So as you may have noticed (or not noticed, as it were), I haven't really been offering much in the way of updates on my progress as this "competition" has moved forward. I put "competition" in quotes, because I haven't really been doing my part to compete with the other participants in this contest. I have been lifting more than I have at any point in the past six months, but not so much that I'd say I'm really pushing myself to succeed.
The question of "Why?" is one I've been trying to work through in my head, and I've mostly come up empty. But I think perhaps one reason is that during this period, I haven't really been holding myself accountable by posting updates. So in an effort to stifle that weakness and see if I can't turn this ship around (despite the fact that it sounds like I'm ~20 lbs. behind already), I'm going to start posting more regularly. I haven't been counting calories since late September, and I think I'd like to find a way to be productive without having to do that. So I won't be posting my daily calories or anything like that.
What I will be posting is two things. First, I'll be posting my weight. While I do believe that I've gotten marginally more muscular over the past month, I'm still way too heavy for my lifestyle, and for my own preference/confidence. Losing weight is the end goal of all of this, and the one thing I want to hold myself accountable for more than anything else. So, I'll post my weight every time I post, including this post (at the bottom).
Second, I'm going to post decisions. My contention throughout all of this, including past attempts to lose weight, was that a person could improve their health, lose weight, and become more fit simply by altering a few decisions every day. I know when I was at my worst, I made a slew of poor decisions. I would buy bags of Doritos and Tostitos, knowing that they didn't stand a chance of lasting more than a couple days in my house. I would decline invitations to activities that required some movement on my part (walks, games of basketball, even trips downtown). And I'd order pizza every once in a while, and devour the whole pie (or pies) in a matter of hours.
These are the kinds of decisions I need to change. So what I'm going to do is start posting decisions, good or bad, that I make and remember. If I decide to pass on pizza and eat a Lean Cuisine, I'll post that. If I falter and do order Domino's, I'll post that as well. I won't post normal lifting sessions, but if I find myself debating whether or not I want to lift on a given night, I'll post my decision on that, positive or negative. The idea is that forcing myself to share my mistakes and my triumphs will help me to more frequently make good decisions. Maybe I can't win the monetary prize in this competition at this point, but the real prize is improved health, and that's still on the table.
So, as I mentioned, I've been pretty lackluster thus far, since my initial weigh-in. I've ordered pizza more than once, I've talked myself out of going for walks a number of times, and overall I've just disappointed myself with my decisions. However, when I weighed myself Thursday morning, I was surprised to see that I had actually stayed pretty much even (up 0.4 lbs). While up is worse than down, and I'm not proud of my process so far, I can't help but be a little pleased that I haven't lost much ground from where I was at the beginning of this competition.
I'm going to set a conservative goal of losing 5.4 pounds by November 1st (so 5 pounds off of my starting weight), and 10 pounds by December 1st. From the rumors I've heard, that will still leave me well behind our top competitors, but at this point, my competition is myself. Wish me luck.
Current weight: 274.4 (+ 0.4 lbs.)
Showing posts with label weightlifting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weightlifting. Show all posts
Friday, October 7, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 33
So I pulled out a third straight victory that netted me a cool $100 cash. And it was all one dollar bills, delivered in a brown paper bag, so I got to feel like a mobster after I won. Pretty bitchin' move by the donor/Battle Marshal.
But hold the phone there. I'm still a big ass man...and a big-assed man. Being 288 pounds is great for where I was, but there's still a lot of work to do. And I've got a new plan on how to push forward and get closer to the body I want. Read on...
*By the way, sorry for the late post, I thought I had posted the first half of this already. I am error.
5/8/11
Calories: 2,555
Walking: 60 minutes
Sunday was Mother's Day, and while I got into the afternoon almost calorie-free (just 100 calories from some Froot Loops), I knew my victory would be short-lived. I headed up to my mom's house for dinner and board games, and dinner ended up being a couple plates of Chinese food. Add on a slice of chocolate cake, and you get the calorie count you see above.
I did manage to make it out for a good walk in the evening (after sitting around digesting for a while). And I was reminded that my mom's got a pool at her house. It'd be pretty smart to take advantage of that. And I've always fancied myself a pretty smart guy.
5/9/11
Calories: 2,263
Walking: 40 minutes
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 120 minutes
Both Rock Band activities are tough to assess as far as their actual impact. I mean, I know my legs and shoulders get sore when I play the drums, but whether it's actually building muscle, that's debatable. And I know when I sing and play guitar I get a little winded from time to time, and I definitely sweat up a storm, but whether I'm burning calories or exercising my lungs, difficult to say.
It feels like activity, though, so I'm keeping it on the board.
5/10/11
Calories: 2,450
Walking: 60 minutes
I have been eating more, though I don't know if it's as a result of me doing more exercise and needing more energy, or just the natural ebb and flow of my personal motivation and willpower. Ebb ebb ebb...
5/11/11
Calories: 2,188
Walking: 60 minutes
I make it a special point to take note of each reasonable Wednesday I have. I used to go to Hard Times around the corner every Wednesday and eat nachos and wings, sometimes have beer, and follow it up with some outrageous dessert at Carmen's; sometimes brownie sundaes, sometimes cheesecake, sometimes a couple scoops with a toppings bar, but always, always calorie-heavy. I remember doing the math once and coming out on the wrong side of 4,000 calories for the day.
So when I look and see under 2,200 calories and an hour of walking, I take a deep breath and appreciate the progress.
5/12/11
Calories: 2,129
Walking: 20 minutes
Weightlifting: 20 minutes
Thursday night started so promising; who knew it would turn into a bloodbath?
I got home from work and did some push ups, but not full push ups. I had to do them at an angle, on the stairs. Lifting up 280 pounds is still a little much to ask of my flabby arms. I finished my disc of Quantum Leap, season 3, so I popped it in the Netflix envelope and set out to drop it off in my neighborhood mailbox.
After I dropped it off, I heard footsteps thumping up behind me, and I was met by my brother and Tom, who had been wining and dining at Hard Times. I was (easily) convinced to hang out, and we ended up watching nerdy TV and taking shots of tequila. The calories may look reasonable, but the damage I did to my body that night was extensive.
5/13/11
Calories: 1,899
Walking: 45 minutes
One advantage of being hungover is that you don't eat quite so much the next day.
5/14/11
Calories: 2,720
Picnic activities: 60 minutes
Went out to a pair of parties. First, a family picnic with some of the best fried chicken I've had in a long time, as well as some tasty steak sandwiches. We tossed a football for a little bit, then had sort of a softball practice, in that we did some batting and some tossing, but nothing really extensive.
Anyways, after that I headed out to Westminster for Eddie P.'s birthday party. Stayed sober, but had some chips and a couple (delicious!) turkey meatballs. Westminster is ass far away, so I got home at like 3:30 AM.
5/15/11
Calories: 2,080
No activities
Yes, the calories were down, but no activities? Get it together Joe.
Looking Forward
So as you may have been able to tell from the information I posted, my focus this month is going to be on physical activity. With summer fast approaching, I've got precious little time to make myself look good without a shirt...or at least a little less like jelly.
Theoretically, the best way to do this is to get more exercise. More weightlifting, more walking, more turning walking into jogging, more tennis, more basketball, more everything. I'd like to get a weekly basketball game together, but I know people live far and have their own schedules (which include other weekly basketball games, etc). So I'll probably continue to focus on walking, and try to incorporate some more tennis, since you only need one other person for that.
I'm also pushing my calorie target back a little bit from 2,200 to 2,400 calories. The basis for that is to make sure that I've got the leeway to bring in enough calories to keep me properly fueled, but I'm also going to be honest with you guys; mostly I just want a little more leeway with my daily calorie intake.
We'll see if this shit works.
But hold the phone there. I'm still a big ass man...and a big-assed man. Being 288 pounds is great for where I was, but there's still a lot of work to do. And I've got a new plan on how to push forward and get closer to the body I want. Read on...
*By the way, sorry for the late post, I thought I had posted the first half of this already. I am error.
5/8/11
Calories: 2,555
Walking: 60 minutes
Sunday was Mother's Day, and while I got into the afternoon almost calorie-free (just 100 calories from some Froot Loops), I knew my victory would be short-lived. I headed up to my mom's house for dinner and board games, and dinner ended up being a couple plates of Chinese food. Add on a slice of chocolate cake, and you get the calorie count you see above.
I did manage to make it out for a good walk in the evening (after sitting around digesting for a while). And I was reminded that my mom's got a pool at her house. It'd be pretty smart to take advantage of that. And I've always fancied myself a pretty smart guy.
5/9/11
Calories: 2,263
Walking: 40 minutes
Rock Band singing/guitaring: 120 minutes
Both Rock Band activities are tough to assess as far as their actual impact. I mean, I know my legs and shoulders get sore when I play the drums, but whether it's actually building muscle, that's debatable. And I know when I sing and play guitar I get a little winded from time to time, and I definitely sweat up a storm, but whether I'm burning calories or exercising my lungs, difficult to say.
It feels like activity, though, so I'm keeping it on the board.
5/10/11
Calories: 2,450
Walking: 60 minutes
I have been eating more, though I don't know if it's as a result of me doing more exercise and needing more energy, or just the natural ebb and flow of my personal motivation and willpower. Ebb ebb ebb...
5/11/11
Calories: 2,188
Walking: 60 minutes
I make it a special point to take note of each reasonable Wednesday I have. I used to go to Hard Times around the corner every Wednesday and eat nachos and wings, sometimes have beer, and follow it up with some outrageous dessert at Carmen's; sometimes brownie sundaes, sometimes cheesecake, sometimes a couple scoops with a toppings bar, but always, always calorie-heavy. I remember doing the math once and coming out on the wrong side of 4,000 calories for the day.
So when I look and see under 2,200 calories and an hour of walking, I take a deep breath and appreciate the progress.
5/12/11
Calories: 2,129
Walking: 20 minutes
Weightlifting: 20 minutes
Thursday night started so promising; who knew it would turn into a bloodbath?
I got home from work and did some push ups, but not full push ups. I had to do them at an angle, on the stairs. Lifting up 280 pounds is still a little much to ask of my flabby arms. I finished my disc of Quantum Leap, season 3, so I popped it in the Netflix envelope and set out to drop it off in my neighborhood mailbox.
