As I stated before, one of my best friends and I are trying to lose weight. The final reward is a trip to disney together. We have been friends since the 4th grade and live many states apart. This makes this kind of trip extra motivating. Time together having fun -- you betcha!
So we sent some goals along the way to help us reach the long term end goal. The first 10 lbs lost earns us a manicure and a pedicure. At 20 lbs lost -- we each earn a massage. And then for the 30 lbs lost -- disney here we come.
So today I weighed in and I have lost 10 lbs exactly! Im so pumped!!!! I was looking for my official start date, I think it was around feb 1. So thats 10 lbs gone in aboutr 6 weeks -- Ill take that!~ This weekend, im going in for my manicure and pedicure -- Im excited. Its not something that I really do. Thats why its a special treat for me.
The weight came off easier this week. I lost a total of two lbs and 3.6 after a weekend of overeating. Im not sure if its the switch to straight running in couch to 5k or just simply eating less. Ill take it either way!
Next week though, is where the metal hits the fan. I start my college classes on Monday. I will have to be much more deliberate in planning my running time, watching my snacking while studying and time management. I know I can do this! Its just gonna take some adjusting!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
100 Pushups - W3D1
Well, when I posted last night, I said I was pushing off my 100 Pushups workout to today. As it turns out, a little bit of compulsion and habit can be a good thing. I completed the workout last night, as originally scheduled.
The workout was five sets of reps: 14 - 18 - 14 - 14 - 20. During the final set, you're encouraged to do as many as you can. With a bit of grunting and a reasonable amount of discomfort, I did 40! during the final set. When I looked at the total number, it was 100.
Now, that's not the 100 the program is pushing toward. That was simply 100 reps between all the sets. The end goal is being able to do 100 in one set, at the end of six weeks. I'm just over a third of the way there.
Since I'm doing my pushups on an angle, I plan to go through the program again after I'm done, hopefully on the floor. If not, must closer to the floor (e.g., coffee table height).
Anyway, I'm glad to be making progress that I can see and feel. My next doctor visit is scheduled for two weeks from today. I'm guessing she's going to be quite surprised by my progress.
The workout was five sets of reps: 14 - 18 - 14 - 14 - 20. During the final set, you're encouraged to do as many as you can. With a bit of grunting and a reasonable amount of discomfort, I did 40! during the final set. When I looked at the total number, it was 100.
Now, that's not the 100 the program is pushing toward. That was simply 100 reps between all the sets. The end goal is being able to do 100 in one set, at the end of six weeks. I'm just over a third of the way there.
Since I'm doing my pushups on an angle, I plan to go through the program again after I'm done, hopefully on the floor. If not, must closer to the floor (e.g., coffee table height).
Anyway, I'm glad to be making progress that I can see and feel. My next doctor visit is scheduled for two weeks from today. I'm guessing she's going to be quite surprised by my progress.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Couch to 5k Once Again
Well, I officially started Couch to 5k for the second time tonight. For any who've started reading recently, it's not that I didn't finish before (I did!). I've just not been running much over the past 18 months, so felt starting over would be a good way to ease back into things.
Wow! What a difference. I'm amazed that my body has retained as much as it has since I first went through the program. Day one that first time through left me thinking I just might die right there, out on the trail. Tonight, on the treadmill and watching CSI, I got through the whole thing without even wanting to throw in the towel. What an amazing residual effect!
Should I really be surprised? Looking back on my Day One entry from back in 2009, I was 30 lbs. heavier (300 lbs.). That weight surely makes a difference.
Yet that wasn't the only difference. That first day, my running was pretty pitiful, especially near the end. I was probably lucky to have made it over 4 mph. Tonight, I ran flat fives for the first seven running segments, and I started at 6 mph and pushed it up to 8 mph during the final minute. Sure, I was spent at the end of the workout, but nothing like I was back then. As a point of reference, W5D3 (week five, run day three) on my first time through still had me running slower than four miles per hour during my 20 minute run. That, alone, gives me some hope.
One interesting thing to note: I ran tonight's workout in my Keen sandals. One of my boys used my running shoes a while back and he wore them down a bit, and lost the clip used for my elastic laces. I found the Keens to be surprisingly well suited for running. They are light and they flex very well with my feet.
I've also noticed that I'm really starting to favor a fore-foot strike. In part, I attribute it to all the stairs I've been doing lately, since I do the stairs on the balls of my feet, and to standing while at work (rather than sitting in a chair). When at the water park this past weekend, I found myself walking on the balls of my feet most of the time. When standing there, I also found myself favoring the balls of my feet. No complaints here, or from Mrs. F.--my calves look really good!
Because I started my C25K redux tonight, I'm delaying my next 100 pushups workout until tomorrow.
Well, goodnight, all!
Wow! What a difference. I'm amazed that my body has retained as much as it has since I first went through the program. Day one that first time through left me thinking I just might die right there, out on the trail. Tonight, on the treadmill and watching CSI, I got through the whole thing without even wanting to throw in the towel. What an amazing residual effect!
Should I really be surprised? Looking back on my Day One entry from back in 2009, I was 30 lbs. heavier (300 lbs.). That weight surely makes a difference.
Yet that wasn't the only difference. That first day, my running was pretty pitiful, especially near the end. I was probably lucky to have made it over 4 mph. Tonight, I ran flat fives for the first seven running segments, and I started at 6 mph and pushed it up to 8 mph during the final minute. Sure, I was spent at the end of the workout, but nothing like I was back then. As a point of reference, W5D3 (week five, run day three) on my first time through still had me running slower than four miles per hour during my 20 minute run. That, alone, gives me some hope.
One interesting thing to note: I ran tonight's workout in my Keen sandals. One of my boys used my running shoes a while back and he wore them down a bit, and lost the clip used for my elastic laces. I found the Keens to be surprisingly well suited for running. They are light and they flex very well with my feet.
