Archive for FITNESS
Fitness Challenge
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Fat Belly
This week I started this thing called the Global Corporate Challenge, basically me and those in my team have to walk 10,000 steps every day. So far it’s going well, and I’m finding all kinds of ways not to use the car. In the first two days I’ve walked about 24,000 steps so I’m doing quite well. For example I walked into town last night instead of driving, and this took about 30 minutes, but I meant that I could get in all my necessary steps for the day.
I was amazed at how I notched up the steps!
I’ve also been doing well at eating sensibly, and by moving my breakfast to 8am I don’t find I’m eating during the day too much. So far I’ve lost a fair it of weight combining the light activity with the sensible eating. I had got to an all time high in recent months weighing in at 17st 3lbs, so it was really depressing. So I was really pleased this morning to be weighing in at 16st 6lbs this morning, and for the first time in ages by body fat is under 30%.
Building a New Body – Day 4
Posted by: | CommentsHaving written in here several times about doing some amazing new workout routing, going to the gym and getting fit I’ve still failed to lose weight.
Rob's Belly
So I think I finally found an answer to my problem, which is the Body-for-life challenge. This is an exercise and diet plan developed by Bill Phillips and it spells out in 84 days how to get fit, healthy and reduce your body fat. The thing I am good at is following simple instruction and when it comes to body-for-life you can’t get much simpler. I bought the book, and also the “Success Journal”. The Journal isn’t cheap but it allows you to record everything your doing, and make sure you’re staying on track.
I’m only on day 4 but there’s nothing more motivating than having specific goals that you can focus on. I’m not weighing myself every day, but my weight is dropping rapidly, as is my body fat percentage. It’s really pleasing to follow a simple model of exercise and diet which just works.
One thing you have to do with this too is plan out your meals ahead of time. That really does stop all that junk snacking, and because you eat so frequently you never feel hungry.
Anyway I’ll keep you posted on how I get along.
It’s all coming off
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This week continues to be a positive for my fat loss goals as I stepped on the scales this morning to find that I had lost weight over this last week. My weight is down another 0.6kg, and my body fat percentage has dropped once again. What is great is the fact I am losing fat, and my muscle mass is going up, mainly due to my diet which is far more sensible now. My energy levels feel a lot better too, and I am not so tired all the time.
I’ve not completely given up drinking but I am limiting what I have. I went out with some colleagues the other night and had a few pints of beer, but didn’t over indulge myself. However having missed the last train home, I ended up catching a different train, and had to walk about 7 miles in the freezing cold as I couldn’t get a cab. So I probably burned off a couple of pints with that activity.
The exercise is the next thing I need to get on track. I have been hitting the gym about twice a week, and I really need to up my game if I want to keep seeing these muscle gains continue and watch the fat drop off.
I am pleased with the continued results so I will make sure I keep it up.
Back on the Wagon
Posted by: | CommentsI am just in the process of changing hosting provider for my blog and as a result have had a look back through some of my old postings which sit in the fitness category. What I noticed was that I started out with great intentions, but something (usually an excuse) would stop me from making the changes I needed to. It was either a timing issue, or a work pressure issue, or something else.
The number of times I have started doing a new fat loss, or exercise programme I haven’t succeeded, but I haven’t stopped starting a new thing or trying again. They way I look it at is when I’m dead or stop trying then I have failed. So far I’m not in either of those places yet.
So I wrote that posting about being really angry and needing to lose weight, then I started keeping a food journal and being mindful of my weight. My only real lapse has been on Friday this week, where I had a bottle of wine and a pizza. I’m not depressed about it though, it happened and I’ve moved on, getting back to healthy eating the very next morning.
This first week has been quite challenging in terms of pressure at work, some long hours and some travelling. Despite this, I have managed to still lose 1.1kg (2.45lbs) and best of all 0.9% body fat. Losing almost 1% body fat in a week is brilliant for me, but the real plus for me is that I have gained muscle and that just makes an amazing difference to me. Knowing I’m not heading back to being some sort of scrawny bean pole makes me feel really positive.
I am eating about 6 times per day, but I am keeping a track on what I eat very closely balancing the various things I need. I am using the Promax meal bars at work just because it is convenient, and I’ve cut down on the coffee I am drinking. Adding more protein rich foods in my diet and reducing fat and carbohydrate seems to be making a positive difference.
I have started to have a few headaches, which I think is a combination of all the nasty toxic stuff coming out of my body, plus the reduced caffeine intake. If I’m honest I’m probably feeling a bit of stress from work too, but I am not using a bottle of wine to sedate me after a hectic day. The alcohol doesn’t even make me feel drunk, it just relaxes me completely and I usually end up going to bed. Its not exactly the healthiest way to go about dealing with stress.
The best bit is that I’ve told people how much I weigh, and they can’t believe it. Last time I was overweight people used to call me “Jabba the Gut”, which inspired me to lose weight because of the humiliation/shame factor. This time around people are nicer because I dress for my size instead of kidding myself, and therefore I don’t look overweight in clothes, particularly as I wear a lot of black or navy colours.
