Ugh. While most people have today off, I'm in the office working. And it's raining. This is not a good start to my week. However, I still got up this morning and got in a good workout, and I feel a lot better for it. I'm finally starting to get used to waking up early, so it's not as much of an issue as is has been. The cold weather in the morning is still annoying, but that's just something I can't do much about. I'm also starting to get my fitness level back up to the point where I'm not nauseous after workouts any more. Puking sucks, a lot. I did a full workout this morning with near max intensity and didn't feel like throwing up at all. The other guys at the gym really pushed me, to the point where I didn't think I could keep going, but I did. That's the best feeling, when you just break down that mental wall that tells you "stop, you'll die if you keep going." You won't die. Your heart won't explode, and your lungs won't fail you. You'll feel like crap for a few minutes, but your fitness will increase by leaps and bounds. This is something that I have to re-learn, and it's hard, but the benefits far outweigh the difficulties.
No weigh-in today, but I'm probably about the same. I had a fun weekend, but me and my lady ate out quite a bit. I stayed really active on Saturday with cleaning my apartment, but was too sore from Friday's workout to do anything more than that. Right now I'm really focused on staying healthy, keeping my energy levels up, and getting my strength and cardio back up to the levels they were at a few months ago. To facilitate that I've been eating a bit more than I need to lose weight, but the extra calories help my recovery so it's a fair trade for the time being. I think by the beginning of March I'll be able to start honing the diet without sacrificing the ability to get in a good workout. We'll see.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wednesday
Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates this week. Been really busy with work and just haven't found the time. I didn't get a chance to weigh in before I ate this morning, so no numbers for today. I've been tracking my caloric intake and have been doing pretty well at keeping them under 2500 for the last few days or so. The weekend was definitely not good, though, with hot wings, french fries, and beer. So I'm making up for that a bit this week. I've gotta get better at limiting my cheats to one meal per week and not stretch it out over a few days. I used to be really good at this but it's hard to get back into that routine, especially when you're around other people who aren't as concerned with what they eat.
I got in a really good workout this morning, and I'll be doing some heavy deadlifting tomorrow, so that should be fun. I'm still having a hard time with getting up in the morning, but it's something that I have to do or else I won't reach any of my goals. Just gotta suck it up and go.
I got in a really good workout this morning, and I'll be doing some heavy deadlifting tomorrow, so that should be fun. I'm still having a hard time with getting up in the morning, but it's something that I have to do or else I won't reach any of my goals. Just gotta suck it up and go.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Hooray for tabatas
Today's Weigh-In: 198 lbs.
5-Day Average: 199.36 lbs.
It looks like my weight is starting to come down, slowly but surely. I've been monitoring my calories all this week and I've been within my limits every day. I'm having a bit of a hard time getting enough protein, so I've resorted to adding a 2-scoop protein shake at night to make up for any deficiencies.
I didn't work out on Tuesday or Wednesday due to overwhelming muscle fatigue, but I did get a workout today. 5x5 back squats, woohoo! I also added a 4-round tabata on the Concept 2 rower at the end of the workout. For those not familiar with the Tabata protocol it basically involves doing 20 seconds of work at maximum intensity, then 10 seconds of rest. Repeat as necessary. The standard protocol is 8 rounds (for a total of 4 minutes) but we cut it in half due to my current lack of conditioning. I went balls out, and ended up puking again. It's really hard to try to catch your breath while projectile vomiting into a trash can :-) I think the nausea was mainly due to drinking a cup of coffee on an empty stomach before the workout, so I won't do that again.
Since I've been back in the gym I've noticed that I'm being more conscientious in other aspects of my life. I used to neglect a lot of chores around the house and would basically let everything go to crap before taking the initiative to clean up, but lately I've been much more proactive about doing things such as emptying the litter box, taking out the trash, putting away my laundry, and cleaning the kitchen immediately after cooking. I have more energy and feel less lethargic throughout the day as well. Just goes to show that striving for fitness improves more than just your physical health.
5-Day Average: 199.36 lbs.
It looks like my weight is starting to come down, slowly but surely. I've been monitoring my calories all this week and I've been within my limits every day. I'm having a bit of a hard time getting enough protein, so I've resorted to adding a 2-scoop protein shake at night to make up for any deficiencies.