I've also noticed that I'm really starting to favor a fore-foot strike. In part, I attribute it to all the stairs I've been doing lately, since I do the stairs on the balls of my feet, and to standing while at work (rather than sitting in a chair). When at the water park this past weekend, I found myself walking on the balls of my feet most of the time. When standing there, I also found myself favoring the balls of my feet. No complaints here, or from Mrs. F.--my calves look really good!
Because I started my C25K redux tonight, I'm delaying my next 100 pushups workout until tomorrow.
Well, goodnight, all!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Almost forgot: 100 Pushups (plus team status)
With all the excitement over my current weight loss, I forgot to post my progress on the 100 Pushups challenge.
I completed week two of the challenge last night, with a total of 87 repetitions. My neck and shoulders were sore last night (I woke up with a headache). I'm now on to week three--further than I made it last time.
Here are some additional details on where I fall in with my other workplace losers (I'm on Team 5):
The one benefit I have, going forward, is that I have a lot more to lose than the rest. That gives me the potential to keep losing (though I know it will get harder) even when the others start bottoming out.
Anyway, that's all for now.
I completed week two of the challenge last night, with a total of 87 repetitions. My neck and shoulders were sore last night (I woke up with a headache). I'm now on to week three--further than I made it last time.
Here are some additional details on where I fall in with my other workplace losers (I'm on Team 5):
Only Week 2 Ranking
|
TEAM
1 TOTALS
|
4.91%
|
|
TEAM
4 TOTALS
|
2.76%
|
|
TEAM
3 TOTALS
|
2.64%
|
|
TEAM
5 TOTALS
|
2.45%
|
|
TEAM
2 TOTALS
|
1.87%
|
Total Weight Loss Ranking
|
TEAM
5 TOTALS
|
20.90%
|
|
TEAM
4 TOTALS
|
12.45%
|
|
TEAM
3 TOTALS
|
8.09%
|
|
TEAM
1 TOTALS
|
7.82%
|
|
TEAM
2 TOTALS
|
6.18%
|
Top 5 Individual Ranking
for Week 2:
|
M.S.
|
2.52%
|
|
J.R.
|
1.68%
|
|
Andrew
Riemer (ME!)
|
1.68%
|
|
S.M.
|
1.55%
|
|
D.M
|
1.37%
|
Top
5 Total Individual Ranking:
|
J.S.
|
6.59%
|
|
Andrew
Riemer (ME!)
|
5.67%
|
|
J.B
|
5.51%
|
|
D.M.
|
5.40%
|
|
N.Y
|
4.21%
|
The one benefit I have, going forward, is that I have a lot more to lose than the rest. That gives me the potential to keep losing (though I know it will get harder) even when the others start bottoming out.
Anyway, that's all for now.
BWL Weigh-in for Week Three
I had a welcome surprise on the scale this morning: 269.6!
This is the first time I've been below 270 since high school!
I can't explain how good it feels to see some real progress. I finally broke the 270 barrier!
I hated yogurt when I was a kid. I'm sure glad I love it now!
This is the first time I've been below 270 since high school!
I can't explain how good it feels to see some real progress. I finally broke the 270 barrier!
I hated yogurt when I was a kid. I'm sure glad I love it now!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Almost another bad weekend (almost!)
We had another one of those weekends. We had an event to attend on Sunday, so we ended up taking the kids to an area favorite, Pizza Ranch. My original plan was salad bar only, but their salad bar was pathetic (sorry, Pizza Ranch). No green peppers, no onions, and no vinaigrette. I opted for the regular buffet, which included the almost-a-salad bar, and had good intentions.
Epic fail!
During that meal, I consumed 1,600 calories--more than my daily goal of 1,592.
It was very good, and I did stop myself from having more, so I'll take the small victory.
After the meal, we went on to our activity, which was at the Waterpark of America. I got in a lot of walking, and quite a few sets of stairs. Nowhere near enough to counter my lunch calories, but I was glad to be moving.
Well, this morning, I decided to check the scale to see how bad things were looking. I'm down 1.6 lbs. for the week, with my official weigh in tomorrow morning. I won't need to starve myself today just to show a loss, and that's a good thing (on more than one level).
In other news, I got to the end of last week without working on 100 pushups, so I got my week two day one and two workouts in on Friday and Satruday. I definitely felt it during that Saturday workout. Tonight I'll finish up day three of week two, and then will start week three on Wednesday.
I have yet to restart Couch to 5k, but I'm getting closer to being ready to do so. Being on my feet all day (except last week--I was in a class) has really helped my mood and leaves me feeling better overall. I'm hoping that, between my standing and my hall-stairs laps, I'll be up to the challenge again.
I've not lost a lot of size, but things are fitting better and, overall, pulling in. The sides of my belly have really receded. I'm wearing suspenders today with pants I normally could wear without. Fat along the sides of my chest and under my arms is loosening. It looks worse than before, but that's because the muscle is changing and accentuating the difference between the two. I wonder how long before those two areas start to shrink noticeably.
Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow with the official weigh-in results. For now, I have an appointment with a yogurt container.
Epic fail!
During that meal, I consumed 1,600 calories--more than my daily goal of 1,592.
It was very good, and I did stop myself from having more, so I'll take the small victory.
After the meal, we went on to our activity, which was at the Waterpark of America. I got in a lot of walking, and quite a few sets of stairs. Nowhere near enough to counter my lunch calories, but I was glad to be moving.
Well, this morning, I decided to check the scale to see how bad things were looking. I'm down 1.6 lbs. for the week, with my official weigh in tomorrow morning. I won't need to starve myself today just to show a loss, and that's a good thing (on more than one level).