I look at this way at the end of the day, I’ve only got this one life and one body, and I need to take care of it. I don’t get to trade up after a few years, and replacement parts are never as good as the original ones. I need to keep it fully serviced, fuelled and running on clean energy.
I am angry!!
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Yes steam is pouring out of my ears, with furious anger……at myself. I have allowed myself to get really out of shape and I am really cross with myself. I keep saying it, over and over, I know exactly what needs to be done, but I have simply not done it yet.
As I replay my internal monologue I’ve said things such as, “I’ll start tomorrow”, or “I’ve blow it for this week”, or “I’ll do a workout to make up for it”, whenever I’ve done things I know that I should not have.
Overconfidence has been my weakness, as I’ve said to myself “Yeah, I know this stuff”, or “I don’t need a plan” etc. So having stepped on the scales this morning to find I am 108.4kg (239lbs or about 17 stone) was a devastating indictment of my sloth and gluttony. I couldn’t even deceive myself with the illusion that I’d gained some muscle mass as I was still around 68kg of lean muscle, and the truth of the fat monitor showing me just shy of 34% body fat.
What does all that tell me? I am a scrawny runt stuck in a fat body. So where is the good news, is there anything that gives me hope at all? Not really my 40″ waist trousers are getting more snug by the day, and the belt I swore I wouldn’t replace until I could get a smaller one is just getting ragged and worn out.
Most importantly and frustrating is that I think my health is starting to suffer as a result.
I remember when I was in my twenties I swore I would never become one of those fat middle aged me, and here I am at 35 years old the biggest and fattest that I have ever been.
So what, now? Do I sit here being angry at myself and admit I’ve completely failed? Not bloody likely! I am drawing a line in the sand today, this far and no further. I refuse to be fat, and I am going to lose this weight that I have gained. I cannot sit here and do nothing while I slowly slip into an XXL size T-shirt having already convinced myself I’d go back to a Large when I first put on the XL sized shirt.
Does all this body image crap make me shallow? I really don’t know, but what I do know is this is for me and my health. If people think that makes me shallow then fine, but it’s not going to change my mind. I am angry! Now it’s time to be accountable and pay the price for my poor choices.
I could sit here and rant all day about this, but really its nobody’s fault but my own, and why should you have to listen to me go on about my own failings. So this is my rallying cry, a call to arms, and legs to get off my fat butt and do so something about this…..NOW!
October Fitness
Posted by: | CommentsThis last week hasn’t been great in terms of my fitness, but even as I write I am sitting here in my workout gear getting ready to go down to the gym (at the end of the garden) and do my workout.
My greatest problem is that been that I have been eating and drinking all the wrong things, including too much coffee. I am going to have to get my act together and start keeping my food diary again and focus on doing a proper job losing weight.
I really struggled with the idea of doing before/after pictures, and I’ve taken a tentative step to publish them online. These were actually take on September 28th, 2008 so I’m nearly a month on and the question is really about how much progress I have made?
Well as of this morning the result of the last 5 weeks are as follows:
- Body fat reduced by 0.7%
- Muscle gain 0.4kg
- Weight loss 0.3kg
- Waist loss 5cm
My motivation is fluctuating and get really frustrated because I am easily tempted by old habits. If I am going to sustain this weight loss then I really need to think about how I break out of my old patterns of behaviour. The frustrating part is in the last 5 weeks I have been doing ok, and screwed it all up this week, with two pizzas and three bottles of wine and NO exercise at all. My only defence is that the other aspects of my diet have been ok, so it’s very easy to see where I need to get back on track. It’s not like I have been eating right and working out, and some mystery reason is causing me to gain weight, and the cause is totally obvious.
What surprises me is that when I cut out these comfort foods, I find myself developing physical stress responses to not having the foods, such as headaches etc.
So my next plan to keep myself motivated is to post a regular weekly item on how I am progressing, and I would love it if you could help me in by sending in your comments and thoughts to help me through this. I want to get back to my fit 32" waist again!
How much is that in lbs?
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The first question Julie asked when I told her this morning I’d lost 1.5kg this week was, "What’s that in lbs?". After a number of false starts I am determined to get fit and healthy again, and this time I have thought through what it is I am trying to achieve, so I’m confident that my goal can be achieved.
I’ve started eating sensibly and I understand what I should be doing to eat properly. I have done this before so I know exactly what sort of things are good for me and which sort of things are bad for me. For example, I had a nice pizza this weekend, and still managed to lose weight, but the rest of the week I have been exceptionally good with the rest of my food. It is about getting the balance right and not starving myself to death. However when I consider how many of my calories were coming from alcohol I’m not surprised I was gaining weight.
I think what has been frustrating is that this chest problem has limited my ability to any exercise, something which I really miss right now. I have tried to do some exercise but have really struggled to do just a half hour workout. I am also convinced that my immune system is less effective since I’ve been overweight, and is probably not helping my ability to recover.
I’ve taken pictures of myself (the dreaded before photo), because I want to be able to see the difference, not just measure it with a tape. I’m not sure what other people see, but I think having to buy larger trousers and jacket is not a good sign.
