Well, not only has it been quite some time since I've posted in my blog, but it's also been nearly 5 months of time that I've been working out and trying to get into a different shape than round. I begged you all to follow me, and I left you waiting on the front porch. I have 4 entries in the works, and I promise to get them all out this month and keep on top of this thing. The positive feedback is helpful, and I greatly appreciate you telling me how much you've enjoyed my ramblings.
So, on with the fat-boy talk. As I mentioned, I've been heading to the gym now for about 5 mos. I very quickly lost 30lbs, 50% due to some illnesses suffered this winter. Getting to my goal #1 (from my first el bees post) has proven much harder than I allowed myself to believe when I quickly achieved the 30 pound peel. In fact, I still have not cracked 40lbs, but I continue to work on it.
Despite not being able to lose weight at will as I'd hoped, I do see significant changes and improvements in my overall health. At the end of the day, this really is the ultimate goal - to not keel over at a young age, and to be fit enough to play at will with my boys. Since my weight seems determined to hover between 255 and 260, I recently (last week) decided to change up my workouts. I had a good friend (Paul Gotowko) put together a 4 day workout instead of the 3 I was doing. I think adding another day will help get my fat moving along, and off of my ass (or gut).
I have seen fairly impressive gains in my cardio abilities, particularly in the last 2 weeks. The gym purchased some new cardio equipment, in particular some new elliptical machines. The older ellipticals measure speed in RPMs, which doesn't really mean much to me. But the new ones actually measure in MPH, so I can accurately gauge how fast I'm running. Running is a term I used fairly loosely when I started this quest, it was more of a brisk walk. But, I've built myself up to 25 minutes on the elliptical machine 4x a week, and this morning I managed 2.35 miles in that time (averaging about 5.6 mph), which I don't think is too shabby for a 260 lb man. I run on the "random" mode, which adds hills and things and makes it seem more like you may be running in the real world. I don't plan on ever taking up my brother and sister-in-law's ambitions of half marathons, or even quarter marathons for that matter (there is a fun-sounding race that I am thinking of entering called the Warrior Dash, though). I try not to let my heart rate get beyond 145 bpm during my cardio time. When I first started, I was "running" at 3.4 mph for 20 minutes, 3x a week. So, I'd say, a good and measurable improvement there.
In weight lifting, I've also seen improvements. My weights have been steadily increasing, and my muscles are starting to come back to life and showing some definition on my body. My gut is not, but it's a process. I can see changes in the mirror now, my shoulders arms and chest taking better shape and forming some lines. I have never worked out before how I am now - in utilizing focused muscle groups per day. This new program has me working out specific areas on specific days (chest/tris, back/bis, shoulders/abs, and legs). Before, I would just do a general "hit-all-areas" core-type workout. The change is very welcome, as I was getting bored in my previous routine.
In all, the greatest change I notice is how my clothes fit now. My pants need a belt, my shirts are too baggy...I've even managed to wear some shirts that I haven't been able to in a few years (not sure why I held on to them, apparently waiting for the time I got off my lazy ass). I feel pretty good, too - more energized. I have to keep seeing these little things and try to ignore for the time being my weight loss so as not to become discouraged in my pursuit of better health.
Showing posts with label fat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fat. Show all posts
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Losing some el bees
I'm a big guy, always have been. I turned 32 in December, and the day after my birthday, my 2nd son, Evan Jacob, was born. I decided I should probably get a checkup beacuse I hadn't had one since college, and that has been nearly 10 years already. Man, time flies.
The checkup did not go well. I stepped on the scale, and BOOM, the biggest numbers I've seen popped up...290. Damn. That's a lot to carry around. I then went in to the little room, and the nurse took my vitals. Again, some big numbers popped up that I'd never seen before. BP of 155 over 95? Shit. That doesn't sound good. The doc came in and worked me over, and I had to go give some blood to check my cholesterol (which I'd never done). More big numbers, and a strongly worded letter by the doc saying I better get moving and get this under control. He warned me about diabetes, multiple pills and perscriptions...the whole bit. I decided I'd had enough of being fat.
I waited out the holidays, getting my last few kicks of unlimited candy and sweets that my mom makes. You haven't had peanut brittle and English toffee until you've had hers. No one makes them better. Candy canes are a favorite of mine, too.