In other news, I got to the end of last week without working on 100 pushups, so I got my week two day one and two workouts in on Friday and Satruday. I definitely felt it during that Saturday workout. Tonight I'll finish up day three of week two, and then will start week three on Wednesday.
I have yet to restart Couch to 5k, but I'm getting closer to being ready to do so. Being on my feet all day (except last week--I was in a class) has really helped my mood and leaves me feeling better overall. I'm hoping that, between my standing and my hall-stairs laps, I'll be up to the challenge again.
I've not lost a lot of size, but things are fitting better and, overall, pulling in. The sides of my belly have really receded. I'm wearing suspenders today with pants I normally could wear without. Fat along the sides of my chest and under my arms is loosening. It looks worse than before, but that's because the muscle is changing and accentuating the difference between the two. I wonder how long before those two areas start to shrink noticeably.
Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow with the official weigh-in results. For now, I have an appointment with a yogurt container.
Friday, March 2, 2012
8 lbs!
As of this morning, I'm officially down 8 lbs. That feels great! Im starting to make better choices a little easier, my pants are fitting just a tiny bit looser and it's not quite as hard to exercise.
I am finishing up week 6 today in the couch to 5k program. This starts the beginning of solid running with no walking breaks. I'm a tad bit nervous about it. It feels like eons ago that I ran for an hour or more at a time. I keep reminding myself though, I have done this before and I can do it again. That helped tremendously when it came time to do that dreaded week 5 20 minute run!
I do think it is helping that hubster and I are doing this together. It makes it much easier to be a lifestyle choice that way.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
I am finishing up week 6 today in the couch to 5k program. This starts the beginning of solid running with no walking breaks. I'm a tad bit nervous about it. It feels like eons ago that I ran for an hour or more at a time. I keep reminding myself though, I have done this before and I can do it again. That helped tremendously when it came time to do that dreaded week 5 20 minute run!
I do think it is helping that hubster and I are doing this together. It makes it much easier to be a lifestyle choice that way.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Pulling up after a steep dive
It's usually one of the more climactic moments in a movie. The plane, for whatever reason, has taken a nose dive. The pilot (or a stalwart passenger or staff member after the pilot is shot) grabs the stick and tries to pull up. As the ground zooms ever nearer, bringing certain doom, the would be pilot wrests the stick back as far as possible, forestalling an imminent disaster.
My weekend was like that.
It started Friday, going to lunch with friends from work. I stuck to the "Garden Bar" as it is branded at Ruby Tuesday, and heaped on the veggies, added a small pinch of ham, and topped it off with about a tablespoon of a raspberry vinaigrette. That wasn't bad, but I found myself very hungry a few hours later.
Let's just say that there was an incident in the break room, and it involved a couple of sweet rolls. Bad Andrew. Bad Andrew
Dinner on Friday wasn't horrible, but wasn't great, either. The family was having pork tenderloin and a choice of starches, so I opted for pork tenderloin and salad. It was SOOOO tasty! I should have stuck to one serving of the pork. Or two...
Saturday was crazy, with the day spent at the individual sections wrestling meet, hosted at our local high school. Then, for dinner, I had Mrs. F pick up some Papa Murphy's pizzas. I kept myself to three pieces--far better than before, but still not great.
Then there was Sunday, meeting Mrs. F's cousin and her family at one of my all time favorite places, Davanni's. Their Chicago style deep dish pizza is amazing. Two slices there (almost 650 calories), and then two slices of their traditional crust. Bad Andrew, once again.
I did finish up week one of the 100 pushup challenge over the weekend, and I spent some extra time on the treadmill during family movie night on Sunday evening. Still, I was pretty sure I blew this weigh in.
This morning, I left for work extra early because we had snow moving in. That gave me time to squeeze in some stairs (12 flights each way) before needing to weigh in. Thankfully, all that movement prompted my GI system to help me rid myself of a bit of extra weight.
The end result? I lost 1.5 lbs. this week. I'll take it! I certainly missed my 2+ lb. goal, but I didn't go back up, either. Had I not let myself slide so much going into the weekend, I'm pretty sure I could have had another massive week (around 5?). Oh, well! We'll have to see what happens this week.
I'm still standing at my desk, and I quite like it. Unfortunately, I'm sitting in a class all week, so am getting neither my standing time, nor my daily laps. I'll just watch my calories and keep moving. I'm excited that I'm still making progress. To date, I've lost 4% of my body weight in the BWL contest.
I managed to pull up. It wasn't too late.
My weekend was like that.
It started Friday, going to lunch with friends from work. I stuck to the "Garden Bar" as it is branded at Ruby Tuesday, and heaped on the veggies, added a small pinch of ham, and topped it off with about a tablespoon of a raspberry vinaigrette. That wasn't bad, but I found myself very hungry a few hours later.
Let's just say that there was an incident in the break room, and it involved a couple of sweet rolls. Bad Andrew. Bad Andrew
Dinner on Friday wasn't horrible, but wasn't great, either. The family was having pork tenderloin and a choice of starches, so I opted for pork tenderloin and salad. It was SOOOO tasty! I should have stuck to one serving of the pork. Or two...
Saturday was crazy, with the day spent at the individual sections wrestling meet, hosted at our local high school. Then, for dinner, I had Mrs. F pick up some Papa Murphy's pizzas. I kept myself to three pieces--far better than before, but still not great.
Then there was Sunday, meeting Mrs. F's cousin and her family at one of my all time favorite places, Davanni's. Their Chicago style deep dish pizza is amazing. Two slices there (almost 650 calories), and then two slices of their traditional crust. Bad Andrew, once again.
I did finish up week one of the 100 pushup challenge over the weekend, and I spent some extra time on the treadmill during family movie night on Sunday evening. Still, I was pretty sure I blew this weigh in.
This morning, I left for work extra early because we had snow moving in. That gave me time to squeeze in some stairs (12 flights each way) before needing to weigh in. Thankfully, all that movement prompted my GI system to help me rid myself of a bit of extra weight.
