Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Day 30. End of the First Month.

Well, here it is. One month of exercising at least five days a week has come to a close. I've gone from 270 to 256. A loss of 14 lbs. Not too shabby, especially considering I haven't altered my diet all that much. But I am, at the very least, conscious of what I'm eating. I might not always make the healthiest decision, but it's not one I make off the cuff. Usually it's just a matter of what is on hand, especially on Mondays and Wednesdays, since these are my crazy busiest days. From now on I'll be checking my progress weekly on Mondays and posting here. I don't think I'll be posting my daily eating habits, either. I did it mostly to make me aware of how good or bad I was eating. I'll still try to post daily, though. Either progress on the running program or with weightlifting or something like that.

So today was the second of three days this week with the Couch to 5K program. The first week consists of running for 60 seconds, walking for 90 seconds. Cardiovascularly, I was much better off. I wasn't near as winded as I was Monday. But the real kicker is the shin splints. Ow. My left leg cramped up a bit, as is its wont. I think I might not have stretched enough, as I didn't have this problem Monday. Who knows? I'll just stretch better and see how it goes. But I take it as a good sign that my heart and lungs did better with this run.

Breakfast: Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. Cheerwine.
Lunch: VitaminWater Power-C.
Dinner: Darrell's foot-long hot dog with chili, slaw, ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. Tater tots. Cheerwine.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Day 29. 256lbs.

"Light" day today, hour on the recumbent. But I'm ramping the speed up more.

Weigh in: 256lbs! Rock!

Breakfast: Huge salad, two pieces of pizza. Milk.
Lunch: Big salad. Water.
Dinner: 2oz. of steak, one slice pizza, chicken salad sandwich, pasta salad. Sweet tea.

pour toi, ma coeur

Monday, September 28, 2009

Day 28. Ow.

So I started Couch-to-5K today. Ow. You think your cardiovascular fitness is improving, running as long as you have on the exercise bike. But you'd be wrong. Dead, dead wrong. I am, at least, not as dead as I would have been if I had not been working out the last four weeks. Got some minor shin splints, but that's ok. It's not terrible, but jeebus that wasn't easy.

Breakfast: Vending machine mini-donuts (actually healthier and cheaper than the canteen). Vitamin Water.
Lunch: Slice of thin-crust cheese pizza. Diet Sweet Green Tea.
Dinner: Slice of thin-crust cheese and cheeseburger pizza, one each. Water.

work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Day 27

Man, what a gorgeous day! I can't think of many ways to improve upon it. But...for here, for now, it was a very nice day. And I ate much healthier today, too. I'm very much psyched about starting the running tomorrow. I'm trying to get John to join in. The more people I can push, the easier it is to push myself.

Brunch: Broccoli and asian veggies with garlic sauce and white rice. Sweet tea and hot green tea.
Dinner: Steak with salad, steamed broccoli, 12-grain wheat bread, and kebabs(green pepper, orange pepper, cucumber, onion, squash, with olive oil, no salt seasoning, a little red wine vinegar and Italian spices[guess who made those! ^_^]). Water.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Days 25 and 26.

I've actually had an enjoyable couple of days and wasn't near WiFi for some of it, hence my lack of update yesterday. But I can lump it in today.

Friday: Another hour on the bike, time flying when reading! I'm going to miss that when I switch to the running program next week. Oh well, I'll have Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Breakfast/Lunch: Chicken biscuit. VitaminWater.
Dinner: Hibachi steak and chicken with veggie stirfry. Cheerwine.


Saturday: No YMCA activity. I took a day to just rest and enjoy the cool rainy day reading. Not a real healthy eating day, though. But no soft drinks.

Brunch: Thin crust beef or cheese pizza slices. Sweet tea.
Dinner: Same.


Tomorrow I think my eating will be a little better, one way or another. I think I'm looking a little thinner, but I look at myself in the mirror each day. The progress will, naturally, be somewhat imperceptible to me. But, I was able to get into a pair of 35" waist shorts Friday. It wasn't any more uncomfortable than they had been earlier this spring, but I couldn't fit into them over the summer at all, so I guess it's steps in the right direction. Overall I'm disappointed (more in myself than anything) in my progress, but that has a lot more to do with impatience and being tired of the extra weight. I know there are no lasting quick fixes, but I'm tired of carrying it. When I exercise, I feel like I'm strapped into this "fat vest" and I just want to take it off and be done with it. I'm not giving up, I'm not feeling super discouraged. I need to remind myself each day to keep an eye on what I eat. I might use some of my refund money to get some protein bars to keep on hand. Rather than resorting to going hungry or fried breakfast, have something healthy(ish) on hand. Money doesn't solve everything, but it does open up more options.

