Coming Up Short - Week 2

Well, I didn’t get much done in week two. I only managed to run twice late in the week while recovering from my hurt back. The first run was for 2.5 miles and the second for 4 miles. I’m not too bummed about that considering it was pretty much out of my control. However, I am responsible for how I eat, and while I ate well for most of the week, we had a food day at work on Friday for a departing employee, and I failed miserably. I ate so much junk and had absolutely no willpower. That was my big failure for the week. Jenn and I also had ice cream on the way home from ‘Wicked’ on Sunday, but it was our big date and her birthday gift, so I don’t feel bad about that. It does, however, mean that I came up short for my goals in week two. But here’s hoping for something much better in week 3!

Road Block – Week 1: Days 5-7

Wouldn’t it just figure that the moment we start taking our health and fitness seriously, something happens? Thursday night I was on the floor playing a rousing game of FIFA 2010 on the Xbox. I sat up to go to bed and an immense amount of pain streaked through my upper back. It came from nowhere. It hurt so much that it knocked the wind out of me. For the next three days, days 5-7 for week 1, I was stuck in bed, or on the floor, or in any possible stationary position waiting for it to get better. However this also meant the loss of three workouts: upper body lifting Friday and today, and my long run for the week that I was supposed to do Saturday morning.

The hard part about all of this is that every single time I get started on a serious health kick, I get sick, or I hurt something, or allergies flare up, or... You name it, and it seems to happen. Well, this time I’m not letting it stop me. I’m planning on a short run with Jenn when I get home from work, and hopefully I’ll lift lower body tomorrow morning. I’m not stopping.

As for eating, I managed to stay in my calorie window all weekend which is harder when you are stuck at home with nothing to do. We did weigh-ins yesterday morning, and I dropped 5 pounds, so I’m back to 195. Yep, we’re getting there. Week two is under way and I’m ready!

First Difficulties – Week 1: Days 3-4

The first two days went by pretty smoothly. I had a solid upper body workout on Monday, and a good run on Tuesday, but yesterday Jenn and I figured out where I’ve messed up the first two days. Believe it or not, I’ve been eating too FEW calories!

We did a late night workout on Wednesday and it was evident from the get-go that I was tired. I was in my third exercise when I really felt it. It was for hamstrings and I was doing lunges with weights. I only made it half-way through my third set before I had to stop and go to a separate exercise. Now I understand, lunges make you work, and lunges with weights really work the cardio, but it was more than that. I was tired. I finished the leg workout and did about a 5 minute walk on the treadmill while waiting for Jenn to finish her workout, and then we went home. I was too tired to stay and do my planned 20 minutes of cardio.

When Jenn and I got home, we sat down for dinner and calculated how many calories I’d taken in for the day. Now remember, I’m in phase one on South Beach at the same time, which means I already take in very little carbs as it is. So I need to make sure I get my calories from other sources. We calculated that I had been taking in about 200 calories or more less than I should have been. In other words, my body needs more fuel. So before I went to bed I ate about a tablespoon and a half of crunchy peanut butter and drank some more water. This morning I had a glass of Spark (Advocare product, yummy), and I had a really good 5k run. I just need to make sure I eat more throughout the day.

I think another factor is that by the time Jenn and I got to the gym last night, my body was already tired, and as mentioned, I was low on calories. I always tend to have better workouts in the morning. So from now on…I go in the morning. Well, unless Jeremy and I make a run over to VisionMMA to roll around or do some striking. We can only really go in the evenings for those.

So, lessons learned:

1. My body, in this phase, needs 1740 – 2140 calories per day to lose weight and remain healthy. I must meet that goal.
2. Work out earlier.
3. While not mentioned, I need to sleep more. Six hours is not enough for my muscles to recover.

More to come tomorrow…

New Start - Days 1-2

Monday worked out fairly well. Jenn and I got up at 5:15 in the morning and made our way to the gym. I stuck with a workout similar to that prescribed in the Body For Life plan, but changed it up to something a little more comfortable for me. The Body For Life plan calls for you to work either your entire upper or lower body in one session. You do sets of 12, 10, 8, 6, 12, and 12 in one muscle group and then move to another muscle. For example, you can do the dumbbell press for 12, 10, 8, 6, 12 reps and then do another chest exercise with no rest for the last rep of 12. I didn’t do that. I go for 2 exercises at 12, 10, 8, 6. It just works better for me. Here was the workout and weights used. Don’t laugh at the weights: I’m starting over, you know.

