Monday, June 30, 2008

Confessions

Today's Weigh-In: 202.0 lbs.
5-Day Average: 200.8

Arg. This weekend was terrible, from Wednesday onward. I ate like crap. Wednesday I had In-N-Out for dinner, Thursday I went to my parents' house to celebrate my cousin's birthday (he lives with my parents) and ate dinner (which was good), 2 pieces of cake(!), and some ice cream. Friday was El Torito for lunch and Del Taco for dinner. Saturday I went out with my friends and had Indian food, and Sunday I subsisted on rum, beer, and Jack in the Box. It's probably been the worst 5 days since I started out on this quest, to be honest. I have no excuses.

But I'm back to work today. Yeah, I fell off the wagon a bit, but that's no reason to stay off. I don't even really like eating garbage food any more, I just did it out of convenience, so it's not too hard to get back on the straight and narrow with regards to food. I have some short ribs marinating for dinner tonight, and I'll be hitting up the supermarket as well to replenish my cabinets.

On the exercise front, I worked out on Friday after being away for a while, and performed terribly. My body just would not do what I wanted it to. I attribute this to my lack of training volume in the past few weeks. So I'm going to make sure I get at least 4 workouts in this week. I've already knocked one out this morning. Time to do work.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Bleh

Today's Weigh-In: 200.4 lbs.
5-Day Average: 199.5 lbs.

Ocean's 11 challenge status: 3.5 pounds lost (based on 5-day average)

Well, my weigh-in today was a bit high, but my average is below 200 now. I had a cheat meal yesterday, which had more carbs than I normally consume, so it's probably just retained water. Oh well. I needed a bit of a carb-up, I was feeling a little weak in my muscles due to the reduced intake.

I'm really blowing it on the workout front. I have not worked out since Saturday since my company changed everybody's schedule, so I have to come in 2 hours earlier than I used to, and I've been getting stuck here later so I've been missing the Crossfit classes. Oh well, next Tuesday is my last day here, and my new job offers flexible hours. I'm going to go work out in a regular gym tonight, just so don't feel like a big lazy slob.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Finally!




Today's Weigh-In: 199.2 lbs. (new low!)
5-Day Average: 200.2 lbs.

Today marks my 100th post. It also marks the first time I've weighed in under 200 pounds in almost 3 years. That's actually a picture of my scale this morning. Needless to say, I'm very happy. This puts me within 15 pounds of my goal. I'm sure it'll fluctuate over and under 200 for the next few days, but I don't plan on letting it stay there for long. I've stuck to my new plan of avoiding grains and starches, and I've filled my plate with meat, eggs, veggies, fruit, and peanut butter. I feel fine, not tired or anything (probably due to the carbs in fruit), so I'm going to continue this and see how it goes.



I also have new pictures! There is a huge difference from the last set I posted, even though I'm only 4 pounds lighter (check out the last set here). I've only lost ~5 pounds in the two months since I last took pictures, but I've definitely leaned out more than ever. I've also got a sweet new scar on my stomach from burning myself with a pan.









Friday, June 20, 2008

New experiment

Today's Weigh-In: 201.2 lbs.
5-day Average: 201.4 lbs.

Ah, the end of the week. Looking back, I've dropped 1.4 pounds off my average this week, so I'm very happy about that. I'm not really sure how that happened, as I've been eating pretty much the same (possibly even worse) than normal, and I've only gotten in one workout. Oh well, maybe my body is finally just ready to let go of some of this fat due to me eating a little bit more calories than usual? Who knows. All I know is that I'm ready to get my butt back in gear and get on it. I'll get in a workout tomorrow, and I plan on only eating real, home-cooked food this weekend.

I'm also going to be attempting to limit/eliminate my bread/grain intake, and focus on fresh vegetables, fruit, meats, eggs, oils, and nuts, because I really do believe that is the ideal diet for human beings. I keep trying to eliminate processed foods from my life, but I'm kinda worried that if I reduce my carbs then I'll not have the necessary energy in the gym. But I've never actually tried it, so I don't have any idea how many carbs I really need each day. So I'm going to give this a shot and see how I feel. Should be fun.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Good news

Today's Weigh-In: 201.2 lbs.
5-Day Average: 202.25 lbs.

1.8 pounds down, 9.2 to go

So, I'm still rolling along. I had a bit of a cheat for dinner tonight (Hawaiian Barbecue) but I didn't eat that much prior to it, so I doubt it'll have too much effect. I'll also skip this Friday's cheat meal, just to keep myself honest.

So yesterday I alluded to having an appointment, and missing my workout as a result. I didn't want to post anything then, but now I can tell you guys that it was a job interview. And today, they offered me the position, so I'm very happy. It's a substantial pay increase (20%), and a new learning opportunity for me, since I'd become very lackadaisical in my current position, very comfortable but not improving myself or my skills any further. So this new job should fix that right up. It'll be a bit stressful learning all the new technologies and methodologies, but I think it will be very worthwhile.

The nice thing about it is that the hours are very flexible, so I'll still be able to get my workouts in every day. I'll be working 9 hour days, but we get every other Friday off, which is sweet.

It's kind of crazy, though. A week ago I wasn't even thinking about changing jobs, and I accidentally answered the phone when a recruiter called (I thought it was my dentist's office). And now, a week later, I'm making a very large step in my career. So it's a bit of a shock, along with a heavy load of stress, as I've had to scrounge up my references and talk to a lot of different people. I still have to tender my resignation, and that's very stressful for me, as I'm very eager to please, and resigning usually results in a bit of disappointment and stress for my manager. Oh well, I have to live my life and do what I have to do.

