For the record, I didn't have the Monster Biscuit pictured above. I did at least resist that...
Sometimes staying the same is a win
For the record, I didn't have the Monster Biscuit pictured above. I did at least resist that...
World Series is helping my cardio
Went to the gym last night in the middle of game 6 of the World Series between the Cardinals and Rangers. Hopped on the recumbent bike and ended up doing 70 minutes on that, and then 15 minutes more on the treadmill before the game ended in the 11th inning! Really only planned on 30-40 minutes, but there was no way I was missing the end of that game!
Took tonight off from the gym. Friday is my day off from work, and after my lengthy workout last night I'm a bit tired today. Went out to supper with my wife & son and tried a new Japanese/Thai fusion restaurant in a neighboring town. Good food, and overall really healthy excluding a bit of tempera batter.
Took tonight off from the gym. Friday is my day off from work, and after my lengthy workout last night I'm a bit tired today. Went out to supper with my wife & son and tried a new Japanese/Thai fusion restaurant in a neighboring town. Good food, and overall really healthy excluding a bit of tempera batter.
Dieters face a long battle with hunger, study finds
As if people needed a reminder that losing weight is hard and
maintaining weight loss is even harder, a study has found that for at
least a year, subjects who shed weight on a low-calorie diet were
hungrier than when they started and had higher levels of hormones that
tell the body to eat more, conserve energy and store away fuel as fat.
The report, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, helps explain why roughly 80 percent of dieters regain lost pounds within a year or two of losing them -- and, sometimes, regain more.
After weight loss, "multiple compensatory mechanisms" spring to life, the study shows, and work together to ensure that weight loss is reversed quickly and efficiently.
The researchers, led by Joseph Proietto of the University of Melbourne's Department of Medicine, write that more than one solution to obesity will likely be necessary: "a combination of medications" that will have to be safe for long-term use.
Two-thirds of Americans and a growing proportion of the developing world's population are overweight or obese, and though obesity rates in the United States have begun to stabilize, there's been no significant decline.
The Australian study paints a "very comprehensive" and "really discouraging" picture of the breadth of the body's response to weight loss, said Dr. Daniel Bessesen, an endocrinologist and obesity researcher at University of Colorado's Denver Health Medical Center. It captures just how many resources the body musters to ensure that weight is restored -- a long list of hormones that regulate appetite, feelings of fullness after eating and how calories are used.
The study enrolled 50 obese men and women without major health problems and put them on a strict low-calorie diet for eight weeks. Within two weeks after that diet, and again a year later, researchers measured subjects' blood levels of nine distinct hormones that affect appetite and metabolism, and asked subjects about feelings of hunger after meals, between meals and as mealtimes approached.
Click here for the full article.
The report, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, helps explain why roughly 80 percent of dieters regain lost pounds within a year or two of losing them -- and, sometimes, regain more.
After weight loss, "multiple compensatory mechanisms" spring to life, the study shows, and work together to ensure that weight loss is reversed quickly and efficiently.
The researchers, led by Joseph Proietto of the University of Melbourne's Department of Medicine, write that more than one solution to obesity will likely be necessary: "a combination of medications" that will have to be safe for long-term use.
Two-thirds of Americans and a growing proportion of the developing world's population are overweight or obese, and though obesity rates in the United States have begun to stabilize, there's been no significant decline.
The Australian study paints a "very comprehensive" and "really discouraging" picture of the breadth of the body's response to weight loss, said Dr. Daniel Bessesen, an endocrinologist and obesity researcher at University of Colorado's Denver Health Medical Center. It captures just how many resources the body musters to ensure that weight is restored -- a long list of hormones that regulate appetite, feelings of fullness after eating and how calories are used.
The study enrolled 50 obese men and women without major health problems and put them on a strict low-calorie diet for eight weeks. Within two weeks after that diet, and again a year later, researchers measured subjects' blood levels of nine distinct hormones that affect appetite and metabolism, and asked subjects about feelings of hunger after meals, between meals and as mealtimes approached.
Click here for the full article.
Benched 225lbs!
When I was last lifting regularly in 2007, I was benching just below 300lbs. IIRC. In 2002 I was benching just a hair under 400lbs. and I'm pretty sure I could've put that up in my next workout, but got injured before that could happen.
