll get to do another one till Sunday. I had to do something. Anyway, Yay, me!
yarmiah
New member
- I work for a pediatric dentist
-LOL I mowed the lawn today too for my exercise
-Is that the Go-Lean Crunch? I love that stuff!
-Did you suffer an ankle injury? I broke my right ankle in 04' in a few places. I still have the plate and 9 screws in it. Currently I do mostly low impact exercise like walking or ski machine, but would love to try running.
-This is exactly why I only weigh in once a week. If I see a number I don't like it might set me off in the wrong mood. Glad you're being smart about it and realize that weight flucuates.
-Absolutely! YAY YOU!!!
Trops
New member
Thanks Yarmi
I didn't injure my ankle, but on saturday I got a big head and ran 5 miles. When I was done my ankle just felt a little twinge. After that it was hurting like I had a very minor sprain for a couple days. Today was the first day I really put it to the test.
The dentist is part of a very long process. I made a new years resolution in 2007 to really take care of my teeth. I'd been neglecting them way too long. Well, here it is a hear and a half later and I'm still doing great. I maxed out my insurance last year in all categories except orthodontia. That's a lot of work.
I prefer regular Go Lean rather then the crunch. It has more fiber and protein, and I just like it better. I don't know if you have Trader Joes by you, but they sell it for much less then the super markets. We have one that is 25 miles away and it's worth it to go there once a month to stock up.
Oh, and the things that we have in common doesn't stop there. My daughter takes Irish Step dancing, too. She's 8 and really doesn't put much into it, but she did her first feis in February. I tell you, I couldn't have been more proud.
I didn't injure my ankle, but on saturday I got a big head and ran 5 miles. When I was done my ankle just felt a little twinge. After that it was hurting like I had a very minor sprain for a couple days. Today was the first day I really put it to the test.
The dentist is part of a very long process. I made a new years resolution in 2007 to really take care of my teeth. I'd been neglecting them way too long. Well, here it is a hear and a half later and I'm still doing great. I maxed out my insurance last year in all categories except orthodontia. That's a lot of work.
I prefer regular Go Lean rather then the crunch. It has more fiber and protein, and I just like it better. I don't know if you have Trader Joes by you, but they sell it for much less then the super markets. We have one that is 25 miles away and it's worth it to go there once a month to stock up.
Oh, and the things that we have in common doesn't stop there. My daughter takes Irish Step dancing, too. She's 8 and really doesn't put much into it, but she did her first feis in February. I tell you, I couldn't have been more proud.