October goals

Today's Weigh-In: 206.8

PhysicsDiet.com Average: 204.41

Sorry for the long gap in between posts. I just haven't had a lot to say. As expected my low weigh-ins were not to last, but that's okay. I'm still closer to my goal than I was, and today's weigh-in was exceptionally high for some reason. It should stabilize around 204-205 within the next few days.

Well, we're 5 days into October and I haven't posted my goals yet. Here we go:

* Weigh 200 pounds by November 1st

* Continue doing Crossfit 5 days a week.

* Continue working ring muscle-ups

* Snatch 165 pounds

Now that I can do muscle-ups I have to work on doing them more efficiently and with less rest in between repetitions. Last week I did 5 in one day, but I needed a good 10-15 minutes in between attempts to be successful. I also want to focus on my Olympic weightlifting total, and my snatch is currently much worse than my clean and jerk. I'm going to be using Saturday mornings as skill work, so I'll practice both of these movements every Saturday this month.

I tweaked my shoulder (again) last week, so it's a bit tender, but I've been taking care of it and it should be 100% by the end of the week. On Saturday my Crossfit affiliate is hosting the Barbells for Boobs fundraiser, and the workout associated with it is called "Grace", which is 30 reps of Clean and Jerk at 135 pounds. I need my shoulder to be solid for that one, so if I have to baby it a bit this week then that's what I'll do.

Here's to a good month.

Another bout of sickness, but the clouds are parting.

Today's Weigh-In: 201.6 lbs.

PhysicsDiet.com Average: 205.56 lbs.

So, yeah, I've lost a lost of weight the past few weeks. Unfortunately this was partially helped along by a vicious attack of stomach flu on Saturday night, which ultimately kept me from consuming any real amount of food until Tuesday. Add to that the fact that I was sick most of last week, and we're not talking about a good weight-loss scheme. But I'm feeling pretty much 100% today, and I've got my appetite back, so I'm trying to get some extra calories for the next few days to build my strength up.

I did still manage to get my Crossfit Level 1 certification on Sunday, even without the benefit of any sleep the night before (and with a very strong desire to curl up into the fetal position throughout the day), so I'm super happy about that. I learned a lot, and aced the written test, only missing one question (out of 45 scored). We're having a trainers' meeting next week to figure out how best to apply the new trainers in the gym, so we'll see where it takes me.

I did get one easy workout this week, on Monday. I felt wobbly and weak, but it was good to get moving again after being sick for so long. It's going to take me a week or two to ramp up to my previous levels of intensity and consistency, so I have to be patient there, but all in all things are looking up.

Doing awesome

Today's Weigh-In: 204 lbs.

PhysicsDiet.com Average: 207.15 lbs.

Well this week has turned out great for weight loss. On Tuesday I hit 205.6, Wednesday I was 204.6, and today I was 204.0. These little spurts of weight loss are a nice mental boost for someone who's been trying to lean out for so long. I think the combo of intermittent fasting along with alcohol restriction has really done most of the work, because I haven't gotten to work out a day this week. I'm finally feeling good enough to get a workout in, but I had minor oral surgery this morning and they said I can't exert myself today because of the risk of bleeding. So I have to wait until tomorrow to get a workout, but that's okay, cuz I know I'll be getting at least a good workout or two at the Crossfit Level 1 certification this weekend, being held at Crossfit 714 (my gym). I'm super excited about finally attending a cert, and I'm glad I got this flu thing out of the way. I'm already under my goal weight for the month, so now I'm going to just make sure I keep it that way and not regain. All in all everything is going great, and I finally have some good momentum in the right direction.

Out sick

Today's Weigh-In: 207 lbs.

Ugh. The throat issue I mentioned in my last post turned into a full on fever/flu deal, and I was stuck in bed for most of the weekend. In addition to that I seem to have developed an infection on my gums which hurts tremendously. I'm feeling better today, and I've got an appointment with a gum specialist tomorrow, but it made this weekend not a lot of fun.

Weight is down mainly because it's hard to eat, but I've made sure to get enough food to sustain me without issue. Hopefully I'll get these issues resolved in the next few days and get back in the gym.