So last night I decided to give 225lbs. a go. Putting two wheels (45lb plates) on each side is a mental thing for me. Basically, every time I can add another large plate (and I'm not talking buffet) I really feel like I've done something significant. So 135, 225, 315 are all milestones for me. Heck, 405 really would be something!
So I'll keep at it. We'll see just how long it takes to get that third plate on the bar. The first one wasn't an issue. The second one took a month or so. I'd be happy to get the third one by next spring realistically. And if I continue on the pace I have set, I'll be benching more than my body weight (hopefully by quite a bit!) when I add that third plate onto the bar.
15 down
Checked last night and am now down 15lbs! Making progress. Off to do some lifting at the gym.
Suffering from weight loss
Well...not really suffering, but experienced a humerus side effect this morning. Got up early and made my way to church. I keep most of my pressed dress shirts in my office at church, so I just wear a white undershirt & my dress pants on my way to church. I was right on schedule, but it was hard getting up this morning. My mind was in a fog when I left the house, so I never noticed that I failed to put a belt on.
I was wearing some pants that previous had begun to get tight before I started this adventure, but are now with enough room in them that they don't quite stay up without a lot of attention. But in my short walk to my van and into the building I never noticed. So much to my surprise (and dismay!) when I began to put my dress shirt on before worship I discovered my error! Unfortunately I didn't have the option of running home, and my family is out of town this weekend so I couldn't call home & get them to bail me out either. Needless to say, I'll make sure I grab a belt next week!
The good new is that I indeed have shrunk a little bit. While not all that noticable outwardly, I've noticed the difference already. Great motivation to keep on working out.
Less of me and more of Him! Praise Jesus!!
Bench press increasing!
I haven't been lifting much, and when I have been lifting it was 3x10's @ 150ish lbs. Last night I decided to add some weight just to see where I was at and was able to do 210lbs 3 times with no problem. It being 12:30AM I didn't want to go beyond that because nobody else was at the gym. So that (to me at least) is quite exciting. I didn't expect I'd be this strong and that it would take a few more weeks to crack 200lbs. I might have to start going to the gym earlier though if I'm going to be putting up heavier iron. Gotta have a spotter if you are going to go big! Really looking forward to putting 2 plates on each side again - 225lbs. That's a great mental place because it seems like so much more when you can put that on. Sad to think that used to be what i warmed up with.
Gashed my knee
Smashed my kneecap tonight drawing quite a bit of blood. Caught it on a bathroom cabinet door. Was surprised I didn't break the door off with how hard I caught it. But in spite of blood & pain I'm heading to the gym. I can't say that I'm excited to go to the gym yet, but losing weight does help keep me motivated.
Took a night off
Took last night off to stay home with my wife. I worked out hard on Sunday and was down 11+lbs from my starting weight. Was hoping to lift last night, but now will get it in tonight. Feeling pretty tired, so might try to grab a cat nap too.
The one area I probably most need to improve in is my sleeping. With a 2 year old who rarely sleeps through the night, and my odd hours since I'm such a night hour, added to the chaos that has been my schedule lately you arrive at poor sleep patterns and habits. I know sleep is important, so I'll work on it.
The one area I probably most need to improve in is my sleeping. With a 2 year old who rarely sleeps through the night, and my odd hours since I'm such a night hour, added to the chaos that has been my schedule lately you arrive at poor sleep patterns and habits. I know sleep is important, so I'll work on it.
Keepin' on keepin' on
63 minutes on the recumbent bike tonight. Having TV to watch at the gym makes the time pass faster if I can find something worth watching. Since I work out late I don't generally have to fight for control of the TV in front of the cardio stations. It does keep getting easier. But at about 55 minutes I was out of steam, though I pushed on to finish out my program.
Weekend damage revisited
Looks like I am now only up 2lbs from last weekend. I obviously don't live & die by the scale, so I'm not sweating it either way.
