I've been going to the gym, I swear it. I had to take a hiatus from my goals though. I was still trying to be rigorous in my workouts, but I was having some sever knee pains in my left leg and the idea of running at all was a joke. I spent most of the last month alternating between hitting the treadmill at a walk (trying jogging now and again, but never for more than a min or two) and hitting the eliptical.
My lifting routine has been unaffected, but i'm making very little progress there. In terms of weight loss, that came easily to me. I think in part because I had a lot to lose but also because I quickly found a program that worked for me and then stuck with it. I'm having a very very hard time with this lifting program because I don't know a good way to grow it. I do a lot of reading online and talk to people who are very into this space, but I just haven't found a good way to do this yet with a lifting routine i'm comfortable with. It'll come, and it's not yet my primary focus, but in the meantime I suspect it'll frustrate the hell out of me.
One other thing that i've sort of quasi taken on is playing personal trainer to my mom. She's made a decision to focus on losing weight and being healthier. I've worked with her to develop a set of goals around this focus, given her a set of tools to track her goals and measure performance, and then also worked with her to set up a routine that will support those goals. Now my job is to police her and make sure she sticks to it. I'm going to kick her ass!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Frustration on All Sides
I guess i'm back at the beginning folks. I'm just not sure what to do. I'll start with a beginning, and hopefully that will help you understand where I'm at.
So it really starts with the running goal. I know how to push that one, I feel confident in my ability to continue to pursue that goal. It's relatively easy I think. Here's where I am, here's where I want to be, here's what I think I need to do to get there. Push push push, add a little every day and don't cave in. It was working well. Then all of the sudden last week my left knee just gave up the ghost. I was running on the treadmill and it really started to hurt. I managed to finish the run (WITH the additional time I might add!) and i've been limping since. Today it's starting to feel better, but it worries me. Is it the running that added up and finally gave it up or was it just a one time isolated thing? I've been prone to knee issues my whole life - my whole family is. I don't want to quit, but I don't know enough to gauge whether this is something that needs to be addressed in a different way or not. I guess for now i'll just take it easy for this week and then next week push back at it. We'll see though on this front I guess.
The real problem is the weight lifting goal. I'm not making any progress at all here. I don't know how. How do I push this area? I mean, it's not like I can just say "keep lifting more weight" because I just flat out can't. Is it something I'm doing? Something i'm not doing? Am I doing the wrong lifts? Am I doing the right lifts the wrong way? Is it something i'm eating or not eating? Is it just that i'm spreading myself between too different of goals between the running and the lifting? Maybe i'm actually making progress at the right pace and I just don't know it? I don't know what I don't know, and maybe it's time to seek help? Who do I talk to? I hate trainers, but theoretically they know what they're about. They should - it's what you pay them for right? I just really *like* doing things on my own though. It makes every accomplishment that much better and more meaningful.
I'll keep going for now. I need to make a decision soon though on what to do. I can't deal with this kind of frustration for long. It's just detrimental to the whole process I think - too discouraging. More to come soon!
So it really starts with the running goal. I know how to push that one, I feel confident in my ability to continue to pursue that goal. It's relatively easy I think. Here's where I am, here's where I want to be, here's what I think I need to do to get there. Push push push, add a little every day and don't cave in. It was working well. Then all of the sudden last week my left knee just gave up the ghost. I was running on the treadmill and it really started to hurt. I managed to finish the run (WITH the additional time I might add!) and i've been limping since. Today it's starting to feel better, but it worries me. Is it the running that added up and finally gave it up or was it just a one time isolated thing? I've been prone to knee issues my whole life - my whole family is. I don't want to quit, but I don't know enough to gauge whether this is something that needs to be addressed in a different way or not. I guess for now i'll just take it easy for this week and then next week push back at it. We'll see though on this front I guess.
The real problem is the weight lifting goal. I'm not making any progress at all here. I don't know how. How do I push this area? I mean, it's not like I can just say "keep lifting more weight" because I just flat out can't. Is it something I'm doing? Something i'm not doing? Am I doing the wrong lifts? Am I doing the right lifts the wrong way? Is it something i'm eating or not eating? Is it just that i'm spreading myself between too different of goals between the running and the lifting? Maybe i'm actually making progress at the right pace and I just don't know it? I don't know what I don't know, and maybe it's time to seek help? Who do I talk to? I hate trainers, but theoretically they know what they're about. They should - it's what you pay them for right? I just really *like* doing things on my own though. It makes every accomplishment that much better and more meaningful.