The end result? I lost 1.5 lbs. this week. I'll take it! I certainly missed my 2+ lb. goal, but I didn't go back up, either. Had I not let myself slide so much going into the weekend, I'm pretty sure I could have had another massive week (around 5?). Oh, well! We'll have to see what happens this week.
I'm still standing at my desk, and I quite like it. Unfortunately, I'm sitting in a class all week, so am getting neither my standing time, nor my daily laps. I'll just watch my calories and keep moving. I'm excited that I'm still making progress. To date, I've lost 4% of my body weight in the BWL contest.
I managed to pull up. It wasn't too late.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Happy Thursday
Last night, I completed my second 100 Pushups workout. Since I had trouble completing the first full day, however, I decided to modify my plan a bit. Instead of starting with my on-the-floor pushups, I'm going to run through the program once doing them on an angle. Then, after finishing the program that way, I'll go back and do it closer to the ground or on the ground. Doing that, I finished my workout with 25 repetitions on the final set, placing my total for the workout at 63.
I'm still doing fine on my calorie counting, and on my daytime activity level. This was my second day standing at work. My feet are a tad sore, but not bad at all. I can already see and feel the first bits of difference, specially around my face and the overall bulge of my gut. I'm really hopeful that this time I'll be able to maintain my progress for the long term, and that I'll be able to sink to new lows on the scale.
I'm still doing fine on my calorie counting, and on my daytime activity level. This was my second day standing at work. My feet are a tad sore, but not bad at all. I can already see and feel the first bits of difference, specially around my face and the overall bulge of my gut. I'm really hopeful that this time I'll be able to maintain my progress for the long term, and that I'll be able to sink to new lows on the scale.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I stand to lose weight
By increasing my activity level while simultaneously reducing my caloric intake, I stand to lose weight. Well, as of today, I have another way I stand to lose weight: I got rid of my desk chair!
Yes, as of this morning, I'm chair free. I'll stand all day, thereby burning perhaps a few hundred extra calories a day. While this change coincides with my Biggest Workplace Loser participation, it's something I've wanted to do for a long time. I had no opportunity to try it where I last worked, but the desks here are wonderfully adjustable.
So, I'm giving it a whirl. I certainly hope I'll be able to do it long term.
I've also increased the number of laps I do in the halls and on the stairs. I'm up to six laps, four times per work day. Over the past day or two, I've really felt it in my lower abdominal muscles. I'm also eating six times a day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and a final snack). That seems to be working well for me. The snacks are typically 170 calories or less (the amount of calories in a regular yogurt or some granola bars). I'm less hungry throughout the day, and my blood sugar levels are much lower and level.
Have a great one today!
Yes, as of this morning, I'm chair free. I'll stand all day, thereby burning perhaps a few hundred extra calories a day. While this change coincides with my Biggest Workplace Loser participation, it's something I've wanted to do for a long time. I had no opportunity to try it where I last worked, but the desks here are wonderfully adjustable.
So, I'm giving it a whirl. I certainly hope I'll be able to do it long term.
I've also increased the number of laps I do in the halls and on the stairs. I'm up to six laps, four times per work day. Over the past day or two, I've really felt it in my lower abdominal muscles. I'm also eating six times a day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and a final snack). That seems to be working well for me. The snacks are typically 170 calories or less (the amount of calories in a regular yogurt or some granola bars). I'm less hungry throughout the day, and my blood sugar levels are much lower and level.
Have a great one today!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
First weigh-in (BWL)
Well, this morning I had my first weigh-in for my workplace's biggest loser competition (BWL)... drum roll, please... and I lost 10 lbs!
Wow! It felt great to see that result on the scale today. I quickly inventoried my clothes and realized that I was wearing jeans when I weighed in when I registered, so my real loss is probably closer to 8.5 or 9 lbs. (they were my lightest jeans and I'm wearing medium weight pants today), but I'll take it either way. What a fantastic feeling!
I didn't even get in my own "last chance workout" last night. I spent most of the evening mixing and packing some trail mix. [Which, unfortunately, I'll be able to eat only sparingly over the next few months, since it calculated at approximately 310 calories per half cup serving! (see below)] It's a high calorie food, but a favorite for camping, canoeing, and hiking trips. In reality, it will make a good energy food once I ramp up my workouts. Here's the mix (rounded to the nearest whole pound for most):
Trail Mix (yields 128-160 1/2 cup servings)
Remember, we have a large family, so you may want to scale this back if you try it. I couldn't fit it into our largest mixing bowl (and, boy, is it large--it makes our 6 qt. Crock Pot look small), so I used the bowl to mix batches that I then divided between two paper grocery bags. Then I combined portions from each bag back in the bowl and mixed to ensure everything was distributed evenly. Once that was done, I measured out 1/2 cup servings into snack sized zipper bags, plus put another 24 cups away in sealed containers. The zipper bags then got placed into a Girl Scout cookie case--I got about 90 portions tucked away in that box.
When I measured out the mix before packing it, we had 64 cups of mix by volume. When we packed the baggies and other containers, we ended up with about 90 bags plus eight three-cup containers (48 additional servings). The difference seems to be from how tightly things were packed when I measured in our large measuring cup versus how things fit in the half-cup measure I used to scoop the mix for each bag. So, in reality, that 310 calorie figure was based on 128 half-cup servings, when we actually got approximately 158 servings. That would drop the calorie count on a bag down to 251--now I can live with that number, too!
So, I need to get back to it. I have a class all morning, so I won't get my morning laps in, but I did already do six flights of stairs (each way), so I'm staying active.
Have a good day!