Hit it hard at the gym last night, and then again tonight. Did 33 minutes of recumbent tonight and 45+ last night. Got after it with the weights tonight, moving up in weight on all my lifts. Still not pushing big iron, but did bench 155lbs 3x10 and it went pretty smooth. No idea how quickly I will gain strength at this age. A decade ago I jumped up to 245lbs on bench in just a couple of months of lifting. We'll see if I still have enough testosterone and dedication to get strong that quickly.
Hit it hard at the gym last night, and then again tonight. Did 33 minutes of recumbent tonight and 45+ last night. Got after it with the weights tonight, moving up in weight on all my lifts. Still not pushing big iron, but did bench 155lbs 3x10 and it went pretty smooth. No idea how quickly I will gain strength at this age. A decade ago I jumped up to 245lbs on bench in just a couple of months of lifting. We'll see if I still have enough testosterone and dedication to get strong that quickly.
Wedding weekend - the damage done
It was great to get away for a weekend, and I ate like a pig for most of it. I tried to make healthy food choices, but the double cheeseburger & cheese curds for lunch yesterday beg to differ. But they were sooo worth the calories.
I'm up 4ish lbs since last Wednesday. I did workout hard last night with both cardio and lifting. While I know it isn't much, I threw a plate on each side of the bar and did 3x10 on bench press last night fairly easily. Having not benched much weight yet, I had no idea how that would go. It's funny, because I remember in High School how that was a big deal when we first started lifting - 135lbs. To think that I used to bench roughly 3x's that amount is staggering. I'll be more than happy to double that quite honestly, and if I can get back over 300lbs - and have my weight be less than I bench once again, I'd be ecstatic.
I could definitely feel the difference in my cardio work out since I haven't been to the gym in the better part of a week. Even though we were at altitude for the wedding, it didn't compensate for not putting my time in. So I'll get after it the next few days, hoping that by Monday I can be back where I was when I left.
Baby steps.
I'm up 4ish lbs since last Wednesday. I did workout hard last night with both cardio and lifting. While I know it isn't much, I threw a plate on each side of the bar and did 3x10 on bench press last night fairly easily. Having not benched much weight yet, I had no idea how that would go. It's funny, because I remember in High School how that was a big deal when we first started lifting - 135lbs. To think that I used to bench roughly 3x's that amount is staggering. I'll be more than happy to double that quite honestly, and if I can get back over 300lbs - and have my weight be less than I bench once again, I'd be ecstatic.
I could definitely feel the difference in my cardio work out since I haven't been to the gym in the better part of a week. Even though we were at altitude for the wedding, it didn't compensate for not putting my time in. So I'll get after it the next few days, hoping that by Monday I can be back where I was when I left.
Baby steps.
Off to do a wedding
This blog will likely be quiet for a few days as I'm doing a destination wedding this weekend for a great couple. We'll see what impact it has on my diet. As of today I've lost 13lbs, but this next week will be challenging to work out. I hope to get some hiking in, but we'll see what time allows, and what food options are available.
48 hours sore
As I expected, I am more sore today than yesterday from my lifting on Sunday. My chest (pectoral muscles) are tender.
Made it to the gym again last night and put in 42 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and the recumbent cycle. Tonight I'll do some elliptical and probably skip the treadmill. While I'm not feeling pain, I have had a bit of tightness in my left arch the next morning after doing treadmill. Certainly don't want an injury to slow me down, so I'll be smart about it.
Last night my heart rate hit 166bpm briefly - a number I suspect I haven't seen in quite a while! I wanted to try a bit of running on the treadmill, and after a few minutes it was clear I'm not ready for it at that level yet. I try to keep it above 130 while on the treadmill, and 120 while on the recumbent. I haven't paid a lot of attention while on the elliptical, so as I get more time in on that I'll see how my heart rate does and how that corresponds to my ability to exercise on that machine. I'll throw some form work on lifting in at the end of my workout tonight. Good practice, and good way to get rid of some of that soreness I have in my muscles currently.
Made it to the gym again last night and put in 42 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and the recumbent cycle. Tonight I'll do some elliptical and probably skip the treadmill. While I'm not feeling pain, I have had a bit of tightness in my left arch the next morning after doing treadmill. Certainly don't want an injury to slow me down, so I'll be smart about it.