I'll keep going for now. I need to make a decision soon though on what to do. I can't deal with this kind of frustration for long. It's just detrimental to the whole process I think - too discouraging. More to come soon!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A New Year - Welcome 2013!
OK, let me start out with some honesty. Yes, i've been avoiding you. . .but not for the reasons you think! First of all, yes, I only achieved 95% of my goal. I'm happy with that.
Definitely.
Alright! Alright! I'm not happy with it. I can live with it though. It was pretty damn close, and I still worked really hard and achieved a lot. Most people would be thrilled with it. I look and feel great, and the time is right to look at 2013 for creating new and exciting challenges for myself.
To begin, my weight goal is done. I came up short, true, but it's not something I want to or need to focus on anymore. I'm going to consider it a tertiary target. I could still stand to lose another 10 pounds, but I think that that will happen as I work on the other goals that i've decided on. Weight is only a number after all - it does *not* reflect overall health. If I can stick +5/-10 pounds of where I am now forever, i'm happy from that perspective.
Now, that being done, let me lay out my plan for 2013. I think fitness can be measured in a lot of different ways. I really want to spread my focus out into a couple of different areas so that I don't find myself with a tunnel vision kind of focus on only one type of fitness. To that end, i've decided to create four goals for myself. Two of them will focus on strength training and two will be more of a stamina type goal.
Goal #1: do 10 unassisted pullups by the end of June. This goal is as simple as it sounds. I can do two right now. I want be able to do 10 by June. Why pullups? Because I had to pick a specific thing to work on and pullups involve a lot of different muscle groups (arms, back, shoulders, chest) so it seemed like a great way to do it. Why June? This gives me time to work on goal number 2.
Goal #2: bench press my own body weight (195#) by the end of the year. This one i'm a bit more shaky on. My biggest concern when setting goals is that I don't know if any goal I set is reasonable. I mean, on a long enough time line i'm sure I could bench my own body weight, but is 6 months enough? I think so. Plus I think this is a huge deal - for no good reason at all, people use this as a benchmark for stregnth. OK, fine - i'll jump on the bandwagon.
Goal #3: be able to run for 30 straight minutes at 6mph by June. I am not a runner. I've never been one. This is something I need to remedy though. The health benefits of running are myriad. In addition, I'd really like to have a strong cardio background to go along with my strength training. I think the additional stamina can only be a good thing! I *think* I can get this one in by April, but with limited experience in this arena I think an extra month or two is probably in order.
Goal #4: something else to do with running. I just don't know what yet. I'm thinking of doing a goal where I up the speed of my 30 minutes straight to something higher. Maybe I run farther? I just don't know what would be a good idea here. Thoughts?
So there you have it. 2012 is behind me, and it was mostly successful. 2013 is ahead of me and the goals just keep rolling. I'm going to work hard to make this a challenging, fun and successful year. Here we go again!
Definitely.
Alright! Alright! I'm not happy with it. I can live with it though. It was pretty damn close, and I still worked really hard and achieved a lot. Most people would be thrilled with it. I look and feel great, and the time is right to look at 2013 for creating new and exciting challenges for myself.
To begin, my weight goal is done. I came up short, true, but it's not something I want to or need to focus on anymore. I'm going to consider it a tertiary target. I could still stand to lose another 10 pounds, but I think that that will happen as I work on the other goals that i've decided on. Weight is only a number after all - it does *not* reflect overall health. If I can stick +5/-10 pounds of where I am now forever, i'm happy from that perspective.
Now, that being done, let me lay out my plan for 2013. I think fitness can be measured in a lot of different ways. I really want to spread my focus out into a couple of different areas so that I don't find myself with a tunnel vision kind of focus on only one type of fitness. To that end, i've decided to create four goals for myself. Two of them will focus on strength training and two will be more of a stamina type goal.
Goal #1: do 10 unassisted pullups by the end of June. This goal is as simple as it sounds. I can do two right now. I want be able to do 10 by June. Why pullups? Because I had to pick a specific thing to work on and pullups involve a lot of different muscle groups (arms, back, shoulders, chest) so it seemed like a great way to do it. Why June? This gives me time to work on goal number 2.