This might result in a slowing of blog posts from me, as I'll be very busy in the first few weeks ramping up and learning, but I won't drop out or quit at all. Wish me luck!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Fresh week

Today's Weigh-In: 201.8 lbs.
5-day Average: 202.4 lbs.

1.2 pounds down, 9.8 to go

So this weekend went pretty well. I ate out on Friday (my scheduled cheat) but kept calories in check the whole day prior to that. Saturday I had to go out to eat with my family, but I ordered a Thai Chicken salad, got the dressing on the side (only used about 1/3 of it), and got fruit instead of bread. The rest of the food I ate this weekend was homemade, and I limited my alcohol intake as well. I got in a good workout on Saturday, but I won't be able to work out today due to an appointment I have that required I go into work early, and I won't be home until late.

I'm coming up on 100 posts (this is 98) and 30 pounds. Not spectacular for 8 months of work, but I guess it really doesn't matter how fast you lose the weight, just that you lose it. Here's to a fresh week.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Challenge

Today's Weigh-In: 203.0 lbs.
5-Day Average: 203.0 lbs.

Still stuck at 203. I ate good yesterday, up until I got home. My roommate and his friends were over watching the Lakers' game, and brought pizzas. I made my dinner and ate it, oblivious to the temptation. That is, until I had a couple of drinks later in the evening. Then I ate 2 pieces. And drank too much whiskey (since I didn't have to get up until 11 today). Sigh. Whenever I'm doing good I screw it up. I know we've all been there, so I'm not going to cry about it. What I do need is a new goal, and it looks like Billy's Oceans 11 challenge is right up my alley. The goal is to lose 11 pounds by August 11th. That would put me within 7 pounds of my goal. It also comes at a good time, because I will be embarking on a weeklong cruise to the Mexican riviera on August 17th, and I don't want to look sloppy at the pool. So it's time to gird my loins, prepare for lean times, and bring back the fire.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Better weekend

Today's Weigh-In: 204.0 lbs.
5-Day Average: 203.0 lbs.

Well, this weekend was much better than last weekend. I had one cheat meal (2 fish tacos from Rubio's, with beans and rice) on Friday. I limited my alcohol intake, and I monitored my calories on Saturday and Sunday (went a little over on Saturday but not much). I made some citrus marinated chicken and Spanish rice for dinner last night, with beans, corn, and grilled onions and peppers. And I have a nice New York steak defrosting for me tonight. So all is well in the diet department.

The exercise department took a bit of a wrong turn, though. Last Wednesday's workout really put a hurting on my left hip flexor, and I wasn't able to move it without pain until Sunday. My Crossfit affiliate doesn't run workouts on Sundays, so I had to wait until today to get another workout in. So 5 days without workouts = lame. Oh well, not much to be done about that. I felt strong today, a little sore in my back, but nothing bad. So I'm aiming for a full 5 days of exercising this week. That should push the weight-loss a bit quicker, so I can hope for a sub-200 within the next 2 weeks.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Fitness

Today's Weigh-In: 203.4 lbs.
5-Day Average: 203 lbs.

The weight average is going up a bit, but that's mainly because I didn't weigh-in on Saturday or Sunday, so it's missing some data points. Also, I think that last weeks weigh-ins were skewed a bit low due to dehydration (due to imbibing a bit too much the night before) so these weigh-ins are more honest. No big deal, I would rather be honest with myself, and it's not about the number on the scale, it's about reducing body fat and increasing fitness.

Which brings me to my next point: fitness. When I started out on this journey all I cared about was a) losing weight and b) looking good. So to achieve those goals I followed the typical advice on bodybuilding forums and e-books. And I lost weight. But I didn't get stronger, and I didn't get faster, and I couldn't run for much longer. I realized that I didn't really know what I was doing, and that I didn't want to just look fitter, I wanted to *be* fitter. Through trial and error, I eventually came upon Crossfit, and haven't looked back. They know what fitness is, and how to achieve it. Now, reducing my body fat and weight are simply means for me to increase my performance, so I can do more pull-ups, have a higher strength-to-weight ratio, have less strain on my joints, etc. Crossfit outlines a scale of fitness; on one end of the scale is Sick, in the middle is Healthy, and on the other end is Fit. I've made it to Healthy; now I want to make my way closer to Fit. I believe this is a more worthwhile goal than just losing fat and looking good, so I guess you can say I've had a bit of a priority change. Not that I won't continue to lose, but my focus is on performance rather than raw weight loss. It helps me stay motivated.

I recommend checking out the "What is Fitness" article that Crossfit has made available. I think it can really open some eyes.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Weekend damage report

Today's Weigh-In: 203.6 lbs.
5-day Average: 202.27 lbs.

Ah, the weekend. Still not my friend. I just have a hard time eating in a restricted manner for some reason. I don't tend to eat more junk or anything (mainly because I don't keep junk in the house), I just eat more at each meal, and I eat less wholesome things (read: more bread, rice, pasta, etc. even though I use whole grain). And I tend to drink much more (read: 5-8 drinks a day, if I'm hanging out at home). So there's that. Also, on the weekends I spend my time with my girlfriend, who is a very picky eater and refuses to eat much of the healthy stuff I would normally consume. I know this is always going to be a challenge for me, but at least it's better now than it used to be when I kept junk food around. Do any of you have spouses that don't eat as healthy as you do, and how do you work around that?

Anyhoo, it wasn't *that* bad, as my weigh-ins are up, but the average is progressing at a normal rate of speed (I weighed in at 201.2 on Friday, but I must've been dehydrated since there's no way I can lose 3 pounds in a week of actual fat), and I plan on keeping at it this week. I didn't end up working out at all this weekend, but I was back in the gym this morning and I feel really good after having a week off (I got 2 new personal records on squats and shoulder press). I feel really good today, and I'm hoping to carry that momentum throughout the week.