After I dropped it off, I heard footsteps thumping up behind me, and I was met by my brother and Tom, who had been wining and dining at Hard Times. I was (easily) convinced to hang out, and we ended up watching nerdy TV and taking shots of tequila. The calories may look reasonable, but the damage I did to my body that night was extensive.
5/13/11
Calories: 1,899
Walking: 45 minutes
One advantage of being hungover is that you don't eat quite so much the next day.
5/14/11
Calories: 2,720
Picnic activities: 60 minutes
Went out to a pair of parties. First, a family picnic with some of the best fried chicken I've had in a long time, as well as some tasty steak sandwiches. We tossed a football for a little bit, then had sort of a softball practice, in that we did some batting and some tossing, but nothing really extensive.
Anyways, after that I headed out to Westminster for Eddie P.'s birthday party. Stayed sober, but had some chips and a couple (delicious!) turkey meatballs. Westminster is ass far away, so I got home at like 3:30 AM.
5/15/11
Calories: 2,080
No activities
Yes, the calories were down, but no activities? Get it together Joe.
Looking Forward
So as you may have been able to tell from the information I posted, my focus this month is going to be on physical activity. With summer fast approaching, I've got precious little time to make myself look good without a shirt...or at least a little less like jelly.
Theoretically, the best way to do this is to get more exercise. More weightlifting, more walking, more turning walking into jogging, more tennis, more basketball, more everything. I'd like to get a weekly basketball game together, but I know people live far and have their own schedules (which include other weekly basketball games, etc). So I'll probably continue to focus on walking, and try to incorporate some more tennis, since you only need one other person for that.
I'm also pushing my calorie target back a little bit from 2,200 to 2,400 calories. The basis for that is to make sure that I've got the leeway to bring in enough calories to keep me properly fueled, but I'm also going to be honest with you guys; mostly I just want a little more leeway with my daily calorie intake.
We'll see if this shit works.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 22
Trying to gear up for the stretch run, but after a bad weekend, I'm not hopeful that I'll be able to break 300 as I had set out to do. I'm still going to go for it, but I'm getting myself ready for the news. Best of luck to my competitor as we push for this month's victory.
3/27/11
Calories: 1,156
Activities: walk
Sunday was something of a recovery day for me. I spent most of the day watching season 4 of Dexter and trying to will my body to process the pizza I had on Friday and Saturday.
3/28/11
Calories:1,375
Activites: gym, walk
Good trip to the gym, got sore, worked up my heart rate, had fun. Well, no, didn't have fun, but the other stuff. After the gym, I went for a walk with my brother, which was really good as well.
3/29/11
Calories: 1,710
Activities: walks
I went for a walk right after work, then late in the evening, around 11:45, I headed out for a supplemental walk. It wasn't quite as long as the other walk, but it's always nice to stack up some more active time.
3/30/11
Calories: 1,826
Activities: none
I should've either eaten better or done some exercise on Wednesday, but it turned out that neither happened. I went to Hard Times for dinner, though I did get a salad with salsa instead of dressing. But I knew I was going out for dinner, and still had too much food during the day at work. I could've been down around 1,500 on the day, or at least gotten some activity. But now I do have a goal for tomorrow.
Looking Forward
In case you hadn't heard, our third weigh-in showdown is this Saturday at my brother's house. And while I'm not all that confident about winning, I am looking forward to the matchup, because I feel like it might be our closest match yet. So hopefully we'll both come out of it feeling good.
Although...FYI, my plan is to get blitzcranked, so I'll probably come out of it feeling exhausted.
3/27/11
Calories: 1,156
Activities: walk
Sunday was something of a recovery day for me. I spent most of the day watching season 4 of Dexter and trying to will my body to process the pizza I had on Friday and Saturday.
3/28/11
Calories:1,375
Activites: gym, walk
Good trip to the gym, got sore, worked up my heart rate, had fun. Well, no, didn't have fun, but the other stuff. After the gym, I went for a walk with my brother, which was really good as well.
3/29/11
Calories: 1,710
Activities: walks
I went for a walk right after work, then late in the evening, around 11:45, I headed out for a supplemental walk. It wasn't quite as long as the other walk, but it's always nice to stack up some more active time.
3/30/11
Calories: 1,826
Activities: none
I should've either eaten better or done some exercise on Wednesday, but it turned out that neither happened. I went to Hard Times for dinner, though I did get a salad with salsa instead of dressing. But I knew I was going out for dinner, and still had too much food during the day at work. I could've been down around 1,500 on the day, or at least gotten some activity. But now I do have a goal for tomorrow.
Looking Forward
In case you hadn't heard, our third weigh-in showdown is this Saturday at my brother's house. And while I'm not all that confident about winning, I am looking forward to the matchup, because I feel like it might be our closest match yet. So hopefully we'll both come out of it feeling good.
Although...FYI, my plan is to get blitzcranked, so I'll probably come out of it feeling exhausted.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 19
I don't know how to explain it, or what the reason is, but I've felt off my game all week. Like, the numbers look alright, and I've made it to the gym twice, but my head just doesn't feel like it's on straight. It's probably nothing, just standard Joe-ness...
3/14/11
Calories: 1,656
Activities: gym
I've found I tend to do really well on Mondays. I think part of it is my constant failures on Sundays. I think another part is that I just do better when I'm at work, not sitting around the house. Monday's always the first day back at work, so it always seems to be the best. Either way, another good Monday on the board.
3/15/11
Calories: 1,906
Activities: none
Pretty nondescript day. Went to work, came home, watched the Caps game, went to bed.
3/16/11
Calories: 1,710
Activities: gym, big walk
Had a good day at the gym, I'm looking forward to being pretty sore tomorrow. Not too sore though, hopefully; St. Patrick's Day is no time to be run down. Speaking of which, with the likelihood of some good drinking going down tomorrow night, I have to remember to be particularly responsible during the day. Hopefully tomorrow's lunch entree will be something lean and delicious.
My brother and I also went for a pretty long walk at a pretty good clip. I didn't check my watch (also I don't own a watch), but based on the limited information I have, I'd venture to say it was about 2 miles of walking, with plenty of hills incorporated. Good good.
Looking Forward
I'm expecting tomorrow to not be a great fit as far as hitting the gym, but Friday might work out just fine. I'll keep you guys in the loop. And of course, I'll come clean on whatever madness I get into on Thursday night...diet-wise. As far as vandalism and sexual harassment, you'll have to just use your imagination.
3/14/11
Calories: 1,656
Activities: gym
I've found I tend to do really well on Mondays. I think part of it is my constant failures on Sundays. I think another part is that I just do better when I'm at work, not sitting around the house. Monday's always the first day back at work, so it always seems to be the best. Either way, another good Monday on the board.
3/15/11
Calories: 1,906
Activities: none
Pretty nondescript day. Went to work, came home, watched the Caps game, went to bed.
3/16/11
Calories: 1,710
Activities: gym, big walk
Had a good day at the gym, I'm looking forward to being pretty sore tomorrow. Not too sore though, hopefully; St. Patrick's Day is no time to be run down. Speaking of which, with the likelihood of some good drinking going down tomorrow night, I have to remember to be particularly responsible during the day. Hopefully tomorrow's lunch entree will be something lean and delicious.
My brother and I also went for a pretty long walk at a pretty good clip. I didn't check my watch (also I don't own a watch), but based on the limited information I have, I'd venture to say it was about 2 miles of walking, with plenty of hills incorporated. Good good.
Looking Forward
I'm expecting tomorrow to not be a great fit as far as hitting the gym, but Friday might work out just fine. I'll keep you guys in the loop. And of course, I'll come clean on whatever madness I get into on Thursday night...diet-wise. As far as vandalism and sexual harassment, you'll have to just use your imagination.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 18
3/9/11
Calories: 1,670
Activities: "leg exercises"
Normally I'm not big on acknowledging religious holidays (or religion at all really), but this year, I decided to give Ash Wednesday its due. So, I had no meat all day. I had a salad, and some vegetables and dip, and some chips and salsa. The chips and salsa were left over from the party over the weekend, and really, I need to get rid of them. They're this giant temptation that's been sitting in my house, drawing me in for an entire week. I think I'd better just throw them out...
I put leg exercises in quotes because they weren't really any sort of regular leg exercises. It was just me doing squats in my bedroom while I was waiting for the League of Legends queue to pop. But I was the good kind of sore for three days afterward, so it must've done something.
3/10/11
Calories: 1,280
Activities: gym
I've noticed that I usually have good days when I find a good entree at work for lunch. Thursday they had kebabs and green beans; it was 360 calories worth of awesome, and I was happy and controlled the rest of the day, diet-wise. I went to the gym and had a pretty strong workout. I knew that I'd had some kind of disappointing workouts, so I went in thinking that I needed to really step it up. Mission accomplished.
3/11/11
Calories: 1,828
Activities: none
Try this on for size: it was a Friday in Lent, and I consciously didn't have any meat. It's just another way for me to challenge myself, and I'm in a challenge myself kind of mood these days. The only thing, though, is that when I choose not to eat meat, about half the time I end up having pizza, which is okay, but not that great for you. Anyways, it worked out.
Went to the hockey game, it was pretty great. And I wore my brand new Dave Steckel jersey. In case you're wondering, yes, that's the guy who the Caps traded to New Jersey in the Arnott deal. I ordered it like three days before the trade deadline, assuming he was safe. Oh well. I still love him. And I do like having an unconventional jersey; this just makes it really unconventional.
3/12/11
Calories: 2,086
Activities: walk
So I've noticed that on weekend days that I don't have plans, I tend to get into food-eating trouble. It's like, if I'm just sitting around, for some reason, I default back to snacking. So, what's the resolution? Make plans. Make plans like my life depends on it. I've always hated having plans, so this is another change of pace. But it should be fun to hang out or whatever, right?
Went for a walk with a cute neighbor. I think she's married, though. :)
3/13/11
Calories: 2,104
Activities: none
Headed back down to the Verizon Center on Sunday for another Caps game, and another Caps victory. The games are a lot more fun when the team wins. Also, this game's tickets were the prize for last month's weigh-in victory. So it was especially sweet to savor such a great experience.
More notably for this blog, however, is that I breached my new goal of 2,100. Even though it was by a mere 4 calories, it's a disappointment to be sure.