Chest
Dumbbell press
12 reps @ 25 pounds
10 @ 30
8 @ 35
6 @ 40
Incline press
12 @ 20
10 @ 25
8 @ 30
6 @ 35

Shoulders
Shoulder press
12 @ 20
10 @ 25
8 @ 30
6 @ 35
Shoulder raise
12 @ 10
10 @ 12.5
8 @ 15
6 @ 17.5

Triceps
Bar Dip (with weight assist)
12 @ -115
10 @ -100
8 @ -95
6 @ -85
Tricep Pulldown
12 @ 22.5 kgs
10 @ 27.5
8 @ 32.5
6 @ 37.5

Biceps
Chin up (with weight assist)
12 @ -100
10 @ -95
8 @ -90
6 @ -85
Hammer curls
12 @ 20

Then twenty minutes on the elliptical runner doing intervals.

Two points about the workout:

1. You’ll notice that I only did one set of hammer curls. Well, I ran out of time. I need to manage my time better.
2. I didn’t do my back. Well, umm…I forgot to do it. By the time I remembered to do it, someone had already taken the bench I was using. I had to move on.

I need to get to sleep and get up earlier to be sure that I complete the entire workout.

This morning’s workout was a 2.1 mile run. Again this is taken from Body for Life. In the Body for Life plan you only need 20 minutes of cardio on your cardio days. The 2.1 mile run should have been about 20 minutes, but I’m really slow and some of it was uphill so it took roughly 30. My runs will deviate from Body for Life as I get closer to the half-marathon.

As for eating, yesterday I ate pretty healthy. The one problem I noticed is that I didn’t get enough protein as I need. I’ll solve that by adding Myoplex (EAS brand nutrition shake) back into my diet after Phase 1 is over, but until then I need to add protein on my own. Today’s eating is regimented as well, with eggs this morning for breakfast and veggies with turkey in the afternoon.

For information on any of the plans I’ve mentioned so far here are the links:

1. South Beach Diet
   
2. Body For Life
   

One important note for both of these plans is that they require lifestyle changes. It’s not just a get-thin-quick plan. Those diets never work because you don’t change the original habits. These two plans both require us to change our eating habits and workouts. Don’t bother trying them if you are not willing to change your lifestyle. You’ll just wind up spending money for nothing. Trust me, I’ve tried them all and only once have I succeeded, and even then it was temporary. The reason I’ve failed so much in the past is because I’ve been unable to change the old habits. If you have any input or knowledge you can add, please do: I’d really appreciate it! I’ll see you here tomorrow.

So It Begins...

This past weekend I made the fateful decision to change my health and fitness for good. Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve tried this and to be honest it’s been discouraging to fail as much as I do. This time is a little different. This blog is serving as my journal and my accountability. I’m not writing this for you, though I hope that others get motivated to get serious about their health through watching me struggle with it. I’m writing this for me. I’ve struggled with my weight since I was a teenager and even bore the nickname “Grimace” (named for the portly McDonalds character) while serving on my first tour in the Navy. At one point following my discharge from the military, I weighed close to 240 pounds. Now I’m just a bit chunky, but serious about being healthy.

My eating habits are changing. Today, I’m starting with the South Beach Diet phase 1. This part of the eating habits emphasizes protein and vegetables while eliminating carbs (especially those pesky sugars). This is meant to shock my blood sugar back to normal. After that I’ll move into Phase two, which allows for the occasional fruit and healthy complex carb, but nothing like I’ve been eating. This morning I weighed in at 200 pounds (actually 199 but I’m giving a pound for fluids lost while working out this morning). My goal is to get down to 165 pounds. This should lighten the load on my knees as I prepare for both a half-marathon in the fall and the Flying Pig Marathon for next year. I’ve done a lot of talking over the past couple years for running a marathon and it’s time I backed it up. I hope these changes help me reach this goal.

The biggest challenge of all is giving up all sugars and sweets, permanently. I’m following MMA Fighter/Trainer/Nutritionist Mike Dolce’s rule: If it didn’t exist 200 years ago, don’t eat it. The problem I have is that I’m hooked on sugars, and my tastes for sweets constantly bring me to a screeching halt. The only remedy I have is to just quit putting my body through that.

My workouts are scheduled like this:
Monday - Weights (upper body) and 20 minutes of cardio afterwards.
Tuesday – Running – It starts at 2 miles in Sharon Woods and builds from there.
Wednesday – Weights (lower body) and 20 minutes of cardio afterwards.
Thursday – Running (speed intervals)
Friday – Weights (upper body) and 20 minutes of cardio afterwards
Saturday – Running 5k in Sharon Woods.
Sunday – OFF.

I’m open to suggestions. The schedule will change in difficulty as I get in better condition. I know some people would suggest no cardio after lifting weights, but I’m doing it to get heart rate a little. Cardio on these days is not high impact. It’s just a little extra. The regimen is meant to be flexible. Once Phase 1 is over, I’ll work with certain foods as well. So please if you know something, leave me information including sources. Thanks for joining me on my quest for fitness.