A few thoughts as I near the two-month date of this diet, which is part one of my fitness project.
I'd like to review my goals from the beginning and where I am now. When I first started, I weighed 284.5 pounds. I would like to weigh about 200 pounds, so the goal loss was 85 pounds. Now, that's a lot of weight and I suppose that I would be happy if you told me that I got down to 220 pounds and stayed there for the next 20 years. But, I think 200 is a better weight for me. Once I get to that weight, I'd like to stay there, but try to increase my strength and endurance. That means that I eat more (but not too much) than I am now and focus on a dual path of strength and cardio training. For now, I'm content to stay on the weight loss training, i.e. long bike rides at a relatively leisurely pace. No interval training, just long fat burning sessions.
Tuesday marks two months of the weight reduction program. In month one, I lost 16.8 pounds. So far this month, I've lost 15.9 pounds, so I've maintained a pretty constant weight loss rate and am now at nearly the 40% point. In the beginning, I had envisioned losing 10 pounds a month, but by the time I started writing this column, I realized that 15 pounds a month was about the rate at which I would lose. Based on my spreadsheet, I'm on pace to be 200 pounds on December 26th. That would mean that the strength and cardio workout focus would start about January 1. That is my general plan, I guess and I will work on a calorie level for that particular phase. I don't know yet what that will be.
On Friday night, we went to an event at our daughter's school, so I didn't work out at the gym. Yesterday, I primed the ceilings in our kitchen and dining room as part of my project to repaint the interior of our house by Christmas. The ceilings are 12 1/2 feet high, so I did a lot of climbing up and down the ladder. It took a lot longer than I expected and by the end of it, I was pretty tired. I had a number of other things that I wanted to do, none of them got done. I also didn't get to the gym. Today, I will finish the ceilings and I hope to hang some new blinds and mow the lawn, too. I may go to the gym tonight, if for nothing else than to sit in the whirlpool.
Day 61
Weight: 251.8
Total Loss: 32.7
Average Weight Last 30 days: 260.0
I like your slow-and-steady approach, which combines increased physical activity with decreased caloric consumption. But I wonder about the validity of the "long fat burning sessions" over interval training as the optimal way to do your exercising component.
At the end of the day, what matters is the balance between calories consumed and calories burned. Shorter, more intense workouts burn calories at a higher rate. If you have gotten in decent shape over the past two months, you are at a place where you could start working in interval workouts, particularly on days where your time is tighter.
also, don't forget about the strength maintenance along the way. You don't want to lose muscle mass, you want to shrink fat cells. It sounds like your ceiling painting workout hit on some of the strength stuff (stair-climbing is resistance training!). 🙂
Went to the gym yesterday. Started with some foam rolling and mobility stuff. Continued with my jump rope progression, this time 7 sets of 30 unbroken jumps. Did 6-7 pull-ups (singles), 3 sets of 3 dip negatives, and 5 reps of max ring plank hold (working up to ring push-ups eventually).
Saturday, we did a 12-mile run. Cool temps made it a lot easier. Also got a water belt - tho't that it would be a hassle but it wasn't. Good to be able to take water when you want.
Sunday, nice ride around the environs/beaches in Newport, RI. Very windy.