bgvanbur vs obesity

[bgvanbur]

Got a new fancy bio-metric scale and boy was the number higher than I optimistically hoped, back into obesity by 15 pounds.  So weight loss is my main priority again.  Last year the icing on top of a four year slide from healthy back down into obesity.  I have come out before and I will do it again.

 

Also keep my running streak through the winter (at 212 days as of Jan 5).  For the last 3 months though I have done a number of single mile runs to keep the streak alive (after a long bike ride I scaled back due to weird muscle ache and my son had open heart surgery so was a crazy last few weeks).  I want to go back to 3 mile for my base now that the reasons for the shorter runs is out of the way so goal of 21 miles a week.

 

Goals

1) Use the fancy scale every day

2) Log all calories

3) Eat at least 6 servings of vegetables a day

4) Run every day

5) Run 21 miles a week

[Strickland5]

Pullin' up a chair to show my support!

[bgvanbur]

Note, I started my challenge on Monday instead of Sunday.

 

Day 1, did a 3 mile run but nothing else since I didn't flush out my challenge in my goals beyond running more yet.

 

Day 2, met all goals including a 3 mile run.  Myfitnesspal said if every day was like today I would lose 13 pounds in 5 weeks which would put me within pounds of no longer being obese.

 

Day 3 partial results so far, on track for all my goals including a 4 mile run.  A small bowl of cereal still has a bunch of calories, I think I will stick with eating eggs most mornings.

[18ck]

On 1/5/2021 at 4:09 PM, Strickland5 said:

Pullin' up a chair to show my support!

I've got a chair too, and always glad to see a former scout comrade 

[18ck]

Oof, I hope your son's OK now. That just have been a stressful time. 

 

I can't believe you've got a 212 day running streak! That's an amazing level of commitment, so I've no doubt you'll be back on top of your weight soon.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

A child having surgery is never an easy thing for a parent.

I've lost track of how many up and down cycles my weight has had in my adult life.

[darna]

Hope your son is doing better.

212 day running streak is pretty epic!

How's that fancy scale doing? I've always wondered if those really works. Can it keep track of more than 1 family member? How does it know who is standing on the scale?

I keep thinking my scale is broken coz the numbers don't seem to change. I occasionally kick it and it seems to reset itself. Maybe, I need to change the battery, lol.

[bgvanbur]

Doing great so far and meeting all my goals perfectly so far.  I looked back, and this was my first 20+ mile week in over 12 weeks.  Yesterday was a high calorie day but was only 23 calories over when adding in running calories (though all the other days I have been under metabolic calories so running calories just push me further in a deficit).  But yesterday was quite the days as the Buffalo Bills won their first playoff game in 25 years so it was worth the celebration (and because of myfitnesspal I definitely ate healthier options and less otherwise such as stopping at one beer and switching to diet soda and tons of veggies with three different trays of veggie based dishes).

 

darna, I was worried about that.  It gives the weight for anyone on it with a LED screen.  And if you have the app open on your phone it will load all the fancy extras into the app for you.  So you just need to log into the app with your profile and have it open (once synced with the scale).  Everyone in my house has their own device so we don't need to log out and log in to different accounts on the same device.

 

Already down 7 pounds, but the first week for me is always a big number anyways

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I didn't even realize the NFL was in playoffs, but it's always nice when your team gets a playoff win after a long drought (he says, being a Dallas Cowboys fan).

 

[bgvanbur]

Been keeping the challenge with more perfect days.  Yesterday my wife asked me if I wanted anything from's our local store (Wegman's) take out and asked for a slice of pizza.  I could easily fit that into my calories for the day.  She returns with a large pizza for my son and I to share.  I ate a slice saying that was enough.  30 minutes later another slice.  An hour later another slice.  At dinner time another slice and went into my running calories and ate some veggies for all the veggies I missed eating pizza instead.  Pizza is a hard one for me.

 

Today was a slick day, the roads were clear but the shoulders didn't get as much salt so were icy.  So I did repeats on the side road where I live so I could run in the lane instead of the shoulder.  In the middle of my run, my neighbor drove out and as he turned on the bigger road he slide across and tail whipped and gently hit the guard rail on the other side.  A gentle ding of the guard rail but made me grateful for picking the safer option.  Ran 2.4 miles though, a little short of my goal of 3 miles but that is part of why I made the running mileage weekly to allow for crappy days like today.  I was initially thinking just a mile but the side road was pretty dry in the middle so I felt safe enough doing more.

 

So the bills play Saturday night.  So thinking large salad at lunchtime and save my calories for the end of the day.  A couple beers, a veggie platter, some buffalo chicken and something potato-y.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Wise decision to run where it was safe. 