I didn't work out on Tuesday or Wednesday due to overwhelming muscle fatigue, but I did get a workout today. 5x5 back squats, woohoo! I also added a 4-round tabata on the Concept 2 rower at the end of the workout. For those not familiar with the Tabata protocol it basically involves doing 20 seconds of work at maximum intensity, then 10 seconds of rest. Repeat as necessary. The standard protocol is 8 rounds (for a total of 4 minutes) but we cut it in half due to my current lack of conditioning. I went balls out, and ended up puking again. It's really hard to try to catch your breath while projectile vomiting into a trash can :-) I think the nausea was mainly due to drinking a cup of coffee on an empty stomach before the workout, so I won't do that again.
Since I've been back in the gym I've noticed that I'm being more conscientious in other aspects of my life. I used to neglect a lot of chores around the house and would basically let everything go to crap before taking the initiative to clean up, but lately I've been much more proactive about doing things such as emptying the litter box, taking out the trash, putting away my laundry, and cleaning the kitchen immediately after cooking. I have more energy and feel less lethargic throughout the day as well. Just goes to show that striving for fitness improves more than just your physical health.
Monday, February 2, 2009
27 pounds
Today's Weigh-In: 202.0 lbs.
3-day Average: 200.4 lbs.
Yesterday I weighed in at 198.8 pounds, but Superbowl munchies put me back up over 200 this morning. Oh well, it'll be gone soon.
I had the chance on Saturday to get my body fat measured via hydrostatic weighing. My Crossfit affiliate rented one of the trucks for 3 hours and most everyone got tested. It was a good experience, and it's nice to know my true body fat percentage. The bad news is the result: 22.4%. Not very happy with that, since I was down to under 18% 6 months ago (at the same body weight). So that means I've lost muscle and gained fat, which makes me sad. But it's also very motivating, in that now I know exactly how much fat I have to lose if I want to get to my goal of 10% body fat. I need to weigh 173 pounds. So I've gotta lose 27 pounds from where I'm at now. Last year I lost 35 pounds in about 7 months, so using that as a baseline I should be at my goal by the end of July. Seems like a long time, but there's not a whole lot that can be done. I just need to work hard and tighten my belt a bit, so to speak.
I worked out on Friday morning, but didn't make it all the way through the workout because of my current deconditioned state. I ended up puking (dry-heaving, really, since I didn't have anything in my stomach) so that put a quick end to the workout. It's a bit disappointing because I was hoping I hadn't lost that much athletic ability, but now I know I have to slow down a bit and take about a month to ramp up the intensity. I hit another workout this morning without any gastrointestinal issues, and I plan on hitting the gym again tomorrow. My current workout schedule is going to be Mon-Tues-Thurs-Fri, as that allows me enough time to rest but also enough workload to get back into fighting shape, so to speak.
My motivation is definitely back, which is the best news. When I'm motivated it's so much easier to just do the work that I know is necessary, and when the pounds start coming off I know that I'll just be that much more motivated. Good times.
3-day Average: 200.4 lbs.
Yesterday I weighed in at 198.8 pounds, but Superbowl munchies put me back up over 200 this morning. Oh well, it'll be gone soon.
I had the chance on Saturday to get my body fat measured via hydrostatic weighing. My Crossfit affiliate rented one of the trucks for 3 hours and most everyone got tested. It was a good experience, and it's nice to know my true body fat percentage. The bad news is the result: 22.4%. Not very happy with that, since I was down to under 18% 6 months ago (at the same body weight). So that means I've lost muscle and gained fat, which makes me sad. But it's also very motivating, in that now I know exactly how much fat I have to lose if I want to get to my goal of 10% body fat. I need to weigh 173 pounds. So I've gotta lose 27 pounds from where I'm at now. Last year I lost 35 pounds in about 7 months, so using that as a baseline I should be at my goal by the end of July. Seems like a long time, but there's not a whole lot that can be done. I just need to work hard and tighten my belt a bit, so to speak.
I worked out on Friday morning, but didn't make it all the way through the workout because of my current deconditioned state. I ended up puking (dry-heaving, really, since I didn't have anything in my stomach) so that put a quick end to the workout. It's a bit disappointing because I was hoping I hadn't lost that much athletic ability, but now I know I have to slow down a bit and take about a month to ramp up the intensity. I hit another workout this morning without any gastrointestinal issues, and I plan on hitting the gym again tomorrow. My current workout schedule is going to be Mon-Tues-Thurs-Fri, as that allows me enough time to rest but also enough workload to get back into fighting shape, so to speak.
My motivation is definitely back, which is the best news. When I'm motivated it's so much easier to just do the work that I know is necessary, and when the pounds start coming off I know that I'll just be that much more motivated. Good times.
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