I know what you're thinking: "But Joe, you had plans. I thought you said when you have plans, you get in less trouble." That's true. But my plans were still in flux right up until they started happening. We didn't figure out food plans until mere moments before the eating started, which ended up with me eating 3/4 of a personal pepperoni pizza, then going out to dinner just a few hours later. I'm still confident that more concrete planning would have resulted in better eating decisions.
Looking Forward
As I hinted at, I'm going to focus on having some kind of concrete plans for each day this weekend. I've been invited to a food party on Saturday night, which isn't exactly perfect for the diet, but again, I can plan for it. So there's a pretty decent chance I go to that. Sunday, as always, is a harder day to figure out, but I've got time.
Calories: 1,670
Activities: "leg exercises"
Normally I'm not big on acknowledging religious holidays (or religion at all really), but this year, I decided to give Ash Wednesday its due. So, I had no meat all day. I had a salad, and some vegetables and dip, and some chips and salsa. The chips and salsa were left over from the party over the weekend, and really, I need to get rid of them. They're this giant temptation that's been sitting in my house, drawing me in for an entire week. I think I'd better just throw them out...
I put leg exercises in quotes because they weren't really any sort of regular leg exercises. It was just me doing squats in my bedroom while I was waiting for the League of Legends queue to pop. But I was the good kind of sore for three days afterward, so it must've done something.
3/10/11
Calories: 1,280
Activities: gym
I've noticed that I usually have good days when I find a good entree at work for lunch. Thursday they had kebabs and green beans; it was 360 calories worth of awesome, and I was happy and controlled the rest of the day, diet-wise. I went to the gym and had a pretty strong workout. I knew that I'd had some kind of disappointing workouts, so I went in thinking that I needed to really step it up. Mission accomplished.
3/11/11
Calories: 1,828
Activities: none
Try this on for size: it was a Friday in Lent, and I consciously didn't have any meat. It's just another way for me to challenge myself, and I'm in a challenge myself kind of mood these days. The only thing, though, is that when I choose not to eat meat, about half the time I end up having pizza, which is okay, but not that great for you. Anyways, it worked out.
Went to the hockey game, it was pretty great. And I wore my brand new Dave Steckel jersey. In case you're wondering, yes, that's the guy who the Caps traded to New Jersey in the Arnott deal. I ordered it like three days before the trade deadline, assuming he was safe. Oh well. I still love him. And I do like having an unconventional jersey; this just makes it really unconventional.
3/12/11
Calories: 2,086
Activities: walk
So I've noticed that on weekend days that I don't have plans, I tend to get into food-eating trouble. It's like, if I'm just sitting around, for some reason, I default back to snacking. So, what's the resolution? Make plans. Make plans like my life depends on it. I've always hated having plans, so this is another change of pace. But it should be fun to hang out or whatever, right?
Went for a walk with a cute neighbor. I think she's married, though. :)
3/13/11
Calories: 2,104
Activities: none
Headed back down to the Verizon Center on Sunday for another Caps game, and another Caps victory. The games are a lot more fun when the team wins. Also, this game's tickets were the prize for last month's weigh-in victory. So it was especially sweet to savor such a great experience.
More notably for this blog, however, is that I breached my new goal of 2,100. Even though it was by a mere 4 calories, it's a disappointment to be sure.
I know what you're thinking: "But Joe, you had plans. I thought you said when you have plans, you get in less trouble." That's true. But my plans were still in flux right up until they started happening. We didn't figure out food plans until mere moments before the eating started, which ended up with me eating 3/4 of a personal pepperoni pizza, then going out to dinner just a few hours later. I'm still confident that more concrete planning would have resulted in better eating decisions.
Looking Forward
As I hinted at, I'm going to focus on having some kind of concrete plans for each day this weekend. I've been invited to a food party on Saturday night, which isn't exactly perfect for the diet, but again, I can plan for it. So there's a pretty decent chance I go to that. Sunday, as always, is a harder day to figure out, but I've got time.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 17
As you guys saw, I was able to pull out the victory in month #2 of this six month competition. It was gratifying and exciting, after putting forth a very sincere effort this month, to be able to come out on top. And it puts a ton of pressure on both Nick and myself to grapple for the lead in month #3. But good pressure, I think.
3/6/11
Calories: 2,116
Activities: none
The day after the big party, there was a single cupcake sitting on my counter, looking lonely, almost whimpering for attention. So, as I do with anything that whimpers, I ate it. I also had some chips and salsa, and a couple beers. And I didn't go anywhere or do anything, as I attempted to recover from Saturday's mayhem. It wasn't exactly the kickoff I was looking for going into the crucial third month, but it's what it was.
3/7/11
Calories: 1,296
Activities: walk, gym
Sort of a "get back in the saddle" day. Ate a ton of vegetables (there was a veggie platter I bought for Saturday that never got opened), took a decent walk after work, and went to the gym. Calories were back in line, got some activity, and I feel like I'm back on track.
3/8/11
Calories: 2,011
Activities: none
I would've liked to get a walk in on Tuesday, but work was a lot busier than usual, and I didn't have time after work. Also I had an Italian sub for dinner, which didn't help the ol' calorie count. Lamb of god that thing was good, though. I also had ice cream in Maryland for the first time this year, I think (I'm sure I had something ice creamy in Disney World). But I really didn't have very much at all; I think it was a combination of being kind of stuffed from the sub and my own subconscious guilt for eating something I knew I shouldn't be eating.
Ahh, guilt. You've woven a tangled web.
Looking Forward
So I've decided to do two goal-related things this month. First, as you remember, my previous daily calorie goal was 2,500. I do believe that, if I stay around 2,500 calories a day, I'll still lose a good deal of weight. But I almost feel like 2,500 is too much leeway. I've seen that I'm able to keep myself around or under 2,000 calories on most days, for several days in a row. So I'm making a midstream adjustment: from now on, my daily calorie maximum is 2,100 calories.
Part two is something I actually had already started to do, but didn't make public. I have specific weight goals for each of the remaining four weigh-ins. So, in my first post after each weigh in, I'm going to announce my goal weight (FYI, for last month, it was 315, so I just barely hit it). Without further ado, my month #3 goal: 300 lbs.
Do I know that Nick was under 300 pounds after the first showdown? Yes I do. And that's a reminder that I've still got a long ways to go. But I honestly can't remember the last time I was under 300 pounds, and losing 14.4 pounds this month, while absolutely challenging, is also absolutely attainable.
I've got you in my sights, perfect game of bowling. See you soon.
3/6/11
Calories: 2,116
Activities: none
The day after the big party, there was a single cupcake sitting on my counter, looking lonely, almost whimpering for attention. So, as I do with anything that whimpers, I ate it. I also had some chips and salsa, and a couple beers. And I didn't go anywhere or do anything, as I attempted to recover from Saturday's mayhem. It wasn't exactly the kickoff I was looking for going into the crucial third month, but it's what it was.
3/7/11
Calories: 1,296
Activities: walk, gym
Sort of a "get back in the saddle" day. Ate a ton of vegetables (there was a veggie platter I bought for Saturday that never got opened), took a decent walk after work, and went to the gym. Calories were back in line, got some activity, and I feel like I'm back on track.
3/8/11
Calories: 2,011
Activities: none
I would've liked to get a walk in on Tuesday, but work was a lot busier than usual, and I didn't have time after work. Also I had an Italian sub for dinner, which didn't help the ol' calorie count. Lamb of god that thing was good, though. I also had ice cream in Maryland for the first time this year, I think (I'm sure I had something ice creamy in Disney World). But I really didn't have very much at all; I think it was a combination of being kind of stuffed from the sub and my own subconscious guilt for eating something I knew I shouldn't be eating.
Ahh, guilt. You've woven a tangled web.
Looking Forward
So I've decided to do two goal-related things this month. First, as you remember, my previous daily calorie goal was 2,500. I do believe that, if I stay around 2,500 calories a day, I'll still lose a good deal of weight. But I almost feel like 2,500 is too much leeway. I've seen that I'm able to keep myself around or under 2,000 calories on most days, for several days in a row. So I'm making a midstream adjustment: from now on, my daily calorie maximum is 2,100 calories.
Part two is something I actually had already started to do, but didn't make public. I have specific weight goals for each of the remaining four weigh-ins. So, in my first post after each weigh in, I'm going to announce my goal weight (FYI, for last month, it was 315, so I just barely hit it). Without further ado, my month #3 goal: 300 lbs.
Do I know that Nick was under 300 pounds after the first showdown? Yes I do. And that's a reminder that I've still got a long ways to go. But I honestly can't remember the last time I was under 300 pounds, and losing 14.4 pounds this month, while absolutely challenging, is also absolutely attainable.
I've got you in my sights, perfect game of bowling. See you soon.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 16
A bit late, but here's the information about my days leading up to the big weigh-in.
3/3/2011
Calories: 1,420
Activities: gym
Thursday night I headed to the gym and focused on chest and triceps exercises. I pushed myself harder than I had the previous time out, because the previous time out, I didn't really feel sore afterward. The results were legitimate; soreness ensued.
After I got home, I heated up one of my favorite Lean Cuisines: Pineapple Black Bean Chicken. It's got the protein of chicken, the substance of rice and beans, and the sweet finish of pineapple. I haven't had a better Lean Cuisine meal yet...well, except for those steamer things. Those things are bomb.
3/4/2011
Calories: 1,529
Activities: walk
Went for a walk during the day with Eddie, not as long as our normal big walks, but it was enough to get the blood pumping. After work, just played it cool. Real cool.
3/5/2011
Calories: No data
Activities: Weigh-in, party
That's right, there's no conclusive data from Saturday. I know that going into the weigh-in, I had only eaten 290 calories worth of food, but once I got weighed in, things rolled quickly. And when I say things, I mean alcohol. And when I say rolled, I mean got drunk by me. Someone somewhere once said that you should go nuts every once in a while to give your body a shock, and force your metabolism back up. Well, consider the metabolism shocked.
The Big Weigh-In
Weigh-in results to be posted shortly...
3/3/2011
Calories: 1,420
Activities: gym
Thursday night I headed to the gym and focused on chest and triceps exercises. I pushed myself harder than I had the previous time out, because the previous time out, I didn't really feel sore afterward. The results were legitimate; soreness ensued.
After I got home, I heated up one of my favorite Lean Cuisines: Pineapple Black Bean Chicken. It's got the protein of chicken, the substance of rice and beans, and the sweet finish of pineapple. I haven't had a better Lean Cuisine meal yet...well, except for those steamer things. Those things are bomb.