Goal #2: bench press my own body weight (195#) by the end of the year. This one i'm a bit more shaky on. My biggest concern when setting goals is that I don't know if any goal I set is reasonable. I mean, on a long enough time line i'm sure I could bench my own body weight, but is 6 months enough? I think so. Plus I think this is a huge deal - for no good reason at all, people use this as a benchmark for stregnth. OK, fine - i'll jump on the bandwagon.
Goal #3: be able to run for 30 straight minutes at 6mph by June. I am not a runner. I've never been one. This is something I need to remedy though. The health benefits of running are myriad. In addition, I'd really like to have a strong cardio background to go along with my strength training. I think the additional stamina can only be a good thing! I *think* I can get this one in by April, but with limited experience in this arena I think an extra month or two is probably in order.
Goal #4: something else to do with running. I just don't know what yet. I'm thinking of doing a goal where I up the speed of my 30 minutes straight to something higher. Maybe I run farther? I just don't know what would be a good idea here. Thoughts?
So there you have it. 2012 is behind me, and it was mostly successful. 2013 is ahead of me and the goals just keep rolling. I'm going to work hard to make this a challenging, fun and successful year. Here we go again!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Closing In (-3#)
I've been going to the gym in the early morning this week. It's exhausting. I love how it opens my day up so I can do what I want when I want. On top of that, I get up at the same time I usually get up for work (i'm on vacation until early January) so I don't really even have to change my routine. It's nice - except for i'm unbelievably tired for apparently no reason at all. Plus the gym is super busy in the morning compared to my normal time. IDK - i'll go with it for now because it affords me some pretty awesome luxuries.
I'm down another 3 pounds this week. It actually kept bouncing between 3 and 4 pounds, but in the end when I stepped off I decided to leave it at 3 and put the other ~.5 towards next week's loss. I'm pretty excited about it. I really feel like I'm still in the hunt on my goal. 95% at this point is pretty fucking fantastic, and if I go out on it I'll still feel pretty good about what I accomplished. I'm digging my chances on the full goal though. I only have to make it through 2 more weeks of being reasonably decent about what I eat. The flip side of course is that I'll be at my in-laws for at least 5 of those days, so no gym. All hills up there so running is out. Just calisthenics and diet. Ugh, pressure.
Home stretch though folks. Almost. Fucking. There.
I'm down another 3 pounds this week. It actually kept bouncing between 3 and 4 pounds, but in the end when I stepped off I decided to leave it at 3 and put the other ~.5 towards next week's loss. I'm pretty excited about it. I really feel like I'm still in the hunt on my goal. 95% at this point is pretty fucking fantastic, and if I go out on it I'll still feel pretty good about what I accomplished. I'm digging my chances on the full goal though. I only have to make it through 2 more weeks of being reasonably decent about what I eat. The flip side of course is that I'll be at my in-laws for at least 5 of those days, so no gym. All hills up there so running is out. Just calisthenics and diet. Ugh, pressure.
Home stretch though folks. Almost. Fucking. There.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
I Can't Explain It (+2# & -4#)
No, I did not post last week. Yes, it was because I had gained weight - 2 pounds. No, I don't know what happened for sure. My wife has a theory and it seems plausible. Basically it says that whatever you do takes two weeks to show up. That means Thanksgiving had its revenge after all. The net result though was I gained a couple pounds.
Then, suddenly, I lost 4 pounds. Explain that? I didn't change anything. No dietary changes, no exercise changes. Just out of the clear blue sky I lose the two I gained then I lose another two just because fuck you weight gain, I do what I want. Overall net result of two pounds lost. I'll take it. It's so volatile and unpredictable - you'd think it'd be more predictable based on your activities (eating, exercise, etc) but nope, your body pretty much loves to surprise you.
My god damn clothes don't fit again. Isn't that getting old. I just bought a whole bunch of clothes a few months ago and now I'll need a new wardrobe again. When I started I was wearing 44s. I tried on some 36s a week ago and even my son told me they were too big (he's 6). I didn't have time to try on some 34s but I think that'll be the right number. I don't think i've worn 34s since like the 7th grade. I hope it's the last time I have to buy clothes for a while :-)
So, coming into the holiday rush and the gym is getting packed again. I will never understand why it is that people think that going to the gym for the 3-4 month period around the holidays will negate whatever bad dietary decisions they elect to make. I'm really coming to the point where I think diet and exercise should be a lifestyle commitment. It doesn't have to be a religion, but it should be something you think about and commit to doing every day. Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it is to reverse a whole lot of unhealthy living and applaud anyone's effort to do it. From my point of view though, anyone who's just dinking around with it without really committing is wasting their time. By extension, when you're taking up a machine that I like to use without ever achieving anything, you're effectively wasting mine too and THAT is what pisses me off the most.