Last night my heart rate hit 166bpm briefly - a number I suspect I haven't seen in quite a while! I wanted to try a bit of running on the treadmill, and after a few minutes it was clear I'm not ready for it at that level yet. I try to keep it above 130 while on the treadmill, and 120 while on the recumbent. I haven't paid a lot of attention while on the elliptical, so as I get more time in on that I'll see how my heart rate does and how that corresponds to my ability to exercise on that machine. I'll throw some form work on lifting in at the end of my workout tonight. Good practice, and good way to get rid of some of that soreness I have in my muscles currently.
Broken blood vessle in my hand?
Made it to the gym tonight, even though I honestly didn't feel like going. Started with 20 minutes on the treadmill and then did 20 minutes on the recumbent bike. My cardio keeps getting better, which for a fat man like me simply means that it hurts less each time.
I moved from that into lifting - arms and chest. While doing some closed grip bench press I felt what I suspect was a blood vessel break in my left hand. We'll see in the morning I guess, but it's a bit tender at the moment. I didn't let that stop me & finished my workout. I'm 99% sure I'm going to be sore tomorrow.
An interesting thing about my body is that I've always been sorest 48 hours after lifting hard, even when I was playing college football and moving impressive amounts of iron.
I used to lift a lot. My best bench press was in 2002 when I got 395lbs up. I never did hit my goal of 400lbs due to a strain in my left pectoral muscle. I strained it, had to take it easy for a while, and then moved nearly six hours away & enrolled full time in Seminary where I never managed to get back into regular lifting while living on campus. In college I squatted 720lbs which was a school record at the time for a running back (I was a fullback). I never was all that good at dead lift - the third of the "classic" competition lifts. My all time best was 425lbs, and I'm not sure I locked it out long enough to count it.
I'm hoping to lift more as I progress in this thing called "working out". I used to be called "Big Chris" because I was strong as an ox, not like now where it's because I'm overweight. While I might not return to those aforementioned glory days, I'd love to be strong once again.
I moved from that into lifting - arms and chest. While doing some closed grip bench press I felt what I suspect was a blood vessel break in my left hand. We'll see in the morning I guess, but it's a bit tender at the moment. I didn't let that stop me & finished my workout. I'm 99% sure I'm going to be sore tomorrow.
An interesting thing about my body is that I've always been sorest 48 hours after lifting hard, even when I was playing college football and moving impressive amounts of iron.
I used to lift a lot. My best bench press was in 2002 when I got 395lbs up. I never did hit my goal of 400lbs due to a strain in my left pectoral muscle. I strained it, had to take it easy for a while, and then moved nearly six hours away & enrolled full time in Seminary where I never managed to get back into regular lifting while living on campus. In college I squatted 720lbs which was a school record at the time for a running back (I was a fullback). I never was all that good at dead lift - the third of the "classic" competition lifts. My all time best was 425lbs, and I'm not sure I locked it out long enough to count it.
I'm hoping to lift more as I progress in this thing called "working out". I used to be called "Big Chris" because I was strong as an ox, not like now where it's because I'm overweight. While I might not return to those aforementioned glory days, I'd love to be strong once again.
This cold is kicking my butt
I've slept horribly for 3 nights. Last night didn't fall asleep until after 3:00AM & had to be up by 7:20AM to get to church. The night before I was up until 4:30AM with a combination of the cold and our son waking up, but at least then I got to sleep in until 10:30AM. the night before that was short as well. So I'm run down from the cold and run down from lack of sleep. I expect tomorrow tomorrow to hit me like a sledge hammer with a Monday morning preaching hangover.
The good news is I'm down 12lbs in 15 days without having done anything extreme. I know that won't continue, but I'm happy with it nonetheless. I noticed a difference climbing stairs to our church balcony this morning. Even though I was tired, I could still feel that climbing was easier.
I did go to the gym Friday night, but felt so crummy yesterday that I didn't go. I will for sure go again this evening, and probably Monday & Tuesday too. Wednesday this week will be youth ministry, and then Thursday we will be going to where I'll be officiating a great man & woman's wedding next weekend. So this next weekend will be a challenge to my diet with travel, travel food, eating out, wedding food and good times with friends and family. Plus I likely won't be able to go to the gym for 6 straight day. Thankfully I'll get a few opportunities for some walking/hiking with my wife at altitude to balance that out a bit.