3/4/2011
Calories: 1,529
Activities: walk
Went for a walk during the day with Eddie, not as long as our normal big walks, but it was enough to get the blood pumping. After work, just played it cool. Real cool.
3/5/2011
Calories: No data
Activities: Weigh-in, party
That's right, there's no conclusive data from Saturday. I know that going into the weigh-in, I had only eaten 290 calories worth of food, but once I got weighed in, things rolled quickly. And when I say things, I mean alcohol. And when I say rolled, I mean got drunk by me. Someone somewhere once said that you should go nuts every once in a while to give your body a shock, and force your metabolism back up. Well, consider the metabolism shocked.
The Big Weigh-In
Weigh-in results to be posted shortly...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 15
2/27/11
Calories: 2,054
Activities: big walk
Sundays are always tough days for me. I think I get bored and end up watching a lot of TV/movies, and that sometimes translates into snacking. This time, it wasn't so much snacking as it was a couple of beers and several microwaveable meals. Honestly, the fact that I stayed around two thousand calories is pretty surprising. And I did get a "big walk" in; up and down some hills, totaling about 35-40 minutes. So while it wasn't a very good day, I was able to focus myself enough to get back on track.
2/28/11
Calories: 1,518
Activities: gym
I had to slow my roll right away on Monday. I grabbed a couple of breakfast egg rolls from our cafeteria, and I knew I was headed for a bad day if I didn't nip it in the bud. So I went with just a small cup of Velveeta macaroni and cheese for lunch, a cool 180 calories. Then with a controlled dinner, I had a good day.
I went to the gym after work and did some chest and triceps exercises, but I didn't get nearly as sore as I did the first time around. I did ride the bike for 20 minutes, and came home and played some Rock Band. It wasn't drumming, though; just felt like jamming and belting out some Billy Idol. Hence not logging it as an "activity."
3/1/11
Calories: 1,530
Activities: big walk
I've redone the math on Tuesday's calories a couple times, and it's correct, but I promise you, I felt like I had a terrible day, eating-wise.
The daytime was fine, normal, came home with 480 calories used. Then when I got home, my stomach was feeling a little weird, so I decided to eat. I had cooked some egg whites the night before, so I took them and threw them on a slice of wheat bread with some salt and pepper. By the way, egg whites are pretty unexceptional. Don't know if I'd get them again. Anyways, the eggs didn't sit right, so I tried a potato hot dog bun instead of the bread, and it was okay, but still not great. So I finished it off with another potato hot dog bun with some peanut butter. And after that, my stomach was alright, but I was pretty displeased with how everything had panned out.
Historically, I'd have just let that go as a bad day, but at about 10:30, I said to myself, "Why not go for a walk?" I couldn't think of a good reason not to, so I threw on a jacket and shoes and went for another 40 minute walk. Again, I think it's important for me mentally to find successes in days where I feel like I came up short. Hopefully all this mental hooey ends up reflecting well on Saturday.
3/2/11
Calories: 1,000
Activities: gym, big walk
So I did make a mistake on Wednesday. Remember how I talked about black socks being my arch-nemesis? Well, I bought some new black shoes, and I gave the black socks another try. I went for a walk with Eddie during the workday, but it was a disaster. For whatever reason, the black socks just chafe the shit out of my feet.
Got home from work, caught up with my roommate who just got back into town (and will be leaving again in like 2 days), then headed back to Westat to go to the gym. I did some back and biceps exercises, and I can already feel my arms getting sore, so that's a little more encouraging than Monday's workout. I think my feet were still bothered from earlier, though, because I could only go for about 10 minutes on the bike before they felt like they were on fire.
AND THEN, after I left the gym and got back to my house, after I made myself two of those Velveeta mac n' cheese cups, I thought back to Monday and that walk I took, and how I felt so good afterward, so I decided to go for another walk. This one was even longer; I was out and about for almost an hour, and pushed myself a couple times to get my heart rate up, since I hear that's important. My only concern here is that my feet are definitely sore/chafed, but hopefully wearing white socks tomorrow at work should prevent me from being too uncomfortable to get back to the gym tomorrow night. And the plan tomorrow night is straight cardio work. Try to burn off as much of that water weight as possible before the big weigh-in.
Looking Forward
There are a couple other topics I want to talk about, but for this post, I just want to let everyone know the details on Saturday's gathering. We'll be having a Mexican-themed get-together at my house in Rockville. I don't know exactly what that entails, other than Mexican food and drink. I've got a whiffleball set, Rock Band, and a few decks of cards, so I'm sure we can figure out stuff to do. Plus, I mean, just hanging out is pretty fun.
Email/text me or Nick for the address and/or directions, if you need them (I'm not a fan of posting my address on the internet). Here are the relevant details:
When: Saturday, March 5th, 6:30 PM
Where: My digs, Rockville
What to Bring: Corona, Dos Equis, tequila, chips & salsa, fajitas, whatever else kind of Mexican delicacies you can think of.
Calories: 2,054
Activities: big walk
Sundays are always tough days for me. I think I get bored and end up watching a lot of TV/movies, and that sometimes translates into snacking. This time, it wasn't so much snacking as it was a couple of beers and several microwaveable meals. Honestly, the fact that I stayed around two thousand calories is pretty surprising. And I did get a "big walk" in; up and down some hills, totaling about 35-40 minutes. So while it wasn't a very good day, I was able to focus myself enough to get back on track.
2/28/11
Calories: 1,518
Activities: gym
I had to slow my roll right away on Monday. I grabbed a couple of breakfast egg rolls from our cafeteria, and I knew I was headed for a bad day if I didn't nip it in the bud. So I went with just a small cup of Velveeta macaroni and cheese for lunch, a cool 180 calories. Then with a controlled dinner, I had a good day.
I went to the gym after work and did some chest and triceps exercises, but I didn't get nearly as sore as I did the first time around. I did ride the bike for 20 minutes, and came home and played some Rock Band. It wasn't drumming, though; just felt like jamming and belting out some Billy Idol. Hence not logging it as an "activity."
3/1/11
Calories: 1,530
Activities: big walk
I've redone the math on Tuesday's calories a couple times, and it's correct, but I promise you, I felt like I had a terrible day, eating-wise.
The daytime was fine, normal, came home with 480 calories used. Then when I got home, my stomach was feeling a little weird, so I decided to eat. I had cooked some egg whites the night before, so I took them and threw them on a slice of wheat bread with some salt and pepper. By the way, egg whites are pretty unexceptional. Don't know if I'd get them again. Anyways, the eggs didn't sit right, so I tried a potato hot dog bun instead of the bread, and it was okay, but still not great. So I finished it off with another potato hot dog bun with some peanut butter. And after that, my stomach was alright, but I was pretty displeased with how everything had panned out.
Historically, I'd have just let that go as a bad day, but at about 10:30, I said to myself, "Why not go for a walk?" I couldn't think of a good reason not to, so I threw on a jacket and shoes and went for another 40 minute walk. Again, I think it's important for me mentally to find successes in days where I feel like I came up short. Hopefully all this mental hooey ends up reflecting well on Saturday.
3/2/11
Calories: 1,000
Activities: gym, big walk
So I did make a mistake on Wednesday. Remember how I talked about black socks being my arch-nemesis? Well, I bought some new black shoes, and I gave the black socks another try. I went for a walk with Eddie during the workday, but it was a disaster. For whatever reason, the black socks just chafe the shit out of my feet.
Got home from work, caught up with my roommate who just got back into town (and will be leaving again in like 2 days), then headed back to Westat to go to the gym. I did some back and biceps exercises, and I can already feel my arms getting sore, so that's a little more encouraging than Monday's workout. I think my feet were still bothered from earlier, though, because I could only go for about 10 minutes on the bike before they felt like they were on fire.
AND THEN, after I left the gym and got back to my house, after I made myself two of those Velveeta mac n' cheese cups, I thought back to Monday and that walk I took, and how I felt so good afterward, so I decided to go for another walk. This one was even longer; I was out and about for almost an hour, and pushed myself a couple times to get my heart rate up, since I hear that's important. My only concern here is that my feet are definitely sore/chafed, but hopefully wearing white socks tomorrow at work should prevent me from being too uncomfortable to get back to the gym tomorrow night. And the plan tomorrow night is straight cardio work. Try to burn off as much of that water weight as possible before the big weigh-in.
Looking Forward
There are a couple other topics I want to talk about, but for this post, I just want to let everyone know the details on Saturday's gathering. We'll be having a Mexican-themed get-together at my house in Rockville. I don't know exactly what that entails, other than Mexican food and drink. I've got a whiffleball set, Rock Band, and a few decks of cards, so I'm sure we can figure out stuff to do. Plus, I mean, just hanging out is pretty fun.
Email/text me or Nick for the address and/or directions, if you need them (I'm not a fan of posting my address on the internet). Here are the relevant details:
When: Saturday, March 5th, 6:30 PM
Where: My digs, Rockville
What to Bring: Corona, Dos Equis, tequila, chips & salsa, fajitas, whatever else kind of Mexican delicacies you can think of.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 14
2/24/11
Calories: 1,115
Activities: housecleaning, walking
The house needed some cleanup, so between Wednesday and Thursday, I gave it a pretty good makeover. Vacuumed, tidied up, reorganized, and overall made my place nicer looking. To borrow a saying, it was sort of like putting lipstick on a pig, but we do what we can. And there's no question that the cleaning counts as an activity; I was sweating bullets when I was doing it.
2/25/11
Calories: 1,520
Activities: walking
Went for a walk during the workday, as usual. The thing is, though, while the walks are good, and it's definitely nice to get away from my desk, I really would prefer some more lifting and exercise bike riding. Went to the Caps game in the evening; the company was good, the game was a 6-0 nightmare loss. Had a couple beers, but as you can see, didn't really do too much damage.
2/26/11
Calories: 1,694
Activities: Rock Band
Only four items on my list today: sausage breakfast sandwich, Gushers, Jerry's large cheesesteak, rum. Not exactly the vitamin-packed day I'd normally be looking for, but the calories were tolerable at least. And I played some intense ass Rock Band songs.
Looking Forward
Gym, gym, gym. As in, my goal is to get to the gym 3 times this week. With the weigh-in coming up this Saturday, I want to do my damnedest to take down this month. The prize is nice of course, but I want to prove to everyone (including myself) that this is a two-man competition, and not just the Nick Show, with Joe as a supporting character. I can lose this month and still get that feeling, but I have to have a pretty outstanding month. And that means riding into the finish line on a tear.