So the new plan is to run according to the Couch to 5K schedule on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The program calls for 20-30 minutes. After that I might swim or hit the bike. On Tuesday and Thursday I'll likely be on the bike, maybe hit the weights, since I have more time to spare on those days. And this is my last free weekend for a while. 8-10 hours walking on my feet all day should count as exercise. At least, I'm going to count it.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Day 24.

Time passes by so much better when reading. Leave it to me to nerd up working out with books.

Breakfast: Burrito with beef, beans, salsa, lettuce, fat free sour cream, cheese. Water.
Lunch: Chick-fil-A sandwich on wheat with lettuce, tomato, provolone and waffle fries. Cherry Coke.
Dinner: Baked spaghetti with peppers, onions. Water.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Day 23.

Another hour on the recumbent, but I brought along a book (Terry Pratchett's Men at Arms) and that made the time pass much faster. Which is fantastic, as an hour on any kind of exercise gets old after a while.

Breakfast: Caesar salad. Water.
Lunch: Mashed potatos and gravy, green beans. Water.
Dinner: Footlong hotdog and tater tots. Cheerwine.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Day 22, Week 4. 258

Weight loss is slowing a bit, but that's ok. I ate horribly last week, too. Still pushing the bike as much as I can. Going to start the Couch-to-5K thing next week.

Weigh in: 258.

Breakfast/Lunch: Spaghetti, sauce with sliced peppers in it. Milk.
Dinner: Caesar Salad. Pasta Primavera with broccoli, carrots, green and orange peppers, yellow squash, zucchini. Milk.

pour toi, ma coeur

Monday, September 21, 2009

Day 21, End Week 3.

Today was a little better. At least, it certainly was by comparison. I might have to start a running program a week earlier than I was thinking, though. I wasn't nearly as tired today at the end of my routine as I was Friday. And I was working with more resistance. Bike's not maxed out, though. Yet.

Breakfast: bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. VitaminWater.
Lunch: Two hotdogs. Water.
Snack: Apple.
Dinner: Pork tenderloin with potatoes, corn, green beans. Water.

work it harder, make it better, move it faster, makes us stronger

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Day 20,

Yeah. Not healthy at all. Can't even pretend it was healthy. Heh. However, I didn't eat all that much. And I gave blood. Calories be damned, I was bleedin' fer Jesus!

Breakfast/lunch: Hardee's Monster Thickburger Combo w/ curly fries. Half Cherry Coke, Half Diet Dr. Pepper.
"Dinner": Small piece of carrot cake. Fruit punch. Later, two glasses of V-Fusion.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Day 19, almost on time.

Slow starting day, but got busy later in the day. If I would have known my day would have been so slow, I would have hit the Y. I did do a lot of standing and walking at Chase's game, at least. And While I might not have eaten super healthy, the portions were a lot better than yesterday.

Breakfast: Sheetz chicken caesar salad wrap. Cheerwine.
Lunch: Hamburger patty, small baked potato. Water.
Dinner: The equivalent of a slice and a half of Papa John's deep dish pepperoni pizza. Water.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Day 18, a little late.

Not a healthy day, but I was pushing it a little harder today than usual. I've been looking at a plan call Couch-to-5K. Starting in the first full week of October, I think I'm going to jump into it. Check it out here. It seems pretty simple and, by all accounts, is pretty effective. I've just got to push the bike for the next couple of weeks until I start. Get the cardiovascular fitness up a little bit more before I start the running.

Breakfast: Hashbrowns. Water.
Lunch: BBQ, slaw, hushpuppies. Water.
Dinner: Hamburger patty, baked potato. Later(!): Cheeseburger, hot dog.

I was hungry. Gotta eat more salads, veggies in the next couple of days.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Day 17

Each day I push the resistance up on the recumbent bike a little bit more. If I remember my water bottle, I run at least 4 15 minute intervals on the bike. If I don't, I'll do 10 minute intervals to at least 60 minutes. Less time because I sweat a lot, imagine, and need more water. Break up the intervals with a few laps around the track walking/jogging.

I eat a lot of leftovers. So it's not always super healthy. But I try to either add health or minimize bad stuff. I also can't control what the 'rents bring home for supper. But that said, I love food and Darrell's is the best worst food I can get my hands on. Yum.