Wow! It felt great to see that result on the scale today. I quickly inventoried my clothes and realized that I was wearing jeans when I weighed in when I registered, so my real loss is probably closer to 8.5 or 9 lbs. (they were my lightest jeans and I'm wearing medium weight pants today), but I'll take it either way. What a fantastic feeling!
I didn't even get in my own "last chance workout" last night. I spent most of the evening mixing and packing some trail mix. [Which, unfortunately, I'll be able to eat only sparingly over the next few months, since it calculated at approximately 310 calories per half cup serving! (see below)] It's a high calorie food, but a favorite for camping, canoeing, and hiking trips. In reality, it will make a good energy food once I ramp up my workouts. Here's the mix (rounded to the nearest whole pound for most):
Trail Mix (yields 128-160 1/2 cup servings)
Remember, we have a large family, so you may want to scale this back if you try it. I couldn't fit it into our largest mixing bowl (and, boy, is it large--it makes our 6 qt. Crock Pot look small), so I used the bowl to mix batches that I then divided between two paper grocery bags. Then I combined portions from each bag back in the bowl and mixed to ensure everything was distributed evenly. Once that was done, I measured out 1/2 cup servings into snack sized zipper bags, plus put another 24 cups away in sealed containers. The zipper bags then got placed into a Girl Scout cookie case--I got about 90 portions tucked away in that box.
When I measured out the mix before packing it, we had 64 cups of mix by volume. When we packed the baggies and other containers, we ended up with about 90 bags plus eight three-cup containers (48 additional servings). The difference seems to be from how tightly things were packed when I measured in our large measuring cup versus how things fit in the half-cup measure I used to scoop the mix for each bag. So, in reality, that 310 calorie figure was based on 128 half-cup servings, when we actually got approximately 158 servings. That would drop the calorie count on a bag down to 251--now I can live with that number, too!
So, I need to get back to it. I have a class all morning, so I won't get my morning laps in, but I did already do six flights of stairs (each way), so I'm staying active.
Have a good day!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Not a bad weekend
Well, I didn't restart C25K, but I did get some time in on the treadmill--a bit of walking at 4.5 mph and a bit of running at 6 mph (with the last 30 seconds at 7). I did, however, get through day one of the 100 pushup challenge on Sunday, however, though I couldn't finish the final set. Later today, I'll either move on to day two, or repeat day one.
My blood sugar dropped low enough yesterday that I got shaky, and it's the first time that has happened in a long time. If I can keep my activity level up, I might be able to back off my medications again (which had increased over the past two years).
Keeping under my calorie goals for each day has been a bit easier than I expected. Even with the extra sugar I had to consume yesterday (when I bottomed out), I still was just below my goal (net, accounting for the exercise).
Okay, so it was a good weekend. Now I hope I'll have a similarly good week. I already have one set of laps through the halls and the stairs done for today.
Weigh-in is tomorrow. I'm interested to see what the scale reveals.
My blood sugar dropped low enough yesterday that I got shaky, and it's the first time that has happened in a long time. If I can keep my activity level up, I might be able to back off my medications again (which had increased over the past two years).
Keeping under my calorie goals for each day has been a bit easier than I expected. Even with the extra sugar I had to consume yesterday (when I bottomed out), I still was just below my goal (net, accounting for the exercise).
Okay, so it was a good weekend. Now I hope I'll have a similarly good week. I already have one set of laps through the halls and the stairs done for today.
Weigh-in is tomorrow. I'm interested to see what the scale reveals.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Twelve pushups
Things have been a bit busy and crazy here at work, so I've not been able to jump back into things as quickly as I've hoped. The good news, however, is that I've adjusted to caloric restrictions again. For the past three days, I've managed to limit my daily calories, keeping my daily net intake at or below 1,579 calories.
"Our estimate is that you may consume about 1,579 calories a day to lose 2.7 pounds per week."
(From LiveStrong.com's My Daily Plate tool)
I think I'm off to a good start on that end.
Well, the last time I started the One Hundred Pushups Challenge, I completed only six pushups during my pre-test. The number you can do during that test determines where you start in the program. What surprised me last night was that I actually did twelve (12)! That means some of the strength gains I made during that aborted attempt are still at play. I was really surprised!
Fridays are my longest days at work now, so I won't likely be weighing in on Fridays any longer. Since the Biggest Workplace Loser (BWL) contest here is holding weigh-ins on Tuesdays, I'm going to post those results as they come in. Other than that, I'm going to try to avoid the scale (since weight fluctuates so much from day to day).
Anyway, I need to run (literally and figuratively)!
"Our estimate is that you may consume about 1,579 calories a day to lose 2.7 pounds per week."
(From LiveStrong.com's My Daily Plate tool)
I think I'm off to a good start on that end.
Well, the last time I started the One Hundred Pushups Challenge, I completed only six pushups during my pre-test. The number you can do during that test determines where you start in the program. What surprised me last night was that I actually did twelve (12)! That means some of the strength gains I made during that aborted attempt are still at play. I was really surprised!
Fridays are my longest days at work now, so I won't likely be weighing in on Fridays any longer. Since the Biggest Workplace Loser (BWL) contest here is holding weigh-ins on Tuesdays, I'm going to post those results as they come in. Other than that, I'm going to try to avoid the scale (since weight fluctuates so much from day to day).
Anyway, I need to run (literally and figuratively)!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Help Mr. F out!!!
I set up a Crowd Tilt campaign to help motivate Mr. F. Would you consider contributing?
Mr. F is starting the biggest loser at work and is back on the wagon. This is one way we can encourage his journey to his motorcycle. Check it out!
Mrs. F
Mr. F is starting the biggest loser at work and is back on the wagon. This is one way we can encourage his journey to his motorcycle. Check it out!
Mrs. F
Mrs. F -- Where have I been?