[bgvanbur]

Just checking in to say still meeting all my goals

[18ck]

On 1/14/2021 at 3:57 PM, bgvanbur said:

Just checking in to say still meeting all my goals

Handling obesity like a bossity

[bgvanbur]

So Friday and Sunday I did not meet my vegetable goal (and went over my desired calorie amounts, jeez, I bet these two things are related :).  But otherwise meeting my goals.

 

And today the scale said my BMI is no longer obese!  It might still fluctuate on that border, but it is nice to see positive results

[bgvanbur]

3 days where the scale said I was no longer obese according to BMI.  Next goal is for the scale's body fat percentage to no longer say obese.

 

Hit all my goals in the meantime.  My wife even ordered pizza and wings for dinner and I was able to eat within my calories which are foods hard for me to be sensible about.

 

I have been having dreams about parking my car in the garage, so I moved things around and was able to park it in there.  I cleaned out stuff in my "workshop" and moved my deadlifting area in the garage there.  The only downside is I can't do overhead presses in there due to a low ceiling but have a stool for miltary presses.  I figure I will park the car in the driveway in the warmer months and can do overhead press out there.  Still a bunch of stuff to organize further, but was able to throw out a bunch of things and have a pile ready for donations.

 

Progress Update

1) Use the fancy scale every day (-1 since didn't have scale yet)

2) Log all calories (-1 since didn't make goal yet)

3) Eat at least 6 servings of vegetables a day (-3)

4) Run every day (perfect)

5) Run 21 miles a week (perfect)

[18ck]

Congratulations on no longer being obese by one definition. How far do you need to go for the other target? 

[bgvanbur]

18ck, for body fat >= 25% is obese.  I started this challenge at 28.6% and now at 26.2%, so two-thirds of the way there already.  I should be around breaking it somewhere around the challenge potentially, but no specific timeline as long as progress is in the right direction

 

I realized this challenge has made me make smart choices of food and drinks.  When Covid hit I pretty much went from having a drink once a week to a daily drink.  And it was something I was joked about initially, but by last December I started breaking the habit and skipping a couple days a week of drinking.  I have had four drinks since the challenge started on game days.  And my stash of dark chocolate in my office has been untouched

[18ck]

Yeah, booze - it's like magical waistline-increasing potion. A delicious, delicious magical waistline-increasing potion. 

[bgvanbur]

Finished week 3 with keeping all my goals.  I ran longer on Friday and Saturday and second week in the row at 28 miles.  Did my first full barbell workout in about four months we my new setup in my "workshop" instead of the garage (though I did do random barbell work in December as part of my NF challenge, just not a full workout).  Today was my coldest run so far during my streak at 7 F (3 F with wind chill).  It wasn't too bad, but potentially might be colder later in the week.  Definitely shorter run days and telling when I don't see some of the other runners I sometimes see on these colder mornings :)

 

Week 3 Progress Update

1) Use the fancy scale every day (-1 since didn't have scale yet)

2) Log all calories (-1 since didn't make goal yet)

3) Eat at least 6 servings of vegetables a day (-3)

4) Run every day (perfect)

5) Run 21 miles a week (perfect)

[bgvanbur]

Pre weekend check in and everything is going good this week.  Mileage is only 14.7 so need a little more than 3 mile runs this weekend to get to 21 mile goal.  And tomorrow will be our coldest day yet (this week has been cold which is why I am fewer miles than desired already), but I would rather be safe in the cold weather than hit some arbitrary mileage so I am okay basing my weekend runs on the weather.

[Chesire]

Same with the cold weather and being safe.  Normally I'd go for a run, as well as walk the dog (I'm *this* close to finishing the Walk to Mordor) but it's so stupidly cold.  I don't mind dressing for it, but all those layers make it such a slog and so draining.

 

Nice work on the progress you've made.

[theophilus]

Chiming in to say I feel your pain with this cold snap. Definitely pared back my mileage this week to deal with it (though I’m close to the coast so I’m sure it hasn’t been nearly as bad here as it has been for you). 
 

Looks like a lot of great progress this challenge, way to go!

[18ck]

Definitely, mate, don't get eaten by polar bears. 

[bgvanbur]

Was a successful challenge   Ok, the last week was lacking in vegetables and more calories than I wanted but seeing it made me make better choices.  Overall, I beat obesity with respect and got down to 25.3% body fat (3.3% reduction in body fat) so very close to beating it according to my scale's body fat measurement.  And this morning (Wednesday) I am at 25.0%, so still obese since need to get under 25.0%...

 

 

Final Update

1) Use the fancy scale every day (-1 since didn't have scale yet)

2) Log all calories (-1 since didn't make goal yet)

3) Eat at least 6 servings of vegetables a day (-7)

4) Run every day (perfect)

5) Run 21 miles a week (perfect)