Breakfast: Beef taco supreme. Water.
Lunch: Rice with sliced green and red peppers, onions. Diet V8 Splash.
Dinner: Footlong hotdog with slaw, chili and tater tots. Water.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Day 16

Another hour of cardio on the recumbent bike, but the resistance is continuing to be increased.

Breakfast: Steak, egg, and cheese croisant. VitaminWater.
Lunch: Apple. Water.
Dinner: Darrell's. Cheerwine.

Wednesdays are definitely going to be my bad food day.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Day 15. Beginning of Week 3. 261lbs.

More cardio at the YMCA. Didn't stay as long, but I mixed it up some. 45 minutes on the recumbent bike, about 30 minutes of running and walking on the indoor track.

Todays weigh in? 261.

Maybe not quite as fast as I'd like, but it's in the right direction. I'm back where I was at the beginning of the summer. I can still make my goal of being under 250 come the opening weekend of Faire easily.

Breakfast: Banana. Diet V8 Splash.
Lunch: Lots of salad. Milk and water.
Dinner: Not sure yet. If I cook, I'll make one of the freezer steamer meals and add some more veggies. Water or Diet V8 Splash to drink.

work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger

Monday, September 14, 2009

On Curves.

I have never been a fan of grading curves. Mostly because I was always at the top of the curve, and giving extra points to people who didn't study or bother to learn the material is repugnant. To me, at least. You don't deserve extra points just because you couldn't be bothered to learn the material. That's crap, pure and simple.

I bring this up because I got my test score back for my first test in Music Appreciation today. It was a doozy of a test, too. 93 questions, I believe. The class average? 64. My score? 98. Call me the Bane of the Grading Curve. But the professor decided to give everyone an extra 10 points. I think it's crap. But oh well. Three people walked out of the class shortly after getting their scores. I hope they don't come back. Yeesh.

I guess I'll just keep killing the curve. And having a 98+ average in all four of my classes. Win.

they see me rollin'

Day 14, End Week 2

More of the same on cardio. Hour and a half on the recumbent bike, broken up with a little bit of track walking/running. I must be making a little progress, as I'm less winded and using higher resistance.

Breakfast: Chicken biscuit. Vitamin Water.
Lunch: Plain hamburger, the school sized mini kind. Vitamin Water.
Dinner: Michaelina's Lean Gourmet Fettucini Florentine. Diet V8 Splash. I'm very likely to have a salad or two with water when I get home from class.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Day 13

Not a lot of work today, but I did help my grandmother clean up her kitchen after church.

Breakfast: I didn't get out of bed in time. Toothpaste?
Lunch: Two salads of various lettuces and green leaves. Two plates of homemade chicken veggie pie. A small plate of various desserts. Lots of water to drink.
Dinner: Salad of spinach and field greens. Sonic chili cheese footlong with tater tots. Milk, V8 Splash.

Not a super healthy day, but it was reasonably healthy overall.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Day 12

I had been working on the math in my head. I think I've discovered a bit of a plan that will work for swift fat loss. Exercise enough to burn up 2000 calories, consumed 2000 calories in food a day. Which, as far as "diets" go is a pretty hefty amount of food. This isn't a lifelong plan. This month is about jump-starting my metabolism, burning through the inertia with lots of hard work and strict control. After the end of the month, I'm going to ease up on the work and restrictions. By that time, I should be at a level of fitness and activity that I'll be a lot healthier overall and no longer under anyone's definition of obese. I carry a lot of fat around and probably qualify at my current weight. Burn off a lot of fat, get back to "overweight," keep up the activity.

The math is pretty simple. My long-term target weight is 225. But I might not ever get there, depending on how much muscle I put on. But. According to all the research I've done, a body needs 12 Calories per pound to maintain weight. To maintain 270lbs, I need to consume 3200 Calories a day. To maintain 225, I need 2700. That's really a lot of food. If I eat at a level of my target weight, the Calorie deficit will result in fat-weight loss all on it's own. Initially, a pound of week of fat. Not bad, really. With the recumbent bike (my favorite machine for cardio!) I burn the same number of Calories as I weigh every 15 minutes as long as I maintain at least 12mph. More if I go faster, but I like conservative estimates. That's about 1000 Calories of fat an hour. My usual routine is an hour and a half of bike time, then making up the rest in walking and other exercise. It's improving my cardiovascular fitness and trimming fat. If I maintain a diet of around 2000 Calories and exercise about 2000 Calories a day, I'll trim off a few ounces more than 5 lbs. a week.