Yeah, I'm kinda selfish about some things. Good thing you're here for me to whine to internet! Hah!
The interesting thing about missing out on my favorite machine was that it forced me to try something different. So instead of being on the elliptical for 20 minutes, I spent the entire time on the treadmill. Did I walk? Yeah, some. I also ran though. Me. Running. I've never done that in my life. I'd run for a while, then walk a short bit, then run for a little while longer, then walk. In total I ran for 15 minutes within a 20 minute time span. My knees hated it and I felt like big foot clomping on that treadmill, but I still amazed myself. I love that I can do things to amaze myself.
OK, onward fat fighters. Let the battle continue.
Then, suddenly, I lost 4 pounds. Explain that? I didn't change anything. No dietary changes, no exercise changes. Just out of the clear blue sky I lose the two I gained then I lose another two just because fuck you weight gain, I do what I want. Overall net result of two pounds lost. I'll take it. It's so volatile and unpredictable - you'd think it'd be more predictable based on your activities (eating, exercise, etc) but nope, your body pretty much loves to surprise you.My god damn clothes don't fit again. Isn't that getting old. I just bought a whole bunch of clothes a few months ago and now I'll need a new wardrobe again. When I started I was wearing 44s. I tried on some 36s a week ago and even my son told me they were too big (he's 6). I didn't have time to try on some 34s but I think that'll be the right number. I don't think i've worn 34s since like the 7th grade. I hope it's the last time I have to buy clothes for a while :-)
So, coming into the holiday rush and the gym is getting packed again. I will never understand why it is that people think that going to the gym for the 3-4 month period around the holidays will negate whatever bad dietary decisions they elect to make. I'm really coming to the point where I think diet and exercise should be a lifestyle commitment. It doesn't have to be a religion, but it should be something you think about and commit to doing every day. Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it is to reverse a whole lot of unhealthy living and applaud anyone's effort to do it. From my point of view though, anyone who's just dinking around with it without really committing is wasting their time. By extension, when you're taking up a machine that I like to use without ever achieving anything, you're effectively wasting mine too and THAT is what pisses me off the most.
Yeah, I'm kinda selfish about some things. Good thing you're here for me to whine to internet! Hah!
The interesting thing about missing out on my favorite machine was that it forced me to try something different. So instead of being on the elliptical for 20 minutes, I spent the entire time on the treadmill. Did I walk? Yeah, some. I also ran though. Me. Running. I've never done that in my life. I'd run for a while, then walk a short bit, then run for a little while longer, then walk. In total I ran for 15 minutes within a 20 minute time span. My knees hated it and I felt like big foot clomping on that treadmill, but I still amazed myself. I love that I can do things to amaze myself.
OK, onward fat fighters. Let the battle continue.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
SUCK IT THANKSGIVING, SUCK IT! (-2#)
I beat Thanksgiving - how about that. Lots of worrying, lots of reasons to actually worry. . .and look at me now. 90% baby. If I lose another pound I'll be below 200 lbs for the first time since like 1980something. Pretty fan-fucking-tastic, all things considered.
The irony is, this week back to the gym is killing me. I'm sore and stiff like I haven't been in months. I can't believe how half a week off has resulted into me turning back into a pussified ball of weak jelly. Seriously, my legs were not happy about the activity going on this week. Every single exercise has been an effort in pure willpower to get to the end. I'M LOVING IT. It finally feels like i'm doing something again.
One of the things i'm thinking about is as I try to set new goals, I have no idea what i'm doing. Before it was easy - I was a fat ass and needed to not be a fat ass before I could do anything else. My new goals need to reflect the new reality - i'm no longer a fat ass. So what do I do? I could focus on strength. I could focus on bulking up. I could focus on toning. I could focus on endurance training. Lots of approaches to each, and a little bit of crossover, but which do I want to do? Whats my motivation now? Then how do I set mini goals so I know if i'm progressing towards my ultimate goal? I just don't know except that shits gonna get real pretty quick here.
In the meantime, Thanksgiving can suck it, cuz i'm still winning.
Monday, November 26, 2012
What Have I Done?
This sucks. More to follow. . .
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