2011 started with about a 5 or 10 lb gain. That quickly became, 15, 20 and eventually 30. To say that it was a tough year is an understatment. When I list the things -- lost my first grandparent,my daughter was diagnosed with a genetic disorder, my husband lost his job and I dealt full force with depression. These aren't excuses. They are reasons, yes, but not excuses.
It's enough -- although when listed, it doesn't quite express really how hard it was. It's the between the lines, the day in and day out battles with my daughter, the feeling hopeless with an undetermined amount of no job before us, and just not feeling able to cope. It wasn't just one thing.
At the end of the year, I found myself longing for that fresh start. I wanted the new year to bring something different. My husband started a new job January 3. I was getting my depression under control and working thru the framework of my daughter's diagnosis. I felt like I could see the light beginning to emerge.
I'm starting out at 185 and curently working on week 4 of Couch to 5k. I'm back to tracking calories, exercising and trying to knock off that weight. There are a few motivating factors. The two main ones are a 20 yr class renuion in August and a trip to disney with one of my best friends in October. My friend and I are both struggling and we needed a goal to stive for. So if we lose 30 lbs by october, we are going to disney together!!! I am very excited about that.
I've done this before and I know I can do it again!
Mrs. F
I also came to a point where I realized that I wasn't going to apologize for doing what I needed to do to survive. I hope, in the future, to develop better strategies for managing stress and depression. It was all I could do to function, and I refuse to apologize for that.
It's enough -- although when listed, it doesn't quite express really how hard it was. It's the between the lines, the day in and day out battles with my daughter, the feeling hopeless with an undetermined amount of no job before us, and just not feeling able to cope. It wasn't just one thing.
At the end of the year, I found myself longing for that fresh start. I wanted the new year to bring something different. My husband started a new job January 3. I was getting my depression under control and working thru the framework of my daughter's diagnosis. I felt like I could see the light beginning to emerge.
I'm starting out at 185 and curently working on week 4 of Couch to 5k. I'm back to tracking calories, exercising and trying to knock off that weight. There are a few motivating factors. The two main ones are a 20 yr class renuion in August and a trip to disney with one of my best friends in October. My friend and I are both struggling and we needed a goal to stive for. So if we lose 30 lbs by october, we are going to disney together!!! I am very excited about that.
I've done this before and I know I can do it again!
Mrs. F
I also came to a point where I realized that I wasn't going to apologize for doing what I needed to do to survive. I hope, in the future, to develop better strategies for managing stress and depression. It was all I could do to function, and I refuse to apologize for that.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Avoiding avoidance (a little cash helps)
Okay, by now most of you have probably figured that I've either moved on to other things, or, if you have a morbid streak, that I died. I did move on to other things--being lazy, succumbing to self pity and self loathing, and just simply giving up. I didn't die, but I moved myself in that direction. My blood sugar readings recently were as bad as they were when I started this blog. I don't have the emotional or mental capacity right now to figure out why I keep doing this to myself.
Mrs. F has been going through a rough patch, too. For her, the stress of my being without work during the final quarter of 2011 didn't help, but I can't use that as an excuse. I fell off the wagon not long after I finished C25K, with one or two half-hearted attempts to start over in the interim. I've been avoiding things. I've been trying to ignore my health. Well, as of today, I have a new motivation to try to avoid avoidance. Who am I kidding to think it will be different if I reboot now?
Well, for one, I'm working for a fantastic employer now. I didn't realize how toxic my last workplace was until I was gone, and didn't have a full appreciation of the toxicity until I started where I am today, at the beginning of January. My mood is better, and I've shed a bit of weight without specifically trying--I can tell because I'm wearing my red oxford shirt today, and it was too tight to wear during my first week on the job.
But, really, why now? Mrs. F tried enticing me with a motorcycle sometime back. I've always wanted one, but she's never liked them much. She told me if I could drop to 200 lbs., I could get one. That really excited me, but then I realized that we couldn't afford one, so I set that aside.
I do have a stong competitive streak. I think I finished C25K just to prove that I could do it. There were goals and a plan, and it was a challenge to myself to see if I could finish. Well, today my work starts its own "Biggest Loser" inspired weight loss competition. I'll refer to it as "Biggest Workplace Loser" (BWL) from now on. Why was that motivating? Cash. Cash prizes for the top three losers (by percentage of weight loss), and a cash prize for the winning team (we've been assigned to teams of four). Yes, it's true. If the money is right, I'll do almost anything (anything that doesn't violate my moral constructs).
So, I'm stepping away now to weigh in, and then I will come back and note my game plan...
...Well, it's 285.6 lbs. Not great, but not horrible (since I spent a lot of time over 300 lbs.).
Now, I just learned that this is a twelve week contest. I thought it was going to be only six weeks. Expectations set. Originally, I was planning on a 10% loss over 12 weeks, but I just found out that the winner last year lost nearly 16%! That means I'd need to lose more than 45 lbs. in 12 weeks. Possible? Yes. Easy? No!
I think I'll stay with my plan to try for 10%, and just hope that it is good enough. I'm the biggest participant in the group of 20 people (out of a 60 person office). Honestly, I can't see why any of them would need to lose a pound (!), but the point is to get active, and that's healthy no matter where one starts.
Okay, so here's my plan.
Back in it, hopefully for the long haul,
Andrew a.k.a. FatManRunning
Mrs. F has been going through a rough patch, too. For her, the stress of my being without work during the final quarter of 2011 didn't help, but I can't use that as an excuse. I fell off the wagon not long after I finished C25K, with one or two half-hearted attempts to start over in the interim. I've been avoiding things. I've been trying to ignore my health. Well, as of today, I have a new motivation to try to avoid avoidance. Who am I kidding to think it will be different if I reboot now?
Well, for one, I'm working for a fantastic employer now. I didn't realize how toxic my last workplace was until I was gone, and didn't have a full appreciation of the toxicity until I started where I am today, at the beginning of January. My mood is better, and I've shed a bit of weight without specifically trying--I can tell because I'm wearing my red oxford shirt today, and it was too tight to wear during my first week on the job.