Don't blow it!

Today's Weigh-In: 207.6 lbs.

Average: 208.52 lbs.

My morning weigh-ins have started to come down, as expected. My workouts have been intense this week, and my eating has been spot on. I've been just about perfect with my calories every day, and the intermittent fasting is going well too. I got a good 9 hours of sleep last night, so I'm feeling pretty good today. I thought I would be really sore from the past couple of workouts I've done, but the good rest and quality food seems to have taken care of that for the most part. My performance in the gym this week has also been markedly improved. The only bad thing in my life health-wise is I woke up at 4:30 this morning with a sore throat, which I handled by gargling some Listerine. I went back to bed, and when I woke up again at 8:30 it was feeling a lot better, so I'm hoping it's just from being irritated (the other night I hung out with one of my buddies who was smoking) and not from any kind of infection. I'm taking the day off from the gym to rest up a bit more, and hopefully I'll be alright tomorrow. All in all everything is going really well right now. All I have to do is not blow it!

Current status and monthly goal

Today's Weigh-In: 209.8 lbs.

Weight is still high, although it should begin a downward trend pretty soon. I've been eating super clean (most of the time, had a big calorie blast on Saturday), so it doesn't have a say in the matter. As of September 1st I haven't had any alcohol, nor will I for (at least) the rest of the month. This always helps a lot with weight loss for me, and it's been really easy this time for some reason. I've been sleeping great, training hard 4-5 days a week, and I'm injury free, so it's time for a hard push in the right direction.

The goal for this month is to be under 205 pounds by October 1st. My weight has been fluctuating between 208 and 210 for the past few days, so I don't think it's unreasonable. I'm still doing 16 hour fasts on weekdays, although on the weekends I usually only go about 14 hours, which is still fine. That's why it's called "intermittent" fasting, it doesn't have to be perfect every day to work. I tracked my calories a couple of times last week, and on an average weekday I've been getting around 2200, perfect for me to lean out.

I know I've been a bit lax on updating the blog and commenting on others' posts, so I'll try to be more active on here this week. That's it for now.

Current plan

Today's Weigh-In: 207.8

PhysicsDiet.com Average: 208.8

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. I've kind of been treading water, to be honest. It's the same thing that's happened so many times in the past: get some momentum, start doing really well, start building good habits, and then get derailed a few times due to life stuff. But I'm past that now, and I'm ready to get another good streak of fat loss going.

I've been consistent with my exercise, so that's not an issue at all. To be honest, that's the easiest part of fitness for me. I love going to the gym, and I love hitting new PRs and tackling workouts that I've never done before. Eating/drinking is the problem area, as always. A few weeks ago a bunch of the members of the gym went up to Mammoth Lakes and Yosemite national park for a camping trip, which was amazing, but when you're camping it's really easy to let your diet slip. And slip it did. Lots of beer, marshmallows, cookies, etc. We were super active (I even did downhill mountain-biking down Mammoth mountain) so I didn't gain anything, but it did take me off the rails on the mental side a little bit, and it's taken me a few weeks to get my bearings and get rid of any left-over garbage food that was in my house.

So heres my current regimen. 16 hour daily fasts on the weekdays, which gives me an 8 hour eating window, between 1PM and 9PM. I usually work out around 6:30PM so that allows me 2 meals prior to working out, and 1 big meal after. Then, I just stop eating at 9. This helps me in that it prevents me from consuming calories not because I'm hungry but because I'm bored or just used to having a little something extra in the evening. It prevents me from having that extra glass or two of wine, or those couple extra handfuls of nuts that I really just don't need. There are also other physiological benefits to fasting, such as improved nutrient partitioning and increased insulin sensitivity, but for me the main thing is calorie restriction. I'm also still sticking to mostly Paleo foods, with a little dairy added in. This ensures I'm not hungry, and that I'm also getting good nutrition for the amount of calories I am taking in. I'm not counting calories, but I'll probably be getting around 2000/day, which is perfect. I'll update my goals in a later post.