I think it's true that I'm susceptible to weight gain. My dad has never been heavy, but my mother has battled with weight her entire life. I know that for me to stay fit as an adult, I have to work hard at it. In other words, I think I have to boost my metabolism through smart eating and a focus on exercise. Otherwise, I will not be able to sustain a healthy weight once I get there. I will discuss this in more detail later. Suffice it to say for now that this is not my first weight loss regimen ever. I'm pretty sure I can lose the weight, the real challenge will be to maintain a program to keep it off. I think I can, but again that's a message for another day.
To clarify a little bit about what I said yesterday, my focus is on general health and fitness, with an added component of losing weight. I have completely cut out red meat from my diet. Cheese is gone. Fast food, nada. These were certainly healthy improvements. I have been eating as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I can. (Man, are my homegrown tomatoes as sweet and delicious as can be.) Plus, I am exercising regularly. Certainly, as I get down to a healthy weight, I will make some adjustments. I would like to get to 200 pounds and stay there. That means that I will increase my caloric intake to some manageable level.
Yesterday, I painted ceilings for four hours and then I went to the gym. I netted a pair of completely soaked through t-shirts and I was pretty much exhausted. I went to bed about 8:45 and slept pretty much straight through until 7 AM. I have to tell you that I feel great today.
Day 48
Weight: 257.6
Total Loss: 26.9
After a week of not really eating property and getting almost no physical activity, I'm up a couple of pounds. It was necessary, but I'm really hoping to get back to regular diet and exercise this week.
being back in the land of poutine and smoked meat sammichs can't be good for me, but if I walk about 5 miles per night like i did last time, that should hopefully provide a mild counterbalance.
I just got back from the Y. Did squats and other leg things, then walked home. I'm sure getting upstairs for bed later will be an adventure.
I'm just after weighing myself. I started at 160 a month ago, and dropped down into the 156-157 range after burning off some fat and water weight. As of right now, I'm 161, so I'm looking at a net of +4-5 pounds of muscle.
Meant to mention, if you haven't already, switch to whole milk. Good bulk builder
I have all kinds of energy today*, but I can hardly get off the couch with my legs in this state. I'd love to go for a jog, but just walking is proving difficult.
*I left work early last night (a completely different story) and got a full night's sleep. During the night!
Had a nice ride around Harriet and Calhoun but the wind started whipping up towards the end.
Yesterday I spent an hour cutting wood and an hour hiking unpaved trails in the woods with the wife. I failed to wear my back belt while cutting wood, so my lower back is killing me today. Stupid move. I'm going to be taking today off from exercise to heal up a bit. For me, the exercise is not really about weight loss, though I have dropped 10-15 pounds (I've been bouncing around between 190 and 195 for the past couple of weeks now), that's been a side benefit. My goals are to increase my stamina, cut down on the body fat and build more lean muscle mass. Likewise, my diet is more about good nutrition and cardiac health than shedding pounds. I've been fortunate in that most of my life I could eat all I wanted and not gain much weight, but that's changed over the past few years with age and a slower metabolism.
My whiffle ball team for the Annunciation Church September fest whiffleball tournament got off to a rousing start yesterday as we won 8-3. We play again in Prime Time Friday night (8:30p) against a bunch of Washburn High School Boys (I think they are Sophomores). Our team name is Gray Shades of 50 as all 6 of us are between 48 to 52 years old.
Strat and Pirate, stop by the fest, it's a bunch of fun and you don't even have to be Catholic. Fri-Sun. Whiffle Ball all week and weekend long.
Sounds like you have a spankin' good team.
The in-laws will be in town this weekend for Rosh Hashanah, but I'll try to sneak over if I can.
I just spent two hours priming walls/ceilings for some painting. Stick, you're not lying - that is a decent workout.
I ate Chipotle on Friday and sat in a car much of Saturday and Sunday (traveling for a wedding). It wasn't good for me. I tried to watch my intake a little on Saturday/Sunday, and did OK but not great. Today is Aquinas' 3rd birthday, so we'll be eating yummy pudding cake tonight and the next few days.
made it to the gym for a pretty good workout (for me) and stretch yesterday. Mile walk, 12 minutes of intervals on the bike, the kickboxing routine, back/core work and stretching. Then, while making dinner I "got" to re-mow and generally re-do jobs that had been assigned to the Girl. That about killed my back and shoulder, plus I was mighty pissed, at the Girl for not taking any pride in her work (really? I asked you to rake leaves off the front lawn before mowing, but you didn't think that included actually disposing of the leaves?), and her mother for not following through. It's good to have a semi-anonymous place to vent on occasion.
The mrs has promised to take over the "do your damned jobs" part of the parenting from me, as it seems (to her) like all of my interactions with the Girl are to nag her to do her jobs, then fighting with her when she fails to do her jobs or puts in a crappy effort. Ok then. Looking forward to the new regime.
That seems like a better plan anyway. I've never raised kids, and have no standing to talk, but it doesn't seem like a good policy for one parent to always be the bad guy.
i can see already that's going to be the case in our house...
I kind of wish we had a different arrangement, but somehow we settled into a bad cop/good cop routine many years ago. My wife is not all that assertive (except with me, of course), she wants to be caring and nurturing with the kids all the time, whereas I am more interested in getting results and have no problems making that clear in a vociferous manner. This worked out fine for us with Elder Daughter, who just wants to please and didn't need much of the bad cop at all for motivation. But with Younger Daughter, who is every bit as willful as me, it's been more difficult. The problem with her is that she learned how to manipulate the good cop's nurturing nature, and does not like to back down to the bad cop. But, now that she's reached an age where her social life is all important, I've figured out how to use that as a lever. I'm still just as assertive, but I present things in a simple matter of fact way -- do this or you don't get to do that with your friends, and I do my best not to get angry or raise my voice. I just tell her how it is and leave the decision up to her, but I stay firm and consistent. If she doesn't hold up her end, I don't waver and I never give in. She knows now that when I clam up and walk away from her attempts to argue about chores that it's pretty much game over and she's not winning.
My wife is not all that assertive (except with me, of course)
Raise your hand if this applied to you. (Hand raised)
I really do get tired of being the bad cop. I really do.
dido.
My guess, as things are going now, is that I'll be the push-over and my wife the disciplinarian. Could be the extreme difference in our experience with children, is my guess. (Me: 0, her: lots.)
wife and I would use a silent little-finger-in-the-air gesture to symbolize "she's got you wrapped around her little finger"
I have plenty of experience with children, but Philosofette is definitely the better disciplinarian. I cave far too much.
EAR and I are about the same on average, but she's much more consistent, while I swing wildly from Hardass to Softy.
She has more practice, being a SAHM and now a Homeschool teacher.
Furthermore, I know I'm gonna have to watch myself with AJR. 4.5 years between HPR and her, so she's the baby, even if she's LBR's big sister. Also, she's got me more than any of the others, I want to do more for her. If she had been our first, things would have been worse, but at least I know better.
Most of the time Mrs. Runner lays down the law with Runner daughter. And a lot of the time that is because either:
1) I've been totally left out of the loop, or
2) I'm not convinced it needs enforcing (yet)
Of course I'm also the side of the bed that would get woke up in the middle of the night, and say, "It's just a bad dream; go back to bed." It's hard to be empathetic in the middle of REM sleep.