Again, this is not a plan I'm going to use for longer than the end of the month. 30 days of mad work to get things started. October will be a lot more reasonable. But healthier. I'd love to be able to do a five mile run without stopping someday. Maybe I'll be able to run The Bear at Grandfather Mountain next summer. Ha! Right.

Breakfast: Michaelina's Lean Gourmet pocket pizza things. V8 Splash.
Lunch: Salad of spinach and field greens with chopped carrots and broccoli with feta and 1000 island dressing. Michaelina's Sweet and Sour Chicken. V8 Splash, Milk.
Dinner: Steak sub with peppers, onions, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms and a handful of baked fries. Water.

work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger

Friday, September 11, 2009

Day 11

Nothing exciting on the exercise front. Hour and a half on the recumbent bike in 15 minute "sets" broken up by a couple of laps around the indoor track as a "rest" period. But that bike is my best bet for continuous calorie burn and cardio workout.

Breakfast: Serving of chopped pineapple, beef taco supreme (Silence! I eat what's quick and available.). Diet V8 Splash.

Lunch: Veggie stir-fry and fried rice leftovers. Milk

Dinner: I have no idea. Most likely a lot of salad. Water or V8 to drink.

work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Day 10

45 minutes on the incline bike. Walk a half mile. JOG A HALF MILE. The 1/2 mile is conquered. But I pushed just a smidge too hard to get it. But I can do it. Half mile ain't got nuthin on me.

Breakfast: Chopped pineapples (yum!). Water
Lunch: Leftover barbeque, slaw, hushpuppies. Diet V8 Splash.
Snack: Chopped pineapples (yum!). Water
Dinner: Brick oven cooked pizza. Water, Red Sin.

Luckily the pool will open back up next week. I think I'm going to focus on the incline bike for my workouts, though. At least until I get my tibialis anterior muscles a little stronger. Shin splints are bad.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Day 9

Cardio week continues! Incline bike for 30 minutes crazy hard. Walked/jogged a mile. Actually jogged a quarter mile without stopping. Massive improvement! Maybe I can hit a half mile by the end of the week. The only thing stopping me from another lap this time was congestion combined with a little thirst and a slight cramp in my left tabialis anterior. Better stretches! Water! Push it!

Breakfast: VitaminWater - Power-C.
Lunch: Arby's Roast chicken sammich combo. Cheerwine. Yes, terrible me, fried potatoes and soda. Wednesday is my "bad day" I think, but overall it's not terrible. Next time I'll go sans fries.
Dinner: Darrell's with my grandmother before choir practice. Probably a BBQ plate with slaw and some other kind of reasonably healthy vegetable. Cheerwine to drink.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Pour mon ange.

I am a martyr.
I will sacrifice of myself
Whatever is needed
To win your love
My worth to prove.
Let me be your martyr.
Let me be your knight.
Let my sword and shield
Be in your service.
Be my angel.
Sing your songs to me.
Whisper your love in my ears
And my heart.
Bring your gentle touch
To soothe my heart's pains.
Light down here to me.
I have one wing.
I cannot fly on my own,
But I have when you have been with me.
Let me soar again.
Bring your light back
On the wings of your love
And chase away the pain
And loneliness of my darkness.
Embrace me again.
Let me love you once more.

te amo sempris

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Day 8. 265lbs.

A week before I started working out for serious, I weighed in at 274 (after breakfast). The first day of Operation: Get Awesome, I was 270. After today's "fasting" and workout, I clock in at 265. It's improvement. A reasonable rate, really, but not good enough. But then, my diet hasn't been super healthy, either.

This week, that changes. No white bread. No fried potato products. I won't say no soda, because I do love me some cold caffeine, but no more than a single 12oz. can a day. Serious focus on portion control, and the injection of a whole lot more fruits and veggies, solid or juice form, as I can make it happen. I don't control the pantry and fridge in the house, so I do have to make do where I can. I'm discovering I can be satisfied with less. The last time I ate Arby's was their chicken salad sammich combo, which would have done me just fine with just the sammich alone. Also, I am keeping a close watch on the "eating because I'm bored" thing. It's a temptation to sit and snack. Gluttony is my "big sin" so it's the one that tempts me hardest.