I think I can manage it, but would take your prayers nonetheless.
The good news is I'm down 12lbs in 15 days without having done anything extreme. I know that won't continue, but I'm happy with it nonetheless. I noticed a difference climbing stairs to our church balcony this morning. Even though I was tired, I could still feel that climbing was easier.
I did go to the gym Friday night, but felt so crummy yesterday that I didn't go. I will for sure go again this evening, and probably Monday & Tuesday too. Wednesday this week will be youth ministry, and then Thursday we will be going to where I'll be officiating a great man & woman's wedding next weekend. So this next weekend will be a challenge to my diet with travel, travel food, eating out, wedding food and good times with friends and family. Plus I likely won't be able to go to the gym for 6 straight day. Thankfully I'll get a few opportunities for some walking/hiking with my wife at altitude to balance that out a bit.
I think I can manage it, but would take your prayers nonetheless.
Goals for weightloss
My goals in all this are to better steward what God has given me in this life. Hard to preach honestly/genuinely when a big sin issue lives around my waist line.
Losing weight will make my marriage better. There's things I'm hesitant to do because of my weight that my wife would love to do. And there are more intimate applications. Plus, since I'm stuck being ugly I can at least not multiply that by being huge! :-) It also reduces the chances she'll get to see that life insurance policy in action, and I'm OK with that.
It will also help me be a better father. I'll be able to keep up with my son better, and hopefully someday be a good role model for him. There's a lot of things in his life I don't want to miss out on, and being overweight will certainly take some opportunities from me.
I think it will make me a better pastor. It's harder to connect with people when their first image of me/the church is this huge pastor.
My overall goals are to lose 80lbs in the next 2 years. 40lbs a year. I still won't be skinny after losing 80lbs (sad to say) but I will be at a much healthier weight, and will then be in a place to take the next step(s) in this process. That is less than a pound a week, which should be sustainable and healthily achievable. Sustainability is very important to me, because I don't want to have to do this all over again. Plus, it has taken many years to put much of this weight on, so I suspect it'll take a few at least to get it back off again.
Some of what I hope to be doing will eventually slow my rate of weight loss - specifically weight lifting. I love to lift, and when I do so regularly my body is inclined to get strong and pack on muscle. Yes, late 30's means this won't happen as fast as in the past, but I do suspect that I'll put on some muscle in the months to come. So losing 80lbs + added muscle will be a pretty sizable transformation in my body composition. I've already started some light weight lifting, mostly form work, and in the months to come I'll add more to that as I feel ready to take that on.
Losing weight will make my marriage better. There's things I'm hesitant to do because of my weight that my wife would love to do. And there are more intimate applications. Plus, since I'm stuck being ugly I can at least not multiply that by being huge! :-) It also reduces the chances she'll get to see that life insurance policy in action, and I'm OK with that.
It will also help me be a better father. I'll be able to keep up with my son better, and hopefully someday be a good role model for him. There's a lot of things in his life I don't want to miss out on, and being overweight will certainly take some opportunities from me.I think it will make me a better pastor. It's harder to connect with people when their first image of me/the church is this huge pastor.
My overall goals are to lose 80lbs in the next 2 years. 40lbs a year. I still won't be skinny after losing 80lbs (sad to say) but I will be at a much healthier weight, and will then be in a place to take the next step(s) in this process. That is less than a pound a week, which should be sustainable and healthily achievable. Sustainability is very important to me, because I don't want to have to do this all over again. Plus, it has taken many years to put much of this weight on, so I suspect it'll take a few at least to get it back off again.
Some of what I hope to be doing will eventually slow my rate of weight loss - specifically weight lifting. I love to lift, and when I do so regularly my body is inclined to get strong and pack on muscle. Yes, late 30's means this won't happen as fast as in the past, but I do suspect that I'll put on some muscle in the months to come. So losing 80lbs + added muscle will be a pretty sizable transformation in my body composition. I've already started some light weight lifting, mostly form work, and in the months to come I'll add more to that as I feel ready to take that on.
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