Today is my last of eight days in the homeland before I head back to World Headquarters. Continue reading WGOM Fitness: September 19, 2012, Trust the Process →

I am not sleeping well on this particular trip and now I've started to come down with a cold. Continue reading WGOM Fitness: September 17, 2012, Ugh →

I may have cursed out Isaac Newton in college a few times when I was studying calculus, but after I got through all that, I had to admit that old chap knew a few things. Continue reading WGOM Fitness: September 16, 2012, Proxy →

I am now at day 3 of my 8 day trip to ND and I'm beginning to settle in here. I didn't sleep very well last night and I might be coming down with a cold. I am going to do some exercise on this trip. I have continued to adhere to my diet, but the scale isn't showing much progress. Then again, I don't trust my parents' scale very much. Oh well, I have to continue to march on. I know this is the heavy scale, but my pound lost per day is right at .50, pretty much the lowest it has been since I started. Then again, I'll take 3.5 pounds a week, if I can maintain that.

Day 52
Weight: 259
Total Weight Loss: 25.5

I should have alerted Twayn that this was a travel day. Sorry about that, Twayn. You can take tomorrow, as I will be tied up starting very early. Yesterday, I went back to the gym and had a very satisfying workout. A day after feeling lethargic, I came back stronger than ever. I have noticed this in the past that if I have a day where I just can't do it, there isn't really any sense in forcing the workout. Instead, the right answer is to listen to my body and rest. Yesterday, I did my full ride and I was very satisfied with the results.

I have noticed not only that I'm smaller than I was, but that I have a lot more energy. When I am working, I have more stamina. In the past, yard work or other projects would wear me out quite easily. In just over six weeks, I have increased my physical capacity tremendously. I am very happy about that.

As for my weight, the last few days have been a little bit of a slow down, but this morning I did weigh about 4 hours earlier than normal. Knowing about how much weight I lose overnight, I suspect that I probably would have weighed about a half pound less than what I weighed at the ungodly hour. So, my progress continues.

Day 50
Weight: 257.3
Total loss: 27.2
Estimated date of achieving target weight: Dec. 24 (Merry Christmas!)

I went to the gym yesterday and my legs were pretty tired and I was generally tired all day. I felt terrific on Sunday and biked very hard. That was a little more than I should have done, so I cut the routine back from 50 minutes to 35 minutes and I didn't go nearly as hard. I also mowed the lawn last night, but otherwise I was pretty lethargic. Generally, I have more energy now than before, but if I push like I did on Sunday, apparently, I'm going to feel it.

Day 49
Weight: 257.6
Total loss: 26.9

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.

Continue reading WGOM Fitness: September 10, 2012, Activity →

Yesterday, I went to the gym for the first time in six days and I painted our living room ceiling (at least I primed it, the final coat will be applied today). I felt really good during the workout. I got a lot of physical exercise and I stuck to the diet. Well, almost.

Last night we went to the Cottage View Drive-In for one last time. We went with some other people, it was kind of cold out there, and I ended up not watching the movie. I also had a beer: a can of Surly Furious. Normally, this would have been a happy event, but I did not enjoy it, as I knew it was contrary to the diet and my main goal of losing this weight. The whole experience was less than positive.

My takeaway was this: I'm so totally dedicated to this project that I can't enjoy a single beer. I should have, because I've done a lot already and a little reward here and there should be okay. I recognize that, I know that, but I don't want it. My reward is recording weight loss on the spreadsheet. That's it. Well, that's not completely true, but the point is, the priority is to lose the weight and get in shape.

I don't know if you need this kind of single mindedness to pull off an 85 pound weight loss, maybe you do. I have it, I guess, and I'll just go with that.

Day 47
Weight: 258.7
Total Loss: 25.8

I am glad to be home. I drove home last night and I'll be home again until Wednesday. Next week, I start the eight day trips again, which are actually a lot easier on me than the three day trips that I have made the last couple of weeks. They are easier in the sense that I'm not driving so much. In addition, I'll be able to exercise more than I have been. They are harder, of course, in the sense that I am away from my family for longer periods of time.

Continue reading WGOM Fitness: September 8, 2012, Moving Again →

One of the things that I have been conscious of for the last several years is the amount of sleep that I get (or do not get). I really want to get at least seven hours of sleep a night, but there are a number of nights when that just doesn't happen. When I make my trips up to ND, I go to bed about 8:30, so at 3:30 AM, I have seven hours in. One of my biggest problems, though is that I sometimes go through periods when I wake up in the middle of the night and then can't get back to sleep. That hasn't happened for the last week or so, but Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was a 5 1/2 hour sleep event and yesterday afternoon about 5:30 I fell asleep at my desk.

Last night, I went to bed about 10:45 and got up at 6 AM. I slept very soundly, so I should be good today. But, yes, sleep is important and it's something that I have to work on.

Day 45
Weight: 262.0
Total Loss: 22.5
Loss in last ten days: 3.2