Either way though, expect another famous musician to contribute sometime next month. I guess word is spreading quickly through the music industry about our competition. :)
Calories: 1,115
Activities: housecleaning, walking
The house needed some cleanup, so between Wednesday and Thursday, I gave it a pretty good makeover. Vacuumed, tidied up, reorganized, and overall made my place nicer looking. To borrow a saying, it was sort of like putting lipstick on a pig, but we do what we can. And there's no question that the cleaning counts as an activity; I was sweating bullets when I was doing it.
2/25/11
Calories: 1,520
Activities: walking
Went for a walk during the workday, as usual. The thing is, though, while the walks are good, and it's definitely nice to get away from my desk, I really would prefer some more lifting and exercise bike riding. Went to the Caps game in the evening; the company was good, the game was a 6-0 nightmare loss. Had a couple beers, but as you can see, didn't really do too much damage.
2/26/11
Calories: 1,694
Activities: Rock Band
Only four items on my list today: sausage breakfast sandwich, Gushers, Jerry's large cheesesteak, rum. Not exactly the vitamin-packed day I'd normally be looking for, but the calories were tolerable at least. And I played some intense ass Rock Band songs.
Looking Forward
Gym, gym, gym. As in, my goal is to get to the gym 3 times this week. With the weigh-in coming up this Saturday, I want to do my damnedest to take down this month. The prize is nice of course, but I want to prove to everyone (including myself) that this is a two-man competition, and not just the Nick Show, with Joe as a supporting character. I can lose this month and still get that feeling, but I have to have a pretty outstanding month. And that means riding into the finish line on a tear.
Either way though, expect another famous musician to contribute sometime next month. I guess word is spreading quickly through the music industry about our competition. :)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 13
So, lucky number 13, it would seem. I've been very good about snacking once a day or not at all, and that's kept my calorie count between pretty low and very low. I've also been active each day so far this work week. I'm gonna need more half-weeks like this if I'm to have any shot at making up ground on Nick. That bastard's been killing it from the looks of things.
2/20/11
Calories: 1,807
Activities: none
Technically I did a little walking on Sunday, but it was just over to my brother's house and back for the Capitals game. Not exactly a Richard Simmons workout. Diet-wise, I was actually in pretty excellent shape until about 6:00, when I found myself in need of some liquid courage. Massive bravery ensued, along with a pile of calories. The last five items on my list read, "Rum, brandy, rum, rum, rum."
2/21/11
Calories: 1,179
Activities: walking
I did some serious walking with Eddie at work. Don't tell our bosses, but we walked for at least 45 minutes, maybe closer to an hour. Then, after work, I went over to visit Eddie and Rachel and watch another hockey game. Rachel made maybe the best chili I've ever had, but thankfully there wasn't too much of it left. Crazy, though, right? Only 1,179 calories, and that includes 342 calories of Blue Moon.
2/22/11
Calories: 1,540
Activities: gym
I did back and bicep exercises at the gym after work, but today my triceps are more sore than my biceps. Eddie suggested it might be a result of me compensating during the workout. Could be, but I'm guessing that means I'll need to really target the biceps for a while. Luckily, bicep exercises are like the one exercise I can legitimately do with the two 20 pound dumbbells I own.
I also did the exercise bike for 18 minutes after lifting. My original target was 15 minutes, but here's what happened. I hit 15 minutes, but my mileage was like 2.93 miles. So I decided to push for 3 miles. Then, at 3 miles, I saw my calories burned was at 89. So I said, "Let's push through, get to 100." Then at 100 calories, I was at 3.33 miles. Fast forward to 3.5 miles, and I was at 17 minutes, so I said, "Alright, 18 is a better number, let's get there." Setting and reaching those tiny goals kept me on the bike for 3 extra minutes, which isn't a crazy addition, but it's something, and my legs are sore today as a result. Good sore, though.
Another very good day calorie-wise, and it actually could've been even lower, but when I looked at the list at about 8:00, I felt like I'd be hurting my recovery time if I didn't have a little more food, particularly protein. So I heated up a chicken alfredo Lean Cuisine (270 calories, and like 20 grams of protein) to finish off the day.
2/23/11
Calories: 865
Activities: walking
Normal walking day with Eddie, about a half hour of walking, though I've noticed we move at a better pace than we used to. Gets the heart pumping a little more, breathe a little harder, and feel a little better afterward.
I know I don't want to stay at 865 as a daily calorie amount, but after the first weigh-in, I wanted to find a day where I could have less than 1,000 calories. Now that I've found it, I feel pretty good about my chances going into March 5th's showdown.
Looking Forward
Yes, in case you had made plans based on the unofficial weigh-in date, it's time to change those plans...or just don't come, whatever. Our second official weigh-in showdown will be Saturday, March 5th. The weigh-in will once again be in the evening, but this time, instead of the Super Bowl, I'm working on a stand-alone party for the occasion. Details to follow...like, when I come up with them.
As far as my own weight-loss plans, as I said, this was a really good half-week for me. Good calorie count, good exercise, I feel good, and hopefully I'm doing good work. I'm hoping to use this as a jumping-off point going forward, from which I can build towards the new Joe.
Three things I want to focus on:
First, I'm pretty sure I need to be drinking more water. I bought a case of bottled water on Sunday; I feel like I drink more water when it's bottled, for whatever reason.
Second, I've been doing well on making sure I get some vegetables every day. I want to keep that as a focus, to make sure I don't slip back into eating popcorn all the time. Popcorn's alright, but vegetables are clearly healthier.
Third, I've still got to work more fruit into the diet. The best thought I had was to try to have fruits ready-to-eat for breakfast. I'm a little pineappled out, so I'll be on the prowl for some different fruits on my next grocery trip. Berries, maybe.
You stay classy, San Diego.
2/20/11
Calories: 1,807
Activities: none
Technically I did a little walking on Sunday, but it was just over to my brother's house and back for the Capitals game. Not exactly a Richard Simmons workout. Diet-wise, I was actually in pretty excellent shape until about 6:00, when I found myself in need of some liquid courage. Massive bravery ensued, along with a pile of calories. The last five items on my list read, "Rum, brandy, rum, rum, rum."
2/21/11
Calories: 1,179
Activities: walking
I did some serious walking with Eddie at work. Don't tell our bosses, but we walked for at least 45 minutes, maybe closer to an hour. Then, after work, I went over to visit Eddie and Rachel and watch another hockey game. Rachel made maybe the best chili I've ever had, but thankfully there wasn't too much of it left. Crazy, though, right? Only 1,179 calories, and that includes 342 calories of Blue Moon.
2/22/11
Calories: 1,540
Activities: gym
I did back and bicep exercises at the gym after work, but today my triceps are more sore than my biceps. Eddie suggested it might be a result of me compensating during the workout. Could be, but I'm guessing that means I'll need to really target the biceps for a while. Luckily, bicep exercises are like the one exercise I can legitimately do with the two 20 pound dumbbells I own.
I also did the exercise bike for 18 minutes after lifting. My original target was 15 minutes, but here's what happened. I hit 15 minutes, but my mileage was like 2.93 miles. So I decided to push for 3 miles. Then, at 3 miles, I saw my calories burned was at 89. So I said, "Let's push through, get to 100." Then at 100 calories, I was at 3.33 miles. Fast forward to 3.5 miles, and I was at 17 minutes, so I said, "Alright, 18 is a better number, let's get there." Setting and reaching those tiny goals kept me on the bike for 3 extra minutes, which isn't a crazy addition, but it's something, and my legs are sore today as a result. Good sore, though.
Another very good day calorie-wise, and it actually could've been even lower, but when I looked at the list at about 8:00, I felt like I'd be hurting my recovery time if I didn't have a little more food, particularly protein. So I heated up a chicken alfredo Lean Cuisine (270 calories, and like 20 grams of protein) to finish off the day.
2/23/11
Calories: 865
Activities: walking
Normal walking day with Eddie, about a half hour of walking, though I've noticed we move at a better pace than we used to. Gets the heart pumping a little more, breathe a little harder, and feel a little better afterward.
I know I don't want to stay at 865 as a daily calorie amount, but after the first weigh-in, I wanted to find a day where I could have less than 1,000 calories. Now that I've found it, I feel pretty good about my chances going into March 5th's showdown.
Looking Forward
Yes, in case you had made plans based on the unofficial weigh-in date, it's time to change those plans...or just don't come, whatever. Our second official weigh-in showdown will be Saturday, March 5th. The weigh-in will once again be in the evening, but this time, instead of the Super Bowl, I'm working on a stand-alone party for the occasion. Details to follow...like, when I come up with them.
As far as my own weight-loss plans, as I said, this was a really good half-week for me. Good calorie count, good exercise, I feel good, and hopefully I'm doing good work. I'm hoping to use this as a jumping-off point going forward, from which I can build towards the new Joe.
Three things I want to focus on:
First, I'm pretty sure I need to be drinking more water. I bought a case of bottled water on Sunday; I feel like I drink more water when it's bottled, for whatever reason.
Second, I've been doing well on making sure I get some vegetables every day. I want to keep that as a focus, to make sure I don't slip back into eating popcorn all the time. Popcorn's alright, but vegetables are clearly healthier.
Third, I've still got to work more fruit into the diet. The best thought I had was to try to have fruits ready-to-eat for breakfast. I'm a little pineappled out, so I'll be on the prowl for some different fruits on my next grocery trip. Berries, maybe.
You stay classy, San Diego.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 12
Please note: There is one swear word in this post. If mature language bothers you, please use discretion on continuing to read. Also, if mature language bothers you, how on Earth are you friends with Nick?
As promised, I will now share my experience at the Westat fitness center. Normally I'd just include this in the daily discussion, but it's kind of a big thing, so I figured I'd lead off with it for yins.
It was good.
I keed, I keed. I went on Thursday evening after work. A lot of people go right after work, so the fitness center is pretty crowded from 4:30 to 6:00, but since I live so close to Westat, I found it very reasonable for me to go home after work, unwind for a bit, then head back to Westat to go to the gym. The place wasn't very crowded at all, and there was really no machine that I wanted to use that I couldn't have. The treadmills were full for a period, but treadmills are lame anyways.