My initial target is to lose 10cm from my waist in 12 weeks, and I’m off to a good start this week as I’ve lost 2.5cm in the space of 7 days. I’m using my Tanita body fat scales to keep track of my weight, body fat and muscle mass, as well as measuring my waist.
I’ve got some medication to help clear up my chest problem, and I’m glad to say I don’t have asthma. However 7 weeks on I’d be really glad to get back to my normal exercise routine, as the current situation is quite frustrating.
I just joined a gym
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been battling with my weight for a little while now, and the worst thing is I know exactly what I am doing which is causing me to be overweight. I now have the opportunity to use a gym through work which costs me nothing and is barely a few steps from my office. So all my excuses about exercise just evaporated.
The best thing of all is that there is a really nice gym instructor who will kick my ass and hold me to account when I go off the rails. I showed her a food diary that I kept during may, and she immediately pointed out almost everything I ate was carbs and hardly any veggies. Which when you’re vegetarian is a pretty damning statement to be sure.
It’s not like I don’t know this stuff, I’ve just been kidding myself about it. I am quite simply making the wrong choices, it isn’t complicated. Eat crap, get crap results.
So I have been taking advantage of this new facility at my disposal and I just jumped on a couple of machines doing about 30-40 minutes exercise in the morning. That is the easy part out of the way though, as I now need to get my food under control.
I decided to take a multivitamin, which I am hoping will help boost a few of those key nutrients my body currently craves. That way I can ditch the peanut butter sandwiches, and late night sessions of toast and Marmite.
So I am really going for it this time, I cannot afford to be this unhealthy or unfit any more. I will write more about my progress.
Lisa Mullen | Weekend to End Breast Cancer 2008
Posted by: | CommentsThis posting is more of a response to an email I got asking for my support, so let me start with a quote from a scientist quite relevant to the topic.
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. – Marie Curie
Pink Ribbon – Breast Cancer AwarenessJulie’s cousin Lisa (lives in Canada) has joined a team which is undertaking a 60km walk in Vancouver. Yes that’s right I said 60km not the usual 5km jog that we British do for our charitable works. For those working in the old system 60km is about 37 miles, and I only hope that Lisa is getting expert advice on how not to get blisters on her feet.
For women, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and over 41,000 women are diagnosed each year as well as about 300 men. – Macmillan Cancer Support
Two people in my family have been affected by breast cancer, as well as other cancers. The more knowledge we gain about this disease the sooner we will fine a cure. I am only thankful that I haven’t lost anyone to this disease in my lifetime.
I know it sounds like another tin rattling exercise, but when you know someone how has had their breast removed, or undergone chemotherapy I think you’d change your attitude pretty quickly.
There are many great cancer charities around the world, and I’m supporting Lisa and the Weekend to End Breast cancer because it affects everyone whatever country you live in.
So please visit their TEAM PAGE by following the link and donate some cash to help save a life.
Fat Loss Programme 2008 – Day 19
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve had a bit of a mixed result this week. It seems like I did backslide this week, but it doesn’t feel like it.
I did some extra activity this week, including a Tae-Bo workout. I have a lot of Billy’s workout DVD’s and although some of the older ones are quite cheesy they really do make you sweat.
![j0341347[1]](http://www.edeonline.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/j03413471-thumb.jpg)
I’ve started doing Tae-Bo basic, and the first time I really struggled and couldn’t finish the workout. I did find it was much easier though the second time around and it felt like I really got into it.
The strange thing is, Michael and Rachael started following the workout too. I tried explaining some of the techniques and moves, but in the end left Michael working through the instructional section of the DVD.
If you’ve never see Tae-Bo before, it’s a combination of kickboxing, yoga, other martial arts, usually ending in some simple Tai-chi moves to cool down. Julie got me the “Boot Camp” workout set a few years ago, but I find is really difficult for me as it employs the use of resistance bands.
If I could find the chest strap for my heart rate monitor I’d be interested to see how many calories I can burn doing that.
I’m going to start clearing out my garage today so that I can use my home gym and my cross trainer again. In addition I want to get access to my bike so I can go cycling (although it’s been very wet lately).
I haven done such a great job of eating healthily this weekend though and so I need to plan more carefully what I am going eat for the coming week. I also think I could do with reducing my portion sizes. I think portion size has been a problem for me over the last week, so I’m going to make some changes in that area and see how things go.
|
Date |
Weight |
Body Fat |
Waist |
BMR |
| 01-Jan | 102.60kg | 32.40% | 116.0cm | 2093 |
| 06-Jan |
102.50kg |
29.00% |
115.0cm |
2197 |
| 13-Jan |
100.90kg |
29.20% |
112.0cm |
2140 |
| 20-Jan |
101.3kg |
26.80% |
113.0cm |
2139 |
| 27-Jan | ||||
| 03-Feb | ||||
| 10-Feb | ||||
| 17-Feb | ||||
| 24-Feb | ||||
| 02-Mar | ||||
| 09-Mar | ||||
| 16-Mar |