Brunch, after a fashion: reuben wrap, potato wedges, water. This was a very late night meal last night/this morning with John and KC. I slept in until around noon, then work out at 3PM. Lack of hunger means not eating.
Dinner: Roast chicken breast and thigh, roast potatoes, slaw with a salad consisting of spinach and field greens with carrots, raw broccoli, tomatoes. Diet V8 Splash.

pour toi, ma coeur

Monday, September 07, 2009

Day 7

Today, no YMCA access. So I have to improvise.

Breakfast: Caesar salad. Water.
Lunch: Broccoli Cheese Calzone. Water.
Snack: Whole wheat cheese crackers, peanut butter; one serving (according to the packaging) of each. Water.
Dinner: Leftover roast beef, carrots, potatoes. Enough for a bowl. Milk.

Today's exercise is just going to be walking around for a loooong time. But that's ok. I have head phones and wrist/ankle weights for added difficulty.

Tomorrow, I weigh myself again, take new pics. Oh. Yay.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Day 5, Day 6 - Weekend 1

So I'm not doing a lot by way of "organized exercise" on the weekends. Muscles need rest, but I'm trying to stay active. Still working on the whole eating healthier thing.

Saturday
Breakfast: Three Krispy Kreme donuts. Shut up, Krispy Kreme is made of crack. They were hot and fresh. There is no resistance. Can of Cheerwine.
Lunch: Roast beef, potatoes, carrots, lima beans. Glass of Milk.
Dinner: Two slices of sauceless pepperoni pizza, two hot dog weiners. Lots of water. I hadn't planned on anything for dinner, as my breakfast was at around 11AM and dinner was late-ish, too, but my desert warranted having more on my stomach.
Desert: Glenlivet Nadurra, 16 year old single malt scotch. Ho. Lee. Cow. That was some damn fine scotch, but it packs a 59.7% alcohol content compared to the normal 40%.

Sunday
Breakfast: One donut. Glass of Cheerwine. Early morning on top of a late night. I needed some sugar and caffeine.
Lunch: Bojangles. Chicken breast and leg. Dirty rice, cole slaw, 2 biscuits. Lots of water.
Dinner: Part of a broccoli and cheddar calzone, caesar salad. Lots of water. And I'll have enough for lunch tomorrow! Huzzah!

harder, better, faster, stronger

Friday, September 04, 2009

Day 4

Today's menu is a little healthier. Hopefully the trend will continue!

Breakfast: Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. VitaminWater Power-C. I know there's a lot of fat and sodium there, but protein is really good first thing in the morning.

Lunch: Rice with mixed vegetables (broccoli, peppers, carrots, etc). 12oz. Cheerwine. I am allotting myself 1 can of soda a day. I don't have to drink it, and I hope to get to the point where I don't. But we have some in the house, and we're out of milk.

Snack: Special K protein bar. Diet green tea.

Dinner: Roast beef with roast potatoes and carrots, lima beans. Water.

"Dessert": Drinks for KC's birthday!

Today I went light on the exercise. I'm starting to get a bit snotty. I think it's fall allergy time, hooray. So while I'm waiting for the loratidin to dose up, I just did aerobics. Walked a mile and a half, elliptical for half a mile, biked a mile, hit the crunch machine. They're closing the pool for a week to do some upgrades, so I'll have to switch to more walking for the next week. It makes me sad.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Day 3

I've got to get on top of this whole food thing. It's not bad, and better, but not good enough yet.

Breakfast - Turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat. 12oz. of Cheerwine.
Lunch - Turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat. 12oz. of Cheerwine.
Snack - after workout, some wheat crackers with peanut butter. Water.
Dinner - New York style Danny's pizza, 2-3 pieces. Water.

Overall it's not too bad, but it could be better. I need to drink more water and less soda. It's hard. Because Cheerwine is so awesome.

I've hit the routine for the workout. Tuesdays and Thursdays are leg days. I've got to work harder on my legs. I don't even feel anything right now. But the lap swim is still awesomely hard.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Day 2

Alrighty, two days running! New record!

Food for the day. Not as healthy as I'd like, but sometimes I work with limited options. And I love Cheerwine. And Darrell's.

Breakfast - steak biscuit with 12oz. can of Cheerwine and a 16oz. bottle of V8 Splash.
Lunch - Arby's Chicken Salad Sandwich (on wheat) combo with potato cakes and half pink lemonade/half unsweetened tea.
Dinner - Darrell's, bastion of healthy food! Burger with tots and Cheerwine.