I did a couple sets of chest exercises, and I could tell right away that I was going to be sore as hell. Then I did a few more, and I've paid the price. My chest and triceps are tender, and could use a good massage. Ahem. I also rode on the exercise bike for about 15 minutes, just enough to get my heart rate up, and I burned about 80 calories. Lance Armstrong I'm not, but it was pretty gratifying. In fact, the whole experience was pretty much completely positive (outside of the searing pain in my pectorals), and I'm excited about going back next week. I'll probably need to plan for some cardio-only days here though, especially early on, when my muscles are adapting to being battered on a regular basis.
2/17/11
Calories: 2,316
Activities: gym
As I said, this was my first day at the gym. When I got home, I found that I was famished, and I had a couple sandwiches, then a couple more sandwiches. I was able to keep the calorie count under 2,500, but only just. In addition to incorporating the gym, I'd like to also redouble my efforts on the diet. Staying under 2,500 calories is good, but I'd like to be closer to 2,000 more frequently. If I can just focus on eating some of the thousands of Lean Cuisines I've bought over the past few weeks, I should be fine.
2/18/11
Calories: 2,323
Activities: tennis
Had a pretty good day at work. I had a chicken salad sandwich, which isn't great, but I felt way better about that than the slice of pepperoni pizza I have pretty often, and the calorie count is about the same. I also made myself a little side salad, mostly broccoli with some lettuce and carrot shavings to spruce things up. More vegetables is always good.
After work, I met up with Reed, Eddie P., and my brother to play tennis, but we were short a racket. We ended up just rotating our three rackets, and while it was a little chaotic and definitely not professional, it was fun, and the running around was nice. After tennis, I headed home, showered, and went up to Joey G's. Without going into details, I'll just say it was fucking awesome.
2/19/11
Calories: 1,480
Activities: walking
The short explanation for the low calorie count on Saturday is that I felt awesome all day. The middle-length explanation is below. The long explanation will be included in my book, A Dream Unfurled: The Rise and Fall of the Mattingly Empire, which will hit bookstores April 11th.
Got back from Joey's at about 11:30, and since I was running on adrenalin and instinct, I decided to go for a walk. It was brisk, and I probably should've brought a jacket, but it was a good little walk, at a better speed than I usually go. When I got back to my house from the walk, I passed out for five hours, then headed up to Chip's house for some much needed mellow hanging out. We got Chipotle for dinner, and I made a 790 calorie burrito. It's not a lean meal by any stretch, but it was fantastic, and it's something I'd definitely like to work in from time to time as a treat for myself.
Looking Forward
As I said, I'm planning to get back to the gym early next week. The fitness center is closed on weekends, so I have to make sure to get my workouts in during the week. I also need to go grocery shopping sometime this week, and try to dig up some ways to keep incorporating more fruits and vegetables. I'm out of pineapple again, so that's first on the list, but I'm also going to look at getting some peppers and onions and trying to put together a controllable cheese steak. The steak will be the harder part to figure out probably, but hey, nobody said this would be easy.
Well, except Spag. He wouldn't shut up about how easy this would be. Screw you, Spag. :)
As promised, I will now share my experience at the Westat fitness center. Normally I'd just include this in the daily discussion, but it's kind of a big thing, so I figured I'd lead off with it for yins.
It was good.
I keed, I keed. I went on Thursday evening after work. A lot of people go right after work, so the fitness center is pretty crowded from 4:30 to 6:00, but since I live so close to Westat, I found it very reasonable for me to go home after work, unwind for a bit, then head back to Westat to go to the gym. The place wasn't very crowded at all, and there was really no machine that I wanted to use that I couldn't have. The treadmills were full for a period, but treadmills are lame anyways.
I did a couple sets of chest exercises, and I could tell right away that I was going to be sore as hell. Then I did a few more, and I've paid the price. My chest and triceps are tender, and could use a good massage. Ahem. I also rode on the exercise bike for about 15 minutes, just enough to get my heart rate up, and I burned about 80 calories. Lance Armstrong I'm not, but it was pretty gratifying. In fact, the whole experience was pretty much completely positive (outside of the searing pain in my pectorals), and I'm excited about going back next week. I'll probably need to plan for some cardio-only days here though, especially early on, when my muscles are adapting to being battered on a regular basis.
2/17/11
Calories: 2,316
Activities: gym
As I said, this was my first day at the gym. When I got home, I found that I was famished, and I had a couple sandwiches, then a couple more sandwiches. I was able to keep the calorie count under 2,500, but only just. In addition to incorporating the gym, I'd like to also redouble my efforts on the diet. Staying under 2,500 calories is good, but I'd like to be closer to 2,000 more frequently. If I can just focus on eating some of the thousands of Lean Cuisines I've bought over the past few weeks, I should be fine.
2/18/11
Calories: 2,323
Activities: tennis
Had a pretty good day at work. I had a chicken salad sandwich, which isn't great, but I felt way better about that than the slice of pepperoni pizza I have pretty often, and the calorie count is about the same. I also made myself a little side salad, mostly broccoli with some lettuce and carrot shavings to spruce things up. More vegetables is always good.
After work, I met up with Reed, Eddie P., and my brother to play tennis, but we were short a racket. We ended up just rotating our three rackets, and while it was a little chaotic and definitely not professional, it was fun, and the running around was nice. After tennis, I headed home, showered, and went up to Joey G's. Without going into details, I'll just say it was fucking awesome.
2/19/11
Calories: 1,480
Activities: walking
The short explanation for the low calorie count on Saturday is that I felt awesome all day. The middle-length explanation is below. The long explanation will be included in my book, A Dream Unfurled: The Rise and Fall of the Mattingly Empire, which will hit bookstores April 11th.
Got back from Joey's at about 11:30, and since I was running on adrenalin and instinct, I decided to go for a walk. It was brisk, and I probably should've brought a jacket, but it was a good little walk, at a better speed than I usually go. When I got back to my house from the walk, I passed out for five hours, then headed up to Chip's house for some much needed mellow hanging out. We got Chipotle for dinner, and I made a 790 calorie burrito. It's not a lean meal by any stretch, but it was fantastic, and it's something I'd definitely like to work in from time to time as a treat for myself.
Looking Forward
As I said, I'm planning to get back to the gym early next week. The fitness center is closed on weekends, so I have to make sure to get my workouts in during the week. I also need to go grocery shopping sometime this week, and try to dig up some ways to keep incorporating more fruits and vegetables. I'm out of pineapple again, so that's first on the list, but I'm also going to look at getting some peppers and onions and trying to put together a controllable cheese steak. The steak will be the harder part to figure out probably, but hey, nobody said this would be easy.
Well, except Spag. He wouldn't shut up about how easy this would be. Screw you, Spag. :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Week 6 Update - Gargantuar
Before we proceed with the Week 6 Update, can I just say how disappointed I am with the poll voting so far? You guys realize there is no Vegas point spread right? Where are my legions of supporters? Well, when I crush Psychotron on March 5th (unofficial date of the next weigh-in) all of those who turned their backs on me will be laughed at. Heartily. If you guys wanted a villain, you have one now in Gargantuar (aka Lebron James). Now, on to the good stuff.....
UPDATE: Wow what a difference a little complaining makes. Now I have 7 votes up from 2. I feel a bit of pressure...
I Don't know if you remember my post talking about the arc trainer but its basically a more in depth eliptical, and was very hard for me the first time I tried it. Well I was able to run on it for 10 minutes last night after the treadmill, which I was also proud of. I started off a bit slow but then turned it on a bit. My legs were definitely killing me after that to the point I almost fell down the stairs. I also did some lifting, 5 machines working on my back, shoulders and stomach. All-in-all a pretty good work out.
This was the first time I went to the "gime" this week but I have plans to go Friday morning. As far as walking at work, both Monday and Wednesday were walking days, and today I will be walking with a co-worker. Since it is finally nice out she decided to join me.
My diet goal of cooking dinner (or having cooked for me) 5 nights this week has been going well. Monday I had my Valentine's Day Mandate which I went out for dinner. I had flat iron steak with potatoes. It was delicious. I also split desert with Patrick and it was amazingly good. Even though deserts are not "good" for you, at least splitting them with someone proportions it out a bit. The old Nick would have eaten the whole thing, plus would have had an appetizer and 2 or 3 beers. That's a lot of cutting out for a splurge day and I still felt very satisfied.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday I cooked for myself at home. Simple things like whole grain spaghetti with chicken, nothing fancy. I'm still waiting for someone to offer me a nice healthy home cooked dinner....any takers? Fine, just another reason for me to take my talents elsewhere. I hear South Beach is nice this time of year.
UPDATE: Wow what a difference a little complaining makes. Now I have 7 votes up from 2. I feel a bit of pressure...
I Don't know if you remember my post talking about the arc trainer but its basically a more in depth eliptical, and was very hard for me the first time I tried it. Well I was able to run on it for 10 minutes last night after the treadmill, which I was also proud of. I started off a bit slow but then turned it on a bit. My legs were definitely killing me after that to the point I almost fell down the stairs. I also did some lifting, 5 machines working on my back, shoulders and stomach. All-in-all a pretty good work out.
This was the first time I went to the "gime" this week but I have plans to go Friday morning. As far as walking at work, both Monday and Wednesday were walking days, and today I will be walking with a co-worker. Since it is finally nice out she decided to join me.
My diet goal of cooking dinner (or having cooked for me) 5 nights this week has been going well. Monday I had my Valentine's Day Mandate which I went out for dinner. I had flat iron steak with potatoes. It was delicious. I also split desert with Patrick and it was amazingly good. Even though deserts are not "good" for you, at least splitting them with someone proportions it out a bit. The old Nick would have eaten the whole thing, plus would have had an appetizer and 2 or 3 beers. That's a lot of cutting out for a splurge day and I still felt very satisfied.
Both Tuesday and Wednesday I cooked for myself at home. Simple things like whole grain spaghetti with chicken, nothing fancy. I'm still waiting for someone to offer me a nice healthy home cooked dinner....any takers? Fine, just another reason for me to take my talents elsewhere. I hear South Beach is nice this time of year.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary X
We're like Super Bowls; once we get up to a certain number, we start using Roman numerals...
...not really. Just this one.
Anyways, on to the content.