But, really, why now? Mrs. F tried enticing me with a motorcycle sometime back. I've always wanted one, but she's never liked them much. She told me if I could drop to 200 lbs., I could get one. That really excited me, but then I realized that we couldn't afford one, so I set that aside.
I do have a stong competitive streak. I think I finished C25K just to prove that I could do it. There were goals and a plan, and it was a challenge to myself to see if I could finish. Well, today my work starts its own "Biggest Loser" inspired weight loss competition. I'll refer to it as "Biggest Workplace Loser" (BWL) from now on. Why was that motivating? Cash. Cash prizes for the top three losers (by percentage of weight loss), and a cash prize for the winning team (we've been assigned to teams of four). Yes, it's true. If the money is right, I'll do almost anything (anything that doesn't violate my moral constructs).
So, I'm stepping away now to weigh in, and then I will come back and note my game plan...
...Well, it's 285.6 lbs. Not great, but not horrible (since I spent a lot of time over 300 lbs.).
Now, I just learned that this is a twelve week contest. I thought it was going to be only six weeks. Expectations set. Originally, I was planning on a 10% loss over 12 weeks, but I just found out that the winner last year lost nearly 16%! That means I'd need to lose more than 45 lbs. in 12 weeks. Possible? Yes. Easy? No!
I think I'll stay with my plan to try for 10%, and just hope that it is good enough. I'm the biggest participant in the group of 20 people (out of a 60 person office). Honestly, I can't see why any of them would need to lose a pound (!), but the point is to get active, and that's healthy no matter where one starts.
Okay, so here's my plan.
- I'm going back to counting my calories. I will use My Daily Plate to keep track. I'll enter in a weight loss goal of 2.5 lbs. per week.
- Each day, while at work, I'm going to get up every two hours and make a few laps through the building, going up and down stairwells at opposite ends of a long hallway. I will start with four such loops each time, and adjust accordingly.
- I'm enrolling in karate classes that run every Monday night. I studied years ago and was once quite good at it. That will get me moving.
- C25K - I'm thinking about going through C25K again. This would be in addition to my other things. I don't want to overdo it, but I really want to win!
- 100 Pushup Challenge - I started this before, after C25K, but never finished it. I owe it to myself to start again, and to see it through.
Back in it, hopefully for the long haul,
Andrew a.k.a. FatManRunning
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The cycle
Im not doing so well on either the exercise or diet department. I "know" what I should do but somehow what I do "do" isnt the right thing.
So I feel like crap because Im not eating right, exercising and sleeping enough -- then I eat some more to combat that feel like crap feeling. See -- the cycle is endless. Im hoping to get off this ride very soon. The ups and downs of the weight battle are very discouraging.
Ive very tired of regaining the same 2 or 3 lbs every week. I know its typical for weight to flucuate within 5 lbs -- its just that 5 lb radius is not where i want it to be. Its on the high end and I just dont feel very good, when I am there. I am trying to remember this is a marathon not a sprint but I want to be there already. i want to be done trying to figure this out. And I want to eat whatever I want and not gain weight --- ha! There I said it, thats really the crux of the problem. I want to eat and eat and eat and not have to do the work to keep the weight off.
So what do I do ? I dont find cutting things out completely to be helpful but I do know what types of snacks and foods are. So Im going to start by going to the grocery store and remedying that.
2nd -- Im in the process of reevaluating my exercise time. I find more often than not, if I wait til after supper, the pull of sitting and relaxing is stronger. I dont very often manage to get out and exercise at that time of the night. It was working well for me at least to go after school. The problem is it doesnt work so well for the rest of my family -- sigh. Im trying to gather up the motivation to get up early and do it then. It really is a great start to the day, I find myself more productive that way. And I cant then say, oh im going to eat this cause im exercising later and then not exercise. The calorie burn is already done. See above issues though with not enough sleep. Its just really hard to convince myself that 5 am is a good wake up time. Let alone that -- convincing myself to go out and run or bike is even harder. As summer approaches, i wont want to work out in the heat of the day anyway, its probably a good move at this point.
3rd -- Im going to search for some sort of running plan. I do better if I have a plan Im following. Whether its a goal to improve my speed, distance or whatever, I need a prescribed plan to keep me motivated. Making my own goals and plans hasnt worked well this year. I really need to step up the running.
4th -- Im going to acknowledge that Im more than a number on the scale. Its so easy to get caught up in what it says that I forget to remember God made me beautiful just as I am. Im remembering to be proud for what i have accomplished. I went from hating running and exercising to doing so on a regular basis. Thats huge folks! I lost over 30 lbs and that my friends is no small feat.
So what if the last 10 lbs are plagueing me -- I am beautiful! Im really hoping I can find the balance again for eating and exercsing. :) Megamom
So I feel like crap because Im not eating right, exercising and sleeping enough -- then I eat some more to combat that feel like crap feeling. See -- the cycle is endless. Im hoping to get off this ride very soon. The ups and downs of the weight battle are very discouraging.
Ive very tired of regaining the same 2 or 3 lbs every week. I know its typical for weight to flucuate within 5 lbs -- its just that 5 lb radius is not where i want it to be. Its on the high end and I just dont feel very good, when I am there. I am trying to remember this is a marathon not a sprint but I want to be there already. i want to be done trying to figure this out. And I want to eat whatever I want and not gain weight --- ha! There I said it, thats really the crux of the problem. I want to eat and eat and eat and not have to do the work to keep the weight off.
So what do I do ? I dont find cutting things out completely to be helpful but I do know what types of snacks and foods are. So Im going to start by going to the grocery store and remedying that.