Today I started "the routine" at the gym. M, W, F - Upper body. T, Th - Lower body. Abs and cardio every day. Today I didn't swim, as I left my trunks at home. I walked/jogged a mile, and did two miles on the stationary bike. I worked every muscle I could think of on the upper body, arms, shoulders, neck, etc. Ended up spending about 50 minutes total working out. My body is likely to hate me tomorrow, but oh well! My arms get a break and I don't have to worry about hauling books around since I don't have classes tomorrow.

harder, better, faster, stronger

Examination of a Phrase

Apropos of nothing in particular, I've always been amused by the prevalence of the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." The phrase is amusing to me on several levels.

First, that it seeks to excuse some kind of behavior. Does it aim to make it okay for a woman to fly off the handle because someone denied her or betrayed her? That's a horrible double standard.

Second, it's rather sexist, really, which just makes it that much funnier when a woman might hold the phrase over your head. It seems to suggest that a woman who has been spurned is more likely to exhibit some petty emotional reaction or plot some kind of hurt-filled revenge. Women are no more likely to this behavior than any given man. It's just a poor standard to hold.

Lastly, it's incomplete. It's only the second part of a full quote. And in my opinion the weaker of the two. The full line is "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned / Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Now, for me, I think the notion of heavenly rage is a far more disturbing and scary one. No one is shocked when the forces of evil or corruption gives into temper or hate. But when a force of good and/or order unleashes its wrath, it is a far more noteworthy example.

Before anyone starts giving away knowing or worried glances, this entry isn't some kind of subtle warning. I've always wondered and pondered about the phrasing and its usage. Granted, recent events might have brought such feelings out in me, I am not a woman scorned, nor am I inclined to bring rage, heavenly or otherwise, against anyone.

I just have too much time on my hands to think in between classes, maybe. Heh.

now that-that-that that don't kill me

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Sept. 1st - Day 1 - 270lbs. Let the carving begin.

Today begins the dieting and exercise for reals. I had tried to at least watch what I ate over the summer, exercise something like regularly, even if it was just walks around the neighborhood. I couldn't make that stick, for a lot of reasons.

But I have a workout partner now. And that's going to help me bunches. Hopefully, I will be able to get 5 days a week worth of workouts, preferably Monday through Friday. Around an hour a day spent lifting weights, then swimming laps. I'm hoping this will work swiftly. It should boost my metabolism pretty quickly, but I'm not as young as I used to be. And I've got someone to push me and, maybe, for me to push. It's a lot easier for me to push myself if I'm pushing someone else, too.

So here's what I'm going to try and do. I've got mad downtime during the day between classes, so I'm going to try and keep a daily log of what I eat and what exercises I do that day. I'm not going to weep and gnash my teeth if I eat unhealthy, so you, gentle readers, don't need to do so, either, unless I go really nuts several days in a row. I will weigh myself once a week first thing in the morning like I did this morning. Next weigh-in: first thing Tuesday September 8th. I'm also going to take pictures right after the weigh-in, but those I don't think I'll post. Forgive my self-consciousness. No one wants to see fat dude shirtless with stretch-marks. At least, I don't.

Today I had breakfast/lunch consisting of a 6" chicken teriyaki Subway sub on wheat with spinach, lettuce and banana peppers, two slices of thin crust spinach alfredo pizza and a slice of deep dish pepperoni with two cans of Cheerwine. Now, before I get angry replies, it was a slice too much probably, but I was crazy hungry at noon and my eye were bigger than my stomach. I'm also trying to eat up the leftovers. And it was two meals together. Not great, but not terrible. I'm not going to do any more soft drinks today. Milk, water, juice.

No workout yet, but I have to wait on my partner/ride. This afternoon will be t3h workouts. I'll update the blog when I've come back from the gym.

UPDATE: First workout is done! I feel awesome! I didn't really work anything specific, just really getting myself familiar with the machines. I did so miss the leg press. The machines I am likely to hit will be incline press, rowing machine, leg extension and flexion machines, leg press, curl and reverse curl. Throw in some dumb bells for curls. I'll likely alternate lower body and upper body. I did that for about 30 minutes working fairly fast, not stopping much. Heart rate, it was up. The real kicker was swimming. I did that for about 20 minutes total. I'd swim breast stroke for as many laps as I could, then stop and tread water and catch my breath. Then back to swimming. I like the breast stroke. It works the legs, arms and my abs. I am sore, but I am feeling good.

harder, better, faster, stronger