2/11/11
Calories: 1,800
Activities: walking
Eddie and I have been walking with some more frequency at work, which definitely feels good. I know what you're thinking: "How can the Battle Marshal so blatantly support one competitor?" Well, let me answer your question with a question: why don't you get out of my face? :)
I also walked to dinner over at Hard Times. I had thought about getting my classic Santa Fe salad, but it's been forever since I had wings, and I generally don't get a ton of protein, so I decided to "splurge." I put splurge in quotes because, while I had plenty of wings, it was the best day I had over the weekend calorie-wise, and because really, 1,800 calories is a perfectly fine day.
2/12/11
Calories: 2,137
Activities: weightlifting
I built on my successful weightlifting session from Wednesday and had an even more productive day on that front. Everything I've read tells me that building muscles is great for losing weight and getting in shape. Plus a pretty girl told me pretty girls like guys with muscles...reason enough to do most anything, right?
Oh, Saturday was also the day I almost tried my pineapple chicken thing. Yes, almost. When I was actually confronted with the choice, I was too afraid of messing it up and having to either eat something unpleasant or cooking up another dinner. So I steamed some Santa Fe vegetables (only like half vegetables, it's got broccoli, corn, black beans, and red peppers), and made a couple grilled chicken sandwiches with some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. That sauce is the boss. It says so on the bottle.
So for now, we'll stick with just eating pineapple straight.
2/13/11
Calories: 2,553
Activities: walking, Rock Band
It's funny. A while ago when I was looking for information about dieting (more than a year ago), I found some calculator that suggested I aim for about 2,400 calories a day to lose weight at a steady pace. That's sort of where I drew the 2,500 calorie goal from.
Anyways, on one of my forays into trying to keep track of my calorie intake, I found that I was regularly crossing the 3,000 calorie threshold. Like, pretty much every day. I remember one night I went to Red Robin and got a milkshake and a burger, and the daily total was like 4,500. So when I get to 2,553 in a day and am a little disappointed in myself, it helps me to realize just how far I've already come from a mindset standpoint.
Anyways, went on a long walk with Eddie around our neighborhood, played some Rock Band, then did a little too much drinking, which may have contributed to me not feeling up to the work week this morning. Or maybe it was just a case of the Mondays.
Looking Ahead
I have my mandatory health consultation meeting on Tuesday morning, and I'm supposed to do some kind of orientation at the gym, but after that, I should be free to go crazy at my office's fitness center. I've never actually been inside it, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of amenities they've got to offer. Anthony, I'll let you know about the personal trainer thing. Eddie said he thinks they offer group sessions and classes, but that they're all free.
One more thing. For anybody who wants to donate something, but can't think of anything appropriate, I will relay this information. On Super Bowl Sunday, I was on the last notch of one of my belts. I put on the same belt this past Sunday, and it simply would not hold my pants up. My point being, Nick and I are probably going to need to rebuild our wardrobes as this competition goes on. A gift card to JCPenny, Kohl's, etc would help to defray some of that inevitable cost.
Happy Valentine's Day everybody.
...not really. Just this one.
Anyways, on to the content.
2/11/11
Calories: 1,800
Activities: walking
Eddie and I have been walking with some more frequency at work, which definitely feels good. I know what you're thinking: "How can the Battle Marshal so blatantly support one competitor?" Well, let me answer your question with a question: why don't you get out of my face? :)
I also walked to dinner over at Hard Times. I had thought about getting my classic Santa Fe salad, but it's been forever since I had wings, and I generally don't get a ton of protein, so I decided to "splurge." I put splurge in quotes because, while I had plenty of wings, it was the best day I had over the weekend calorie-wise, and because really, 1,800 calories is a perfectly fine day.
2/12/11
Calories: 2,137
Activities: weightlifting
I built on my successful weightlifting session from Wednesday and had an even more productive day on that front. Everything I've read tells me that building muscles is great for losing weight and getting in shape. Plus a pretty girl told me pretty girls like guys with muscles...reason enough to do most anything, right?
Oh, Saturday was also the day I almost tried my pineapple chicken thing. Yes, almost. When I was actually confronted with the choice, I was too afraid of messing it up and having to either eat something unpleasant or cooking up another dinner. So I steamed some Santa Fe vegetables (only like half vegetables, it's got broccoli, corn, black beans, and red peppers), and made a couple grilled chicken sandwiches with some Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. That sauce is the boss. It says so on the bottle.
So for now, we'll stick with just eating pineapple straight.
2/13/11
Calories: 2,553
Activities: walking, Rock Band
It's funny. A while ago when I was looking for information about dieting (more than a year ago), I found some calculator that suggested I aim for about 2,400 calories a day to lose weight at a steady pace. That's sort of where I drew the 2,500 calorie goal from.
Anyways, on one of my forays into trying to keep track of my calorie intake, I found that I was regularly crossing the 3,000 calorie threshold. Like, pretty much every day. I remember one night I went to Red Robin and got a milkshake and a burger, and the daily total was like 4,500. So when I get to 2,553 in a day and am a little disappointed in myself, it helps me to realize just how far I've already come from a mindset standpoint.
Anyways, went on a long walk with Eddie around our neighborhood, played some Rock Band, then did a little too much drinking, which may have contributed to me not feeling up to the work week this morning. Or maybe it was just a case of the Mondays.
Looking Ahead
I have my mandatory health consultation meeting on Tuesday morning, and I'm supposed to do some kind of orientation at the gym, but after that, I should be free to go crazy at my office's fitness center. I've never actually been inside it, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of amenities they've got to offer. Anthony, I'll let you know about the personal trainer thing. Eddie said he thinks they offer group sessions and classes, but that they're all free.
One more thing. For anybody who wants to donate something, but can't think of anything appropriate, I will relay this information. On Super Bowl Sunday, I was on the last notch of one of my belts. I put on the same belt this past Sunday, and it simply would not hold my pants up. My point being, Nick and I are probably going to need to rebuild our wardrobes as this competition goes on. A gift card to JCPenny, Kohl's, etc would help to defray some of that inevitable cost.
Happy Valentine's Day everybody.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 9
Gonna keep this one simple, as I've got a hundred and fifty things going on right now, and I want to get to sleep at a reasonable time tonight (or at least, reasonable for me).
2/7/2011
Calories: 1,703
Activities: Walking
At one point in the middle of the day, I considered going for an under-1,000 calorie performance on Monday, but Mondays are just too tough a day to stay completely nice. I'm not unhappy at all with 1,700 calories, though. Eddie says we walked 1.4 miles at work, which was good, but I was wearing black socks, which seems to be a death knell for my feet.
2/8/2011
Calories: 2,063
Activities: Rock Band
I equate Rock Band to taking a walk. It's not as good as legit, big boy exercise, but it's better than sitting on my computer playing SimCity. I had my office's cafeteria's entree for lunch; it was four pieces of shrimp with some pineapple salsa. A staggering 190 calories later, I was shockingly satisfied...until after work, when I had two glasses of rum.
2/9/2011
Calories: 2,122
Activities: Weightlifting
A strongman competition it wasn't, but Wednesday night I had the most legit workout session I've had since I moved into my place, over a year ago. I partnered it with a few too many meatballs, but all the same, I'm pleased. I discovered that lifting is a nice complement to playing Call of Duty. The time between games, or when there are host migrations, offer plenty of opportunities to get in a few reps.
2/10/2011
Calories: 1,425
Activities: none
Yeah, none. I thought about taking a walk while I was at work, but I kept getting distracted by, you know, work. When I got home, I considered some Rock Band, but I just wasn't feeling it. I did play a little real guitar, which isn't a workout or anything, but it is fun. I did, however, use my lack of activity to force myself to stay lower on the calorie meter, so it wasn't all bad.
Two things in the works:
First, since I've been buying pineapples, I've been thinking about cooking up some kind of chicken dish with a pineapple sauce/salsa/whatever. Tonight I went to the store and got some vegetables to complete the dish, so the plan is one night this weekend to try out some kind of haphazard meal. It should be good...nah, it's gonna be a bloodbath.
Second, I got my paperwork in for my company's fitness center membership. I still have to have a health consultation with someone, and have to go to some kind of orientation bullshit so I know not to pee on the floor or something, but I'm very close to having full access to a gym. So, if you've got any recommendations on how to best utilize said gym, I'm all ears.
2/7/2011
Calories: 1,703
Activities: Walking
At one point in the middle of the day, I considered going for an under-1,000 calorie performance on Monday, but Mondays are just too tough a day to stay completely nice. I'm not unhappy at all with 1,700 calories, though. Eddie says we walked 1.4 miles at work, which was good, but I was wearing black socks, which seems to be a death knell for my feet.
2/8/2011
Calories: 2,063
Activities: Rock Band
I equate Rock Band to taking a walk. It's not as good as legit, big boy exercise, but it's better than sitting on my computer playing SimCity. I had my office's cafeteria's entree for lunch; it was four pieces of shrimp with some pineapple salsa. A staggering 190 calories later, I was shockingly satisfied...until after work, when I had two glasses of rum.
2/9/2011
Calories: 2,122
Activities: Weightlifting
A strongman competition it wasn't, but Wednesday night I had the most legit workout session I've had since I moved into my place, over a year ago. I partnered it with a few too many meatballs, but all the same, I'm pleased. I discovered that lifting is a nice complement to playing Call of Duty. The time between games, or when there are host migrations, offer plenty of opportunities to get in a few reps.
2/10/2011
Calories: 1,425
Activities: none
Yeah, none. I thought about taking a walk while I was at work, but I kept getting distracted by, you know, work. When I got home, I considered some Rock Band, but I just wasn't feeling it. I did play a little real guitar, which isn't a workout or anything, but it is fun. I did, however, use my lack of activity to force myself to stay lower on the calorie meter, so it wasn't all bad.
Two things in the works:
First, since I've been buying pineapples, I've been thinking about cooking up some kind of chicken dish with a pineapple sauce/salsa/whatever. Tonight I went to the store and got some vegetables to complete the dish, so the plan is one night this weekend to try out some kind of haphazard meal. It should be good...nah, it's gonna be a bloodbath.
Second, I got my paperwork in for my company's fitness center membership. I still have to have a health consultation with someone, and have to go to some kind of orientation bullshit so I know not to pee on the floor or something, but I'm very close to having full access to a gym. So, if you've got any recommendations on how to best utilize said gym, I'm all ears.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Weigh-In Week - Gargantuar
So right now everyone should be hearing Europe's "The Final Countdown" blasting in your head. Everyone should be on the edge of their seat in anticipation of "The Big Weigh in" this sunday. I know there is some silly football game on as well, but who really cares about that. I'm pretty stoked about what I think will be a huge day for both Psychotron and myself, but a little less huge than a month ago.