2nd -- Im in the process of reevaluating my exercise time. I find more often than not, if I wait til after supper, the pull of sitting and relaxing is stronger. I dont very often manage to get out and exercise at that time of the night. It was working well for me at least to go after school. The problem is it doesnt work so well for the rest of my family -- sigh. Im trying to gather up the motivation to get up early and do it then. It really is a great start to the day, I find myself more productive that way. And I cant then say, oh im going to eat this cause im exercising later and then not exercise. The calorie burn is already done. See above issues though with not enough sleep. Its just really hard to convince myself that 5 am is a good wake up time. Let alone that -- convincing myself to go out and run or bike is even harder. As summer approaches, i wont want to work out in the heat of the day anyway, its probably a good move at this point.
3rd -- Im going to search for some sort of running plan. I do better if I have a plan Im following. Whether its a goal to improve my speed, distance or whatever, I need a prescribed plan to keep me motivated. Making my own goals and plans hasnt worked well this year. I really need to step up the running.
4th -- Im going to acknowledge that Im more than a number on the scale. Its so easy to get caught up in what it says that I forget to remember God made me beautiful just as I am. Im remembering to be proud for what i have accomplished. I went from hating running and exercising to doing so on a regular basis. Thats huge folks! I lost over 30 lbs and that my friends is no small feat.
So what if the last 10 lbs are plagueing me -- I am beautiful! Im really hoping I can find the balance again for eating and exercsing. :) Megamom
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Logging the miles
I havent been able to get out and run much these last two weeks. It was a combination of factors including a wet basement, weather, extra babysitting and the list goes on. So I purposed to start slowly easing back into a running routine. I long for the long runs that I used to be able to do. I know better than than to jump right back into that leval.
Meanwhile Ive been logging miles on my bike. Ive been able to increase my distance on the bike and keep a pretty good pace. Today I logged 11.25 miles at a 4:35 average pace. That averages out to 13.1 miles per hour -- woot~!
This time of year in Minnesota -- we are soo longing for spring. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have the snow gone by now and warm temps on the way. This year not so much. Last weeks deluge of snow really made winter feel long. So whenever the temp appears anywhere near 40 and the sun is out -- I feel obligated to take advantage of it. Biking in 40 degree weather isnt as easy as it sounds -- I learned what layers I need and what i can do wihtout. I went once this season without a scarf and I wont make that mistake again. I dont always need it for face coverage but i wrap it multiple times around my neck and it keeps that from getting windburned. I still need a fleece headband. I have a thin fleece hat that fits under my helmet but its not quite long enough to protect the ears. So i need a headband to help that.
None of my friends are big bikers but I like to compete against myself lol. I always want to go longer, faster and harder. Some of the hills were tough today. I reminded myself that the reward of getting up a hill is going down the other side!!
Last summer, Mr. F taught me how to actually use the gears on my bike (Thanks honey). Prior to that, I would shift a little but have no idea what i was doing. I really really enjoy biking now that I have an idea of what im doing. My butt is still adjusting to biking longer distances :) And today after an 8 mile ride on sunday and an 11 mile ride today -- my quads are feeling it!
One of my goals for this summer is to bike to a town 17 miles away on the luce line trail and enjoy a nice meal and bike back home. Last summer, I did that with a different town that was 11 miles away. That was one hard ride ... I wasnt accustomed to biking that far yet and I could feel it!
Thats all for now folks
Mrs. F
Meanwhile Ive been logging miles on my bike. Ive been able to increase my distance on the bike and keep a pretty good pace. Today I logged 11.25 miles at a 4:35 average pace. That averages out to 13.1 miles per hour -- woot~!
This time of year in Minnesota -- we are soo longing for spring. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have the snow gone by now and warm temps on the way. This year not so much. Last weeks deluge of snow really made winter feel long. So whenever the temp appears anywhere near 40 and the sun is out -- I feel obligated to take advantage of it. Biking in 40 degree weather isnt as easy as it sounds -- I learned what layers I need and what i can do wihtout. I went once this season without a scarf and I wont make that mistake again. I dont always need it for face coverage but i wrap it multiple times around my neck and it keeps that from getting windburned. I still need a fleece headband. I have a thin fleece hat that fits under my helmet but its not quite long enough to protect the ears. So i need a headband to help that.
None of my friends are big bikers but I like to compete against myself lol. I always want to go longer, faster and harder. Some of the hills were tough today. I reminded myself that the reward of getting up a hill is going down the other side!!
Last summer, Mr. F taught me how to actually use the gears on my bike (Thanks honey). Prior to that, I would shift a little but have no idea what i was doing. I really really enjoy biking now that I have an idea of what im doing. My butt is still adjusting to biking longer distances :) And today after an 8 mile ride on sunday and an 11 mile ride today -- my quads are feeling it!
One of my goals for this summer is to bike to a town 17 miles away on the luce line trail and enjoy a nice meal and bike back home. Last summer, I did that with a different town that was 11 miles away. That was one hard ride ... I wasnt accustomed to biking that far yet and I could feel it!
Thats all for now folks
Mrs. F
Friday, March 25, 2011
Weigh in
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 155.2 lbs.
Today: 156.5 lbs.
Gain/Loss: + 1.3 lbs.
Goal: 140.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 26.3 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 16.5
Comment: Its been a very stressful week with sick kids and water in the basement. I didnt get any workouts in this week and the weigh in reflects that. I did okay on the eating front mostly, so I also think my body is holding onto some weight too. Mrs. F
Last Friday: 155.2 lbs.
Today: 156.5 lbs.
Gain/Loss: + 1.3 lbs.
Goal: 140.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 26.3 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 16.5
Comment: Its been a very stressful week with sick kids and water in the basement. I didnt get any workouts in this week and the weigh in reflects that. I did okay on the eating front mostly, so I also think my body is holding onto some weight too. Mrs. F
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