I have a gym membership as a benefit through my firm, and until now have used it extremely sparingly. When mid-January came around (yes, mid-January...this wasn't a "resolution", so I wasn't going to start with the resolution crowd), I decided to jump in full force. I'd given myself a few weeks to mentally prepare for this. I came up with a plan, knowing I wanted (needed) to do something that I could stick to. I've tried a few times to lose some weight and get in better shape over the years, but I usually aim high, make drastic cuts, and get drained from the process leading to my eventual failure. This time, I put together an ultimate goal, and then broke that up in to a few intermediate goals. Perhaps more importantly, giving myself much more time to accomplish them.
My ultimate goal is to get back down to the weight I was when I graduated high school - 225, or a bit less depending on how things go. My first intermediate goal is to get down to the weight I was when Maryann and I got married 9 years ago, which was around 250. That's a 40lb first goal, and I'm giving myself until the end of June to accomplish this. It just so happens this timing is coinciding with a trip we have planned to North Carolina. My second intermediate goal is to get down another 15lbs, to 235. This is the weight I was while on the cheer team in college (yes the cheer team, another story for another time). My time on the cheer team was undeniably my most in-shape years ever. I was 235, benching 405, military pressing 205, and squatting around 550. Not too shabby. At the time I was also doing some sort of a workout 6 days a week, some times twice a day in that span, with practice, lifting, cross-training, and tumbling. This second goal is going to take a shift in my way of life in terms of diet to get to. I haven't acheived goal 1 yet, so I haven't put together a timeframe for goal 2. After achieving goal 2, I will set my sights on the final 10-15 lbs.
So, I started toward my first goal on January 12, 2011. That was a Wednesday, and the only day I managed to get in that week. Hey, it was a tough transition. Throughout this first stage, I'm not changing my eating habits too drastically. I'm eating less, and not so late at night...that's about it. As I get used to getting out of bed an hour and 15 minutes earlier than before, going to the gym gets better. My workout is fairly simple, focusing on strengthening my core and stamina with 20 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of weight lifting. Very quickly I notice my strength build and my stamina increase. Slowly, I add weights and cardio speed to my workout, getting within a month to a place I didn't think I'd be so quickly. Already, barely into my 3rd month of regular workouts I've managed to lose 30 lbs! My first goal is very much in sight, nearly 3 months earlier than I'd thought. Helping my weight loss at the beginning of March I was very sick for 6 days, barely eating in that time. When I finally managed to pull myself back to the gym, I'd lost 12 lbs. This week is my first full week back after that sickness, and not only have I kept that weight off, I lost a couple more pounds as well.
Here's to hoping my workouts and weight loss continue on this track, and I don't lose my interest as I have so many times before. It certainly feels different this time. I'm engaged, and actually excited about the changes I'm going through. I know this is a big me-me-me first post, but darnit, I think that's ok! My boys need their papa, not just around, but engaged and playful. I can't continue on the path I was and manage that. I have another doctor checkup scheduled for June 14. I plan on blowing the doc's mind!
In the end, I don't really think I'll ever be thin or ripped, I just need to get healthy again. I've been big my whole life, and always with a bit of a layer of fat that I could never seem to peel. I remember being 180lbs in only 8th grade, which resulted in me getting my ass kicked regularly in wrestling (due to having to wrestle seniors since that was the weight group I was in), which in turn resulted in me never wrestling again. That turned in to a light bulb point as well, and when I started hitting the weight room regularly with my brother and his friends (who were 4 yrs older than me). Not wanting to change weights over and be a bother to them, I just lifted what they did. Very, very quickly I built muscle, and was soon lifting more than them. I liked lifting, I was good at it. Being big finally had benefits. I lifted all through high school, which helped me be a pretty good center on the football team. I played a few sports, but lived for football and lifting. Track was fun, being a thrower. I took that lifting ability with me to college, which got me noticed by the cheer team. The cheer team took my strength to a whole new level. But after 4 yrs of lifting in high school, and 5 years in college, when I graduated I was a bit burnt out on it all. Not to mention the time slips away by working full time.
Man, these tend to ramble on once you start dropping thoughts. I hope I manage to keep spewing this much nonsense for some time on here. Stick with me folks, I may just blow your mind.
The checkup did not go well. I stepped on the scale, and BOOM, the biggest numbers I've seen popped up...290. Damn. That's a lot to carry around. I then went in to the little room, and the nurse took my vitals. Again, some big numbers popped up that I'd never seen before. BP of 155 over 95? Shit. That doesn't sound good. The doc came in and worked me over, and I had to go give some blood to check my cholesterol (which I'd never done). More big numbers, and a strongly worded letter by the doc saying I better get moving and get this under control. He warned me about diabetes, multiple pills and perscriptions...the whole bit. I decided I'd had enough of being fat.