Week 3 Diet Goal - Get back on track
I had a really good week last week getting back on the wagon. I did have one meal out at a restaurant that was pretty unhealthy. A big bacon cheese burger and fries. BTW...it was delicious. I think its pretty ok to have a meal or two a week that is not part of the diet. It keeps you from going insane and it helps that little craving. All in all it was a great diet week. I even was able to drink a lot on Saturday night as I ate really well earlier that day.
Week 3 Exercise Goal - Do More
I have been in the groove of walking at work again which is definitely a good thing. I also went to the gym twice this week, which is better than in the past. Last Sunday, I went to the gym by my brother's house and used an Arc Trainer. It's kind of like an elliptical but a bit more intense. The motion it has you do is almost like doing stairs or running uphill. I could only use it for five minutes before I had to switch to the treadmill. My upper thighs were killing me as they don't get worked out really on a treadmill. It seems pretty cool and I definitely liked it, I'm just not there yet. I did do some lifting and added a bunch of leg presses to try to work my thighs. Who knows, maybe the Arc will be for me in a few weeks.
Weigh-In Week Diet Goal - No more than 2100 calories on Superbowl Sunday
So this week's goal is about a single day. And 2100 calories may seem pretty easy, but anyone who has dieted now knows about how loaded with calories the junk food we eat during the Superbowl is. Also, it's just so readily available and delicious, it's hard to stop eating. I was originally going to say 2000, but what the heck, I have 100 calorie safety net now.
So in order to stick to the 2100 calorie Sunday I have implemented an action plan:
Week 3 Diet Goal - Get back on track
I had a really good week last week getting back on the wagon. I did have one meal out at a restaurant that was pretty unhealthy. A big bacon cheese burger and fries. BTW...it was delicious. I think its pretty ok to have a meal or two a week that is not part of the diet. It keeps you from going insane and it helps that little craving. All in all it was a great diet week. I even was able to drink a lot on Saturday night as I ate really well earlier that day.
Week 3 Exercise Goal - Do More
I have been in the groove of walking at work again which is definitely a good thing. I also went to the gym twice this week, which is better than in the past. Last Sunday, I went to the gym by my brother's house and used an Arc Trainer. It's kind of like an elliptical but a bit more intense. The motion it has you do is almost like doing stairs or running uphill. I could only use it for five minutes before I had to switch to the treadmill. My upper thighs were killing me as they don't get worked out really on a treadmill. It seems pretty cool and I definitely liked it, I'm just not there yet. I did do some lifting and added a bunch of leg presses to try to work my thighs. Who knows, maybe the Arc will be for me in a few weeks.
Weigh-In Week Diet Goal - No more than 2100 calories on Superbowl Sunday
So this week's goal is about a single day. And 2100 calories may seem pretty easy, but anyone who has dieted now knows about how loaded with calories the junk food we eat during the Superbowl is. Also, it's just so readily available and delicious, it's hard to stop eating. I was originally going to say 2000, but what the heck, I have 100 calorie safety net now.
So in order to stick to the 2100 calorie Sunday I have implemented an action plan:
- Don't drink any calories - That mean no alcohol, but that's ok as it's Sunday and I have to work the next day.
- Make my own food - I am making a trip to Battle Marshal Eddie's house early that day to watch the Caps vs Pens hockey game. While there I have a few recipes I will make that will cut down on my caloric intake. If the food in front of my face is healthier I can eat more of it.
- Know what I'm putting in my body - If I don't know how to calculate the calories, clearly I will lose track and that leads to bingeing.
Weigh-In Week Exercise Goal - 10,000 steps 4 days this week
While visiting my brother he gave me a pedometer that he had but never opened. It's used for counting steps. They say that 10,000 steps a day is approximately 5 miles. I went to bed wearing the pedometer set at zero and will monitor every step I take. I tend to walk a good amount for work, and have been walking during work so I think I can get to 10,000 pretty easily. I'll keep you guys updated about how many steps I am doing.
So there is the game plan. I want this week to go well so I can dring home to gold in the first weigh-in. I will update later this week, and try to get some pics on Sunday for the Weigh-In special post.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Week 2 - Prepping for Las Vegas - Gargantuar
Hello...How bout that ride in? I guess that's why they call it Sin City hahaha...So this time tomorrow I will be arriving in Las Vegas with my dad. I asked him if he ever saw "The Hangover"? He texted me:
"Seen it and no I'm not pulling my tooth out"
So I guess we won't get too crazy but we have been at some pretty epic blackjack tables in the past, so hopefully we can find something like that again. But even though I will make sure to have a good time and won't be strict on my diet, I still have a game plan and want to be mindful of a few things. Here's an update on week 2 and plan for Las Vegas.
Diet Goal - No eating after 10pm
So far so good, although I didn't forsee any problems until I'm actually in Vegas. I usually eat dinner around 5:30 - 6pm, so if I do eat a snack after dinner, it's by 8pm.
Las Vegas Game Plan - Eat dinner later
There is no doubt that I will be on a different time schedule while in Las Vegas. My plan is to eat dinner around 7:30-8pm and if I do need to eat anything afterward, eat it by 10pm. What I've been doing really well so far, has been eating 5 or 6 times during the day, even if it's a few carrots or a yogurt. I'm sure I won't be able to maintain that while in Vegas but hey, it's a vacation.
Exercise Goal - Go to the gym 3 times this week
Last week I walked during my lunch break for 25-30 minutes everyday, and sometimes more in the afternoon. I am definitely continuing to do that as a lifestyle change. Not necessarily everyday, but more often than not. As far as the gym goes, I went last night for the first time. A good friend of mine went with me as well so that was fun. I walked briskly on the treadmill for 40 minutes, and then lifted weights for some back/shoulder/ab workouts, for about 20 minutes. It felt good to get my sweat on, and it didn't hurt to look at the chicas in tight clothes. I plan on going today after work once more as well.
Las Vegas Game Plan - Use the hotel gym
I am there for five days and four nights. Even if I use the gym one or two times, I will feel so much better about myself and my trip there. I'm sure I will get a decent amount of walking in too going up and down the strip.
I will try to post once more while in Las Vegas and will definitely update everyone about my success after I get back. Until then, my two man wolfpack will be looking for strippers and cocaine in the desert playground.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Psychotron - Daily Diary 1
I'm going to post my daily activity on here, but I'm not going to post it daily. I'm also not going to post it weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or by any other regular, prescribed schedule. I'm going to post randomly, whenever I feel like posting. Just rest assured, you'll get information on every day. It just might be 3 days later, or 5 days later, or 10 days later (probably only when I'm out of town).
The idea is to make myself accountable for all my actions, good or bad, both to myself and to our donors on this crazy ride. Anyways, here we go.
1/8/11
Calories: 1690
Activities: Weightlifting, shopping trip to Kohl's/grocery
Not a very exciting Saturday, but I knew that to be successful on this first day, I had to keep the calorie count in mind pretty much all day. I had a couple sandwiches, some popcorn, a pack of pepper jack crackers, and a Slim Jim (only 40 calories for a small one). My trip to the grocery store had two focuses. First, I wanted to get some meals, so I bought a few pre-made salads and some frozen Lean Cuisines. Second, I wanted to find a "guilt-free" sauce for dipping. Per recommendations from Eddie and Joey G, I found some teriyaki sauce that's only 10 calories per tablespoon. I'm looking forward to putting it into action.
1/9/11
Calories: 1940
Activities: Shopping trip to Wal-Mart, Lakeforest Mall
Like my partner in crime, I usually find weekends to be tough as far as trying to eat healthy, and for me, Sundays are the worst. My hope was that by forcing myself to go out and run errands, I'd prevent myself from slipping up, and for the most part, it worked. I wanted to buy some new khaki shorts in preparation for my Disney World trip this weekend.
The efforts started on Saturday with my (fruitless) trip to Kohl's, followed by a trip to Wal-Mart (which sadly didn't have any either). Finally, I went to Lakeforest Mall, and while JCPenny didn't have any shorts out, they did have a clearance section in which I found one pair of slightly-too-large shorts. Most importantly, I managed to go through Wal-Mart without making any irresponsible purchases (food-wise at least), and I totaled 180 calories while I was out; I had a Fiber One toaster pastry in between my stops. Overall, I'm pleased with how my weekend turned out. I'm hoping that I get over this cold I've been dealing with and start to really get some exercise soon.
The idea is to make myself accountable for all my actions, good or bad, both to myself and to our donors on this crazy ride. Anyways, here we go.
1/8/11
Calories: 1690
Activities: Weightlifting, shopping trip to Kohl's/grocery
Not a very exciting Saturday, but I knew that to be successful on this first day, I had to keep the calorie count in mind pretty much all day. I had a couple sandwiches, some popcorn, a pack of pepper jack crackers, and a Slim Jim (only 40 calories for a small one). My trip to the grocery store had two focuses. First, I wanted to get some meals, so I bought a few pre-made salads and some frozen Lean Cuisines. Second, I wanted to find a "guilt-free" sauce for dipping. Per recommendations from Eddie and Joey G, I found some teriyaki sauce that's only 10 calories per tablespoon. I'm looking forward to putting it into action.
1/9/11
Calories: 1940
Activities: Shopping trip to Wal-Mart, Lakeforest Mall
Like my partner in crime, I usually find weekends to be tough as far as trying to eat healthy, and for me, Sundays are the worst. My hope was that by forcing myself to go out and run errands, I'd prevent myself from slipping up, and for the most part, it worked. I wanted to buy some new khaki shorts in preparation for my Disney World trip this weekend.
The efforts started on Saturday with my (fruitless) trip to Kohl's, followed by a trip to Wal-Mart (which sadly didn't have any either). Finally, I went to Lakeforest Mall, and while JCPenny didn't have any shorts out, they did have a clearance section in which I found one pair of slightly-too-large shorts. Most importantly, I managed to go through Wal-Mart without making any irresponsible purchases (food-wise at least), and I totaled 180 calories while I was out; I had a Fiber One toaster pastry in between my stops. Overall, I'm pleased with how my weekend turned out. I'm hoping that I get over this cold I've been dealing with and start to really get some exercise soon.
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