I waited out the holidays, getting my last few kicks of unlimited candy and sweets that my mom makes. You haven't had peanut brittle and English toffee until you've had hers. No one makes them better. Candy canes are a favorite of mine, too.
I have a gym membership as a benefit through my firm, and until now have used it extremely sparingly. When mid-January came around (yes, mid-January...this wasn't a "resolution", so I wasn't going to start with the resolution crowd), I decided to jump in full force. I'd given myself a few weeks to mentally prepare for this. I came up with a plan, knowing I wanted (needed) to do something that I could stick to. I've tried a few times to lose some weight and get in better shape over the years, but I usually aim high, make drastic cuts, and get drained from the process leading to my eventual failure. This time, I put together an ultimate goal, and then broke that up in to a few intermediate goals. Perhaps more importantly, giving myself much more time to accomplish them.
My ultimate goal is to get back down to the weight I was when I graduated high school - 225, or a bit less depending on how things go. My first intermediate goal is to get down to the weight I was when Maryann and I got married 9 years ago, which was around 250. That's a 40lb first goal, and I'm giving myself until the end of June to accomplish this. It just so happens this timing is coinciding with a trip we have planned to North Carolina. My second intermediate goal is to get down another 15lbs, to 235. This is the weight I was while on the cheer team in college (yes the cheer team, another story for another time). My time on the cheer team was undeniably my most in-shape years ever. I was 235, benching 405, military pressing 205, and squatting around 550. Not too shabby. At the time I was also doing some sort of a workout 6 days a week, some times twice a day in that span, with practice, lifting, cross-training, and tumbling. This second goal is going to take a shift in my way of life in terms of diet to get to. I haven't acheived goal 1 yet, so I haven't put together a timeframe for goal 2. After achieving goal 2, I will set my sights on the final 10-15 lbs.
So, I started toward my first goal on January 12, 2011. That was a Wednesday, and the only day I managed to get in that week. Hey, it was a tough transition. Throughout this first stage, I'm not changing my eating habits too drastically. I'm eating less, and not so late at night...that's about it. As I get used to getting out of bed an hour and 15 minutes earlier than before, going to the gym gets better. My workout is fairly simple, focusing on strengthening my core and stamina with 20 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of weight lifting. Very quickly I notice my strength build and my stamina increase. Slowly, I add weights and cardio speed to my workout, getting within a month to a place I didn't think I'd be so quickly. Already, barely into my 3rd month of regular workouts I've managed to lose 30 lbs! My first goal is very much in sight, nearly 3 months earlier than I'd thought. Helping my weight loss at the beginning of March I was very sick for 6 days, barely eating in that time. When I finally managed to pull myself back to the gym, I'd lost 12 lbs. This week is my first full week back after that sickness, and not only have I kept that weight off, I lost a couple more pounds as well.
Here's to hoping my workouts and weight loss continue on this track, and I don't lose my interest as I have so many times before. It certainly feels different this time. I'm engaged, and actually excited about the changes I'm going through. I know this is a big me-me-me first post, but darnit, I think that's ok! My boys need their papa, not just around, but engaged and playful. I can't continue on the path I was and manage that. I have another doctor checkup scheduled for June 14. I plan on blowing the doc's mind!
In the end, I don't really think I'll ever be thin or ripped, I just need to get healthy again. I've been big my whole life, and always with a bit of a layer of fat that I could never seem to peel. I remember being 180lbs in only 8th grade, which resulted in me getting my ass kicked regularly in wrestling (due to having to wrestle seniors since that was the weight group I was in), which in turn resulted in me never wrestling again. That turned in to a light bulb point as well, and when I started hitting the weight room regularly with my brother and his friends (who were 4 yrs older than me). Not wanting to change weights over and be a bother to them, I just lifted what they did. Very, very quickly I built muscle, and was soon lifting more than them. I liked lifting, I was good at it. Being big finally had benefits. I lifted all through high school, which helped me be a pretty good center on the football team. I played a few sports, but lived for football and lifting. Track was fun, being a thrower. I took that lifting ability with me to college, which got me noticed by the cheer team. The cheer team took my strength to a whole new level. But after 4 yrs of lifting in high school, and 5 years in college, when I graduated I was a bit burnt out on it all. Not to mention the time slips away by working full time.
Man, these tend to ramble on once you start dropping thoughts. I hope I manage to keep spewing this much nonsense for some time on here. Stick with me folks, I may just blow your mind.
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